Most women aren’t “risk-averse.” They’re risk-aware and often risk-accurate. But there’s a third category nobody talks about: risk-stalled.

In this episode, Lacey breaks down why the internet debate about women and risk misses the real problem: time-to-action. She explains how women’s diligence and caution can produce better outcomes after a decision is made but how identity readiness, perceived legitimacy, and the search for certainty can quietly delay action for months or years.

In M&A, time isn’t passive... it changes valuations, multiples, deal availability, and your financial future.

If you’ve been thinking about buying a business for 3 to 24+ months without taking action, this episode is your wake-up call and your next step.

Primary Takeaways

• Women aren’t too risk-averse for M&A. The bigger problem is risk stagnation.

• Most research measures results after decisions but ignores the time it takes women to feel “allowed” to decide.

• There are three risk buckets:

  1. Risk-averse: avoids risk altogether

  2. Risk-aware/accurate: evaluates risk and moves with it

  3. Risk-stalled: hyper-aware of downside → rumination → no action

• Men pay for mistakes. Women pay for waiting.

• In M&A, time changes the market: multiples rise, deal costs increase, opportunity shrinks.

• Women often tie worth to income, not ownership — but generational wealth comes from equity and assets.

• You don’t need more information — you need guidance, proximity, and a decision container.

• Ownership is something you can enter, not something you must earn.

• The goal is to shorten the gap between: “I’ve thought about it” → “I took action.”

Episode Timeline (Suggested Timestamps)

00:00 — Closing hook: risk awareness vs risk stagnation + “Be the first”
00:41 — Episode intent: from “am I ready?” to “what’s my next step?”
01:15 — The online debate: risk-averse vs risk-aware
02:16 — Risk aware → risk accurate: diligence, diversification, calibration
03:10 — Couples + ego motivations: safety nets vs status chasing
03:50 — Investing study: men trade more, underperform; women hold and win
04:35 — Why women stabilise markets: diligence reduces hype-driven volatility
06:31 — The missing variable: identity readiness + legitimacy + time-to-decision
08:49 — The 3 buckets: risk averse / aware / stalled
11:07 — The real problem: information threshold + “earn vs enter” ownership
13:17 — The cost of delay: multiples rise, purchase prices increase
15:35 — The takeaway: shorten time between thought and action
17:00 — CTA: if you’ve been stuck 3–24 months, book the call
17:51 — Outro: reviews + where to find Lacey

Primary Keywords

• psychology of becoming a buyer

• women and risk tolerance

• women in M&A

• buying a business mindset

• investor mindset for women

• acquisition readiness

• generational wealth for women

• risk stagnation

• risk awareness vs risk aversion

Secondary Keywords

• female founders investing

• women building wealth through ownership

• business acquisition strategy

• M&A mindset shift

• time-to-decision gender gap

• decision paralysis entrepreneurship

• deal multiples EBITDA

• buyer vs founder identity

What if you could shortcut a decade of trial, error, and startup hustle and step directly into new ownership in a fraction of the time? In this episode, we unveil the 8-step blueprint for how female founders can build generational wealth through mergers & acquisitions.

From shifting your identity from founder to capital allocator, to structuring deals that protect your legacy, this episode breaks down how women can use M&A to create lasting economic power, not just for themselves, but for their families, communities, and futures.

Whether you're acquisition-curious or ready to make your first offer, this is the roadmap no one ever gave you.

Key Takeaways

• Ownership > Hustle: Generational wealth doesn’t come from grinding; it comes from equity and continuity.

• Your First Acquisition Is a Wealth Engine: Stabilise, optimise, then stack.

• Cash Flow Is Your Compounding Fuel: Buy businesses that pay you, fund your next move, and survive without your daily hustle.

• Women Are Matriarchs of Capital: You can use acquisitions to fund not just your lifestyle, but your lineage.

• Continuity Capitalism Is the New Playbook: Build wealth by inheriting and improving, not always starting over.

💬 Loved this episode? Share your favourite step on IG/LinkedIn and tag us

🎧 Coming next: Deal Structuring 101: How to Buy a Business Without $100K in the Bank

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women in business, acquisitions, generational wealth, capital allocation, female entrepreneurs, business buying, investment strategies, wealth building, M&A, financial empowerment

In this episode of the Excuse Me, Sir podcast, Lacey Madison discusses the critical importance of ownership for women in today's socio-economic landscape. The conversation explores the socio-economic arguments for women's ownership, the impact of women in business on workplace culture, and the mindset shift required to embrace ownership. Lacey also contrasts the benefits of acquiring existing businesses versus starting new ones from scratch, highlighting the advantages of established operations and the potential for accelerated growth.

