Josh Freeman

No founder can run their business forever. The owners I work with all hit the same moment: they realize the company won't run without them, the market is moving, and the clock on a sale has already started ticking. That's where exit design begins. I help small business owners build a founder-independent business today, so the business is ready to sell above market whenever the time is right. The work is part legal, part operating: get the company structured so a buyer can underwrite it, get the financials clean, get the operating dependencies off the founder's plate, and have an M&A-ready house when the offer comes in. Most founders engage M&A counsel after they sign the LOI. By then, the leverage is already gone. The earnout, the escrow, the reps and warranties, the non-compete: those terms get set in the first few weeks, not at closing. My playbook starts years before the sale, not weeks before it. Two brands. One team. Exit Engine handles the exit consulting: positioning, operational readiness, and buyer process. Freeman Lovell handles the M&A legal: structure, deal terms, and closing. Same team, same playbook, same accountability. No more advisor + lawyer two-vendor problem. Background: • 100+ M&A deals closed • 5x founder, so I've sat on both sides of the table • Founding Partner at Freeman Lovell, PLLC • Co-Founder at Exit Engine, LLC If you're a small business owner who wants the peace of mind that the business is sellable above market when you decide to move, that's the work. Start with the newsletter at exit-design-by-joshfreeman.kit.com. Every week, real moves from real deals, written for small business owners, not for bankers.