Exit Right: Planning Your Business Sale Without Losing Value
Release Date: 01/06/2025
Santa’s Naughty & Nice List: LLP's Best Episodes of 2025
The Liquid Lunch Project
Luigi couldn’t make it to the mic this time… but don’t worry, we had a special guest fresh off his sleigh: Santa Claus. That’s right. After delivering toys across the globe, Santa himself dropped by to join Matt and help break down the Top 10 most-listened-to episodes of 2025. What’s stuffed in the stocking: How to protect your brand from copycats Why profit isn’t just about more revenue The emotional side of being a founder (and why that’s normal) The secret weapon difference between a CPA and a CFO And the tax strategy that legally makes five-figure bills disappear ...
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Scroll Fatigue and Business Strategy: The Year in Review
The Liquid Lunch Project
🔥 Was 2025 really overwhelming… or did we just scroll WAY too much? Matt and Lou slam through the weirdest year in business and culture, taking stock of inflation noise, AI mania, internet frenzy, hiring headaches, and what the hell actually moved the needle for entrepreneurs. Part reflection, part roast, 100% Liquid Lunch energy. 🍸 Key Highlights: Inflation still there, but news made it freakier than it was AI buzz was everywhere — real impact vs hype battle Hiring sucks. Gig minds + remote everything = chaos K‑shaped economy: winners vs the squeezed middle Biggest...
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How One Founder Built Tech to Outlive Us All
The Liquid Lunch Project
What if your future kid could hear from a grandparent who’s no longer here? Not in a cheesy, preloaded card, but a real message, made just for them? This week, Matt grabs a digital drink with Jared Emerick, Founder & CEO of Emotiga, the company behind Kapsol, a platform that lets people record heartfelt messages today and deliver them years from now. Think wedding day notes from your late father, or advice from Grandpa showing up exactly when your kid needs it. But don’t get it twisted—this isn’t sci-fi fluff. Jared's building tech that blends emotional intelligence, AI, and...
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Community Banking Rebooted: Stablecoins, Tech & the New Money Movement
The Liquid Lunch Project
When was the last time the person approving your business loan picked up their own phone? In this episode, Matt and Lou sit down with Keith Costello, who built Locality Bank from the ground up, a tech‑forward community bank for real business owners. They dive into his “why,” the nuts‑and‑bolts of launching a bank, the future of stable coins, and why the big banks aren’t always the best choice for entrepreneurs. 🍸 What you'll hear in this episode: How Keith transitioned from military to Merrill Lynch to banking and finally to founding Locality Bank. Why he says community...
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Business or Prison? Michael Walsh Explains Why Founders Get Stuck Scaling
The Liquid Lunch Project
What’s the real reason your business growth feels like you’re carrying bricks uphill? On today’s episode, Michael Walsh takes us behind the curtain of business growth, from “we’re doing fine” to “we’re doing great, but I’m drowning anyway.” He walks through the hidden growth blockers (structures, people, manager vs. individual contributor), his “Freedom by Design” framework, and how to shift your business from a grind to something that actually frees you. 🍸 What you'll hear in this episode: Why the common growth trap isn’t revenue; it’s the structures...
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Burnout in Lycra – Nathalia Melo’s Journey from Bro-Culture to Balanced Coaching
The Liquid Lunch Project
What happens when a world‑class athlete trades the stage for the boardroom—and discovers the hardest competitor is the one in the mirror? In this episode, Matt and Luigi sit down with Nathalia Melo, former Ms. Olympia, to talk about her journey from gym floors in Brazil to global stages, and how that athletic mindset maps straight onto entrepreneurship, body image, hustle, and building a life that works when the perfect time never comes. 🍸 What you'll hear in this episode: Nathalia’s humble start: moving from Brazil to the U.S. with $300, living in a cockroach‑infested apartment,...
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Find Hidden Money in Your Business: Julio Gonzalez on Tax Strategies
The Liquid Lunch Project
What if we told you the government owes you money…and you didn’t even know it? In this episode, Matt and Luigi sit down with Julio Gonzalez, founder and CEO of Engineered Tax Services, to peel back the curtain on how the tax code can actually become a tool — not a penalty — for entrepreneurs and real‑estate investors. We talk about the game‑changer “big beautiful bill,” why R&D tax credits matter even to non‑tech firms, how cost segregation among real‑estate players is far more than “just depreciation,” and why your accountant might be asleep at the...
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How Chang Robotics Is Making Automation Work for Small Businesses
The Liquid Lunch Project
What if your next coworker isn’t human? What if it’s a robot… and it’s already cost‑effective? In this episode, Matt and Luigi sit down with Dr. Don Capener, a serial entrepreneur whose career jumps from streetwear to startups to scaling robotics companies. From founding a basketball apparel brand bought by Reebok, to leading a tech IPO during the dot-com boom, to now helping small and mid-size manufacturers automate with Chang Robotics, Don proves that business is a contact sport... and he's still dunking. 🍸 What you'll hear in this episode: Don’s not-so-linear journey from...
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Inside the Family Office: How the Ultra‑Wealthy Really Invest
The Liquid Lunch Project
What if your next move isn’t about hustling harder, but about rethinking how the ultra‑wealthy build, manage, and protect their wealth? In this episode, Matthew R. Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca sit down with Richard C. Wilson: veteran deal‑maker, capital‑raiser, and founder of the Family Office Club. Richard pulls back the curtain on family offices: what they actually do, how they differ from “regular” investment firms, and the mistakes even very wealthy people make when they ignore the fundamentals. We dive into investment strategies, trust building, deal flow, AI in...
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Real Estate’s Interest Rate Hangover: What Happens When Cheap Debt Dies
The Liquid Lunch Project
Is real estate dead? Or are we just in the hangover phase after cheap money? In this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project, Matt and Lou sit down with August Biniaz (founder & CIO of CPI Capital) to rip the lid off today’s real estate climate. We go deep on how interest rates broke the model, how Canadian mortgages force you to “rematch” every five years, and why “build-to-rent” is catching heat. The real bombs drop when we talk operator risk, investor communication, and where the real opportunities still lie in the U.S. 🍸 What you'll hear in this episode: How...
info_outlineThink M&A is just for billion-dollar deals? Think again. Your local landscaper might be the next acquisition success story.
In this episode of The Liquid Lunch Project, Matthew and Luigi sit down with Scott Bushkie, CEO and Founder of Cornerstone Business Services. They dive into the world of small business mergers and acquisitions (M&A), breaking down how small and medium businesses can leverage the same strategies used by Fortune 500 giants. From avoiding the pitfalls of "one-more-year-itis" to understanding how to scale through acquisitions, this episode is packed with practical advice and real-world examples tailored to business owners.
Who is Scott?
Scott Bushkie is a leading M&A advisor and the CEO of Cornerstone Business Services. With over 23 years of experience, Scott has guided countless business owners through the complexities of selling and acquiring businesses. He's also the author of Finish Strong: Sell Your Business on Your Terms and a recognized expert in the art of creating value through strategic exits.
Here’s what we’re covering:
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Why small business M&A is booming, and what that means for you.
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The top three mistakes small business owners make when preparing to sell.
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Scott’s step-by-step guide to maximizing business value before a sale.
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The emotional side of selling: how to separate your identity from your business.
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Real-life success stories and cautionary tales from the M&A world.
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Why you shouldn’t wait until burnout to consider selling your business.
Ready to take the next step in your business journey? Tune in now and learn how to navigate the world of M&A like a pro.
Favorite Quote:
“Most business owners don't know what they don't know. They only go through this process once. If they do it right, things can be really good for them…unfortunately, so many of them do it wrong.”
Connect with Scott:
https://www.cornerstone-business.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbushkie/
https://shorturl.at/dJs3c
Stay Connected:
Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram:
➡️@matthew.r.meehan
➡️ @luigi_rosabianca,
➡️@theLiquidLunchProject
➡️@ShieldAdvisoryGroup.
Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.
https://theliquidlunchproject.com
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