
Finish Big
How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $25.78
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Sean Pratt
-
By:
-
Bo Burlingham
About this listen
"No two exit experiences are exactly alike. Some people wind up happy with the process and satisfied with the way it turned out, while others look back on it as a nightmare. The question I hope to answer in this audiobook is why. What did the people with 'good' exits do differently from those who'd had 'bad' exits?" When pioneering business journalist and Inc. magazine editor at large Bo Burlingham wrote Small Giants, it became an instant classic for its original take on a common business problem - how to handle the pressure to grow. Now Burlingham is back to tackle an even more common problem - how to exit your company well. Sooner or later, all entrepreneurs leave their businesses and all businesses get sold, given away, or liquidated. Whatever your preferred outcome, you need to start planning for it while you still have time and options. The beautiful part is that if you start early enough, the process will lead you to build a better, stronger, more resilient company, as well as one with a higher market value. Unfortunately, most owners don't start early enough - and pay a steep price for their procrastination.
Burlingham interviewed dozens of entrepreneurs across a range of industries and identified eight key factors that determine whether owners are happy after leaving their businesses. His book showcases the insights, exit plans, and cautionary tales of entrepreneurs such as Ray Pagano: founder of a leading manufacturer of housings for security cameras. He turned down a bid for his company and instead changed his management style, resulting in a subsequent sale for four times the original offer. Bill Niman: founder of the iconic Niman Ranch, which revolutionized the meat industry. He learned about unhappy exits when he was forced to sell to private equity investors, leaving him with nothing to show for his 35 years in business.
©2014 Bo Burlingham (P)2014 Gildan Media LLCListeners also enjoyed...
-
Exit Right
- How to Sell Your Startup, Maximize Your Return and Build Your Legacy
- By: Mert Iseri, Mark Achler
- Narrated by: William Elsman
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through dozens of interviews with M&A leaders at the biggest Silicon Valley acquirers—as well as attorneys, bankers, and founders who have been through the trenches—Exit Right delivers the hard-earned lessons that lead to successful exits. From negotiation to valuation to breaking down a term sheet, managing legal costs, and handling emotional turbulence—this unparalleled guide covers every critical aspect of a technology startup sale.
-
-
Nonstop value for a new founder approaching an exit
- By Anonymous User on 01-16-25
By: Mert Iseri, and others
-
Built to Sell
- Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You
- By: John Warrillow
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A business parable about how to create a start-up that won't trap you when you want to sell it. According to John Warrillow, the number one mistake entrepreneurs make is to build a business that relies too heavily on them. Thus, when the time comes to sell, buyers aren't confident that the company-even if it's profitable-can stand on its own. To illustrate this, Warrillow introduces us to a fictional small business owner named Alex who is struggling to sell his advertising agency.
-
-
Narrator is awful!
- By RayChu on 02-17-13
By: John Warrillow
-
Small Giants
- Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, 10th Anniversary Edition
- By: Bo Burlingham
- Narrated by: Bo Burlingham, Sean Pratt
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's an axiom of business that great companies grow their revenues and profits year after year. Yet quietly, under the radar, a small number of companies have rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals. Goals like being great at what they do, creating a great place to work, providing great customer service, making great contributions to their communities, and finding great ways to lead their lives. In Small Giants, veteran journalist Bo Burlingham takes us deep inside 14 such remarkable companies.
-
-
fantastic book for small company builders
- By Amazon Customer on 08-01-17
By: Bo Burlingham
-
The Exit-Strategy Playbook
- The Definitive Guide to Selling Your Business
- By: Adam Coffey
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Explore the universe of potential buyers. Learn how to assemble a team of expert advisors to prepare your business for sale. Walk step by step through a typical investment-banker-led midmarket sale process from start to finish. Adam Coffey has spent the last 20 years as CEO of three private-equity-backed national service companies. Through his experience executing a buy-and-build strategy, he has bought and sold more than 100 companies ranging in size from $1 million to $1 billion. Selling your business is an art.
-
-
Outstanding!
- By BWoodard on 08-30-24
By: Adam Coffey
-
The Art of Selling Your Business
- Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top
- By: John Warrillow
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Punch above your weight class when selling your business. Every owner must part with their business one day. Many will close their doors, realizing little for their life's work - while a select few will become fabulously wealthy. The Art of Selling Your Business: Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top is the last in a trilogy of books by author John Warrillow on building value.
-
-
Everything!
- By Norman L. Weiss on 04-20-25
By: John Warrillow
-
Street Smarts
- An All-Purpose Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs
- By: Norm Brodsky, Bo Burlingham
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
People starting out in business tend to seek step-by-step formulas or rules, but in reality there are no magic bullets. Rather, says veteran company-builder Norm Brodsky, there's a mentality that helps street- smart entrepreneurs solve problems and pursue opportunities as they arise. Brodsky shares his hard-earned wisdom every month in Inc. magazine, in the hugely popular "Street Smarts" column he cowrites with Bo Burlingham. Now they've adapted their best advice into a comprehensive guide for anyone running a small business.
