Creating A "Second Bite Of The Apple" In M&A | Chris Meso The Wise Exit podcast

38:31

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 finding the right buyer who will treat your employees well. Overall, Nathan provides valuable insights into the M&A process and the benefits of remote workforces in business sales. Takeaways: Having clean books and financials is crucial when selling a business. Hiring the right level of talent, whether followers, doers, or experts, is essential for success. Building trust and relationships with your team is important for a smooth transition during a sale. Finding the right buyer who will treat your employees well is crucial. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:24 - Nathan's Background and Entrepreneurial Journey 09:47 - M&A Process and Due Diligence 23:13 - Outsourced Labor and Hiring Levels 32:22 - M&A Expertise and Considerations 36:16 - Key Takeaways About The Nathan Hirsch: Twitter (X) LinkedIn TrioSEO EcomBalance AccountsBalance OutsourceSchool…

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Understanding Your Why in M&A | Meighan Newhouse 40:29

1 year ago40:29

40:29

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 considerations during the due diligence process and the post-acquisition experience. Takeaways: Before embarking on the journey of selling your business, pause and reflect on your why and the end goal of the sale. Find a buyer that aligns with your company's culture and values, and consider strategic acquisitions that can help accelerate growth. Prepare for the sale process by organizing your documentation and seeking advice from experienced M&A advisors. During due diligence, focus on maintaining confidentiality and consider the impact on your team and their day-to-day work. Negotiate the deal structure, including earnouts, to align incentives and ensure a smooth transition post-acquisition.…

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Finding the Growth Drivers That Deliver M&A Success | George Sandmann 40:53

1 year ago40:53

40:53

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 , to deliver tools and technological support to advisory business delivering client wins and M&A success. George's professional vision is for Growth-Drivers to increase Strategic Capacity for $1 Trillion worth of middle and pre-middle market businesses. George is a speaker, board member, and author of a Forbes #1 New Release Book. LinkedIn X (Twitter) The Growth-Driving Advisor: Proven Strategies for Leading Clients from Stuck to Best-in-Class (Forbes 2023 Book by George Sandmann)…

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The Top 3 Attributes Of Any Sellable Business | Mike Finger 29:24

1 year ago29:24

29:24

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 and sold four companies. His first exit was not for the faint of heart and provided expensive lessons for the rest of his entrepreneurial career. Mike built his first company to 50 people, and after ten years of growth, he decided to sell. However, after several attempts to work out deals with multiple buyers, Mike's investment bank told him that his business was just not in a position to sell. Although this is something any decent investment bank or M&A Advisor should know before taking a company on as a client, Mike spent the next four years fixing the mistakes in his business and eventually sold the company. Resigned to not letting other small business owners go through his pain, today, Mike shares with us how to position small businesses for successful exits at Exit Oasis . We hope you enjoy the conversation with Mike Finger. WHERE TO FIND MIKE FINGER: LinkedIn…

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Building Businesses That Can Run Themselves, And Then Selling One From Prison | Chris Wise 32:27

2 years ago32:27

32:27

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 that includes 14 successful exits, 34 M&A transactions, and 2 IPOs, Chris and his team at Wise Profits have consistently delivered exceptional outcomes for their clients. Specializing in guiding $1M - $20M revenue companies, Wise Profits excels in scaling businesses, preparing them for optimized exits, and providing comprehensive M&A operational and integration services. WHERE TO FIND CHRIS WISE: LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube EPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS: Four Hour Workweek (book), Timothy Ferriss…

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Building (And Selling) Successful eCommerce Brands | Robb Green 34:54

2 years ago34:54

34:54

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 brands with a focus on e-commerce. Robb has a real passion for business, putting deals together and is always looking for business to buy, optimize, and grow. He helps owners of e-commerce focused brands exit their business while preserving their brands. Robb utilizes his skills and time as an investor & advisor to help others in the industry continue to learn and grow. WHERE TO FIND ROBB GREEN: LinkedIn I'm The One Podcast I'm The One Podcast (YouTube) Twitter…

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Buying SPORT Magazine & The Indelible Treasures Found Within | Wayne Parrish 31:20

