Most business owners think exit planning is about timing the market or finding the right buyer. Buyers see it very differently. In this episode, we break down the Total Exit Value System™ —our 10-part framework designed to help founders understand how buyers actually evaluate, price, and de-risk an acquisition. This isn’t theory. It’s the same lens strategic and financial buyers use every time they look at a business. We walk through: • Why buyers have a structural advantage — and how to close the knowledge gap • The 10 core areas that determine enterprise value and saleability • How financial health, operations, risk, leadership, and scalability interact • Why “clean books” alone don’t create top-tier valuations • How to build value even if you never sell The Total Exit Value System™ isn’t about preparing to sell tomorrow. It’s about building a company that creates options, leverage, and control — whether your exit is 1 year away or 10. If you want to stop guessing and start building value intentionally, this episode lays out the system step-by-step. 👉 Subscribe to the ExitEngine™ Podcast for practical strategies on building value, reducing risk, and exiting on your own terms. 👉 Explore The ExitEngine™ Ecosystem: 👉 Get your Total Exit Value Score™ 👉 Learn the 10 drivers of saleability 👉 Find vetted M&A advisors and other Advisory Partners 👉 Join a community of owners preparing for strategic exits Visit MyExitEngine.com to learn more.

78% of business owners plan to fund their retirement by selling their company — yet only about 20% actually succeed. Why? Because most founders think exit planning is something you do at the end, not something you build into the business every day. In this episode, we break that myth wide open. Instead of theory or generic advice, we walk through 10 concrete, actionable items you can start addressing right now to immediately raise or protect the value of your business. These aren’t just “exit strategies” — they’re fundamental drivers of operational strength, risk reduction, profitability, and buyer confidence. We cover: • Why exit planning is really business planning done right • How continuity, risk management, and documentation increase valuation • The operational, financial, and leadership gaps buyers punish most • How to build a business that runs without you • Why these actions improve performance even if you never sell Whether your exit is 1 year away or 10 years out, these steps make your company healthier, more resilient, and dramatically more sellable. If you want control, options, and leverage — this episode is your starting point. 👉 Subscribe to the ExitEngine™ Podcast for practical strategies on building value, reducing risk, and exiting on your own terms. 👉 Explore The ExitEngine™ Ecosystem: 👉 Get your Total Exit Value Score™ 👉 Learn the 10 drivers of saleability 👉 Find vetted M&A advisors and other Advisory Partners 👉 Join a community of owners preparing for strategic exits Visit MyExitEngine.com to learn more.

Most founders think exit planning is about financials, operations, and timing. But buyers look for something deeper first: trust. In this episode of the ExitEngine™ Podcast, Jo Stapleton and John Canniffe sit down with Christopher Thiede, storytelling strategist and creator of Visibility Brief, to explore how founder visibility and narrative control directly impact business value, buyer confidence, and exit outcomes. Christopher explains why buyers don’t just evaluate numbers — they assess leadership credibility, culture, and whether the business can thrive beyond the founder. Through real-world examples, he shows how executive visibility builds intangible assets like trust, goodwill, and perceived stability — all of which influence valuation multiples and deal certainty. This conversation reframes personal branding as a strategic exit lever, not a marketing vanity play. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why buyers care deeply about founder credibility and visibility • How storytelling reduces perceived risk during diligence • When founders must step back — and elevate their leadership team — to increase transferability • How executive visibility supports succession, investment, and exit readiness • Why trust is one of the most underappreciated drivers of valuation If you want to build a business that buyers trust, teams believe in, and markets respect, this episode will change how you think about visibility, leadership, and exit planning. Guest Info: Christopher Thiede, Founder, Visibility Brief https://www.linkedin.com/in/ christhiede/ 👉 Subscribe to the ExitEngine™ Podcast for practical strategies on building value, reducing risk, and exiting on your own terms. 👉 Explore The ExitEngine™ Ecosystem: 👉 Get your Total Exit Value Score™ 👉 Learn the 10 drivers of saleability 👉 Find vetted M&A advisors and other Advisory Partners 👉 Join a community of owners preparing for strategic exits Visit MyExitEngine.com to learn more.