Takeaways

• This is your ownership era, focusing on power and wealth.
• Women need to engage in business acquisitions.
• Ownership is crucial for closing the wealth gap.
• Women are underrepresented in business ownership and revenue.
• Acquisitions can reduce time and risk in business growth.
• Women reinvest more into their communities than men.
• Ownership reshapes workplace culture and employee treatment.
• Caution in business decisions can lead to better outcomes.
• The current wealth transfer presents a unique opportunity for women.
• Cultural attitudes towards women in wealth are changing.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the New Era

01:30 The Importance of Ownership for Women

05:33 Socio-Economic Arguments for Women's Ownership

07:36 Closing the Wealth Gap through Acquisitions

11:01 The Greatest Wealth Transfer in History

14:17 The Impact of Women in Business Ownership

18:18 Changing Workplace Culture through Ownership

20:08 The Importance of Ownership in Economic Power

24:25 Acquisitions vs. Startups: A Safer Path to Success

32:22 Mindset Shift: Embracing Ownership and Investment

37:04 Cultural Shifts: Women Redefining Wealth and Capitalism

To move beyond traditional "journey mapping" and into the emotional rhythm that governs decision-making, engagement, execution, and retention. When you understand how clients feel at every stage,  not just what they’re doing, you can architect support that sustains momentum.

WANT MORE?

Follow Lacey on Instagram ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.

Visit the Website to Learn More ⁠HERE⁠.

PLEASE SEE THE ACCOMPANYING WORKBOOK HERE. 

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Follow Lacey on Instagram ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.

Visit the Website to Learn More ⁠HERE⁠.

To explore the invisible yet critical factors that build trust and psychological safety in client relationships,  beyond testimonials and timelines. This training teaches how to encode safety into your delivery, communication, and leadership, creating the kind of client experience that fosters deep loyalty, execution, and long-term retention.

WANT MORE?

Follow Lacey on Instagram ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.

Visit the Website to Learn More ⁠HERE⁠.

Scaling is ultimately about getting smarter about how you lead people & 10 x their outputs without 10x the inputs or your TIME!! So...Let's Talk about how to do it

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Visit the Website to Learn More ⁠HERE⁠.

This is the SIMPLEST way to scale to 7 Figures 

Your offer suite isn’t just a list of services—it’s the strategic backbone of your revenue. And if your growth feels unpredictable, scattered, or like you’re constantly reinventing the wheel… it’s not a sales problem, it’s a business model & offer suite structure problem.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Learn the The Deep Model → One Transformation, One ICP, Multiple Levels of Access
   Instead of juggling 10 different offers, the most profitable and scalable businesses focus on solving ONE problem for ONE ideal client—at different levels of depth, access, and price points. 

If you’ve been stuck thinking you need more offers to grow, this training just proved otherwise. The most successful founders aren’t chasing new offers every quarter. They’re refining, optimizing, and deepening ONE powerful solution.

The path to 7 figures isn’t in doing more. It’s in doing it better.

WANT MORE?

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An audience follows. A movement fights for you. If your brand feels like people “like” it but don’t feel emotionally invested, you haven’t built a movement—you’ve built an audience. Here’s how to fix that.

Training Type: Quick Win Strategy 

What This Covers:

• Why your content alone isn’t enough to create a movement that sells itself
• The 5 quick win strategies you can apply today to transform your audience into an emotionally-invested movement This isn’t about making a brand “popular.” It’s about making it so undeniable, so ingrained in your audience’s identity, that they feel compelled to share it, align with it, and be seen as part of it. Most businesses stop at audience-building—but in 2025, only movements will dominate.

WANT MORE?

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THE 3 PILLARS OF MAGNETIC PRESENCE 

Click here to listen to the audio Now 

• Presence is the #1 unspoken asset of powerful brands & leaders.
• You don’t need to be loud, outgoing, or extroverted—you need to be FELT.
• Your energy, body, and voice are your most powerful branding tools.

WANT MORE?

Follow Lacey on Instagram ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠.

Visit the Website to Learn More ⁠HERE⁠.