Build Better Business Podcast with Chuck Crumpton

Ron describes a pivotal “aha” moment during his early corporate career in Atlanta. Stuck in traffic on I‑85, he looked at the empty expressions of commuters around him and felt a pit in his stomach, realizing he didn’t want that to be his life, even if his salary doubled or tripled. His core message is that success is less about intelligence or money and more about persistence: “you can only lose...

Shay Houser is one of the smartest and most vunerable people I know, and I'm honored to call him my friend. Battling and overcoming major addiction struggles, he went on to do over $1B in M&A deals. We talk life and business in this episode. I asked what advice Shay has for people “stuck” in comfortable corporate jobs who feel an entrepreneurial itch. His response is blunt: if it’s truly their...

Andrea expects AI will surpass humans in many tasks before 2040, but sees the real tipping point as when AI combines high competence with the ability to interpret real‑world context like a human (e.g., distinguishing genuine clinical depression from temporary sadness), something current systems cannot do because they must treat user input as true. On global AI governance, he says there is no “magi...

Matt outlines what separates great from average communicators: they are audience‑centric (“it’s about them, not about you”) and deliver clear, concise messages with good structure.  Discussing the book, Chuck highlights a key line: the goal is not perfection but being clear, confident, and connected.  Listen to hear Matt's six key principles from “Think Faster, Talk Smarter” Let me know how I can...

Kelly has an impressive background - she's originally from New York City with undergraduate and master's degrees from NYU, plus post-graduate work at Harvard and Columbia. She is a classically trained actor who performed mainly on stage. I'm honored to call her my friend. Kelly founded Win the Room (WTR) at a crossroads in her career, not wanting to return to acting or Wall Street. She began helpi...

Andres has an MSA and MBA from Ohio University and wrote a book called "Persuade: The Four Step Process to Influence People and Decisions" The most critical element in negotiation is thorough preparation, which not only provides information but builds confidence. Andres emphasizes that "nothing convinces like conviction" and proper preparation creates the confidence needed for effective negotiatio...

At SAF, we help folks buy and sell great companies and build in the process. Most see a 5-7x ROI because of the work we do. Let's set up a call to discuss. Enjoy my conversation with Harry! Harry T. Jones describes himself as "living a life of second and third chances" - he's in his third career and second marriage. He spent over 20 years in food manufacturing as a CEO and emphasizes that "the mos...

In addition to being one hell of a business leader, Leland is a husband, father, and my friend. I highly recommend you visit his very impressive gallery in Hillsborough, NC.  LelandLittle.com The auction business has undergone significant transformation over Little's 35-year career. Market preferences have shifted from 18th and 19th century antiques (popular in the 1980s-1990s) to mid-century mode...

Captain Mike Penn flew 87 combat missions until he was shot down and had to eject at 500 miles per hour. From being a POW at the "Hanoi Hilton" in Vietnam, to becoming the Chief Pilot at Southwest Airlines, to battling addiction, Mike shares his incredible life story. This episode moved me like few have. You will be drawn to his transparency, humility, candor, and demeanor.  Please enjoy and let m...

John Sterling is a Citadel University graduate (BA in Political Science, 1983) who led Datastream to a $200 million exit. He currently serves as CEO of Sterling Ventures Group, which "buys and grows B2B SaaS companies quietly and intentionally". His portfolio includes Sterling Sales (sales coaching and training). John's sales training approach addresses multiple components beyond just training sal...

Most of my clients have a HUGE question for me - What is my business worth? Scott, a subject matter expert in valuations, sheds some interesting light on the topic. If I can help you get some real numbers on your business, let me know. It's a big deal. Scott emphasizes that business valuation is both a science based on accepted principles and an art involving numerous assumptions. He notes that fi...

 Karl emphasizes that leaders often assume everyone thinks and is motivated the same way they are, which he describes as the "human condition". He advocates moving from the "golden rule" (treat others as you want to be treated) to the "platinum rule" (understanding what motivates each individual). When asked about the biggest organizational breakdown, he identifies trust as the primary issue. Karl...

