The Exit - Presented By Flippa

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- What happens when an eight-figure exit falls apart? For Ben Brickweg, it sparked a decades-long mission to ensure no other founder has to experience the same heartbreak his family did. In the latest episode of The Exit, Ben — founder of Exitworthy, attorney, and seasoned M&A advisor — pulls back the curtain on what really goes wrong in business exits… and how to fix it. What You’ll Learn: The family deal that blew up and why it changed Ben’s life forever How Ben accidentally fell into M&A and worked on 200+ deals his first year Why most founders are unprepared to exit — and how to change that The three-part “Value Mountain” framework: Valuation, Sellability, and Transferability The biggest legal mistakes business owners make when selling Why private equity offers often shift post-LOI — and what to do about it How lifestyle inflation and poor financial planning derail more exits than you'd think What it really means to build an “exit-worthy” business Ben doesn’t just talk theory. He’s been on every side of the table — founder, lawyer, broker, buyer — and he’s seen deals thrive, collapse, and quietly destroy the dreams of unprepared sellers. His advice? Don’t wait until you’re ready to sell. Build your business like you're going to exit — from day one. This is a no-BS, deeply practical episode for anyone who owns a business and wants optionality — whether that means exiting now, or 10 years from now. -- Personal &/or Company Bio: Ben Brickweg has worked with over 2,000 business owners, helping them grow, protect, and sell their companies the right way. He runs two companies, Sagewood Business Advisors and Lodgepole Law, both built to help business owners navigate complex deals and legal challenges. Sagewood Business Advisors is a boutique M&A firm that helps owners understand their value, structure strong deals, and exit on their terms. Lodgepole Law is a provider of fractional general counsel services for acquisition entrepreneurs who need a proactive legal strategy, not last-minute chaos and hourly meters. He is also the creator of Exit Worthy, a platform that includes the podcast, training materials, and resources to help business owners get serious about preparing for a real exit; and Business Legal Fortress, bridging the gap between legal template stores and full-service firms, giving business owners affordable, effective legal protection without the unpredictability of hourly fees. Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbrickweg/ Website: https://gosagewood.com/ - https://exitworthy.com/ - https://lodgepolelaw.com/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Nellie Akalp, founder and CEO of CorpNet, takes us on a no-fluff journey from launching her first business with just $100 to securing a 20x EBITDA exit to Intuit — all before turning 32. Nellie shares: How she and her husband bootstrapped MyCorporation from their apartment. What made their business irresistible to Intuit (spoiler: no debt, no investors, ultra-clean books). Why the post-acquisition “early retirement” didn’t last — and how that led to launching CorpNet in 2009 during the height of the recession. The pivotal B2B pivot that transformed CorpNet’s growth, including the launch of their Partner Program. How COVID turned into a major growth inflection point, scaling the team from 15 to 200 Why boundaries and mental wellness are non-negotiable for modern founders.. If you’re a business owner thinking about exit strategy, reinvention, or how to scale sustainably while protecting your peace — this episode is packed with golden insights from someone who’s lived it twice. -- Nellie Akalp is an entrepreneur, small business advocate, and mother of four little rockstars. As founder and CEO of CorpNet.com, she has helped more than half a million entrepreneurs start their businesses. Through CorpNet.com, Nellie has also partnered with business professionals such as attorneys, CPAs and more as their silent fulfillment partner helping them incorporate and form LLCs for their clients. Nellie has been named a Top 100 Small Business Influencer by Small Business Trends for the past four years and counting. In 2016 she was named Women Business Owner of the Year by NAWBO VC and her company, CorpNet.com, has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing privately-held companies in America in 2015 and 2016. Website: https://www.corpnet.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corpnet/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/corpnet.com/ Nellie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nellieakalp/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Charlie Lass, founder of Humble Inc., shares the highs and lows of 20 years in entrepreneurship. From early film ventures to million-pound deals in emergency tech, Charlie reveals lessons from building startups, missteps with equity, and redefining what an “exit” truly means. Now focused on sustainable autonomy through Humble, a content platform for creators, he urges founders to prioritize well-being, honest partnerships, and building for longevity, not just valuation. -- Charlie Lass is a career entrepreneur with successful exits in the UK & US who mentors ambitious founders and consults for high-potential companies. Charlie is a mentor to 500+ ambitious and awesome founders and freelancers. He has coached, advised and supported individuals at all stages of funding and launch with a particular focus on the early stage strategy and tactics, fundraising, pricing, marketing, brand positioning and tone of voice. Charlie is the Founder of Humble Inc, a content platform for entrepreneurs, “wantrepreneurs”, and freelancers across the globe. Humble is dedicated to providing access to real experts who care, offering personalized guidance in a world overwhelmed by self-proclaimed gurus. Humble values passion, humility, and real experience over fame and follower counts. They believe that your mental health matters, and that they are there to support your journey with facts, not clickbait. Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlielass/ Website: https://www.humble.inc/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Aggie Chydzinski and Cristy O’Connor, co-founders of Athena Advisory Collective and hosts of the Badass Women in Business podcast share share the real, tactical advice most founders never hear. Between them they have had multiple exits—including turning around failing fitness franchises and scaling operations in manufacturing and tech. Whether you’re just starting out or already thinking about your second act, this episode will challenge how you think about value, preparedness, and exit timing—especially for women-led businesses. What you'll learn: Why building a business that runs without you is the path to premium valuation The Five Ds that force exits—and how to be ready before one hits Why human capital, culture, and clean financials matter more than you think How underpricing services holds women founders back—and how to fix it Why founders (especially women) need to show up with unapologetic confidence—and pitch like they mean it How Cristy rebuilt toxic team cultures and why hiring aligned people from day one is crucial The role of "woo" (like astrology-based assessments) in team alignment and enterprise value Plus, they break down the gender gap in VC and offer a bold but refreshing take: stop siloing women. Fund the best businesses—no matter who’s leading them. This is a candid, insightful, and empowering conversation for any founder—but especially those ready to own their value and prepare for a life-changing exit. -- Aggie Chydzinski and Cristy O'Connor are the co-founders of Athena Advisory Collective. At Athena, they partner with women-owned businesses and partnerships navigating the real complexities of growth. Athena works alongside these businesses to implement strategies that grow enterprise value and strengthen exit readiness. Whether it is optimizing sales, improving operations, or developing leadership, they help these owners build a business that is scalable, aligned, and ready for what is next. With a focus on clarity, accountability, and measurable impact, Athena Advisory Collective supports the vision of these women-owned businesses every step of the way. Website: https://www.athenaac.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athenaadvisorycollective Badass Women in Business Podcast: https://badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Richard C. Wilson, founder of Family Office Club—the world’s largest community of family offices—joins us for a no-fluff, high-value conversation on raising capital, exiting strategically, and building relationships with ultra-wealthy investors. Richard reveals how he went from cold-calling wealth advisors to becoming the go-to expert for $100M+ families. He dives deep into what family offices really look for in founder-led businesses, why your one-liner pitch matters more than your 40-page deck, and how creative deal structures (like gross revenue royalties and capped equity warrants) can make or break a transaction. Whether you're scaling to sell or preparing to raise capital, you’ll learn: Why trust trumps returns in family office investing How to avoid the #1 mistake founders make when pitching Why timing your exit is equal parts gut feel and market signals The tools Richard built to help CEOs find the right investors and pitch smarter And the one piece of advice he’d give his younger self after 18 years in the industry If you’re an operator, founder, or investor looking to understand the real game behind exits and capital strategy, this episode is a masterclass in long-term thinking and investor psychology. -- Richard C. Wilson is a husband, adventure enthusiast, father of 3 girls, and a third generation Eagle Scout. Richard is also the CEO of the #1 ultra-wealthy investor club with 7,500+ investors called Family Office Club which hosts 16 in-person events per year. His investor club runs the most listened to podcast on family offices, the most watched YouTube channel with 1,000+ videos, and has spent $25M the last 18 years hosting 300+ live events and he has a total of 17 million social media group members and followers. Richard also runs and owns Billionaires.com where he is interviewing 100 billionaires publicly to create the #1 resource on their scaling strategies and mindset. Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/singlefamilyoffice/ Website: https://familyoffices.com/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/