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
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In this episode of The Exit Podcast, host Steve sits down with Lee Smith, an acquisition entrepreneur at Verdani Capital with 12 years of M&A experience. Lee shares hard-won lessons from acquiring 20+ businesses and reveals what buyers really look for when evaluating companies for acquisition.
KEY TOPICS COVERED:
The #1 Red Flag Buyers See (And How to Fix It)
Lee reveals why owner-dependency kills deals and how to build transferability into your business 2-3 years before exit
Inside the Valuation Process
Real multiples for blue-collar businesses (2-4x true profit, not EBITDA) and why adjusted earnings can backfire
Deal Structure That Works
How Lee structures acquisitions to align incentives: buying 60-80% stakes with future upside potential that often doubles the founder's payday
The Biggest Deal Mistakes
From buying distressed companies to discovering hidden equity agreements 30 minutes before closing—lessons learned the hard way
The £1 Business Acquisition Strategy
How Lee has purchased 20 businesses for just one pound, including a remarkable turnaround that saved a founder from £500K in debt
When Concentration Risk Isn't a Deal-Breaker
Strategic approaches to handling clients that represent 60-70% of revenue, including key customer clauses in SPAs
Building Trust in M&A Deals
Why "two ears, one mouth" matters more than spreadsheets when structuring successful acquisitions
The EOS Framework for Integration
Using simple systems to manage acquired businesses without disrupting teams or culture
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Lee Smith is a values-driven entrepreneur and dealmaker with more than 25 years of experience and a respected track record in UK M&A. After completing his first acquisitions in 2014, he went on to buy and turn around nine underperforming companies before founding Verdani Capital, where he continues to acquire and scale larger UK businesses. To date, Lee has completed 26 acquisitions across sectors such as Manufacturing, Professional Services, Construction, HVAC, and IT Services, supported by training from leading M&A mentors in the UK and US. His current portfolio generates over £2M in annual profit with a clear path toward £10M, strengthened by three strategic exits in 2024. Grounded in spirituality and conscious leadership, Lee combines substance, strategy, and long-term thinking in every partnership.
Website - https://www.leeasmith.co.uk/
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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/
All content for The Exit - Presented By Flippa is the property of The Exit - Presented By Flippa and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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 Podcast, host Steve sits down with Lee Smith, an acquisition entrepreneur at Verdani Capital with 12 years of M&A experience. Lee shares hard-won lessons from acquiring 20+ businesses and reveals what buyers really look for when evaluating companies for acquisition.
KEY TOPICS COVERED:
The #1 Red Flag Buyers See (And How to Fix It)
Lee reveals why owner-dependency kills deals and how to build transferability into your business 2-3 years before exit
Inside the Valuation Process
Real multiples for blue-collar businesses (2-4x true profit, not EBITDA) and why adjusted earnings can backfire
Deal Structure That Works
How Lee structures acquisitions to align incentives: buying 60-80% stakes with future upside potential that often doubles the founder's payday
The Biggest Deal Mistakes
From buying distressed companies to discovering hidden equity agreements 30 minutes before closing—lessons learned the hard way
The £1 Business Acquisition Strategy
How Lee has purchased 20 businesses for just one pound, including a remarkable turnaround that saved a founder from £500K in debt
When Concentration Risk Isn't a Deal-Breaker
Strategic approaches to handling clients that represent 60-70% of revenue, including key customer clauses in SPAs
Building Trust in M&A Deals
Why "two ears, one mouth" matters more than spreadsheets when structuring successful acquisitions
The EOS Framework for Integration
Using simple systems to manage acquired businesses without disrupting teams or culture
--
Lee Smith is a values-driven entrepreneur and dealmaker with more than 25 years of experience and a respected track record in UK M&A. After completing his first acquisitions in 2014, he went on to buy and turn around nine underperforming companies before founding Verdani Capital, where he continues to acquire and scale larger UK businesses. To date, Lee has completed 26 acquisitions across sectors such as Manufacturing, Professional Services, Construction, HVAC, and IT Services, supported by training from leading M&A mentors in the UK and US. His current portfolio generates over £2M in annual profit with a clear path toward £10M, strengthened by three strategic exits in 2024. Grounded in spirituality and conscious leadership, Lee combines substance, strategy, and long-term thinking in every partnership.
