Podcasts about built to sell

Most stories we cover involve eye-popping multiples or headline-making exits. They're fun—but not always realistic.    Jeff DeGarmo's story is different. No private equity windfall. No tech hockey stick. Just a well-run, 20-person service business built over 16 years and sold for a solid 5.5x EBITDA. 

Sean McAuliffe didn't invent anything. He was a distributor.  If you lost your car keys and went to a locksmith to cut a new set, chances are your locksmith got the replacement key from Sean's business. He bought cheap keys from Asia and sold them to locksmiths. Nothing fancy. Like so many businesses, Sean was a middleman. He'd never really thought about selling—didn't think anyone would want to buy it—but when a private equity group offered him millions, Sean realized he was sitting on a potential goldmine. 

When Garren Hilow helped start Abveris, he didn't have much—just a background in sales, a co-founder with a Harvard PhD, and a stock option representing 16% of the company.  Eight years later, he bought out his co-founder, bootstrapped the company with bank debt (collateralized by his house), and sold it in a stock deal that peaked at $190 million. 

A new generation of buyers trained in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is looking for businesses like yours. Unlike private equity firms focused on roll-ups, ETA buyers are often searching for a single business to own and operate—making them a legitimate option for certain sellers. 

For the first time ever, we recorded a Built to Sell Radio episode in front of a live audience at the Value Builder Summit—a gathering of mission-driven advisors dedicated to helping founders level the playing field as they approach their exit.  Rob Walling has started, built, and sold multiple companies. As an investor and conference organizer, he's seen hundreds of founders exit—some thriving, others struggling. He teamed up with Dr. Sherry Walling, a clinical psychologist specializing in supporting entrepreneurs, to codify what separates a successful exit from one that leaves an owner adrift. Their insights culminated in their new book Exit Strategy. 

Kristie Shifflette built a 13-location Orangetheory Fitness empire from scratch—bootstrapping a capital-hungry business, personally guaranteeing leases, and taking on risk most founders wouldn't touch. In the end, it paid off for Kristie and in this episode, you'll discover how to:  Bootstrap a capital-intensive business without giving up control  Reduce your risk when taking on an investor  Attract entrepreneurial employees who will care as much as you do  Think about the $10 million milestone (and why it matters to private equity)  Know when to take some chips off the table—and when to double down  Ace management presentations with an acquirer  Play hard to get (even when you want to sell)  Get an acquirer to bump up their offer   Max out an earn-out payment—even if you don't quite hit your targets  Spot an acquisition offer that's likely to be re-traded 

When Frank Shultz co-founded Infinite Blue, he and his partner split ownership 50/50. The business thrived, but their working relationship soured. Frank wanted to buy out his co-founder, but with a valuation in the eight figures, he faced a daunting question: where would he get the cash? 

An earn-out is a deal structure where part of the sale price is contingent on the business hitting future performance goals. For many owners, it feels like a gamble—where the payout is uncertain, and the risks are high.  But Bob Gilbreath flipped the script.  He navigated two complex earn-outs across two service businesses and turned both into massive financial wins. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, Bob shares how he turned the dreaded earn-out into his greatest asset. 

Send us a textAlright, if you've ever felt stuck in overthinking mode, this one's for you. My guest today is Jason Schappert, a guy who went from teaching people how to fly to building a thriving online business without a fancy business plan or a pile of investor cash.Jason and his wife bootstrapped one of the biggest FAA test prep platforms from scratch, and here's the kicker—he started with just 8 lessons and figured the rest out as he went. In this episode, Jason breaks down how he turned a niche business into a massive success, the biggest lessons from wearing all the hats as a solopreneur, and why perfection is the enemy of progress.If you're an entrepreneur, content creator, or someone who's been waiting for the 'right time' to start—this is your sign.In this episode, Jason breaks down:✅ How to start BEFORE you're ready (perfection is the enemy of progress!)✅ What it really takes to scale a business—from wearing all the hats to building a team✅ The power of consistent action (big wins come from small, daily moves)Big Takeaways from Jason:-"You don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going."-"Behind the scenes, business is messy. But that's where the real magic happens."-"If you wait for perfect, you'll never start. Just hit the ball in one more time and keep going."Follow Jason at @moola_copilot on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for more insights on investing, saving, and building smart financial habits.Want to take control of your finances? Check out the Moola app and start making your money work smarter.If this episode gave you a lightbulb moment, share it with a friend who needs to hear it! And hey—if you're loving the show, drop a review and let me know what resonated with you. I read every single one.

Most founders focus all their energy on getting to an exit, but few stop to consider what comes next. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, John Rood shares what he learned after selling Next Step Test Prep to private equity—and why he decided to write Beyond the Exit. 

Service businesses can get a bad rap. After all, there are clients to deal with, and actual labor involved in fulfillment. They're just not as glamorous as other more “passive” income models. But you should know that more Side Hustle Show guests started with a service-based business model than any other. This week's guest has a unique approach to service businesses -- one that doesn't rely on your skills as the expert. Tyler Gillespie has built two successful service businesses and had a clean exit from both -- the last being just 13 months from startup to sale. Tune in to hear: how Tyler comes up with ideas for productized service businesses the processes he implements to put his business in a position to exit how he outsources the mechanism of his businesses Full Show Notes: Built to Sell: Design a Business to Run Without You New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Airbnb — Discover how much your home could be worth and find a professional co-host today! Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses!

Selling your business to a Fortune 500 company is a dream for many founders. Strategic acquirers often pay the most because they can integrate your business into their larger ecosystem. It's rare to pull off even once—Brock Weatherup has done it three times.  In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, Brock reveals the strategies that helped him attract Fortune 500 buyers like PetSmart and Petco. This episode is a roadmap for anyone who wants to sell their business to a strategic acquirer. 

John Warrillow is the founder of the Value Builder System, a software program that helps thousands of businesses build more value for customers and investors. He is also the bestselling author of three books, Built To Sell, The Automatic Customer, and his latest, The Art of Selling Your Business, which came out in January 2021. He is also the host of Built To Sell Radio. John joined host Robert Glazer on the Elevate Podcast to talk about how to build a business that attracts lifetime customers and create your exit strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That's why we created the After the Deal series on Built to Sell Radio. This series explores life after selling a business—delving into the personal, financial, and emotional transitions that come when work becomes a choice, not a requirement.  In this episode, we speak with Preston Holland, author of Private Jet Insider and an expert in private aviation. Preston shares why private jet travel isn't just for celebrities and explains how business owners use private aviation to buy back their most valuable asset: time. 

This week on Built to Sell Radio, John Warrillow interviews Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa, the world's largest marketplace for buying and selling digital businesses. With experience overseeing thousands of real transactions, Blake offers a unique window into the minds of today's acquirers. 

Ben Landers built Blue Corona, an 8-figure digital marketing agency focused on home service businesses, into a data-driven powerhouse. When it came time to sell, Ben achieved something extraordinary: a clean exit with no earn-outs, a rare feat in the service business world where earn-outs are practically the norm.

Adam Kerrigan started as the owner of a managed service provider (MSP) business, which he built and eventually sold. After his exit, he joined the acquiring company to lead its M&A group, where he completed 16 deals and helped build a private equity-backed organization.  In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, Adam pulls back the curtain on how acquirers often push for cashless deals, offering equity instead of cash—and how sellers can negotiate to ensure they get the deal they deserve. 

Build a Business That Runs Itself & Sells for Millions - BUILT TO SELL --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getu-chandler/support