2 years ago31:20

31:20

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 GUEST BIO: Wayne Parrish is an award-winning reporter, editor and digital media leader with a passion for sports and journalism. Wayne, who has won two National Newspaper Awards as a sports reporter at the Star in the early 1980s, has held executive leadership positions at Postmedia Network, Quebecor and Sun Media. He was CEO of Canada Basketball for eight years. And most recently, he worked on digital transformation and merger-acquisition media projects in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Australia with FTI Consulting Inc. Parrish’s digital experience includes launching CANOE, which became Canada’s premiere internet network-portal and top news and information site for more than a decade. He launched Postmedia’s digital subscription program, consulted on a sports-only digital subscription business in the U.S., and developed the new media unit of Quebecor. Wayne and partner, Marc Appleman , also own The Sport Collection, the largest collection of images related to 20th century sport anywhere in the world. WHERE TO FIND WAYNE PARRISH: LinkedIn EPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIAL: The Air Up There: How Canadian basketball has grown and where it’s headed The Sport Gallery (Toronto Location) SPORT Media Entertainment…

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M&A Office Hours: How To Build A Proper Succession Plan For Exit | Christine Nicholson 40:53

2 years ago40:53

40:53

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. Christine sold her first business just 12 months after launching. She then helped a client sell a distressed business, which led her to help a family office sell off over 40 businesses. Christine knows a thing or two about the exit process and believes the number one piece of advice for business owners preparing to exit is to hire people to take over each of the business owners tasks over time. This will leave the business owner in a place to oversee the growth of the business and walk away when it's sold. WHERE TO FIND CHRISTINE NICHOLSON: LinkedIn Get Exit Ready - Business Mentor EPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS: How To Sell A Business Using An ESOP (Exitwise blog) Are You Prepared to Sell Your Business? (Exitwise blog) Selling 1-800 Hansons | Brian Elias (Cashing Out podcast)…

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The Biggest Decision Of My Entrepreneurial Journey - To Sell Or Not To Sell | Edin Basic 48:07

2 years ago48:07

48:07

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 able to yet speak English). After years of searching, surviving and gaining different experiences in the restaurant industry, Edin's entrepreneurial mindset led him to start his own company, Firezza. Along the way he raised money from VC funds and angel investors, scaled up his business to 17 locations, and eventually sold to his largest competitor, Pizza Express . Since then, Edin is a headline speaker across Europe, hospitality consultancy, has started multiple food & beverage concepts in the UK and abroad, and supports founders on their journey with his own "been there done that" experience. WHERE TO FIND EDIN BASIC: LinkedIn EPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS: Hony Capital-backed PizzaExpress completes acquisition of Firezza Beyond Venture Capital: Exploring Funding Options for Entrepreneurs in 2023 (Exitwise blog)…

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M&A Office Hours: How Much Is My Business Worth? | Sarah Greifenberger 36:46

2 years ago36:46

36:46

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 Financial Planning at United Technologies Corporation. She performed many valuations in that role to support the corporation’s mergers and acquisitions activity as well as for purposes of international tax planning. Sarah also prepared financial information for the divestiture of UT Automotive to Lear Corporation for $2.3B. She received an MBA with distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and is a magna cum laude engineering graduate of Duke University. In addition to her expertise in finance, Sarah has held positions in product development, manufacturing and strategic planning. She currently serves on the education committee of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. In addition to her involvement with NACVA, she is a member of Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit , the Michigan Business Brokers Association and the Exit Planning Institute’s Southeast Michigan chapter. Sarah is committed to helping clients across many industries with their valuation needs. She is also interested in working with family enterprises on succession planning and exit strategies. WHERE TO FIND SARAH GREIFENBERGER: LinkedIn EPISODE REFERENCE AND READING MATERIALS: Arbor Valuation & Consulting Q5 Experience 4 Ways to Calculate the Value of Your Company (Blog) How Much Is My Business Worth? (Blog) Exitwise Valuation Calculator…

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How A Venture Capital Firm Can Influence Your Decision To Sell | Jean Anne Booth 35:50

