A Knock at the Door Leads To “Perfect Transaction” - What’s Still True 5 Years Later
Second Bite Podcast
Ben Landers is the President and CEO of Ahead of Next, a company he founded after exiting his prior business. Previously, he was the Founder of Blue Corona, a data-driven digital marketing and analytics firm specializing in helping home-services companies improve marketing performance and generate leads and sales. Ben was also the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at DrinkMore Water, where he launched several websites and an e-commerce store. In this episode… High-growth founders often face pivotal moments that force them to reexamine their goals: financial freedom, operational control,...
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How AI Agents Are Helping Agency Founders Create 70% Margins
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Jordan Ross is the Founder and CEO of 8 Figure Agency, a consultancy that helps digital marketing agencies scale to seven- and eight-figure revenues through AI-powered systems. With over a decade of experience, he managed more than 2,500 employees while working at Amazon. Since founding 8 Figure Agency, Jordan has consulted with more than 1,000 agencies. In this episode… Efficiency, profitability, and AI are rewriting the growth playbook for agencies, leaving many founders wondering how to keep up. How can you transform the way your business runs — without selling more? Founder and CEO of...
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Closed Transaction: The CTO's Perspective
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Doug Hathaway is the Co-founder and CTO/CPO of LawFi, a legal fintech platform that helps consumers and small businesses finance legal services. With over 20 years of experience in software engineering, he co-founded DadeSystems, a SaaS platform for Fortune 500 enterprises and top banks, which was acquired by Versapay, where he led its Cash Application platform. In this episode… The journey from startup to profitable exit is rarely a straight line, and the twists often reveal the most valuable lessons. How did a decade of persistence, pivots, and near-misses lead to the right acquisition at...
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Trust, Equity, and AI: The Surprising Deal Behind Levergy’s Sale To KickCharge
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Ryan Redding is the Founder and Business Growth Coach at Eightfold Advantage, a growth-coaching practice that helps entrepreneurs restore operational clarity, increase profitability, and prepare businesses for exit. Before Eightfold Advantage, Ryan was the Owner of Levergy, a nationally recognized digital marketing agency serving HVAC companies that he sold to KickCharge in 2025. In this episode… Strategic acquisitions can accelerate growth and create powerful market advantages, but navigating an unexpected offer requires careful planning and foresight. How can entrepreneurs balance risk,...
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How To Navigate Key Staff in Your Agency Exit
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Todd Taskey is an M&A Advisor for CEOs and Entrepreneurs at Potomac Business Capital. He has been an entrepreneur, business owner, investment banker, and business finance advisor for more than 20 years. In addition to providing M&A advice, Todd has been a founding investor, board member, or part of the management team of several business ventures. He helps CEOs and entrepreneurs develop a successful exit strategy through his knowledge of the mid-market investment banking process. In this episode… Navigating key players in a transaction is critical for agency founders looking to...
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From Startup to Strategic Powerhouse: Jeff Spanbauer’s Journey Through the PE Growth Machine
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Jeff Spanbauer is the Founder and Chairman of the Board at Relevate Health, a healthcare marketing firm. Under his leadership, Relevate Health has expanded through four acquisitions and achieved significant revenue growth, earning recognition, including the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies award. Jeff is also the Co-founder and Director of Revelocity Sports and serves as an investment advisor and partner for multiple companies. In this episode… Strategic acquisitions can rapidly accelerate growth, but how do founders know when it’s time to bring in private equity, and what does it...
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Behind the Scenes: How a "Search Funder" Acquired a Digital Agency
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Nick Fraunfelder is the Owner and CEO of Sure Oak, a leading SEO agency helping B2B and tech brands grow through search. Since acquiring Sure Oak in 2023, he has led the agency’s expansion into AI-powered search optimization. With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, private equity, and technology, Nick co-founded Paulus Capital, which helped launch notable restaurants like Superica and The Optimist. In this episode… Acquiring a business through a self-funded search can offer greater autonomy and alignment with personal values but also presents unique challenges. What did a...
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Bootstrapped to Boardroom: How Jason Hennessey & Trinity Hunt Will Impact Legal Marketing
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Jason Hennessey is the CEO of Hennessey Digital, a digital marketing agency specializing in legal marketing using a holistic approach. In his role, he grew the small consultancy to a multimillion-dollar business that made the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years. As an entrepreneur, internationally recognized SEO expert, author, speaker, podcast host, and business coach, Jason has scaled and sold multiple businesses. He has been reverse-engineering the Google algorithm since 2001. In this episode… When considering outside capital to kickstart growth, founders often turn to private...
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Trinity Hunt and the Future of Local Digital Marketing
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Raj Ramanan is the CEO of Herringbone Digital, a digital marketing platform backed by Trinity Hunt Partners. He has led companies from startups and pre-seeds to mid-market and Fortune 1000 to achieve above-market outcomes in revenue growth, profitability, capital raises, and sales. Before joining Herringbone Digital, Raj held executive positions, including Chief Operating Officer at Scorpion, Chief Revenue Officer at Hearst, and President of HYFN Local, and co-founded Loku, a local discovery startup. In this episode… Is private equity the right path for founder-led marketing agencies?...
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Understanding "Buy Side Banking"
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Joe Zanca is the Managing Partner of DealGen Partners, a buy- and sell-side M&A advisory firm. In his role, he has sourced and closed over $200 million in acquisitions for private equity and strategic buyers. Joe launched, scaled, and exited OnDemandStorage, a full-service, technology-based storage company. In this episode… Private equity investment transactions can unlock untapped growth potential, but they also reveal your company’s strengths and weaknesses. How can you determine if you’re prepared for a transaction? Joe Zanca, Managing Partner of DealGen Partners, discusses how...
info_outlineBruce Eckfeldt is a Strategic Coach and Master Facilitator at Eckfeldt & Associates, where he works with CEOs and leadership teams to scale their businesses. As a former Inc. 500 founder and CEO, he successfully scaled and sold his business. Bruce focuses on developing leadership skills, optimizing companies for transactions, and navigating mergers and acquisitions.
In this episode…
If you’re wondering what comes next after strategic growth, you may want to consider transitioning from a hands-on founder to a strategic CEO. How can you navigate this transition and prepare yourself — and your business — for an exit?
Strategic coach and facilitator Bruce Eckfeldt talks about his high-level coaching process for founders and CEOs. With host Todd Taskey, Bruce addresses the challenges founders face when shifting to CEO and how he helps companies scale and exit.