Happy Buyer, Happy Seller with Shaun Thornton

For many international buyers, owning a vacation home near Disney sounds like the perfect investment. Buy a beautiful property, rent it when you're away, and let it pay for itself. But behind every successful vacation rental is a complex operation that most owners never see. In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller, Shaun Thornton sits down with longtime friend Roy Cook to discuss building, op...

What separates an average business broker from a top-performing advisor? In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller, Shaun Thornton sits down with Jim Parker, Chairman of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), to discuss the power of education, networking, professional development, and why great brokers never stop learning. Jim shares his personal journey from losing a successful...

What does entrepreneurship really look like? In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller, Shaun Thornton sits down with Henry Moth of Red Meters, a Central Florida manufacturing success story with global reach. From leaving traditional education behind at a young age to helping build an innovative engineering company serving industries around the world, Henry shares the lessons, challenges, and m...

Artificial intelligence is everywhere, but how can business owners actually use it to grow their companies today? In this episode of Happy Buyer Happy Seller, Shaun Thornton sits down with AI consultant, software engineer, and entrepreneur Rey Ortega, founder of Grotto Software. Rey shares practical, real-world ways businesses can use AI to improve efficiency, automate repetitive tasks, streamline...

In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller , host Shaun Thornton sits down with Katina Phillips, founder of Florida Funding Source, to break down one of the most critical, and often misunderstood, parts of buying a business with an SBA loan: the business plan. Katina brings over 35 years of banking, lending, and underwriting experience into her consulting work, helping buyers create lender-ready...

Most business owners think selling their company will be easy… until they actually try. In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller, Shaun Thornton sits down with top Orlando business broker Jim Parker, Chair of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), to break down why so many businesses never make it across the finish line. From messy financials and landlord problems to SBA lendin...

Most people think business growth comes from aggressive sales tactics, perfect marketing funnels, or nonstop promotion. Ted Bogert believes the opposite. In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller , Shaun Thornton sits down with Ted Bogert, one of Orlando’s best-known connectors and relationship-builders to talk about what actually creates long-term business success: trust, consistency, communit...

What actually happens after a buyer and seller agree on a deal? In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller , Shaun Thornton sits down with business attorney and brokerage partner Ed Alexander to unpack the real-world mechanics of closing a business sale. From escrow deposits and asset purchase agreements to landlord issues, seller notes, earn-outs, and stock sales, this conversation dives into t...

If you're thinking about buying a business, understanding SBA financing can be the difference between closing the deal or walking away. In this episode, Shaun Thornton sits down with SBA expert Lynne Singletary to break down exactly how SBA loans work, what lenders are really looking for, and how buyers can acquire businesses with as little as 10% down. They cover the real mechanics behind SBA 7A...

What does it really take to build meaningful international business relationships? In this episode, Shaun Thornton sits down with Justine Assal, His Majesty’s British Honorary Consul for Central Florida, to unpack the real connection between the UK and Florida. From trade and investment to community building and global opportunity, this conversation goes far beyond theory. It’s a behind-the-scenes...

What really happens after you buy a business? In this episode, Shaun Thornton sits down with Peter Scheckenhofer, a business owner who went from buying a company during the uncertainty of 2020… to nearly doubling it over the next five years. This isn't a theory. It’s a real breakdown of what made the deal work, what most buyers get wrong, and why execution after acquisition matters more than the d...

Most business owners think their exit comes down to timing, valuation, or finding the right buyer. In reality, the biggest factor is much simpler — and often ignored: marketing. In this episode, Shaun sits down with marketing expert Ken Countess to break down the biggest marketing mistakes small business owners make today. From email marketing and social media to AI, SEO, and Google visibility, th...

What does it really take to sell a business after 40+ years of building it from scratch? In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller , Shaun Thornton sits down with John Selbach, founder of a Florida-based industrial crane manufacturing company, to break down a real-life business exit story, including what worked, what didn’t, and what every business owner MUST know before selling. From starting...

If you're thinking about selling your business, one of the biggest questions is: 👉 Who will actually buy it? In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller, business broker Shaun Thornton sits down with private equity expert Matt Fitzgibbon to break down the real differences between individual buyers and private equity firms and how that impacts your exit strategy, valuation, and deal structure. 💡...

What should you really check before buying a business? In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller, Shaun Thornton sits down with CPA and entrepreneur Adrienne Brace to break down the critical role of due diligence in buying and selling a business. They discuss how buyers can verify financial data, what red flags to look for, and why relying on profit and loss statements alone can lead to costly...

Running a business can be lonely at the top. In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller, Shaun Thornton speaks with Hal Thayer about the power of CEO peer groups and how the CEO Exchange helps business leaders solve real-world challenges together. Hal explains how the CEO Exchange connects business owners and executives from different industries who meet regularly to share experiences, discuss c...

In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller, Shaun Thornton sits down with Jill Kaufman to explore the role of the Small Business Development Center and how it helps entrepreneurs build stronger, more resilient companies. With decades of experience supporting business owners, Jill shares how the SBDC provides guidance, resources, and strategic insight that many entrepreneurs never realize are ava...

What makes Florida one of the strongest markets for buying and selling businesses? In this episode, Shaun Thornton speaks with Paul McNally, Chair of Business Brokers of Florida, about how BBF’s collaborative model, data-driven valuation tools, and professional standards help more deals reach the closing table. They break down the Business Listing System, co-brokerage advantages, buyer qualificati...

What does it really take to sell a restaurant or small business successfully? Selling a business is not just signing papers and cashing a check. In this episode of Happy Buyer, Happy Seller , veteran business broker Shaun Thornton sits down with experienced entrepreneur Shawn Casey to unpack what really happens behind the scenes when a business changes hands. From restaurant sales and franchise tr...

Welcome to Happy Buyer, Happy Seller . In this foundational episode, award-winning Central Florida business broker Shaun Thornton shares how he transitioned from nine-figure international industrial sales to becoming a master-certified business intermediary, one of fewer than 100 in the world. If you are thinking about selling your business, buying a business, or planning an exit strategy, this ep...