The Deal Room

Australia's first and only dedicated mergers and acquisitions podcast has been running since 2017, and Joanna Oakey from Aspect Legal has built something genuinely distinctive over nearly 300 episodes. The show combines legal expertise with business pragmatism in a way that makes complex transaction concepts feel approachable. Oakey is an experienced M&A lawyer who interviews business brokers, valuations experts, financial advisors, and business owners who have gone through sales and acquisitions firsthand. The format keeps episodes tight at around 23 minutes, which makes them easy to slot into a lunch break or commute. Recent episodes have covered earn-out structures, exit strategy preparation, financial due diligence from the buyer's perspective, and what medical practice owners commonly underestimate when selling. The Australian market focus is actually a strength, not a limitation. Oakey draws out principles and lessons that apply regardless of jurisdiction -- how to prepare a business for sale, what due diligence pitfalls look like from both sides, and the emotional dynamics that derail transactions when owners are not prepared. For listeners outside Australia, it is a useful reminder that M&A fundamentals are surprisingly universal. One long-time listener described The Deal Room as their number-one favorite podcast after 4,500-plus hours of podcast listening. The show maintains a 4.2-star rating, with fans praising Oakey's intelligent questioning and the practical takeaways from every episode.