The Reality of Building a Business You Can Actually Sell with Gavin Bell

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🌍 From the Shetland Islands to Scaling a Business

-Gavin shares what it was like growing up in the Shetland Islands and why leaving at 18 was almost inevitable if he wanted to build a business.

-With limited local opportunities and a strong entrepreneurial drive, he moved south and began experimenting with online ventures early on.

-Those early years laid the foundations for a mindset focused on independence, problem-solving, and long-term thinking.

🏗️ Building Yatter to Sell — Not to Be the Face of It

-After years of growing a personal brand, Gavin made the strategic decision to build Yatter as a business that could be sold without him.

-He deliberately separated himself from the brand, focused on systems and processes, and avoided relying on his own profile to win work.

-Every decision — from hiring to operations — was made with exitability in mind.

👥 Hiring, Culture & Scaling to a 12-Person Team

-Yatter grew methodically from a one-man band to a 12-person agency without external investment.

-Gavin discusses why he often hired for attitude over experience and trained people internally.

-He challenges the idea that culture is “values on a wall”, explaining that real culture is behaviour, energy, and how people feel walking into the office.

🌐 The “Halo Effect” of Long-Term Marketing

-Some of Yatter’s best clients didn’t convert for months — sometimes over a year — after first seeing ads.

-Gavin describes the “halo effect”, where repeated exposure builds familiarity and trust long before a buying decision is made.

-He explains why attribution is often misleading and why not everything that works can be tracked perfectly.

🤖 AI, Personal Branding & Cutting Through the Noise

-As AI-generated content explodes, Gavin believes personal branding is becoming more important, not less.

-People are increasingly drawn to real voices, real experiences, and genuine opinions.

-He shares how he uses AI as a thinking partner, productivity tool, and decision aid — while warning against relying on it to replace authenticity.

💼 Selling Yatter — A One-Year Exit Process

-Gavin walks through the reality of selling an agency, from hiring M&A advisors to packaging the business for buyers.

-The deal took a full year and was completed one minute before midnight ahead of major tax changes.

-He reflects on the emotional toll of the process and the relief that came with finally closing the deal.

🏡 Property, Wealth & Why Business Came First

-Although Gavin successfully renovated and flipped several properties, he chose not to scale a large portfolio.

-He explains why, for him, capital and energy delivered better returns inside a business than in property.

-Property became a wealth preserver rather than a growth vehicle — a strategic decision based on skillset and time.

🧠 Life After Exit, Identity & What’s Next

-After stepping away completely, Gavin shares the unexpected challenge of redefining identity without a business to run.

-He talks openly about slowing down, spending time with family, and reintroducing sport and balance into daily life.

-The episode closes with a look ahead to his next venture — a tech-led healthcare business built around solving real-world problems.