Summary: Nathan Hirsch , a serial entrepreneur, shares his journey of building and selling his company, FreeUp, which utilized remote workforces. He discusses the importance of having clean books and financials, as well as the value of virtual assistants and outsourced labor. Nathan emphasizes the need to hire the right level of talent, whether they are followers, doers, or experts. He also highlights the significance of building trust and relationships with your team and the importance of findi...
Mar 20, 2024•39 min•Ep. 68
Summary: In this episode, Todd Sullivan interviews Meighan Newhouse , the co-founder and former CEO of Inspirant Group, a management consulting firm that was acquired by 10 Pearls. Meighan shares her journey as an entrepreneur and the decision-making process behind selling her business. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the why and the end goal of the sale, as well as finding a buyer that aligns with the company's culture and values. Meighan also discusses the challenges and conside...
Mar 06, 2024•40 min•Ep. 67
George Sandmann shares his thoughts on: Creating business engines that deliver predictable profits, cash flow, and sustainable growth Driving predictable, transferable value and a more lucrative M&A transaction GUEST BIO: George Sandmann is an entrepreneur turned growth advisor. An attorney by training, George is an entrepreneur with almost 30 years experience starting and growing companies. After a lifetime of startup success and challenges, George founded his current company, Growth Drive ...
Dec 19, 2023•41 min•Ep. 66
Mike Finger highlights the three elements all small business owners should focus on when building a company for a future M&A exit: Are your business results desirable? Will an acquirer see value and opportunity in what you have built? Can a buyer duplicate your results? Can the buyer run the business without you? Can you document your results? Is there a playbook written that can be followed once you are gone? GUEST BIO: Mike Finger is a serial entrepreneur and business advisor who's built a...
Dec 12, 2023•29 min•Ep. 65
EPISODE 64: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - CHRIS WISE In this episode, Chris talks about: Asking for help when building your company for the future Coaching founders on how to remove themselves from their businesses to create transferable value How taking care of yourself as a founder or business owner can significantly increase productivity and prevent burnout GUEST BIO: Chris Wise is a seasoned business advisor with over 30 years of experience and the founder of Wise Profits . With a notable track record...
Dec 05, 2023•32 min•Ep. 64
EPISODE 63: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - ROBB GREEN In this episode, Robb talks about: His evaluation criteria for starting eCommerce brands How he decides when it's time to sell a business How he brings his teenage kids into these companies and exposes them to the highs and lows of the life of an entrepreneur GUEST BIO: Robb Green is the owner and visionary behind the formulation and execution of strategies aimed at mastering the art of e-commerce brand establishment. Solving Alpha has founded 9 total b...
Nov 28, 2023•35 min•Ep. 63
EPISODE 62: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - WAYNE PARRISH In this episode, Wayne talks about: His early beginnings as a student journalist at the University of British Columbia Becoming the CEO of Canada Basketball and his relationship with Jerry Colangelo A history lesson of SPORT Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Sports Insider, and ESPN The Magazine How he purchased the most significant collection of images related to 20th century sport anywhere in the world Finding the next owner for The Sport Collection GU...
Nov 21, 2023•31 min•Ep. 62
EPISODE 61: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - CHRISTINE NICHOLSON In this episode, Christine talks about: The three things that every founder needs to focus on when building their business The difference between exit planning and succession planning What a perfect succession plan look like GUEST BIO: Christine Nicholson is a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits under her belt, who has now turned her attention to helping fellow business owners with succession planning before the sale of their businesses. Ch...
Nov 14, 2023•41 min•Ep. 61
EPISODE 60: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - EDIN BASIC In this episode, Edin talks about: The importance of understanding market trends to know when to invest and when to sell Understanding your exit strategy to make the right decisions while you're building your business, and; How to be ready when your ideal buyer comes knocking GUEST BIO: Edin Basic began his journey as a refugee from war torn Bosnia, leaving school before completing his final exams to escape to London with no money in his pocket (and not...
Nov 07, 2023•48 min•Ep. 60
EPISODE 59: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - SARAH GREIFENBERGER In this episode, Sarah talks about: The various reasons that a business owner considers a business valuation The difference between fair market value, and valuing a business for sale Becoming an Exitwise Ambassador and referring Fathead.com for sale in October, 2023 GUEST BIO: Sarah has been a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) for over 10 years and is also a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) . Prior to becoming a CVA, Sarah was Director of...
Nov 01, 2023•37 min•Ep. 59
EPISODE 58: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - JEAN ANNE BOOTH In this episode, Jean Anne talks about: Having multiple strategic investors on your cap table Being prepared for your buyer to change the terms of your exit days before signing Knowing what you should say no to when raising capital or selling your company GUEST BIO: Jean Anne Booth is a serial entrepreneur with a number of successful exits, including selling Luminary Micro to Texas Instruments in 2009 and Intrinsity to Apple in the early 2000's. He...
Oct 24, 2023•36 min•Ep. 58
EPISODE 57: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - RALEIGH WILLIAMS In this episode, Raleigh talks about: Why business owners should trust their intuition when deciding when to sell their companies How to renegotiate business contracts to make them transferable in an acquisition When you're at the goal line, how you should focus on your why you are selling and not quibbling over every last dollar. GUEST BIO: Raleigh Williams is a former M&A attorney turned entrepreneur who quit his job as a lawyer to start an ...
Oct 17, 2023•41 min•Ep. 57
EPISODE 56: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - ANDY PAI In this episode, Andy talks about: His entrepreneurial journey of leaving his job as an investment banker and moving to San Francisco with a dream of building a company with several college friends Managing the expectations and attraction of multiple M&A "off-ramps" along the entrepreneurial journey How he identified the buyer intent that helped the Finbox team build a successful suite of products that led to an acquisition by Investing.com His belief...
Oct 09, 2023•42 min•Ep. 56
EPISODE 55: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - AUSTIN OGILVIE In this episode, Austin talks about: Turning a Series A Term Sheet into multiple growth and exit options for the business The value of seeking guidance from seasoned CEOs and professionals who have gone through the M&A process in order to structure the right agreements when it came time to sell his business Being critically organized with your startup's Employee Agreements, Client Contracts, and Company financials GUEST BIO: Austin Ogilvie is a ...
Oct 03, 2023•35 min•Ep. 55
EPISODE 54: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - LLOYED LOBO In this episode, Lloyed shares: His views on how outsourcing the financial role to professionals helps when it's time to sell the business How bootstrapping (vs. Venture Capital) allowed him to sell on his timetable Why building community is a key differentiator and value driver in any business and even more when it's time to sell GUEST BIO: Lloyed Lobo is an incredible, self-made entrepreneur. As a Kuwaiti refugee and former engineer turned serial ent...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 54
E53: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - MATT BLUMBERG In this episode, Matt talks about how: Creating better personal relationships with acquirers can de-risk M&A transactions To bounce back from a failed M&A transaction Building a company with a work/life balance in mind can lead to a great outcome GUEST BIO: Matt Blumberg, a former management consultant, a venture capitalist and early employee who helped MovieFone move into the Internet age and get acquired by AOL. With his well-rounded training, Mat...
Sep 19, 2023•54 min•Ep. 53
E52: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - PROFESSOR JOE O'MAHONEY In this episode, Joe talks about: How his personal M&A experience helps improve his consultancy for his clients How professional service firms are valued during an M&A transaction What great companies do to prepare for an exit How AI is disrupting the M&A world and what founders and entrepreneurs can do to leverage it GUEST BIO: Professor Joe O'Mahoney, an industry specific business consultant who built and sold his own company in 2007...
Sep 12, 2023•38 min•Ep. 52
E51: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - KENAN SALEH In this episode, Kenan talks about: His decision to sell Halo Cars to Lyft so early in his entrepreneurial journey How mentally and emotionally difficult due diligence is after signing an LOI during M&A His advice for other founders thinking about the M&A process, and how his experience will influence his next venture GUEST BIO: In October, 2018 as a student at Wharton (University of Pennsylvania) , Kenan Saleh co-founded Halo Cars, a transportation a...
Sep 05, 2023•33 min•Ep. 51
E50: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - OLIVER LOW In this episode, Oliver talks about: Finding the right buyer for your startup (private equity, family office, strategic buyer, or holding company) The value of surrounding yourself with M&A expertise when selling your business How selling in the "4th inning" can often lead to better liquidity and professional options GUEST BIO: Oliver started his career at Microsoft in 2006. He spent time at MySpace from 2008 to 2010 and then launched a digital agency call...
Aug 29, 2023•59 min•Ep. 50
E49: THIS WEEK'S GUEST - JONAH MIDANIK In this episode, Jonah discusses: The value of putting an entrepreneurial win on the board Deciding to step down from the CEO role to prepare his company for its next stage of growth Advice for fellow founders thinking about fundraising and the M&A process GUEST BIO: Jonah has been fortunate to see the startup journey from many different perspectives. First, as a successful bootstrapped founder of Casino Media Group, an advertising agency focused on the...
