They Got Acquired

Community

This founder quickly figured out how to sell her community as funding evaporated

Rebekah Bastian, founder of the online community OwnTrail, felt like she was just getting started — but she ran out of cash, forcing her into an abrupt exit.

Content

How this newsletter-podcast startup landed a buyer that wanted its young audience

Canadian media company ZoomerMedia acquired newsletter and podcast startup The Peak as part of its quest to reach a younger audience.

Content

She didn’t sell her subscription business at its peak — and looking back, wishes she had

In 2021, Talia Koren got an unofficial valuation of her meal-prep company, Workweek Lunch. She took it as a challenge to continue to grow — a decision she now regrets.

Content

VCs said it was too niche. But strength site BarBend attracted 31M users and a buyer

In 2016, BarBend couldn’t get VC funding. Buzzfeed was all the rage; BarBend was too niche. Seven years later, the website was far beyond niche — and buyers were interested.

Resources

Strategies for minimizing taxes when you sell your business

Most entrepreneurs want to minimize the tax burden when you sell your company. So we talked with an expert, Matt Camrud of Brighton Jones, about how entrepreneurs should approach financial planning ahead of your sale.

Interview with Matt Camrud of Brighton Jones

E-commerce

Eyes on the prize: How these e-commerce founders knew when the deal was right

Eye Love’s husband-and-wife team turned passion into profit by helping the world see — and sold their business in a 7-figure deal that keeps the mission moving.

On the right is a man looking at a young patient's eye on the left with an ophthalmoscope.

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Hear From Founders

Podcast Episodes

Anna Maste, Co-Founder of Boondockers Welcome

How a 7-hour workweek led to Anna Maste’s 7-figure sale

30 minutes

This is the story of how Anna Maste and Marianne Edwards, a mother-daughter duo, bootstrapped and sold a membership site for RVers called Boondockers Welcome.

Donald Spann, Co-Founder of Vicky Virtual Receptionists

Donald Spann’s goal was time freedom. He got it by building a virtual call center

36 minutes

This entrepreneur says you don’t have to be passionate about your business. Here’s what he suggests instead, and how he built Vicky Virtual Receptionists to an exit.

When’s the right time to exit? Jon Hainstock on selling ZoomShift

30 minutes

Is there a right time to sell your business? This was what Jon Hainstock and his co-founder, Ben Bartling, had to figure out when they were planning their exit from ZoomShift.

From hot dog stand to 8-figure exit: How Sam Parr built and sold The Hustle

39 minutes

How did this down-to-earth guy with no previous media experience build such a valuable company? Here’s how Sam Parr became one of the leading voices in entrepreneurship.