Episode 129
Where Business Value, Exit Strategy, and Real Estate Decisions Intersect with Jackie Ossin Hirsch
In this episode, we sit down with Jackie Hirsch, founder of Crowne Atlantic Properties, to unpack where business value, exit strategy, and real estate decisions truly intersect. Drawing on nearly three decades of advising owners through sales and valuations, Jackie brings a grounded, experience-first lens to how businesses are actually priced and why “valuation” and “value” are not the same thing.
We explore what buyers really look for, from normalized EBITDA and owner dependence to customer concentration and capital expenditure needs. Jackie explains why clean financials, realistic owner compensation, and a business that can operate without heroic effort from the founder often matter more than the headline revenue number. We also dig into how exits unfold in the real world, rarely in straight lines, and why waiting too long to prepare can quietly erode both leverage and outcomes.
We discuss when owning versus leasing creates flexibility and optionality, and how real estate decisions can either support a smooth transaction or become an unexpected friction point that complicates deals.
Listeners will walk away with a clearer framework for building real, transferable business value and making decisions today that support better outcomes tomorrow.
In this episode, you will hear:
- How buyers actually evaluate business value versus what owners expect
- The difference between valuation and real, transferable value
- The impact of owner dependence, clean financials, and customer concentration
- When owning versus leasing real estate helps or hurts a sale
- What exits really look like in practice and why timing matters
- Who is buying businesses right now and how capital is behaving in the market
Resources from this Episode
https://www.crowneatlantic.com/
Follow and Review:
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.