"You can go purchase ransomware as a service on the dark web and have it infiltrate somebody's system, lock it up, and demand a ransom payment — or sell the data on the dark web." — Will GodwinIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Will Godwin, who leads the private equity and M&A practice at Sterling Seacrest Pritchard (SSP), an Atlanta-based insurance brokerage and risk management firm. Will works on the property and casualty side of insurance diligence, transactional risk, and post-close insurance programs, primarily representing buy-side financial sponsors, family offices, and strategics.Will and John talk through why insurance is often treated as the last item on a diligence checklist even though gaps in coverage can trigger a retrade or escrow, and why cyber insurance and management liability (D&O) are now considered table stakes on virtually every deal. They cover a real-world example of a seller with over a million dollars of undisclosed audit exposure on a general liability policy, the rise of reps and warranties insurance as an alternative to a traditional 10% escrow, and what a seller's data room should include from an insurance standpoint. The conversation closes with a candid look at why so many business owners underestimate their cyber exposure and how ransomware and stolen data increasingly end up for sale on the dark web, even for companies that don't think of themselves as "tech" businesses.In this episode, you'll learn:🔹 Why insurance is usually the last thing sellers think about in diligence and why that's a mistake.🔹 What buyers actually look for beyond the policies themselves: risk management, loss control, and claims history.🔹 A real deal example involving over $1 million in undisclosed audit exposure on a general liability policy.🔹 Why cyber insurance and management liability (D&O, fiduciary, EPLI) are now standard on nearly every deal.🔹 The difference between a traditional indemnification escrow and reps and warranties insurance and why sellers increasingly prefer the latter.🔹 What should be retained and updated yearly in an insurance data room, including loss runs and equipment schedules.🔹 Why so many business owners underestimate their cyber exposure, and how stolen data and ransomware end up on the dark web.🔹 Why keeping your insurance broker informed of a pending sale, rather than keeping it quiet, can actually work in the seller's favor.Whether you're a founder preparing to sell, a buyer evaluating risk, or an advisor guiding a client through a transaction, Will's perspective is a reminder that insurance is far more than a diligence checkbox.Connect With JohnLinkedIn –   / marshcreek  Connect With WillLinkedIn –   / willjgodwin  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation: https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses.

"I see my job as being part therapist, part business advisor… the technical legal side often isn't where the issues come up. It's really about managing expectations and bringing the seller into the reality of how deals work." — Nida RizviIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Nida Rizvi, an M&A attorney at Burr Forman in Atlanta who has been practicing for over fifteen years. Nida shares what she has learned representing both buyers and sellers on founder family-owned businesses, and discusses how quickly emotions can take over for sellers once an LOI is signed and diligence begins.Nida and John talk through what legal teams can and cannot fix once a deal is underway, why sell-side quality of earnings reports are appearing more often, and why getting financials, corporate documents, and material contracts in order early can make the process smoother. They also cover the signs of an easy versus difficult seller, why trust between advisors and clients matters, and how a coordinated team of a broker, accountant, and M&A attorney can help sellers stay prepared and keep fees down. The conversation closes with a story about a deal that fell apart the night before closing over a dispute involving a $120,000 insurance premium.In this episode, you'll learn:🔹Why deals often become emotional for sellers once the LOI is signed.🔹What legal issues attorneys cannot fix once a deal reaches diligence.🔹Why sell-side quality of earnings reports are showing up more often.🔹The importance of cleaning up financials, organizing corporate documents and contracts, and building a growth story.🔹Why involving an M&A attorney before the LOI stage can save money.🔹What separates an easy client from a difficult one during diligence.🔹Which buyer behaviors create friction in a deal, including aggressive retrading after the LOI.🔹The story behind the deal that fell apart the night before closing over an insurance premium dispute.Whether you’re a founder preparing to sell, a buyer trying to understand the process, or an advisor guiding clients through a transaction, Nida’s perspective shows why trust, preparation, and the right team of advisors matter.Connect With JohnLinkedIn –   / marshcreek  Connect With NidaLinkedIn –   / nida-rizvi  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation:https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. John holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two daughters.#PowerExitPodcast, #MergersAndAcquisitions, #SellSide, #ExitPlanning, #MandA, #FounderExit, #DealAdvice, #BusinessBroker, #CorporateLaw, #LegalAdvice, #DueDiligence, #WorkingCapital, #QualityOfEarnings, #BusinessSale, #MiddleMarket, #FounderLife

