Thinking about selling your company someday? Most founders wait until it’s too late to prepare their business for a clean, valuable exit.

In this episode, I chat with Niraj Shah, M&A Advisor and 5x Founder, about what really makes a company exit-ready. We dig into mindset traps, deal-killers, and the simple actions you can take right now to set up your business for maximum value, whether you sell this year or ten years from now.

🔍 What we cover:

• Why “exit readiness” starts years before you sell
• The biggest founder blind spots during M&A
• How to identify red flags buyers will uncover
• The emotional side of letting go

📣 Want to turn your business into a valuable asset—on your terms? Let’s talk.

🔗 Resources & Guest Links:

• Niraj Shah: Website, LinkedIn, Newsletter
• The Messy Marketplace by Brent Beshore
• Exit Strategy by Sherry Walling & Rob Walling

Success isn’t just about hustle—it’s about surviving the chaos of growth.

Jason Long knows this better than most. After building a 30-person agency, he lost it all in the 2008 crash, nearly died in a horrific car accident, and spent years rebuilding both his businesses and himself.

In this episode, Jason and I get real about what scaling actually takes—the mistakes most entrepreneurs make, and the systems that separate struggling founders from professional CEOs.

Here’s what you’ll hear:

• Why 80-hour work weeks are a badge of failure, not success
• The accident that forced Jason to rebuild his brain—and his businesses
• How private equity taught him the power of financial literacy
• The frameworks he blends (EOS, OKRs, forecasting) to actually scale companies
• The mindset shift that frees entrepreneurs from burnout

This one’s raw, practical, and packed with lessons you can apply today.

👉 Looking for a roadmap to scale with less stress? Let's talk.

🔗 Resources & Guest Links:

• Jason Long: Website, Ascendance, Tangent Solutions, JH Media Group

What if stepping back from your business didn’t mean losing control—but gaining clarity?

In this episode, I talk with Margo Crawford, founder of Business Sherpa Group, about the five-year succession plan that helped her shift from CEO to Chair—and the deep mental work it took to let go without giving up.

You’ll learn:

• When to start planning your exit (spoiler: not when you're ready to leave)
• How to prepare your team to lead without you
• Why most founder burnout is rooted in back-office friction
• How to measure success in more than revenue

If you're overwhelmed by complexity or craving more freedom, this one’s worth a listen.

🎯 Listen now + explore what's next for your business. 👉 Chat with A.J.

🔗 Resources & Guest Links:

• Margo Crawford: LinkedIn
• Business Sherpa Group Resources