#173: Growing and Selling a Company from the Integrator (2nd in Command)'s Perspective

If you’re listening and you own a company, and you’re trying to figure out how to handle conversations with your second-in-command, align your objectives with your eventual growth and exit plan, or if you’re trying to figure out how to hire a second in command, this is the show for you. 

Today I’m talking with John “JT” Thelan, who used to work in Corporate America as the second-in-command for a company that (under his wing) grew from 4 mils to 10 mils in revenue, then helped sell the company for 11 times EBITA. JT explains what the process was like, what it’s like being in the head of a second-in-command, and how to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

What you will learn:

• Who is JT and what is his background in business?
• The key metrics that JT processed which helped him grow companies
• JT’s journey from sales and publishing to his most recent position
• How to find a good second-in-command
• JT’s preferred onboarding procedures (onboarding is like dating)
• JT’s experience with bonus structure and normalized EBITA
• What it is like to be a second-in-command
• How to make sure everyone is on the same page

Takeaway:

The benefits of having a great second-in-command and the process of finding one. There are huge returns (as seen with Steve and JT) to finding a great second-in-command, getting on the same page, and compensating them correctly. It is worth so much money if you focus on value creation as it relates to the value of your company, instead of focusing on annual income.

Links and Resources:

Jonathan Thielen, LinkedIn

JT’s cell: 612-720-2594

Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino Wickman, Amazon

ARKONA Boot Camp

Reach out to me if you have questions about the boot camp! 

You can also reach out to me via email at [email protected] or on my LinkedIn

About JT:

JT is a growth leader who has leveraged the principles of leadership to create accountable teams, operational discipline, and strategic growth strategies. As President, he sold shareholders company for 11x in 2019. JT builds scalable SaaS B2B and B2C sales growth strategies driving revenues, profits and engaging customer experiences. He has had leadership roles with media, start-ups, and data screening companies such as Trusted Employees, AOL/Patch.com, Internet Marketing, Inc, SanDiego.com and Citysearch.com. His focus is in the sales process, operational discipline, employee engagement, LEAN principles, continuous improvement, accountability, brand strategy, a proven process, and most importantly improving the on-boarding (CX) customer experience.