360 episodes

Welcome to “Scale Up with Nick Bradley”.

In this podcast, we will show you how to scale up your business and your life! So you can achieve greater freedom, wealth and impact, and live life on your terms.

Ranked #1 business podcast in the U.K. on iTunes and Spotify, we will help you go from start-up to scale-up and beyond:
How to significantly grow your business; how to create commercial strategies that drive predictable revenue; how to leverage systems and processes to free you up from day-to-day operations; how to raise funding and investment; how to generate fast scale via business acquisitions; how to exit your business for life-changing money; ultimately, how to build your empire!

You can only scale a business to the level of your identity, so week in and week out we'll be bringing you inspiring guests to help you on your journey. You see, it's not just about spreadsheets and strategies ... it's about mindset, skillset, purpose and belief - learning from people doing extraordinary things, and making a bigger impact - so you can too.

Introducing your host - entrepreneur, investor and scale-up specialist, Nick Bradley:
- Over 10 years in Private Equity
- 117 acquisitions
- 25 business exits
- $5.3bn in deals
- #1 ranking business podcast in the UK … over 600,000 downloads in 130 countries
- “In business and in life - be grateful, be brave, have faith, show up!"

Contact details:

Work with Nick: https://highvalueexit.com

Nick’s Facebook page: https://highvalueexit.com/fb

Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

Nick’s Instagram: https://highvalueexit.com/ig

Scale Up With Nick Bradley Nick Bradley

    • Business
    • 4.9 • 53 Ratings

Welcome to “Scale Up with Nick Bradley”.

In this podcast, we will show you how to scale up your business and your life! So you can achieve greater freedom, wealth and impact, and live life on your terms.

Ranked #1 business podcast in the U.K. on iTunes and Spotify, we will help you go from start-up to scale-up and beyond:
How to significantly grow your business; how to create commercial strategies that drive predictable revenue; how to leverage systems and processes to free you up from day-to-day operations; how to raise funding and investment; how to generate fast scale via business acquisitions; how to exit your business for life-changing money; ultimately, how to build your empire!

You can only scale a business to the level of your identity, so week in and week out we'll be bringing you inspiring guests to help you on your journey. You see, it's not just about spreadsheets and strategies ... it's about mindset, skillset, purpose and belief - learning from people doing extraordinary things, and making a bigger impact - so you can too.

Introducing your host - entrepreneur, investor and scale-up specialist, Nick Bradley:
- Over 10 years in Private Equity
- 117 acquisitions
- 25 business exits
- $5.3bn in deals
- #1 ranking business podcast in the UK … over 600,000 downloads in 130 countries
- “In business and in life - be grateful, be brave, have faith, show up!"

Contact details:

Work with Nick: https://highvalueexit.com

Nick’s Facebook page: https://highvalueexit.com/fb

Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

Nick’s Instagram: https://highvalueexit.com/ig

    How To Become A Lifestyle Investor with Justin Donald

    How To Become A Lifestyle Investor with Justin Donald

    Nick talks to Justin Donald, the founder of Lifestyle Investor, about the concept of lifestyle investing and the importance of understanding wealth creation, freedom, and impact for entrepreneurs and business owners. Justin shares his journey from being an entrepreneur to becoming a successful lifestyle investor, emphasising the need to diversify investments and create passive income streams. They discuss the ten commandments of lifestyle investing, focusing on principles such as reducing risk, creating cash flow, and finding income amplifiers. 

    KEY TAKEAWAYS


    Establishing clear investment criteria is crucial for making informed investment decisions. This includes factors like passive income generation, risk reduction, and finding invisible deals.
    Prioritising investments that generate immediate cash flow can help de-risk deals and provide ongoing returns.
    Focusing on getting the principal investment back quickly allows for reinvestment and compounding of wealth over time.
    Seeking opportunities to enhance returns through preferred terms, equity kickers, or co-investment options can maximise the potential of an investment.
    Developing a mindset of attachment-detachment balance is essential in navigating the emotional aspects of investing and making rational decisions.

