Build and Exit

Will the business you are building last beyond you?

Many business owners are building a lifestyle business rather than one for generational wealth. If you want to create a legacy rather than a job it all starts with you.

In this, my first solo podcast episode, I explore what it means to build a legacy with your business and what you need to do to prepare for the future if you aim to sell your business.

From understanding what gener...

Selling your business can feel lonely and emotional.

You are parting with the thing you have devoted a significant portion of your life to, and that can feel hard. But beyond that is an opportunity to re-invent yourself.

In this episode I speak with Luke Winter, a creative director who recently sold his shares in the video agency Wallbreaker. Luke shares with great honesty the emotional toll the sale has had on him. From the moment...

Over 612,000 Baby Boomer business owners will need to sell or exit their companies in the coming years. The question is—will they get the deal they deserve?

In this episode I am joined by Clive Margetts and Oli Luke, founders of Acquisition Masters, to explore how business owners can maximise their exit strategy and secure a profitable sale.

The UK economy is facing a serious threat if these businesses fail to sell or get swallowed...

Imagine buying a business for £1 and it all goes wrong.

The previous owners have been paying themselves with the staff’s wages but not paying the staff. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

This was the experience of my guest Charlie Norton. Charlie shares the whole story of how he went from a £1 business purchase to sinking £40k of his own money into the business just to pay off immediate debts, but that still wasn’t enoug...

What would you do if you faced losing everything?

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Céline Aloé, CEO of UKLC, saw her business revenue drop to zero overnight. But instead of giving up, she made bold moves to survive and thrive.

In this episode we dive into Céline’s journey of resilience, personal growth, and strategic reinvention.

Discover how investing in coaching, embracing acquisitions, and leading with empathy transformed h...

The tables are turned in this episode.

I am in the hot seat revealing all about my own acquisition story.

I am joined by Astan Morarji, a Multi-Exited Founder and Leader, who interviews me on the importance of acquisitions in business growth and the challenges faced during my recent acquisition.

We discuss the significance of understanding client relationships, the learning process in acquisitions, and the drive to help busin...

Financial literacy is the biggest barrier to successful M&A.

Both sellers and buyers need to know how the numbers work to ensure they get the best deal.

In this episode I am joined by Erin O'Leary, an M&A and exit advisor. We explore the intricacies of business acquisitions and exits. Erin shares insights from her extensive experience, including a case study of a legacy bus company and the factors influencing business v...

Imagine selling your business for 9 figures.

Would you start imagining what you could do with it all before the deal is done?

My guest in this episode not only imagined he started spending it. Only to find that half of it fell through between the letter of intent to the final deal.

Alexis Sikorsky shares his journey of building and exiting a software company for a nine-figures. He discusses the challenges he faced during the financ...

There are simple things you can do to get your acquisitions completed faster.

So many people aren’t prepared in the way they should be, which dramatically slows down the process of buying or selling a business.

In this episode I am joined by Jamil Anakkar, the CEO of Tandy Ventures, who shares where he sees the massive opportunities in M&A right now.

Jamil outlines the challenges he faced during his first acquisition, and...

Is your business too dependent on you? 

Far too many companies are lifestyle businesses that would fall apart without the owner. 

This can jeopardise your exit, so detaching yourself from working in the business is essential. 

In this episode I am joined by Michèle Hecken, who built, operated, scaled, and exited a successful business in the translation industry. After completing a high-7-figure exit she now serves as an Advisor to ...

How does it feel to sell your business to a multinational chain?

Edin Basic did just that. Building his chain of restaurants up to 17 sites before selling it to Pizza Express.

But when the deal was done, he didn’t go out celebrating, he was left with the feeling of “was that it?”

For him the journey of building the business had been the real enjoyment of the whole process. He talks candidly about how he felt at every step of the wa...

Are you intentional about scaling your business for exit?

So many organic business owners don’t have a plan and don’t know what the end goal is. If they did their loved ones would thank them so much more for doing things right when things passed onto them.

In this episode I speak with Rachel Murphy, a two-time exit founder, about her entrepreneurial journey and 8x multiplier exit.

Rachel gives insight into the importance of i...

Have you considered becoming an investor?

The mindset you need differs significantly from being an operator of the business. One that my guest in this episode, Taha Afshar explores with us.

Taha started his journey working in a family-run tea business to then make the shifts needed to diversify their income. He shares his experiences moving to the world of investments. Where he has now successfully acquired and managed multiple bus...

The journey to business owner is never straight forward.

In this episode that journey started due to my guest, David Longford, taking over the business from the owner just before he passed away.

This transition from employee to business owner required respect and a focus on the long-term growth of the business. David talks about the process involved in taking over from an owner in these difficult circumstances.

David shares how he ...

How can customer service affect your business sale?

Buyers looking at your business would have more confidence in their investment if they saw customer satisfaction was high. So, making sure you not only have satisfied customers but evidencing it is key.

In this episode I am joined by customer service expert Geoff Ramm. He is the creator and author of Celebrity Service & Celebrity Service Superstars. And has challenged and insp...

Have you planned for the worst?

Imagine you’re at death’s door and know you have no plan for what will happen to your business if you die.

This is the exact experience one of my guest’s clients faced. And the worst did happen. Sadly, she passed with no plan for what would happen to the business once she was gone. Not a situation anyone wants to find themselves in.

In this episode I am joined by Paula Wingate, who is dedicated...

What would you do to make your business a success?

Would it include jumping from a broken-down train to hitch hike to a product pitch?

Well, that’s what my guest in this episode did for an idea that didn’t even work out. Todd Sullivan grew up in an entrepreneurial household and has lived this way ever since. He is the CEO and Managing Partner of Exitwise, a company that helps businesses sell.

Todd shares some of the incredibl...

Selling a business comes with risks, but the buyer tyring to swindle you right at the end would challenge anyone’s nerve.

My guest in this episode, Sam Oliver, shares his experience of successfully selling his business and going through an earn-out clause. He discusses the challenges he faced when the buyer suddenly changed the processes at the last moment.

He shares what happened with disputes over the deferred consideration a...

Gender bias exists when applying for funding in the venture capital industry.

It’s a fact, women are less likely than men to not only succeed in getting funding but for applying for it in the first place.

This disadvantage is something that has driven my guest in this episode, David B Horne, to help rectify. David is the Founder of Funding Focus, a social enterprise whose mission is to level the uneven playing field that female...