Own The Exit

Caleb Edwards and Aaron Leatherdale
  • 4.9 (87)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Own The Exit is your quintessential guide to entrepreneurial freedom. Every entrepreneur aspires to build a prosperous business while enjoying financial and time freedom, but the reality often falls short. This podcast is your lifeline to success, providing crucial insights on preparing your business for a winning exit. Join us as we deep dive into the world of successful exits, liberating you from active involvement and helping you realize your dreams of a fulfilling life. The power to define a triumphant exit rests solely with you, and we're here to empower your journey. Click on follow!

  1. 3D AGO

    7 Rules to Streamline Your Marketing

    Most founders are their best salesperson and their only marketer. But if sales stall when you take a break—you don’t have a marketing engine. You have a grind cycle. In this power-packed solo episode, Caleb reveals the 7 non-negotiables for building a marketing system that works without you. These aren’t hacks or theory—this is the rhythm to run if you want pipeline, profit, and peace. TAKEAWAYS The 7 rules that make your marketing scale without your constant involvementHow to create an offer that attracts, qualifies, and closes buyersWhy a 45-minute weekly review beats a pretty dashboardThe simple weekly rhythm that builds momentum and protects marginWhy creative output—not just ad spend—drives cost-per-lead down RESOURCES MENTIONED Business Made Simple by Donald Miller Scribe AI FOLLOWS ⁠⁠Oak IQ Investments⁠⁠ ⁠Own The Exit⁠ ⁠Caleb Investing⁠ CHAPTERS 00:00 - Do You Have a System or Just Hustle? 01:08 - Marketing as the Engine of Your Business 02:07 - Rule 1: Customer & Pain Map 03:41 - Rule 2: Offer Before Product 05:40 - Rule 3: Message-Channel Fit 07:22 - Rule 4: What to Measure Weekly 08:30 - Rule 5: Build a Creative Engine 10:12 - Rule 6: Capture and Follow-Up Speed 11:37 - Rule 7: Budget and Roles That Scale 13:36 - The Weekly Rhythm to Scale Without You KEYWORDS scalable marketing, lead generation systems, owner-independent marketing, creative engine, business made simple, conversion optimization, marketing automation, sales systems, pipeline growth, digital marketing strategy, customer acquisition cost, value-based offer, follow-up strategy, speed to lead, small business growth, entrepreneur playbook, delegation, marketing rhythm, building brand authority, business exits WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments! If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or any preferred podcast platform!

    14 min

  2. FEB 24

    Proven 4 Step Framework to Boost Sales Momentum With Marc Daniels

    Marc Daniels built and sold one of the first computer mail-order businesses in the U.S., helped scale a company to a $941M exit, and has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs to build real, profitable companies. But he says most business owners are focused on the wrong things. In this episode, Marc drops a proven framework to turn chaos into clarity—four quarterly projects that eliminate waste, ride trends, and drive exponential growth. This isn’t theory. From losing everything in a head-on collision to scaling SaaS and manufacturing companies globally, Marc’s execution-first mindset will challenge how you structure your weeks, quarters, and even your exit strategy. TAKEAWAYS Why yearly planning fails—and what to do insteadThe 4-part “SWOT-dle” framework that builds actual momentumHow to spot business trends early and ride them to revenueWhy your biggest obstacle is usually not what you thinkPractical execution hacks for owners with zero bandwidth RESOURCES MENTIONED Buy Back Your Time - Dan Martell Marc Daniels Website & Readiness Assessment FOLLOWS ⁠⁠Oak IQ Investments⁠⁠ ⁠Own The Exit⁠ ⁠Aaron Investing⁠ ⁠Caleb Investing⁠ Marc Daniels CHAPTERS 00:00 The 4 Things That Move the Needle 01:06 Marc Daniels’ Story: From Car Crash to Coach 07:05 Launching a Business with a $250 Ad 13:12 The Power of Trend-Driven Strategy 16:33 How to Spot Trends Early 21:14 Why Your Quarterly Projects Fail 26:14 Why Cash Flow Plans Always Fall Short 29:28 Forecast vs. Strategy 34:03 The Real First Step: Customer Acquisition 37:41 How to Build Recurring Revenue in Any Industry 41:05 What Marc Wishes He Knew at 19 44:02 Take Marc’s Readiness Assessment KEYWORDS business execution, strategic planning, business trends, recurring revenue, buy back your time, quarterly strategy, business coaching, entrepreneur mindset, scaling businesses, business operations, exit planning, passive income, SaaS strategy, startup growth, business forecasting, leadership habits, financial freedom, legacy building, revenue growth, time management, team delegation WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments! If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or any preferred podcast platform!