    BEST MOMENTS

    "I don't want to buy a job. I don't want to make the mistake of starting a business or buying a business thinking that, hey, I'm buying passive income."

    "Most entrepreneurs are over allocated into one single business. So all their eggs are in that basket, should something happen."

    "I think it's important just to draw a line onto this is that, you know, if you have a business, I often say there are multiple exits anyway, right?"

    "Most people are clocking their wins when it's just paper money. So there's a markup. There's a, like, this isn't real money that, or, or you have your money tied up in, uh, you know, in the stock market."

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Find out now if you’re building a high-value, exitable business (even if you have no immediate plans to sell it). You’ll get an instant PDF report with powerful insights specifically tailored to your business in just 4 minutes.

    https://highvalueexit.scoreapp.com/

    Work with Nick: https://highvalueexit.com 

    Nick’s Facebook: https://highvalueexit.com/fb

    Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

    Nick’s Instagram: https://highvalueexit.com/ig

    Nick Bradley is a renowned entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and business growth expert.

    His background is growing and scaling Venture Capital and Private Equity backed businesses globally. Over the last decade, he has completed 117 acquisitions and 25 business exits with a combined valuation of over $5bn dollars.

    His mission is to help business founders build valuable businesses and create life-changing exits so they can realise freedom, wealth, and impact.
    Nick Bradley- exit, strategy, podcast, business, scale, scale up, growth, equity, high-value, wealth, sell, sold: https://highvalueexit.com/

    • 1 hr 4 min
    Stop Wasting Your Time

    Stop Wasting Your Time

    Nick discusses the importance of leveraging time effectively to maximise output in business and personal life. Drawing inspiration from entrepreneur Naval Ravikant, Nick emphasises the concept of leverage in time management, focussing on the detrimental effects of being addicted to chaos and trading time for money, and highlighting the need to transition to trading money for more time to achieve entrepreneurial success.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS


    Understand the power of leverage in business and prioritise it over just focusing on time.
    Avoid being addicted to chaos: Recognise and address any tendencies towards chaos that may be sabotaging decision-making and time management.
    Transition from trading time for money to trading money for time: Shift from being an employee in your own business to becoming an entrepreneur by investing money to create more time.
    Build a team strategically: Start by outsourcing administrative tasks, then focus on marketing and sales, followed by product delivery, and eventually move towards leadership roles.
    Aim for ultimate freedom: Work towards building a business that operates independently of you, allowing you to step into a leadership or board position and eventually achieve complete freedom from day-to-day operations.

    BEST MOMENTS

    "Time times leverage equals output."

    "If your business depends on you, you don't own a business, you have a job, and it's the worst job in the world because you're working for a lunatic." 

    "Most business owners, most leaders are focused more on time than leverage." 

    "You have to understand, you have to study and master actually the power of leverage."

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Find out now if you’re building a high-value, exitable business (even if you have no immediate plans to sell it). You’ll get an instant PDF report with powerful insights specifically tailored to your business in just 4 minutes.

    https://highvalueexit.scoreapp.com/

    Work with Nick: https://highvalueexit.com 

    Nick’s Facebook: https://highvalueexit.com/fb

    Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

    Nick’s Instagram: https://highvalueexit.com/ig

    Nick Bradley is a renowned entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and business growth expert.

    His background is growing and scaling Venture Capital and Private Equity backed businesses globally. Over the last decade, he has completed 117 acquisitions and 25 business exits with a combined valuation of over $5bn dollars.

    His mission is to help business founders build valuable businesses and create life-changing exits so they can realise freedom, wealth, and impact.
    Nick Bradley- exit, strategy, podcast, business, scale, scale up, growth, equity, high-value, wealth, sell, sold: https://highvalueexit.com/

    • 24 min
    Building A New Life After A 9-Figure Exit with Anastasia Koroleva

    Building A New Life After A 9-Figure Exit with Anastasia Koroleva

    Nick is joined by special guest, Anastasia Koroleva, who has been involved in multiple exits and is now focused on the psychological effects of exiting companies. They discuss the importance of understanding the psychological impact of exiting a business, including the challenges and changes that come with it.

