#1 Overlooked Exit Strategy: Selling Your Agency to a Team Member

Описание: Most agency owners think the only way out is private equity… or selling to a bigger shop.

That’s not true.

In this episode, I sit down with Natalie Henley, owner of Volume Nine, who shares exactly how she bought the agency she was already running—without private equity, without a broker, and without blowing the company up in the process.

We get into the real details most people never talk about:

-How the valuation actually happened (no banker theater)
-How the deal was structured so the agency paid for itself
-Why trust matters more than squeezing every last dollar
-What founders should do years before they even think about selling
-And how to groom someone internally without spooking your team
.
.
00:00 – Why selling to your team is rarely talked about
00:43 – How Natalie got started in agency life
02:33 – Making up roles and growing into leadership
03:55 – Surviving Google updates and losing 60% of revenue
04:59 – Becoming an owner right before COVID
06:08 – The moment the founder decided to sell
07:18 – Can selling to employees crater the agency?
08:05 – How to test if someone is ownership material
09:33 – Why agency ownership is a “crazy business model”
10:06 – Deal structure: SBA loans vs creative financing
11:21 – How the agency pays for itself
12:06 – Owner carry notes, balloon payments, and timelines
13:02 – Transitioning ownership without chaos
13:36 – Why keeping the founder on as a consultant matters
14:42 – What Natalie would do differently
15:17 – What a “fair deal” really looks like
15:48 – Grooming future owners the right way
17:15 – Why selling can blindside your leadership team
18:12 – Why founders owe it to employees to consider them first
21:15 – Natalie’s free GEO / AI SEO grader
==============================================================
Thanks for watching and if you liked this video, subscribe so you don't miss anything! Your comments mean a lot, so make sure you let us know what you think.

JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER.

In 1999 he launched his first digital agency growing it to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of amazing growth, his agency was acquired in 2012.

Since then he has co-founded and has grown another 8-figure agency. He also runs a unique consultancy helping marketing agencies grow, scale, and enjoy running their agency by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale, and eventually sell his agency.

Jason has helped over 20,000 agencies in 42 countries meet or exceed their business goals. He generously shares it all as a speaker, podcaster, and author. He has been featured as an expert in top media publications such as Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Plus, he currently hosts the top agency podcast: The Smart Agency Master Class.

Jason is dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners. His mission is to be the resource he wishes he had as an agency owner.