We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jimmy Tran a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jimmy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about one of the craziest things you’ve experienced in your journey so far.
Serendipity led me to my current firm, Optima M&A.
In January 2025, I sold a small business. I was somewhat burned out and decided to take a break to ponder what I wanted to do next. I evaluated a number of things, but nothing really excited me. Luckily, I wasn’t in a hurry so thought I might give myself up to a year to decide.
Then in May 2025, a friend called me and asked if I’d like to be on a podcast called The Deal Table. They had a guest cancel and had an opening that very afternoon. Initially, I was going to decline but moved my schedule around to join the podcast.
Lo and behold, I get interviewed and then met one of the two co-founders of Optima M&A (which co-produces the podcast). I learn that one of them has met me previously back in 2023 when I ran for a local elected office. And before I know it, I was hired to lead our North Texas market.
At Optima M&A, we help small business owners & operators sell their businesses. We have been in the founder’s shoes and know what it is like to build something significant and then transfer ownership to a new owner. It’s fun and rewarding to meet people who have built something and then have them entrust us to assist them on their sell journey.
The lesson in all of this is simple: answer the call, take the podcast and always be open to serendipity.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a Market Director at Optima, I advise founders, entrepreneurs and business owners on the sale of their businesses. We specialize in businesses with $5M+ of enterprise value.
Previously, I built, expanded and sold a multi-unit franchise based in North Texas. Prior to entrepreneurship, I led Corporate Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions activity for a Fortune 150 company. I began my career as a management consultant for Bain & Company in Dallas, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
My current role at Optima brings together my advisory, M&A and business ownership background. We work with all sorts of people, across industries, which gives me a great vantage point on how small businesses help fuel the broader economy. I enjoy learning about the journey of those who have built businesses and advising them on how to create impact and legacy even after their businesses are sold.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Our clientele is very narrow and niche. Generally, it’s hard to advertise for what we do and we are not a mass market offering. My strategy has been to let people know what I do by sharing about my role, job and industry…and then having leads come to me in an organic, natural way.
One of the things I’ve been doing is hosting <b>Business Roundtables</b> once a month. These Roundtables are small, intimate gatherings of up to 10 business owners & operators. We host the meeting, and I moderate the discussion under “Chatham House” rules. The topic varies, but we inevitably work through business challenges and give participants a chance to weigh in on the topic du jour in a Roundtable fashion. The setting, structure and participants are incredibly unique.
We’ve had amazing feedback. Small business owners are generally so embedded in their own businesses or niche industries, so they rarely get a chance to interact with others walking in similar shoes. I enjoy giving these business owners an opportunity to get outside of their own bubbles and to learn something new.
Conversations about M&A are often focused on multibillion dollar transactions – but M&A can be an important part of a small or medium business owner’s journey. We’d love to hear about your experience with selling businesses.
I sold my business back in January 2025.
I think that most people underestimate the time and effort required to sell a business. Often there are many parties involved, including advisors, CPAs, attorneys, financial planners and the list goes on and on.
If the business is <$5m of enterprise value, you might be able to sell it on your own but above that, it really is in your best interest to hire a sell-side advisor. I compare it to selling a home. Of course you can “for sale by owner,” but there a myriad of reasons why people rarely successfully complete a for sale by owner home sale.
The same is true for a business. If you’re looking to sell, it helps to be prepared and to get started as early as possible. Hiring the right advisor is key and have them guide you through the entire process!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theoptimateam.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmyjtran/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.j.tran
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmytran/
- Twitter: https://x.com/jjtran