Selling your business isn’t just a financial event — it’s an emotional earthquake. Most founders enter the exit process completely unprepared for the stress, identity loss, nervous system activation, and decision-making paralysis that show up when it’s time to let go of something they’ve built for 10, 20, even 30 years. In this powerful episode, transformational leadership coach Jürgen Wiehn breaks down why: • Founders instinctively sabotage their own exits • Your nervous system can trigger fight-or-flight during due diligence • Burnout, stress, and emotional “programming” from childhood show up in negotiations • Decision-making becomes cloudy, reactive, and fear-based • Many owners experience a dark night of the soul while exiting their business • What worked to build your business absolutely will not work to sell it Jürgen shares practical tools founders can use to stay grounded, expand their emotional capacity, and make clearer decisions — even during the most stressful phases of the deal. This episode is for any founder who feels overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, exhausted, or uncertain about what’s coming next. Exit planning isn’t just strategy… it’s self-mastery. 💡 What You’ll Learn • Why founders resist slowing down — and how that hurts valuation • How nervous system triggers affect negotiations and leadership • Why fear, shame, and identity loss show up during exit planning • How to build resilience so due diligence doesn’t break you • How to make decisions using both your mind and your body • Why emotional clarity equals business clarity (and better deal outcomes) • Tools leaders can use to avoid burnout and regain focus 📞 Guest Contact — Jürgen Wiehn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jurgenwiehn/ Explore The ExitEngine™ Ecosystem: 👉 Get your Total Exit Value Score™ 👉 Learn the 10 drivers of saleability 👉 Find vetted M&A advisors and other Advisory Partners 👉 Join a community of owners preparing for strategic exits Visit MyExitEngine.com to learn more.

Most founders dramatically underestimate the value of their intellectual property — and it’s costing them millions at exit. In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, IP strategist and patent attorney Brenna Legaard (Partner, Invenio LLP) breaks down how founders can identify, protect, and monetize their intellectual property long before an exit — and why waiting until due diligence is too late. Brenna explains: • Why everything is copyable unless it’s protected • The four types of IP every founder needs to understand (copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents) • How small innovations, edge efficiencies, and internal processes often qualify as trade secrets — but only if you identify and protect them • Why patents are critical in deep tech, med-device, pharma, and regulated industries — and how missing your filing window can cost you the entire market • How buyers uncover hidden IP value (and hidden IP risk) that founders always overlook • Why IP can double the value and saleability of a company when handled strategically • How to avoid blowing trademark rights through poor naming, messaging, and product positioning • How to uncover “accidental IP” hiding inside your operations, product, brand, and customer relationships If you’re planning to sell your company in the next 1–10 years, this episode will change the way you think about your business. Guest Contact: Brenna Legaard Brenna advises high-growth companies across med-tech, deep tech, SaaS, manufacturing, and scientific innovation on how to turn IP into enterprise value. Website: https://inveniolaw.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenalegaard Explore The ExitEngine™ Ecosystem: 👉 Get your Total Exit Value Score™ 👉 Learn the 10 drivers of saleability 👉 Find vetted M&A advisors and other Advisory Partners 👉 Join a community of owners preparing for strategic exits Visit MyExitEngine.com to learn more.