-
-
This great audio was originally called The Knack!
- By morton on 12-16-11
By: Norm Brodsky, and others
-
Exit Right
- How to Sell Your Startup, Maximize Your Return and Build Your Legacy
- By: Mert Iseri, Mark Achler
- Narrated by: William Elsman
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through dozens of interviews with M&A leaders at the biggest Silicon Valley acquirers—as well as attorneys, bankers, and founders who have been through the trenches—Exit Right delivers the hard-earned lessons that lead to successful exits. From negotiation to valuation to breaking down a term sheet, managing legal costs, and handling emotional turbulence—this unparalleled guide covers every critical aspect of a technology startup sale.
-
-
Nonstop value for a new founder approaching an exit
- By Anonymous User on 01-16-25
By: Mert Iseri, and others
-
Built to Sell
- Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You
- By: John Warrillow
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A business parable about how to create a start-up that won't trap you when you want to sell it. According to John Warrillow, the number one mistake entrepreneurs make is to build a business that relies too heavily on them. Thus, when the time comes to sell, buyers aren't confident that the company-even if it's profitable-can stand on its own. To illustrate this, Warrillow introduces us to a fictional small business owner named Alex who is struggling to sell his advertising agency.
-
-
Narrator is awful!
- By RayChu on 02-17-13
By: John Warrillow
-
Small Giants
- Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, 10th Anniversary Edition
- By: Bo Burlingham
- Narrated by: Bo Burlingham, Sean Pratt
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's an axiom of business that great companies grow their revenues and profits year after year. Yet quietly, under the radar, a small number of companies have rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals. Goals like being great at what they do, creating a great place to work, providing great customer service, making great contributions to their communities, and finding great ways to lead their lives. In Small Giants, veteran journalist Bo Burlingham takes us deep inside 14 such remarkable companies.
-
-
fantastic book for small company builders
- By Amazon Customer on 08-01-17
By: Bo Burlingham
-
The Exit-Strategy Playbook
- The Definitive Guide to Selling Your Business
- By: Adam Coffey
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Explore the universe of potential buyers. Learn how to assemble a team of expert advisors to prepare your business for sale. Walk step by step through a typical investment-banker-led midmarket sale process from start to finish. Adam Coffey has spent the last 20 years as CEO of three private-equity-backed national service companies. Through his experience executing a buy-and-build strategy, he has bought and sold more than 100 companies ranging in size from $1 million to $1 billion. Selling your business is an art.
-
-
Outstanding!
- By BWoodard on 08-30-24
By: Adam Coffey
-
The Art of Selling Your Business
- Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top
- By: John Warrillow
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Punch above your weight class when selling your business. Every owner must part with their business one day. Many will close their doors, realizing little for their life's work - while a select few will become fabulously wealthy. The Art of Selling Your Business: Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top is the last in a trilogy of books by author John Warrillow on building value.
-
-
Everything!
- By Norman L. Weiss on 04-20-25
By: John Warrillow
-
Street Smarts
- An All-Purpose Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs
- By: Norm Brodsky, Bo Burlingham
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
People starting out in business tend to seek step-by-step formulas or rules, but in reality there are no magic bullets. Rather, says veteran company-builder Norm Brodsky, there's a mentality that helps street- smart entrepreneurs solve problems and pursue opportunities as they arise. Brodsky shares his hard-earned wisdom every month in Inc. magazine, in the hugely popular "Street Smarts" column he cowrites with Bo Burlingham. Now they've adapted their best advice into a comprehensive guide for anyone running a small business.
-
-
This great audio was originally called The Knack!
- By morton on 12-16-11
By: Norm Brodsky, and others
-
The Great Game of Business, Expanded and Updated
- The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company
- By: Jack Stack, Bo Burlingham
- Narrated by: Jack Stack, Stephen Baker
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Game of Business started a business revolution by introducing the world to open-book management, a new way of running a business that created unprecedented profit and employee engagement. The revised and updated edition of The Great Game of Business lays out an entirely different way of running a company.
-
-
An update on a clap
- By Richard Bagley on 08-04-15
By: Jack Stack, and others
-
The Private Equity Playbook
- Management's Guide to Working with Private Equity
- By: Adam Coffey
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Private equity firms are on the rise and rapidly changing the game. Today, more than 5,500 PE firms own tens of thousands of companies, so it is essential for CEOs and senior management executives to understand exactly how private equity firms operate. This invaluable resource can help you devise a winning PE game plan for your own company that offers you greater freedom and financial success.
-
-
Beyond basic
- By M on 05-15-20
By: Adam Coffey
-
Buy Then Build
- How Acquisition Entrepreneurs Outsmart the Startup Game
- By: Walker Deibel
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Entrepreneurs have a problem: startups. Almost all startups either fail or never truly reach a sustainable size. Despite the popularity of entrepreneurship, we haven't engineered a better way to start...until now. What if you could skip the startup phase and generate profitable revenue on day one? In Buy Then Build, acquisition entrepreneur Walker Deibel shows you how to begin with a sustainable, profitable company and grow from there.
