The strongest companies are not built on profit, they are built on people and process. Most people treat profit like the main priority. Everything else comes after. But strong businesses are built on two things first. People. Process. When your team is aligned and your systems are solid, everything runs…
If you are trying to create time or financial freedom, Eric Wiklendt says it starts with how you work. Most people stay stuck working in the business. Eric frames it differently. You need to work on the business. That means building processes that are scalable. Repeatable. And executable by other…
Most founders focus on money when they should be fixing the system that creates it. Profit is not the goal. It is the fruit. A business works like a tree. If the roots are strong, the soil is right, and it gets what it needs, fruit shows up. But most…
Eric Wiklendt explains what actually happens when buyers find surprises late. If you are selling your company and hiding issues in diligence, this will cost you. Eric Wiklendt’s advice is simple. Bring problems up early. Do not assume a buyer will miss it. They will find it. And when you…
The best time to sell your company is when you do not want to. Most people try to exit when things feel heavy. Growth has slowed. Energy is low. Options feel limited. That is when buyers have leverage. That is when your multiple drops. The real move is the opposite.…
If you are a founder thinking about selling your company, this is how Eric Wiklendt approaches deals. It starts with what the seller wants. In many cases, they keep the owner or management team in place. That is the preference. Then they bring in an operating partner. Someone who leads…
If you are building a brand that feels forced or hard to sell, this is where you are going wrong. A 26-year-old model with no formal business background just sold her skincare brand for $1B in under 3 years. It was not luck. It was not just celebrity. It was…
90% of private equity comes from banking, Eric Wiklendt took a different route. Eric Wiklendt did not follow the typical route. Most people come up through investment banking. He came through operations. Detroit roots. Consulting. Graduate school. Operating roles inside large manufacturing companies. The shift happened when he worked in…
If you are building a brand and unsure what to focus on right now, these five lessons from Rhode will give you a clearer path. Most founders overcomplicate growth. This playbook is simple, but it requires discipline. 1. Build where founder market fit is obvious Do not force credibility Start…
When Eric Wiklendt breaks down value creation in private equity, it comes down to three levers. Your LPs want returns. The GP wants returns. Operators and management want generational wealth. According to Eric, all of that is driven by three things. Increase EBITDA. Reduce debt. Expand the multiple on exit.…
How much is your business actually worth? Eric Wiklendt has helped over 100 business owners sell, scale, and structure exits that don’t just look good on paper—but actually close. In this episode, Eric breaks down the biggest misconceptions owners have about valuations, how buyers really think, and why most sellers…
If someone thinks the goal in private equity is to become a better investor, they are aiming too low. The real power comes from becoming the access point. It is not just about putting money into deals, but about helping create the opportunity itself. They find the deal, open the…
Private equity only gets powerful when someone becomes the access point. It gets real when they stop looking for access and start creating it. Anyone can try to invest in deals, but very few position themselves to control access to them. That is the shift. They move from participant to…
If someone struggles to stay disciplined with their goals, try replacing one word in their mind. It can change how they follow through. For a long time, they tried to force discipline. Discipline carries baggage. Sometimes it feels negative, as if the work will be painful. Sometimes it feels neutral,…
Stop looking for private equity deals and start creating them. Most people stay stuck asking where to find deals and who can give them access. Entrepreneurs have a different path. They can become the access point. Instead of waiting for opportunities, they create them. They find a deal, structure it,…
Private equity is not exclusive. It is just structured differently than most people think. Many assume private equity is reserved for big institutions, Ivy League backgrounds, and multi-million dollar deals. But in reality, private equity is just a structure. There are legal frameworks that allow entrepreneurs to create their own…
If a business lives entirely in the owner’s head, it is not a business. It is a job. If everything depends on the owner—decisions, memory, involvement—then the business stops when the owner stops. This means no exit, no scale, and no freedom. Most businesses stall not because they fail, but…
Most salespeople sound weak on the phone and it is costing money. If business owners listen to their sales calls, they will notice that most of their team sound inexperienced. Phrases that apologize or ask for permission are not selling. They signal uncertainty and deference. That approach costs deals. The…
If private equity feels confusing but someone understands real estate, this will make it click. Real estate is the easiest way to understand private equity because it behaves like a business. You collect income and pay expenses. What is left is the net operating income. From there, the game is…
Deals are lost the moment they are needed too much. Salespeople may want the deal, but they should not need it. Most walk into meetings thinking that they need the deal to go through. That need gives the buyer power. They start chasing, start pleasing, and stop leading. Top performers…
Most investors miss this. Entrepreneurs are naturally built for private equity. Entrepreneurs have an unfair advantage in private equity, not because of money, but because of experience. They already know what it takes to make a business work. They have seen what breaks. They know where things fall apart. So…
Sales gets easier when it is not tied to identity. Most salespeople do not separate who they are from what they do. Selling becomes their identity, not just their role. So when someone says no, it feels personal. That is why they hesitate, avoid pressure, and fail to close. Professionals…
Most people misuse the term private equity. This is the correct way to think about it. Private equity is not a thing you invest in. It is a category. Saying that someone invests in private equity is like saying that they buy stocks. It tells you nothing about strategy, risk,…
Most salespeople in meetings are not trying to close. They are trying to be liked. They walk out thinking that it went well, that people liked them, that they asked good questions, and they feel successful. That is the problem. If someone needs approval, they avoid tension, avoid pushing, and…