Every business has hidden value—latent profit, blocked capacity, misaligned incentives, broken processes, and outdated systems that quietly erode performance and destroy valuation. In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, organizational renovation expert Frank Piuck reveals why founders almost never see these issues—yet professional buyers and private equity teams spot them immediately during due diligence. And when they do, your valuation drops fast. Frank breaks down the 3 root causes of hidden value inside nearly every business: 1⃣ Misaligned incentives that cause departments to fight each other instead of the real problem 2⃣ Broken accounting logic that dramatically misstates asset value, bottlenecks, and true profitability 3⃣ Slow or distorted information flow that turns solvable problems into multi-month disasters These invisible issues accumulate over years and silently cap your growth, profitability, and saleability. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • Why every company has hidden value—most of it unseen by leadership • How buyers uncover operational risk you never knew existed • How misaligned KPIs pit departments against each other (and how to fix it) • Why old accounting rules break modern businesses • How bad processes crush customer satisfaction and shorten lifetime value • Why customer service should report to marketing • Why identifying inefficiency before the buyer does increases your negotiating leverage • How AI will surface operational bottlenecks long before humans do • What founders should analyze NOW—before they start an exit Whether you’re 1 year or 10 years away from selling, this episode shows you how to prepare like a buyer, eliminate unseen risk, and dramatically improve your valuation. Get your FREE Total Exit Value Call. Visit http://www.MyExitEngine.com to get started.

Thinking about selling your business — now or someday? Then you cannot afford to miss this episode. In this deep-dive conversation, M&A attorney Hallam “Hal” Stanton breaks down the legal realities behind selling a small or mid-market business — including the traps that kill deals, the mistakes founders make without realizing it, and the strategies that help sellers protect value and close on their terms. We cover: •  Why 40% of small business deals fail before closing — and how to avoid becoming one of them •  The critical financial and legal red flags buyers look for •  Asset sale vs. equity sale: what founders always get wrong •  What an LOI really is (and why exclusivity can hurt you if you’re unprepared) •  How to survive due diligence by preparing years in advance •  The legal documents that matter most — and the clauses sellers should push back on •  How to keep leverage in a negotiation (even as a small founder) If you want to maximize your valuation, reduce risk, and exit your business on your terms, this episode will show you exactly how the legal side works — and how to avoid being blindsided. Explore The ExitEngine™ Platform: Get your Total Exit Value Score™ Learn the 10 drivers of saleability Find vetted M&A advisors and other Advisory Partners Join a community of owners preparing for strategic exits Visit MyExitEngine.com to learn more.

Kevon Saber on Exit Planning Most business owners go into an exit blind — and it costs them millions. In this power-packed episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, M&A expert Kevon Saber, Co-Founder of Legacy Outcomes, reveals the 7 deadly assumptions that sabotage business owners during a sale — and how to prevent them. Kevon has personally built and sold multiple companies (including 8-figure exits), and now leads one of the highest-performing sell-side M&A advisory firms in the country with a 94% success rate. In this conversation, he breaks down why 70-80% of business owners fail to sell, why only 6% walk away happy, and the exact steps founders must take to increase their company’s value, negotiating power, and saleability. If you’re even thinking about selling your business in the next 1–10 years, this episode can save you from regret, lost value, and avoidable deal failure. 🔥 In This Episode You’ll Learn: • The 7 deadly assumptions business owners make before selling • Why the market is rigged against uninformed sellers • How brokers accidentally (or intentionally) destroy sale outcomes • Why valuation shortcuts lead to disastrous exits • How prediligence reduces risk, increases value, and builds trust • The truth about earnouts, EBITDA manipulation, and buyer tactics • Why culture, purpose, and legacy matter more than owners expect • How to prepare emotionally for life after the exit 👉 Like and Subscribe for more founder-focused insights on exit readiness, business value growth, and leadership. 👉 Get you and your company exit-ready and grow your business with intent, even if you don’t want to sell today. Start at www.myexitengine.com.

