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Your business is growing. Your team is expanding. Revenue is climbing. But here's a question worth asking: Is your company culture keeping up?   Maintaining a strong culture as you grow starts with hiring great people, trusting them to lead, and making sure your values show up in everyday decisions. Growth shouldn't mean losing what made your business successful in the first place. For Ed Mitzen, founder of the Fingerpaint Group, protecting company culture was a priority as he grew the business to $250 million in annual revenue and approximately 800 employees. In this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, Ed joins host Dara Shareef to share what he learned about culture, growing a business, choosing a private equity partner, and transitioning out of day-to-day leadership. Whether you're scaling your business or considering a future sale, discover how to protect what you've built, make confident decisions, and prepare for your next chapter.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN · Learn how you can maintain a strong company culture as your business grows. · Build stronger teams by hiring talented people and empowering leaders.  · Understand why cultural alignment matters when you choose a private equity partner. · Gain insights into how you can evaluate acquisitions while protecting your company's values.  · Explore how you can build a business that thrives without your constant involvement.    EPISODE CHAPTERS   00:00:00 – How to Protect Company Culture as You Grow 00:00:54 – Meet Ed Mitzen, Founder of Fingerpaint Group and Co-Founder of the Business for Good Foundation 00:03:19 – Building a $250 Million Business 00:05:03 – Ed's Journey Into Entrepreneurship 00:12:46 – Lessons From Selling His First Company 00:14:46 – Why Hiring Great People Matters 00:18:31 – Balancing Business Growth and Company Culture 00:20:02 – Building Employee Trust and Loyalty 00:23:09 – Maintaining Culture as Your Team Expands 00:25:30 – Building a Business That Runs Without You 00:27:10 – Choosing the Right Private Equity Partner 00:28:57 – Evaluating Acquisitions and Cultural Fit 00:31:20 – Transitioning Out of Day-to-Day Leadership 00:32:15 – Finding Purpose Beyond Business Ownership 00:33:06 – Supporting Entrepreneurs Through the Business for Good Foundation 00:37:02 – Creating Opportunities for Local Businesses 00:38:35 – Strengthening Communities Through Economic Growth 00:43:50 – The Question Every Business Owner Should Ask Before Selling

What happens when the market that helped build your business suddenly changes? You find another way forward. That’s exactly what Thad Bench, founder of BW Health Group (also known as Benchworks), did. Faced with industry disruption, Thad adapted. He expanded into new services, built a strong leadership team, and positioned the company for continued growth. Ultimately, that work helped generate significant buyer interest and led to the sale of BW Health Group. Now a Principal at The HonorWorks Group, Thad brings his entrepreneurial experience and firsthand understanding of building, growing, and selling a business to helping other business owners navigate their own paths forward. In this episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef sits down with Thad to talk about the decisions that built business value and the lessons other business owners can apply to their own companies. Watch to learn how Thad turned experience into practical lessons for business owners. From knowing your numbers and surrounding yourself with the right people to staying open to new opportunities, Thad’s experience offers valuable insights to strengthen your business today, create more options for tomorrow, and make confident decisions about what comes next. What You’ll Learn Discover how adapting to market shifts can unlock new paths to growthLearn how financial insight can help you build business valueSee how experienced advisors can expand your options and strengthen outcomesUnderstand how attracting multiple buyers can create greater opportunityLearn how continued growth can strengthen your position during a potential saleDiscover why the right buyer can deliver beyond the purchase priceGain insights for creating more choices for your business and your future

You’ve spent years building your business. But have you ever wondered what the future could hold for your company? Keith Marshall is the Founder of Solution Matrix, and he understands what it takes to develop an enterprise from scratch. What started at home grew into a successful manufacturing company built on discipline, service, family, and opportunity. On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef sits down with Keith to talk about his journey and the sale of Solution Matrix, facilitated by Benchmark International. They also discuss operations, entrepreneurship, M&A, and finding the right “caretaker for a legacy.” Whether you’re focused on growing your business, exploring new opportunities, or considering what comes next, Keith’s story offers lessons for every stage of the journey. What You’ll Learn How discipline and persistence can help you work through setbacks, adapt when plans change, and keep your business moving forward Why listening to the people using your product or service can uncover needs, strengthen customer relationships, and reveal new opportunities How greater control over key parts of your operations can help you respond when suppliers, production needs, or circumstances change Why looking at the capabilities you already have can uncover opportunities to expand into new products, services, or markets How to think about family involvement in a way that balances opportunity with accountability and gives the next generation room to grow Why reaching the right buyer audience matters and can create more options for your business's future How M&A can help you find a caretaker for a legacy who can take what you built into the next chapter