2 years ago35:50

35:50

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. Her background spans from P&L business unit management to marketing; product definition; systems, software, and applications engineering; silicon development engineering; and operations and product engineering. Jean Anne has over 30 years of experience in high tech ventures and has raised over $100 million in venture capital for her companies. Now on her fourth tech startup, Jean Anne is building UnaliWear, a wearable “OnStar for people” watch to provide discreet support for falls, medication reminders, and to guard against wandering. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jean Anne Booth. WHERE TO FIND JEAN ANNE BOOTH: LinkedIn X (formerly Twitter) EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL: Texas Instruments Acquires Luminary Micro, Expands MCU Lineup Apple buys chipmaker Intrinsity Mythic.ai…

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From M&A Lawyer To Escape Room Mogul - Lessons From My $26M Exit | Raleigh Williams 40:52

2 years ago40:52

40:52

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 escape room business. Raleigh quickly expanded into multiple locations while adding trampoline parks, axe throwing and other entertainment venues. After six years of running his company, Raleigh tried to sell the whole pool of entertainment businesses to a single buyer. However, he quickly learned that the buyers and investment bankers believed he needed to sell his assets piecemeal to maximize his outcome. By separating each asset, Raleigh was able to create more than $26 million in enterprise value, which he now uses to invest in and buy other businesses. Today, Raleigh is the CEO of DealMaven.io, helping and investing in founders to structure and operationalize their businesses and create incredible exits. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Raleigh Williams. WHERE TO FIND RALEIGH WILLIAMS: LinkedIn X (Twitter) Instagram DealMaven.io EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL: The unbelievably lucrative business of escape rooms (MarketWatch)…

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Mentorship, Bootstrapping, and Finding Product Market Fit | Andy Pai 42:03

2 years ago42:03

42:03

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 that intense focus is the secret to building a great company and full transparency with advisors and acquirers upfront saves time and creates better alignment to get your deal done GUEST BIO: Andy Pai is a former investment banker, and co-founder of Finbox , a financial data platform that covers over 100,000 stocks on 130 plus exchanges around the world. Andy started Finbox in 2015 and bootstrapped it all the way to an exit to Investing.com , a leader in financial data and a top 200 website globally. I hope you enjoy the conversation with Andy Pai. WHERE TO FIND ANDY PAI: LinkedIn EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL: Investing.com Launches Premium Service to Further Empower Retail Investors…

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M&A Playbook: The Series A Term Sheet That Created An Incredible Exit | Austin Ogilvie 35:19

2 years ago35:19

35:19

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 former machine learning product manager who decided to leave his day job to co-found and eventually sell Yhat, a data science and decision management platform to Alteryx , a public company competing in the same space. Austin is a firm believer that whether you're raising money or selling your business from the first introduction to the investor until the moment the wires hit the bank, fundraising and M&A are journeys requiring bi-directional courtship, storytelling, sales and detail old organization. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Austin Ogilvie. WHERE TO FIND AUSTIN OGILVIE: LinkedIn X / Twitter Intro.co Medium EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL: Alteryx Acquires Yhat (Bloomberg) Austin Ogilvie: The Maverick Changing The Game In Digital Compliance…

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Refugee to Global Entrepreneur - What Lloyed Lobo Learned Building Boast.AI & Traction 1:10:59

2 years ago1:10:59

1:10:59

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 entrepreneur, Lloyed co-founded and built boast.ai, a company helping businesses access R&D tax credits and innovation incentives, to $10 million of ARR. He also co-founded Traction, a nonprofit that brings together more than 120,000 entrepreneurs and innovators to share lessons on scaling startups. Lloyed sold a majority stake in boast.ai to a growth capital firm, which not only allowed him and his co-founder to create the personal liquidity they both needed for the next stages of their lives, but they were also able to maintain a substantial portion of equity in the business. Lloyed is full of poignant, entrepreneurial and personal anecdotes to succeed in business and in M&A. We hope you enjoyed my conversation with Lloyed Lobo. WHERE TO FIND LLOYED LOBO: LinkedIn X (Twitter) Instagram EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL: Get Lloyed’s new book, 'From Grassroots To Greatness: 13 Rules to Build Iconic Brands with Community Led Growth' (Top New Release on Amazon) BOAST.AI Traction What Is Bootstrapping? (blog) Ten Best M&A Podcasts For Entrepreneurs and Business Owners (blog)…

The Wise Exit

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The Importance of Building Personal Relationships In M&A | Matt Blumberg 54:18

2 years ago54:18

54:18

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, Matt’s biggest professional success came by co-founding Return Path, a company that provides email intelligence solutions for marketers. Matt and his team grew the company to 500 employees and a hundred million in revenue. Along his 20 year journey, Matt was approached four times to sell the business, and after four failed attempts for various reasons he finally completed a sale to Validity , a consumer data company, in 2019. Today, Matt is the co-founder and CEO of Bolster , a talent marketplace to match highly experienced executives with fractional and project based roles to help startups scale. WHERE TO FIND MATT BLUMBERG: LinkedIn X (Twitter) EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL: Validity Acquires Return Path, the leader in email deliverability The Daily Bolster Podcast, with Matt Blumberg Startup CEO (by Matt Blumberg) Startup CXO (by Matt Blumberg) Startup Boards (by Matt Blumberg) Someone Just Offered To Buy Your Company: Now What? (blog)…

The Wise Exit

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Selling A Niche Business and How AI Is Changing M&A | Joe O'Mahoney 38:17

2 years ago38:17

38:17

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. Since his exit, Joe has been using his personal experience in M&A to help business owners successfully grow and exit their boutique consultancy businesses. Over the years, Joe has provided consultancy for many of the world's largest consulting firms, including McKinsey and Company, IBM, Deloitte and Bain. And today he is the professor of consulting at Cardiff University and Advisory Board member at several high growth businesses. We hope you enjoyed my conversation with Professor Joe O'Mahoney. WHERE TO FIND PROF. JOE O'MAHONEY: LinkedIn X (Twitter) EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIAL: Joe O'Mahoney Dot Com Free Resources To Help Your Firm Grow The Consulting Growth Podcast Questions To Ask Potential M&A Advisors When Selling Your Boutique (blog) How Much Is My Business Worth (Exitwise Valuation Calculator)…

The Wise Exit

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Building At Wharton And Selling To Lyft - An Education in M&A | Kenan Saleh 33:13

2 years ago33:13

33:13

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 ad network. After striking a business development deal with Lyft, one of the largest ride sharing platforms in the world at the time, Kenan and his team made the decision to sell Halo Cars to Lyft. Although he was just nine months into launching his business, Kenan decided to use M&A as a way to more quickly achieve his vision for Halo and reduce the competitive threat of the sleeping giant he had just woken up. Today, Kenan is an Advisor, Board Member, Angel Investor, and since transitioning out of Lyft is using his time to work on something new. We hope you enjoy the conversation with Kenan Saleh. WHERE TO FIND KENAN SALEH: LinkedIn X (Twitter) EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIALS: 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 Lyft Buys Halo Cars Lyft creates media division to cash in on in-car ads (TechCrunch) How To Maximize The Value Of Your Business (Exitwise blog)…

The Wise Exit

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Selling A Business In A Down Market - Finding Success And Joining Tiny.com | Oliver Low 58:33

2 years ago58:33

58:33

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 called Platform360, a B2B agency which was purchased by a strategic acquirer Silverbullet in 2018. After the acquisition, Oliver joined Silverbullet and helped take the company public in 2019, where his team is still benefiting from the acquisition structure Oliver and his M&A team designed. Oliver currently runs Tiny Studio, a venture studios that sits within Tiny.com . Tiny is a holding company which was started to invest in and acquire companies. Oliver now sits at the center of helping make the Tiny portfolio companies grow. We hope you enjoy the conversation with Oliver Low. WHERE TO FIND OLIVER LOW: LinkedIn X (Twitter) Oliver Low's Newsletter EPISODE REFERENCES AND READING MATERIALS: More about Tiny dot com The Ticking Clock of M&A: How Delays Can Kill The Sale of Your Business (blog) Are You Prepared To Sell Your Business? (blog) How Much Is Your Company Worth?…