    46 min

  3. FEB 17

    What Buyers See That You Don't

    80% of businesses that go to market will NEVER sell. In this duo episode, Caleb and Aaron get brutally honest about what makes your business unsellable—even if it’s profitable. They break down the silent killer of most exits: key man risk. If your company depends on you, you don’t own a business—you own a job. And jobs don’t sell for 8 figures. TAKEAWAYS Why private equity passes on profitable businessesThe hidden trap of “owner dependency” and how it discounts your valuationWhy your success might be masking a fragile companyHow systems, leadership, and ego collide in your exit strategyThe first step to making your business sellable this week FOLLOWS ⁠⁠Oak IQ Investments⁠⁠ ⁠Own The Exit⁠ ⁠Aaron Investing⁠ ⁠Caleb Investing⁠ CHAPTERS 00:00 - Why 80% of Businesses Don’t Sell 01:25 - Owner Dependency Is Killing Your Exit 05:57 - Building a Job vs. Building a Business 08:28 - Fragile Companies Hide Behind Great Founders 12:15 - What Buyers REALLY Look For 17:46 - Leadership Can’t Be Systemized (But It Can Be Taught) 22:06 - Start Here: Document Everything 25:47 - Hiring Before It Hurts 29:03 - Buffett’s “Wonderfully Simple” Test 32:00 - The Boring Business Exit Blueprint KEYWORDS business exits, private equity, selling a business, business valuation, owner dependency, key man risk, systems and processes, leadership development, scalable business model, SOPs, team building, entrepreneur mindset, ego in business, business strategy, operational risk, business transferability, business growth, exit planning, business readiness, recurring revenue WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments! If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or any preferred podcast platform!

    33 min

  4. FEB 10

    3 Pillars for Doing Value Add Multifamily Investments

    What happens when you've renovated over 500 multifamily units? You stop guessing and start getting scientific. In this solo episode, Aaron shares the hard lessons and real-world strategies that have added over $125,000/month in new revenue from renovations. He breaks down what he calls the “three-legged stool” of successful renovation: budget, quality, and speed—and why messing up just one leg can kill your entire deal. TAKEAWAYS Why managing contractors is just as important as hiring themThe real cost of poor speed in multifamily renovationsHow to align quality with your asset class and tenant baseWhy your budget needs more than just a contingency—it needs a mindset shiftThe dangers of thinking renovations are passive FOLLOWS ⁠⁠Oak IQ Investments⁠⁠ ⁠Own The Exit⁠ ⁠Aaron Investing⁠ CHAPTERS 01:06 - The “Value Add” Trap 03:07 - Renovation Pillar #1: Budget 05:35 - Renovation Pillar #2: Quality 08:13 - Renovation Pillar #3: Speed 11:53 - Why Renovations Fail in the Real World 13:18 - Final Thoughts: Stop Winging It KEYWORDS multifamily renovation, real estate investing, value add deals, passive income, construction management, property management, apartment rehabs, real estate strategy, investment risk, rental property upgrades, project budgeting, construction timelines, contractor quality, renovation mistakes, investing efficiency, maximizing NOI, real estate due diligence, smart investing, speed of execution, housing shortage WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments! If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or any preferred podcast platform!

