Nick talks about his recent decision to reenter the world of Private Equity after a six-year hiatus, driven by a desire to align his values with the industry. He reflects on past experiences, including the challenges of value extraction versus value creation, and the personal journey that led to their departure from Private Equity.

The discussion highlights the current macro shifts in the market, including the wealth transition of baby boomers and the increasing need for strategic partnerships in private equity. Nick discusses the importance of mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs, advocating for a new model of private equity that focuses on collaboration and shared value creation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• There is a significant shift in private equity towards operator-led and founder-led value creation, moving away from merely deploying capital. This evolution presents new opportunities for strategic partnerships with businesses.
• The retirement of baby boomers is leading to a wave of small-cap and lower mid-market opportunities, creating a pressing need for succession planning and business consolidation.
• Advances in technology, particularly AI, are transforming business models and enabling service businesses to scale globally, which presents opportunities for founders to leverage these changes for increased value.
• The aim is to redefine Private Equity as a vehicle for freedom, growth, and shared wealth, emphasising the importance of partnering with entrepreneurs to create mutual value rather than focusing solely on exits.

BEST MOMENTS

"I decided to leave because of a lot of things that happened during my decade in that industry that didn't align with my values."

"I can't sit there saying how bad some of these different situations are... I shouldn't be just throwing stones at something and not trying to fix it."

"There's a big explosion of small cap and lower mid-market opportunities... to allow founders to exit gracefully and elegantly is huge."

"Entrepreneurship is a team sport at the best of times. You don't want to be the person who's having to pull everything uphill."

"My mission around it really is to redefine private equity as a vehicle for freedom and growth and wealth, not just the exit."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Scale Your Business Beyond 8 Figures - Watch This Video: https://go.highvalueexit.com/scale-beyond

Exit Your Business For Millions - Download This Guide: https://go.highvalueexit.com/opt-in

Nick’s LinkedIn: https://highvalueexit.com/li

Nick Bradley is a world-renowned author, speaker, and business growth expert, who works with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to build, scale and sell high-value companies.

He spent 10+ years working in Private Equity, where he oversaw 100+ acquisitions, 26 exits, and over $5 Billion in combined value created. He has one of the top-ranked business podcasts in the UK (with over 1m downloads in over 130 countries). He now spends his time coaching and consulting business owners in building and scaling high-value business towards life-changing exits.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Support the show: https://highvalueexit.com/