The Wise Exit

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Online Gaming, UFC, Esports, and VC - Winning The Early Stage Growth Game | Jonah Midanik 41:03

2 years ago41:03

41:03

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 online gaming sector (becoming the agency of record for PokerStars and Bet365). After selling to Immersion Media in 2008, Jonah used his advertising, gaming and technical talents to help the UFC develop the first legal online betting platform in the United States (ultimately powering the first legal hand of online poker live in the U.S.). Jonah then went on to found Limelight, a venture backed company focused on live events. After finding significant success, Jonah stepped away from the CEO role to sit on the board of Limelight and spend his time helping companies grow at a different kind of venture capital firm called Forum Ventures. WHERE TO FIND JONAH MIDANIK: Limelight Platform - https://www.limelightplatform.com/ Forum Ventures - https://lp.forumvc.com/pitch-us-form LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonahmidanik/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/midanik_jonah…

The Wise Exit

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Agency Founder to Tiger 21 Chair - The Journey To A Destination Leader | Elise Mitchell 51:20

2 years ago51:20

51:20

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 global brands, including Walmart, Procter and Gamble, Hilton Hotels and Tyson Foods. Her company was a two time Inc 500/5000 fastest growing company. And in 2013, Elise successfully completed a strategic sale of her company to global ad agency powerhouse Dentsu. In this episode, Elise and I discuss how she learned to turn adversity into opportunity to launch her business. Why you should take calls from prospective acquirers even if you don't want to sell your business, and how setting your business and team up for success after you're gone is the true measure of a great exit. I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Elise Mitchell. EPISODE 48 SHOW NOTES AND REFERENCES: EliseMitchell.com and Velocity Collective LLC: https://elisemitchell.com/ "Leading Through The Turn" (McGraw Hill): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/125986099X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 Mitchell Communications acquired by Dentsu: https://talkbusiness.net/2013/01/mitchell-communications-acquired-by-dentsu/ How To Handle Inbound Interest: https://exitwise.com/blog/someone-just-offered-to-buy-your-company-now-what WHERE TO FIND ELISE MITCHELL: LinkedIn: /elisemitch Twitter: @elisemitch WHERE TO FIND TODD SULLIVAN (HOST, M&A ADVISOR, AND CEO of EXITWISE): LinkedIn: /toddfsullivan Twitter: @Todd_Sullivan…

The Wise Exit

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Building, Buying, and Selling Businesses All Around The World | Sven Milder 31:39

2 years ago31:39

31:39

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 platforms for growth, and using technology to support his M&A endeavors. Sven's Experience: Over the last decade Sven has helped 300+ Founders Raise US$140M+ in capital and supported US130M+ in acquisitions. In that same time he's launched, grew, scaled & exited 2ventures. Sven's Expertise: Sven is an expert in funding, acquisitions and company turn arounds for scalable businesses under 90 days. By delivering you fast track growth, he is able to make an impact in your and his world. I hope you enjoy the conversation with Sven Milder. EPISODE 47 SHOW NOTES AND REFERENCES: Pitch-House: https://pitch-house.com/ Founders Tribe Newsletter: https://founderstribe.xyz/newsletter Beyond Venture Capital: Exploring Funding Options for Entrepreneurs in 2023 WHERE TO FIND SVEN MILDER: LinkedIn: /svenmilder Twitter: @svenmilder WHERE TO FIND TODD SULLIVAN (HOST, M&A EXPERT, AND CEO of EXITWISE): LinkedIn: /toddfsullivan Twitter: @Todd_Sullivan…

The Wise Exit

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Bootstrapped Persistence: The Key to Successful M&A | Melissa Kwan 40:32

