Secrets to Selling Your Business

Kelly O. Finnell, president of Executive Financial Services, has carved a niche for himself in the ESOP consulting landscape with over four decades of experience dating back to 1979. Finnell's unique perspective on ESOPs has been honed through his extensive involvement in the field, starting from his law school days when he was assigned a project on ESOPs. He strongly believes in the potential of...

Chris Tatge, founder and president of DC Materials, has transformed his journey from a struggling high school student to a self-made entrepreneur disrupting the construction industry. DC Materials, known for its innovative approach to framing labor and materials in multifamily construction, ranks as the 539th fastest-growing private company in the US and third in Wisconsin on the 2023 Inc 5000 lis...

Purdeep Sangha, strategic advisor and co-founder of Sell Wealthy, is renowned for his expertise in guiding business owners through successful sales by harmonizing the personal, business, and family aspects of their lives. He emphasizes the significance of early preparation and structured introspection to facilitate emotional and mental readiness for a smooth transition post-sale. Sangha highlights...

Michelle Orr is a seasoned professional with an impressive 25 years of experience in the SBA lending space, beginning her career at Textron Business Credit and later becoming the vice president of lending at Live Oak Bank. Orr's perspective on SBA financing and prequalification is heavily influenced by her extensive experience in this field, particularly in business buyouts. She believes that SBA...

Joseph Gitto, a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of Blue Sky Advisory Services, brings over 25 years of expertise in business sales across various industries. A CPA by training, Gitto underscores the importance of maintaining clean financial records and having a strong team as foundational elements for a successful business sale. He advises business owners to initiate sale preparations at least 3...

Sid Mohasseb, a seasoned entrepreneur and venture investor, offers a unique perspective on business evaluation, emphasizing the transformative power of experiential insights over traditional analytical methods. With his extensive background in mergers and acquisitions, Sid underscores the importance of firsthand entrepreneurial experience, highlighting how it provides a deeper understanding of the...

Brian Samson, the founder and CEO of Plugg Technologies, is a prominent figure in the tech startup ecosystem of San Francisco, leveraging his extensive experience in nearshore staffing to connect Latin American talent with U.S. companies. Having navigated the dynamic landscape of tech startups through various economic cycles, Samson recognizes the unique challenges and abundant opportunities that...

Marilyn Garcia is a seasoned professional in transaction advisory services, currently serving as a partner at Citrin Cooperman's transaction advisory services department. With a solid background in auditing and over 200 transactions to her credit, Garcia holds a positive perspective on transaction advisory services, viewing them as a significant value-add compared to audit. She underscores the imp...

Steve Wampold is an innovator and entrepreneur known for bringing joy through creative product design. As the founder of BigMouth Inc., he revolutionized the novelty pool float market, achieving multi-million-dollar success and earning Target’s “Vendor of the Year” in 2016. In an interview with Jacob Koenig, Steve reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, from selling practical jokes online to foun...

Chandler Lyles's journey is a testament to resilience and adaptability, tracing a path from his early days in the Air Force to becoming a co-founder of High Beam Marketing. Reflecting on his experiences, Chandler notes the pivotal role that encounters with entrepreneurs played in inspiring his own business ventures. Despite setbacks, such as a failed restaurant venture, the knowledge and insights...

Dan Nicholson is a serial entrepreneur with a diverse background in finance, accounting, and software, bringing a wealth of experience to small business owners. As the author of "Rigging the Game," he emphasizes the importance of achieving financial certainty and managing risk for entrepreneurs. Nicholson advocates for optimizing financial strategies to align with individual goals and needs, rathe...

Eric Neumann, a seasoned fractional CFO at New Life CFO Services, brings over three decades of expertise in the due diligence process within the business sector. Neumann emphasizes the importance of thorough due diligence, particularly in understanding and forecasting critical metrics that drive business success. His approach involves adapting to changing market forces and uncovering hidden value...

