Meranee Phing Naaman, a trailblazer with over 25 years in private equity and two decades as a senior investment partner at Riverside Company, shares hard-won lessons from building and scaling businesses in consumer markets. She explains why IQ alone isn't enough in PE—you need EQ to sell your vision and LQ (learning quotient) to keep pattern recognition sharp. From buying the same home services business twice to pioneering franchising as a PE strategy, Meranee breaks down what separates good investors from great ones.

For more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.

Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/
Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/

For information on HCI Equity Partners, go to https://www.hciequity.com
For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.com
For information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

Sean Mooney, Doug McCormick, and Lloyd Metz dissect the gap between textbook valuation methods and what actually happens when private equity firms decide what to pay for a business. They compare DCF models to LBO models, debate the usefulness of terminal value assumptions, and explain why market-based approaches trump theoretical frameworks. The conversation reveals how deal psychology, credit availability, and real-world capital structures shape valuation decisions far more than any spreadsheet ever could.

For more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.

Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/
Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/

For information on HCI Equity Partners, go to https://www.hciequity.com
For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.com
For information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net

In this continuation of their conversation on portfolio performance, co-hosts Lloyd Metz (ICV Partners), Doug McCormick (HCI Equity Partners), and Sean Mooney (BluWave) move from diagnosis to action: what to actually do once you know a business isn’t performing to plan.

They cover how to tell a temporary headwind from a structural problem, where to start on revenue and cost fixes, and how to balance quick liquidity levers with long-term value creation.

From pricing strategy and marketing ROI to Lean Six Sigma process improvements, working capital discipline, and when to inject new capital, this episode is a playbook for business builders navigating tough quarters with clear eyes and steady hands.

Episode Highlights

• 2:21 – Distinguishing market challenges from internal structural problems
• 7:01 – Boosting top-line growth through pricing, marketing, and sales leadership
• 16:48 – Cutting costs intelligently: process efficiency, spend takeout, and Lean systems
• 28:45 – Managing liquidity: working capital, cash creation, and balance-sheet discipline
• 36:18 – Knowing when more capital helps and when it’s time to stop funding the problem

For more information on the podcast, visit bestbutneverfinal.buzzsprout.com and embark on your journey to private equity excellence today.

Visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-but-never-final-podcast/
Visit us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bestbutneverfinal/

For information on HCI Equity Partners, go to https://www.hciequity.com
For information on ICV Partners, go to https://www.icvpartners.com
For information on BluWave, go to https://www.bluwave.net