If your business disappeared from under you tomorrow, would your balance sheet, cash strategy, and exit plan keep you standing?

In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Mark Willis, CFP®, and David Barnett, best-selling author and veteran buy/sell advisor. Together, they unpack their new book The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect, and Exit Your Business with Confidence. David shares what thousands of real-world transactions reveal about banker risk, valuation blind spots, and why owners too often discover their exit gap too late. Mark outlines liquidity-first strategies, “be your own line of credit” concepts, and how fortress-style cash design creates moats for growth, resilience in shocks, and negotiation power at exit.

Key Takeaways:

→ How scaling low-margin activities dilutes valuation.

→ Why you should build strength before deploying capital.

→ How golden-handcuff tools help keep key clients through growth and transition.

→ Why internal, policy-style lending frameworks can shorten cycles and capture distressed opportunities.

→ Where you store your cash changes how you act and how stable stores enable decisive moves, acquisitions, and better terms across the table.

Mark Willis, CFP® is a man on a mission to help you think differently about your money, your economy and your future. Mark is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, a three-time #1 Best Selling Author and the owner of Lake Growth Financial Services, a financial firm in Chicago, Illinois. As co-host of the Not Your Average Financial Podcast™, he shares some of his strategies for investing in real estate, paying for college without going broke, and creating an income in retirement you will not outlive. Mark works with people who want to grow their wealth in ways that are safe and predictable, to become their own source of financing, and create tax-free income in retirement.

International speaker, author, and consultant David C. Barnett has spent over two decades guiding small and medium-sized business owners through buying, selling, financing, and managing their companies. He is the author of ten books, including the best-selling How to Sell My Own Business, and creator of the Business Buyer Advantage program. Barnett’s YouTube channel and podcast reach a global audience, with over 2.9 million views and 667,000 podcast downloads. Recognized for making complex deal-making concepts accessible, David works with entrepreneurs worldwide to structure successful transactions and avoid common pitfalls. His engaging talks and workshops equip audiences with actionable insights for building and exiting businesses strategically.

Connect With Mark:

Website: https://lakegrowth.com/

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

X: https://x.com/lakegrowth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklakegrowth/

Connect With David:

Website: https://www.davidcbarnett.com/

Website: https://www.davidcbarnettlist.com/

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

X: https://twitter.com/DBarnettMoncton

LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/davidbarnettmoncton

If your brand feels too small to matter, this blueprint shows why that might be your unfair advantage.

In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Mark Rampolla, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner at GroundForce Capital, who unpacks how a niche idea became a global category. Mark shares the strategy that took ZICO from yoga studios in NYC to nationwide shelves, the discipline behind constant pitching and fundraising, and why exits aren’t the finish line. He also discusses his new book on putting freedom first, and his work at Ground Force Capital (backer of brands like Liquid Death and Beyond Meat), helping founders scale both their companies and their lives.

Key Takeaways:

→ Why “inch-wide, mile-deep” focus beats broad launches for breakthrough CPG growth.

→ How pairing a product with a specific usage occasion (post-hot yoga) created early traction.

→ The surprising first hurdle: taste—and how “preach to the choir” accelerates momentum.

→ Fundraising reality: why you either get profitable fast or get great at raising—continuously.

→ The nine-year “overnight success” mindset and the decade-long horizon most wins require.

Mark Rampolla is Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner at GroundForce Capital (GFC), where he works closely with founders and teams to build impactful businesses. He has represented GFC on the boards of leading companies, including Vive Organic, OWYN, Liquid Death, Kinder Farms, Flying Embers, and ZICO Rising. Prior to GFC, Mark founded and served as CEO of ZICO Beverages, pioneering the coconut water category and growing the brand into a global leader before its acquisition by The Coca-Cola Company in 2013. Earlier in his career, he held senior management roles at International Paper, overseeing joint ventures across Latin America and the Caribbean. A Peace Corps alum, Mark has advised more than 100 CEOs, raised over $1B, and invested in 40+ social-impact startups. He is the author of High-Hanging Fruit and holds degrees from Marquette University and Duke University.

Connect With Mark:

Website: https://www.markrampolla.co/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksrampolla/

Explore how strategic leadership, global legal expertise, and a forward-thinking mindset help companies navigate expansion, talent acquisition, and innovation in today’s fast-moving markets.

In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Dean Fealk, Northern California Co-Managing Partner at DLA Piper and WSJ Best-Selling Author, who has decades of experience guiding technology companies through global expansion, talent strategy, and market growth. A former international practitioner with work spanning East Asia and Northern California, Dean has advised top-tier clients like IBM, McDonald’s, and Pfizer, as well as contributing to civic organizations and three U.S. presidential campaigns. In this episode, he shares lessons on scaling businesses, leading diverse teams, and applying strategic legal and operational insight to real-world challenges.

Key Takeaways:

→ Strategies for helping companies expand into new markets with minimal friction.

→ Balancing global corporate standards with local flexibility for success.

→ The importance of hiring and empowering top talent in different regions.

→ Lessons from advising major multinational clients and navigating complex business environments.

→ Dean’s experience contributing to civic organizations and U.S. presidential campaigns.

Dean Fealk is the Northern California co-managing partner at global law firm DLA Piper and a recognized citizen statesperson tackling international issues at the intersection of business, politics, and security. With 25+ years advising multinational companies on over $40 billion in cross-border transactions, Dean brings unparalleled expertise on how geopolitics impacts business and economy. A Wall Street Journal bestselling author and Chief Influencer, his insights appear in Forbes, Fast Company, and The Atlantic. Dean serves on numerous international security organizations including the Halifax International Security Forum and co-founded Transatlantic West to strengthen Silicon Valley-Europe relations. His leadership in global diplomacy has earned him designations as a Fulbright Scholar, Eisenhower Fellow, and Council on Foreign Relations life member.

Connect With Dean:

Website: https://www.dlapiper.com/en-us

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

X: https://x.com/DLA_Piper

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dla-piper/