Grow or Go

This episode is the "behind the curtains" of Project Steel, a recent transaction that True North M&A successfully completed for the Sexton family. Craig Sexton, son of Fred Sexton (owner of C4 Welding) joins us along with Mike Wheelock (M&A Advisor and Business Broker) to explain the uniqueness of a speedy M&A transaction.

To learn more about this deal, check out our Case Study.

Connect with our hosts: ...

Ever wonder what it's like to walk off the bus for boot camp?

Everyone who joins The U.S. Marine Corps goes through the exact same training. Whether your journey takes you by way of Parris Island or MCRD San Diego, your first encounter once off the bus has you standing on those Yellow Footprints.

Our special guest for this episode is Tim Rilley, who is a veteran of The U.S. Marine Corps, and author of The Yellow Footprints. Tim ...

Here in Minnesota we have so many family owned and operated lumber and building materials businesses. They fuel our economy and support so many industries and other adjacent businesses. We are proud to help this industry and it's leaders continue to thrive, even through the ups and downs.

For you business owners in the lumber and building materials world, this podcast is for you. Emily Overson has been in the LBM industry for decad...

It's a privilege to grow up with a strong and sound father figure in your life. But the truth is not everyone in this world is awarded that opportunity. It can hinder the growth of teens and youth in your community, but how can you help fix the problem?

The Man Up Club is a perfect example of being on the front lines and helping inner-city youth by influencing love, hope, and leadership. Korey Dean, the founder of the organizat...

Hackers and security threats are more active than ever. AI only makes things easier for them, and as an individual, or business, everyone is at risk. Security hacks can be detrimental to your livelihood, your business, your employees, and your bank account.

Cybersecurity expert and owner of Cyberfin, Daniel Metcalf, joins us to explain the importance of your cybersecurity, what hackers are doing now, how you can be at risk and most...

Learning what you are good at and focusing on that role is one of the best things you can do for your business. If you think you can do it all, your business will suffer. That's why it's critical to hire to your mission, vision, and have clear goals that everyone can shoot for.

We had the pleasure of hosting Heide Olson on this episode who is a serial entrepreneur, mom, EOS conqueror, and probably one of the most exciting accountan...

Business ownership will never be easy, and thinking you can do it all and have all the answers is nonsense. You are digging yourself a hole when you don't need to. Ownership should be exciting, and give you freedom within your life, but to get there you need to have uncomfortable conversations.

Chad Haldeman of The Resultants joins us for an honest conversation about what has made business owners either fail or succeed. At The Resu...

Business sales and ownership transitions start years in advance of a sale. Buyers approach you, your kids want to take over, but when the time comes, nothing is prepped and the sale often falls through. Don't allow this to happen to your business that you've built from the ground up! This is your legacy, and planning ahead will ensure you are successful.

If you haven't heard about Exit Planners before, this is your inside scoop. Fr...

Steve Kalina joins Chris for an episode and talks all about manufacturing, workforce issues, tariffs, and what manufacturers can do to improve their business.

As the President of the Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association (MPMA), Steve leads the charge bringing manufacturing leaders together across Minnesota. Through workshops, masterminds, events, and fundraising, MPMA is doing everything it can to improve the future of Man...

Quality of Earnings, also known as Q of E, are crucial reports when evaluating a company's valuation and true earning power. Our President of True North M&A, Michael Hubsmith, joined Chris to interview Joe Hellman, of Redpath and Company.

What's the point of investing in another "valuation"?

Well, the answer is pretty simple. A Q of E completed from an outside firm justifies valuations when companies go to mar...

The Sigmoid Curve is present in everything, including Country Music Artists, like Blaine Larsen. Blaine shares his story with us about how the music industry actually works as a young rising star, and how you have to navigate it if you really want to make it big.

It's not often that we meet award winning artists, or should I say, someone who wrote a song for George Strait! Blaine was a pleasure to have on and had quite the stor...

Entrepreneurial blood runs through many families. Especially a family like the Biggs. What does it take to be successful? How can you make sure that your family will remain strong while going through the ups and downs of business ownership?

Chris hosts Colleen Biggs on this episode. Colleen comes from a family of entrepreneurs, and has made a stand in the franchising world helping owners launch Little Gym franchises nationally.

Now...

Coffee and manufacturing, how does it tie together? Well... there's nothing worse than walking into the shop at 5am and having a crappy cup of coffee to start your day. It's one of the easiest ways to reinvest in your employees, and give them the necessary boost to increase productivity.

Amy Teal joins us to talk about the struggles of labor in the manufacturing sector, and how she's attempting to transform the industry...

You've seen the news talking about changes in tariffs for weeks. Nobody has the answers, including us. That's why we brought on Pino Bacinello - our neighbor of the north.

Pino and Chris dig into tariffs and what's really going on. It's affecting businesses of all kinds, and can have a massive impact on owners, and consumers.

If you have more insight as to what's going on, and want to share your thoughts, contac...

Meet Dan Bowling. Dan is not your typical entrepreneur. Dan was paralyzed from the neck down as a kid. But he didn't give up when the Doctors broke the news to him.

When he healed completely, he was a growing teenager that soon would set state records in track and field. Dan wasn't done, though. Every day was a gift in his eyes, and with that in mind, Dan went to work to conquer whatever was in front of him.

From dominating...

Great salespeople often turn into sales managers. It's a natural climb up the food chain; but do they really know how to manage, encourage, and elevate their salespeople? The answer is no, and so many companies fail at this.

Gary Braun joins Chris to share why these issues occur, and how to fix them. With decades of experience as a top sales performer, Gary now runs Pivotal Advisors, where his team improves sales performance an...

No matter how great of a salesperson you may think you are, your ceiling is even higher. We all think we have it figured out but guess what, we are usually winging it and not giving ourselves the highest probability of success.

Todd Thiewes with Sandler tackles the hard truths of why sales individuals typically think they are doing well, when they really aren't. How do they get better? Tune in.

To connect with Todd or the team at S...

You want to sell your business to your employee who's been with you from the start. You've been planning on your eldest kid to succeed you when you are ready to get out. Time comes and guess what....? Things likely don't go as planned. Why? Tune in.

Chris has Matt take the mic on this episode and share his experience and expertise of working with hundreds of business owners before they exit. There's a reason these discussions happe...

Servant leadership is a vastly growing practice. Even if you haven't heard of it, you can easily tell the difference between a self-serving leader, and a servant leader.

Join us as we explore the transformative power of servant leadership with Andrew Leikvoll. Discover how this approach builds high-performing teams, debunks myths of being "soft," and drives significant performance improvements. Learn why servant leade...