Dr. Brandon Chicotsky, Managing Principal at God Bless Retirement and Marketing Professor at the TCU Neeley School of Business, speaking to an investor community in Fort Worth.
Dealmakers in 2025 are prioritizing “fewer, better” transactions as diligence standards rise and valuation gaps widen across the lower-middle market (Bain & Company, 2025). God Bless Retirement (GBR), the Fort Worth–based, family-led advisory firm, today announced a Buyer Advocacy Program that equips independent acquirers with sponsor-style sourcing, lender-ready packaging, and post-close integration, an approach that is a reflection of Main Street legacies.
Recent mid-year outlooks point to selectivity, slower timelines, and more disciplined underwriting rather than a volume rebound. Sentiment has improved from early-year lows but remains below long-term norms, reinforcing a “quality over quantity” posture (Boston Consulting Group, 2025). At the same time, private equity add-ons continue to dominate activity, intensifying competition for bankable targets and pushing smaller buyers to show sponsor-grade rigor (Cherry Bekaert, 2025).
Credit conditions are a mixed tailwind. SBA-backed financing reached roughly $56 billion in FY2024, creating capacity for acquisition loans, yet lenders are scrutinizing files more closely, making readiness decisive for sub-$50 million deals (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2024). Lower-market transactions also carry outsized complexity, earn-outs, working-capital mechanics, and transition risk, despite their smaller size (SRS Acquiom, 2025).
The Association for Corporate Growth’s “GF Data” shows multiples whipsawing quarter to quarter in 2025 as buyers pay up for scarce, high-quality assets but press on structure elsewhere, evidence of an environment that rewards prepared acquirers (Association for Corporate Growth, 2025). Market-pulse surveys similarly flag persistent bid-ask spreads and elongated closes in the lower market, underscoring the value of proactive buyer preparation (International Business Brokers Association & M&A Source, 2025).
What God Bless Retirement’s (GBR) program changes
- Proactive match-making: GBR integrates its data consortium with targeted outreach to surface opportunities aligned to a buyer’s capital stack, growth thesis, and operational plan before letters of intent are drafted, reducing dead-end pursuits (IBBA & M&A Source, 2025).
- Financing readiness: The team assembles lender-ready SBA/community-bank files that normalize working capital, map collateral and seller-note structures, and sequence diligence in lender-friendly order (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2024).
- Deal discipline: GBR’s buy-side playbook emphasizes quality-of-earnings, customer-concentration and vendor-continuity checks, and explicit 90-day/12-month operating plans to curb post-close drift (E78 Partners, 2025).
- Values-based stewardship: The firm positions itself as a two-sided steward, walking away from misaligned deals and orienting acquirers toward continuity of jobs, suppliers, and local civic anchors (Bain & Company, 2025).
Dr. Chicotsky with an Associate Broker from God Bless Retirement and graduate from the TCU Neeley School of Business, Blake Oliver.
“We built this so smaller acquirers can compete with sponsor-grade leverage, clean sourcing, bankable files, and integration muscle,” said Dr. Brandon Chicotsky. “When Main Street changes hands with discipline and purpose, communities keep their backbone.”
Inspiration and design notes
GBR says the program’s blueprint was inspired by Fort Worth stewards–such as private equity associates Drew Forsberg, Alexia Tuttle, and Beau Brothers–whose work with disciplined buyers, including former military special operations personnel, highlighted the value of structured acquisition pathways. Their non-profit, Beyond the Brotherhood, helps Navy SEALs transition into the marketplace.
Another influence is David Souther, who introduced The GARRISON Foundation, a nonprofit “home base” that equips transitioning special forces veterans with training, community, and mentorship for business acquisition. Research on special operations cohorts documents resilient performance and cognitive adaptability under stress, traits helpful for acquisition leadership and integration (Smith et al., 2020).
GBR sees the Buyer Advocacy Program as market hygiene as much as mission: a standardized way to help qualified buyers earn credibility with sellers and lenders, close on realistic structures, and protect value after their acquisition is complete.
Learn more about God Bless Retirement at GodBlessRetirement.com.
Or contact them at info@godblessretirement.com
Ready to buy or sell a business? Book a consultation with GBR.
Connect with Dr. Chicotsky on LinkedIn or follow GBR’s LinkedIn page.
Media Contact:
Brandon Chicotsky, Ph.D.
Managing Principal, God Bless Retirement
GodBlessRetirement.com
References
- Association for Corporate Growth. (2025, August 25). GF Data releases Q2 2025 M&A and leverage reports.
- Bain & Company. (2025, June 27). M&A midyear report 2025: Separating the signal from the noise.
- Beyond the Brotherhood. Supporting Navy SEALs transitioning into the marketplace:
- Boston Consulting Group. (2025, July 10). Looking for signs of a second-half rebound.
- Cherry Bekaert. (2025, August 18). Private equity mid-year trends in 2025 (PitchBook data referenced).
- E78 Partners. (2025, January 28). Integration lessons from 2024: Strategies for success.
- International Business Brokers Association & M&A Source. (2025). Market Pulse industry research hub (Q2 2025 highlights).
- Navy SEALs special operations selection. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 2932.
- Smith, E. N., Young, M. D., Figel, B., & Reinecke, K. (2020). Stress, mindsets, and success in
- SRS Acquiom. (2025). Lower middle-market M&A insights.
- The GARRISON Foundation. (2025). Training program: Business ownership pathway.
- U.S. Small Business Administration. (2024, October 29). SBA 2024 capital impact report.
