Branching Out: TreeFork Strategies

Host Elizabeth Shea sits down with seasoned founders and CEOs who have successfully sold their companies through a strategic or financial transaction. They discuss the thinking and planning that went into their decision to sell, what worked well, what they would do differently, and the valuable lessons they would pass along to founders with a sale on the horizon. This is a podcast for business owners looking for a playbook to use in order to approach their own sale with confidence and clarity.

Branching Out: TreeFork Strategies is a business podcast hosted by Elizabeth Shea, with 22 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Elizabeth Shea hosts Branching Out: TreeFork Strategies, a business show with 22 episodes published.

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  Episode #2

  Ruthlessly Exit-Ready: Interview with Mark Mills

  Aug 13, 202629 minS3

  Elizabeth Shea chats with Mark Mills OBE – a serial entrepreneur, exit advisor, and author of Making Your Mark – to unpack the disciplines that turn a promising business into one buyers will compete to own. Drawing on his experience with several exits, Mark challenges founders to ruthlessly examine their business model, build a sales engine capable of winning customers beyond their personal network, and gradually make themselves less essential to daily operations. He also emphasizes the value of creating competitive tension, having a realistic outlook on earnouts, clearing problems before diligence exposes them, and setting a specific exit date and valuation goal rather than relying on a vague three-to-five year plan. His advice aligns with our philosophy at TreeFork: exit readiness isn’t a final step, it’s an ongoing discipline that strengthens the business every day.

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  Episode #1

  Discover Your Purpose: Interview with Sara Evans

  Jul 27, 202625 minS3

  Elizabeth Shea chats with Sara Evans, founder of Sara G. Evans Consulting and an industrial-organizational psychologist, to discuss one of the most overlooked aspects of selling a business: preparing yourself for life after the exit. Drawing on her experience leading succession planning for Marriott's executive team and coaching founders through major transitions, Sara explains why so many business owners achieve the financial outcome they wanted yet still struggle with a loss of identity and purpose. She shares how she helps owners prepare years in advance by strengthening both their organizations and their personal vision for what's next. Through compelling client stories, Sara also reveals why understanding what truly motivates you— not just what you think you enjoy doing —can make all the difference after a sale. This episode is for founders who want to prepare not only their business for an exit, but themselves as well.

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  Branching Out: TreeFork Strategies

  Worlds Apart: Interview with Hunter Jensen

  Jun 24, 202627 minS0

  <p>Elizabeth Shea chats with Hunter Jensen, founder and CEO of Barefoot Labs and author of The Killer Use Case. Hunter shares his journey from becoming a self-taught programmer to bootstrapping Barefoot Labs over two decades, funding early growth with little more than determination and a handful of zero-interest credit cards before building a thriving company. When growth plateaued, a chance introduction led to a strategic acquisition that allowed him to diversify his personal risk while remaining actively involved in the business. Hunter offers anecdotes about navigating an international transaction, the importance of having trusted advisors by your side, and...

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  Branching Out: TreeFork Strategies

  Worlds Apart: Interview with Hunter Jensen

  Jun 24, 202627 min

  Elizabeth Shea chats with Hunter Jensen, founder and CEO of Barefoot Labs and author of The Killer Use Case. Hunter shares his journey from becoming a self-taught programmer to bootstrapping Barefoot Labs over two decades, funding early growth with little more than determination and a handful of zero-interest credit cards before building a thriving company. When growth plateaued, a chance introduction led to a strategic acquisition that allowed him to diversify his personal risk while remaining actively involved in the business. Hunter offers anecdotes about navigating an international transaction, the importance of having trusted advisors by your side, and the challenges that emerged after the deal closed as two organizations with different cultures learned how to work together. He also reflects on why maintaining equity proved valuable and how strategic buyers can exponentially accelerate growth. If you’re a founder considering a strategic partnership, partial exit, or international transaction, this episode is for you.

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  Episode #9

  Put Your Chin Strap On: Interview with David Tobin

  Jun 2, 202634 minS2

  <p>Elizabeth Shea chats with<b> </b>David Tobin, Managing Partner of TobinLeff LLC, about how founders can best prepare themselves and their businesses for a successful exit. Drawing on his experience as both a former agency owner and longtime M&A advisor, David explains what buyers are prioritizing in today’s market, including sustainable growth, strong margins, leadership continuity, recurring revenue, and reduced founder dependency. The discussion dives into the realities of adjusted EBITDA, client concentration risk, due diligence, and how AI readiness is increasingly becoming part of buyer evaluations. David also breaks down the differences between strategic and pr...

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