40 | How to Sell Your Business and Maximize Its Value: Exit Strategies for Business Owners
Are you building a business you could sell tomorrow, or are hidden mistakes quietly draining its value?
In this episode, Bill joins a roundtable discussion with host Peter Levy, and other powerhouse leaders, including M&A dealmaker Alan Sharfstein, serial entrepreneur Bill Bartzak, strategic advisor Bill Barrett, and hands-on exit veteran John Peck. Together, they deconstruct the most urgent and overlooked truths about navigating the sale of your business, from killer red flags and ruthless buyer tactics to essential “owner’s playbooks” for every stage.
If you’re tempted to DIY your deal, break this habit now. Tune in to protect your life’s work, avoid devastating oversights, and hear real-world insights you won’t find anywhere else. Listen now before the next buyer knocks. By then, you need to be ready.
Timestamped Highlights
[00:11] – The candid, emotional question that every seller must dare to ask
[07:39] – How legendary entrepreneurs survived—and thrived—by switching lanes
[09:47] – Why today’s M&A market is exploding with both risk and opportunity
[14:00] – The one “secret mentor” move that multiplies your business value overnight
[21:27] – Shocking? How recurring revenue rewrites your exit story…or kills it
[27:20] – The DIY disaster: True stories of owners who left millions on the table
[34:07] – The “reverse diligence” test: Are you the buyer…or being bought?
[41:12] – Fatal red flags, stealthy earnouts, and the non-negotiables in every deal
[48:48] – When to bring your team into the trust circle—and how to handle it
[54:28] – How top buyers quietly poach your secrets…and how to block them
About the Speakers
Peter Levy is Senior Counsel at Mandelbaum Barrett, where he has called home for the past 11 years. As a trusted legal advisor and frequent moderator, Peter brings deep experience and pride in representing one of the finest law firms in the industry. With a longstanding reputation for strategic insight and an engaging, client-centered approach, Peter regularly facilitates panels and seminars for business owners, focusing on topics like exit strategies, business transitions, and personal growth within entrepreneurial careers. His perspective incorporates lessons from leading experts, blending practical business advice with inspiration from renowned thought leaders.
Alan Sharfstein is Founder & CEO of The DAK Group and has led more than 750 successful middle-market transactions with a reputation for combining Wall Street expertise and hands-on entrepreneurial insight.
Bill Bartzak is CEO of Kai Group Holdings, serial entrepreneur, and an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year who built and exited MD Online to Bain Capital—a model for building resilient, sell-ready companies.
John Peck is the President of NERCA (North/East Roofing Contractors Association) and is a commercial roofing industry leader known for scaling, systematizing, and selling his business to private equity—proving operational excellence is your best sales pitch.
Adam Schlossberg is Managing Partner at Northeast Sequoia Private Client Group, named to Forbes’ Top State Advisors, helping business owners turn exits into legacies.
Mentioned Resources
- AccuTitle
- Seton Hall Business School
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Bain Capital
- ESOP and equity incentive plans
- West Point (Angela Duckworth “Grit” research)
Important Links
- 🌐Work with us and our law firm: https://rebrand.ly/1f443a
- 🔗Let’s connect on LinkedIn: https://rebrand.ly/440d22
Fingerprints on Success is an original podcast, brought to you by William “Bill” Barrett. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.
