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
--
Are you building a business to own a job, or are you building an asset to sell? In this episode, Steve McGarry sits down with Chris Hallberg, Founder of Business Sergeant and an expert EOS Implementer, to dismantle the complexities of exiting a business.
Chris shares his personal journey from law enforcement to entrepreneurship, revealing the expensive mistakes he made during his first "fast and furious" exit. We dive deep into tactical preparation for a sale, including how to remove the "owner dependency" trap, the importance of business operating systems in driving up multiples, and how to navigate the ruthless "Fish and Chip" negotiation tactics used by buyers.
Whether you are looking to sell in 12 months or 10 years, this episode provides the blueprint for building a company that attracts top-tier buyers and maximum valuation.
In this episode, we cover:
--
Chris Hallberg is a high-energy entrepreneurial coach, facilitator, and Founder of GoExpand, an officially licensed EOS execution platform, dedicated to helping leadership teams build clarity, accountability, and healthy growth. As a seasoned Certified EOS Implementer®, Chris brings over a decade of full-time EOS experience working with companies across industries to align vision with execution and drive transformative results. Known for his direct yet kind communication style and practical mindset, he has helped more than 100 leadership teams foster world-class cultures and achieve measurable success. Chris blends disciplined operating system implementation with a people-first approach that empowers leaders to get what they want from their business and have fun doing it.
Websites - https://bizsgt.com/
- https://goexpand.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hallberg-01516315/
--
Timestamps:
(00:24) – From Uniform to Suit: Chris’s transition from Military Police and Sheriff Deputy to high-growth entrepreneur.
(01:42) – The "Expedient" Exit Mistake: Why selling too fast cost Chris a fortune (and how to avoid it).
(03:31) – Golden Handcuffs: How to structure your leadership team so the business survives without you.
(07:14) – The "Fish and Chip" Model: Understanding the brutal reality of due diligence and last-minute price chiseling.
(10:23) – Timing the Market: Assessing trends (like AI) to know when your industry valuation has peaked.
(14:19) – Leadership Red Flags: Why "warm and fuzzy" leadership fails during the cold scrutiny of investment bankers.
(20:49) – Driving Valuation with EOS: How installing a Business Operating System can double or triple your multiple.
25:28 – The Transparency Dilemma: How to tell your team you are selling without causing a panic (The "Growth Capital" script).
(29:08) – The Halo Effect: Why hiring veterans and Special Ops leaders can transform your civilian workforce.
--
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
--
Are you building a business to own a job, or are you building an asset to sell? In this episode, Steve McGarry sits down with Chris Hallberg, Founder of Business Sergeant and an expert EOS Implementer, to dismantle the complexities of exiting a business.
Chris shares his personal journey from law enforcement to entrepreneurship, revealing the expensive mistakes he made during his first "fast and furious" exit. We dive deep into tactical preparation for a sale, including how to remove the "owner dependency" trap, the importance of business operating systems in driving up multiples, and how to navigate the ruthless "Fish and Chip" negotiation tactics used by buyers.
Whether you are looking to sell in 12 months or 10 years, this episode provides the blueprint for building a company that attracts top-tier buyers and maximum valuation.
In this episode, we cover:
--
Chris Hallberg is a high-energy entrepreneurial coach, facilitator, and Founder of GoExpand, an officially licensed EOS execution platform, dedicated to helping leadership teams build clarity, accountability, and healthy growth. As a seasoned Certified EOS Implementer®, Chris brings over a decade of full-time EOS experience working with companies across industries to align vision with execution and drive transformative results. Known for his direct yet kind communication style and practical mindset, he has helped more than 100 leadership teams foster world-class cultures and achieve measurable success. Chris blends disciplined operating system implementation with a people-first approach that empowers leaders to get what they want from their business and have fun doing it.
Websites - https://bizsgt.com/
- https://goexpand.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hallberg-01516315/
--
Timestamps:
(00:24) – From Uniform to Suit: Chris’s transition from Military Police and Sheriff Deputy to high-growth entrepreneur.
(01:42) – The "Expedient" Exit Mistake: Why selling too fast cost Chris a fortune (and how to avoid it).
(03:31) – Golden Handcuffs: How to structure your leadership team so the business survives without you.
(07:14) – The "Fish and Chip" Model: Understanding the brutal reality of due diligence and last-minute price chiseling.
(10:23) – Timing the Market: Assessing trends (like AI) to know when your industry valuation has peaked.
(14:19) – Leadership Red Flags: Why "warm and fuzzy" leadership fails during the cold scrutiny of investment bankers.
(20:49) – Driving Valuation with EOS: How installing a Business Operating System can double or triple your multiple.
25:28 – The Transparency Dilemma: How to tell your team you are selling without causing a panic (The "Growth Capital" script).
(29:08) – The Halo Effect: Why hiring veterans and Special Ops leaders can transform your civilian workforce.
--
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/
Parenting, Pivots, and a $40M Disney Deal: Rufus Griscom’s Exit Story
The Exit - Presented By Flippa
33 minutes 12 seconds
3 months ago
Parenting, Pivots, and a $40M Disney Deal: Rufus Griscom’s Exit Story
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, Rufus Griscom, co-founder of Nerve, Babble, and Next Big Idea Club, shares his journey from book editor to serial entrepreneur with three startups and a blockbuster exit to Disney.
Rufus launched Nerve.com in the late ’90s, followed by spin-offs that were culturally significant but financially challenging. Those hard lessons shaped his disciplined approach to Babble, the parenting platform he built with his wife in 2007. Babble tapped into the emerging mom-blogging movement, growing to 10M monthly uniques and a $10M revenue run rate, becoming the leading parenting site of its time.
Determined to secure a strong outcome, Rufus identified five likely acquirers early and built trust over years, consistently hitting milestones and proving growth. That strategy paid off when Disney acquired Babble for a reported $40M, after Rufus successfully negotiated a 25% bump over their initial offer and minimized reliance on earnouts.
He emphasizes selling on momentum, building relationships with the right stakeholders, and being radically honest about challenges. Today, Rufus runs the Next Big Idea Club with Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink, delivering the most important new ideas to a fast-changing world.
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Rufus Griscom is a serial entrepreneur and media innovator who has founded and scaled multiple influential companies at the intersection of culture and technology. He launched Nerve.com in 1997, pioneering frank conversations about relationships and culture, before selling it in 2007. He went on to co-found Babble, a groundbreaking parenting platform acquired by Disney in 2011, where he continued as VP of Media. Today, he is the founder and CEO of The Next Big Idea Club, a learning platform and book club featuring thought leaders like Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink, dedicated to spreading transformative ideas. Widely recognized for his TED Talks and writing, Griscom brings decades of experience building communities, driving acquisitions, and shaping how big ideas reach the world.
Website - https://nextbigideaclub.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/
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
--
Are you building a business to own a job, or are you building an asset to sell? In this episode, Steve McGarry sits down with Chris Hallberg, Founder of Business Sergeant and an expert EOS Implementer, to dismantle the complexities of exiting a business.
Chris shares his personal journey from law enforcement to entrepreneurship, revealing the expensive mistakes he made during his first "fast and furious" exit. We dive deep into tactical preparation for a sale, including how to remove the "owner dependency" trap, the importance of business operating systems in driving up multiples, and how to navigate the ruthless "Fish and Chip" negotiation tactics used by buyers.
Whether you are looking to sell in 12 months or 10 years, this episode provides the blueprint for building a company that attracts top-tier buyers and maximum valuation.
In this episode, we cover:
--
Chris Hallberg is a high-energy entrepreneurial coach, facilitator, and Founder of GoExpand, an officially licensed EOS execution platform, dedicated to helping leadership teams build clarity, accountability, and healthy growth. As a seasoned Certified EOS Implementer®, Chris brings over a decade of full-time EOS experience working with companies across industries to align vision with execution and drive transformative results. Known for his direct yet kind communication style and practical mindset, he has helped more than 100 leadership teams foster world-class cultures and achieve measurable success. Chris blends disciplined operating system implementation with a people-first approach that empowers leaders to get what they want from their business and have fun doing it.
Websites - https://bizsgt.com/
- https://goexpand.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hallberg-01516315/
--
Timestamps:
(00:24) – From Uniform to Suit: Chris’s transition from Military Police and Sheriff Deputy to high-growth entrepreneur.
(01:42) – The "Expedient" Exit Mistake: Why selling too fast cost Chris a fortune (and how to avoid it).
(03:31) – Golden Handcuffs: How to structure your leadership team so the business survives without you.
(07:14) – The "Fish and Chip" Model: Understanding the brutal reality of due diligence and last-minute price chiseling.
(10:23) – Timing the Market: Assessing trends (like AI) to know when your industry valuation has peaked.
(14:19) – Leadership Red Flags: Why "warm and fuzzy" leadership fails during the cold scrutiny of investment bankers.
(20:49) – Driving Valuation with EOS: How installing a Business Operating System can double or triple your multiple.
25:28 – The Transparency Dilemma: How to tell your team you are selling without causing a panic (The "Growth Capital" script).
(29:08) – The Halo Effect: Why hiring veterans and Special Ops leaders can transform your civilian workforce.
--
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/
