Nick talks to returning guest Ryan Tansom about their evolving business journeys, focusing on the intricacies of exit planning and business valuation. They discuss their unique experiences from different sides of the table—Ryan's operational perspective and Nick's private equity background—highlighting the challenges faced by owner-operators in understanding the true value of their businesses. Together they stress the importance of setting clear goals for personal and business growth, navigating the complexities of financial management, and the necessity of aligning business strategies with individual aspirations. As they explore the dynamics of service-based businesses and the impact of market conditions, Ryan and Nick provide valuable insights into achieving independence and creating meaningful outcomes for entrepreneurs. VALUABLE RESOURCES There are two primary business models discussed: lifestyle businesses, which prioritise the owner's lifestyle and typically involve fewer complexities, and growth businesses, which focus on scaling and often require significant investment and risk. Clarity on which model to pursue is crucial for business owners. Establishing clear goals is essential for mental health and business success. The discussion stresses the need for business owners to define what they truly want from their businesses and lives, as this clarity helps in making informed decisions and avoiding confusion. It's important to recognise constraints such as time, cash flow, and wealth. Understanding these limitations allows business owners to make better decisions and strategise effectively to achieve their goals. There's a necessity for education-based and accountability-driven coaching for business owners. Having a structured program that addresses common challenges can significantly aid entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses and achieving their desired outcomes. BEST MOMENTS "A lot of people get lost in their journey of growing and scaling a business when it comes to value, and they don't really understand the dynamics of that." "If there was literally 10,000 of us, I don't think there would be enough for how many people need this help." "The growth or the gain that an investment bank is going to get versus the work it takes to do what I do is a totally different skill set." "You can only control what you're doing like now and you can only look forward maybe a small window and not these kind of 10, 20 years in the future stuff." GUEST RESOURCES Ryan Tansom - https://ryantansom.com/ VALUABLE RESOURCES Scale Your Business Beyond 8 Figures - Watch This Video: https://go.highvalueexit.com/scale-beyond  Exit Your Business For Millions - Download This Guide: https://go.highvalueexit.com/opt-in  Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li   Nick Bradley is a world-renowned author, speaker, and business growth expert, who works with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to build, scale and sell high-value companies. He spent 10+ years working in Private Equity, where he oversaw 100+ acquisitions, 26 exits, and over $5 Billion in combined value created. He has one of the top-ranked business podcasts in the UK (with over 1m downloads in over 130 countries). He now spends his time coaching and consulting business owners in building and scaling high-value business towards life-changing exits. Support the show: https://highvalueexit.com/