Website - https://www.leeasmith.co.uk/
--
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/
From Startup to Coca-Cola and Back Again: The Full-Circle Journey of ZICO Founder Mark Rampolla
The Exit - Presented By Flippa
26 minutes
1 month ago
From Startup to Coca-Cola and Back Again: The Full-Circle Journey of ZICO Founder Mark Rampolla
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, Mark Rampolla, founder of ZICO Coconut Water and co-founder of GroundForce Capital, unpacks one of the most fascinating comeback stories in consumer brand history.
Mark shares how he went from being a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America to launching ZICO, scaling it into a household name, and ultimately selling to Coca-Cola. He breaks down what it was like to negotiate with one of the world’s biggest corporations, why timing and category positioning were everything, and how he structured a deal that protected both his vision and the company’s future.
Then came the twist. When Coca-Cola offloaded over 200 brands during COVID, Mark bought ZICO back, reigniting the very company he had built from scratch. Now, with GroundForce Capital, he’s helping the next generation of founders build sustainable, purpose-driven businesses ready for exit.
This is a must-listen episode for entrepreneurs looking to understand what makes a brand acquisition-worthy, how to negotiate from a position of strength, and how to know when it’s time to sell (or buy back).
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Mark Rampolla is a visionary entrepreneur, investor, and author dedicated to empowering mission-driven leaders and building businesses with purpose. As co-founder and co-managing partner of GroundForce Capital, he helps bold founders scale companies that create lasting impact. He previously founded ZICO Coconut Water, pioneering the multibillion-dollar coconut water category and selling the brand to Coca-Cola before famously buying it back. Over his career, Mark has invested in more than 100 companies, served on over 20 boards, raised over $1 billion in capital, and generated over $5 billion in enterprise value. A former Peace Corps volunteer and corporate executive, he is the author of High-Hanging Fruit as well as the soon to be released An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Freedom, and continues to inspire entrepreneurs to break free from constraints and lead with true freedom.
Websites - https://www.groundforcecapital.com/
- https://www.markrampolla.co/
Pre-order his book - https://a.co/d/3c5nOSD
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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/
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
--
In this episode of The Exit Podcast, host Steve sits down with Lee Smith, an acquisition entrepreneur at Verdani Capital with 12 years of M&A experience. Lee shares hard-won lessons from acquiring 20+ businesses and reveals what buyers really look for when evaluating companies for acquisition.
KEY TOPICS COVERED:
The #1 Red Flag Buyers See (And How to Fix It)
Lee reveals why owner-dependency kills deals and how to build transferability into your business 2-3 years before exit
Inside the Valuation Process
Real multiples for blue-collar businesses (2-4x true profit, not EBITDA) and why adjusted earnings can backfire
Deal Structure That Works
How Lee structures acquisitions to align incentives: buying 60-80% stakes with future upside potential that often doubles the founder's payday
The Biggest Deal Mistakes
From buying distressed companies to discovering hidden equity agreements 30 minutes before closing—lessons learned the hard way
The £1 Business Acquisition Strategy
How Lee has purchased 20 businesses for just one pound, including a remarkable turnaround that saved a founder from £500K in debt
When Concentration Risk Isn't a Deal-Breaker
Strategic approaches to handling clients that represent 60-70% of revenue, including key customer clauses in SPAs
Building Trust in M&A Deals
Why "two ears, one mouth" matters more than spreadsheets when structuring successful acquisitions
The EOS Framework for Integration
Using simple systems to manage acquired businesses without disrupting teams or culture
--
Lee Smith is a values-driven entrepreneur and dealmaker with more than 25 years of experience and a respected track record in UK M&A. After completing his first acquisitions in 2014, he went on to buy and turn around nine underperforming companies before founding Verdani Capital, where he continues to acquire and scale larger UK businesses. To date, Lee has completed 26 acquisitions across sectors such as Manufacturing, Professional Services, Construction, HVAC, and IT Services, supported by training from leading M&A mentors in the UK and US. His current portfolio generates over £2M in annual profit with a clear path toward £10M, strengthened by three strategic exits in 2024. Grounded in spirituality and conscious leadership, Lee combines substance, strategy, and long-term thinking in every partnership.
Website - https://www.leeasmith.co.uk/
--
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/
