In this week's episode of Built to Sell Radio, we are joined by William Ury, the co-founder of the Harvard Program on Negotiation and the International Negotiation Network with former President Jimmy Carter. Drawing from his extensive experience in high-stakes diplomatic negotiations, Ury shares invaluable strategies to help you punch above your weight in a negotiation to sell your business. From understanding buyer motivations to mastering negotiation processes, you will gain actionable insights from one of the world's foremost negotiation experts.

Brian Dean has been called an SEO genius for his search engine optimization courses, so it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise when Semrush, a publicly traded SEO software company, came knocking.

What was surprising was that Semrush paid $5 million for Brian’s one-employee company.

This week we’re featuring an interview with John Rood, who built Next Step, a test prep business that helped students prepare for the medical school admissions test (MCAT). John Rood built Next Step to almost $10 million in revenue, with EBITDA margins ranging from 20–40% before selling to New Harbour Group, a private equity business doing a roll-up of test prep companies.

Although it was a financial windfall for John, his exit left him feeling empty inside. John drifted and ended up having a difficult time processing his newfound life, which led him to consider if other founders struggled with life post-exit. He began interviewing other entrepreneurs who had sold and is now putting the finishing touches on a book called Beyond the Exit, which will come out later this year.

This week we’re bringing you an extraordinary story of resilience and determination as we delve into the lives of Payam and Frank Zamani. Starting their American dream with a mere $75, the brothers embarked on a venture that led to the founding of Autoweb, a groundbreaking lead generation service in the auto industry.

Autoweb’s journey to success reached its zenith with an IPO that valued the company at an astonishing $1.2 billion, with shares peaking at $50. However, the narrative took a dramatic turn as investor demand for a new CEO led to a steep decline, plummeting the share price to a mere 18 cents.

Through the turbulence, Payam Zamani’s story unfolds as one of unwavering spirit and the relentless pursuit of a vision despite formidable challenges.

Tune in to hear how Payam navigated the highs and the heartbreaking lows of Autoweb’s saga as he offers a treasure trove of lessons for capitalists.