Sold for Millions. Banned From the Only Thing You’re Good At w/ Stephen Boatwright & Brian T. Franco

Most founders think about price first. The people who close deals for a living will tell you the terms, the structure, and the paper matter just as much. This week attorney Stephen Boatwright joins me to share what he has seen in nearly 40 years of M&A, on deals from a few million dollars to nearly a billion. In this episode, you’ll learn: 00:00 Introduction 01:43 The non-compete most founders overlook 04:03 What do you want to exit into? 05:42 Public vs. private capital 09:23 Going public: a tool, not a trophy 11:05 What public boards show about buyers, sellers, and governance 11:36 Why hot labels like AI can inflate multiples 14:03 What founders should know before facing a buyer 15:41 The first step before you call a lawyer 17:04 Closing thoughts Comment “EXIT” for my free guide, The 10 Fatal Mistakes That Kill Your Exit and Steal Your Legacy. Comment “MERITAGE” if you want to book a call with us. 🎧 Listen or watch: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SJ1... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 📘 Get my book, Inevitable Exit: https://inevitableexit.com 🎁 Free download: The 10 Fatal Mistakes That Kill Your Exit and Steal Your Legacy: https://inevitableexit.com 📅 Book time with my team at Meritage Partners: https://ro.am/meritage-partners/meet-... 🚀 Join us at Empire Builder: https://empire-builder.com Connect with Stephen Boatwright: www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-boatwright-8b5600a #MandA #ExitPlanning #EnterpriseValue #NonCompete #DealStructure #SellYourBusiness #MeritagePartners #TheMAGuyPodcast Brian Franco is the Founder & CEO of Meritage Partners, author of Inevitable Exit, and the creator of Empire Builder. He helps founder-led businesses build real enterprise value and prepare for the future. On this channel, we share insights on M&A, exit strategy, business growth, leadership, and building companies that scale beyond the founder. 👍 Like the video 🔔 Subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss new episodes and insights 🎧 Listen to The M&A Guy Podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7duZnps... Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 👤 Follow Brian Franco LinkedIn:   / briantfranco   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Instagram:   / brian_t_franco   TikTok:   / thebrianfranco   X (Twitter): https://x.com/brian_t_franco 📖 Get the Book | Inevitable Exit https://inevitableexit.com/book-v4 🚀 Empire Builder University Learn how to build a company that creates real enterprise value, operational freedom, and long-term growth. 👉 Join Empire Builder University: https://empire-builder.com/special/ 🏢 Meritage Partners is an M&A advisory firm helping founder-led businesses navigate valuations, capital strategy, and successful exits.