    14 min

  5. FEB 3

    No More Tenant Troubles with Seller Financed Note Expert Derek Blades

    In this episode, we sit down with Derek Blades—an operator who's redefined what it means to own real estate. After losing $15K/month on rentals, Derek flipped the script with a seller-financed note model that not only protects capital but turns renters into homeowners. If you're tired of clogged sewer lines, broken furnaces, and negative cash flow, this episode is your next playbook. We unpack how Derek built a system that closes in 3 days, pays 8–10% fixed to investors, and avoids the headaches of traditional rentals. From creating equitable deals to maintaining investor confidence, he walks us through his lean, scalable, SEAL Team 6-style operation. Plus—how he’s now building new construction to fuel even more opportunity. TAKEAWAYS Why seller financing can be better than rentingHow Derek structures 45K margin deals with zero repairsWhat contract-for-deed offers that lease-options don’tThe truth about foreclosure risk and how he mitigates itUsing private capital to secure first lien positions for investorsScaling a note business with no property managersNew construction + seller financing = vertical dominance RESOURCES MENTIONED Blades Capital Investments FOLLOWS ⁠⁠Oak IQ Investments⁠⁠ ⁠Own The Exit⁠ ⁠Aaron Investing⁠ ⁠Caleb Investing⁠ CHAPTERS 00:00 Losing $15K/month: The breaking point 03:52 Shifting to seller finance and notes 06:48 How the contract-for-deed model works 08:39 The investor pitch: 8-10% fixed, 1st lien 11:10 What happens if the buyer defaults? 13:24 Selling 50 deals a year vs. 100-unit apartments 15:31 Why he doesn’t use property managers 17:05 Building a business that closes in 3 days 18:50 How the website fuels sales velocity 20:32 New construction + seller finance = vertical integration 23:44 Raising capital SEAL Team-style 25:12 Caleb and Aaron rapid fire questions KEYWORDS seller financing, contract for deed, real estate notes, passive income, note investing, private lending, Wichita real estate, real estate cash flow, fixed income real estate, alternative investments, investor yield, housing affordability, exit strategy, rent to own alternatives, private real estate lending, downside protection, real estate underwriting, financial freedom real estate, note investing strategy, capital raising, real estate business model, investing without tenants, new construction investing WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments! If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or any preferred podcast platform!

    38 min

  6. JAN 27

    Profit Is the Byproduct, Not the Goal

    In this powerful episode, Aaron and Caleb unpack the mindset shifts every entrepreneur needs to make if they want to truly Own The Exit. Too many business owners chase more money without a clearly defined end game. That’s a losing formula. The real path to profit? It starts with reverse engineering the future you want and building it backwards with precision. This episode lays out the 4 Ps—problem, product, people, and process—that actually drive sustainable profit, and why money should never be your upstream goal. If you're tired of grinding without clarity, this is the battle plan you need. TAKEAWAYS Why most entrepreneurs stay stuck chasing “more”The 4 Ps that create real profitWhy profit is never the starting point—it’s the resultHow to define your Desired End GameThe problem with opportunity-chasing vs. building with intention FOLLOWS ⁠⁠Oak IQ Investments⁠⁠ ⁠Own The Exit⁠ ⁠Aaron Investing⁠ ⁠Caleb Investing⁠ CHAPTERS 00:00 - More Money Is Not a Strategy 03:07 - Build the Machine, Not the Outcome 04:11 - The 4 Ps That Drive Profit 06:45 - Why Solving Bigger Problems Pays Bigger 08:40 - Reverse Engineering Your Exit 10:12 - What Does Financial Freedom Really Mean? 13:36 - Shiny Object Syndrome & Crisis of Meaning 14:39 - Profit Is the Byproduct KEYWORDS entrepreneur mindset, building a business, how to grow a company, business clarity, business strategy, business exit plan, financial freedom, profit strategy, problem solving in business, scaling a company, reverse engineering goals, how to build wealth, money mindset, startup focus, productivity for founders, opportunity cost, shiny object syndrome, passive income, business exit, goal setting for entrepreneurs WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments! If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or any preferred podcast platform!

