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  • Life After Multiple Exits, Faith, Family, and the Power of Giving Back

    Life After Multiple Exits, Faith, Family, and the Power of Giving Back
    2026/05/31
    What happens after the exit when success is no longer measured by the deal? In this episode of Your N.E.X.T., Jerome Myers sits down with Paul Farrell, a technology entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and repeat founder who has built, turned around, and exited companies across software, big data, and cybersecurity. Paul shares the story behind selling his cybersecurity company during COVID, the moment personal risk became too high, and why every exit carries its own lessons. But this conversation goes far beyond the transaction. Paul opens up about faith, family, generosity, culture, radical candor, and the decision he and his wife made to give away 50% of the net proceeds from major liquidity events. He also reflects on identity beyond the CEO role, learning to slow down, and why the fulfilled life is built through service, not accumulation. This episode is for founders, CEOs, advisors, and high achievers who are wondering what comes after the summit. Jerome and Paul explore: Why every exit feels different Selling a cybersecurity company during COVID The role Paul’s wife played in deciding when enough risk was enough Why generosity became central to life after liquidity Giving away 50% of net proceeds from major exits How identity gets tangled with the CEO role Why culture matters more than most founders realize Radical candor, truth-telling, and leadership Helping employees pursue their dreams Faith, surrender, and peace after achievement Why family dinners became one of Paul’s clearest pictures of success Paul Farrell is a technology entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and repeat founder with decades of experience building, turning around, and exiting companies across software, big data, and cybersecurity. His career includes leadership at AOL, the turnaround of a NASDAQ-traded company, the acquisition and sale of a London-based big data company, and the sale of a cybersecurity company during COVID. Today, Paul advises CEOs and founders, bringing together business experience, faith, culture-building, and a deep commitment to service. LinkedIn: Paul FarrellEmail: paul@paterholdings.com Your N.E.X.T. is the podcast for founders, executives, and high achievers asking what comes after success. Hosted by Jerome Myers, the show explores exits, identity, purpose, legacy, fulfillment, and the journey from achievement to alignment. Your dreams should be real. In This EpisodeGuest BioConnect with PaulAbout Your N.E.X.T. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 分
  • Why Founders Get Outmatched When Selling Their Business with Lewis Schiff

    Why Founders Get Outmatched When Selling Their Business with Lewis Schiff
    2026/05/24
    Most founders believe that because they built a successful business, they are prepared to sell it. Lewis Schiff believes that assumption can cost them millions. In this episode of Your N.E.X.T., Jerome Myers sits down with Lewis Schiff, Chairman of Birthing of Giants, to unpack why founders are entering one of the most important economic windows of our lifetime. An estimated $80 trillion in wealth is moving from older generations to younger ones, and that capital is looking for places to land. One of those places is founder-led lower middle market businesses. But there is a problem. The founder who built the company may only sell one business in their lifetime. The buyer across the table may buy ten companies a year. That imbalance creates risk. Lewis explains why private equity firms are aggressively pursuing founder-led companies, how professionalization can increase exit value, and why earn-outs often become traps for owners who were not fully prepared before going to market. Jerome and Lewis also explore one of the most important distinctions in the exit conversation: the difference between being an operator and being an owner. Operators make promises and keep promises. Owners build transferable, creditworthy assets. That shift changes how founders think about capital, leverage, decision-making, professionalization, growth, and the eventual sale of the company. This conversation is for founders, advisors, and business owners who want to avoid being outmatched during the exit process and build a company that is not only profitable, but transferable. Jerome and Lewis discuss: • Why the $80 trillion wealth transfer matters to business owners• Why private equity is targeting lower middle market companies• How professionalization can increase exit value• The hidden danger of earn-outs• Why founders often walk away with less than expected• How taxes, fees, and lost salary affect post-exit reality• Why capital does not automatically equal wisdom• The difference between operator thinking and owner thinking• How AI may help founders extend founder mode• Why selling a business requires a different skill set than building one “Operators make promises and keep promises. Owners build assets.” Learn more about Lewis Schiff and Birthing of Giants:https://birthingofgiants.com/prep Learn more about Jerome Myers and Exit to Excellence:https://exittoexcellence.com In This EpisodeKey QuoteLearn More Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 分
  • From Back Office Bottlenecks to Billion-Dollar Thinking with Adam Spector

