How a Family Office Scaled & Sold Fast: Private Equity Exit Strategy

🔥 What if your business could be built to sell — but you never intend to sell? In this episode of Angels, Exits & Acquisitions, we are with Josh Davis — an entrepreneur who scaled and exited a logistics company to private equity, and now runs his own family office . From sailing through literal storms to navigating business chaos, Josh shares powerful lessons on building scalable businesses, executing bolt-on acquisitions, and knowing when it’s time to exit. Josh reveals how he used creative deal structures and distressed acquisitions to fast-track growth — without outside capital. He and his wife turned a struggling startup into one of Canada’s fastest-growing logistics companies, leveraging systems, leadership development, and proprietary tech to dominate their niche. After their exit, Josh shifted focus to advising companies, investing via his family office, and helping other founders build businesses designed for legacy. If you're thinking about scaling fast, buying other businesses, or setting yourself up for a life-changing exit — this one’s packed with value. In this episode, you’ll discover: • How to grow fast using bolt-on acquisitions (even with limited capital) • Why systems, people, and tech are more valuable than product or profit • What most founders get wrong about exiting to private equity Key Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & backstory: early life, sailing with grandfather, inspiration to build 02:45 – From startup to exit: building & selling to a PE-backed logistics firm 06:50 – Growth through acquisition: distressed deals & customer databases 12:30 – Sales, tech & leadership systems that made them an acquisition target 20:10 – Emotional reasons to exit: marriage, burnout, and becoming a father 24:50 – What to look for in acquisitions now: systems, team, owner dependency 31:00 – Josh’s best advice to his younger self & founders building for legacy Connect with Jeff Barnes: Website: https://www.jeffbarnes.ceo/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffpbarnes/ Connect with Josh Davis: Website: https://jldavisenterprises.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scaling-with-josh-davis/ #PrivateEquityExit#BusinessAcquisition#ScaleYourBusiness#BoltOnAcquisitions#ExitStrategy#FamilyOfficeInvesting#BusinessGrowthHacks#BuildToSell#SystemsAndProcesses#LeadershipTeams#DistressedDeals#SalesCulture#FounderBurnout#GrowthMindset#EntrepreneurAdvice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices