Why Smart Founders Take Chips Off the Table with Jack Hanks & Brian Franco

What does it take to build a business that lasts? In this episode of The M&A Guy Podcast, ‪@thebrianfranco‬ sits down with Jack Hanks to discuss business resilience, private equity partnerships, founder mindset, and long-term value creation. They discuss: • Why resilient businesses attract capital • The power of saying no • How private equity can accelerate growth • What investors look for in founder-led companies • How to scale without losing operational control One of the biggest takeaways: The strongest founders know when to leverage capital, build partnerships, and create a business that can thrive without them. 🎧 Listen to the full episode now. 🏛️ Join the free Empire Builder Community. 📖 Get Brian Franco's book, The Inevitable Exit. #JackHanks #brianfranco #privateequity #businessgrowth #exitstrategy #enterprisevalue #empirebuilder #themaguypodcast ‪@thebrianfranco‬ is the Founder & CEO of Meritage Partners, author of Inevitable Exit, and the creator of Empire Builder. He helps founder-led businesses build real enterprise value and prepare for the future. On this channel, we share insights on M&A, exit strategy, business growth, leadership, and building companies that scale beyond the founder. 👍 Like the video 🔔 Subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss new episodes and insights 🎧 Listen to The M&A Guy Podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7duZnps... Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 👤 Follow Brian Franco LinkedIn:   / briantfranco   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Instagram:   / brian_t_franco   TikTok:   / thebrianfranco   X (Twitter): https://x.com/brian_t_franco 📖 Get the Book | Inevitable Exit https://inevitableexit.com/book-v4 🚀 Empire Builder University Learn how to build a company that creates real enterprise value, operational freedom, and long-term growth. 👉 Join Empire Builder University: https://empire-builder.com/special/ 🏢 Meritage Partners is an M&A advisory firm helping founder-led businesses navigate valuations, capital strategy, and successful exits.