Nick Bradley
Nick Bradley is a world‑renowned business growth expert, author and speaker who specialises in helping entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors build, scale and sell high‑value companies. With over a decade of experience in private equity, he has been involved in more than 100 acquisitions and 26 exits, creating over $5 billion in combined value. A former CEO of four companies, Nick hosts a top‑ranked business podcast in the UK, which has garnered over 1 million downloads across 130 countries. After leaving private equity following his father’s death, he now uses his insider knowledge to help business owners achieve life‑changing exits.
Nick and Brendan begin by discussing why you can never scale beyond the level of your own identity and how Nick has levelled up since his last appearance on the show. Nick shares the personal story that led him to leave private equity, why he chose to return and what founders can expect from his new book Exit for Millions: The Private Equity Blueprint for Scaling & Selling Your Business for Maximum Value. He challenges listeners to “take the red pill” and see the world of private equity as it really is, both the opportunities and the pitfalls. The conversation then turns tactical: Nick defines what makes a high‑value business, outlines his Scale‑to‑Sale™ methodology and walks through the first 30 days of making a business exit‑ready, including assessments of people, profit, product and pipeline. He demystifies valuation multiples for companies doing £1–3 million in EBITDA, reveals the levers that can move your multiple up, and explains how to position yourself as the prize rather than the prey when talking to buyers. Nick offers playbooks for reducing customer concentration, getting the founder out of the critical path in 12 weeks and tuning up EBITDA by 10–20 % without starving growth. He sheds light on when to roll equity versus accept an earn‑out, how to build your deal team, manage auction dynamics and decide if acquisition‑led growth is the right strategy. Along the way he shares common diligence traps that kill deals, the five‑question readiness test owners can use to gauge whether they’re truly exit‑ready and the importance of being clear on your next chapter to avoid the post‑exit void. Whether you plan to sell next year or in a decade, Nick’s insights will help you scale with purpose and maximise the value you create.
Connect with Robert Glazer
– Website: highvalueexit.com
– LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/realnickbradley