In this special "how-to" video, Gino Barbaro, co-founder of Jake and Gino, tackles one of the most critical questions entrepreneurs face: Should you invest in real estate or double down on your business? Samuel from Stuart Painters posed this question on Instagram, and Gino shares his invaluable insights based on his own experiences of transitioning from running a restaurant to building wealth through real estate.From strategies for generating passive income to tips for scaling a business while investing in multifamily properties, this episode is packed with actionable advice for entrepreneurs, contractors, and anyone looking to achieve financial freedom.Subscribe for weekly premium content: Stay updated with strategies, masterclasses, and wealth-building tips from the Jake and Gino community.   Key Takeaways:Why Gino transitioned from the restaurant business to real estate.The importance of diversifying income streams: active, portfolio, and passive.Tax advantages of real estate and business ownership.How contractors can leverage their skills to build wealth through real estate.Why 70% of businesses never sell and how to build a business with equity in mind.Recommended Reading: Built to Sell by John Warrilow – A must-read for entrepreneurs aiming to create scalable, sellable businesses.   What you'll learn in this video:How to balance business growth with real estate investment.The benefits of investing in multifamily properties.Tips for transitioning from transactional income to long-term wealth building.Creative ways to integrate real estate investments with your current business operations.Have a question for Gino? Drop it in the comments, and it might be featured in a future episode! We're here to help create multifamily entrepreneurs... Here's how: Brand New? Start Here: https://jakeandgino.mykajabi.com/free-wheelbarrowprofits Want To Get Into Multifamily Real Estate Or Scale Your Current Portfolio Faster? Apply to join our PREMIER MULTIFAMILY INVESTING COMMUNITY & MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. (*Note: Our community is not for beginner investors)

Blue Thumb, Australia's largest art marketplace, spawned SmartrMail—a SaaS business that grew to $2 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). When George Hartley decided to sell SmartrMail, he faced a major setback: the buyer he signed an LOI with didn't have the funds to close.  In this week's Built to Sell Radio, George shares the lessons he learned when his first deal fell apart and how he ultimately salvaged the sale. 

In this week's episode of Built to Sell Radio, John Warrillow interviews Kaelon Egan, the founder of AccelaSchool, who successfully sold his company to PowerSchool—a giant in the K-12 education technology space.  For most founders, the ultimate dream is to sell to a strategic acquirer: a well-funded, industry leader with deep pockets. Egan shares exactly how he positioned his company to become a natural acquisition target, avoiding common pitfalls along the way. 

James Ashford built GoProposal with a clear goal: to sell. From designing the logo with potential acquirers in mind to rallying his team around the vision, James executed his plan with precision. The result? An eight-figure sale to Sage, a FTSE 100 company. But what happened after the deal?  In this week's Built to Sell Radio, part of our After the Deal series, James opens up about life post-exit. Selling a company can bring financial freedom, but as James reveals, it also comes with unexpected challenges. 

If you're a business owner, chances are buyers are considering your industry for a roll-up. From veterinary clinics to auto body shops, pharmacies to advertising agencies—you name the industry, there's probably a private equity firm looking to roll it up.  This week's episode is part of our Inside the Mind of an Acquirer series, where we dive into the strategies and motivations of different types of buyers. Jordan Dubin, co-founder of Guild, shares how he raised $35 million to create a roll-up of garage door companies and reveals what he looks for in a potential acquisition. 

What does it take to turn nightlife into big business? Med school dropout Shane Neman cracked the code on the nightclub industry, transforming its back office into a finely tuned, revenue-generating machine. From pioneering one of the first SMS platforms for small businesses to setting up his companies for top-dollar exits, Shane shares the technical strategies that turned his ideas into high-value assets. 

Few founders exemplify resilience like Mike Fata, co-founder of Manitoba Harvest. Growing up in a single-parent, low-income household, Fata dropped out of school in grade 10, struggled with health issues, and found himself weighing 300 pounds by age 18. A life-changing commitment to health led him to discover hemp as a nutritional powerhouse, sparking his path to founding Manitoba Harvest and building it into one of North America's leading hemp food companies.  In his interview on Built to Sell Radio, Mike dives into the journey that saw him go from construction worker to the sale of Manitoba Harvest to Tilray for $419 million.

When Carrie Kelsch was encouraged to start a garage door business back in 2004, she had no experience in the industry.     By 2022, her company, A Plus Garage Doors, was generating $26 million in revenue with 30% EBITDA margins. This week on Built to Sell Radio, host John Warrillow shares Carrie's journey—from her first steps in the home services industry to the personal tragedy that ultimately pushed her to consider selling. 

Pete Neubig started his entrepreneurial journey buying $35,000 houses with small down payments. After amassing 60 homes, he realized there was more money in managing properties for others.   Pete shifted focus to building a property management company, handling maintenance and rent collection for over 1,000 homes, and eventually sold the business for $4.6 million or 1.75 times recurring revenue to an industry giant.

