Most businesses don’t lose value because of one bad decision. They lose it slowly, while everything still looks fine on paper. This episode delivers a clear reality check on how business valuation quietly erodes when leaders rely on outdated assumptions, familiar metrics, and past wins. It focuses on fixing misalignment early, before small gaps turn into costly consequences.

In this episode of The Business Emergency Room, host Maartje van Krieken explores a moment many leaders miss. It happens when the way you see your business no longer matches how the market sees it. Valuation does not fall apart overnight. It weakens when old numbers go unquestioned and important signals are ignored.

This conversation is designed for founders and leadership teams who feel confident in their results yet sense tension beneath the surface. Maartje explains why silence in meetings does not mean alignment, how past success can create false security, and why teams often stop pushing back long before problems show up in the numbers.

Rather than leading with fear, the episode offers practical ways to realign while you still have options. Through regular check-ins, outside perspective, and honest benchmarking, leaders can stay grounded in what actually creates value today.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 When Your Business Story No Longer Matches Market Reality

04:15 How Misalignment Quietly Destroys Business Value

09:10 Emotional Bias and Business Valuation Mistakes

14:45 The Seven Warning Signs of Business Misalignment

17:30 Silent Teams and Misleading Growth Metrics

23:10 Valuation Hangovers and Outdated Growth Benchmarks

29:40 Why Investors and Buyers Challenge Your Valuation

35:50 Leadership Risk and the Key Person Dependency Problem

41:20 Practical Tools for Fixing Misalignment Early

52:30 Building Ongoing Reality Checks Into Your Business

Connect with Maartje van Krieken:

Connect with Maartje on LinkedIn

Visit The Chaos Games Consulting website

Visit The Business Emergency Room website

Subscribe to The Business Emergency Room on YouTube

Subscribe to Maartje’s Substack

Host Maartje van Krieken is a crisis strategist and decision-making expert who thrives in high-stakes business environments. Combining disaster management training, hands-on experience in global industries, and leadership skills honed as a seasoned sailor, she helps businesses navigate chaos with precision. Whether tackling transformation, scaling challenges, or leadership bottlenecks, Maartje delivers actionable insights to turn turbulence into traction.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm