What Private Equity Won't Tell You Before They Buy | Brian Will

Selling your business to private equity without the right team in your corner is one of the most expensive mistakes an entrepreneur can make — and Brian Will has the scars to prove it. In Part 2, he walks through the full PE playbook: how earn-outs get manipulated, why EBITDA-based deals almost always disadvantage the seller, and what he wishes he'd known before his $80 million exit.

You'll also get the five keys to success that Brian teaches in his consulting practice — and why each one is simultaneously a key to failure. Brian breaks down his three-AI workflow (ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude running simultaneously), his framework for finding the right mentor at exactly the right level, and why your business is never really about your product. Plus he shares the real reason he's building Living Forever AI at 60 — and it has nothing to do with the money.

Subscribe and drop a comment — what's the one area of your business where you know you need to stop taking your own advice?

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
00:00 - Commodity Trap Warning
00:28 - Podcast Intro Setup
01:17 - Five Keys Framework
01:36 - Key One: Strong Why
02:11 - Keys Two and Three
04:24 - Key Four: Check Ego
05:12 - Key Five: Know Numbers
07:32 - P&L Patterns and KPIs
09:58 - Pricing Tests Strategy
13:52 - Business Is Data
14:57 - AI For Finance Work
17:17 - Living Forever AI
21:14 - Experience Plus AI Edge
26:04 - AI Jobs Mindset
30:50 - Why Start At Sixty
33:19 - Builder Not Manager
34:06 - Exit Numbers Reality
35:24 - Timing The Sale
36:17 - Private Equity Earnouts
39:18 - Hire The Right Pros
41:17 - Rollup Playbook Explained
45:40 - Structuring Earnouts Safely
47:39 - Acquisition Hard Lessons
51:33 - Scaling Beyond Product
57:38 - AI As Business Coach
01:00:09 - Advice From Ten Steps Ahead
01:03:07 - Final Mindset Takeaways
01:05:08 - Where To Find Brian
01:05:39 - Closing And Subscribe

ABOUT BRIAN WILL:

Brian Will is a serial entrepreneur, two-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and business consultant who has founded or co-founded ten companies across four industries, with combined valuations exceeding half a billion dollars. He is a two-time TEDx speaker and the author of four books including Dropout Multimillionaire and No: The Psychology of Sales and Negotiations. Currently, Brian is the CEO of Living Forever AI and runs a coaching and consulting practice helping entrepreneurs master the core metrics, sales systems, and processes that drive sustainable growth.

🔗 CONNECT WITH BRIAN WILL:
https://brianwillmedia.com/

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Disclaimer The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

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Practical frameworks for entrepreneurs who are ready to build, scale, and sell the right way.