Sustainability isn’t just about the environment — it’s about the survival of your business. In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, hosts Jo Stapleton and John Canniffe sit down with Jon Neumann, Founder of JT23 Impact Labs, to unpack how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles — and company culture — directly impact profitability, scalability, and saleability. With over two decades in heavy industry and more than $100 million in impact-driven results, Jon explains why companies that ignore ESG are quietly losing value — and why those that align profit with purpose are outperforming their peers. From the factory floor to the C-suite, he reveals how innovation, culture, and employee buy-in can transform waste into margin and resistance into growth. In this episode, you’ll learn: • What ESG really means (and why it’s more than a political buzzword) • How sustainability creates measurable enterprise value • Why culture is more important than cash — and how it multiplies valuation • The true cost of toxic leadership and unchecked hierarchy • How to embed innovation and accountability from the bottom up • Why the companies that adapt — like Tesla and Apple — are the ones that survive Jon also breaks down the mindset shift required to modernize legacy industries, attract next-gen talent, and stay competitive in a market where customers, employees, and investors now demand transparency and purpose. If you’re a founder, CEO, or investor preparing your company for growth or exit, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, culture, and the future of value creation. 👉 Like and Subscribe for more founder-focused insights on exit readiness, business value growth, and leadership. 👉 Get you and your company exit-ready and grow your business with intent, even if you don’t want to sell today. Start at www.myexitengine.com.

Every company is leaking profit somewhere — and most founders have no idea where. In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, hosts Jo Stapleton and John Canniffe sit down with Dianne Campbell, Founder of Your Productivity Pros, to uncover how operational inefficiencies quietly erode profit, scalability, and business value — and how documenting and optimizing your processes can transform your company’s performance. Drawing on her experience with Fortune 50 companies and growing small businesses, Dianne reveals how disorganization, lack of delegation, and undocumented workflows destroy margins and valuation potential. She shares real-world case studies — including one where a contractor increased profit margins by 12% in just six weeks — and walks through practical steps to start capturing hidden value right now. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why “growth” without process creates invisible profit leaks • How to uncover inefficiencies that don’t show up on your P&L • Simple ways to document and optimize workflows across your team • How SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) add 1–2x to your valuation multiple • Why delegation, documentation, and discipline drive scalability and exit readiness If you’re a founder or business owner who feels stuck in the grind — constantly fixing problems instead of scaling your business — this conversation will show you how to replace chaos with clarity and start building a company that runs (and sells) without you. 👉 Like and Subscribe for more founder-focused insights on exit readiness, business value growth, and leadership. 👉 Get you and your company exit-ready and grow your burins with intent, even if you don’t want to sell today. Start at www.myexitengine.com.

Most founders think exit value is all about numbers — revenue, profit, multiples. But the real differentiator between an average exit and an extraordinary one is self-awareness. In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, hosts Jo Stapleton and John Canniffe sit down with Les Csorba, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles and author of “Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly”. With decades of experience advising Fortune 500 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and even U.S. presidents, Les shares how self-awareness, humility, and courage shape the kind of leadership that builds trust, attracts investors, and maximizes enterprise value. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why only 10–15% of leaders are truly self-aware — and how to join that elite group • How a lack of self-awareness can silently destroy company culture and deal confidence • The link between emotional intelligence and higher business valuation • How leaders can use feedback, humility, and courage to transform both their company and themselves • Why private equity buyers value emotionally intelligent, coachable CEOs more than any other trait Les also shares stories from the White House, Wall Street, and the boardroom — revealing how leadership under pressure, curiosity, and character define success in every arena. Whether you’re leading a team or preparing your company for sale, this episode will challenge you to look inward — because what you’re aware of, you control. What you’re unaware of controls you. 👉 Subscribe now for more founder-focused insights on exit readiness and business value growth. 👉 Join the world’s first Exit Planning Ecosystem at http://www.myexitengine.com. It’s everything and everyone you’ll need to plan and a execute a successful exit on your own terms and timeline. ExitEngine™ helps founders grow smarter and exit stronger by providing diagnostics, roadmaps, coaching, community, and advisory support that reduce risk, increase value, and make their businesses buyer-ready.

Your technology stack is either quietly compounding the value of your business — or quietly killing it. In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, hosts Jo Stapleton and John Canniffe sit down with Joe Infante, Managing Partner at Compass Left, to unpack the hidden role IT plays in determining your company’s true value, saleability, and post-merger success. From ERP chaos and broken integrations to founder-dependent systems and misaligned tech teams, Joe explains why most founders have no idea how exposed they really are — and what they can do right now to turn their technology into a value-creation engine. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why buyers dig deep into your tech stack during due diligence — and what red flags they spot instantly How “over-tech” and “under-tech” problems both destroy enterprise value Why clarity, process mapping, and documentation are critical before you ever sign an LOI How to identify failure points in your systems, processes, and people before a buyer does Why culture and communication are just as important as code when integrating after a sale Joe also shares real-world stories of M&A integrations gone wrong — and the simple planning, documentation, and leadership steps that could have prevented seven-figure losses. If you’re a founder preparing for growth, investment, or exit, this episode will completely reframe how you think about your technology — and its impact on your valuation. 👉 Subscribe now for more founder-focused insights on exit readiness and business value growth. 👉 Join the ExitEngine Exit Planning Ecosystem. Visit http://www.myexitengine.com for more. #exitplanning, #MAintegration, #businessvaluation, #ITduediligence, #ERPsystems, #techstackoptimization, #founderreadiness, #businessprocessimprovement

Ep 61 | How HR is Killing Your Overall Business Value (And How to Fix It) with Brian Vogel Think HR is just about hiring and compliance? Think again. In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, hosts Jo Stapleton and John Canniffe sit down with Brian Vogel, Founder of Sundog Coaching and Sensible HR, to reveal how overlooked HR issues silently destroy company value — and what you can do right now to turn your people strategy into your biggest competitive advantage. Brian shares what buyers really look for during due diligence: team structure, compliance readiness, leadership strength, and employee retention. He explains why founders who treat HR as a cost center lose millions in valuation — and how those who invest in their people, culture, and compliance see 10X returns when it’s time to sell. You’ll learn: - The top HR red flags that derail deals and lower valuations - Why buyers care more about your people than your products - How to build a “people strategy” that increases transferability and enterprise value - The simple retention and leadership practices that keep key employees through an exit - Why your employees aren’t a cost — they’re your most valuable asset If you’re serious about scaling, selling, or protecting the value of your business, this episode will change how you think about HR forever. 👉 Subscribe for more founder-focused insights on exit readiness, business value growth, and leadership at myexitengine.com.

Family Business Chaos: Turning Dysfunction Into a Sellable Company Family businesses are the backbone of the economy—but when it comes to growth, succession, and exit planning, they face unique challenges that can make or break their legacy. In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, hosts Jo Stapleton and John Canniffe sit down with Scott Gingold, Principal of Gingold Advisors, a seasoned business troubleshooter and growth strategist who has spent decades guiding family-run and closely held companies through some of their toughest transitions. Scott pulls back the curtain on the dynamics that define family businesses—from unspoken conflicts and generational clashes to succession pitfalls and the emotional ties that complicate exit decisions. He explains why revenue issues are rarely just sales problems, how to uncover the real obstacles holding companies back, and why ignoring uncomfortable truths can derail both growth and exit outcomes. Key insights from this episode include: The hidden challenges unique to family-run companies—and why they differ from traditional businesses How generational shifts, innovation resistance, and old family wounds surface in leadership and strategy Why succession planning often fails—and what it really takes to prepare the next generation (or decide to sell) How dysfunction inside the family erodes company culture, valuation, and buyer confidence Practical steps to realign goals, improve communication, and make a family business truly “sale-ready” Scott also shares candid stories of client interventions—from employees trapped between warring family members to exit processes derailed by ego, fear, and hidden financial realities. Whether you’re building, leading, or preparing to exit a family-owned company, this episode delivers actionable wisdom on protecting enterprise value while preserving family relationships. 👉 Subscribe to the ExitEngine Podcast for more founder stories, exit planning strategies, and practical tools to build a business that works for you—and one day, without you. 👉 Start your exit journey at www.myexitengine.com

