Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth?
With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business.
You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit
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In this episode of The Exit, host Steve sits down with Callum Laing, partner at Unity Group, author, and serial entrepreneur who has helped take more than 100 companies public. With decades of experience across Asia, Europe, and beyond, Callum shares his contrarian approach to growth, exits, and how founders can use the capital markets as a scaling tool, not just a finish line.
From his first recruitment business during the dot-com boom to running a global group that helps small businesses access public market advantages. Callum has seen it all, from booms, busts to breakthroughs. He explains why most entrepreneurs under-optimize for profit when gearing up to sell, how boards can fast-track business maturity, and why timing the market is less about prediction and more about preparation.
Callum’s insights extend beyond valuation multiples. He talks candidly about common M&A mistakes, the power of strategic positioning, and why founders should sell “as soon as they can” to regain their most valuable resources: time and capital. This episode is a masterclass in scaling smart, negotiating with leverage, and learning faster through failure.
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Callum Laing is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and M&A specialist with over two decades of experience building and scaling companies across multiple industries. As a Partner at Unity Group and Founder of the Global Investment Leaders Directive (GILD) and the Veblen Director Programme, he helps business owners unlock liquidity, accelerate growth, and gain access to global capital markets. A passionate advocate for ethical capitalism and entrepreneur-led innovation, Callum has worked extensively with private equity firms, family offices, and public markets to bridge the gap between fast-growing private enterprises and institutional investors.
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumlaing/
Website - https://callumlaing.com/
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The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
All content for The Exit - Presented By Flippa is the property of The Exit - Presented By Flippa and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth?
With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business.
You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit
--
In this episode of The Exit, host Steve sits down with Callum Laing, partner at Unity Group, author, and serial entrepreneur who has helped take more than 100 companies public. With decades of experience across Asia, Europe, and beyond, Callum shares his contrarian approach to growth, exits, and how founders can use the capital markets as a scaling tool, not just a finish line.
From his first recruitment business during the dot-com boom to running a global group that helps small businesses access public market advantages. Callum has seen it all, from booms, busts to breakthroughs. He explains why most entrepreneurs under-optimize for profit when gearing up to sell, how boards can fast-track business maturity, and why timing the market is less about prediction and more about preparation.
Callum’s insights extend beyond valuation multiples. He talks candidly about common M&A mistakes, the power of strategic positioning, and why founders should sell “as soon as they can” to regain their most valuable resources: time and capital. This episode is a masterclass in scaling smart, negotiating with leverage, and learning faster through failure.
--
Callum Laing is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and M&A specialist with over two decades of experience building and scaling companies across multiple industries. As a Partner at Unity Group and Founder of the Global Investment Leaders Directive (GILD) and the Veblen Director Programme, he helps business owners unlock liquidity, accelerate growth, and gain access to global capital markets. A passionate advocate for ethical capitalism and entrepreneur-led innovation, Callum has worked extensively with private equity firms, family offices, and public markets to bridge the gap between fast-growing private enterprises and institutional investors.
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumlaing/
Website - https://callumlaing.com/
--
The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
Timing, Focus, and Bold Moves: How Divya Gugnani Builds and Sells Businesses
The Exit - Presented By Flippa
27 minutes 54 seconds
1 month ago
Timing, Focus, and Bold Moves: How Divya Gugnani Builds and Sells Businesses
Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth?
With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business.
You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit
--
In this episode of The Exit, serial entrepreneur and investor Divya Gugnani, founder and CEO of 5 Senses, unpacks her journey from Goldman Sachs to co-founding five companies and selling three, including Send the Trend to QVC. With a background in finance and private equity, Divya attributes her entrepreneurial staying power to strong cash management and a focus on fundamentals.
She shares lessons from building early ventures, from auto parts to culinary media, and how creating hyper-personalized shopping experiences led to her fastest success, selling Send the Trend just 11 months after raising funding. Time at QVC gave her valuable insights into product storytelling, ultimately inspiring her to launch beauty brand Wander Beauty, which became her third successful exit.
Divya’s exit advice is clear: get your house in order early (books, legal, taxes), know what you want from a deal, and hire strong operators so you can focus on the sale process. She emphasizes selling on the upswing when growth and profitability are aligned, creating competition among buyers, and avoiding short-term revenue plays that dilute brand value.
Today, Divya shares her entrepreneurial lessons and AI insights via TikTok, continuing to inspire founders globally.
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Divya Gugnani is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and author with over 20 years of experience building and backing businesses. She is the Founding Partner of Concept to Co., investing in 80+ companies, and the Founder & CEO of 5 SENS, a fine fragrance brand. Previously, she co-founded Wander Beauty, later acquired by Nameless CPG, and Send the Trend, acquired by QVC. Divya began her career in finance at Goldman Sachs, Investcorp, and FirstMark Capital before becoming an “accidental entrepreneur.” Featured widely in top media outlets, she is also the author of Sexy Women Eat, and regularly mentors founders and lectures at leading universities. She holds a B.S. from Cornell, an MBA from Harvard, and trained at the French Culinary Institute.
Website - https://5sens.co/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@dgugnani
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The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
The Exit - Presented By Flippa
Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth?
With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business.
You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit
--
In this episode of The Exit, host Steve sits down with Callum Laing, partner at Unity Group, author, and serial entrepreneur who has helped take more than 100 companies public. With decades of experience across Asia, Europe, and beyond, Callum shares his contrarian approach to growth, exits, and how founders can use the capital markets as a scaling tool, not just a finish line.
From his first recruitment business during the dot-com boom to running a global group that helps small businesses access public market advantages. Callum has seen it all, from booms, busts to breakthroughs. He explains why most entrepreneurs under-optimize for profit when gearing up to sell, how boards can fast-track business maturity, and why timing the market is less about prediction and more about preparation.
Callum’s insights extend beyond valuation multiples. He talks candidly about common M&A mistakes, the power of strategic positioning, and why founders should sell “as soon as they can” to regain their most valuable resources: time and capital. This episode is a masterclass in scaling smart, negotiating with leverage, and learning faster through failure.
--
Callum Laing is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and M&A specialist with over two decades of experience building and scaling companies across multiple industries. As a Partner at Unity Group and Founder of the Global Investment Leaders Directive (GILD) and the Veblen Director Programme, he helps business owners unlock liquidity, accelerate growth, and gain access to global capital markets. A passionate advocate for ethical capitalism and entrepreneur-led innovation, Callum has worked extensively with private equity firms, family offices, and public markets to bridge the gap between fast-growing private enterprises and institutional investors.
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumlaing/
Website - https://callumlaing.com/
--
The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