    15 min

  7. JAN 20

    The Journey Towards 20K a Month with Pete Schnepp

    In this episode of Own The Exit, we sit down with Pete—a contractor turned full-time real estate investor—who went from painting homes in the Arizona heat to owning over 100 rental units. His path to financial freedom wasn’t fast or smooth. A lawsuit nearly wiped him out, but that pain sparked his pivot to ownership and long-term wealth. Pete breaks down how he built his portfolio slowly, methodically, without raising capital for years. He also reveals how he leveraged a clear “5-Year Freedom” goal, refused to let lifestyle creep kill his dream, and why he believes every entrepreneur must diversify beyond their main hustle. If you want the practical blueprint to go from active income to passive wealth, this is it. TAKEAWAYS Why Pete set a “$20K/month freedom goal” and how he hit itHow a lawsuit became the catalyst for his investing strategyWhy he refused to raise capital until he had proof of conceptThe difference between an income engine and a wealth engineHow Deal Room connects investors to real opportunities RESOURCES MENTIONED Deal Room Online Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield 10x is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy FOLLOWS ⁠⁠Oak IQ Investments⁠⁠ ⁠Own The Exit⁠ ⁠Aaron Investing⁠ ⁠Caleb Investing⁠ Pete Schnepp CHAPTERS 00:00 - From Lawsuit to Leverage 01:42 - Pete’s “One Property a Year” Strategy 04:11 - The $20K a Month Freedom Number 05:40 - Why He Avoided Raising Capital 09:18 - Scaling From Single Family to Small Multi 12:33 - The Lawsuit That Changed Everything 16:00 - Doubling Down on Assets, Not Work 20:01 - The Real Risk Most Entrepreneurs Ignore 24:59 - Business Is Not the Golden Egg 27:08 - Introducing: The Deal Room 31:02 - Passive Income Is a Myth? 34:20 - Final Takeaway: Know What Freedom Looks Like KEYWORDS passive income, real estate investing, financial freedom, contractor to investor, wealth engine, asset building, lawsuit recovery, small multifamily investing, Phoenix real estate, 5-year freedom plan, lifestyle creep, building net worth, entrepreneurship, business diversification, deal room, private equity, raising capital, cashflow strategy, slow and steady investing, W2 escape, legacy wealth WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments! If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or any preferred podcast platform!

    35 min

  8. JAN 13

    Humility - The Misunderstood Strength

    There’s one ultimate advantage that separates legacy-builders from everyone else—and it’s probably not what you think. In this solo episode, Caleb breaks down the mindset that most high-performing entrepreneurs ignore: humility. But not the false humility that gets mistaken for weakness. This is lion-level humility. Controlled power. Strategic restraint. The kind that multiplies your impact in business, family, and life. If you’re stuck at a plateau or fighting burnout, this episode will hit like a wake-up call. TAKEAWAYS Why humility is a superpower, not a weaknessThe difference between bridling and breaking yourselfWhy self-agency is step one to successThe link between restraint and impactHow discipline multiplies legacyWhy most people fail to reach their potentialThe danger of eating the seed instead of planting it FOLLOWS ⁠⁠Oak IQ Investments⁠⁠ ⁠Own The Exit⁠ ⁠Caleb Investing⁠ CHAPTERS 00:00 - The hidden cheat code 01:36 - The Black Stallion lesson 03:30 - Redefining humility 05:49 - Be bridled, not broken 08:12 - Take full self-agency 09:21 - Self-control and delayed gratification 11:03 - The real reason most people fail KEYWORDS entrepreneur mindset, humility in business, self-control, discipline, delayed gratification, leadership growth, power under control, high performance habits, business leadership, emotional intelligence, self-agency, personal growth, entrepreneurial discipline, ownership mindset, black stallion metaphor, lion mindset, growth mindset, business strategy, legacy building, founder energy, personal responsibility WANT TO LEARN MORE? Join us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, dive into our enriching content on ⁠YouTube⁠, and explore ⁠our website⁠ to unravel how to secure your future through intelligent passive investments! If you enjoyed the show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW and SHARE this episode with someone who wants to build a stable future. Listen to all episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, or any preferred podcast platform!

    12 min
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4.9
out of 5
87 Ratings

About

Own The Exit is your quintessential guide to entrepreneurial freedom. Every entrepreneur aspires to build a prosperous business while enjoying financial and time freedom, but the reality often falls short. This podcast is your lifeline to success, providing crucial insights on preparing your business for a winning exit. Join us as we deep dive into the world of successful exits, liberating you from active involvement and helping you realize your dreams of a fulfilling life. The power to define a triumphant exit rests solely with you, and we're here to empower your journey. Click on follow!

Information

  • Creator
    Caleb Edwards and Aaron Leatherdale
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Caleb Edwards and Aaron Leatherdale
  • Show Website
    Own The Exit

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