Jason Zilveti, a distinguished financial advisor at Rockefeller Global Family Office, brings a profound perspective on wealth management strategies shaped by his diverse family background in medicine and finance. With a focus on multi-generational family wealth preservation, Zilveti champions the value of building strong relationships and coordinating across various advisory domains such as tax, l...

Stoy Hall, the CEO and founder of Black Mammoth, brings a unique perspective to wealth management rooted in inclusivity and holistic principles. Hall's experiences, including a transformative trip to Tanzania, have shaped his belief that true wealth transcends monetary gain, focusing instead on meaningful life experiences and living authentically. Founded in 2020, Black Mammoth caters to minority...

Brian L. Shields, a seasoned expert with over two decades of experience in investing, executive roles, and entrepreneurship, provides a profound perspective on acquisition and turnaround strategies. Having led the acquisition and revitalization of Hill and Company and Pacific Union property management firms as a partner at Vaio Management, Shields emphasizes the critical role of cultural alignment...

Nathan Turner, often referred to as the "Canadian Note Guy," embarked on his real estate and mortgage note journey in 2009 after his Curves franchises were struggling. Inspired by flipping shows on TV, he initially delved into real estate and soon transitioned to mortgage notes, viewing the properties as collateral and the finance aspect as the primary focus. Turner and his Canadian partner began...

Dave Castro is an entrepreneurial force behind the innovative IceBrekr app, a platform designed to revolutionize the way individuals connect at gatherings by leveraging the power of cell phone ID technology. With a career spanning over 20 years in the software industry, including co-founding a healthcare software company later acquired by Dr. Oz's ShareCare corporation, Dave has consistently been...

Episode Summary: Ross Joel is a seasoned professional in the evolution of broadcast media business, with a rich background as a television news anchor and a master's degree in journalism from New York University. He founded and served as the CEO of Broadcast Med, a company that transitioned from children's video production to television production, corporate videos, and eventually found success in...

Jacob Koenig interviews Adam Zuckerman, founder of "Buried in Work," a company that innovates in the estate planning sector by simplifying and organizing the process through digital and paper-based solutions. Adam shares a deeply personal catalyst for his venture—a poignant experience with his father's sudden illness and subsequent death, which led him to help his mother as the executor of his fat...

Kevin D. Quinn is the founder and president of Legacy Counselors, where he specializes in estate and business planning with a focus on small businesses and asset protection. He believes that early planning is crucial for protecting one’s assets, family, and business from potential risks such as creditors' claims and estate taxes. Quinn advocates for a holistic approach that includes building stron...

Steven Pope, the CEO and founder of my Amazon guy, is renowned for his exceptional entrepreneurial success, emphasizing customer demand as the cornerstone of his business philosophy. He believes that understanding and meeting customer needs, coupled with continuous feedback loops, are critical to thriving in any venture. Pope's approach is deeply rooted in focusing on familiar terrains and leverag...

Matt Sharrers, managing partner and co-founder of ETJ and chairman of SBI Growth, brings a wealth of expertise to the complex topic of founder transitions in companies. Drawing from his own experience of stepping into the CEO role at SBI after founder Greg Alexander's departure, Sharrers emphasizes the emotional and cultural challenges inherent in such transitions. He underscores the need for foun...

Chris Kampitsis, co-founder of the SKG team at Barnum Financial Group, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the realm of business and exit planning. With a foundation in financial planning dating back to 2009, Chris emphasizes the critical importance of aligning a business owner's personal financial goals with their business objectives. He advocates for a thorough and collaborative appro...

Michael Clear, the chair of private client services at Wigan law firm, brings a unique perspective to the field of estate planning and business succession. With a background in counseling and a rich legal career since 2005, Clear specializes in guiding business owners and closely held businesses through the intricacies of estate planning. He emphasizes the importance of timely and proactive planni...

Michael Frew, a seasoned serial entrepreneur and the owner of multiple SaaS businesses, has carved a niche for himself in the competitive landscape of online business acquisitions. Leveraging his engineering and development background, Michael transitioned from a long corporate career to focus on acquiring online companies, targeting businesses with owners motivated by reasons beyond just financia...