“I help people get through a very specific process: valuing their business, going to market, finding the ideal buyer, and getting the dang thing done.” — Ryan HemmertIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Ryan Hemmert, a business broker and M&A advisor with Washington Business Brokers based in Seattle. Ryan shares what he has learned from six years of selling businesses across a range of industries, including trades, niche service businesses, and other owner-operated companies. He and John discuss what goes wrong when owners try to sell on their own, why buyer quality matters, and how a disciplined process can improve both speed and value.Ryan and John also talk through how to vet buyers, what serious buyers should be able to provide, and why asking the right questions matters as much as having the right financing. They cover the role of professional marketing, the value of running a competitive process, and why sellers should not let one buyer drag out a deal for months. The conversation closes with Ryan’s advice on what owners should look for when choosing an M&A advisor and why process, positioning, and patience make such a difference.In this episode, you'll learn:🔹Why unrealistic value expectations can derail a sale before it really starts.🔹What serious buyers should be ready to share before confidential information is released.🔹Why an indication of interest should come before meetings with the owner.🔹How a competitive process can lead to better pricing and better buyer fit.🔹Why some businesses are better marketed with no price, while others benefit from a firm asking price.🔹How owners can unintentionally reduce value by drifting into lifestyle-business mode. 🔹What sellers should ask when evaluating M&A advisors.🔹Why industry experience matters, but process experience and deal quality matter even more.Whether you’re a founder thinking about selling, a buyer trying to understand the process, or an advisor helping owners navigate a transaction, Ryan’s perspective shows why good deal outcomes depend on discipline, judgment, and the ability to manage both people and process well.Connect With JohnLinkedIn –   / marshcreek  Connect With RyanWebsite – https://wabusinessbrokers.com/LinkedIn –   / rhemmert  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation:https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/

About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. John holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two daughters.#PowerExitPodcast #M&A #BusinessExit #BusinessBroker #SellingABusiness #Entrepreneurship #PrivateEquity #BuyerVetting #DealProcess #BusinessSale #ExitStrategy #FounderExit #BusinessGrowth #DueDiligence #ValueCreation

"I'm the coach who you call when shift hits the fan." — Diana MurphyIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Diana Murphy, a leadership and mindset coach based in Atlanta who has spent the last 12 years working with high-achieving founders, entrepreneurial leaders, and executives navigating big life and business transitions. Diana shares how high performers are often taught to override their own well-being in the name of success, why those patterns show up with full force during an exit, and how addressing the emotional side of selling your business can directly impact the quality of your decisions and the outcome of the deal.Diana and John explore what really happens internally when an owner approaches a once-in-a-lifetime transaction—fear, regret, imposter syndrome, and identity questions—and why all of those responses are normal but rarely talked about in deal rooms. They dig into how unresolved doubts resurface when you do something powerful like selling your company, why so many owners feel like they are “jumping off a cliff,” and how having the right support system helps them stay grounded instead of ghosting their advisors at the closing table.In this episode, you'll learn:🔹 Why many ambitious founders are subconsciously taught to disregard their own well-being in order to achieve, and how that conditioning shows up in the exit process.🔹 How internalized stress, overworking, and numbing behaviors (like overeating or overdrinking) are often just symptoms of deeper mindset and self-esteem issues—not the real problem to solve.🔹 What happens psychologically when you make a major change such as selling your business, and why every old doubting thought tends to surface right when you’re about to do something really powerful.🔹 Practical strategies owners can use in the final weeks of a deal when emotions spike, including “both/and” thinking, simple grounding practices, and the key question Diana asks clients to reconnect them with pride and perspective.🔹 Why having a coach, mentor, therapist, or trusted confidant who knows the owner deeply is just as important as having technical advisors, and how that support helps keep the owner in their best decision-making state.🔹 How to find a healthy personal rhythm (like 90-day cycles) that allows for intense focus and necessary recovery, instead of living in constant burnout and achievement addiction.🔹 The difference between healthy ambition—rooted in what you truly desire and the impact you want to have—and achievement addiction, which keeps you chasing the next “hit” without ever feeling fulfilled.🔹 Why so many owners reach the brink of closing and suddenly freeze or disappear, and how getting clear on “Life 2.0” and your post-exit identity can prevent last-minute self-sabotage.Whether you’re exhausted, burned out, or simply feeling disconnected as you think about an eventual exit, Diana’s perspective shows that you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through the sale of your business—you can build an exit that honors both the company you’ve built and the person you’re becoming next.Connect With JohnLinkedIn –   / marshcreek  Connect With DianaWebsite – https://dianamurphycoaching.comLinkedIn –   / dianamurphycoaching  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation: https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus... 📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/ 🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/

