Don’t Screw Up the Exit
How to sell your business without regret and build a life you love.
Matt built his family’s company into one of the top fifty remodelers in the country, sold it, and then discovered what nobody warns owners about. This is the book he wishes he’d read first.
“Three days earlier, a wire transfer had hit my account. I now had several million dollars in the bank, and I never had to work another day unless I chose to. So why did it feel like this?”
Every business owner dreams about the exit. Almost none of them prepare for what comes after it. You get one shot at selling the company you spent decades building, and most owners don’t know their options, don’t know what their business is really worth, and have no plan for the life that follows. This book changes that.
Everything owners usually learn the hard way
Every way out, side by side
Strategic buyers, private equity, platform and bolt-on deals, ESOPs and family transfers, and the very different outcomes each one creates.
How buyers really think
Why buyers move fast, how they see risk differently than you do, and what happens inside the acquisition process.
The questions you didn't know to ask
The deal terms, surprises and fine print owners usually learn the hard way, decoded before you're at the table.
Why you need a guide
Who is helping you think through your exit, who is challenging your assumptions, and who is protecting your interests.
The part nobody warns you about
Identity, purpose, friendships and the strange emptiness that can follow a successful sale.
How to design what comes next
Building a life after the sale that's worth living, so the freedom you worked for actually feels like winning.
Who it’s for
Owners who'll sell someday
You know an exit is coming, one way or another, and want to get it right the first time.
Owners with an offer in hand
A buyer is calling and you want to understand your options before you sign anything.
Next-generation owners
You're taking over a family business and want to build something worth buying.
Four parts. One honest story.
Growing up in a family business, the box of business cards that made Matt president, and building a company worth buying.
A health scare, a five-day wait, and what it really feels like when a buyer comes calling and the deal turns competitive.
The curse of unlimited options, the loss of identity, and how friends treat you differently once the wire hits.
Every exit path laid out side by side, how buyers think, the questions to ask, and how to close without regret.
Three questions from the book
- 1.Who is helping me think through my exit?
- 2.Who is challenging my assumptions?
- 3.Who is protecting my interests?
Matt Hullander
Matt started working at Hullco, his family’s home remodeling company in Chattanooga, at fourteen. He worked his way from manufacturing to installation, sales and management, and the day his father left a box of business cards on his desk with the word “President” on them, he took the wheel.
He grew Hullco to three locations and into one of the top fifty remodeling companies in the country, then sold it. The sale changed his family’s future. What came after taught him the lessons in this book.
Today Matt is a co-founder of V2 Strategy Advisors, helping home service owners sell their companies on their own terms, without the surprises and regret he lived through.
Questions about the book
When does the book come out?
Don't Screw Up the Exit is scheduled for release in 2027 from Game Changer Publishing. Join the early-reader list and we'll email you the moment it's available.
What formats will it be available in?
The book will be available in paperback and ebook. Early-reader list members will hear first when both are ready and where to buy them.
Who is the book for?
Business owners who will sell someday, owners weighing an offer right now, and next-generation owners taking over a family company. Matt wrote it from the seat of an owner who built a company and sold it, not from the seat of a banker.
Is it only for home service companies?
No. Matt's story comes from home remodeling, and V2 advises home service owners, but the lessons on exit options, buyers, deal terms and life after the sale apply to almost any privately owned business.
Can I order copies for my team, clients or an event, or book Matt to speak?
Yes. Use the contact page or call (423) 593-6288 and mention the book. We'll follow up about bulk copies and speaking dates as launch gets closer.
I'm thinking about selling now. Should I wait for the book?
No. Many of the decisions that shape a sale need attention years in advance. If you're thinking about an exit, a confidential conversation with Matt now costs nothing and can save you from the mistakes the book describes.
Build the business. Prepare for the exit. Sell without regret.
Join the early-reader list and be first to know when Don’t Screw Up the Exit is available.