What does it really take to sell your company for life-changing money?

In this episode of THE EXIT, I sit down with Mark Macleod — former CFO of Shopify and FreshBooks, founder of SurePath Capital, and the coach behind over $1B in successful exits — to uncover the real truth behind the startup exit process.

We talk about:

- The biggest mistakes founders make during an exit

- The psychology of selling your company (and what comes after)

- Why most earn-outs are traps

- How Marc built his post-exit life around mindfulness, purpose, and founder performance

- Tactical advice on aligning with acquirers and investment bankers

- Why your physical and mental health are the #1 growth tools as a founder

If you're building, scaling, or selling a venture-backed startup, this is the episode you can't afford to miss.

Subscribe for more real conversations with world-class founders, investors, and M&A experts.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction of Mark Macleod

01:00 Mark's Background in Venture-Backed Startups

02:15 Yahoo Purchasing Facebook?

04:30 What Makes for a Successful Acquisition?

06:24 Why I Avoid Earnouts

07:55 Psychological Aspects of Selling a Company

09:55 Founder Burnout and Recovery Time

12:36 Importance of Being Present

13:20 Fitness and Mental Health for CEOs

20:00 The Role of Coaching in Startups

21:34 Operational Experience in Coaching

26:20 Two Things You Need to Succeed in Business

29:04 What Founders Get Wrong Pre-Exit

32:30 Should Founders Work With I-Bankers and When?

41:28 Avoiding Exit Landmines

48:24 Coaching and Providing Tough Feedback

49:44 Creating a Massive Business You Never Want to Exit

🔗 Follow the Guests & HostsTHE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.group

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Mark Macleod – https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/

Adrian Salamunovic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriansalamunovic/

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