"Never listen to the price your buddy told you he sold his business for. You can easily discount that by at least 30 to 50% to get to the real number." — Tim TempletonIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Tim Templeton, business development advisor at TriVest Partners, a Miami-based private equity firm with 45 years of experience partnering with family and founder-owned businesses in the lower middle market.Tim pulls back the curtain on how a firm that reviews nearly 5,000 deals a year decides who makes the cut, what PE partnership actually looks like for founders, and why the myths surrounding private equity cost business owners real money and real opportunity.In this episode, you'll learn:🔹 The Real Deal Funnel — How TriVest moves from 4,800 deal looks to roughly 60 closings in a single year, and what that ratio reveals about how selective serious PE buyers really are🔹 What Gets a Yes — The two things TriVest looks at first: growth trajectory and scalability, and why a business that is not moving up and to the right rarely gets a second look🔹 The Red Flags That Kill Deals — Lumpy financials, customer concentration that runs deeper than it appears, vendor dependency, and lack of differentiation are the most common reasons deals fall apart after the LOI🔹 The Owner-Dependency Problem — Why a founder who is the entire business is one of the biggest red flags a buyer sees, and why every owner's goal should be to eliminate themselves from the org chart, not anchor it🔹 Rolled Equity and the Second Bite — Why rolling equity into the deal is not just a financial move but an emotional bridge for founders who are not ready to fully walk away, and how TriVest's "Path of 3X" target makes that second check worth waiting for🔹 The Value of an Intermediary — Why TriVest prefers working with advisors, how representation keeps founders emotionally grounded during diligence, and why time is the single biggest deal killer in any transaction🔹 Valuation Misconceptions — Why every founder thinks their business is worth more than it is, why that is understandable, and why the headline number is only part of the picture when evaluating a private equity offer🔹 What Is Hot Right Now — Recurring revenue, subscription-based services, fragmented industries ripe for consolidation, and add-on acquisitions are the themes defining PE deal flow heading into the next several years🔹 The Worst Advice Founders Get — Why listening to what your friend says he sold his business for is one of the most expensive mistakes a founder can make, and what to ask insteadConnect With JohnLinkedIn -   / marshcreek  Connect With TimLinkedIn -   / titempleton  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation: https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. #businessexit #privateequity #mergersandacquisitions #sellyourbusiness #businessowner #exitstrategy #entrepreneurship #founderstory #businessvaluation

"Price is the most important thing. Certainty to close is the second most important thing — and it's second by only a hair's breadth." — Chris RosselliIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Chris Rosselli, partner at Eversheds Sutherland and M&A attorney with 25 years of experience representing buyers and sellers in corporate transactions across all industries.Chris breaks down exactly what business owners need to do — legally and operationally — to protect their leverage, reduce risk, and close on the right terms.In this episode, you'll learn:🔹 Get Organized Early — Why having clean, collected documents and data before the process starts is the single most important thing a seller can do to stay focused and keep the business performing during a sale🔹 Involve a Lawyer at the LOI Stage — Why waiting until after the LOI is signed is a costly mistake, and how having legal representation early gives sellers an advantage buyers often don't have🔹 Asset Sale vs. Stock Sale — How the deal structure chosen at the LOI stage can quietly cost sellers thousands in extra taxes — and what to do about it🔹 Know Your Legal Risks Before Buyers Do — Independent contractor misclassification, benefits compliance, and immigration paperwork are deal killers that come up in nearly every transaction🔹 Post-Closing Liability — What indemnification really means in plain English and how to cap your exposure at the LOI stage🔹 Founder Behavior That Closes Deals — Why non-emotional sellers have more effective processes, and how being overly aggressive can stall momentum and cost you the deal entirely🔹 Certainty to Close — Why a higher offer from a buyer who can't execute is worth less than a lower offer from one who can, and how to evaluate that before committing to exclusivity🔹 Multiple Buyers = Maximum Leverage — Why a competitive process is the single most powerful tool a seller has, and why keeping backup buyers warm even after exclusivity begins is smart strategyConnect With JohnLinkedIn -   / marshcreek  Connect With ChrisLinkedIn -   / chris-rosselli-55a7571  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation:https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. John holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two daughters.#mergersandacquisitions #exitplanning #powerexitpodcast #sellingabusiness #exitstrategy #businesssale #businessvaluation #entrepreneurship #duediligence #businessacquisition

