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May 21st, 2026

The BUILT Method: Reverse Engineer Your Exit Before It's Too Late | Laurie Barkman (#65)

  1. The BUILT Method: Reverse Engineer Your Exit Before It's Too Late | Laurie Barkman (#65) Peter Vera 34:38

Do you own a transportation or 3PL business doing $3M or more in revenue? Visit www.bizexitgrow.com to find out how we can help you grow, scale, and exit at maximum value.

Exit Algorithms Episode #65 is live and this one is packed! Laurie Barkman is a certified M&A advisor, certified exit planning advisor, former CEO of a $100M revenue business unit that was acquired by a global Fortune 50 company, and author of The Business Transition Handbook. She now runs Business Transition Sherpa and spends her days helping business owners build companies that can sell at any time, on their terms.

Here is what we get into:

– Buyers buy on their time, not yours. A Fortune 50 company had been watching Laurie’s company for 6 to 7 years before they ever made contact. If your business is not ready to sell at any moment, you may not be ready when the right buyer finally calls.
– Her BUILT framework covers five stages: Blueprint your goals, Unlock the bottlenecks, Integrate your team and systems, Lead with Clarity, and Transition on your terms. It is a practical roadmap for reverse engineering your exit starting today.
– If you personally bring in more than 40% of your company’s revenue, that is a red flag to buyers. It signals the business cannot run without you, which drives your valuation down and limits your options.
– Deals fall through for predictable reasons: sellers who are not emotionally ready, undisclosed liabilities, and stakeholders who were never aligned on the decision. No surprises during diligence. Ever.
– Fractional executives, CFO, COO, CMO, are now one of the most practical tools for SMBs who want to reduce owner dependency without the cost of full-time C-suite hires.
– Laurie’s tip: build the business that can thrive without you. That is not just an exit strategy. It is how you actually enjoy running the business while you still own it.

Grab her book and free succession assessment at lauriebarkman.me or btsherpa.com/succession.

WHERE TO LISTEN:
– Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2lTaP8U9DIJhI0VbwHn5t9
– YouTube: https://youtube.com/@exitalgorithms
– Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exit-algorithms/id1820424898

Ready to grow and plan your exit? Visit www.BizExitGrow.com.

#ExitAlgorithms #ExitPlanning #BusinessGrowth #MergersAndAcquisitions #ScaleSmarter #SellStronger #EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessSystems

Pete Vera Managing partner, Greenrock Logistics

I'm a former U.S. Naval officer with a UC Berkeley degree in Economics. I managed high-stakes logistics operations, leading teams up to 60 personnel and overseeing $320M in aviation inventory, boosting aircraft readiness by 20%.

I'm now a Managing Partner at GreenRock Logistics, our holding company. We consolidate lower and mid-market transportation and 3PL firms through acquisitions and partnerships, deploying shared services and tech for growth while preserving seller cultures and employee legacies.

Our team unites decades of expertise: the CEO offers 40 years in trucking leadership and acquisitions as well as a SVP role at the American Trucking Association; the other Managing Partner brings 32 years in warehouse ops, government contracts, entrepreneurship, and marketing.

I also host the Exit Algorithms Podcast, launched in June 2025, sharing insights from top minds in logistics, M&A, and business growth to help business owners scale and exit stronger. The show has been featured in Acquisition Aficionado Magazine and named to Million Podcasts' Best 10 3PL Podcasts.