Branching Out: TreeFork Strategies

Elizabeth Shea
  • 5.0 (2)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Host Elizabeth Shea sits down with seasoned founders and CEOs who have successfully sold their companies through a strategic or financial transaction. They discuss the thinking and planning that went into their decision to sell, what worked well, what they would do differently, and the valuable lessons they would pass along to founders with a sale on the horizon. This is a podcast for business owners looking for a playbook to use in order to approach their own sale with confidence and clarity.

  1. MAR 16

    Stock Your Shaving Cream: Interview with Sean Griffey

    Elizabeth Shea sits down with Sean Griffey, co-founder and former CEO of Industry Dive, to discuss his journey of building a bootstrapped media company and navigating two successful exits. Sean shares how he and his co-founders left stable careers to launch niche industry publications at a time when investors were chasing "the next Buzzfeed” and why their contrarian strategy paid off. He reflects on the differences between partnering with private equity and running a competitive sale process to a strategic buyer. He also touches on the importance of financial transparency and the role of strategic communications in appealing to prospective buyers. This episode is for founders looking to maximize their enterprise value and find a buyer who aligns with their culture and long-term vision.

    27 min

  2. FEB 23

    Stress Test the Deal: Interview with John Burns

    Elizabeth Shea sits down with John Burns, founder and managing director at Clare Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm specializing in marketing and advertising services agencies. John explains the advisor’s role throughout a sell-side process and shares how the marketing services landscape is evolving as AI capabilities are incorporated into the landscape and the buyer pool is becoming more diverse. He continually emphasizes that culture alignment can be the most valuable driver of true enterprise value that affects whether sellers can maximize their earn outs and retain their teams post-close. John also offers concrete ways to assess buyer fit, such as requesting references from CEOs of previously acquired companies, and reminds founders of the importance of selling when it feels “right” from a personal, financial, and operational perspective instead of jumping the gun as soon as a buyer reaches out.

    26 min

  3. FEB 5

    Know Your "Why": Interview with Karl Sigerist

    In this episode of Branching Out, Elizabeth Shea is joined by Karl Sigerist, author of Selling Your Canadian Business, a book written for founders contemplating the sale of their privately owned, lower middle market Canadian business. Drawing on decades of experience as an operator, buyer, seller, and advisor, Karl offers nuanced insight into why most deals fail, how lack of early planning can leave value on the table, and why founders must answer the question “why do I want to sell?” long before going to market and use this “why” to anchor the entire process. His practical advice on prudent advisor selection, emotional readiness, maintaining clean books, and recognizing the value of your brand applies to founders everywhere contemplating or navigating a transition into the next chapter.

    26 min

  4. JAN 14

    Set Up to Sell: Interview with Ab Emam

    Ab Emam shares how WDG evolved from a single website project for a friend into a full-scale, midmarket agency he deliberately built for sale. He breaks down why founders should plan years before they initiate a transaction, why hiring the right business banker can dramatically change your multiple, and why leadership teams need to keep their eye on the ball long after receiving the letter of intent. Ab also speaks candidly about the identity shift that founders can experience after closing and the importance of putting a strong operator in place. This episode is a practical, founder-to-founder look at selling with intention and keeping your head in the game until the ink is dry.

    30 min

  5. JAN 6

    Building Deal Value: Interview with Jim Datovech

    In this episode of Branching Out, Elizabeth Shea sits down with Jim Datovech, former CEO of LKC Technologies, to explore the long road from acquiring a medical device company to refining the product and orchestrating a successful exit. Jim shares how a deal that died at the last minute unexpectedly validated the company’s scalability and paved the way for a stronger deal months later. He offers candid insights on disciplined spending, legal preparedness, the importance of marketing to suitors, and why founders must align their expectations with market reality. This episode is a must-listen for leaders looking for practical advice to navigate a highly regulated industry.

    21 min

  6. 12/21/2025

    Hot Potato: Interview with Andrew Sherman

    In this episode of Branching Out, Elizabeth Shea sits down with Andrew Sherman, senior partner at Brown Rudnick, for a candid look at how deals really get priced, structured, and won. Andrew explains why M&A is cyclical, the differences between strategic and financial buyers, why sellers must perform reverse due diligence on buyers, and how to surface the “gold bars in the attic” — the intangible value drivers that buyers won’t pay for unless you point them out. He also unpacks common gotchas like PPP/EIDL distortions, rollover equity, earnouts, and under-capitalized “buyers” who look legit until it’s time to close. The bottom line: don’t just prepare your business — prepare your story, your expectations, and your deal team.

    43 min

  7. 12/16/2025

    Take the Leap: Interview with Bess Winston

    In this episode of Branching Out, Elizabeth sits down with Bess Winston, the founder of The Winston agency. She talks about how one modest media relations project-turned-campaign laid the foundation for her to meticulously build a nationally respected boutique firm with a powerhouse team before ultimately selling her agency in 2022. Bess shares her journey with the humor and unfiltered honesty only an experienced founder can bring. She sheds light on the emotional jolt of parting with a company, the importance of protecting your people, navigating post-acquisition culture shifts, the advice she wishes she hadn’t ignored, and the moment she learned the hard truth: “When you sign your name, you’re done.” This episode is for anyone weighing a major inflection point — whether you’re debating when to slow down, when to scale up, or who really deserves a seat at your deal table.

    32 min

  8. 12/10/2025

    A Niche of One: Interview with Allan Klassen

    In this episode of Branching Out, Allan Klassen, former CEO and managing partner of Albi Homes, shares how he helped turn a Calgary-based luxury home builder into a “niche of one” and a strategic acquisition target which was acquired by Brookfield Residential in 2015. Allan walks through the realities of negotiating with a globally recognized asset management company, keeping a deal alive when it nearly collapsed, and the lessons he learned about non-negotiables, timing, and values alignment. He also opens up about the deeply emotional transition from entrepreneurial leader to an executive inside a finance-driven organization, and how that journey led him to a new role as Chief Experience Officer and ultimately to launching his own advisory practice, Clarity Quest. This conversation is a must-listen for founders and leaders who want to prepare not just their business — but themselves — for a future transaction.

    32 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Host Elizabeth Shea sits down with seasoned founders and CEOs who have successfully sold their companies through a strategic or financial transaction. They discuss the thinking and planning that went into their decision to sell, what worked well, what they would do differently, and the valuable lessons they would pass along to founders with a sale on the horizon. This is a podcast for business owners looking for a playbook to use in order to approach their own sale with confidence and clarity.

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