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Andrea Simon, Podcast

437: Erika Baez Grimes: Purpose-Driven Business Transitions

Posted on by Andrea Simon
Erika Baez Grimes

Are you ready to sell your business? It may be time to pass your family firm to the next generation. What do you do? Where do you begin? How can you ensure that you follow your values and transition your business with purpose, kindness, and profit? Maybe it is time to meet Erika Baez Grimes.

What is the Human Side of Business Transitions?

In this compelling episode of On the Brink with Andi Simon, we delve into the human side of business transitions with Erika Baez Grimes, a seasoned business broker, M&A specialist, and purpose-driven entrepreneur. Erika’s extensive experience as a Senior Certified Mergers and Acquisitions Professional with Transworld Business Advisors, and as the founder of The BPH Group and The Buyer’s Agency, makes her a trusted voice in the industry. Her mission is clear: to help people do good deals with good people—transactions rooted in legacy, emotion, and values, not just numbers.

Erika and I first connected at the Entrepreneurs with Companies of Purpose event, and I knew she had a story to share right away. In this episode, she opens up about her journey from helping her grandfather run fashion boutiques in Orlando to rising as a respected voice in the business brokerage industry. Her early exposure to entrepreneurship gave her a lifelong passion for business and sales, a path she blended with her experience in banking and corporate leadership.

Some Practical Advice is Essential to Transition your Business

Throughout our conversation, Erika offers practical advice—and heartfelt wisdom—for business owners contemplating an exit and aspiring buyers looking to acquire a company. She discusses the “silver tsunami” of baby boomers preparing to retire, legacy businesses’ emotional and strategic complexity, and the rising interest among women in acquiring established enterprises. Erika shares three essential things every seller should do before they decide to sell:

  1. Start the conversation early—if you’re considering selling, it’s time to talk.
  2. Work yourself out of the business—the more your business can run without you, the higher its value.
  3. Keep clean, transparent financials—they are the real story buyers will trust (or not).

You might like to watch our podcast on YouTube here:

Erika Baez Grimes Podcast Video

But Erika also goes deeper. She highlights how business owners often feel lost after they exit. Their identity has been deeply tied to their company, and the vacuum that follows can be disorienting. That’s why Erika emphasizes the importance of planning for the transaction and the transition. Who will you be when you’re no longer the CEO?

How Does Culture Share Your Succession Plan?

We also explore how culture shapes succession planning, particularly in family firms. Erika works closely with multigenerational businesses and understands the delicate dynamics between personal relationships, employee loyalty, and strategic vision. She emphasizes the importance of finding the right buyer—someone aligned not only with the financials but also with the founder’s legacy and values.

Avoid Buyers Remorse

For buyers, Erika offers clear guidance: prepare before you pursue. Get financing lined up, know your strengths, and approach the opportunity with transparency and intention. Sellers want to know their business will be in good hands. And increasingly, those hands belong to women—smart, driven, and ready to lead.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur looking to exit or someone considering buying their first business, Erika’s insights are honest, helpful, and deeply human. This episode is a masterclass in purpose-driven dealmaking and the art of helping others transition from one chapter to the next with clarity, care, and confidence.

Key Takeaways:

  • Why the timing of a business sale is both emotional and strategic
  • What makes a business attractive to buyers—and how to increase your value
  • How Erika helps bridge the gap between a seller’s legacy and a buyer’s vision
  • The growing role of women in M&A and business acquisition
  • Why coaching and self-discovery are vital post-exit tools for sellers

You’ll leave this conversation with a clearer understanding of the M&A process, the questions you should be asking (whether buying or selling), and a renewed appreciation for the human side of business transitions.

Contact Erika Baez Grimes:
📧 Email: erika@erikathebroker.com
🌐 Website: erikathebroker.com
🔗 LinkedIn: Search Erika Baez Grimes 

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Reach out and contact us if you want to see how a little anthropology can help your business grow.  Let’s Talk!

 

From Observation to Innovation,

Andi Simon PhD

CEO | Corporate Anthropologist | Author
Simonassociates.net
Info@simonassociates.net
@simonandi
LinkedIn

 

Read the text for our podcast here:

Andi Simon 00:00:02  Welcome to On the Brink with Andi Simon. I’m Andi, and as you know, my job is to get you off the brink. And I try to find people who are going to help you. And I say these words intentionally. I want you to see, feel and think in new ways. Because if you see it and you feel it, you go, oh, that’s something I can do. And that becomes really exciting. I have a wonderful woman with me here today, Erika Baez Grimes, who I met at our Entrepreneurs with Companies of Purpose event at the beginning of March. What a wonderful experience we had. And Erika was just wonderful to meet. And as we were talking, I said, you have to come share your story. Let me give you the short version of her story. But as you’re thinking about it, think as an anthropologist. What are you observing? How does this apply to you? What are you frustrated with? Erika has some ideas that might help. So Erika Baez Grimes is a seasoned business broker and senior certified mergers and acquisitions professional with Transworld Business Advisors.  She’s had a wonderful career. She has over 15 years of experience. Erika guides business owners, family enterprises and executives through growth, acquisition, exit strategies and franchising. I love her tagline. Think of it this way: she’s always focused on doing good deals for good people, and I bet they come back often, and we’ll talk about what happens once they get the good deal. Her diverse background spans industries from govt to healthcare and retail, and she brings deep expertise in deal negotiation, capital raising, and business consulting. Erika is also a successful entrepreneur. She’s founder of the BPH Group and the buyer’s agency, and she’s an advocate for economic empowerment and education. That’s why she was at the Entrepreneurs with Companies of Purpose event, because she has a lot of purpose, and it matters. She’s a proud first generation Latin AmErikan. Erika lives in Virginia with her family, and she actively serves as a council member for Latinas in Cyber and a member of several business leadership organizations. Erika, what a pleasure to have you here today.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:02:09  Thank you, Andrea, for having me. I’m really excited to be here with you today.

Andi Simon 00:02:14  Well, tell the audience whether they’re watching or they’re listening, who’s Erika? What’s your journey? Because as I read it, I went, that’s short, but it’s so rich with experiences and things that build the credibility of the story you’re going to share. Help us. Who’s Erika? Ma’am.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:02:29  Thank you Andrea I appreciate that. So you know, like you mentioned, I have a Latina background. I was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the sunshine state of Florida. My grandfather came to the United States in hope of the American dream. Just coming here, planting some roots and opening a business. I remember being in fourth grade and waking up in the morning and putting all the petty cash into the cash drawers for all the different businesses that he owned. And I was always a part of that business ecosystem. You know, very early on he had some fashion boutiques. And I remember during the summertime going to Miami and watching the fashion shows with my grandfather and my mother, picking out what fashions were going to be coming up during the next season, and just, again, being a part of that, that ecosystem from running the store and hanging up all the clothes that would come into the merchandise to greeting the people that would come in to Church Street, downtown Orlando. So being a really young child, having access to the world of business was always very inspiring for me. I knew early on that I loved to sell, and I loved the clothes and getting people to say yes. And that transfer of emotion. So I went into banking because my mom had a strong background. And in that space, she still does. She still works for fortune 50 Bank and for me it’s kind of merging those two together. Banking is something that’s really critical in a business owner’s life early on and later on as well.  And I went through that journey of selling financial products and really just got a lot of awards for doing a good job. And recently in the last seven years, my broker, Rupesh, had sent me a note on LinkedIn and said, hey, you have some background in business. And I know you’ve worked with CEOs and high-level executives, why don’t you come into the office and talk to me about selling companies. And I did. And he happened to be probably the smartest man that I had ever met, aside from my husband. And I said, you know what, I really love this company. I love this leader. And I wanted to go with him on the journey. And here we are six years later still helping, still serving and really growing the brand. So it was just merging all those things together and my childhood background with my family, businesses and working and selling and the higher sales enterprise roles and kind of tying it all together, working for this brand just kind of makes sense for me.

