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/
Timing, Focus, and Bold Moves: How Divya Gugnani Builds and Sells Businesses
The Exit - Presented By Flippa
27 minutes 54 seconds
3 months ago
Timing, Focus, and Bold Moves: How Divya Gugnani Builds and Sells Businesses
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, serial entrepreneur and investor Divya Gugnani, founder and CEO of 5 Senses, unpacks her journey from Goldman Sachs to co-founding five companies and selling three, including Send the Trend to QVC. With a background in finance and private equity, Divya attributes her entrepreneurial staying power to strong cash management and a focus on fundamentals.
She shares lessons from building early ventures, from auto parts to culinary media, and how creating hyper-personalized shopping experiences led to her fastest success, selling Send the Trend just 11 months after raising funding. Time at QVC gave her valuable insights into product storytelling, ultimately inspiring her to launch beauty brand Wander Beauty, which became her third successful exit.
Divya’s exit advice is clear: get your house in order early (books, legal, taxes), know what you want from a deal, and hire strong operators so you can focus on the sale process. She emphasizes selling on the upswing when growth and profitability are aligned, creating competition among buyers, and avoiding short-term revenue plays that dilute brand value.
Today, Divya shares her entrepreneurial lessons and AI insights via TikTok, continuing to inspire founders globally.
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Divya Gugnani is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and author with over 20 years of experience building and backing businesses. She is the Founding Partner of Concept to Co., investing in 80+ companies, and the Founder & CEO of 5 SENS, a fine fragrance brand. Previously, she co-founded Wander Beauty, later acquired by Nameless CPG, and Send the Trend, acquired by QVC. Divya began her career in finance at Goldman Sachs, Investcorp, and FirstMark Capital before becoming an “accidental entrepreneur.” Featured widely in top media outlets, she is also the author of Sexy Women Eat, and regularly mentors founders and lectures at leading universities. She holds a B.S. from Cornell, an MBA from Harvard, and trained at the French Culinary Institute.
Website - https://5sens.co/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@dgugnani
--
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/
