26: How to Sell the Same Company Twice — And Exit With More Every Time

What if you could sell your company—twice? In this episode, Bruce Eckfeldt talks with Matthew Porter, founder of Contegix and now Partner & Co-Founder at EONOVA, about how he bootstrapped a data center company, scaled it through acquisition, and sold to private equity—twice. Matthew shares the behind-the-scenes of deal negotiations, what he learned from his first exit, and how a second sale turned lessons into leverage.

Key Takeaways:

• You can sell your company twice—if you structure the first exit with a second in mind.
  
• Founder identity and mental health are critical in long-term exit strategy.
  
• Private equity isn’t the enemy—but you must understand their value model.
  
• Second exits offer a rare chance to fix what you missed the first time.
  
• Growth through acquisition drives both scale and valuation.
  
• Negotiate your role, not just your price, post-exit.
  
• Build with optionality: prepare for a sale, even if you’re not planning one.
• Fit and alignment often matter more than the highest bidder.

Links & Resources

• Matthew Porter
  

  • Email: mporter@enova.co

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/meporter/

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