Why Choose Ownership Over Being a CEO
Update: 2025-11-10
Description
After chafing under the constraints of being a CEO, Katherine Butler-Dines & Rahul Desai bought a business of their own.
Register for the webinar:
- Financing Your Deal: SBA vs. Non-SBA - Nov 13th - https://bit.ly/47OQpUA
Topics in Katherine and Rahul’s interview:
- Katherine’s early CEO experience
- Board conflicts pushed her toward majority ownership
- Acquiring without a traditional bank loan
- Convincing the seller to do a seller note
- Paying the seller note with float from advance bookings
- Rahul built custom software to increase margins
- Searching nights and weekends while at their W-2s
- Affordability of living in the midwest
- Vision of acquiring and integrating more travel businesses
- Learning to delegate and enjoying free time
References and how to contact Katherine and Rahul:
- Katherine’s LinkedIn
- Rahul’s LinkedIn
- Affinity Travel Co.
- Shell Zhang on Acquiring Minds: Buying a Not Boring Business with $600k SDE
- Jared Benoff on Acquiring Minds: Why Buy a Travel Agency (Because They Can Crush It)
Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:
Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:
Learn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:
Connect with Acquiring Minds:
- See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
- Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
- Follow Will on Twitter
Edited by Anton Rohozov
Produced by Pam Cameron
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