Market readiness begins with a basic question. What happens to your business when you are not around?   Imagine going on a six-week river cruise in Europe, turning off your cell phone and refraining from checking email. When you return, will the business be running smoothly? Or did your team need to pause important decisions while you were away?   In this Q&A episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef talks with Jordan Wilkins, Managing Director at Benchmark International. They explore the difference between market readiness and exit readiness.   What You’ll Learn Why market readiness and exit readiness require many of the same actions even if you have no plan to sellHow to tell if your business is too dependent on you and why decision-making needs to extend beyond the ownerHow delegation, functional ownership, and decision rights can reduce founder dependenceHow customer and supplier concentration can create additional points of dependenceHow advisors and market feedback can uncover opportunities you may not see in your businessHow strategic buyers may see value in your people, products, customers, or capabilities beyond EBITDAHow market readiness can give you more options when your priorities and circumstances change With this episode, we’re closing out Season 1 of Closing Remarks. We’ll be back in October with more conversations, insights, and closing remarks. In the meantime, if you’re thinking about what’s next for your business, start a conversation with Benchmark International.

What would an investor see if they looked at your business today? In this episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef sits down with Kal Gullapalli, CEO of Built Different Brands, to talk about his journey from investment banking at Merrill Lynch and helping raise a hedge fund to entrepreneurship and franchise ownership. Today, his experience includes Dave’s Hot Chicken, Marco’s Pizza, PopUp Bagels, Orangetheory Fitness, and European Wax Center. Drawing on his experience as both an investor and an operator, Kal shares how he evaluates opportunities, thinks about risk and returns, diversifies across brands and markets, builds teams with the right culture, and makes decisions that can influence business value. What You’ll Learn Why self-awareness matters in businessHow Kal thinks about diversification across brands and marketsHow investors weigh risk, return, and opportunity costWhat to look for in brands, management teams, and opportunitiesHow culture and accountability support businessesHow multiples and roll-ups can create opportunityWhy key operators receive bonuses, equity, and insight into value creationHow to build a business beyond the ownerWhy patient, aligned capital matters

Selling a business can open the door to more than a new phase. It can change how you think about what you built, who you built it with, and what you want to do next. On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef sits down with Thomas Frey, founder of Silexx Financial Systems and former SVP, Software Engineering at Cboe Global Markets. Thomas founded Silexx Financial Systems, a broker-neutral order and execution management system (OEMS), before Benchmark International facilitated its transaction with the Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe Global Markets). Together, they reflect on the transaction, the journey that led to it, and the lessons that followed. From building business value and surrounding yourself with great people to embracing AI and finding purpose beyond the transaction, Thomas shares valuable insights for business owners considering a sale and thinking about what comes next. Whether you’re building for growth, exploring a business sale, continuing with an acquiring company, or planning your next chapter, Thomas’s experience offers perspective for every stage of the journey. What You’ll Learn How identifying a specialized market need can create the foundation for business value What business owners can learn from Thomas’s experience exploring an M&A opportunityHow experienced M&A experts and the right people can bring valuable perspective to important decisionsWhy a shared approach may help keep buyers, sellers, and advisors focused on a shared objectiveHow bringing in great people earlier can help owners delegate, develop talent, and growHow AI can change the way businesses scale and why human expertise may become even more valuableWhy having a clear understanding of purpose matters when considering a business sale and what comes next

AI can create more, automate more, and move faster. But more doesn’t always mean more valuable. On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Ian Barkin, founder of magentIQ, to discuss building and selling Symphony Ventures, life and purpose after an exit, AI slop, the future of AI and automation, what automation means for the next generation of leaders, and why entrepreneurship is ultimately a team sport. Whether you’re navigating an exit, embracing AI, or thinking about what comes next, this conversation offers lessons for building smarter while keeping the human element at the center. What You’ll Learn How to spot when AI is creating volume and not valueWhy AI-slop can create more workWhere human judgment, context, and connection still matterHow magentIQ combines AI agents and human talentWhat robotic process automation (RPA) can teach us about AI and automationWhy “AI first” is an ambition, while “AI ready” is a planHow stronger processes, documented knowledge, and less founder dependency can make a business both AI-ready and exit-readyHow the “shoe swap” can help leaders see problems from another perspectiveWhat happens to tomorrow’s leaders when AI eliminates the work that once trained themHow “building out loud” can bring family, work and purpose closer together

