Jared Johnson sits down with Paige Wiese, founder of Tree Ring Digital, a 16-year full-service digital marketing and web agency, to unpack the part of buying or selling a business that almost nobody plans for: digital asset transfer. Paige explains why domains, hosting, email, social accounts, analytics, third-party tools, brand files, and even AI/GPT logins often sit in personal inboxes or with old vendors—and how that can stall or even devalue a transaction. She walks through her two-step approach (digital asset assessment, then a 300+ point audit), why buyers should ask earlier for logins and proof of marketing performance, how sellers can show up more prepared, and what can go wrong when a domain expires or the recovery email is deleted. They also get into the new issue of employees training GPTs on company data under personal accounts, and why companies need standards now: one company-owned AI account, clear rules on what data can go in, and a plan for what happens when an employee leaves.

Main Takeaways:

- Most businesses cannot produce logins on demand and access is scattered across staff, vendors, and old emails

- Digital assets (domains, hosting, email, website, social, analytics, third-party tools) are business assets and should be part of the deal

- A two-step process works best: identify gaps, then audit and recover everything before close

- There are far more digital data points in a modern business than owners realize, often 300+

- Expired domains, deleted recovery emails, and vendor deaths can take 1–2 weeks to unwind

- Sellers who package digital assets cleanly reduce friction and protect valuation

- Buyers should ask early for proof of marketing performance and actual ownership of key platforms

- Key employees should not be single points of failure for website SOPs, renewals, or platform access

- Use a single company-controlled email (webmaster@ / marketing@ / info@) for all third-party tools and renewals

- AI/GPT tools introduce new risk when staff train models with company data under personal accounts

- Companies should provide the AI account, define what can be uploaded, and make it portable on exit

- Auditing tools also surfaces unused SaaS/AI expenses and can save money while organizing assets

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:21] Why digital asset transfer is an overlooked part of ETA and small business deals

[00:02:05] Paige’s background, 16 years running Truing Digital

[00:04:12] “Do you have the login?” and why clients rarely have everything in one place

[00:08:17] Preparing to sell in 6–12 months: start with a digital asset assessment

[00:10:43] The 300+ digital data points behind a business

[00:15:48] Extreme case: developer dies, everything was on reseller accounts, legal recovery required

[00:20:22] Standards of practice: one shared email for renewals and third-party tools

[00:26:14] Post-transaction integration: re-running the checklist once the buyer owns the business

[00:28:32] The “website is down six months after close” call and why it happens

[00:31:40] AI complication: personal GPTs trained on company data

[00:33:27] Policy solution: company-provided AI accounts and data rules

[00:37:25] Document everything before IT wipes a departing employee’s machine

Connect with Paige:

Website: https://www.treeringdigital.com/beforeyoubuyorsellabusiness

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigewiese/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreeRingDigital/

Instagram:

Jared Johnson sits down with husband and wife operators Tahir Zaman Hussain and Neilab Rahimzada to unpack an 18-month search that started in London and New York, survived a failed first deal, and ended with the acquisition of a hyper niche window restoration company with decades of brand equity. They explain why calling brokers directly beat scrolling listings, how a prior LOI on a fire sprinkler company fell apart over working capital, and what changed when they found a seller who was transparent and responsive. The pair walk through pricing, a structured transition that kept the seller away from staff, and why even a negative working capital model still demanded real cash at close for insurance and early costs. They share role reversals once they took the keys, the expected J curve, discovering demand that exceeded capacity, and the plan to professionalize operations while hiring to remove themselves as the bottleneck.

Main Takeaways:

• Calling brokers and building relationships beats passively browsing listings
• Seller fit and transparency are early signals of post close reality
• Working capital is a must have topic, if the seller cannot grasp it, walk away
• Even firms with negative net working capital need cash at close for early bills
• Weekly seller calls and a living data room keep diligence moving and cut surprises
• A tailored transition can work if the seller is kept away from employees and authority
• Expect role shifts after close, divide by aptitude rather than the original plan
• The J curve is real, track project efficiency early or you give margin away
• A strong and aligned deal team keeps emotions in check and momentum toward close
• Growth needs capacity and systems, hire to free owners for tools, process, and scale
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Episode Highlights:

