America doesn’t have a shortage of small businesses. It has a shortage of people ready to take over.

In this episode of the American Operator Podcast, JC sits down with American Operator founder & CEO Will Fry to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing Main Street America:

• Why ownership transitions are like an “open heart transplant”

• The difference between technical operators and people leaders

• Why charisma matters more than most people think

• The hidden “art forms” inside every business

• Why estimation can make or break a trades company

• What American Operator looks for before backing an entrepreneur

• The role personal finances and character play in ownership

• Why past hardship can actually be a GOOD sign

• How old owners can accidentally sabotage transitions

• Why some businesses survive entirely because of culture

• The challenge of finding operators willing to move to small-town America

• Why meaning and impact matter more than status