Scaling, Branding, and Exiting: Expert Advice for Middle Market Business Owners

Susan Kearney is the Managing Director, Board Member, and Partner at Newport LLC, a business advisory firm helping middle-market companies grow and exit. Before Newport, she was the COO of Network for Good, where she achieved 40% annual recurring revenue growth, and the Co-founder of Voxant, a digital media company acquired by Blinkx. Susan also held executive positions at Paragren Technologies and IRI Software.

Heather Bennett is the Managing Director and Partner at Newport LLC, where she advises CEOs and business owners on brand marketing, revenue growth, and leadership development. With over 20 years of experience, she has led P&L management for brands with over $100 million in revenue and driven innovation at companies like Kraft Heinz Company, Instant Brands, and Unilever. Heather is also the author of the Amazon bestseller Fun and Fulfilling Careers One Question at a Time and serves on the boards of the Foundation for Hearing & Speech Resources and Slipstream. 

In this episode…

Many business owners struggle to scale while preparing for a future exit. Without a clear understanding of their target market, leadership alignment, or how to de-risk their business, growth stalls and potential exits fall short of expectations. What strategies can owners implement to drive sustainable revenue growth and boost business value before a sale?

Business strategist and growth expert Susan Kearney emphasizes the importance of reducing operational risk, aligning leadership teams, and optimizing business models to increase valuation. Brand and leadership advisor Heather Bennett tells founders to understand their target customers, invest in brand clarity, and adapt marketing strategies in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Both advise business owners to adopt a holistic view by connecting people, processes, and market positioning to unlock growth potential.

In this episode of Growth + Exit, Chad Franzen of Rise25 interviews Susan Kearney and Heather Bennett of Newport LLC about building, branding, and exiting middle-market businesses. Together, they discuss de-risking strategies, market expansion, product development, and their respective board experiences.