This past week, I had the privilege of spending several days in Charleston, South Carolina, attending my third GrowthDrive Conference. https://www.growth-drive.com/summit-2026

First, if you haven't been to Charleston, put it on your list. It's easily one of my Top 10 destinations in the United States and is quickly creeping into my Top 5. Extraordinary food, incredible history, charming streets, and wonderful hospitality.

And did I mention the food?

My friend Mike Garrison, author of Can I Borrow Your Car?, invited a wonderful group of consultants, longtime friends, and new friends to dinner at the Iron Rose Restaurant.

What an evening! Great food, even better company, and entirely too much hearty laughter. I'm pretty sure my abdominal muscles got a better workout that evening than they would have with 100 crunches. They were actually sore the next morning!

We also enjoyed an incredible banquet at the South Carolina Aquarium. What a spectacular venue for great conversations and building friendships.

But the real highlight of the conference wasn't the food or the scenery. It was the people, the learning, and the reminder of why we do what we do.

The Value Hiding Inside Your Business

A few years ago, we adopted the GrowthDrive platform into our CAPTAIN Strategy planning process at 40 Strategy. Today, we're its number one user.

Why?

Because before beginning our strategic implementation work, we put every strategy client through the platform to understand where they are today.

GrowthDrive evaluates 24 different areas that create risk or bottlenecks within a company. These risks directly influence the multiple someone might be willing to pay for that business.

Here's what's fascinating.

Almost every business has trapped value. And you don't necessarily need to increase sales to unlock it.

Our experience and analysis indicate that by improving just the three highest-risk areas, we can potentially unlock approximately 25% of that trapped value.

Focus on the next five, eight areas in total, and we can approach 50%.

Let me put that into perspective.

Imagine you own a company generating $1 million in annual EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization).

Because of its current risks, let's assume your company is valued at three times EBITDA.

That's a $3 million business.

Now imagine that same company with a strong leadership team, documented systems, predictable revenues, diversified customers, and significantly reduced operational risk.

Perhaps that company could command seven times EBITDA.

That's $7 million.

The difference is $4 million in trapped value.

Now, what if we could unlock just half of it?

Same company. Same EBITDA. Two million dollars of additional potential value!

Of course, these are illustrative valuation multiples, not guarantees. Actual values depend on the industry, buyer, market, and other factors.

But here's where it gets really interesting.

When Frustration Turns Into Freedom

When we help owners reduce these risks, two wonderful things happen.

First, their company becomes more valuable.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, their company becomes easier to run.

Fewer fires. Better leadership. More predictable cash flow. Less dependence on the owner.

And then something remarkable happens.

The business owner who originally wanted to sell because they were exhausted and frustrated starts saying something different.

"You know, maybe I don't have to sell this company after all. I'm actually starting to enjoy it again."

I absolutely love that moment.

Because our goal isn't necessarily to help someone sell their company.

It's to help them build a business they have the freedom to sell, but the desire to keep.

Imagine owning a productive oil well that consistently generates positive cash flow without you having to operate the pump every day.

Why sell it?

Certainly, there are good reasons. Life changes. Opportunities arise. And none of us can predict the future.

But now you're making that decision from a position of strength rather than frustration.

And should you decide to sell, having a well-run company can attract more competitive buyers and potentially command a premium valuation.

That's what building a true asset looks like.

(Carl J Cox & George Sandmann)

A Master Group of Givers

One of the things I appreciate most about GrowthDrive is the extraordinary community that founder and CEO George Sandmann has assembled.

They are often called a master group of givers.

These are accomplished consultants who freely share their knowledge, experience, and ideas to help one another become better.

This year, I had three opportunities to contribute: facilitating a discussion on discovering what business owners really need, participating in a panel on leading change, and helping everyone turn the conference's best ideas into actual commitments.

One of my favorite moments came when a fellow consultant shared how he had taken a concept from my presentation last year and immediately implemented it with a client.

The idea was simple: take ten competing priorities, narrow them to three, and then identify the ONE most important objective.

He told the group how his client had used that single priority to create alignment and focus for an entire year.

How rewarding is that?

But I also had a humbling experience of my own.

During our discussion about leading change, I admitted that earlier in the conference I had been hiding behind a table, dealing with an administrative payroll issue for my own growing company.

Here I was, teaching business owners how to delegate, build leadership teams, and stop doing work they shouldn't be doing.

And what was I doing?

Exactly the opposite!

Sometimes the hardest person to change is the one staring back at you in the mirror.

It was a wonderful reminder that we all need accountability, myself included.

Ideas Are Worthless Without Action

The conference reinforced another principle I've become passionate about.

We don't suffer from a shortage of great ideas.

We suffer from a shortage of implementation.

At the end of the conference, I challenged everyone to write down their ten best takeaways, narrow them to three, and then select just one priority they would commit to completing.

Not someday. Not when they had time.

Starting Monday.

We use a similar approach with our clients at 40 Strategy, breaking major initiatives into manageable ten-week sprints, with weekly commitments and accountability.

Because transformation doesn't happen when you write a strategic plan.

It happens when you change what you do.

And sometimes, the greatest obstacle is simply our willingness to let go of the comfortable habits that got us here.

Your Challenge This Saturday

As I reflect on Charleston, the incredible friendships, the laughter, and the remarkable ideas shared, I'm reminded of what makes this work so rewarding.

It's not just helping a business owner create another million dollars of value.

It's watching the frustration disappear.

It's watching an owner regain control of their time, their business, and ultimately their future.

It's turning frustration into value, and value into freedom.

So here's my challenge for you this Saturday.

What are the three greatest risks holding back the value of your business?

And if you eliminated those risks, would your business become more enjoyable to own?

You might be surprised.

Because your next $2 million of value may already be sitting inside your company.

You just haven't unlocked it yet.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

(Jason Sherwood, Special Guest)

The 40 Strategy Growth Workshop™, Phoenix, AZ - Nov 2nd & 3rd 

We anticipate selling out The 40 Strategy Growth Workshop​ by Tuesday…if you are on the fence…this is your last chance!

So far we’ve introduced you to our featured speakers for the 40 Strategy Growth Workshop, this week, meet Jason Sherwood, owner of Phase 23. While he won’t be speaking this year, he will be one of experts available to meet with attendees for the one-on-one sessions. Based on the package each attendee selected, they will be able to meet with 2-8 experts. What other workshop offers that kind of access? 

Jason Sherwood grew up splitting wood in Portland, OR, where he learned that every log has a fault line. That one spot where a single strike opens the whole thing. He's spent almost 30 years finding that spot in brands for Nike, Intel, and nearly a hundred growth companies. He also knows the owner's side, having co-founded and run his own retail company as COO and CCO. He renamed and repositioned a company that attended last year's workshop. By March, it had outbooked all of 2025 nearly three times over. Bring him the brand and marketing problem you keep working around.