2 years ago40:32

40:32

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 years of struggling to build her company with virtually no resources, our fellow founders will easily relate to Melissa's story, especially those who have not had the benefit of venture capital funding. From eating one meal a day to reduce our personal burn to growing Spacio to over 100,000 users and selling for mid-seven figures. Melissa Kwan gives our listeners a good look into the expectations versus reality of building and exiting a successful SaaS business. We hope you enjoy the conversation with Melissa! EPISODE 46 SHOW NOTES AND REFERENCES: HomeSpotter Acquires Open House Innovator Spacio - https://blog.homespotter.com/2019/01/17/homespotter-acquires-spacio/ eWebinar - https://ewebinar.com/automated-webinar-library The 10 Aha! Moments That Got Us to Acquisition While Maintaining 94% Control - Part 1 of 2 | Part 2 of 2 The 10 non-negotiables that led me to start eWebinar Design the life you want to lead (not around the next demo) PROFIT LED Podcast, hosted by Melissa Kwan - https://ewebinar.com/podcast WHERE TO FIND MELISSA KWAN: LinkedIn: /melissakwan Instagram: @themelissakwan Twitter: @themelissakwan WHERE TO FIND TODD SULLIVAN (HOST, M&A EXPERT, AND CEO of EXITWISE): LinkedIn: /toddfsullivan Twitter: @Todd_Sullivan…

The Wise Exit

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A Journey Of Self Discovery - Finding Purpose After An Exit | Ryan Vaughn 51:41

2 years ago51:41

51:41

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 his business in 2020 and now coaches, executives and founders through their entrepreneurial journeys at his latest company, Inside Out Leadership . Today, Ryan and I talk about the resiliency and optimism required for entrepreneurs to build a company against serious headwinds that are often hard to anticipate. We talk about how lonely it can be in the CEO seat when making major decisions that can seriously affect the lives of your family, partners and employees. And finally, we debate when a founder should personally exit the business to focus on his or her next stage of life and leave part of their entrepreneurial legacy in the hands of others. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ryan Vaughn. Episode 45 Show Notes & References: The Midlife Unraveling - https://brenebrown.com/articles/2018/05/24/the-midlife-unraveling/ What Is Bootstrapping In Entrepreneurship – https://exitwise.com/blog/what-is-bootstrapping-in-entrepreneurship Are You Prepared To Sell Your Business - https://exitwise.com/blog/are-you-prepared-to-sell-your-business Beyond Venture Capital: Exploring Funding Options For Entrepreneurs in 2023 - https://exitwise.com/blog/beyond-venture-capital-exploring-funding-options-for-entrepreneurs-in-2023 Where To Find Ryan Vaughn: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhvaughn/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanHVaughn Inside Out Leadership - https://www.leadinsideout.io/ Where To Find Todd Sullivan (Host, M&A Expert, and CEO of Exitwise): LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfsullivan/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Todd_Sullivan Exitwise - https://exitwise.com/ Email - todd@exitwise.com…

The Wise Exit

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From Startup To Exit In 36 Months | Ryan Landau 34:52

2 years ago34:52

34:52

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's one of the most introspective and corporate culture conscious founders that I know. It's not easy to make the decision to sell your business so quickly. But Ryan has some great stories and great advice for all of us who may be thinking about selling our business in the early innings. I hope you enjoy the conversation with Ryan Landau. Where To Find Ryan Landau: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlandau/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/RyanKLandau Purpose Jobs - https://www.purpose.jobs/ Where To Find Todd Sullivan (Host, M&A Expert, and CEO of Exitwise): LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfsullivan/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Todd_Sullivan Exitwise - https://exitwise.com/ Email - todd@exitwise.com…

The Wise Exit

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13 Exits and a Lifetime of M&A Experience | Craig Dickens 47:46

