Closing Remarks

What does it take to scale a business without losing what made it successful? Most companies know how to grow. Building an organization that can sustain that growth over the long term is a different challenge. As businesses expand, leaders face new challenges in accountability, execution, talent development, and decision-making. The systems that support a smaller company are rarely enough to suppo...

Most business owners don’t wake up one day and decide to sell their company. The decision is usually years in the making.   In this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef talks to Ben Wagner, Senior Director at Benchmark International, for a special Q&A focused on the questions business owners ask most often before going to market.   Ben brings forward topics that frequently shape exit...

What does it take to build a business that can withstand uncertainty, adapt to changing markets, and continue to grow?   In this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef speaks to Andrew Wright, the CEO & Founder of Franklin Street, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Ally Capital Group, and Co-Founder of Next Level Brands. Drawing from his experience of building businesses, investing...

In this episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef answers common questions business owners ask about valuation, buyers, and the M&A process as unfamiliar terms start to surface. Joining him is Kayla Sullivan, Benchmark International’s Operations Director, who brings more than a decade of M&A experience and insights gained from hundreds of transactions. Acting as the voice of the audience, s...

Many know Thaddeus Bullard as WWE Global Ambassador and WWE Hall of Fame Warrior Award recipient Titus O’Neil. Throughout Tampa Bay, however, he has become equally recognized for creating opportunities for underserved families, supporting students, and investing in the next generation of leaders.   In this episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef sits down with Thaddeus for a conversation about le...

What happens when the thing that defines your identity disappears overnight? In this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef interviews Jerry Bell, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end and CEO of Bell & Associates Business Consultants, to discuss reinvention, resilience, and preparation for life after the point when everything changes. Jerry Bell was drafted by the Buccaneers in 198...

Most M&A conversations focus on getting to closing. This episode begins after the deal is done and explores three layers of the emotional reality of transition, the practical mechanics of wealth planning, and the preparation that should happen before a founder ever goes to market. Dara sits down with Blake Poole, Managing Director, accompanied by Christopher Steele, Director for Trust and Esta...

On this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Jason Caras, co-founder of IT Authorities and founder of Caras Institute, to discuss leadership, culture, failure, resilience, and rebuilding after losing everything. Jason shares the story behind scaling IT Authorities to $34 million in revenue, stepping away from day-to-day leadership, and the business began to unravel after br...

On this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks for a conversation that goes far beyond his legendary career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Known for a Super Bowl championship, eleven Pro Bowls, and a defining Hall of Fame career, Derrick reflects on the mindset behind the success one he built on humility, discipline, and a relentless...

There’s often a moment in the life of a business owner when everything shifts. A conversation begins, the language changes, and unfamiliar terms start to surface. EDITDA, multiples, earnouts, letters of intent, indemnification. The stakes are high, the pace is fast, and many choose to keep nodding rather than slow things down. This podcast exists for that moment. In this episode, Dara Shareef intr...

Coming Soon! First Episode Launches May 6th