Build and Exit

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How Michele Hecken Built a Business She Could Sell Without Her | Build and Exit Podcast

2026-08-2829:59

Michele Hecken built a global business from scratch, grew it to the point where she was working just 4–10 hours a week, and ultimately sold it. In this episode, Michele joins Julie Wilkinson to share how she built a business that could run without her, overcame founder dependency, and prepared the company for a successful exit. They discuss delegation, systems, leadership, KPIs, business value and the mindset shift required to truly step away. Watch the full video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HjpCBqbl5NQ?si=kwlz8ivt49KAkpBF

She Bought a Business. It Came With a £677,000 Hidden Tax Liability | Build and Exit Podcast

2026-08-2029:42

Kemi Egan bought a business in 2021. What she did not know was that HMRC had already launched a COP8 fraud investigation into the seller six months before completion. By the time she found out, the tax liability had reached £677,000, a further million in director's loan credits had been denied, and she was five months pregnant. This episode covers the full story, the due diligence check that could have flagged it, and why she is now in high court litigation. Watch the full video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NrGd1tUK3gY

1.9% of VC Funding Goes to Female Founders. David B Horne Is Trying to Change That. | Build and Exit Podcast

2026-08-1330:07

Less than 2% of VC funding in the UK goes to female founders. That number has barely moved in 16 years. In this episode David B Horne, who has raised over $110 million and written Funded Female Founders, joins Julie to explain why, and what female founders can do about it. Including the one response strategy that makes any founder 14 times more likely to secure funding. Watch the full video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/q3xKZ60SIPc?si=8jK33vvLPSi9Qg3A

Selling My Business Felt Like a Divorce. Here Is What Nobody Tells You. | Build and Exit Podcast

2026-08-0628:47

Most conversations about selling a business focus on the deal. This one focuses on what it actually feels like. Luke Winter co-founded Wallbreaker, a video agency, straight out of university. After 12 years he sold his half to his business partner. In this episode he talks honestly about the loneliness, the exhaustion, the night in the shower, and the question every seller faces: am I walking away with enough? Watch the full video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zl2MuhC8ufo

£3 Million Saved Through Outsourcing: The Strategy Most Businesses Overlook | Build and Exit Podcast

2026-07-3135:19

Nine out of ten businesses that come to market within a year have not sold. Marc Adams has spent four decades on both sides of that statistic. In this episode he joins Julie to break down the three-step framework behind his book: cutting costs through outsourcing, deploying that saving into growth, and using acquisitions to double a business in an afternoon. Including a real client whose valuation moved from £5 million to £24 million. Watch the full video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZALeAgUlHzY

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