April 10, 2025

Salvatore Tirabassi – How to Make Your Sales Team 10X More Effective

Today, James sits down with private equity expert Salvatore Tirabassi. They explore what makes a founder investable, how private equity firms assess opportunities, and the key elements that drive value creation post-investment. Salvatore reflects on his career in investment banking and private equity, and what it really takes to scale a business with confidence. Packed with wisdom from years of working with founders, this episode is a must-listen for anyone considering taking on outside investment – or preparing to pitch.
The Gross Profit Podcast
The Gross Profit Podcast
Salvatore Tirabassi - How to Make Your Sales Team 10X More Effective
Loading
/

Show Notes

In this episode James Kennedy sits down with Salvatore Tirabassi, a seasoned private equity investor and advisor, to discuss the critical factors that drive business value and successful investment outcomes. Salvatore shares his experience in the world of private equity, what he looks for in a great founder, and the strategies that help companies scale with confidence.

About Salvatore Tirabassi:
Salvatore Tirabassi is a private equity investor with a career spanning two decades, advising and investing in high-growth businesses across sectors. With a focus on strategic value creation, Salvatore partners with founders and management teams to unlock long-term potential and build sustainable success. His insights are grounded in hands-on experience and a deep understanding of capital markets, operations, and entrepreneurship.

What You’ll Learn:

  • What Makes a Great Founder: Salvatore shares the traits and behaviors that make founders stand out and attract investment.
  • Private Equity Insights: Learn what private equity firms look for in potential portfolio companies and how deals are structured for long-term success.
  • Scaling with Purpose: Discover the key operational and strategic levers that help companies scale effectively after an investment.

Episode Highlights:

  • “Salvatore, when you’re evaluating a founder or a team, what qualities stand out the most?”
  • “Can you walk us through the investment process and how you determine if a company is the right fit?”
  • “What are some of the most common challenges you see companies face after taking on private equity funding?”

More about Salvatore’s Role:  With a strong background in both investment banking and private equity, Salvatore Tirabassi brings a strategic and pragmatic lens to building businesses. His approach focuses on aligning vision with execution, and partnering closely with leadership teams to navigate complex growth challenges. Whether advising or investing, Salvatore is committed to delivering lasting impact through thoughtful, founder-centric collaboration.

The Gross Profit Podcast

More Episodes

Merushka Chetty

Joe O’Regan – Why 90% of Startups Waste Their Capital 

James Kennedy chats with Joe O’Regan – founder of Intrinsic CFO and an ACCA-qualified fractional CFO – about the full arc of capital: deploying it in banks, raising it in corporate finance, and managing it inside growing SMBs. From wind-farm project finance and PPAs to benchmarking margins and preparing for exit, Joe breaks down how smart capital allocation – and the “three Es” (economical, effective, efficient) – drives durable growth. Along the way: dairy-farm grit, Big Four consulting, Canada radio days, and why every business should be “always ready to sell.”

Listen Now »
Merushka Chetty

Kyle Gasaway – How We Got Acquired by IBM Using Only QuickBooks

James Kennedy welcomes Kyle Gasaway, founder of Unicorn Group, to unpack the myths and realities of ERP implementations and why many startups don’t need them nearly as early as they think. Kyle shares candid lessons from years as a Big Four auditor, controller, and startup CFO – covering failed NetSuite and Sage Intacct rollouts, QuickBooks-powered exits (including an IBM acquisition), and his framework for keeping finance stage-appropriate. He also explains how fractional CFOs can maximize value through equity strategy, pricing discipline, and simplicity in systems

Listen Now »
Merushka Chetty

Haim Ratzabi – The Startup Secret They Don’t Want You to Know

James Kennedy chats with Haim Ratzabi, founder of HR Boutique CFO Services in Israel, about building and scaling companies in the Startup Nation – from early finance ops through U.S. GAAP/IFRS readiness and the long road to a NASDAQ listing. Haim explains Israel’s unique mix of government R&D support, elite military tech networks, and a deep advisor ecosystem (Big Four + global law firms) that helps startups go global. You’ll hear what it really takes – time, fees, bankers, tooling – to go public, when to bring in a fractional CFO, and how to structure finance so founders can move fast and pass investor/bank scrutiny.

Listen Now »