    Anastasia shares insights on the post-exit period, emphasising the need for healing, self-discovery, and exposure to new experiences. They delve into the concept of finding purpose and authenticity after an exit, highlighting the importance of evolving and aligning one's values with their future goals. 

    KEY TAKEAWAYS


    Preparation is Key: It is crucial for entrepreneurs to prepare emotionally and psychologically for an exit. Understanding the potential impact on mental health and identity post-exit is essential.
    Taking time to heal and reflect post-exit is important. Entrepreneurs should give themselves permission not to know and expose themselves to different activities to aid in the healing process.
    Instead of asking "What's next?", entrepreneurs should focus on "Who is next?" This involves understanding who they want to become and aligning their energy towards a specific purpose.
    Entrepreneurs should be radically open to challenging their beliefs and assumptions, especially regarding concepts like freedom. It's important to channel freedom intentionally towards meaningful pursuits.
    As entrepreneurs satisfy one level of their needs, new motivators and drivers may emerge. It's crucial to recognise that there are other motivators beyond financial gain that can drive fulfilment and purpose.

    BEST MOMENTS

    "I think it's very important to give yourself permission not to know. It's very important to heal. Building a business takes a toll on our health and mental health. We just need to heal and respect that."

    "I think it's extremely important to focus on the 'who' first. 'Who' refers to you, but also as you correctly said, it also refers to people around you. Because we learn so much from just being around the right kind of people."

    "Understanding true authenticity, which is absolutely needed to find your real purpose in life, takes time because we need to deal with who we are, and then exit pushes us to do that, pushes us to ask questions."

    "It's a big challenge in terms of challenging it because most entrepreneurs, when I speak on stages and you ask the question about what are you doing this for? I usually ask three questions, and the second question is, you know, why does this matter?"

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Anastasia Koroleva - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasiakoroleva

    Find out now if you’re building a high-value, exitable business (even if you have no immediate plans to sell it). You’ll get an instant PDF report with powerful insights specifically tailored to your business in just 4 minutes.

    https://highvalueexit.scoreapp.com/

    Work with Nick: https://highvalueexit.com 

    Nick’s Facebook: https://highvalueexit.com/fb

    Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

    Nick’s Instagram: https://highvalueexit.com/ig

    Nick Bradley is a renowned entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and business growth expert.

    His background is growing and scaling Venture Capital and Private Equity backed businesses globally. Over the last decade, he has completed 117 acquisitions and 25 business exits with a combined valuation of over $5bn dollars.

    His mission is to help business founders build valuable businesses and create life-changing exits so they can realise freedom, wealth, and impact.
    Nick Bradley- exit, strategy, podcast, business, scale, scale up, growth, equity, high-value, wealth, sell, sold: https://highvalueexit.com/

    • 57 min
    Understanding The M & A Due Diligence Process - with Elliott Holland

    Understanding The M & A Due Diligence Process - with Elliott Holland

    Nick is joined by Elliott Holland, an expert in due diligence, particularly quality of earnings. Elliott shares insights into the due diligence process, focusing on the importance of financial analysis and commercial and operational considerations. He emphasises the need for a robust due diligence process, especially for smaller businesses, to ensure accurate financial reporting and mitigate risks.

    They also cover key aspects such as working capital, key man risk, and strategies for successful acquisitions., highlighting the significance of differentiation in a competitive market and the importance of experienced buyers in securing successful deals. 

    KEY TAKEAWAYS


    Quality of earnings is crucial in the due diligence process for selling a business, providing a mini audit on private businesses to ensure accurate financial reporting.
    It is important to address key man risk, financial disrepair, and reliance on one vendor or customer to maintain the value of a business during a sale.
    Working capital should be carefully assessed and negotiated to ensure a smooth transition for the new owner and avoid financial strain post-transaction.
    Differentiating oneself in a crowded market of acquisition entrepreneurs can be achieved through experience, stability, and a willingness to put skin in the game.
    No money down deals are speculative and may not be feasible in most cases, especially for new entrants in the market. It is essential to have realistic expectations and be prepared to negotiate effectively.

    BEST MOMENTS

    "I think the no money down stuff is speculative and oftentimes not worth the juice isn't worth the squeeze." 

    "I think more people know about them now. And also, I think the skin in the game concept is real." 

    "I think the other thing is there's a metric in private equity, I'm sure you saw this, where when you swap out leadership and put in your own person, the general return on that is pretty high." 

    "I think it's primarily contracts and bonuses, but let's take a step back and say on this, let's be smart." 

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    eholland@guardianduediligence.com

    www.GuardianDueDiligence.com (404) 441-2637

    Linkedin.com/in/elliottholland @ElliottEHolland

    Youtube.com@guardianduediligence

    Find out now if you’re building a high-value, exitable business (even if you have no immediate plans to sell it). You’ll get an instant PDF report with powerful insights specifically tailored to your business in just 4 minutes.

    https://highvalueexit.scoreapp.com/

    Work with Nick: https://highvalueexit.com 

    Nick’s Facebook: https://highvalueexit.com/fb

    Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

    Nick’s Instagram: https://highvalueexit.com/ig

    Nick Bradley is a renowned entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and business growth expert.

    His background is growing and scaling Venture Capital and Private Equity backed businesses globally. Over the last decade, he has completed 117 acquisitions and 25 business exits with a combined valuation of over $5bn dollars.

    His mission is to help business founders build valuable businesses and create life-changing exits so they can realise freedom, wealth, and impact.
    Nick Bradley- exit, strategy, podcast, business, scale, scale up, growth, equity, high-value, wealth, sell, sold: https://highvalueexit.com/

    • 40 min
    How Private Equity Firms Scale Their Portfolio Companies With Dan Cremons

    How Private Equity Firms Scale Their Portfolio Companies With Dan Cremons

    Nick and special guest Dan Cremons take a deep dive into the world of private equity.

    Dan, with his extensive experience in private equity, shares insights on maximising exit value for business owners. They also discuss the evolving landscape of private equity, emphasising the importance of operational expertise and value creation post-acquisition. Dan highlights the significance of building a business that aligns with the criteria of potential buyers, focusing on people performance and strategic planning for long-term success. 

    KEY TAKEAWAYS


    Begin with the end in mind: Business owners should start by thinking about what the business needs to look like to attract the right buyers for a successful exit.
    Conduct exit planning sessions early: Engage in exit planning sessions with leadership teams to align on the vision for the business and the exit strategy.
    Think like a private equity buyer: Understand how private equity buyers assess businesses and tailor the business to meet their criteria for a successful exit.
    Focus on building a business that buyers would want to acquire: Create a business that aligns with the criteria of potential buyers to maximise exit value.
    Prioritise people performance maximisation: Recognise the importance of having the right leadership team in place to drive value creation and enhance the business's attractiveness to buyers.

    BEST MOMENTS

    "I think my path has been perhaps made it feel a bit more approachable to me. But to your point, I deal with that a lot when dealing with founders who haven't dealt with private equity before."

    "The good ones have identified a series of activities that they can meld together to be both different and valuable."

    "The presence of a clear successor to the extent that the founder is trying to transition out or doesn't have or has acknowledged they don't have the skill set to carry it forward."

    "I love what you're doing about getting people ready to be CEOs and putting them in. But I also know that if someone's got training wheels and an acquisition gets done, that can be a big risk as well."

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Download our Exit For Millions Blueprint™ to uncover gaps across 15 danger areas that could sabotage your dream of achieving a life-changing exit. Get ahead of the game and focus on building a high-value, exitable business now, so you have the 'option' to sell at any time and on your terms.

    Get it today: ExitForMillionsBlueprint.com

    Work with Nick: https://highvalueexit.com 

    Nick’s Facebook: https://highvalueexit.com/fb

    Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

    Nick’s Instagram: https://highvalueexit.com/ig

    Nick Bradley is a renowned entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and business growth expert.

    His background is growing and scaling Venture Capital and Private Equity backed businesses globally. Over the last decade, he has completed 117 acquisitions and 25 business exits with a combined valuation of over $5bn dollars.

    His mission is to help business founders build valuable businesses and create life-changing exits so they can realise freedom, wealth, and impact.
    Nick Bradley- exit, strategy, podcast, business, scale, scale up, growth, equity, high-value, wealth, sell, sold: https://highvalueexit.com/

    • 1 hr 7 min
    Creating The Option To Exit On Your Terms & Timeline

    Creating The Option To Exit On Your Terms & Timeline

    Nick discusses the key steps to prepare for a high-value exit of a business. He breaks down the process into three stages: strengthening the foundations of the business, scaling the value of the company, and being smart when you decide to sell. Nick emphasises the importance of transitioning from organised chaos to a well-oiled machine by focusing on areas such as talent structuring, systems automation, and data-driven decision-making. He also delves into the significance of understanding the M&A process, assembling a dream deal team, and crafting a vivid exit story to attract sophisticated buyers. 

    KEY TAKEAWAYS


    Focus on Strengthening Foundations: Ensure your business has a well-oiled machine by structuring talent, implementing systems automation, and making data-driven decisions.
    Transition to Profitable Scale: Move from inconsistent growth to profitable scale by optimising recurring revenue, considering bolt-on acquisitions, and focusing on margin expansion.
    Prepare for a Compelling Exit Story: Create a compelling narrative for the future of your business to attract sophisticated buyers and increase the value of your company.
    Understand the M&A Process: Educate yourself on the M&A process and assemble a dream deal team to navigate the complexities of selling your business.

    BEST MOMENTS

    "The dream, if you like, of a high-value exit, of exiting your business for millions, is something that is very much attainable to most entrepreneurs." 

    "It's going from curious amateur to worthy opponent. So you know how to firstly play the game, but you also know how to win." 

    "The higher the margin, the better. If you can increase the margin, It's also going to increase your profit and cashflow, obviously." 

    "Most business owners can't even talk about this stuff. If you can talk about this stuff because you've prepared in advance, can you see that that sophisticated buyer is going to lean in?" 

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Download our Exit For Millions Blueprint™ to uncover gaps across 15 danger areas that could sabotage your dream of achieving a life-changing exit. Get ahead of the game and focus on building a high-value, exitable business now, so you have the 'option' to sell at any time and on your terms.

    Get it today: ExitForMillionsBlueprint.com 

    Work with Nick: https://highvalueexit.com 

    Nick’s Facebook: https://highvalueexit.com/fb

    Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

    Nick’s Instagram: https://highvalueexit.com/ig

    Nick Bradley is a renowned entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and business growth expert.

    His background is growing and scaling Venture Capital and Private Equity backed businesses globally. Over the last decade, he has completed 117 acquisitions and 25 business exits with a combined valuation of over $5bn dollars.

    His mission is to help business founders build valuable businesses and create life-changing exits so they can realise freedom, wealth, and impact.
    Nick Bradley- exit, strategy, podcast, business, scale, scale up, growth, equity, high-value, wealth, sell, sold: https://highvalueexit.com/

    • 34 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
53 Ratings

53 Ratings

S146128 ,

Thanks Nick for Consistently Delivery Actionable, Empowering Content! Your podcast is outstanding.

Scale Up with Nick Bradley is an outstanding podcast for anyone looking to take their business and personal life to the next level. Nick's skill as an interviewer is clearly evident as he masterfully guides conversations with high-caliber guests, extracting insights that are both profound and actionable. The guests on the show are not only successful entrepreneurs but also thought leaders in their respective fields, contributing to the rich content that leaves listeners inspired and empowered. With a focus on achieving greater freedom, wealth, and impact, Scale Up is a must-listen for those wanting to live life on their terms.

MissMelis7 ,

Great show!

Great show with amazing guests. Lots of great insight for business professionals and entrepreneurs.

jay13467 ,

Smart business insights

I run a mid sized business and listen to this show because it always gives me great ideas for how to grow. Must listen!

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