The Turn

Iconic Founders Group
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You've fought hard for your business. Growth was earned, not given. Maybe you've scaled, maybe you've sold— but who have you become in the process? This isn't another podcast obsessing over multiples and deal structure. We get to the heart of what you're actually going through. Hosted by Kory Mitchell, CEO of Iconic Founders, we sit down with blue-collar business owners who've built something real— businesses like HVAC, landscaping, pest control, construction. These are honest conversations about the challenges, the lessons, and the moments that changed everything. Because the real story isn't just how you got here—it's about the lessons along the way. About the Host, Kory Mitchell: Kory Mitchell is the host of The Turn and the founder of Iconic Founders Group. He's lived the founder's journey—building a small regional specialty contracting business with his family into a national ($200m)brand and navigating two transactions, including a 9-figure exit. With 25+ years in the specialty contracting industry, Kory learned how personal and high-stakes the decision to sell can be. Now he guides founder-led companies through legacy-preserving transactions and serves as a board member for several large national specialty trades businesses, bringing an operator's perspective to strategic growth. About Iconic Founders: Iconic Founders Group provides expert guidance for blue-collar industry founders ready to grow and sell their businesses while preserving legacy. We work with founder-led businesses doing $3M–$20M in profit across specialty contracting and trades—including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, pest control, roofing, concrete, environmental services, tree services, excavation, asphalt paving, restoration, and more. Whether you're seeking liquidity, finding a partner to scale, or protecting the team and culture that made you great, Kory and the Iconic Team serves as a trusted advisor throughout the entire process—from readiness to strategic buyer alignment, all the way to a proud and well-earned close. Learn more at www.iconicfounders.com. Built Something Great? We Want to Hear Your Story. Whether you're in the thick of scaling, contemplating an exit, or reflecting on lessons learned, we'd love to connect. Visit us at www.iconicfounders.com and subscribe to The Turn wherever you get your podcasts.

Episodes

  1. 2D AGO

    Kris Birch Sold Twice. The Second Time, He Knew Better.

    Kris Birch started working in his dad's lawn and snow business in 2005. Fifteen years later, he sold it to a national brand. The deal looked good on paper, but within a year, most of the team was gone and the business had been absorbed into corporate machinery. When he finally walked away, he discovered something important: he'd already started building his next company. But Kris’s story is a little different because most founders think you only get one shot at an exit. Kris got two. After the first sale fell apart, he and his business partner Tony built a tree care company from scratch. Six years later, they sold again, this time to private equity. Different buyer, different structure, different outcome. The second time around, Kris knew which questions to ask. Live and learn. Here's what we discuss in this episode: • Why working with family requires a third party to navigate the hard conversations • How Kris transitioned from his dad's lifestyle business to a growth-focused operation • The moment he realized he wasn't good at operations—and who he brought in to fix it • What recurring revenue and service diversification did for his business valuation • Why his first exit to a national brand didn't go as planned • The difference between selling to corporate acquirers vs. private equity • How peer groups and EOS transformed the way he ran his businesses • What due diligence actually feels like (spoiler: everyone hates it) • Why the second sale was faster, smarter, and more aligned with his values • His advice to young founders: do hard things, then recover intentionally Running a blue-collar business? Wondering how to think about value or selling? Iconic Founders Group helps founders like you explore what's next. If you're doing over $2M in profit, check us out at iconicfounders.com or send us a message at theturn@iconicfounders.com. Iconic Links: Learn More: https://www.iconicfounders.com Connect: theturn@iconicfounders.com Production: Lower Street https://lowerstreet.co

