Podcast

In this episode of Growth & Exit Digest, Mike explores effective onboarding strategies to enhance a business’s value by improving employee performance and retention. He outlines crucial steps starting with pre-boarding, where employers engage future team members with welcome packets, through to continuous feedback gathering. Mike highlights the importance of a positive first day experience, clear communication of the company’s mission and values, and structured training. He advocates for mentorship programs, setting manageable goals, and fostering social integration as key strategies. The episode emphasizes collecting feedback for refining the onboarding process and points at these effective practices as essential for overall business success and boosting business valuation for a prospective sale.

In the podcast episode, Mike Levison discusses crucial steps business owners can take to amplify the value of their businesses before selling. The podcast emphasizes the importance of planning 2-5 years ahead of the intended sell date to allow ample time for optimizing financial records and operational procedures, as well as identifying and implementing growth strategies. Mike advises polishing your financial data, augmenting operational efficiency, developing a strong management team, and posturing a convincing market position for your business – specifically focusing on unique selling propositions. He also underscores the importance of preparing meticulously for buyer due diligence to inspire buyer confidence. Through such strategic improvements and early planning, Mike conveys that businesses can substantially increase their sale price, attracting value-seeking buyers.

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. In this week’s episode of Built to Sell Radio, you discover how to: You’ll hear the story of how Ebert sold a majority interest in his business, and how he now approaches buying companies to expand Crash Champions into a national brand with 645 locations and $2.8 billion in revenue.

Aaron Levenstadt built Pedestal Search into a business worth selling by mastering one thing: SEO. While clients tempted him to offer other services, Aaron knew the real value lay in doing one thing better than anyone else. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, Aaron shares how focusing on one service helped him stand out in a crowded market and achieve a successful exit. In this interview, you discover how to: Aaron’s story proves that specializing can be the key to building a business that’s not only profitable but also highly attractive to buyers. Learn how focusing on your core strength and getting the right guidance can transform your company and lead to a successful exit.

Jessica DeLuca founded Cult Beauty in 2007, creating the UK’s largest multi-brand beauty retailer. 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. In this episode, you discover how to: DeLuca’s journey offers invaluable insights into transforming frustration into a unique value proposition, building a niche brand, and securing a life-changing exit for her and her team.

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. In this episode, you discover how to:

Jeff Archibald founded Paper Leaf, a company specializing in developing websites, mobile apps and custom software. By offering a narrow scope of services to a variety of verticals, Paper Leaf built a reputation for handling challenging projects that generalist agencies couldn’t. Jeff’s commitment to simplicity and effective forecasting played a significant role in Paper Leaf’s success. He used fixed payment contracts to ensure steady cash flow and offered a limited number of technologies, allowing his team to become experts. These practices stabilized the business and made it attractive for acquisition.  When approached by ZGM, a marketing firm, Jeff initially received a 3x EBITDA offer. Through a creative earn-out structure, Jeff ultimately received proceeds of equivalent to around 5x EBITDA.   You’ll Discover How To: 

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. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, you’ll discover how to:

In this week’s episode of Built to Sell Radio, John Warrillow interviews Michael Lynch, the creator of TinyPilot, a hardware device that allows users to remotely control their computers without installing any software.   Like most small companies, TinyPilot was a Main Street business with around $1 million in revenue and roughly $250,000 in profit, so Michael’s story is a revealing snapshot of a typical exit for the majority of small businesses. In this episode, you’ll discover how to: 

In this week’s episode of Built to Sell Radio, John Warrillow interviews Kiri Masters, founder of Bobsled Marketing. Kiri’s marketing agency specialized in helping companies merchandise their products on sites like Amazon.com and Walmart.com.  Kiri successfully transformed a significant social media following into a valuable company. In this episode, you’ll also learn how to: