Why Chasing Revenue Is Killing Your Business | Adam Coffey on Scaling to a 9-Figure Exit

Adam Coffey went from Army sergeant and "guy in a truck" to building three private equity-backed companies, closing 58+ acquisitions, and generating $2.5 billion in exits. In this episode of Nine Figure Exits, he breaks down exactly how founders scale, raise capital, and sell their business for maximum value. If you run a service business, a blue-collar company, or any founder-led business and want to scale past $10M, work with private equity, or plan your exit strategy, this conversation is your playbook. In this episode, Doug Foley and Adam Coffey cover: → Why unit economics matter more than revenue growth ("fix one truck, fix 6,000") → The 30-20-10 rule for gross margin, overhead, and net profit → Why founders stall between $10M and $30M, and how to go from first chair to conductor → The truth about private equity: myths, buyout funds, and minority stakes → The Rule of 130: how to know if your net worth is dangerously concentrated in your business → How to raise capital by treating money better than it's used to being treated → How a well-written thesis raised $100M before buying a single company → What to fix 12 months before you sell (sell-side quality of earnings, accrual accounting, EBITDA multiples) → How one founder went from $500K in profit to a $31M offer in two years ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:52 The billion-dollar exit that changed everything 02:47 From Army sergeant to GE turnaround specialist 05:13 Fix one truck, fix 6,000: unit-level economics 08:10 Why founders stall at $10–30M in revenue 10:24 Loyalty traps and the 30:1 manager ratio 12:39 The 30-20-10 rule 14:31 Growth is expensive: self-funding vs. private equity 17:24 The truth about private equity 19:43 The Rule of 130 and asset diversification 22:02 Why selling a minority stake can cost you 24:54 Money is a separate expertise 27:17 Treat money better than it's used to being treated 29:37 How a thesis raised $100M with no company attached 31:57 The deals Adam rejects in five minutes 38:13 What to fix 12 months before selling your business 40:37 Sell-side quality of earnings and accrual accounting 43:35 Where to find Adam Coffey 45:58 Why not you? The final lesson 48:07 From $500K profit to a $31M offer in two years 📚 ADAM COFFEY'S BOOKS The Private Equity Playbook: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544513267?...] The Exit Strategy Playbook: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HL7NC7L?...] Empire Builder: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMF2JN9M?...] 🔗 CONNECT WITH ADAM LinkedIn: [  / adamecoffey  ] 🎙️ NINE FIGURE EXITS Hosted by Doug Foley. Real conversations with the operators, investors, and dealmakers who've built and sold companies at the highest level. Subscribe for new episodes. #privateequity #exitstrategy #sellyourbusiness #businessgrowth #entrepreneur #mergersandacquisitions #scaling #adamcoffey #ninefigureexits