Todd emphasizes the importance of authenticity in leadership and speaking, sharing that he strives to be genuine rather than polished, making fun of himself and discussing failures rather than just successes. Todd also vulnerably shares that his wife died five months ago, describing how he relied on his team during this difficult period. 3 big takeaways from his book "Dancing with Monsters" Fear d...

The pivotal moment came when Chris analyzed his father's retirement situation in 2005. Despite his father doing "everything right" - contributing to his 401k, paying off all debt including his house, and being completely debt-free at 61 - Chris calculated that his father would run out of money in 5-6 years if he retired. This realization led Chris to question the traditional financial advice he wa...

Trust you will enjoy my conversation with Eric. If you're thinking about selling your business in the next 10 years, we should talk. Why leave money on the table? Let's talk: Talk to Chuck Key Success Factors for selling a business: Gaul emphasizes two critical elements for business owners preparing to sell: Clean Books : Clean financial records "de-risk the business" because buyers and banks perc...

The discussion extensively covers organizational culture, with Frank defining it as "creating systems that develop trust, communication, organizational skills, the ability to operate efficiently so that you can innovate, orchestrate, and quantify and improve". He uses Disney as a prime example, where he worked during their four-year streak as America's best company to work for. Disney's philosophy...

Owen emphasizes that around 80-85% of companies are not ready to go to market. Before deciding to sell, business owners need to understand the listing price and how it was determined, identify what they want in a buyer, understand the 6-12 month process timeline, and maintain business performance throughout. Common Valuation Misconceptions: A major misconception involves confusion between two diff...

Andrew explains that Vestigo focuses on "mission-based businesses", believing that companies with missions beyond financial objectives often become stronger businesses.   The firm receives approximately one deal per day as inbound opportunities and completes roughly 5-6 deals per year on average. They evaluate companies based on both financial metrics and impact criteria, looking for businesses th...

Rich describes himself as "unfiltered, transparent, and pretty damn open". He lost everything to gambling and "didn't have a penny to my name" when he entered Gamblers Anonymous. Rich emphasizes that "picking a partner is like picking your wife" and stresses the importance of aligned interests.    As a buyer, Rich looks for "people, the owner, the management, the market, the product".   He believe...

 Trust you will enjoy the conversation between myself and Greg. If I can help you or your business in anyway, please let me know. Chuck StrategicAdvisoryForum.com Greg Merrill is a strategic growth and transformation executive from San Antonio, Texas and former global head of Digital Transformation for Nike.  Merrill holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. He emphasizes that successful busines...

Marc shares his profound personal story that transformed his business approach to deal making.  In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, he received a stage four cancer diagnosis with six months to live. While recovering from surgery and battling COVID contracted in the hospital, his 10-year-old son Tommy made a pivotal observation. When Adams explained that nine out of ten companies they evaluate don'...

In my opinon, partnerships are like marriages without love. Ryan challenged my view. He has had two successful exits - first with Redwood Global (sold in 2014) and most recently with Core Resources (sold in February 2025 for over 6x EBITDA multiple)  Both companies operated in the staffing/human capital space, with Core Resources focusing on IT professionals for banks and financial institutions. P...

These are a few of the points Hal and I discussed during our conversation. Reach out to us to help you scale your business before exiting; Chuck Crumpton 864.915.0066 Strategic Advisory Forum, LLC Major Pitfalls Before Selling Owner dependency: Many businesses are built around the owner rather than being sustainable operations Lack of preparation: Business owners often too busy working "in" the bu...

Frank Cottle  is the founder and CEO of Alliance Virtual Offices with over 50 years of M&A experience. He has been involved in numerous transactions on both buy and sell sides, including acquiring 44 companies in a 3-year period while working with Deloitte in the late 1990s. He challenges the traditional "win-win" approach, arguing that successful deals require each party to believe they got t...

Capitivating conversation with Hampus. You're gonna like this guy and his story! Some of the episode details are below. Let me know if we can help your business grow and get ready for an exit like he enjoyed. StrategicAdvisoryForum.com Key Takeaways: Founder alignment is crucial - invest in structured communication processes Focus on strategic value, not just financial metrics Build relationships ...