    From Back Office Bottlenecks to Billion-Dollar Thinking with Adam Spector
    2026/05/17
    Adam Spector, founder of Chore, four-time entrepreneur, and startup investor, joins Jerome Myers for a conversation about building in a world where the tools are moving faster than most people can process. From San Francisco’s AI boom to the rising bar for young professionals, Adam shares why speed, focus, and delegation have become critical advantages for founders. He explains why entrepreneurs often become the “janitor” of their own companies, handling payroll, HR, finance, compliance, and other back-office work that pulls them away from the work only they can do. Jerome and Adam also explore AI’s impact on jobs, education, startup investing, and founder behavior. Adam offers a clear challenge to business owners and ambitious professionals: stop waiting for permission, start building proof, and protect your most valuable resource: time. This episode is for founders, operators, investors, and professionals who want to understand what it takes to compete in the age of AI without losing sight of the life they are trying to build. In this episode: Why San Francisco remains the center of the AI boomHow AI is raising the bar for founders and job seekersWhy speed is now a strategic advantageWhat Adam looks for when investing in foundersWhy founders get trapped doing low-leverage workHow Chore helps entrepreneurs delegate back-office operationsWhy proof of work matters more than a polished resumeThe real cost of spending your time on the wrong thingsWhy the gatekeepers are gone Guest: Adam SpectorAdam Spector is a four-time founder, startup investor, and founder of Chore. Based in San Francisco, Adam has invested in roughly 200 startups and helps entrepreneurs protect their time by delegating the back-office work that slows them down. Connect with Adam:Website: HireChore.comLinkedIn: Adam Spector, Founder of ChoreX: @ASPEC00 Your dreams should be real. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 分
  • The Hollow Place After an Exit with Brian Roeder

    The Hollow Place After an Exit with Brian Roeder
    2026/05/03
    What happens when the business exit is not the only exit happening? In this episode of Your NEXT, Jerome Myers sits down with Brian Roeder, founder of Bee Oak Partners and Managing Agent for Transworld Business Advisors’ Monterey office. Brian shares the story of building Barrel Oak Winery from raw land into one of Virginia’s busiest wineries, welcoming up to 1,500 guests on busy Saturdays, growing a committed team, raising more than $2 million through nonprofit events, and ultimately selling the business in 2022. But this conversation is not just about selling a winery. It is about navigating a double exit. Brian built the business with his former wife, and as the marriage came apart, the business had to be protected, investors had to be considered, and the dream they had built had to be carefully unwound. He describes the moment after the wire hit as a physical release, like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. But relief did not automatically create clarity. After the sale, Brian moved back to California for what he thought would be his next chapter in the family business. When that path did not unfold as expected, he faced another transition and another question: Who am I now? In this episode, Jerome and Brian explore: The emotional weight of selling a business Why the team is often what founders miss most How divorce, investors, employees, family, and identity can collide during an exit Why relief is real, but not the same as purpose What Brian calls “the hollow place” after success The difference between connectors and extractors Why the right advisor starts with the owner’s story, not just the numbers How Brian now uses his experience to help other owners avoid the mistakes he had to learn the hard way A successful transaction can close the deal. An excellent exit protects the person on the other side of it. Connect with Brian Roeder:https://beeoak.combrian@beeoak.com Take the Exit Readiness Assessment:https://www.exittoexcellence.com/era Schedule a conversation with Jerome:https://calendly.com/yournext/30-minute-1-on-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 分
  • Surviving the Silence After Your Exit: Why the Deal Is Only the Summit

