Scale Up With Nick Bradley

Nick shares his past struggles as a CEO being overwhelmed by too many metrics, which led to poor decision-making and a difficult board meeting. He argues that most CEOs drown in "vanity metrics" that don't actually reflect a business' true value.  To combat this, he introduces The Ultimate CEO Dashboard, detailing the five most crucial numbers that private equity operating partners consistently demand and that truly determine a business' enterprise value and potential for a premium exit KEY TAKEAWAYS Stop tracking dozens of "vanity metrics" and focus only on the five crucial numbers that determine if your business is building or destroying value. Private Equity values the ability to accurately forecast revenue (pipeline coverage) and profitability (EBITDA margin) more than just raw revenue growth. Wildly inaccurate forecasts, even if positive, can be penalised. Cash runway is the oxygen of your business, which must be tracked weekly. However, EBITDA growth (profit) is the metric that determines your exit multiple and creates real financial value. Customer concentration (when a few clients drive a large percentage of revenue) is the number one silent deal killer and can instantly drop a business's valuation by 30% to 50%. BEST MOMENTS "The board partner at the time said, 'Nick, I don't care about your NPS score, your net promoter score. He said, do we have cash or not?'" "More metrics can sometimes mean worse decisions." "You can't cost-cut your way to a premium exit. You need growth plus margin expansion." "If you're only looking at revenue, you're driving by looking in the rearview mirror." VALUABLE RESOURCES Want a one-pager that breaks down The Ultimate CEO Dashboard — the exact 5 metrics that determine your company’s enterprise value? DM Nick with the words "CEO Dashboard" on LinkedIn, and he or his team will send you a copy of the cheat sheet so you can start applying it in your business right away. To get your copy of Nick’s new book, go to https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exit-Millions-Private-Blueprint-Business/dp/1068243902 Exit Your Business For Millions - Download This Guide: ⁠go.highvalueexit.com/opt-in ⁠ Nick’s LinkedIn: ⁠https://highvalueexit.com/li⁠ Nick Bradley is a world-renowned author, speaker, and business growth expert, who works with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to build, scale and sell high-value companies. He spent 10+ years working in Private Equity, where he oversaw 100+ acquisitions, 26 exits, and over $5 Billion in combined value created. He has one of the top-ranked business podcasts in the UK (with over 1m downloads in over 130 countries). He now spends his time coaching and consulting business owners in building and scaling high-value business towards life-changing exits. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Nick talks to the amazing Callum Laing about the crucial role of networking and connections in achieving success, particularly for founders and business owners.  Callum emphasises that talent alone isn't enough; success is driven by who you know and how you leverage that network, sharing personal experiences of building a network from scratch and introducing his "CARES" framework (Connections, Authority, Reach, Equity, Service). KEY TAKEAWAYS Success in the modern world requires more than just talent; it hinges on building and leveraging a strong network Callum's framework outlines five pillars for building a powerful career: Connections (who you know), Authority (what makes you worth listening to), Reach (surface area for luck/opportunities), Equity (creating ownership opportunities), and Service (who you are trying to help). The most powerful way to grow a network is by constantly giving value without immediate expectation of return Instead of simply trying to sell one product, successful networkers build an ecosystem of services and solutions BEST MOMENTS "Most of the value that we deliver in the world actually has a lot less to do with us and a lot more to do with who we're connected to." "If you're in the wrong room, it doesn't matter how talented you are, how hard-working you are—you're not going to get fully compensated for it." "The way I think about reach is about surface area of luck." VALUABLE RESOURCES To get your copy of Nick’s new book, go to ⁠https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exit-Millions-Private-Blueprint-Business/dp/1068243902⁠ Exit Your Business For Millions - Download This Guide: ⁠go.highvalueexit.com/opt-in ⁠ Nick’s LinkedIn: ⁠https://highvalueexit.com/li⁠ Nick Bradley is a world-renowned author, speaker, and business growth expert, who works with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to build, scale and sell high-value companies. He spent 10+ years working in Private Equity, where he oversaw 100+ acquisitions, 26 exits, and over $5 Billion in combined value created. He has one of the top-ranked business podcasts in the UK (with over 1m downloads in over 130 countries). He now spends his time coaching and consulting business owners in building and scaling high-value business towards life-changing exits. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Nick presents founders and business owners with a powerful diagnostic tool—the Business Model Diagnosis—to address stalled growth, which is often mistakenly attributed to poor marketing or sales. He breaks down the five core components of any successful business model—Customer Segments, Value Proposition, Revenue Model, Delivery Mechanism, and Operational Excellence—and presents 15 key questions designed to evaluate and optimise the entire business engine KEY TAKEAWAYS Stalled growth is often a symptom of a broken business model (the core engine of the business) and not just a marketing or sales problem, requiring a shift in perspective to look at the business from a higher, 30,000-foot perspective. The business model is comprised of five core, interrelated components: Customer Segments, Value Proposition, Revenue Model, Delivery Mechanism, and Operational Excellence. A powerful strategy is to trim product lines and audiences and "cut to your most profitable customer" to reduce complexity and focus resources on what is driving the most valuable growth. Founders can unlock rapid growth by re-engineering the revenue model, which includes adding recurring revenue, introducing tiered pricing, or offering performance-based upsells to increase order value and customer lifetime value. BEST MOMENTS "If growth is stalled, it's probably not your sales team, it's probably not your marketing funnel either. The truth, most of the time from my experience, is your business model. So let's fix that today." "You don't need perfect scores, but if you've got weak points across, as I said, two to three of these areas, that's likely the root cause of your growth issues for now." "When your business model is right, everything else gets easier. When it's wrong, nothing works. So you've got to fix the business model first." VALUABLE RESOURCES To get your copy of Nick’s new book, go to ⁠https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exit-Millions-Private-Blueprint-Business/dp/1068243902⁠ Nick’s LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/realnickbradley/ DM me the words “BUSINESS MODEL”, and I’ll share a simple, powerful framework I use with clients to identify the hidden constraints that stop a company from scaling. Nick Bradley is a world-renowned author, speaker, and business growth expert, who works with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to build, scale and sell high-value companies. He spent 10+ years working in Private Equity, where he oversaw 100+ acquisitions, 26 exits, and over $5 Billion in combined value created. He has one of the top-ranked business podcasts in the UK (with over 1m downloads in over 130 countries). He now spends his time coaching and consulting business owners in building and scaling high-value business towards life-changing exits. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Nick is proud to announce his new book, "Exit For Millions: The Private Equity Blueprint for Scaling and Selling Your Business for Maximum Value," which aims to level the playing field for founders when dealing with sophisticated buyers.  He shares the importance of taking time off to practice what he preaches about freedom and optionality and details the book's core focus: the "Scale to Sale™️" methodology with five pillars designed to transform a company into an investor-grade asset, ensuring founders achieve significant, generation-defining wealth and financial independence upon exit. KEY TAKEAWAYS Significant, generational wealth is created at the exit of a business, not just through operations, which requires shifting one's identity from operator to owner to be the "prize" and not the "prey". The Scale to Sale™️ methodology has five pillars: establish a clear end game; strengthen the foundations (remove complexity and risk); scale fast and expand value (accelerate growth); prepare and profit up (maximize valuation); and exit for the highest multiple. Buyers pay for proof, predictability, systems, and sustainable business models—not for potential alone. The goal is to build a predictable, repeatable, and sustainable business. Focusing on three core value levers—organic growth, strategic growth (e.g., debt/equity and partnerships), and multiple expansion (building the business to drive transfer value)—will give the highest bump in a company's valuation. BEST MOMENTS "If you can’t build a business that works for you, you end up in a bit of a prison, right? So, you know, I like to be able to practice what I preach". "My mission here is to help founders, to help business owners transform their company into an investor-grade asset, something that an investor would see as valuable". "The core piece of what I'm trying to get across, is that point of optionality. So, even if selling is not where you're at right now, but you want to reverse engineer from a potential event like that in the future, then everything in the book is geared around that outcome". "They don’t pay for potential. And people kind of think it’s about what the business can become. Yes, it is, but it’s about showing what the business can become with proof of what it has been". VALUABLE RESOURCES To get your copy of Nick’s new book, go to ⁠https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exit-Millions-Private-Blueprint-Business/dp/1068243902⁠ Exit Your Business For Millions - Download This Guide: ⁠https://go.highvalueexit.com/opt-in Nick’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realnickbradley/ Nick Bradley is a world-renowned author, speaker, and business growth expert, who works with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to build, scale and sell high-value companies. He spent 10+ years working in Private Equity, where he oversaw 100+ acquisitions, 26 exits, and over $5 Billion in combined value created. He has one of the top-ranked business podcasts in the UK (with over 1m downloads in over 130 countries). He now spends his time coaching and consulting business owners in building and scaling high-value business towards life-changing exits. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Explore how elite private equity firms like KKR and Blackstone scale operations through tactical improvements, not just acquisitions. Learn the importance of a structured 100-day plan to uncover hidden value and streamline processes. Discover the role of effective leadership in executing growth strategies and the necessity of replacing underperforming team members. The conversation emphasizes that growth can be systematically engineered, rather than left to chance, providing founders with actionable insights to elevate their own businesses.

