The majority of deal conversations focus on big cities and private equity groups, but small towns have businesses too. Many of these companies are facing transition challenges because the buyers and advisors they need aren't there.

This is what Dane Chapman and Joe Rust of SPARK Capital are working to solve. They are building a model designed to keep legacy businesses in their communities by collaborating with local partners and committed operators. Their work brings needed attention to the succession challenges rural business owners face.

Dane and Joe discuss rural valuation gaps, personal goodwill risk, and how owners can prepare before value slips. If you are an owner in a small community or someone who advises one, this episode offers a clear look at how rural businesses can transition successfully.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn how rural businesses can stay locally owned instead of closing or relocating

• Understand why rural buyers take a different view of growth and risk compared to urban buyers

• See how sellers can make their businesses more attractive to mission-driven buyers

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Dane Chapman and Joe Rust

(02:28) The origin story of SPARK Capital

(06:11) Why rural owners struggle to sell their companies

(11:04) The role of local advisors, operators, and community partners

(17:02) How SPARK Capital approaches valuation and risk

(28:13) How owners can prepare for succession

(33:54) Community-based capital may shape the future of rural business

(35:53) Mindset shifts for a more saleable business

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Dane:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danechapman/

Follow Joe:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerust/

Learn more about SPARK Capital: https://sparkcapitalin.com/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

Entrepreneurship isn't just for adults, and Hunter Beale is proof that it's never too early to start.

Hunter is the Executive Director of High School Hustle, a fast-growing movement that helps students across Indiana build real businesses and learn through hands-on experience. In just one year, the program has grown from 17 to over 2,000 students, generating nearly $1 million in revenue. What began as a handful of high schoolers mowing lawns and washing cars has turned into a statewide mission to awaken the next generation of entrepreneurs.

In this episode, Hunter shares how he helps students find purpose, earn income, and gain confidence through small business ownership.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn how High School Hustle is helping students build real businesses

• Hear how mentorship and incentives keep young entrepreneurs accountable

• Understand how failure builds confidence and leadership at an early age

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Hunter Beale

(06:13) Finding purpose in mentoring

(10:25) How High School Hustle turns students into real business owners

(17:47) Hands-on learning for young entrepreneurs

(21:21) The role of parents and communities

(25:44) Life lessons and improved confidence from doing business

(30:42) Expanding High School Hustle beyond Indiana

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Hunter:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterjbeale/

Learn more about High School Hustle: https://highschoolhustle.org/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

In a business appraisal, the numbers will always matter — but how they're communicated can have just as much impact on value.

Charlie Stanton, CFA and founder of Stanton Valuation Advisors, believes every valuation tells a story. Drawing from his work in estate planning, litigation, and succession, he explains how storytelling can transform the way a business's worth is understood.

This episode explores the eight elements every appraisal story should include, why owning your narrative builds buyer trust, and how a clear, consistent story can make your business more saleable.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn how to communicate risks without hurting your valuation

• Understand the impact of transfer restrictions and illiquidity on appraisal outcomes

• Understand why regulatory appraisals differ from deal-market valuations

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Charlie Stanton

(03:01) Why every valuation is really a story

(09:31) Building trust with a transparent narrative

(14:52) Valuation for different purposes

(17:14) Fair market value vs. market value explained

(21:00) Understanding control and marketability discounts

(27:44) The difference between appraisers and deal advisors

(33:22) Advice for owners who want to increase business value

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Charlie:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-stanton-cfa-b8172591/

Email: [email protected]

Learn more about Stanton Valuation Advisors: https://stantonvalue.com/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

More entrepreneurs are turning to franchises, and it's easy to see why. With proven systems, recognizable brands, and built-in support, franchises make both ownership and resale less risky.

Alyssa Hernandez, Vice President of Franchise Resales at Neighborly, leads the team that manages transitions across 19 brands and nearly 10,000 franchise owners. Her team helps owners exit smoothly while guiding new entrepreneurs into established operations — all while protecting brand consistency and business value.

In this episode, Alyssa shares why franchise businesses often sell faster and at higher prices than independents, and how early planning can help owners achieve better outcomes when it's time to sell.

In this episode, you will:

• Understand how franchisor support reduces risk

• Learn the biggest reasons resales fall apart and how to avoid them

• Discover how tech and AI are reshaping the franchise resale process

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Alyssa Hernandez

(04:21) The value of franchises vs independent businesses

(08:23) The success rate of selling a franchise

(11:50) Why resales fall through

(13:53) Prep work to sell a franchise business

(17:25) How technology streamlines the resale process

(21:35) The future of franchising and business ownership

(24:45) Why business owners need to understand valuation

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Alyssa:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-hernandez-4a235a60/

Learn more about Neighborly: https://www.neighborlybrands.com/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

Managing a business is tough enough on its own. But add family dynamics in the mix, and things get even more challenging.

As a strategic advisor at The Family Business Consulting Group, Amy Wirtz shares her expertise on navigating ownership transitions in multigenerational families.

Amy discusses the challenges of balancing family relationships with business goals, offering insights on how to manage both for a successful transition. She also shares tips to help prepare the next generation for leadership to ensure that both the business legacy and family harmony are preserved.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn how to create a clear succession plan

• Discover strategies for managing conflict within the family

• Understand how generational wealth planning works

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Amy Wirtz

(02:57) The responsibilities of an exit planner

(07:00) From family law to family business advising

(12:55) Parallel planning for families and businesses

(16:22) Family ownership dynamics

(19:34) How next generations "pay" for family business transfers

(22:19) Navigating complex family communication

(26:29) The biggest problem in ownership transitions

(29:33) What family businesses teach about legacy and long-term thinking

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Amy:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywirtzcepa/

Email: [email protected]

Learn more about The Family Business Consulting Group: https://www.thefbcg.com/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

You don't have to build your own business from scratch to be an entrepreneur. You can buy one instead.

Della Kirkman, CPA and founder of Shift-N-Gears, is on a mission to help 10,000 women become business owners through acquisition. After starting as a waitress at Cracker Barrel, Della worked her way up to owning and selling her own accounting firm. Now, she's teaching others how to achieve wealth, independence, and freedom by buying businesses that are already established and successful.

In this episode, Della shares her insights on risk, funding, and deal sourcing and explains why acquisition entrepreneurship is one of the most underutilized paths to financial freedom, especially for women.

In this episode, you will:

• How to scale and grow an acquired business

• Insights on sourcing deals and funding for acquisitions

• Why every business needs to go digital

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Della Kirkman

(02:36) Why women are still behind in financial independence

(05:43) The realities of buying a business

(09:42) What buyers get wrong about acquisitions

(11:17) Building an opportunity fund

(14:21) Sourcing the right kind of deals

(18:24) How to stand out to brokers and dealmakers

(23:06) Inside Della's business buying bootcamp

(28:51) Challenges in advising business buyers

(34:18) Why every business needs a digital component

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Della:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dellakirkmancpa/

Vote for Della at the 2025 Harbour Club M&A Awards: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5soMcyzgR8tzBqEil-2-JPk-GPfMp-W5bmvKqFSkL7uvkxg/viewform

Learn more about Della's company:

Shift-N-Gears: https://www.shift-n-gears.com/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

Many business owners still feel trapped in the day-to-day because their companies rely too heavily on them. The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) changes that by helping leadership teams build structure and accountability so businesses can run smoothly without the owner.

Ashley Walters, Professional EOS Implementer at EOS Worldwide, explains how to align EOS with exit planning to build efficiency, long-term growth, and transferable value. She shares how she guides leadership teams through tough structure conversations, puts the right people in the right seats, and helps owners build companies that run independently.

In this episode, you will:

• Understand the difference between business value and transferable value

• Learn how to identify your business priorities within a 90-day frame

• Hear why buyers prefer businesses running on EOS

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Ashley Walters

(03:05) How EOS and exit planning work together to grow value

(05:50) The structure-first, people-second approach

(10:15) What a company running on EOS looks like to a buyer

(12:40) The rocks system: setting priorities that move the needle

(16:28) Why EOS reveals owner dependence and how to fix it

(21:16) Where AI fits in EOS

(23:59) The EOS implementation process

(29:54) EOS increases the rates of a successful exit

(31:39) Why an operating system is always beneficial

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Ashley:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyklinewalters/

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://accelerateadvising.com/

Learn more about EOS: https://www.eosworldwide.com/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

Most owners think selling a business is only about numbers, but Denise Logan knows it's more complicated than that.

Known as the "Seller Whisperer," Denise has helped hundreds of sellers navigate the complex emotions that can affect deals. It's not uncommon for business owners to experience identity loss, family conflict, shame, and the fear of "what's next".

Denise's journey from therapist to lawyer to entrepreneur uniquely positions her to help owners face the reality that a sale is not just a transaction, it's a transition. She is also the author of The Seller's Journey, a book that helps readers understand the human side of every deal.

In this episode, you will:

• How unprocessed emotions can derail a sale
• Why early exit planning matters more than timing
• What trusted advisors can do to prepare their clients emotionally

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Denise Logan

(02:49) The emotional landmines in business deals

(06:57) The importance of early exit planning

(11:04) When owners are not ready to sell

(15:37) How to facilitate a business transition

(21:56) The advisors' duty to care for their clients

(24:28) Navigating owner's pushback in business valuation

(33:18) Deal fatigue and emotional resilience

(38:36) Why owners need to be transparent during CIM

(43:49) Your business is not your identity

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Denise:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniselogan/

Website: https://deniselogan.com/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

Most professionals in the M&A space have been closing deals for decades. But being young doesn't mean you can't bring value to the table.

Morgan Tate, founder of Breakwater M&A, has built a reputation as one of the younger voices in the industry. He has helped facilitate over $250 million worth of deals and is now using automation to make the process faster and more efficient. From the lessons learned in those transactions, he created the Breakwater Blueprint to keep deals from falling apart. Morgan offers a glimpse at the future of exits, where human connection and technology go hand in hand.

In this episode, you will:

• Hear how younger advisors are closing more transactions

• Learn how AI is speeding up the deal process

• Understand why advisory fees are declining and how brokers can protect their value

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Morgan Tate

(02:36) The Breakwater Blueprint

(04:29) Earning trust as a younger advisor

(10:42) Will AI lower advisory fees for business owners?

(15:47) Let AI be your junior broker

(19:06) Where human judgment matters most in business sales

(21:30) The future of M&A

(26:18) AI can solve this mistake that hurts deals

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Morgan:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgantate

Learn more about Morgan's company:

Breakwater M&A: https://www.breakwatermna.com

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders

Most buyers slow down in their sixties. But not Gary Hentschel. He's out buying companies, doubling their value, and selling them again.

As a partner at The September Group and CEO at WSI Technologies, Gary brings decades of experience as a banker, entrepreneur, and operator. In this episode, he shares how he appraises businesses, what sellers get wrong about their company's value, and why good leadership matters when a business is up for sale.

In this episode, you will:

• Discover what buyers look for in a management team
• See how earnouts help keep deals on track
• Find out why sellers often misprice their businesses

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Gary Hentschel

(03:31) The importance of good partnerships

(06:22) Navigating business acquisitions

(09:47) Evaluating business potential

(17:07) Risk management and deal structuring

(21:30) The role of earnouts and management teams

(29:03) First 60 days post-acquisition

(31:18) Learning from buyers, sellers, and advisors

(35:17) Current market trends and insights

Resources:

For past guests, please visit https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/

Follow Gary:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-hentschel-3793487/

E-Mail: [email protected]

Learn more about Gary's companies:

The September Group: http://theseptembergroup.com/

WSI Technologies: https://wsi-tech.com/

Follow Ed:

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmysogland/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defendersofbusinessvalue/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bvdefenders