SMB Playbook

SMB Playbook welcomes Exit Engine’s financer extraordinaire, BJ Thompson — the affable CFO with a Loki-adjacent sense of humor and a warehouse-airsoft origin story — to walk the books, the deals, and the people behind them. From a Salt Lake City childhood and a first job at a rifle manufacturer that turned inventory curiosity into a career, BJ traces the route through Westminster, a tax-class friendship with Ryan Reese, and the Spitz lunch that put the core Exit Engine roster on the field. The play he wants owners to run is simple and rare: don’t ramrod a sale, get the owner and the business ready first, cut the sandpaper-pants friction, and remember that numbers tell a story — but buyers also buy the person who built it.

Thank you for listening to The SMB Playbook. We hope you picked up a few sharper plays as you start prepping for your exit—because selling a business is not a pickup game, and the scoreboard is unforgiving if you wing it. This is a serious decision, and our job is to give you the information to run the right plays and execute on your goals. When you are ready to get your business valued and start drawing up the right plays for your exit, reach out at Exit-Engine.com

Josh Freeman—first lawyer in the family, former wood-chip slinger, and the guy Spencer still keeps on estate docs—walks through the hero’s journey from a post-crash family-law grind to founding the remote-first Freeman Level firm and assembling Exit Engine. He breaks down why “sellable” is not the same as “exit-optimized,” how selling tired hands buyers the playbook, and why stacking M&A-savvy legal, tax, and ops talent turns a one-way liquidity event into a planned harvest instead of a fire sale. Get informed, get ready, get optimized—and start with a valuation snapshot at Exit-Engine.com before the next unsolicited offer lands.

Thank you for listening to The SMB Playbook. We hope you picked up a few sharper plays as you start prepping for your exit—because selling a business is not a pickup game, and the scoreboard is unforgiving if you wing it. This is a serious decision, and our job is to give you the information to run the right plays and execute on your goals. When you are ready to get your business valued and start drawing up the right plays for your exit, reach out at Exit-Engine.com

When Jake Rust left a larger firm to strike out on his own and build Hudson Oaks, he finally had the room to put clients first—an ethic he learned watching family members conduct business the right way and the wrong way. The Provo-born CFP carries that upbringing from a clean, contracted buyout of his father’s coin shop into exit planning that treats a sale as psychology, not a one-day fire sale. With one tidy Captain America part and a planner’s restraint, he makes the case that independence, documentation, and getting it right for the client are how the best outcomes get drawn up.

Thank you for listening to The SMB Playbook. We hope you picked up a few sharper plays as you start prepping for your exit—because selling a business is not a pickup game, and the scoreboard is unforgiving if you wing it. This is a serious decision, and our job is to give you the information to run the right plays and execute on your goals. When you are ready to get your business valued and start drawing up the right plays for your exit, reach out at Exit-Engine.com

In this episode of the SMB Playbook, Spencer sits down with Ryan Freeman—one of the quiet architects behind Exit Engine—to unpack how a former BYU offensive lineman with a knack for turning propane tanks into gym equipment became a steady hand in the high-stakes world of business exits. From surviving two Achilles tears, a shredded shoulder, and a hundred-mile slog across the Salt Flats (complete with hailstorms and post-race body purges), Ryan reveals why preparing a company for sale feels a lot like training for an ultra: the real work happens long before the starting gun. Listeners walk away with practical wisdom on cleaning up data rooms, dodging the “skeletons” that kill deals, and why the smartest sellers treat their exit like a guided rim-to-rim-to-rim rather than a hopeful solo scramble.

Thank you for listening to The SMB Playbook. We hope you picked up a few sharper plays as you start prepping for your exit—because selling a business is not a pickup game, and the scoreboard is unforgiving if you wing it. This is a serious decision, and our job is to give you the information to run the right plays and execute on your goals. When you are ready to get your business valued and start drawing up the right plays for your exit, reach out at Exit-Engine.com

In this episode of the SMB Playbook, Ryan Reese, managing partner of Milestone Advisors, shares how a modest tax practice grew into a 40-plus-person firm delivering full-spectrum accounting, controllership, and fractional CFO services. He discusses the partnership with BJ Thompson that followed an unsustainable workload, the firm’s flexible culture that lets team members shape their own schedules and compensation, and the competitive edge of near-instant client responsiveness. The conversation turns to Exit Engine, his collaboration with Josh Freeman that equips business owners to prepare for a premium sale—or simply build a stronger company—without waiting for a crisis to force the decision.

Thank you for listening to The SMB Playbook. We hope you picked up a few sharper plays as you start prepping for your exit—because selling a business is not a pickup game, and the scoreboard is unforgiving if you wing it. This is a serious decision, and our job is to give you the information to run the right plays and execute on your goals. When you are ready to get your business valued and start drawing up the right plays for your exit, reach out at Exit-Engine.com

We are dusting off the playbook for a new team. SMB Playbook is partnering with Exit Engine in order to provide the most comprehensive broker experience a business owner, buyer or seller could ask for. Right out of the gate, our first interview is with Dave Hinckley. Dave is a seasoned entrepreneur who comes from a family of business owners. He's seen things done the right way and now helps others follow the path. Get to know Dave as the first member of the team in this new series of episodes. 

Thank you for listening to The SMB Playbook. We hope you picked up a few sharper plays as you start prepping for your exit—because selling a business is not a pickup game, and the scoreboard is unforgiving if you wing it. This is a serious decision, and our job is to give you the information to run the right plays and execute on your goals. When you are ready to get your business valued and start drawing up the right plays for your exit, reach out at Exit-Engine.com

Summary
In this episode of the SMB Playbook, hosts Spencer Wright and Tyler Harris engage with guests Mike and Dan, two corporate executives transitioning into entrepreneurship through business acquisition. The conversation explores their motivations, challenges, and the importance of networking and technology in the acquisition process. They discuss the complexities of working with brokers, the significance of understanding seller motivations, and the need for continuous learning and adaptation in the entrepreneurial journey. The episode emphasizes the value of corporate experience in running a business and the creative financing options available for aspiring business owners. This is going to be an ongoing topic on the show as we follow these two on the journey toward business ownership. 

In this episode, Van Oakes shares his journey from a hardworking upbringing in rural Utah to becoming a successful entrepreneur and digital marketer. He discusses the importance of family, the lessons learned from his early work experiences, and how he transitioned into online marketing. Van reflects on his time with the Diesel Brothers, the creation of his silicone ring company, Tuff Ring, and his current venture, Goat Media. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes the value of hard work, resilience, and the importance of setting a positive example for his children. He also gives some of the best father/parenting advice you can hear. Time to learn from a master

In this episode of the SMB Playbook, hosts Spencer and Tyler welcome Ken Bretschneider and Jamey Anthony, founders of The Grid, an innovative racing experience center in Utah. The conversation explores their unique backgrounds, the transition from previous ventures to The Grid, and their vision for creating immersive entertainment experiences. They discuss the importance of technology, audience engagement, and the future of their business, including investment opportunities for interested parties. The episode highlights the creative synergy between the founders and their commitment to pushing the boundaries of entertainment.

In this conversation, Spencer interviews Bubba Paris, a former NFL player and current executive director of Donor Network West. They discuss Bubba's journey from being a professional athlete to his current role in organ donation, reflecting on the lessons learned through sports, the importance of teamwork, and the impact of giving back to the community. Bubba shares personal anecdotes about his life, the challenges he faced, and how he found purpose in helping others through organ donation.

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