Ep 493 Exit Story: Selling a 20-Person Agency for 5.5x EBITDA
Most stories we cover involve eye-popping multiples or headline-making exits. They’re fun—but not always realistic. Jeff DeGarmo’s story is different. No private equity windfall. No tech hockey stick. Just a well-run, 20-person service business built over 16 years and sold for a solid 5.5x EBITDA.
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44:34
Ep 492 Mastering the Deal: How Greg Alexander Got $162M for a 30-Person Firm—and What He’s Learned from Watching 50 Other Exits Up Close
Greg Alexander sold SBI, his 30-person consulting firm, for $162 million. Since then, he’s had a front-row seat to 50 other service firm exits through his peer group, Collective 54. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, Greg breaks down what separates firms that sell from those that stall. This is a Mastering the Deal episode of Built to Sell Radio—designed to help you punch above your weight in a negotiation to sell your business.
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58:39
Ep 491 Inside the Mind of an Acquirer: The Case for Unsexy
What makes someone want to buy an “unsexy” business? Jon Pole has acquired 19 traditional radio stations. On paper, it’s an industry many assume is in decline. But for an experienced buyer like Pole, these deals are less about media trends and more about community, cash flow, and culture.
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1:03:55
Ep 490 Exit Story: How a Middleman Built and Sold a $19M Distribution Business
Sean McAuliffe didn’t invent anything. He was a distributor. If you lost your car keys and went to a locksmith to cut a new set, chances are your locksmith got the replacement key from Sean’s business. He bought cheap keys from Asia and sold them to locksmiths. Nothing fancy. Like so many businesses, Sean was a middleman. He'd never really thought about selling—didn't think anyone would want to buy it—but when a private equity group offered him millions, Sean realized he was sitting on a potential goldmine.
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52:12
Ep 489 Inside the Mind of an Acquirer: Sequoya Borgman on How Independent Sponsors Buy Companies, Structure Deals, and Spot Pretenders
What do acquirers really want? Sequoya Borgman has acquired 19 companies and exited two. He’s raised capital on a deal-by-deal basis, working outside the traditional private equity model. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, Borgman explains how “independent sponsors” operate—and why more wealthy individuals are now pooling money to buy lower middle-market businesses. You discover how to:
Built to Sell Radio is a weekly podcast for business owners interested in selling a business. Each week, we ask an entrepreneur who has recently sold a business why they decided to sell their business, what they did right and what mistakes they made through the process of exiting their business. Built to Sell Radio is the ultimate insider's guide to approaching the most important financial transaction of your life.