    38 min

  2. FEB 3

    Building a Business Worth Selling with Adam Mopsick

    Today’s guest is Adam Mopsick. Adam started a construction business in Miami in 1996. Twenty-five years later, he sold it to private equity for life-changing money. The 2008 recession killed his GC business and forced him to reinvent, building an owner's rep firm from scratch that grew every quarter for six years. When he finally got the exit everyone dreams of, he discovered the hardest part wasn't the deal. It was figuring out who he was without the business. Most founders think the exit is the finish line. Adam learned it's just the starting gun for a different race. He stayed with the acquirer less than a year before walking away. For 25 years, his business had been his identity—his team, his purpose, his daily mission. When that disappeared, the money didn't fill the void. He tried fishing. He may have become slightly obsessed with padel. But what he needed was another mountain to climb. Two years later, he's sitting on boards, mentoring and coaching founders, and advising a variety of startups. His non-compete is almost up. And he's starting to get the itch again. Use code ICONIC for 15% OFF your next Salt of the Earth order: https://drinksote.com/ICONIC Here's what we discuss: • Why construction's "terrible service" is actually a massive opportunity• How recurring revenue business models trade at higher multiples than project-based work• The real difference between running projects and building a business• What private equity actually looks for in acquisitions (and which ones are founder-friendly)• Why the hardest part of an exit isn't the deal—it's the identity crisis that comes after• What it feels like when the business you built becomes someone else's• How to think about your next chapter when the thing that defined you is gone Iconic Links:Learn More: https://www.iconicfounders.com/Connect: theturn@iconicfounders.comProduction: Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/

    34 min

  3. EPISODE 1

    Introducing The Turn with Kory Mitchell

    Welcome to The Turn. Host Kory Mitchell sits down with blue-collar business owners who've built something real—businesses like HVAC, landscaping, pest control, tree services, roofing, and construction. These are honest conversations about the challenges, the lessons, and the moments that changed everything. Not M&A theory or deal structures, but the real stories from founders who've scaled and sold. The challenges that nearly broke them. What they wish someone had told them before they sold. And how their lives changed after the exit. Kory's been there himself. He's built businesses and sold them. He understands the questions blue-collar founders are wrestling with about burnout, empowering others, charging what you're worth, and figuring out what comes next. Because the real story isn't just how you got here, it's about the lessons along the way. The Turn is a podcast from Iconic Founders. New episodes bi-weekly starting Wednesday, February 11, 2026. About Iconic Founders Iconic Founders works with blue-collar business owners who are navigating growth, scale, and exit. To learn more, visit iconicfounders.com.

    1 min

Trailer

About

You've fought hard for your business. Growth was earned, not given. Maybe you've scaled, maybe you've sold— but who have you become in the process? This isn't another podcast obsessing over multiples and deal structure. We get to the heart of what you're actually going through. Hosted by Kory Mitchell, CEO of Iconic Founders, we sit down with blue-collar business owners who've built something real— businesses like HVAC, landscaping, pest control, construction. These are honest conversations about the challenges, the lessons, and the moments that changed everything. Because the real story isn't just how you got here—it's about the lessons along the way. About the Host, Kory Mitchell: Kory Mitchell is the host of The Turn and the founder of Iconic Founders Group. He's lived the founder's journey—building a small regional specialty contracting business with his family into a national ($200m)brand and navigating two transactions, including a 9-figure exit. With 25+ years in the specialty contracting industry, Kory learned how personal and high-stakes the decision to sell can be. Now he guides founder-led companies through legacy-preserving transactions and serves as a board member for several large national specialty trades businesses, bringing an operator's perspective to strategic growth. About Iconic Founders: Iconic Founders Group provides expert guidance for blue-collar industry founders ready to grow and sell their businesses while preserving legacy. We work with founder-led businesses doing $3M–$20M in profit across specialty contracting and trades—including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, pest control, roofing, concrete, environmental services, tree services, excavation, asphalt paving, restoration, and more. Whether you're seeking liquidity, finding a partner to scale, or protecting the team and culture that made you great, Kory and the Iconic Team serves as a trusted advisor throughout the entire process—from readiness to strategic buyer alignment, all the way to a proud and well-earned close. Learn more at www.iconicfounders.com. Built Something Great? We Want to Hear Your Story. Whether you're in the thick of scaling, contemplating an exit, or reflecting on lessons learned, we'd love to connect. Visit us at www.iconicfounders.com and subscribe to The Turn wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    Iconic Founders Group
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Iconic Founders Group 2026
  • Show Website
    The Turn