Episode 640: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk about setting one priority–one sprint–to turn your entire year into a win. It's time for life or death mode.  — Show Notes:  (0:00) 70 days left to win 2024 (10:27) The prestige hacking of Jamie Beaton (25:32) Billy of the Week: Ken Fisher (and his marketing playbook) (39:25)The shocking economics of public monuments (46:19) Pro tip for founders: Find a banker (54:28) The double standard of VCs — Links: • My Body Tutor - https://www.mybodytutor.com/ • Fisher Investments - https://www.fisherinvestments.com/ • Motley Fool Asset Management - https://fooletfs.com/ • American Colossus - https://americancolossus.org/ • Built To Sell - https://builttosell.com/ — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: Need to hire? You should use the same service Shaan uses to hire developers, designers, & Virtual Assistants → it's called Shepherd (tell ‘em Shaan sent you): https://bit.ly/SupportShepherd — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam's List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano

In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, Jim Lindstrom discusses how he acquired BuzzWord, a company specializing in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting. Lindstrom explains how he built a killer culture by transforming contractors into full-time employees and incentivizing them with a two-part profit-sharing scheme focused on cash flow and EBITDA, setting the business up for future sale.

Luke Peters started off by reselling everyday appliances like bar fridges online. Eventually he built a brand and shifted to selling his products on big e-commerce retailers. Peters grew NewAir to $80 million in revenue before selling it for a lifechanging windfall in 2022. 

Matt Ebert's path to founding Crash Champions didn't start with a grand plan—it began with a car wreck. At 16, he found himself needing to fix his own car, sparking an unexpected passion that led to building one of the largest collision repair companies in the United States. 

Jessica DeLuca co-founded Cult Beauty in 2008, creating one of the UK's leading online beauty retailers. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, Jessica reveals the path that led her to selling the business for £275 million to The Hut Group (THG).  DeLuca's background in tech shaped the business, with her love for data and precision leading to a meticulously curated platform. Frustrated by the lack of unbiased information in the beauty industry, she built a database of expert advice, allowing customers to search products tailored to their needs—an approach that set Cult Beauty apart from the competition. 

Alex Bean sold his company, Divvy, for $2.5 billion. But after reaching this monumental milestone, why didn't the sale bring him the happiness he expected? In this episode, Alex shares his journey and the lessons he learned about life after a business exit. 

Today's episode is a replay from Feb 2023Want To Quit Your Job In The Next 6-18 Months Through Buying Commercial Real Estate & Small Businesses?

Matt Matros built Protein Bar from a single smoothie shop into a fast-growing chain. In 2012, private equity firm L Catterton came knocking with a deal valuing his company at $44 million. Matt decided to roll 40% of his equity, expecting it to grow even more.

This week on Built to Sell Radio, William Brown shares his remarkable journey from selling a $50 Word document offering trading advice to building a multi-million dollar online education business that attracted serious interest from acquirers. Based in Dubai, William's story is a testament to how a simple, bootstrapped start can evolve into a highly valuable and sellable business. 

Corporate buyers are notoriously secretive and rarely reveal their inner workings. This is why our latest episode of Built to Sell Radio is so valuable: It provides a rare look into the secretive world of corporate M&A.    Our guest is Christopher Vollmond-Carstens, Chief M&A Officer at Ntiva, where they help businesses keep their technology running smoothly, from managing their computer systems to protecting them from cyber threats. Christopher has bought fifteen companies in the last few years, and this week we take a walk inside his mind to understand how he thinks about buying companies.    This episode, part of our Inside the Mind of an Acquirer series, offers unique insights into the corporate development division of a big company.

Nicole Osmer is the founder and president of Health+Commerce, a public relations and marketing agency for companies in medtech, biotech, and digital health. Nicole grew Health+Commerce from $1M to $10M in annual revenue over seven years.     Along the way, Nicole received an acquisition offer that seemed too good to be true. It turned out it was, and the deal fell apart. Nicole picked up the pieces, and in March 2024, Health+Commerce was acquired by Trinity Hunt-backed Supreme Group.

Serial entrepreneur Joe Rare shares some of the books that have inspired him on his journey and have contributed to his success.For more great content, go to:https://www.isintosuccess.comhttps://www.instagram.com/insightsintosuccess/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVRkDL7gZSP98vnVyZ5445ghttps://www.tiktok.com/@insightsintosuccessEmail us at: paul.d@isintosuccess.comThanks for supporting us in our journey to find the secrets to success!

