The Personal Brand Trap | Built to Sell News
January 21, 2026
If your personal reputation is what brings in the work, you may have a profitable company and an unsellable one
If your personal reputation is what brings in the work, you may have a profitable company and an unsellable one
Some of the most profitable businesses are the ones nobody brags about. They’re physical, messy, high-stakes, and hard to run
Most earn-outs exist for one reason: the buyer is scared the revenue walks out the door with you. In this
If you’re feeling a little queasy about the pace of change, you’re not alone. AI is accelerating competition in almost
Most experts who start a practice or studio end up trapped by their own success. The schedule is packed, the
This week’s episode of Built to Sell Radio features Ujwal Arkalgud, co-founder of MotiveBase. He built the same company twice.
For many owners, private equity feels like a black box: a buyer shows up with a multiple, some debt, and
If you have been grinding away at your company for a decade or two, you may be facing the same
It can be frustrating to build toward an exit when every buyer seems to have investment criteria just above where
Spencer Dennis was an elite golfer turned coach who built CoachNow, a platform coaches loved. From the outside, it looked
If you’re weighing your endgame, private equity is likely on your mind. Most firms buy a majority stake and ask
If you’ve ever noticed those annoying ads inside a mobile game, you have Zain Jaffer to thank. As co-founder of
If your personal reputation is what brings in the work, you may have a profitable company and an unsellable one
Some of the most profitable businesses are the ones nobody brags about. They’re physical, messy, high-stakes, and hard to run
Most earn-outs exist for one reason: the buyer is scared the revenue walks out the door with you. In this
If you’re feeling a little queasy about the pace of change, you’re not alone. AI is accelerating competition in almost
Most experts who start a practice or studio end up trapped by their own success. The schedule is packed, the
This week’s episode of Built to Sell Radio features Ujwal Arkalgud, co-founder of MotiveBase. He built the same company twice.
For many owners, private equity feels like a black box: a buyer shows up with a multiple, some debt, and
If you have been grinding away at your company for a decade or two, you may be facing the same
It can be frustrating to build toward an exit when every buyer seems to have investment criteria just above where
Spencer Dennis was an elite golfer turned coach who built CoachNow, a platform coaches loved. From the outside, it looked
If you’re weighing your endgame, private equity is likely on your mind. Most firms buy a majority stake and ask
If you’ve ever noticed those annoying ads inside a mobile game, you have Zain Jaffer to thank. As co-founder of