    Surviving the Silence After Your Exit: Why the Deal Is Only the Summit
    2026/04/27
    What happens after the wire hits? For years, founders imagine the exit as the summit. The documents are signed. The legal teams are done. The congratulations pour in. The number in the bank account finally reflects the sacrifice, pressure, and grit it took to build the company. Then Tuesday morning arrives. No urgent emails. No executive team waiting for direction. No fires to put out. No company demanding your identity, energy, and leadership. Just silence. In this episode of Your NEXT, Jerome Myers explores one of the most overlooked risks in exit planning: the psychological and structural collapse that can happen after a successful transaction. Inspired by The Exit Expedition: Why the Deal Is Only the Summit, this conversation unpacks why so many founders prepare their companies for sale while doing almost nothing to prepare themselves for life after the exit. You’ll hear about: The Transaction Illusion The invisible role the business plays in a founder’s life The Depletion Window after an exit The Six Centers of Doubt Why “respectable noise” can become a trap How to design the descent before you reach the summit A successful transaction monetizes the business. An excellent exit aligns the life. If this resonates, here’s the next step. Take the Exit Readiness Assessment: https://www.exittoexcellence.com/era Schedule a conversation: https://calendly.com/yournext/30-minute-1-on-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 分
  • Who actually deserves to win Thought Leader of the Year in 2026?

    Who actually deserves to win Thought Leader of the Year in 2026?
    2026/04/17
    In this episode, we break down the three nominees for the Excellence in Exit Planning Awards and evaluate them the way most people won’t: by looking at the actual criteria, the quality of their ideas, their public influence, and whether they’ve truly moved the profession forward. We examine the cases for Todd Yeiter, Kristen Carlson, and Jerome Myers, and compare them across seven dimensions, including originality, credibility, practical applicability, public-facing footprint, and ecosystem impact. But this conversation goes beyond an award prediction. It becomes a deeper discussion about what thought leadership really is in the world of exit planning. Is it mastering the structural mechanics of a deal? Is it helping owners build companies that can run without them? Or is it naming the invisible human problem no one else wants to touch: what happens to the founder after the deal is done? If you care about business exits, founder psychology, transition planning, or the future of the exit planning profession, this episode will give you a lot to think about. In this episode: The official criteria for Thought Leader of the Year Why thought leadership is harder to judge than business performance The case for each nominee The seven-part scoring framework used in the analysis The final prediction for who wins in 2026, and why The bigger question: If the money were no longer the issue, and the transaction was complete, would you actually know who you are on day two? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    22 分
  • Vulnerability, Virality, and the Reality After an Exit (w/ Colin Hodge)

    Vulnerability, Virality, and the Reality After an Exit (w/ Colin Hodge)
    2026/04/05
    Most founders believe the liquidity event is the finish line. It isn’t. In this episode of Your NEXT, Jerome Myers sits down with Colin Hodge, a founder who grew a dating app to millions of users with virtually zero ad spend, navigated a first exit, joined the acquirer, and then experienced the part nobody markets: the emotional “now what?” that follows the deal. Jerome unpacks what he calls the Transaction Illusion: the belief that money automatically brings relief, identity, and fulfillment. Colin shares how vulnerability became a growth catalyst, how his company was forced into a fire sale, and the unbelievable twist of buying his own business back and scaling it again. If you’re building toward an exit, recovering from one, or quietly wondering why success feels… weird, this conversation will land. Key topics: Why money doesn’t solve the post-exit questions it exposes Identity shifts, shame, and the silent side of “success” Organic growth through user psychology The boomerang story: sell it, buy it back, grow it again Why founders need a “descent protocol” before they summit Links: Learn more: exittoexcellence.com Explore the work: [NEO Assessment / Exit Readiness Assessment link] Guest: colinhodge.com (book + latest projects) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 時間 1 分
  • From Rock Bottom to $100M ARR: Josh Mastel on Resilience and Exit

    From Rock Bottom to $100M ARR: Josh Mastel on Resilience and Exit
    2026/03/29
    Josh Mastel did not exit because he hit some magical finish line. He exited because the business stopped giving him energy. In this episode of Your NEXT, Jerome Myers sits down with Josh to talk about betting on yourself, walking away from comfort, and building a life in alignment with what matters most. Josh shares the story of cashing out his 401(k), getting fired early in his career, losing his brother at 18, building a business he eventually outgrew, and then helping his wife scale her company into a $100M ARR technology services firm. This conversation is about more than entrepreneurship. It is about resilience, identity, priorities, and the courage to stop being a prisoner of something you built. If you are trying to decide whether your business still fits who you are becoming, this episode will stay with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 分