Most owners talk about “creating value,” but few stop to ask a more fundamental question: 
Value for what? 

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In this episode, I sat down with my friend Nick Bradley—entrepreneur, investor, and host of The Scale Up Podcast—to explore how your ownership goals determine everything about your value-creation strategy. Nick comes from the private equity world, where the goal is clear: build to sell. I work with mid-market owners designing companies that can outlast them. 
We both work with the same kinds of businesses—but from opposite ends of the ownership spectrum. Together, we dig into how clarity of intent changes the entire game: the capital structure you choose, how you lead your team, and how you allocate your time and cash flow. 
 
This isn’t about chasing one “right” path. It’s about picking your game—and understanding what freedom, wealth, and legacy look like depending on whether you’re designing for a third-party exit or an internal transition. 

What We Covered 

Who This Is For 
For any owner trying to decide what’s next—whether to sell, transition internally, or redesign their role—this episode will help you see the tradeoffs clearly. If you want to understand how your value-creation plan must align with your personal and ownership goals, this conversation will give you the clarity to design your next move intentionally. 

Nick Bradley is an entrepreneur, investor, and former PE-backed CEO/Operating Partner who has scaled 100+ businesses and driven $5B+ in exits. Host of the top-ranked Scale Up with Nick Bradley podcast and author of the #1 bestseller Exit for Millions, he works with founders generating $1M+ EBITDA to diagnose true enterprise value and 2–10x it through operational excellence, acquisitions, and systems—so owners create freedom, optionality, and elite businesses. 

Chapters:  

Resources: 
Website - https://highvalueexit.com/ 
Book - https://highvalueexit.com/podcast/ 
Ryan Tansom Website https://ryantansom.com/