The short answer
Wesley Mathews shares how he built High Level Marketing to $6.5M+ and navigated the decision between strategic partnership and outright acquisition, including the recurring revenue discipline that made it possible.
Key takeaways
- How external market factors (specifically COVID) can become a catalyst for positive change
- How a change in operating framework can help scale a business
- What was involved in the strategic partnership transaction and the length it took
- Why a strategic partnership over private equity offers changed Wesley’s approach
Listen to the podcast
47 minWatch the full interview
About this episode
As a natural-born entrepreneur, Wesley Mathews was always destined to start, build, and scale businesses.
It was in the world of digital marketing where he found a niche to carve out and has continued to do so since 2009.
Partnering with a developer who was more on the technical and less on the customer-service side of the spectrum, Wesley started High Level Marketing where his hustle and determination to grow saw him turn the company into a $6.5 million revenue machine.
That kind of growth naturally attracted a lot of interest, including serious interest from Scott Bell, who wanted to pursue a strategic partnership. That’s where the ‘Hockey-stick growth’ started.
Tune in for a real-world case study of how management structures can accelerate growth, and why strategic partnerships can be a great way to exit a transaction while keeping yourself involved.
Chapters
- 10:36Wesley and his business partner started their business with an exit in mind. Hear how they agreed on a strategic partnership outcome
- 11:19Wesley never fully sold his share. Instead, he explains how they structured the business after the partnership process
- 16:26As a self-proclaimed relationship-style manager, Wesley mastered the art of deeply caring for his team, without drilling down on things like KPIs. His management style deeply benefited the organisational culture
- 20:04Ever heard of EOS? The implementation of EOS and how a change in business structure helped Wesley scale his business from 10 to 35 employees in just 6 months
- 33:12Wesley was extremely close to walking away from the deal on multiple occasions. He explains his reasoning and why he eventually made the right decision
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About Wesley Mathews
Wesley Mathews is a co-founder of High Level Marketing, driving the vision and strategy as CEO for over 11.5 years (from 2009 to March 2021).
High Level Marketing grew from an idea to 50+ employees with revenue over 6.5M+ with powerful technology to become a powerhouse in the industry.
Currently, High Level Marketing is a blend of the existing team and Bell Media. High Level Marketing and Bell Media came together in March 2021, and went through a rebrand to bring the two teams together. High Level Marketing now employs over 100+ team members across the US, with offices in Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas with revenues of 20M+.
Wesley has shifted his responsibilities as CEO to Scott Bell, High Level Marketing’s new CEO. Wesley now serves as Chief Revenue Officer to help continue to grow, scale, and support the company.
Connect with Wesley Mathews
About the show
Buy Grow Sell is hosted by Simon Bedard, founder and managing director of Exit Advisory Group, a boutique mergers and acquisitions advisory firm that helps Australian business owners value, prepare for and navigate a sale. Every conversation draws on real deals and the patterns behind them.
