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In this episode, Steve McGarry sits down with Andrew Hulbert, an exited founder who turned a bedroom startup into a £50 million turnover facilities management powerhouse. Andrew shares the unvarnished truth about the "double exit" strategy, how he raised $100 million in private equity, and why he chose to retire at age 37 to become a full-time dad and "jam-maker" on his farm in Oxfordshire. If you are a founder looking to de-risk your life while scaling your business, this episode provides the exact playbook.
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Andrew Hulbert grew a business from his bedroom into one of the UK’s fastest-growing companies in facilities management. In just nine years, he scaled the company to over 500 people, winning more than 40 awards and delivering £0.25bn in contracted services. He went on to create eight figures in exit value for the business, generating significant value for all. Today, Andrew is sharing his story to inspire others and shape the future of entrepreneurship and leadership.
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhulbert/
Instagram - www.instagram.com/_andrewhulbert/
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(00:00) – The "Working Class" Spark: From factory-worker roots to launching a business in a bedroom at age 27.
(01:10) – Scaling to £50M: The 9-year journey of managing 500 staff and raising $100M in investment.
(01:53) – The Art of De-Risking: Why Andrew took £18M off the table early and why "secondary sales" are a founder’s best friend.
(03:15) – Hiring Your Replacement: How investing £1M in a new C-suite prepared the business for a massive secondary exit.
(05:27) – Losing Control vs. Gaining Liquidity: Navigating the "soul-selling" reality of working with Private Equity.
(07:29) – The COVID Catalyst: How the pandemic shifted Andrew’s perspective on fatherhood and forced an exit timeline.
(09:48) – Knowing When to Walk Away: The internal "soul conversation" required to recognize the right time to sell.
(13:01) – Driving the Multiples: Why your CFO is your most important hire during a sale process.
(14:50) – The Momentum Narrative: Using LinkedIn, press releases, and awards to create a "bidding war" environment.
(17:41) – The £12M Mistake: Lessons learned from "ratchets" and corporate advisor incentives.
(20:44) – The Physical Toll of an Exit: Why Andrew lost 120 lbs and the importance of health during a transaction.
(23:20) – Final Wisdom: What the Andrew of today would tell the Andrew of 10 years ago.
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The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/
