96. How to successfully sell your business without losing your mind - with Christine Nicholson

When it comes to exiting a business, most founders are stuck. They’re too embedded in the day-to-day, too essential to operations, and too burnt out to even think straight about what comes next. In this episode, I sat down with award-winning exit strategist Christine Nicholson to unpack exactly how to shift that.

Christine has helped hundreds of business owners go from overworked to overjoyed — guiding them to exits worth millions. We talked through why most businesses fail to sell, the three types of exits every founder must make, and the tactical mindset shifts required to hand over control without fear.

If you’re even thinking about selling — this is required listening. No fluff, just practical, punchy advice from someone who’s done it all.

How to successfully sell your business

If you want to make your business sellable and achieve the exit you deserve, Christine says you need to:

• Reduce owner reliance: Your business can’t be dependent on you — get yourself out of the day-to-day operations.
  
• Know your numbers: Poor financial reporting kills deals. Prep your data room early and do it right.
  
• Prepare for due diligence: It’s hell if you’re not ready. Easy to do upfront, brutal if you leave it too late.
  
• Build a push-up team (not a hang-off team): Hire stalagmites — people who lift you up, not stalactites who drag you down.
  
• Follow the 5 steps to a successful exit:
  

1. Know where you are now (value + saleability)
   
2. Decide what you want
   
3. Get the team involved
   
4. Let go with confidence (build controls into the business)
   
5. Exit by design — not by accident
   

Timeline summary

[03:00] - “Oh, I wonder what that’s like?” — how Christine’s career was defined by curiosity, not a plan
[08:57] - The three exits every business owner must make: daily ops, control, and ownership
[10:15] - The three most common reasons businesses fail to sell
[13:20] - Why due diligence is “Dante’s 10 levels of hell” if you’re not prepared
[14:44] - “Hire people who push you out the door” — Christine’s stalagmites vs stalactites model
[17:00] - The five-step roadmap to a successful business exit
[22:17] - Start here: if you got hit by a bus tomorrow, what would your team need to survive?
[27:02] - “Your team are already making up a story about your exit — tell them the one you want them to believe”
[31:06] - The real difference between coaches and mentors
[33:08] - What the military taught Christine about leadership: clarity, certainty, consistency

Links & resources

• Christine’s website: christinenicholson.co.uk
• Her book: Sell It and sequel How To Sell Your Business
• Connect with Christine on LinkedIn