How do strong business relationships and bold leadership turn a struggling dealership into a nationwide success story? In this episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef talks with Scott Fink, the Chairman and CEO of Giant Auto Group–Fink Auto Group, about the business relationships, leadership, and bold decisions that shaped his success in the automotive industry.   Scott shares how he helped transform a struggling Mitsubishi dealership into the number one Mitsubishi dealership in the nation within three years, then went on to build a Hyundai dealership that became the number one Hyundai store in the country, earning the top spot 12 times. Along the way, his automotive portfolio expanded to include Volkswagen, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Chevrolet, and Genesis brands.   Throughout the conversation, Scott shares how building strong business relationships, putting relationships before transactions, and choosing to “come out and fight” when competitors pulled back helped drive his success and create lasting opportunities. Whether you’re building a business, considering a sale, or thinking about your team and legacy, this episode features someone who has built, sold, and successfully grown businesses, including a #1 dealership, all while giving back to the community.   What You’ll Learn How Scott Fink built some of the nation’s top-performing automotive dealerships by putting relationships ahead of transactionsThe leadership mindset behind the “leave the foxhole” philosophy and why taking action when others retreat can create opportunitiesPractical lessons on preparing a business for sale, negotiating deals, selecting advisors, and structuring earnoutsWhy planning for life after an exit is just as important as building a successful business

The most important parts of a business sale often aren’t found in the purchase price; they’re hidden in the legal language of the deal. In this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Doug Starcher, a Managing Partner at Nelson Mullins, to break down the legal terms that every business owner should understand before selling a company. With more than 35 years of M&A experience, Doug explains everything from Letters of Intent (LOIs) and purchase agreements to representations and warranties, indemnification, disclosure schedules, working capital, and deal structure. Whether you’re preparing for an exit or want to understand the M&A process better, this episode provides practical guidance to help you protect the value you’ve built. What You’ll Learn Why the Letter of Intent (LOI) sets the foundation for a transactionThe role of an experienced M&A attorney throughout the deal processHow representations and warranties help buyers understand a businessWhy indemnification and disclosure schedules matter after closingThe importance of working capital and transaction structureWhy assembling an experienced deal team can help protect value

What separates companies that consistently outperform their competitors? In this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef sits down with Josh Weis, CEO of Vehlo, to talk about how to use data to drive better decisions and build a people-centered winning culture. Drawing on his experience scaling companies across multiple industries, Josh shares the leadership lessons that have shaped his approach to managing change, driving growth, and helping teams perform at their highest level. Vehlo provides technology and payment solutions for automotive dealerships and independent repair facilities. Through dealership management platforms like Dealerlogix and Velocity Automotive, the company helps streamline operations, repair workflows, and customer communication for service departments, including those representing major automotive brands such as Mitsubishi. From the Rule of 40 and Goodhart’s Law to the buffalo mindset, Josh breaks down the frameworks that have influenced his leadership philosophy. Whether you’re growing a business, preparing for an exit, or leading a team through change, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you build a stronger, more resilient company culture.   What You’ll Learn Winning is contagious and why it's important to celebrate your winsHow AI is transforming sales coaching, customer experience, and business operationsHow to apply the principles of Goodhart’s Law by putting people ahead of metricsWhat the buffalo mindset means and how it helps leaders face challenges head-onWhy the Rule of 40 is one of private equity’s most important growth metricsThe leadership principles behind integrating 19 acquisitions into one organization

Where are buyers placing their capital, and what does that mean for business owners? In this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef talks with Will Sullivan, Managing Director at Benchmark International, to explore where buyers are deploying capital, which industries are attracting the most attention, and the market trends shaping middle-market M&A.   The biggest opportunities in today’s M&A market aren’t always where you’d expect. From industrials and infrastructure to AI-driven demand and evolving deal structures, this conversation examines the forces influencing buyers and what business owners should understand before taking their business to market. Watch the episode to learn where capital is flowing, what today’s buyers are looking for, the industries buyers are watching closely, and how today’s market could impact your future exit strategy. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Why industrial and infrastructure businesses continue to attract buyersHow AI and data centers are influencing M&A investmentWhere private equity firms are deploying capital in 2026How deal structures like earnouts and rollover equity are evolvingWhy strategic buyer fit can matter more than priceWhat business owners can do today to prepare for a future sale

