A fascinating discussion with Matt Tait, who:Is a recovering lawyerComes from a family of entrepreneursIs a multiple time entrepreneurIs currently the CEO of DecimalHosts a podcast titled,...

Todd Greenbaum is the founder of Input 1, goto Premium Finance, and Aja Winery. Todd's advice includes:Never give up; run through the wallDon't keep too much (responsibility) to yourself, i.e., delegateYou have to always ...

Michael McLean has owner numerous businesses and now works with men to help them achieve fulfillment in life. He's a former professional hockey coach turned into an 8 figure entrepreneur.He's also a marketing expert, helping many client...

Lior Arussy left the corporate world to start his own business focusing on better serving clients. His firm had well over 100 employees and helped many major corporations.We discussed:Only taking on the right clients...

From the headlines: Cuba's electrical grid went down and the whole country went dark.There are lessons in this for lower middle market companies, including:You must make capital expenditures before they're needed

Mike Horne leads the "People Dividend" movement and is the host of The People Dividend Podcast. His new book is aptly titled, "The People Dividend." He joins John to discuss:Work in the new eraWhat exac...

Sean Grace is the author of, "The Art of the Question." Sean is the owner of Peak LUMA (www.peakluma.com) and an advisor and coach to people in all levels of business. He offers comprehensive training sessions on using questions (and more) to h...

Jim Creagan is a second generation owner who has grown the business organically and by acquisition. He discusses:Joining (buying) the business from his dad (and working with dad)Learning management on the fly

Fascinating discussion with Joshua Monge who does fractional COO work for small businesses (up to about $10 million in sales. We cover:Empowering Business Owners to Step Away from the Day-to-DayHow Fractional COOs C...

There's a Seattle area school district in a deep financial hole, as per the state auditor and their own management team.I don't know the whole story but often well meaning people like the mission and don't understand the workings. Large...

Business buyers look for areas where they can improve and add value. Business owners should be looking to see where they can add value.Too many owners do too many things below their pay grade. Listen to learn:

In our soon to be released book, Exit With Style, Grace, and More Money we cover things an owner should think about (besides getting the business soaring and in tip-top shape).Buyers should want the seller to think through these things ...

Jonathan Bennett did the corporate thing, started his own advisory firm, sold it to management, and now helps owners and C-level leaders improve. We discuss the following topics  and get into detail on being emotionally ready to sell your ...

It's easy to find good business tips and examples of great competitive advantages. Just as easy to find examples of mistakes and no competitive advantage (competing on price is one that is not-so-good).Listen to hear everyday examples o...

It's the Wild West with non-compete agreements. Michelle explains what's going on with:Non-compete agreementsNon-solicitation agreementsIn Washington stateOn the federal levelExempt versus non-exempt employeesAnd muc...

Both the local (Seattle) and national press recently had articles on the drama around Rite Aid's buying of local favorite Bartell Drugs. FYI, it hasn't  gone well with 1/3 of the Bartell stores closing in the few years since the acquisitio...

There are a lot of exciting things in life, or at least there should be.But should it be your business (or the one you want to buy)?Listen and learn what makes the best business type to own or buy.

After serving 4 years in the US Navy, he earned his Masters in Social Work and founded Housing Matters of NY, an organization that provided transitional housing to formerly incarcerated male nonviolent offenders. With a vision to continue his f...

What's the multiple is a common question. There's a lot more to it than just picking a number. In this episode we cover:Multiple versus price/earnings ratioTerminology for earningsWhy multiples don't come o...

Trever Acers joins John to discuss:Trends in M&AGetting a business seller a higher value and priceBiggest mistake owners make with being solicited by buyersHow sellers can motivate the best buy...

The most important question a business buyer can ask a seller is:Why are you selling?The trite answer, "To pursue other interests" doesn't cut it. It just raises skepticism.List for the best and worst answers, i.e., reas...

Too many business owners run the business for themselves (lifestyle, immediate cash flow, etc.) when they should run it for their eventual buyer.I cover five very important things all owners should be doing and doing correctly to make t...

Sir Isaac Newton's 3rd Law of Motion is, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this episode we discuss how it applies to business, specifically:Supply and demand and price elasticityGrowing a ...

Sports teams are just that, a team. It's rare one player can do it all. Even Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tom Brady, etc, didn't win every year.In business a solid team that reduces the owner's role (no owner dependency) is a key value...

Nick Anderson is the (fairly new) CEO of OneAccord in Kirkland, WA. His task is to streamline their value proposition, which is now helping companies increase value.They do it through fractional C-level people, coaching, and strategic p...