• [00:00:28] Backgrounds, London and Long Island roots, careers in finance and capital markets
• [00:03:06] Why ownership, investment returns and the itch to operate
• [00:04:47] What they bought, a hyper niche window restoration company with outsized reputation
• [00:07:37] How they sourced it, broker outreach over listing sites and why that worked
• [00:10:18] Search timeline, education in mid 2023, close in October after about 18 months
• [00:11:45] The first LOI that died, fire sprinkler company and a breakdown on working capital
• [00:14:06] Context on working capital in lower middle market deals, shifting norms and lessons learned
• [00:18:20] The right seller, transparency, fast document turns, weekly calls, clean diligence cadence
• [00:20:11] Transition design, seller support for two months without interacting with staff
• [00:23:05] Deal structure at a high level, SBA senior debt, standby seller note, modest buyer cash
• [00:24:55] Why they still needed working capital, insurance costs and early cash needs in New York
• [00:27:01] The value of an aligned deal team, keeping emotions steady through closing
• [00:29:35] Day one, the speech, then role reversal, Tahir on sales, Neilab on operations
• [00:32:42] Performance, an initial dip then trending toward the best year in company history
• [00:33:30] What is next, systematize operations, add headcount, prepare to handle more demand
• [00:36:13] Mentorship, leaning on entrepreneurial family and the search for a mentor
• [00:38:44] Motivation, stewardship of a legacy brand and showing up even when it is hard

Connect with Jared:

If you have questions for Jared, visit: https://jaredwjohnson.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredwjohnson/

DISCLAIMER:

The views and opinions expressed in this...

Jared Johnson sits down with investor and operator Adam Markley to trace a winding path from nearly failing out of college to building and backing small businesses. Adam shares how a pivot into accounting and finance opened doors to hands-on work with small companies, a corporate run standing up deal-driven divisions, and ultimately his own acquisitions in the U.S. and U.K. He talks candidly about painful lessons (from paying loans out of pocket to a partner emptying accounts), why seller behavior is a leading indicator of post-close reality, and how his team now invests with a heavy emphasis on in-person site visits and back-office execution. Adam explains his four-pillar support model for new owners, common pitfalls in lender relationships, and where he thinks ETA is headed as underwriting tightens and off-market search professionalizes.

Main Takeaways:

• Curiosity and repetition win: reviewing dozens of deals monthly builds judgment you cannot shortcut
• Seller character and the buyer–seller relationship are core drivers of post-close success
• Site visits late in diligence provide a critical gut check before funding and close
• The first 6–12 months are won by focusing on four buckets: people, operations, sales, and processes
• Outsourcing or wrapping expert back-office support can save hundreds of hours during transition
• Investor fit matters: clear expectations on equity step-ups, preferred returns, and long-term horizons
• Off-market search is professionalizing; few individuals can excel at every part of the search lifecycle alone
• Expect tighter SBA underwriting (e.g., DSCR definitions, post-close liquidity) to favor better-capitalized buyers
• Personal financial discipline signals readiness to operate and builds lender and investor confidence
• Under-levering and adding real balance-sheet cash can improve outcomes and optionality post-close

Episode Highlights:

• Background reset: from almost failing out to finishing an accounting/finance degree early and working with small-business clients
• Early exposure: regional public accounting, seeing owners scale and realizing business + real estate wealth patterns
• Corporate chapter: building deal-led divisions (JVs, partial acquisitions), then buying and spinning out an education company on acquisitions
• Hard lessons: U.K. operating partner empties accounts; replacing a non-owner president post-close; paying loans personally
• Portfolio today: eight active businesses, four acquired with SBA loans; shifting from primary acquirer to minority investor
• Investment approach: won’t invest without a site visit; observe seller–buyer dynamics as a final diligence gate
• Back-office leverage: running or wrapping accounting/finance/admin to free operators for customers, people, ops, and sales
• The four-pillar support model: inner circle (family/peers), peer groups, strategic investor sounding board, and day-to-day back office
• Working with lenders: create a real feedback loop; understand how banks calculate DSCR and post-close liquidity
• Market outlook: more competition, more specialization in off-market sourcing, and likely stricter SBA expectations
• Motivation: be the resource he wished he had—review deals freely, build community (Denver meetup; Rocky Mountain ETA efforts)

Connect with Jared:

If you have questions for Jared, visit: https://jaredwjohnson.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredwjohnson/

Connect with Adam: