For our 150th episode, host Nick Olsen welcomes Bob Verdun, CEO of Scaling Up, to share how he turned an unsolicited private equity offer into double the price through a full auction process — and the "core four" tenets that made his company resilient enough to grow straight through the Great Recession. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Bob breaks down deal structuring, recurring revenue, and why so many owners obsess over EBITDA while ignoring the multiple that really drives enterprise value.Key Topics:Business exit strategies and the auction processHow to increase business valuation and multiplesLessons from Bob Verdun's own sale of CFIThe importance of strategic deal structuring and termsBuilding resilient and scalable businessesThe role of recurring revenue and diversificationStrategic buyers versus financial buyersHow storytelling can influence valuationA preview of Bob's new book, Scaling Up ValuationScaling Up Profits, a free program for cash flow optimizationAbout the Show:The M&A Mastermind Podcast provides actionable insights and effective strategies tailored for dealmakers in the lower middle market. Hosted by Nick Olsen, the show features conversations with leading industry experts who share valuable knowledge on topics such as industry intelligence, deal management, collaborative successes, and specialized expertise. Listeners who support small to medium-sized business owners will find practical tactics and advice they can immediately apply to advance their mastery in mergers and acquisitions.Subscribe and never miss an episode: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeResources: Scaling Up | Cornerstone International AllianceKeywords: business valuation, exit strategy, private equity, scaling up, enterprise value, deal structuring, business growth, M&A, coaching, scaling up profits