2 years ago47:46

47:46

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 companies. In today's discussion, we chat about what to watch out for with unsolicited offers. We talk about translating emotion into finance by educating our clients before and throughout the entire sale process. And finally, we share why all business owners should have an investment banker on speed dial years before you're ready to sell your business. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Craig Dickens. Where To Find Craig Dickens: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdickens/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/DickensCraig Where To Find Todd Sullivan (Host, M&A Expert, and CEO of Exitwise): LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfsullivan/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Todd_Sullivan Episode 43 Show Notes & References: Beware of the Pre-emptive Offer – https://jdmerit.com/beware-of-the-preemptive-offer/ Trifecta of M&A - https://jdmerit.com/the-trifecta-of-ma/ BoomerPreneurs – secure your legacy https://jdmerit.com/boomerpreneurs-secure-your-legacy/ Managing Emotions in M&A Process https://jdmerit.com/managing-emotions-in-an-ma-deal-2/ Why Have an Investment Banker on Speed Dial - https://jdmerit.com/investment-banker-on-speed-dial/ MySwimPro - https://myswimpro.com/ NIX Biosensors - https://nixbiosensors.com/ Mergers & Acquisitions Explained: Quality of Earnings Q&A - https://exitwise.com/blog/mergers-and-acquisitions-explained-quality-of-earnings-q-and-a The Importance of Quality of Earnings When Selling Your Business - https://exitwise.com/blog/the-importance-of-quality-of-earnings-when-selling-your-business…

The Wise Exit

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From College Startup (and Exit) to Social Media Titan | Nick Huber 31:46

2 years ago31:46

31:46

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 make money, how to delegate work, and how to uncover bigger opportunities. Nick also shares how every business owner should be building their audience through social media to leverage this often untapped distribution channel for their businesses. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Nick Huber. Where To Find Nick Huber (Guest): LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sweatystartup/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/sweatystartup Business Brokerage - https://nickhuber.com Personal Brand - https://sweatystartup.com Self Storage - https://boltstorage.com Bold SEO - https://boldseo.com Insurance - https://titanrisk.com Recruiting - https://recruitjet.com Landing Page / Web Development - https://webrun.com Overseas Staffing - https://supportshepherd.com Debt and Equity - https://bluekeycapital.com Tax Credit - https://taxcredithunter.com Cost Segregation - https://recostseg.com Performance Marketing - https://adrhino.com Pest control - https://spidexx.com Where To Find Todd Sullivan (Host): LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfsullivan/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Todd_Sullivan…

The Wise Exit

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Practice Makes Perfect In Soccer and M&A | Mac Lackey 38:43

2 years ago38:43

38:43

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 maximum value. Mac and I not only talk about his insights to business growth and maximizing exits, but we also have some fun learning how he went from playing pro soccer out of college to buying a professional soccer team after selling his last business. I hope you enjoyed the conversation with Mac Lackey. Where To Find Mac Lackey (Guest): LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maclackey/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MacLackey YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/maclackey Episode 41 Required Reading, Listening & Viewing: Creating The Exit Opportunity - Mac Lackey eBook ExitDNA - Mac's platform to help founders create a powerful OPTION to exit on their timeframe, terms and at maximum value Algeciras Club de Futbol - In March, 2023, Mac officially became a part-owner of the Spanish futbol club, Algeciras FC MacLackey.com Where To Find Todd Sullivan (Host): LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfsullivan/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Todd_Sullivan Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the CASHING OUT PODCAST ? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!…

The Wise Exit

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Venture Capital Pitfalls, And The Practical Path To Startup Success | Greg Head 43:52

2 years ago43:52

43:52

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 wins when it comes time to sell their businesses. Greg is a 30-year software industry veteran who was part of the startup-to-scale journeys of three different software companies in the CRM industry, including one IPO. Today, Greg spends his time mentoring SaaS founders on the value of bootstrapping their companies to retain equity, ownership and control of the business decisions. I hope you enjoyed the conversation with Greg Head. Where To Find Todd Sullivan (Host): LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfsullivan/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Todd_Sullivan Where To Find Greg Head (Guest): LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregheadaz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GregHead Episode 40 Required Reading, Listening & Viewing: Practical Founders podcast Practical Founders Peer Groups Gregslist.com - Gregslist is the curated up-to-date list of local software and SaaS companies in 12 major cities in North America. Scaling Point - Helping practical software startup founders grow and create valuable companies without big funding. Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to the CASHING OUT PODCAST ? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!…

The Wise Exit

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Pivoting A 3rd Generation Business Into A Private Equity "Platform" | Derek Gaskins 29:53

2 years ago29:53