Don McLaughlin

About Don McLaughlin

Why is it just 5% of business owners are happy with the proceeds from selling their business, and a staggering 75% regret their exit one year after leaving? Lack of clarity and alignment and failing to spend enough time preparing themselves and the business prior to exit. A recent UBS study showed that 80% of business owners who exited wished they spent more time preparing for their exit. Burnout and disengagement are also contributing factors, as a recent study showed nearly 50% of owners felt burned out in the past 12 months. Which raises this question: what can you start doing now to rise above and overcome these odds? Particularly since so much of your net worth is likely tied up in your business? After several years scaling and negotiating the sale of my legal tech and managed services business, I struggled with the same question. And yet it took hitting rock bottom for me to fully realize that I’d fallen into some bad habits that were threatening my business and ruining my personal life: Wearing too many hats and putting out endless fires Reinventing the wheel with too many new offerings and too few repeatable processes Ignoring my health, well-being and most important relationships Through the pain of that experience, I discovered 4 key shifts that turned everything around. Instead of grinding tirelessly like before, exhausted and disengaged, I started to feel in flow on firing on all cyclinders every single day - and the business started booming. Less than 2 years later I successfully sold the business for 12X EBITDA, and achieved my dream exit. My name is Don McLaughlin, and I help business owners conquer burnout and find flow so they can maximize the value of their business and achieve their dream exit whenever they’re ready. Using a proven, turnkey structure and online platform we can substantially simplify and accelerate th for you so you can: Systematize and streamline your business so you find more flow and freedom Improve the key drivers in your business that will maximize its value prior to exit Elevate your energy and resilience so you become unstoppable All while making the shift from dreading your business to leveraging it to achieve your dream exit. If you’re ready to quit the dread and create a path to your dream exit, DM me to explore how I can help.

Experience

1. Founder

   The Aligned Ascent

   Sep 2019 — Present · Steamboat Springs, CO, US

   The Dream Exit Collective is a growth advisory and peak performance coaching firm that helps business owners rapidly and sustainably maximize the value of their business, so they can achieve a dream exit on their terms without burning out.

Education

• Naropa University

  Certificate in Authentic Leadership

  2015 — 2015

• University of Vermont

  B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Political Science, Magna cum laude

  1988 — 1992

• University of Denver - Sturm College of Law

  J.D., Graduated top 11%

  1996 — 1998

• Université Grenoble Alpes

  Political Science and Government

  1991 — 1991