Every owner’s journey is made up of inflection points, the moments where you have to make big, irreversible decisions.
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In this episode, my friend Tom Nagler shares his full story arc as an owner. From growing up in a family business, to buying it from his dad, to juggling cash and growth pains, to considering a sale but choosing to acquire instead, to bringing on a partner, and finally making the hard decision to sell — Tom lived through the full journey of ownership.
What makes Tom’s story powerful is how openly he shares both the human side and the technical side of those decisions. He talks about family dynamics, cash pressure, risk, and identity — but also about valuations, deal structures, and what actually creates value in a company. He also reflects on how education, an ownership framework, and clarity gave him the confidence to understand his options and choose intentionally at each step.
If you’re an owner navigating the day-to-day grind, facing big decisions, or just wondering what the road ahead might look like, Tom’s story will give you a clear window into the full arc of ownership — and the lessons you can carry into your own journey.
What We Covered:
Growing up in the family business and deciding to buy it from his dad
The reality of juggling cash flow, debt, and growth pains
The moment he considered selling — and why he chose to acquire instead
Bringing on a partner and how it reshaped the business
How he approached his valuation and learned to understand what really drives value
The difficult decision to sell — and how he and his family worked through it
What life and perspective look like after the business
Tom Nagler is a former business owner who grew up in a family company, later bought it from his father, and spent years navigating the challenges of cash flow, growth, acquisitions, and partnerships. Through a series of major inflection points, he gained a deep understanding of valuation and what truly drives company value. After ultimately selling his business, Tom now shares candid lessons from the full arc of ownership — from family handoff to life after the sale.
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My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
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