The 5 Year Exit

Magnetic Consulting
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Most founders think about their exit too late. This podcast brings together operators, investors, and advisors who have lived through the messy reality of scaling and selling companies. Each conversation focuses on the leadership, people, and financial decisions that quietly determine whether a company becomes valuable or stuck. If you’re thinking seriously about your next five years, this show is for you.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    How Business Owners End Up Leaving Millions on the Table

    Every founder has a number in mind when it comes to selling their business. The problem? It’s usually not the number the market is willing to pay. Ryan Hurst, Partner at RKL and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), shares what actually drives business value, why buyers see your company differently than you do, and the costly mistakes that can leave MILLIONS on the table. If you want to maximize value long before you’re ready to sell, then you have to check out this episode. Build Something Magnetic.

  2. Jul 20

    The Financial Mistake Founders Make Before They Sell Their Company

    Selling your business is one thing.  Making sure it supports the life you want afterward is another. The lifestyle your business funds today may not be the lifestyle your exit can fund tomorrow. Karl Murray shares the financial mistakes founders make before an exit, why planning should start years before the sale, and how to make sure your wealth lasts long after the deal closes. Build Something Magnetic.

  3. Jul 13

    The 20-Employee Trap That Holds Businesses Back

    Most founders think about selling their business when they're ready to leave.  CFO and Founder of Pillar One Consulting, Cheryl Heller explains why that's usually too late. This is what buyers actually look for, the financial blind spots that quietly reduce business value, and why building a sellable company starts years before an exit is ever on the table. One of the biggest blind spots hits earlier than most founders expect. It shows up the moment their headcount crosses 15 to 25 people. That's when letting go stops being optional. Build Something Magnetic.

  4. Jul 6

    What 20+ Years as a CFO Taught Robert About Building a Business Worth Buying

    Robert Friedman spent more than 20 years helping build a company from the inside. Then he helped lead one of the most important transitions in its history. A great business isn't just profitable.  Robert shares what he learned as CFO of BAMCO, including the financial systems, accountability, and leadership decisions that transformed the company before its transition to employee ownership (ESOP).  We also unpack why two previous sale attempts failed, what founders should understand about ESOPs, and how to think about exit planning long before you're ready to leave. Build Something Magnetic.

  5. Jun 29

    From Teacher With Student Debt to Serial Entrepreneur Traveling the World

    Adrienne Green started her career as a teacher with a negative net worth and a lot of student loans. Today, she owns multiple businesses, has built a real estate portfolio, and now travels the world full-time with her family (they’ve been to 6 of the 7 continents!). Adrienne shares how she transitioned from corporate finance to teaching, then from teaching to entrepreneurship, and eventually built businesses that don't depend on her being involved in every decision. We dive into delegation, building systems, leveraging virtual teams, and why so many founders unknowingly become the bottleneck in their own growth. This is the key to building serious value into your business, especially if your goal is to exit.  Build Something Magnetic.

  6. Jun 22

    He Took a $10M Business to Nearly $0 (On Purpose). Here’s Why.

    Jim Schultz started his company, Applied Educational Systems (AES), with a $2,500 investment out of his parents' basement. Thirty-six years later, he sold it. But he had to survive reinvention first. We talk about the bold decision to walk away from a successful business model and rebuild the company from the ground up. The transition wasn't easy. Revenue disappeared, the team shrank dramatically, and Jim and his wife emptied retirement accounts to keep the vision alive. Jim shares what he learned about leadership, recurring revenue, building a strong management team, and why waiting until you're ready to sell is too late to start preparing for an exit. If you're building a company, leading through change, or thinking about what comes next, this conversation is full of lessons earned the hard way. Build Something Magnetic.

  7. Jun 15

    $7M to $30M Waste Management Business in 10 Years

    Jason Leck started working on the back of a recycling truck when he was 12 years old. Most people would see that as a job. Jason saw it as an education. In this episode, we talk about the leadership lessons he learned from working every level of a family business before eventually growing it into a multi-state operation and selling it for $30M+. One of the biggest takeaways? You can’t manage what you can't measure. Too many business owners make decisions from a spreadsheet without understanding how those decisions affect the people doing the work. Jason shares how focusing on culture, knowing his numbers, and building a long-term strategic plan helped turn a $7M company into a $30M business. We also dive into what really happens during the sale process, the mistakes founders make when preparing for an exit, and why most entrepreneurs start planning far too late. If you're building a business, scaling a team, or thinking about an eventual exit, this conversation is packed with practical lessons you can apply right now. Build Something Magnetic.

  8. Season 1 Trailer

    Welcome to The 5 Year Exit

    Most business owners will only sell a company once. That gap in experience between owners and buyers can cost you millions. That's why I created The 5 Year Exit! I'm sitting down with founders, CEOs, investors, M&A advisors, and acquisition experts to uncover what actually creates value in your business and what separates an average exit from a life-changing one. After recording the first 12 episodes, these three themes kept showing up. Whether you're planning to sell in five years, fifteen years, or just want to build a stronger business today, this podcast is designed to help you create more freedom, more value, and more options. Build Something Magnetic with Magnetic Consulting

Trailer

About

Most founders think about their exit too late. This podcast brings together operators, investors, and advisors who have lived through the messy reality of scaling and selling companies. Each conversation focuses on the leadership, people, and financial decisions that quietly determine whether a company becomes valuable or stuck. If you’re thinking seriously about your next five years, this show is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Magnetic Consulting
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Magnetic Consulting
  • Show Website
    The 5 Year Exit