Generative AI is reshaping the landscape of business, enhancing productivity and streamlining operations. It’s not just about replacing jobs but leveraging technology to eliminate friction. Personal journeys highlight key tools like ChatGPT and Jasper that facilitate content creation and operational efficiency. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to develop their own AI toolkits and automate tasks, with team roles dedicated to AI integration. The potential to fuel business growth through intelligent AI application is immense.

Allison Maslan, an expert in scaling businesses and author of "Scale or Fail," shares her entrepreneurial journey from starting her first business at 19. She draws parallels between trapeze artistry and entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of stepping out of comfort zones. The conversation highlights the necessity of a strategic vision, effective cash flow management, and cultivating a strong team culture. Maslan also discusses leadership pitfalls and the value of mentorship in fostering growth and innovation within businesses.

Rohan Sheth, co-founder of GrowRev, is a seasoned expert in paid media advertising, managing over $300 million in ad spend. He shares valuable insights on the transformative power of paid advertising for scaling businesses. Rohan addresses common fears about ad spending and emphasizes the importance of customer lifetime value. He explores the strengths of different platforms like LinkedIn and Snapchat for lead generation. Plus, he discusses the critical role of clear messaging and AI tools in optimizing ad performance, ensuring businesses stay ahead in a competitive market.

Nick talks about his recent decision to reenter the world of Private Equity after a six-year hiatus, driven by a desire to align his values with the industry. He reflects on past experiences, including the challenges of value extraction versus value creation, and the personal journey that led to their departure from Private Equity. The discussion highlights the current macro shifts in the market, including the wealth transition of baby boomers and the increasing need for strategic partnerships in private equity. Nick discusses the importance of mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs, advocating for a new model of private equity that focuses on collaboration and shared value creation.  KEY TAKEAWAYS There is a significant shift in private equity towards operator-led and founder-led value creation, moving away from merely deploying capital. This evolution presents new opportunities for strategic partnerships with businesses. The retirement of baby boomers is leading to a wave of small-cap and lower mid-market opportunities, creating a pressing need for succession planning and business consolidation. Advances in technology, particularly AI, are transforming business models and enabling service businesses to scale globally, which presents opportunities for founders to leverage these changes for increased value. The aim is to redefine Private Equity as a vehicle for freedom, growth, and shared wealth, emphasising the importance of partnering with entrepreneurs to create mutual value rather than focusing solely on exits. BEST MOMENTS "I decided to leave because of a lot of things that happened during my decade in that industry that didn't align with my values." "I can't sit there saying how bad some of these different situations are... I shouldn't be just throwing stones at something and not trying to fix it." "There's a big explosion of small cap and lower mid-market opportunities... to allow founders to exit gracefully and elegantly is huge." "Entrepreneurship is a team sport at the best of times. You don't want to be the person who's having to pull everything uphill." "My mission around it really is to redefine private equity as a vehicle for freedom and growth and wealth, not just the exit." VALUABLE RESOURCES Scale Your Business Beyond 8 Figures - Watch This Video: https://go.highvalueexit.com/scale-beyond  Exit Your Business For Millions - Download This Guide: https://go.highvalueexit.com/opt-in  Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li Nick Bradley is a world-renowned author, speaker, and business growth expert, who works with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to build, scale and sell high-value companies. He spent 10+ years working in Private Equity, where he oversaw 100+ acquisitions, 26 exits, and over $5 Billion in combined value created. He has one of the top-ranked business podcasts in the UK (with over 1m downloads in over 130 countries). He now spends his time coaching and consulting business owners in building and scaling high-value business towards life-changing exits.   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/Support the show: https://highvalueexit.com/

Pat Flynn, a seasoned entrepreneur and host of the Smart Passive Income podcast, shares his inspiring journey from architect to thriving business owner. He discusses the power of authenticity and storytelling in building genuine connections with an audience. Flynn emphasizes 'lean learning,' focusing on small, manageable steps rather than overwhelming mastery. He highlights the significance of finding a niche and adopting an iterative approach to business, encouraging listeners to embrace simplicity for greater success and personal growth.