This week on Built to Sell Radio, we feature Connor Tomkies, founder of Support Ninja, who shares his story of transforming an outsourcing firm into an industry leader. Support Ninja provides outsourced customer support services, handling tasks such as customer experience, social media management, and technical support.  

Today's episode of Built to Sell Radio features Anne Mahlum, a fearless entrepreneur who redefined the fitness industry. After wandering into a Pilates studio in L.A. and thinking, “I can do this better,” Anne threw all her savings—$175,000—into launching her own version of the company, founding [solidcore], a fitness powerhouse that she later sold for $100 million.  Anne shares her remarkable journey, detailing the strategies she used to transition leadership, navigate fundraising efforts, and build a company with enduring value. 

This episode of Built to Sell Radio features Matt Dixon, author of the global bestseller, The Challenger Sale. Dixon became the de facto leader of the sales training world when Neil Rackham, author of "SPIN Selling," praised The Challenger Sale as "the most important advance in selling for many years.” If you're wondering how to get your people to sell as well as you do, this is your master class.

This episode of Built to Sell Radio, features Kevin O'Connor, a pioneer in digital advertising and founder of DoubleClick.   Kevin's vision transformed the online advertising industry, making DoubleClick a dominant force in digital marketing before its $3.1 billion acquisition by Google.  

This week we're featuring an interview with John Rood, who built Next Step, a test prep business that helped students prepare for the medical school admissions test (MCAT). John Rood built Next Step to almost $10 million in revenue, with EBITDA margins ranging from 20–40% before selling to New Harbour Group, a private equity business doing a roll-up of test prep companies.   Although it was a financial windfall for John, his exit left him feeling empty inside. John drifted and ended up having a difficult time processing his newfound life, which led him to consider if other founders struggled with life post-exit. He began interviewing other entrepreneurs who had sold and is now putting the finishing touches on a book called Beyond the Exit, which will come out later this year.

Ned MacPherson started helping clients optimize their websites back in 2016. Demand for Ned's time quickly outpaced supply, so he started building a team. Within seven years, Ned had 70 employees, more than $2 million a year in EBITDA, and multiple acquisition offers.

Jordan van Schyndel grew his service business to more than 30 employees without having anyone quit. He credits his unique culture for the loyalty of his team. Ultimately it was that team that caught the attention of Spiria, which offered to acquire van Schyndel's business. 

In 2015, 25-year-old Alexx Leyva was traveling around Thailand when a shocking phone call brought him back to the United States to take over his father's $3 million business. Over the next five years, Alexx and his brothers tripled the company and ended up selling it for more than $20 million.

When it comes to your endgame, what's your highest priority? Do you want to maximize your personal wealth and walk away? Or do you want to de-risk but keep some chips on the table? Or is your highest priority protecting your culture, your employees, and the legacy you have built? If your goal is to protect your culture, then selling to an individual investor may be worth considering.   In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, you'll hear from Carl Allen, a former guest and HP executive who was responsible for acquiring companies for the tech giant. These days, Carl teaches individual investors how to buy their first business. You'll get inside the minds of the individual investors Carl coaches to understand how they structure acquisition offers, and you'll discover the telltale signs that an individual investor is either going to honor or ruin your company's legacy.

Anastasia Koroleva is an experienced entrepreneur and former technology company CEO. After her first nine-figure exit, she went on to start three more businesses. Today she is the host of the podcast, Exit Paradox, where she talks to some of the most remarkable founders in the world about the lessons they learned about life after selling a business. This episode will help you design your ideal life post-exit.

If subscriptions are more difficult to sell than just a product, why is the subscription model so wildly popular today? John Warrillow, author of "Built To Sell", "The Automatic Customer" and, "The Art of Selling Your Business" knows perfectly well how much more massively valuable each loyal subscriber can be compared to a mere one-time buyer. John Warrillow and Robert Skrob discuss some of their strategies for enticing, onboarding and retaining subscribers to their automatic continuity programs in order to create regular revenue and maximize company value. MagneticMarketing.com NoBSLetter.com