I Built a $9M Company And Got Nothing
Moneywise
Intro
Host and sponsor introductions set up the episode about a founder who lost a $9M exit due to no written agreement.
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Kevin Bartchlett built a $9M compost toilet company from the ground up – and walked away with nothing. No contract, no payout, just a handshake. That blind faith turned into a hard lesson in trust that cost him everything – and now, the reason he’s rebuilding on his own terms.
Here’s what we talk about:
- Building a $9M business from scratch – with zero equity in writing
- The moment he realized his million-dollar payday was gone
- How a $9M sale turned into $0 overnight
- What “sweat equity” really means when it’s only a handshake
- How trusting the wrong partner cost him ownership and peace of mind
- Why he still refuses to be angry about it
- What he’s building next (yep, it involves flying cars)
- The lesson behind it all: if you’re going to bet on yourself, go all in
Cool Links:
- Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/
- Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/
- Kevin Bartchlett https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-a-bartchlett-262233ba/
Sponsors:
- Get a team of AI agents that run compliance for you at delve.co/moneywise
- Achieve your dream body with dailybodycoach.com/moneywise
- Join 700+ founders hiring A-players in Latin America at hirewithnear.com/moneywise
Chapters:
- (1:58) Building a Compostable Toilet Empire – The Dream of a Big Exit
- (3:22) When Expectations & Reality Collide
- (4:24) Picking Up the Pieces: What Happens After the Deal
- (6:01) The True Cost of Not Getting It in Writing
- (9:41) Why Compostable Toilets?
- (11:21) Meeting His Future Partner & Early Roles
- (14:56) Overinvested, Under-Rewarded: The Ownership Dilemma
- (20:28) Chasing Success, Counting the Cost
- (22:28) The Road to Resignation
- (24:49) Finding Empathy for His Partner
- (27:02) New Ventures: Flying Cars
- (29:12) Reflections – Betting on Yourself
This podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.
Your Host: Harry Morton
- Founder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.
- Co-parents a cow named Eliza.
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