"In negotiating, you can always go down, but you can't go up." — Taylor CourtnayIn this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Taylor Courtnay, co-founder of Decision First Technologies, a data and analytics consulting firm in the SAP ecosystem, to walk through a real founder exit from the seller's side. Taylor shares how he and his business partner grew the company organically from two people in August 2001 to over 100 employees, then sold to Protiviti, a roughly $1 billion consulting firm owned by Robert Half, at the end of 2015.While deals in their space typically looked like a 51% buyout with a 3-4 year earnout from a $100-200M consulting firm, Taylor's deal came in as 80% cash and 20% Robert Half stock vesting over four years, with both Taylor and his partner brought on as Managing Directors at Protiviti. Taylor stayed on until August 2023.You'll learn:🔹 Power exit definition: Why a successful exit is more than the number (is the deal right, is it good for your people and clients, and is the timing right)🔹 Brand vs. EBITDA: How being a 7-time SAP Partner of the Year, with consultants on the conference circuit and books on SAP Press, gave Taylor the leverage to push above standard EBITDA multiples🔹 Running a process: Taking 7-10 inbound calls from qualified suitors in acquisitive years, going to the dance with five to seven others, and why never putting a "for sale sign in the yard" still worked🔹 Advisor value: Why trying to sell without a banker failed four or five times, what their advisor Jimmy actually did (structured the deal, ran interference with the buyer's M&A team), and why Taylor had zero regrets paying the fee at closing🔹 Operational readiness: How having clean, instantly accessible business data made due diligence less stressful, reduced the risk of a retrade, and made post-close integration smoother🔹 Team depth: Building a flat, talent-first culture where investing in people through conference speaking and published work built brand equity that showed up at the closing table🔹 Retention post-close: How Protiviti structured 12-month retention bonuses for about a dozen key people, five or six of whom are now Managing Directors and Partners there🔹 90-day prep: Get your house in order, remove surplus cash from the books before revealing financials (buyers will treat it as part of the deal), and bring in an advisor earlyConnect With JohnLinkedIn -   / marshcreek  Connect With TaylorLinkedIn -   / taylor-courtnay  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation:https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. John holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two daughters.#businessexit #exitplanning #PowerExitPodcast #sellyourbusiness #mergersandacquisitions #duediligence #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth #exitstrategy #sapconsulting #dataanalytics

“Get your financials in order... you shouldn't even be having conversations with people until you have your financials up to a baseline standard.” — Ariez Dustoor​In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Ariez Dustoor—Managing Partner at MB Group, a private equity firm focused on healthcare and multi-location services businesses—to demystify how PE really acquires companies. They explore the independent sponsor model, reviewing 500-600 deals yearly to close a handful, and the keys to standing out in competitive processes.​Ariez details MB Group's track record of four platforms (one exited), targeting founder-owned firms with $10-100M revenue and $3-15M EBITDA for growth and professionalization.​You’ll learn:🔹 Target traits: Growing niches, consistent revenue/profit trends, industry-leading metrics (e.g., retention), believable 5-year expansion plans, and capable teams beyond sole owner dependence.🔹 Process standouts: Clean financial histories (sell-side QofE recommended), sector-specific ops data, and strong storytelling on growth potential.🔹 Deal-breakers: 30-40% customer concentration, volatile/declining financials, subpar benchmarks, or no infrastructure/team redundancy.🔹 Structures: 20%+ equity rollover preferred (full cash-outs rare), ~50% simple cash-at-close, others with 12-24 month EBITDA earnouts or seller notes.🔹 Diligence killers: Inflated EBITDA ignoring normalization (e.g., needed hires), incomplete/inaccurate data leading to retrades.🔹 Seller prep: Define your post-sale role clearly, develop detailed growth strategy (e.g., M&A pipeline), clean books 6-12 months early, add key team pieces.Connect With JohnLinkedIn -   / marshcreek  Connect With AriezLinkedIn - ​  / ariezdustoor  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation:https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. John holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two daughters.#privateequity #businessexit #sellyourbusiness #mergersandacquisitions #businesssale #exitstrategy #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth #duediligence #qualityofearnings

“Don’t be so arrogant that you think you know how to do everything.” — Ralph Cimperman​In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Ralph Cimperman—Founder of Marathon HR, a human resource outsourcing company serving small to medium-sized businesses—to unpack his journey through two successful business exits. They dig into why preparation starts years in advance, the rigor of due diligence even for repeat sellers, and how building long-term advisor relationships maximizes value and smooths the process.​Ralph shares lessons from selling his first HR business in 2004 and Marathon HR in December 2023 to a private equity-backed PEO, including the importance of documented processes, thinking like a buyer, and transitioning to Life 2.0 in Florida with golf and boating.​You’ll learn:🔹 Why business owners need a 3-5 year timeline to document processes and build key relationships with accountants, attorneys, coaches, and advisors.​🔹 How Ralph knew it was time to sell and why hiring an advisor was invaluable over a "bird in the hand" buyer.​🔹 The value of cumulative client retention in HR outsourcing (first 10 clients, 5 still there after 19 years) and prioritizing team fit and cultural alignment with buyers like Venture.​🔹 Due diligence as a "full-time job on top of your regular job," but easier with preparation; lessons from earnouts and losing control post-sale.​🔹 Hiring a business coach 2.5-3 years pre-sale; tech changes in payroll/HR as a sale trigger; positive PE experience with aligned culture.​🔹 Ralph’s best advice: Plan 3-5 years out, get processes documented, develop relationships, budget for earnouts (e.g., 5 years), and think from the buyer's perspective.​Connect With JohnLinkedIn -   / marshcreek  Connect With RalphLinkedIn -   / ralph-cimperman-sphr-mba  ​🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation:https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. John holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two daughters.#PowerExitPodcast #BusinessExit #SellYourBusiness #HROutsourcing #PEO #DueDiligence #BusinessPreparation #MultipleExits #AdvisorTeam #Earnout #PrivateEquity #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOwners #MarathonHR​

“A transaction is like brain surgery. You should have a neurologist, a brain surgeon working on it.” — Mitesh Patel​In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Mitesh Patel—Founder and Principal of Blue Sky Law, a boutique M&A law firm in the metro Atlanta area—to unpack what really separates sellers who are ready to transact from those who get surprised (and delayed) by the process. They dig into why overconfidence can derail a deal, why you “don’t know what you don’t know,” and how the right deal team helps you spot issues early—before the buyer does.​Mitesh breaks down the purchase agreement sections that matter most (and why), explains reps and warranties in plain English, and shares the post-closing risks sellers worry about—especially working capital and indemnification—so you can go into diligence prepared instead of playing defense.​You’ll learn:🔹 Why most owners only go through one transaction—and why that makes education and preparation non-negotiable.🔹 Why you need a deal-specific attorney (and why Mitesh compares M&A to “brain surgery”).🔹 The key purchase agreement sections to focus on: purchase terms/structure, reps & warranties, employment items, working capital, and indemnification.🔹 Real examples of reps & warranties (including litigation and even “threats of litigation”) and how problems show up after closing.🔹 How earnouts and rollover equity can add upside—but also shift control and increase seller risk.🔹 What legal due diligence really feels like (John’s “colonoscopy without the anesthetic” analogy) and what buyers request when they’re spending millions.🔹 Mitesh’s best advice in 60 seconds: start early, interview multiple firms, and build a team you can be fully honest with when things get hard.Connect With JohnLinkedIn -   / marshcreek  Connect With MiteshLinkedIn -   / miteshblueskylaw  🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation:https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. John holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two daughters.#powerexitpodcast #mergersandacquisitions #businessexit #sellyourbusiness #duediligence #workingcapital #privateequity #entrepreneurship #businessowners