What does it really take to sell your company for life-changing money?In this episode of THE EXIT, I sit down with Mark Macleod — former CFO of Shopify and FreshBooks, founder of SurePath Capital, and the coach behind over $1B in successful exits — to uncover the real truth behind the startup exit process.We talk about:- The biggest mistakes founders make during an exit- The psychology of selling your company (and what comes after)- Why most earn-outs are traps- How Marc built his post-exit life around mindfulness, purpose, and founder performance- Tactical advice on aligning with acquirers and investment bankers- Why your physical and mental health are the #1 growth tools as a founderIf you're building, scaling, or selling a venture-backed startup, this is the episode you can't afford to miss.Subscribe for more real conversations with world-class founders, investors, and M&A experts.🔖 Timestamps00:00 Introduction of Mark Macleod01:00 Mark's Background in Venture-Backed Startups02:15 Yahoo Purchasing Facebook?04:30 What Makes for a Successful Acquisition?06:24 Why I Avoid Earnouts07:55 Psychological Aspects of Selling a Company09:55 Founder Burnout and Recovery Time12:36 Importance of Being Present13:20 Fitness and Mental Health for CEOs20:00 The Role of Coaching in Startups21:34 Operational Experience in Coaching26:20 Two Things You Need to Succeed in Business29:04 What Founders Get Wrong Pre-Exit32:30 Should Founders Work With I-Bankers and When?41:28 Avoiding Exit Landmines48:24 Coaching and Providing Tough Feedback49:44 Creating a Massive Business You Never Want to Exit🔗 Follow the Guests & HostsTHE EXIT GROUP® – https://www.theexit.group

Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/theexit.group Mark Macleod – https://www.linkedin.com/in/themarkmacleod/

Adrian Salamunovic – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriansalamunovic/#startup #founderlife #exitstrategy #venturecapital #marcmacleod #adriansalamunovic #theexitpodcast #shopify #freshbooks #burnout #startupcoach #founderhealth #startupmistakes #mna #founderexit