The Transaction Abstract Podcast

Joe Hellman is a CPA and M&A advisory practice lead at Redpath and Company in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and his podcast digs into the financial and operational details of mergers and acquisitions that the more glamorous shows tend to skip over. Across 60 episodes, The Transaction Abstract has built a reputation for practical, nuts-and-bolts deal content. Hellman interviews investment bankers, private equity professionals, family office investors, search fund operators, legal advisors, and corporate development leaders. The conversations focus on the mechanics that actually determine deal outcomes: Quality of Earnings studies, working capital adjustments, transaction insurance products, ESOP structures, and the networking strategies that help dealmakers source proprietary opportunities. The episode on search funds is a good example of the approach -- rather than offering a surface-level overview, Hellman pushes into specific questions about how independent sponsors structure deals, how they win seller trust against institutional competition, and what the typical timeline from first contact to closing actually looks like. That level of specificity makes the podcast particularly valuable for newer M&A professionals building their knowledge base. Episodes arrive regularly and are current through early 2026. The tone is collegial and educational -- Hellman clearly enjoys learning from his guests, and that genuine curiosity keeps the conversations feeling fresh even when the topics are technical. For anyone involved in lower-middle-market transactions, this podcast covers the financial details that can make or break a deal.