Taylor Thomas - Culture, Growth, and What Happens After You Sell Your Company

Taylor Thomas is the Founder of One Hour Shades, which offers same-day design and installation for window shades. He is also the Co-founder and former CEO of Samplize, a company offering peel-and-stick paint samples. Under Taylor’s leadership, Samplize expanded through partnerships with major retailers and was acquired by Material Bank in 2022, where he now serves as Senior Vice President. In 2022, he was recognized on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in manufacturing.

In this episode…

When a fast-growing business attracts the attention of a billion-dollar competitor, what’s the right move: fight or sell? Many entrepreneurs dream of building something from scratch, but few are prepared for the emotional complexity of letting it go. How do you weigh short-term gain against long-term vision, especially when others are counting on you?

After bootstrapping a company from a small manufacturing space into a national brand, serial entrepreneur Taylor Thomas was approached by a deep-pocketed rival. Despite his initial reluctance, a strategic acquisition offer, combined with stress and a desire to protect his team, led him to sell. However, the transition from founder to employee proved more jarring than expected, prompting Taylor to step away and start a new venture, where he learned valuable lessons about leadership, culture, and speed to market.

In today’s episode of The Decision, Robert Hartline and Eric Jackson host Taylor Thomas, Founder of One Hour Shades, to discuss the emotional and strategic decision to sell a business. Taylor talks about why he left his company, the emotional and financial aspects of selling his business, and what he learned about company culture.