[Top Giver & PE Series] Mastering M&A Networking and Deal-Making With Lou Sokolovskiy

​Lou Sokolovskiy is the Founder and CEO of Opus Connect, a premier networking and deal-making community for private equity and M&A professionals. He is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in private equity transactions. Additionally, Lou serves as a Venture Partner at Operate and a Principal at Genero Capital Partners. His expertise spans operations management, strategic partnerships, and new business development. In this episode… Building a meaningful network that leads to real deal flow can be overwhelming, especially in industries like private equity and M&A, where everyone seems to know someone — and access matters. But how do you create a community beyond surface-level connections and drive business growth? Lou Sokolovskiy, a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with expertise in business development and deal sourcing, breaks down what it takes to build and sustain a high-value network. He shares his 12+1 business development framework, emphasizing the importance of starting with your “why” and conducting a personal SWOT analysis to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. He also discusses the critical role of being a proactive giver, why curated communities outperform open networks, and how aligning with the right people can unlock strategic opportunities you can’t reach individually. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Lou Sokolovskiy, Founder and CEO of Opus Connect, about the art of meaningful relationship-building in the M&A space. Lou explains how he created a thriving professional network from scratch, shares why proactive generosity leads to better business, and explores personal development strategies. He also dives into actionable deal flow tips, investment strategy evolution, and preparing a company for sale.