In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, Chad Williamson, founder and CEO of Athari Advisors, shares his unconventional approach to business brokerage—merging M&A expertise with hands-on growth consulting. Chad discusses his transition from running a marketing agency to building an 8-company portfolio, exposing the flaws in traditional brokerage models and detailing his firm’s unique 90-day, no-upfront-fee guarantee. He also unpacks the rising "build or buy" mindset across industries and how Authority Advisors balances exit strategies ($20M in new listings last quarter) with scaling advisory services to foster long-term client success.

Chad dives into the hurdles of scaling his advisory arm, from persuading owners to commit to growth ("If it was easy, everyone would be doing it") to leveraging webinars and email marketing for lead generation. He shares a powerful mantra for entrepreneurs: "It's supposed to hurt"—highlighting the necessity of enduring financial strain and uncertainty for real growth. The conversation also touches on minority founder funding gaps (<1% of VC dollars), the $13T opportunity in baby boomer retirements, and Chad’s plans to triple revenue by implementing the same scaling strategies he teaches clients.