The Exit Mindset
Why Every Business Should Be Built to Be Sold
It started over whiskey
A second-generation manufacturing owner leaned across the bar after a business owners conference I attended and said, “I’ll never sell this company. It’s my legacy.”
Three months before, he got the call: His biggest customer had pulled a contract, and the business, once bulletproof, was suddenly bleeding out. What was once his legacy now felt like an anchor.
This isn’t rare.
Most founders spend 90% of their time building and scaling, and zero time preparing for the only event that guarantees they’ll cash out: the exit.
And here’s the brutal truth:
Everyone eventually exits their business. Some by choice, some by circumstance. The only question is whether you’ll steer the process, or get swept under by it.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Most owners believe exits happen far in the future…when they’re ready. But readiness doesn’t come from time. It comes from design.
Whether you’re a $1.5M plumbing company, a $12M digital agency, or a $20M industrial services firm, the exit mindset changes everything. It forces clarity. It exposes value. And it builds optionality so you never end up forced into a fire sale or trapped inside the business you built to escape.
What’s worse? Too many operators delay “exit planning” because they assume it’s about spreadsheets, valuations, or finding a broker. It’s not. It’s a strategic mindset that should start the day you start your business.
Optimizing the exit
I’ve walked into meetings where there’s no succession plan, no financials ready, and no clear value proposition. They’re tired. They want out. But the business isn’t ready…and neither are they.
Contrast that with a different owner I met at the same conference: a founder who implemented changes 24 months before they planned to sell. They focused on a few critical plays:
• They repositioned their business model around recurring revenue.
• They documented their key processes to reduce “key person risk.”
• They identified strategic buyers, not just financial ones.
The result? Their exit was clean, fast, and above market. More importantly, they had control.
The moment you start thinking like a buyer, you start building real wealth.
Being ready
There’s a reason private equity calls it a “liquidity event.” An exit, when done right, is often the single biggest wealth-generating moment in your life. And it shouldn’t be left to chance.
That doesn’t mean you have to sell today. In fact, many of the best-run businesses never list: they get acquired because they look irresistible to a strategic buyer watching from afar.
The exit mindset doesn’t mean you’re selling tomorrow. It means you’re always ready.
It means:
• You understand what drives value in your industry.
• You reduce owner dependence.
• You optimize margins and customer concentration.
• You build a business someone else would be thrilled to own.
If you’ve ever said “I’ll never sell,” I get it. This business is your baby. But legacy doesn’t die with a sale, it scales. Especially when you design the exit to honor what you built.
The best founders don’t just build companies.
They build assets.
And the best assets have exit plans.
David Hermann, CEO of hermanngroup and M&A Advisor/Broker at Sunbelt Business Brokers of Colorado
David Hermann is a transformative advisor and strategist who turns complex business challenges into extraordinary successes. Known for driving over $500 million in documented financial improvements for clients, David partners with C-suite leaders to unlock their full potential. With 60+ speaking engagements, numerous publications, and a spot in the top 1% of Consulting Voices and top 1% of the Social Selling Index on LinkedIn, he’s passionate about making strategy, change leadership, and operations insightful and accessible.