What does it take to build a family business that lasts for generations?    In this episode of Closing Remarks, Casey Gonzmart Jr., a fifth-generation owner and operator of Columbia Restaurant Group and 1905 Family of Restaurants, talks about family business succession, leadership, and the decisions that have shaped his family’s business for more than a century.    Casey shares how the family’s story began with the Columbia Saloon in 1903, which was destroyed by a fire before reopening as the Columbia Restaurant in 1905. More than 120 years later, the family continues to build on that legacy through iconic concepts, including the Columbia Restaurant, Ulele, and Casa Santo Stefano, while remaining committed to thoughtful growth and to serving their communities.   From introducing air conditioning long before it became the standard to expanding with new restaurant concepts, Casey explains how every generation has embraced innovation without losing sight of what made the business successful in the first place. He also shares lessons on preparing the next generation of leaders, navigating challenges such as the Great Depression, Prohibition, World Wars, and the COVID-19 pandemic, and on why investing in people remains at the heart of the family’s success.   Whether you plan to pass the reins to future generations or build a stronger business, this episode covers succession planning, leadership, business growth, and legacy building that grows over time.   What You’ll Learn Why business succession starts long before ownership changesHow every generation can innovate without losing the company’s identityWhy long-term thinking often outperforms chasing short-term trendsThe leadership lessons behind preserving a business for more than 120 years

Should you accept an earnout when selling your business?  For many business owners, the answer isn’t as simple as yes or no. Earnouts are among the most talked-about and misunderstood aspects of an M&A process. Some owners see them as an opportunity, while others see them as a red flag.  In this Q&A episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef answers questions from Wade Duncan, Managing Director at Benchmark International, about what earnouts are, why buyers use them, and how understanding them can help business owners make more informed decisions during the sale process. Together, Dara and Wade discuss how earnouts can help bridge valuation gaps, why poorly structured earnouts can create problems, and why finding the right buyer may matter more than chasing the highest headline price. Whether you are preparing to sell now or simply thinking about the future, this episode offers a clearer look at how earnouts work and why the best deal is not always the one with the biggest number.   What You'll Learn Learn what an earnout is and why it is used in M&A transactions Discover when this type of payment can help bridge the gap between buyer and seller expectations Understand why the structure of the agreement matters just as much as the purchase price

What does it take to scale a business without losing what made it successful? Most companies know how to grow. Building an organization that can sustain that growth over the long term is a different challenge. As businesses expand, leaders face new challenges in accountability, execution, talent development, and decision-making. The systems that support a smaller company are rarely enough to support the next stage of growth. On this week's episode of Closing Remarks, Tyrus O’Neill, CEO of the Americas at Benchmark International, joins host Dara Shareef to discuss leadership, growth, artificial intelligence, and the lessons learned while helping scale one of the world’s leading mergers and acquisitions firms. Drawing on more than a decade of experience with Benchmark International, Tyrus reflects on launching the Nashville office, leading through periods of expansion, embracing new technology, and building systems that support growth. Whether you’re actively growing a company, preparing for a future exit, or planning your next stage of expansion, this conversation offers useful insights from a leader who has spent years helping build and scale a global organization. What You’ll Learn Why growth and scaling are not the same and why the distinction mattersThe leadership decisions that have the greatest impact during periods of growthWhy preserving company culture becomes more challenging as companies growThe strategy behind the Benchmark International Arena partnershipHow organizations are approaching AI todayLessons learned from launching Benchmark International’s Nashville office

Most business owners don’t wake up one day and decide to sell their company. The decision is usually years in the making.   In this episode of Closing Remarks, host Dara Shareef talks to Ben Wagner, Senior Director at Benchmark International, for a special Q&A focused on the questions business owners ask most often before going to market.   Ben brings forward topics that frequently shape exit decisions: Should I sell now, or wait? What if my EBITDA improves in two or three years? How do I know if private equity is the right fit? What will happen to employees after the deal? And how can I prepare before I am ready to sell?  Drawing from his conversations with business owners every day, Ben shares practical insights on market preparation, buyer interest, private equity, business durability, unsolicited offers, and the factors that can influence a successful outcome. Whether you’re considering a sale in the near future or simply want to build a stronger, more valuable business, this episode provides actionable guidance to help you prepare for whatever comes next. What You’ll Learn Why waiting to sell isn’t always the safest or most profitable strategyThe key factors buyers evaluate when assessing a businessHow to determine whether your company is ready for the marketWhat private equity firms are looking for in today’s environmentHow market conditions can impact timing, valuation, and buyer interestWays to increase business value The role of management teams, recurring revenue, and customer diversification in buyer demandWhy unsolicited offers do not represent the full value of your businessHow preparation can protect your team, legacy, and future optionsHow to prepare emotionally and strategically for an exitWhy building a durable business creates more options, whether you sell or not