The Power Exit Podcast

"I see my job as being part therapist, part business advisor… the technical legal side often isn't where the issues come up. It's really about managing expectations and bringing the seller into the reality of how deals work." — Nida RizviIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Nida Rizvi, an M&A attorney at Burr Forman in Atlanta who has been prac...

“I help people get through a very specific process: valuing their business, going to market, finding the ideal buyer, and getting the dang thing done.” — Ryan HemmertIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Ryan Hemmert, a business broker and M&A advisor with Washington Business Brokers based in Seattle. Ryan shares what he has learned from six years of selling busi...

"I'm the coach who you call when shift hits the fan." — Diana MurphyIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Diana Murphy, a leadership and mindset coach based in Atlanta who has spent the last 12 years working with high-achieving founders, entrepreneurial leaders, and executives navigating big life and business transitions. Diana shares how high performer...

"Never listen to the price your buddy told you he sold his business for. You can easily discount that by at least 30 to 50% to get to the real number." — Tim TempletonIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Tim Templeton, business development advisor at TriVest Partners, a Miami-based private equity firm with 45 years of experience partnering with family and...

"Price is the most important thing. Certainty to close is the second most important thing — and it's second by only a hair's breadth." — Chris RosselliIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Chris Rosselli, partner at Eversheds Sutherland and M&A attorney with 25 years of experience representing buyers and sellers in corporate transactions across...

"In negotiating, you can always go down, but you can't go up." — Taylor CourtnayIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Taylor Courtnay, co-founder of Decision First Technologies, a data and analytics consulting firm in the SAP ecosystem, to walk through a real founder exit from the seller's side. Taylor shares how he and his business partner grew the...

“Get your financials in order... you shouldn't even be having conversations with people until you have your financials up to a baseline standard.” — Ariez Dustoor​In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Ariez Dustoor—Managing Partner at MB Group, a private equity firm focused on healthcare and multi-location services businesses—to demystify how PE really acquires c...

“Don’t be so arrogant that you think you know how to do everything.” — Ralph Cimperman​In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Ralph Cimperman—Founder of Marathon HR, a human resource outsourcing company serving small to medium-sized businesses—to unpack his journey through two successful business exits. They dig into why preparation starts years in advance, the rigor...

“A transaction is like brain surgery. You should have a neurologist, a brain surgeon working on it.” — Mitesh Patel​In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Mitesh Patel—Founder and Principal of Blue Sky Law, a boutique M&A law firm in the metro Atlanta area—to unpack what really separates sellers who are ready to transact from those who get surprised (and delayed)...

"You don't buy a house without a real estate agent. Don't sell your business without experts on your side of the table." - Grant EdwardsIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh welcomes Grant Edwards, a fractional CFO based in Atlanta with over eight years of experience helping business owners prepare for, successfully exit, and move forward into a better life post-s...

"When you sell a business without representation, you're not walking away clean—you're walking into a minefield." - Peter ChatelIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh welcomes Peter Chatel, a seasoned business coach and former Coca-Cola executive with over 200 companies observed across his career. Peter shares the critical blind spot most business owners face: they...

“If you do an asset sale and you don't have a tail policy to cover those products and completed operations claims that may come in post-sale, you're out there on your own.” - Allan WebbWelcome to another episode of the Power Exit Podcast. John Marsh welcomes Allan Webb, partner at Snellings Walters insurance agency, with 30 years of commercial insurance expertise. Allan reveals a critical...

"The more valuable you are to the business, the less valuable it is to other people." – Colin BowmanIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh welcomes Colin Bowman, partner at Cultivate Advisors, who specializes in enterprise value acceleration for business owners preparing for exit. Colin shares a powerful insight from speaking to rooms of 100+ business owners across the cou...

"Information is valuable. It's just a question of who's going to get that value." – Caleb LloydIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh welcomes Caleb Lloyd, partner at Smith and Howard, a seasoned transaction advisor who works with both buyers and sellers on financial due diligence and Quality of Earnings (QoE) reports. Caleb shares eye-opening insights about how Qo...

"Plan, plan, plan. You never know when something out of your control is gonna pop up where you find yourself where exiting is more important now than it was." – Randy HendershotIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Randy Hendershot, founder of Evolution Advisors and a seasoned M&A professional with 12 years of deal-making experience. Randy shares his un...

"Clean books, clean books, clean books." – Clint FioreIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Clint Fiore, CEO of Dealonomy and one of the most well-known business brokers on social media. Clint breaks down the harsh realities of preparing a business for sale, revealing why most owners fail before they even start the process. Clint shares his controversial ap...

"The day you start your business is the day you should start planning your exit." – Steve FisherIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh is joined by Steve Fisher, partner at Strategy Partners Group and longtime CFO with deep experience across industries from financial services to manufacturing to professional services. Steve lays out the hard truths about financial blind sp...

“You're the biggest asset of your business. That's not going with the new owner for any extended period of time. And that's what I think is a big deal killer." - Dan MahonyIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Dan Mahony, founder of Transcendent Sales Solutions and a veteran sales leader who has helped countless business owners scale and sell on thei...

"Nine out of ten times when we come into a new partnership with a client, this is what we find. And it's not that they're doing it wrong, they're just not doing enough to benefit them. And the common mistake is that people tend to sell what they do versus why them." - Andy Suggs, Owner of Reckon Branding. In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with An...

"I gained 60 pounds in the first two months at that project and decided that I love what I did. I just got to do it differently." - Alok Gupta, Founding Managing Partner of Loki Group. In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Alok Gupta from Loki Group, an M&A expert with 25 years of experience who has worked on some of the biggest deals in corporate histo...

"I've never had a client say, 'man, that wasn't that bad' - it's hell regardless of the deal size." - Rob Swartwood, M&A AttorneyWhat if a single contract clause could destroy your $40 million exit? That's exactly what happened to Rob Swartwood's client - a tech company ready to sell for $40 million until they discovered their $20 million in software licen...

"You can always make more money. You cannot always make more time." - Steve Kaplan, Founder of Peachtree BlindsWhat if the key to your business empire was a past-due $4,000 phone bill? For Steve Kaplan that's exactly how it started. He turned a failing business into a thriving enterprise before making the life-changing decision to sell it all - not for more money, but for more time. In this episod...

“97 of entrepreneurs who’ve had exits have regrets - most never saw the pitfalls until it was too late.” - Chris Hanks, Founder of the Institute for EntrepreneurshipIn this eye-opening episode, we go beyond the sale to uncover what no one tells you about business legacy, exit, and life after the deal. Join host John Marsh and special guest Chris Hanks, serial entrepreneur, teacher, and founder of...

“Only 25% of the businesses that go to market actually close, and, after the first year, only 5% of sellers are truly happy with the amount of money they got“ - Jeff Silver, Partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram. In this episode, John and Jeff break down one of the most critical - and misunderstood - aspects of selling a business: the Quality of Earnings (QoE) report. You’ll learn: 🔹 What a Quality...

In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, host John Marsh sits down with Andrew Neitlich, former owner of the Center for Executive Coaching, to discuss his experience selling his business. Andrew shares how he built a successful coaching certification business over two decades, what led him to consider selling, and the emotional journey through the M&A process. Key moments in this episode: Ho...