Aug 23, 2023•41 min•Ep. 49
E48: ELISE MITCHELL - 3 TIME FOUNDER & CEO and TIGER 21 CHAIR Today, my guest is Tiger 21 chair and three-time entrepreneur Elise Mitchell, who founded Mitchell Communications Group, which was named a top ten fastest growing PR firm globally. Elise was named PR Week's Public Relations Professional of the Year and a top 50 power player in PR. She's also the author of Leading Through the Turn. Under Elise's Leadership, her agency grew initially using an outsourced talent model while landing gl...
Aug 16, 2023•51 min•Ep. 48
E47: SVEN MILDER - FOUNDER, STARTUP ADVISOR, and M&A EXPERT Today, Todd Sullivan talks to Sven Milder, a serial entrepreneur who has built, purchased and sold multiple companies throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. Sven understands how to raise capital, how to leverage low cost workforces, and how to use technology to improve efficiencies and profitability in any business he's involved in. Sven shares how he thinks about fundraising for startups, why he's now buying profitable companies as ...
Aug 09, 2023•32 min•Ep. 47
E46: MELISSA KWAN - 3X BOOTSTRAPPER / CEO OF EWEBINAR Join Todd Sullivan in a conversation with Melissa Kwan , the co-founder and CEO of eWebinar , a top automated webinar platform. Prior to eWebinar, Melissa spent 13 years building three successful companies without venture capital backing. Her last company, Spacio, became the real estate industry's number one open house sign-in solution, helping agents automate lead capture and follow up. Melissa sold Spacio in 2019 to a strategic buyer. After...
Aug 02, 2023•41 min•Ep. 46
E45: Ryan Vaughn - Executive Coach/Founder of Inside Out Leadership Today Todd Sullivan is joined by Ryan Vaughn, the founder of VNN Sports , one of the largest marketing platforms in the U.S. for high school sports. Ryan caught the entrepreneurial bug at an early age when he started selling Pogs to his classmates in the fourth grade. Through the following years of self-discovery, as well as trial and error, Ryan raised capital and willed VNN to life. Ryan made the decision to personally exit hi...
Jul 26, 2023•52 min•Ep. 45
E44: Ryan Landau - Founder/CEO of Purpose Jobs and Startup Community Champion Today Todd Sullivan is joined by a great friend, multi-time founder, and Iron Man Athlete, Ryan Landau . Ryan, along with his brother Andrew , built Chalkfly, a company that helped transform how school and office supplies are purchased online. Launched in 2012, Chalkfly was among the fastest growing early stage e-commerce companies out there. It was quickly acquired by Global Office Solutions in under three years. Ryan...
Jul 19, 2023•35 min•Ep. 44
E43: Craig Dickens - Entrepreneur and CEO of JD Merit Investment Bank Today, Todd Sullivan's guest is Craig Dickens, a serial entrepreneur with thirteen exits, who decided to start an investment bank to help demystify the M&A process and help fellow founders create the exits they deserve. Craig is one of the investment bankers on the Exitwise platform, and we decided to have on to share his particular expertise for guiding first time sellers to not leave money on the table when selling their...
Jul 12, 2023•48 min•Ep. 43
42: Today, join Todd Sullivan in his conversation with Nick Huber, a serial entrepreneur who has leveraged his substantial social media audiences to drive incredible value for his businesses and for the entrepreneurs who he advises and invests in with. With a partner, Nick built his first storage service business right out of college, but decided to sell the business to focus on building a self-storage and real estate empire. Nick and Todd talk about how he used his first company to learn how to...
Jul 05, 2023•32 min•Ep. 42
E41: Join Todd Sullivan and Mac Lackey , a serial entrepreneur who's built and sold six businesses with multiple eight figure exits to NBC Sports and News Corp, just to name a few. Mac has been featured on CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, USAToday and The New York Times, and now spends his time working with business owners through his extraordinary program called ExitDNA , which helps grow businesses from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars so they can be sold for maxi...
Jun 28, 2023•39 min•Ep. 41
E40: Join Todd Sullivan and Greg Head, a software and SaaS expert with multiple exits under his belt, as they discuss his background building exceptional businesses, the experiences that shaped his view of Venture Capital as a growth vehicle, and his path to becoming a champion for practical founders everywhere. Greg not only explains how venture capital often imposes unrealistic growth requirements, but he also emphasizes how founders who retain their equity experience larger personal financial...
Jun 21, 2023•44 min•Ep. 40
E39: Today our guest is Derek Gaskins , a good friend and founder of Retail Bloom (now Blue Wheel Media ), a full service e-commerce and digital marketing company, which Derek created inside the walls of his family's third generation business, Aleva Stores . Derek grew this business quickly and then separated it from his family's business to sell it to a private equity firm in a very creative and lucrative transaction. Derek is an e-commerce and digital marketing visionary and in today's discuss...
Jun 14, 2023•30 min•Ep. 39