 And I’m really happy to be helping family held companies just successfully exit the marketplace. So thank you, Andi, for asking.

Andi Simon 00:05:09  Well, as I’m listening to you, I grew up in a family firm in the retail business, and they were located on a very special street in Manhattan. My grandmother thought location, location, location, right outside the subway, and it turned from a small to a much larger to a much larger to a half a square block building serving the Columbia University West side communities. And I, I think I was being raised to take it over and I put blouses on hangers when I was five.  And I remember going out into the market to try and figure out how to buy. It was so interesting. But I discovered anthropology. And then I went back, and I said that is not me. I like what I’m doing. And I said, not now and some other time. And so I became a banker also. And it’s a real interesting similarity in terms of our discovery. Now, when we met, I was very interested in the state of business, mergers, acquisitions and how people were beginning to address this great boomer transfer of wealth. And there are many things that have become catalysts, because I’ve spoken to the family from Institute, and I’ve met lots of folks who have grown their business and want the next generation to take care of it, not necessarily because they want to. And now we have a great moment. So tell us about the context. What are you finding that the businesses are coming to the realization that they need a hand to do what helps us?

Erika Baez Grimes 00:06:39  That’s a great question Andi. So there’s lots of stats out there about the silver tsunami happening right now.  And 10,000 boomers retiring every single day. And there’s so much talk around this particular subject. And what I’m saying is Mom and dad built a great business. Maybe just dad or maybe just mom or maybe a combination of both. And they’ve sent their kids off to great schools whether in tech or something fun or cooler than landscaping or HVAC, and mom and dad find themselves just kind of looking in the mirror and saying, it’s time to retire.  And in some cases, their employees may not be able to afford that exit. And they’re coming to companies like us here in Transworld for that third party exit conversation. And I’ll tell you, Andi,  it’s a little bit delicate, right. Because it’s their life’s work. So in a sense, it’s an honor to really be having the conversations with mom and dad, right, who’ve done so much and have contributed so much to the economic growth and in their areas and have been able to put food on the table for not just only their family, but other families as well.

And they just wanted to be done right. And that’s really part of the conversation. It’s not only just the emotional part, but the legacy behind it. And who they’re passing on that baton to is really important. And I think entering that conversation with skill and care and diligence when we’re in these combos with these people that have just created just a path forward for so many different people. It’s a really exciting time, and it’s a very special transaction to be a part of because they care, and we care just as much.

Andi Simon 00:08:29  Well you said something very important. To some degree, when someone is building a business, it is very personal. It’s who they are. It’s very deep into their identity and how they tell the story about what they’ve achieved. It is their legacy and their purpose. And their family has benefited, but not necessarily want to go in to take it over. And I had too many folks who try to bring in professional managers so they could sort of semi-retire. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. I bet there are 3 or 4 things, though, that our listeners should know about. Thinking about your business and what’s the right time to value it. Understand the process for finding a buyer for it, perhaps, or really beginning to take stock of what you have there. That could be leveraged in some fashion. Can you share? I gave you three kinds of things but help them think about the business through Erika’s mindset.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:09:26  Yeah. So, Andi, three things to consider. You know, in that exit conversation, number one, if you’re thinking about selling, it’s likely time to talk to someone about a third-party exit. If you’re already having those thoughts, kind of swim around in your mind. A conversation normally doesn’t cost anything but a little bit of time, and it’ll allow you a really clear pathway forward. If you’re talking to the right broker and the right person on the other end of that line, we’ll be able to let you know what this may look like in three months, six months, 12 months, or even three years. So just actually picking up the phone and doing the thing. So we avoid the dying at your death scenario, which we see so often because people are so scared to have those conversations. So I think that’s important. Something else to consider, Andi, and it’s something that we talk to almost every seller. The more you work your way out of the business, the more enterprise value you’ll see when it comes to the multiples. If you’re the star of the show, you know right now, every single day and you’re all things to all people, it’s really tough for a buyer to come in and fill all those shoes. And the more you work your way out of the business even though you still have a pulse on the organization that’s going to create value for you that you know you can’t even imagine. Because someone can actually see themselves in those shoes and you’re not that guy or that gal to so many different people, not only the client base, but your internal people as well.  So that’s definitely something to consider. And finally, the final thing that I would say are the financials of the business.  And you know that we always joke about there’s always two sets of books and you know, all these things. But the books really tell the financial story of the business. And if you are a company, let’s say top line revenue, 10 million and below, a lot of the times a buyer is going to be looking for some type of SBA loan or funds to be able to make that acquisition and the true story of your business is really told in the financials.  If you made a big investment in equipment maybe two years ago,  that should reflect your books. But there should also be some notes around what has transpired. And the clearer you are about your business and the things that have happened financially and some of those ups and downs that you’ve seen, the better it is on the other end. So those are the three things, Andi, that I think are really critical in having these conversations.

Andi Simon 00:12:05  I’m sort of fascinated because you really want someone to buy a story. You know, they think they’re buying a business, but in fact they’re buying an imagined story. It’s an illusion, right?

Erika Baez Grimes 00:12:18  A way to put it.

Andi Simon 00:12:19  But the only thing that’s really hard are financials and if those are, two sets of books, which story am I buying and which reality will I be trying to recreate in some fashion? Do your sellers, are they sort of interesting because when they’re looking for a buyer, do they have something in their mind? Are they so proprietary that they want only a certain kind or are they open to anything. A little bit about the process.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:12:52  Good question Andi. So normally when we are entering into an engagement with the seller, we always ask who’s your buyer? Who do you know that may want this.  And that’s just to capture maybe some low hanging fruit or have those immediate conversations. Some businesses require certain buyers, for example, if you have security clearance or you know certain things that someone else may need, or if you’re an electrician and there’s a master license that needs to remain with the business, some of those are the nonnegotiable. But for the most part, we like to ask, what’s the profile of a buyer for you? Who would you like to see in front of you taking on the business?  And our job as business intermediaries is to be able to marry the two together. Some things, again, are non-negotiable due to just licensing and things like that. But you know, we really like to get the feedback from our sellers when we go into the marketplace and try to put the two and two together.  I have one seller right now who is in the commercial painting business in construction, and he’d really like to see someone with some construction background coming in to take on some of the day to day and acquire the company.  It’s not necessarily a requirement, but I think he’ll find some peace in knowing that someone has a background in some of that work because he is that authoritative role. He has that authoritative role in the company, and he does want to see that kind of live on. So, great question, Andi. They all have an idea of who they want to buy the business. And it’s our job to try to make it work as much as we can.

Andi Simon 00:14:31  Erika, how do you help them manage expectations of their customers or their clients because you’re buying a book of business. And not just the technical stuff you have or the equipment, but you’re hoping that the clients stay. And you have a book of business that is going to think about the business, not just the person. How do you handle that?

Erika Baez Grimes 00:14:54  And a good question. So managing expectations I think comes from working with the brand who’s been around for over 40 years. So I’ve been associated with the brand for over six years. But there’s so many people in our office that specialize in different areas. So if I have a listing that let’s say it’s in the construction space,  I can go to an associate and say, what did you find in due diligence that really moved the needle for you? Or what type of conversations do I need to be having? You know, with buyers and sellers, especially in this niche industry. So just being a part of a bigger umbrella with a lot of support is really important. You know, some experience, right? We’ve had some of these conversations over and over.  So I know you know what’s going to work, what may not work. And I think being honest and forthcoming with both the buyer and the seller through the transaction is always a win. And sometimes having those tough conversations are not always the easiest or the best, but they really go a long way, especially when we’re setting realistic expectations. Pre closing and post-closing because just everyone knows what’s coming or can expect what’s coming. We’re never talking to a seller and saying hey there’s not going to be hair on this deal, or this is all going to be rainbows and butterflies from start to finish there’s going to be some tough negotiations. And the buyer may not like these 3 or 4 things. Be prepared to answer some of these questions. And be prepared to entertain a seller financing contingency on a portion of this. Like, we will do our best to bring forth things that we know are likely going to show up during due diligence just to make things easier and better for our seller.

Andi Simon 00:16:44  You know, I did speak at one point to the Family Firm Institute in Brussels and I was fascinated with their challenges because of the nature of the culture of a family firm, and they were extremely focused on the collaboration of the team.  I had one family firm I worked with that had everybody’s child working there, and it was a really complicated understanding of what it was a firm. And what was this as a family? I bet you work with a lot of family firms that are trying to sell or buy. What wisdom do you find?

Erika Baez Grimes 00:17:21  So Andi, you’re right. Everyone has a structure in their business, right? And to some owners, those employees are our family right there. Yeah, they’ve become family through the years and having conversations with our sellers. And we asked them, how do you want this to go? What’s really important for you from the exit standpoint, not only just for you from a capital standpoint, but for your employees? You know, there’s some owners that want some of the key persons to be offered an employee employment agreement. And there’s a lot of buyers that are really open to that, because they know some of those key persons are really going to help with the future growth of the company.  Again, it’s just having those very transparent conversations. You know, we’ve seen scenarios where sellers want 3- or 5-year employee agreements from private equity firms  to make sure that their employees have somewhere to go, and the carpet is not ripped from under them. So all those scenarios are all possible scenarios. And it’s really understanding and appreciating the family that they’ve created. Just that work and being able to help them pass the baton and being happy about what that future looks like.

Andi Simon 00:18:39  Now, you are in some ways representing the buyer and the seller. I know you’re representing the seller. but let’s talk a little bit about the buyers because as people are listening, they’re going to say, well, I’d like to buy, and I’d like to talk to Erika about it because of the way she approaches it. How do you approach the buyer? Because who do you represent, or is it sort of doesn’t matter. You take both sides.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:19:03  Yeah. So you’re right, Andi. Traditionally, I represent sellers right when they’re ready to exit. But there’s a lot of communication that goes on between the buyer and I’m the face of the seller to the buyer. And I think just last week, I closed a small transaction here locally. It was an organization business, a small organization business. And I loved the buyer from start to finish from him sending me an email letting me know that he was interested in the company. He was very forthcoming about the intention. He sent over his proof of funds. He sent over his credit report. He sent over a resume showing the background in a very similar business. He had acquired a few other companies in a similar line of work. So just the transparency from a buyer. I said wow, this is great. I was able to put it in front of my seller and say, here’s A to Z, here’s, do you want to talk to this person? And it really left her with no question.  He was just ready.  He stayed on top of everything from start to finish. He asked all the right questions. So I think if you’re looking to enter the marketplace on the buy side, being forthcoming and transparent around your intentions in an acquisition is super-duper important, whether you’re working with me, or another buy side agent. Because the more we know about what you’re looking to accomplish, the more we can help you. So that transparency and communication is huge.

Andi Simon 00:20:34  you know, you and I met at the entrepreneurs with companies of purpose, women entrepreneurs. Do you find that women manage these things the same as men differently than men? Is there an upsurge of women wanting to buy businesses or sell them? Give me some context if you can.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:20:51  Yeah. so, Andi on my cell side, the majority of my clients are males. And I am seeing a lot of women interested in the conversation that ETA right.  The acquisition conversation is now a little bit more relevant than it was maybe five years ago, because there’s a lot of people realizing that they can buy something that’s already turnkey, that’s already existing. And I think as women, it’s very exciting to start something and build something and create something because we have that muscle. But we’re also smart businesspeople as well. And so I am starting to have more conversations with women looking to roll up their sleeves and do the male role or play the man’s part here. So, yes, to answer your question, there are a lot more women just considering this moving forward on the buy side roles for sure.

Andi Simon 00:21:51  And do the sellers think well of them or is there, you don’t have to answer that. I mean, maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I was thinking about a situation that I was familiar with, but it’s not terribly important. Are they open to it?

Erika Baez Grimes 00:22:05  They are right because for the sellers that I’m working with. And I’ll say some are a lot more difficult than others. But for them, it’s all about the legacy and the continuity of the business.  And if a woman comes in and shows that she has some background or has good intentions for the business, is able to closely understand the legacy side of things. It hasn’t been something that has hindered anything moving forward for me, you know. And again, it’s part of that conversation that we have with our sellers. Like who’s your ideal client? Are you okay with this? You know, if someone doesn’t have a master electrician license, are you willing to stay on because  we’re talking through so many different scenarios. If a woman comes in and wants to be able to acquire the business, are you okay with that? What are your thoughts? I’m okay to ask those second and third level questions to get to the good answers. And I think it’s just part of having a good broker.

Andi Simon 00:23:01  Well, I do think it is having a good broker who can really see through, the tactical and practical feel the emotions and match people up who really do have similar purposes. And that’s pretty cool. I always want to find out things that people who are selling or buying shouldn’t do. Are there a couple of things that you can highlight that would help them think about what you do, and they do and things that they should never do.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:23:29  Yeah, I would say if you’re buying on the buy side, something that you should avoid is having conversations early. I think going to a bank and maybe getting a preapproval is important. You know, not jumping the fence. Don’t start engaging with sellers when you know you’re not even ready or you don’t have any background in something. I think that’s really important to prepare yourself. So we’ve seen it plenty of times where something sounds like a good idea and you have a buyer just call and say, hey, I saw that you have this daycare for sale.  And they haven’t been preapproved. They don’t have 100% of the funds to be able to close. They have no background in early education or anything like that. So just look, look at yourself. And if you were the owner of that business, would you want to sell it to you? Take this kind of thing. I think that’s really important from the buy side. Don’t jump the gun. And I would say the same thing for the seller as well, Andrea. Sometimes you may get frustrated one day and you say I got to sell this thing. I want to get out of here without really thinking through who it’s going to be or what this may look like? Or are you going to have enough money for your retirement post exit? You know, some of those things we want to make sure we get in front of before we start engaging with the broker on the sales side.  So, don’t jump the gun. I think it’s my advice, on both sides of that stick.

Andi Simon 00:24:55  No, but those are one and two really important things. Don’t jump the gun and take some time. You know, take a long walk and make sure this is really what you’re looking to do. Try to manage the emotions, don’t try to make decisions when the heart is moving so fast, and it looks so beautiful. You got to take your time. If you’re good in business, you know that the highs and the lows both come together. And it’s important to really take a little time, step away and think whether it’s the right thing for you. And besides, there are so many people leaving corporate or leaving business or leaving the government that they’re going to be looking for something. And, ready, shoot, aim is not a good strategy. You’ve got to really know where you are going. One of the things you and I spoke about, which I’ve seen happen and it disturbs me, is people sell their company and find themselves lost, or they leave a career that they’ve spent their whole life, and they retire in.  They’re lost and lost people. I can’t wrap my arms around enough to say, you aren’t lost. We just need to get you to the next part in your career. What do you see happening so we can sort of sound a little bit of the alarm of how do you prepare for what happens next?

Erika Baez Grimes 00:26:08  So, Andi, here’s where a person like you is really critical in engaging with people who are even considering an exit.  Because part of the fear in selling your business is what’s next? I can’t tell you how many times a seller has said, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ve been doing this for X number of years and that thought creates a potential limiting belief that you may or may not be able to overcome. So I think every single owner and seller thinks about their next chapter. But really engaging with someone like you who has a CEO background, who now helps clients go from good to great and bridge those gaps and have those conversations and uncover some things that they may not have known about themselves, will make things so much easier. Post transition. So I would encourage any business broker or commercial real estate person really watching this to engage with a coach and have that resource ready and available for the clients. Because our sellers do have these questions in their mind.  They want to know what else is next. Or am I going to lose my identity with the sale of my business? You know, you hear so many stories, people die at closing or die right after they sell their companies. And I don’t know how realistic it is day to day, but I think a lot of those emotions could be helped by engaging with someone like you. Andi, who supports CEOs and high-level executives through transitionary periods.

Andi Simon 00:27:55  Well and thank you for saying that this is not an advertorial for us, but, in some ways, you’re absolutely right. Remember the thing about humans is that you have a habit and that’s where you’re most comfortable, and your every day is a habit. And you’ve gone through this habit for many years. It’s well honed, and it feels not just like your identity, but it’s who you are. It’s how you approach life. Then all of a sudden it stops for whatever the catalyst is. And then without something to build new habits, you wander around trying to figure out, what do I do next? Now I have a friend who retired and he’s having a marvelous time, but he planned, and we’ve had many lunches where we talk about his plans and he’s traveling, but he’s also doing this and he’s helping with that. And he’s got enough so that every day he wakes up with purpose. but for many people, they wake up with nothing. And I’ve met too many of them who find that they can’t cook, and their wife doesn’t want to make breakfast, lunch and dinner with them. And they can’t sit around watching TV. And it’s like, but I have an empty vacuum here that I haven’t planned for. But you can plan, and it just requires sometimes a little hand so that you’re not talking to yourself.  Sometimes it’s better to talk to a coach, and it’s interesting because you think of Erika as a solution to a problem that generates the next interesting solution to the problem without a lot of expertise there, you haven’t really had to think about the next stage in your career, and it is the next stage in a very rich life. You’ve brought so much to life. So this is really cool stuff. I think we’re probably ready to say goodbye. Not because I am not enjoying it, but I also think that we take about a half hour of our listeners time, and then they all want more, which we can always do. But a couple of things you don’t want them to forget, such as whether they’re a seller or a buyer, and how they’re approaching this next moment in the valuation of this wonderful business that they have grown, or they’re looking for something for the next stage in their own life.  A couple of things you don’t want them to forget, because I have a hunch there are many.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:30:07  Yeah. So, Andi, I would say one thing. I don’t want buyers and sellers to forget that there’s always resources to help you, support to help support you at any level.  Whether it’s just beginning a conversation around an exit, or you’ve had your business evaluating and you want to know which way to go, or just figuring out what life may look like post exit before really entering into that conversation. There are resources available for every seller at every stage. So don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. And ask for a 15 minute or 30-minute conversation with an expert. And we’re happy to have those conversations and put you into the right direction.

Andi Simon 00:30:53  That’s great. And if they want to reach you, is there a website that’s the best place to do it?

Erika Baez Grimes 00:30:59  Yeah. So if you want to reach me, I think my email is probably the best way.  It’sebaez@tworld.com, Transworld email address. It’s the simplest way it comes right to my computer, right to my inbox.

Andi Simon 00:31:25  And all of this will be on the blog that we produce, and at the end of the video, but it’s also on LinkedIn and that’s become the directory for everyone. So, Erika, is there waiting for you if you’re interested. And I do a lot of Vistage talks and a lot of the Vistage CEOs are curious about changing times, is it time to change to. And so it’s going to be an interesting next stage for us all as we’re watching the great transformation. Erika, thank you for joining me today.

Erika Baez Grimes 00:31:59 It’s been a pleasure, Aunty. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. And I’ll talk to you soon. Thank you all.

Andi Simon 00:32:04  Now let me say goodbye to all of our listeners and our viewers, that you come so I can help you get off the brink. And now, where are you exactly? On the brink. I don’t know. Are you climbing the ladder, trying to figure out if you’ve peaked or not peaked? But you need a little hand sometimes. Just like Erika helps the sellers and the buyers do something they think they want to do, my job is to help you think about it as well. And my books are all available on Amazon. You can find them at Andisimon.com. I have a whole listing there and we help you and companies change. That’s what we specialize in, and we love to find people who are ready for the next stage in their careers or their life, or their business is ready to rethink the way they’re going and how to get there.  I can’t thank you enough for coming. You send me great people that we should interview, and after 400 and some odd interviews, I’m really delighted to be able to share them. Erika, thank you again. It’s been a pleasure. Goodbye, everybody. Take care now. Have a great day. Remember my tagline: Take your observations. Turn them into innovations. Don’t waste time. They’re great ideas. Bye. Bye now.