-
-
Don’t Pass on Reading This Book
- By Serenity Software on 03-07-20
By: Walker Deibel
-
$100M Offers
- How to Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No
- By: Alex Hormozi
- Narrated by: Alexander Hormozi
- Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The methods contained within this book are so simple, so instantaneous, and so effective, it’s as if they work by magic. If you implement even one tactic in this book, you’ll see the change in your prospects' demeanor. And you’ll know the $100M Offers method worked when you start hearing, “What do I need to do to move forward?” before you even ask for the sale.
-
-
Great content littered with filthy language
- By Amazon Customer on 09-29-21
By: Alex Hormozi
-
Before the Exit
- Thought Experiments for Entrepreneurs
- By: Dan Andrews
- Narrated by: Dan Andrews
- Length: 1 hr and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the entrepreneurial world, it's rarely questioned that “exiting” is the end goal of a smartly built business and a prestigious waypoint in a successful career. Since building and selling a business can take years - or even decades - you can't exactly “practice” exiting your business. The best you can do is learn from others. In 2015, Dan Andrews and Ian Schoen sold their product business, which they built over the course of seven years and which employed 15 people, for multi-seven figures. While they don't regret selling the business, there are many mistakes they made that were avoidable.
-
-
length of the book
- By Daniel on 10-03-18
By: Dan Andrews
-
10x Is Easier than 2x
- How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less
- By: Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy
- Narrated by: Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dan Sullivan, the world's leading coach for highly successful entrepreneurs, wants you to know that achieving 10X growth is exponentially easier than striving for 2X growth. Most find this idea confusing at first because simply imagining 10X growth causes them to think they need to do 10X more work to achieve it. However, being a 10X entrepreneur is nothing like what most people think.
-
-
Best Book of the year for me!!!
- By Trenton on 05-15-23
By: Dan Sullivan, and others
-
Empire Builder
- The Road to a Billion
- By: Adam Coffey
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You’ve got big dreams for your business, but the odds are not in your favor. You’re struggling to scale. Sometimes, it’s hard to stay profitable. You know you need expert advice to grow. CEO coach and executive thought leader Adam Coffey has been where you are. He, too, dared to dream of that elusive billion-dollar exit. Then he took his companies to triple digit growth.
-
-
For high-schoolers
- By Martin Lambooy on 12-13-24
By: Adam Coffey
-
Your Next Five Moves
- Master the Art of Business Strategy
- By: Patrick Bet-David
- Narrated by: Patrick Bet-David
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the creator of Valuetainment, the number-one YouTube channel for entrepreneurs, and “one of the most exciting thinkers” (Ray Dalio, author of Principles) in business today, comes a practical and effective guide for thinking more clearly and achieving your most audacious professional goals.
-
-
Mediocre; few actionable take-aways.
- By Michael on 10-31-20
-
The Automatic Customer
- Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry
- By: John Warrillow
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The lifeblood of your business is repeat customers. But customers can be fickle, markets shift, and competitors are ruthless. So how do you ensure a steady flow of repeat business? The secret--no matter what industry you're in--is finding and keeping automatic customers. These days virtually anything you need can be purchased through a subscription, with more convenience than ever before.
-
-
Can be applied to almost any business
- By C Mason on 02-25-15
By: John Warrillow
-
Who Not How
- The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
- By: Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy
- Narrated by: Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world's foremost entrepreneurial coach shows you how to make a mindset shift that opens the door to explosive growth and limitless possibility - in your business and your life.
-
-
Valuable information - poor performance
- By LeAnn on 06-02-21
By: Dan Sullivan, and others
-
Buy Back Your Time
- Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire
- By: Dan Martell
- Narrated by: Dan Martell
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How you use your free time will make or break your success. The secret? It’s not about working harder or finding more time to do work. It’s about designing the freedom to engage in the high-value work that brings you energy and fulfillment. This is at the heart of the message that has made Dan Martell the world’s most popular SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) coach. Now, in his first book, Buy Back Your Time, he teaches entrepreneurs at every level how to scale their business, fast, while avoiding burnout.
-
-
From Pain Line to Peace: This Book 📕 is My Escape Route to Time Freedom”
- By dayana on 09-18-24
By: Dan Martell
-
Rich Dad Poor Dad
- What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
- By: Robert T. Kiyosaki
- Narrated by: Tim Wheeler
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With an incredible number of 5-star reviews, Rich Dad Poor Dad has challenged and changed the way tens of millions of people around the world think about money. With perspectives that often contradict conventional wisdom, Kiyosaki has earned a reputation for irreverence and courage. He is regarded worldwide as a passionate advocate for financial education. His easy-to-understand audiobook empowers you to make changes now - and enjoy the results for years to come.
-
-
great book but....
- By Mathew Copeland on 11-28-17
Critic reviews
Just what I needed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Timely
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Solid in practical information
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great stories. Great book for anyone who runs their own business
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A very informative and interesting book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Definitely a needed view. Thank you!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Game changer
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Essential reading for company owners contemplating an exit
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Begin with the end in mind
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.