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Podcast Episode

They Said Nothing Would Change,Then Everything Did. The PE episode. | Josh Baca

Sales Training. Close It Now!··6 September 2026·1h 19m

About this episode

They said nothing would change. Then everything did.Sam Wakefield and Josh Baca have both lived the private equity acquisition from the front lines. Not from the boardroom. Not from the highlight reel. From the trucks, the sales calls, and the moments when you realize the company you believed in has become something you no longer recognize.Josh spent three and a half years and closed $10.6 million in sales before making his exit. Sam lasted six weeks after the sale before handing in his notice the same afternoon a GM suggested offering a homeowner a box of filters instead of fixing the drywall his crew cracked.This is that conversation.In this episode:How Sam found out his company sold in an all hands meeting disguised as an insurance enrollmentWhy 80% turnover in the first year after a PE sale is more common than anyone admitsWhat private equity does well and where it consistently breaks downWhy the culture always fractures from the top down and what could be done differentlyHow lead quality and qualification standards quietly erode after an acquisitionWhy the people who were there from the beginning feel it the hardestThe comment that was the straw that broke the camel's back for JoshWhat it looks like to exit professionally when everything in you wants to walk outWhy your skill set in this industry is repeatable, scalable, and fully portableHow to channel frustration into your next move instead of burning bridges on the way out Connect with Josh Baca:TikTok: @joshbaca5Instagram: josh.baca.716Facebook: Josh BacaEmail: boss76.jb@gmail.comConnect with Sam Wakefield:Website: https://www.closeitnow.netEmail: sam@closeitnow.netInstagram: @therealcloseitnowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/samuel.l.wakefieldLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/closeitnow/Join the Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnowWant Sam and Josh at your company for a full day of training and ride-alongs? Loop both in on the same email.sam@closeitnow.net | boss76.jb@gmail.comBook with Sam: calendar.app.google/KZH1j2Q1MAXTKbT38Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google. Every review gets read, and if yours gets read on air you earn a no-charge one-on-one coaching session with Sam directly.Google: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review