At some point, you’re going to hand the keys to your business to someone else. That’s true whether you’re hiring employees or contractors or planning for succession. Life happens. And it’s just not in the cards for you to be able to run your business, by yourself, forever.

For many entrepreneurs, selling big is the dream. In the startup space, they call it an “exit” — the point at which some big fish gobbles up your smart idea and pays you handsomely for it. But the unicorn exit is a rare thing (that’s why they call it a unicorn, after all) and lots of firms out there need to think about life after the founder.

Even if you’re running a mid-sized company, chances are, one day, you’ll want to sell off your business and enjoy the fruits of your success. So what do you do? That’s trickier than you might think. Fortunately, there are people out there who can help.

Jude David is co-founder and Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions for Final Ascent, a firm that specializes in helping mid-market businesses find buyers.

Jude has a background on the legal side of finance. And he his co-founder Steve Conwell realized that mid-level businesses — those with valuations between $10 million and $200 million — weren’t served by the investment banks that typically helped the big companies find buyers and partners for mergers. So they launched Final Ascent in 2017 to fill that void. They’ve grown to acquire clients all over the U.S., and primarily do their client work remotely. 

The company helps business owners think through how to prep their business for sale, making sure the company’s profile is as attractive as possible to bump the value of the sale. 

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Astor Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

At some point, you’re going to hand the keys to your business to someone else. That’s true whether you’re hiring employees or contractors or planning for succession. Life happens. And it’s just not in the cards for you to be able to run your business, by yourself, forever.
For many entrepreneurs, selling big is the dream. In the startup space, they call it an “exit” — the point at which some big fish gobbles up your smart idea and pays you handsomely for it. But the unicorn exit is a rare thing (that’s why they call it a unicorn, after all) and lots of firms out there need to think about life after the founder.
Even if you’re running a mid-sized company, chances are, one day, you’ll want to sell off your business and enjoy the fruits of your success. So what do you do? That’s trickier than you might think. Fortunately, there are people out there who can help.
Jude David is co-founder and Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions for <a href="https://finalascent.com/">Final Ascent</a>, a firm that specializes in helping mid-market businesses find buyers.
Jude has a background on the legal side of finance. And he his co-founder Steve Conwell realized that mid-level businesses — those with valuations between $10 million and $200 million — weren’t served by the investment banks that typically helped the big companies find buyers and partners for mergers. So they launched Final Ascent in 2017 to fill that void. They’ve grown to acquire clients all over the U.S., and primarily do their client work remotely. 
The company helps business owners think through how to prep their business for sale, making sure the company’s profile is as attractive as possible to bump the value of the sale. 
Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at <a href="https://lafayette.servingsushi.com/">Tsunami Sushi</a> in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by <a href="https://www.astormorgan.com/">Astor Morgan</a> at itsacadiana.com.

OUT TO LUNCH Business over lunch. Each week Christiaan invites guests from Acadiana's business community to join him. Beyond the foundations of the Acadiana economy - oil, cuisine, music - there is a vast network of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and even some of the country's largest companies who call Acadiana home. Out to Lunch is the cafeteria of the wider Acadiana business community. You can also hear the show on KRVS 88.7FM.

OUT TO LUNCH Business over lunch. Each week Christiaan invites guests from Acadiana's business community to join him. Beyond the foundations of the Acadiana economy - oil, cuisine, music - there is a vast network of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and even some of the country's largest companies who call Acadiana home. Out to Lunch is the cafeteria of the wider Acadiana business community. You can also hear the show on KRVS 88.7FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds The Current Publisher and Editor Christiaan Mader conducting business Acadiana style: over lunch. Each week Aileen invites guests from Acadiana's  business community to join her. Beyond the foundations of the Acadiana economy - oil, cuisine, music - there is a vast network of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and even some of the country's largest companies who call Acadiana home. Out to Lunch is the cafeteria of the wider Acadiana business community. You can also hear the show on KRVS 88.7FM.

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