
Good Business vs Sellable Business: Exit Planning Advice | Henry Wells
5.10.2026
0:00
59:10
Thinking about selling your business, bringing in investment or planning your exit? In this episode of Brave Bold Brilliant, Jeannette Linfoot talks to Henry Wells, board and M&A adviser and founder of Garthway Advisory. They look at why so many deals that start fail to complete, and how better preparation can raise your valuation.
Henry has spent nearly 30 years advising founders, management teams and private equity firms on high-stakes transactions. He explains the gap between having a good business and having a business that is ready for sale, and why owners often find it too late.
ABOUT THIS EPISODE In this conversation, Henry shares: - Why deals that look strong on paper fall apart - The difference between a good business and a sellable business - The hardest truths he has had to tell founders about their own company - How early you should start preparing for a sale or investment - Common valuation myths that surprise business owners - How exit advice changes (and stays the same) across the economic cycle - What it took to leave established firms and launch Garthway Advisory - The one thing he wishes every owner understood before selling
This episode is for founders, entrepreneurs, business owners, management teams and anyone thinking about a business sale, exit or investment round.
ABOUT THE GUEST: HENRY WELLS Henry Wells is a board and M&A adviser with over 30 years of experience as a lawyer, corporate finance adviser and strategic board adviser. He trained and practised as a solicitor before moving into deal-making. He has held senior roles at leading corporate finance firms:
Head of Consumer at Cavendish Group
Head of UK M&A at Duff & Phelps (now Kroll)
Head of Leisure & Retail at Close Brothers Corporate Finance (now DC Advisory)
In 2026, he founded Garthway Advisory, which provides pre-sale strategic advice to private businesses. It helps owners prepare well before they appoint M&A advisers, which reduces the risk of a failed process and improves the valuation and terms they achieve.
🌐 Garthway Advisory: https://garthwayadvisory.com/🔗 Connect with Henry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henryjwells/
ABOUT JEANNETTE LINFOOTJeannette Linfoot is a highly regarded senior executive, property investor, board adviser and business mentor with over 30 years of global business experience across the travel, leisure, hospitality and property sectors. A former corporate CEO turned entrepreneur, she is the founder of Brave Bold Brilliant® and host of the Brave Bold Brilliant podcast.
ABOUT THE CHANNELWelcome to the Brave Bold Brilliant YouTube channel, where business leaders, entrepreneurs and their teams come to be inspired, challenged and equipped with the tools for growth and success. Every week, Jeannette talks to incredible people about their experiences in business and life, from the boardrooms of big international businesses to the kitchen tables of entrepreneurs. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode.
ABOUT BRAVE BOLD BRILLIANT®Brave Bold Brilliant is a business and leadership brand and podcast built around one idea: gaining first-hand insight into how people unleash their potential to become brave, bold and brilliant in business, their careers and life.
🔔 If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, leave a comment and share it with a founder who needs to hear it.
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YouTube Tags:
Henry Wells, Garthway Advisory, selling your business, how to sell a business, exit planning, business exit strategy, M&A advice, mergers and acquisitions, why deals fail, business valuation, pre-sale advisory, preparing business for sale, sell my company, founder exit, Jeannette Linfoot, Brave Bold Brilliant, entrepreneur podcast, business podcast, private equity, corporate finance
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