Building your business is one game. Selling it is another — and most founders never learn the rules.

In this episode of 2 Commas, I sit down with Chris Small, Managing Director of ABC Business Sales, the firm behind nearly half of all SME business sales in New Zealand.

Chris shares what really drives a successful exit — timing, risk, and what buyers truly value. With data from more than 480 business transactions, he reveals the patterns behind high-value deals, the biggest mistakes founders make, and the five things every acquirer looks for before making an offer.

If you’re 1–5 years away from selling, or just want to build a business that’s worth more, this conversation will give you clarity, timing insight, and real leverage for your future deal.

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Download the first 2 chapters of my upcoming book, 2 Commas, for free here ⁠https://bit.ly/3WisuYo⁠

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠https://www.joshcomrie.com/⁠ to see how I can help you on your business journey.

He built a fast-growing tech company, raised millions, and sold it in an eight-figure exit. But before that, the business nearly killed him.

In this episode of 2 Commas, I talk with Jonny Mirkin, founder of Nomos and now GivenWell, about what happens when ambition turns on you. From burnout that landed him in hospital to the years of therapy that followed, Jonny shares the brutal lessons that changed how he leads, builds, and lives.

It’s not just a story about selling a company. It’s about what success really costs and how to come back from losing yourself along the way.

Receive weekly business insights and real exit lessons straight to your inbox by signing up for 2 Commas Journal https://bit.ly/47lfcPU

Download the first 2 chapters of my upcoming book, 2 Commas, for free here https://bit.ly/3WisuYo

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit https://www.joshcomrie.com/ to see how I can help you on your business journey.

Every founder has a story. But few have one that takes a turn like this.

In this episode of Two Commas, I talk with Nathan Morgan French, a founder who built, scaled, and sold a telco business, but only after confronting something far deeper than business itself.

What Nathan went through changed how he thinks about focus, discipline, and what success really costs. It’s a story of collapse and comeback, and the quiet strength it takes to rebuild when no one’s watching.

Subscribe to the 2 Commas Journal to receive business insights and real exit lessons straight to your inbox https://bit.ly/47lfcPU

Download the first 2 chapters of my upcoming book, 2 Commas, for free here https://bit.ly/3WisuYo

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit https://www.joshcomrie.com/ to see how I can help you on your business journey.

What if the smartest way to start a company… is inside someone else’s?

In this episode of Two Commas, I sit down with Justin Hamilton, co-founder of Davanti, to unpack one of the most unusual founding stories I’ve come across — how three consultants built a thriving, entrepreneurial business inside Spark, then bought it back, scaled it, and sold it in one of New Zealand’s most impressive consulting exits.

We dig into how Justin and his partners turned corporate constraints into creative freedom, the art of building culture within a giant, and how to navigate buyouts, partnerships, and earnouts without losing your sanity.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build something exceptional inside a big organisation — or how to know when it’s time to take it out on your own — this episode will give you the playbook.

Subscribe to the 2 Commas Journal to receive business insights and real exit lessons straight to your inbox https://bit.ly/47lfcPU

Download the first 2 chapters of my upcoming book, 2 Commas, for free here https://bit.ly/3WisuYo

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit https://www.joshcomrie.com/ to see how I can help you on your business journey.

I’ve seen too many founders build businesses they end up resenting, not because the idea was wrong, but because they never stopped to ask: what do I actually want from this? In this episode, I introduce the five levels of foundership—from lifestyler to entrepreneur—and explore the rewards, risks and sacrifices at each stage.

Some of the happiest people I know are lifestylers who never wanted anything bigger. Some of the most miserable are entrepreneurs who should have stayed operators. Wherever you are on the journey, this framework will help you figure out which level is right for you, so you can build a business that fuels the life you want, instead of consuming it.

Subscribe to the 2 Commas Journal to receive business insights and real exit lessons straight to your inbox https://bit.ly/47lfcPU

Download the first 2 chapters of my upcoming book, 2 Commas, for free here https://bit.ly/3WisuYo

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit https://www.joshcomrie.com/ to see how I can help you on your business journey.

Season 4 kicks off with a special solo episode where I go deep on the founder’s burden: the pressure, the sacrifices, and the simple but confronting question: what do you really want from your business? Drawing on my own journey from burnout to clarity, I unpack why defining your true goals and what you’re willing to sacrifice is the key to building on your own terms.

Subscribe to the 2 Commas Journal to receive business insights and real exit lessons straight to your inbox https://bit.ly/47lfcPU

Download the first 2 chapters of my upcoming book, 2 Commas, for free here https://bit.ly/3WisuYo

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit https://www.joshcomrie.com/ to see how I can help you on your business journey.

Marisa Fong, Matt Chapman, and Jovan Pavlicevic each built and exited companies on their own terms — but the lessons they share are universal. From chasing government contracts as a two-person team, to scaling a global freight train, to selling before the market turned, their stories reveal how ambition, timing, and resilience shape the founder journey.

This best-of episode isn’t about theory or glossy headlines. It’s the messy, human side of building and exiting — told by founders who’ve been there, scarred, and succeeded. If you’re growing, scaling, or planning an exit, these are the insights you’ll want in your back pocket.

Subscribe to the 2 Commas Journal to receive business insights and real exit lessons straight to your inbox https://bit.ly/47lfcPU

Download the first 2 chapters of my upcoming book, 2 Commas, for free here https://bit.ly/3WisuYo

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit https://www.joshcomrie.com/ to see how I can help you on your business journey.

Mike Carden, Will Palmer, and James McCarthy each built, scaled, and sold SaaS companies in very different ways — but all with lessons that matter for founders today. From surviving the GFC with no cash, to putting profitability ahead of vanity growth, to mastering the art of storytelling as a sales weapon, their experiences cut through the myths of startup success.

This “best of” episode isn’t polished theory. It’s real stories, hard scars, and the kind of wisdom you only get from the trenches of building and exiting. If you’re starting, scaling, or staring down an exit, you’ll find insights here worth stealing.

Subscribe to the 2 Commas Journal to receive business insights and real exit lessons straight to your inbox https://bit.ly/47lfcPU

Download the first 2 chapters of my upcoming book, 2 Commas, for free here https://bit.ly/3WisuYo

Follow me on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshcomrie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit https://www.joshcomrie.com/ to see how I can help you on your business journey.