Jo and John introduce Doug Pudney, an executive and business coach, to discuss his "value side" approach, which focuses on helping businesses get their values right and creating a roadmap for growth and potential exit by optimizing operations and systems. Doug explains that his method centers on strategy, clarity, conviction, and codification, aiming to build "strategy anchors" and "strategic drivers" to enhance business value and provide owners with optionality. The discussion also covers common business issues like owner dependency and weak systems, the importance of a CEO's role in communication, and the value of automated growth and preparing businesses for a successful exit by providing certainty for buyers. A super-positive look into the best possible outcome!

Jo, John, and Maurice Jenkens from "The Intuitive Leader"discuss how intuitive leadership and an exit mindset can benefit founders. Maurice explains intuition as an "inner knowing" that can guide leaders, contrasting it with fear and burnout. They also explore how societal pressures and data overload affect intuitive decision-making, emphasizing that intuition complements data. We conclude by recognizing the importance of early exit planning and continued collaboration. A deep episode!

Jo and John discuss the importance of exit planning, explaining that it involves a mindset shift for business owners to view their company as an asset for sale, which can significantly increase its value and salability. They emphasize setting clear exit goals, assessing current business value, improving salability by reducing founder dependency, and implementing financial cleanliness and diversification of revenue streams. The guys also re-introduce the Exit Engine ecosystem, offering tools like the "total exit value "TEV" acceleration calculator," access to advisory partners, and a supportive community, with a guarantee for members to increase their business's value and salability by 30 points within six months. Get started today!!

We talk with Chelsey Moter, a growth strategist and founder of BLKBOOK, a platform designed to accelerate growth through strategic networking, while also discussing the upcoming launch of the Exit Engine community. Chelsey Moter shares various strategies for effective networking, including leveraging LinkedIn for outreach, practicing reciprocity, and overcoming hesitations to engage one's network, while emphasizing the importance of getting past self-consciousness and viewing feedback as a gift. The discussion highlights the evolution of networking tools, the value of authentic self-promotion, and the strategic approach to building trust and reputation for professional growth and conversions. Improve your networking game NOW!

Investor, Interim CEO, Acquision Thought Leader Antoni Kaniowski , Jo and John discuss how "cold feet" and a lack of exit planning often hinder business sales, emphasizing the need for owners to prepare their businesses from a buyer's perspective and handle post-acquisition changes transparently. Antoni outlines a 30-60-90-day value creation plan for acquisitions, focusing on team stability, cost optimization, and product/service optimization, with Jo adding that owners should share unimplemented plans as "low-hanging fruit." The discussion also covers the challenges for original founders in post-acquisition operations, the "Entrepreneur in Residence" role, and the shifting expectations in capital markets towards valuing social capital and audience building, as highlighted by Antoni and Jo. The team also explores the challenges for founders transitioning to a chairman role, the importance of aligning founder and CEO goals with compensation, and the need for founders to select CEOs whose personalities align with the company's objectives. Jo concludes by advising business owners to assess their capabilities and goals to navigate their exit, utilizing advisors, hired CEOs, or internal succession. An amazing episode indeed!

Jason Eisman, Jo, and John discuss how strategic investments, including various types of insurance, can significantly enhance a business's value and derisk its operations. We cover the importance of cyber, D&O, EPL, hired and non-owned auto, and reps and warranties insurance, emphasizing that these policies protect against unpredictable events and are often required by investors during due diligence. We conclude that a proactive and continuous review of insurance programs, guided by a knowledgeable broker like Jason, is essential for mitigating risks, increasing business predictability, and ultimately improving sellability, as highlighted by our strong recommendation for an insurance audit. Truly the stuff you never think about, but must!