In this episode of Sellside Shorts, Michael Stanley breaks down key estate tax considerations business owners should think about before selling their company. He explains the current estate tax exemption thresholds, why a successful sale can quickly create taxable estate issues, and how early planning can make a major difference in preserving wealth for your family.

Using a recent real-world example, Michael walks through how a business owner couple used Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs) and early valuation planning to transfer equity before a sale, helping reduce future estate tax exposure. This episode is a practical overview of why exit planning should include more than just the transaction itself and why involving an estate attorney early can lead to meaningful tax savings and smoother family outcomes.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-k-stanley-jr-mba-cexp™-30916131/

In this episode of The Sell Side Podcast, Builder Brock shares the story behind Waypoint — from producing fishing TV shows to building a leading outdoor streaming platform in the FAST space.

He walks through the pivotal Samsung breakthrough, the evolution from app-first thinking to distribution-first strategy, and what it was like to receive — and ultimately turn down — multiple acquisition offers. Builder breaks down what buyers actually value, how the team shifted focus from vanity metrics to profitability, and why Waypoint chose to stay bootstrapped and in control.

https://waypointtv.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/builderbrock/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-k-stanley-jr-mba-cexp™-30916131/

In this episode, Michael Stanley breaks down one of the most important documents in any business sale: the purchase agreement.

Michael walks through how the purchase agreement serves as the final, definitive contract that officially transfers ownership once the deal closes and funds are wired. He explains how this document is developed alongside the due diligence process, beginning after the Letter of Intent and evolving as buyers verify financials, operations, and risk.

The conversation covers what actually goes into a purchase agreement, including net working capital true-ups, seller representations and warranties, and how different deal structures like seller notes, earnouts, and rollovers are documented. Michael also explains how legal teams negotiate the agreement throughout due diligence and how everything comes together at closing.

Whether you’re a founder preparing for an exit or just trying to better understand how deals actually get done, this episode offers a practical, real-world look at what happens between LOI and close.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-k-stanley-jr-mba-cexp™-30916131/