From HR Founder to Florida Freedom cover art

From HR Founder to Florida Freedom

From HR Founder to Florida Freedom

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 “Don’t be so arrogant that you think you know how to do everything.” — Ralph Cimperman​In this episode of the Power Exit Podcast, John Marsh sits down with Ralph Cimperman—Founder of Marathon HR, a human resource outsourcing company serving small to medium-sized businesses—to unpack his journey through two successful business exits. They dig into why preparation starts years in advance, the rigor of due diligence even for repeat sellers, and how building long-term advisor relationships maximizes value and smooths the process.​Ralph shares lessons from selling his first HR business in 2004 and Marathon HR in December 2023 to a private equity-backed PEO, including the importance of documented processes, thinking like a buyer, and transitioning to Life 2.0 in Florida with golf and boating.​You’ll learn:🔹 Why business owners need a 3-5 year timeline to document processes and build key relationships with accountants, attorneys, coaches, and advisors.​🔹 How Ralph knew it was time to sell and why hiring an advisor was invaluable over a "bird in the hand" buyer.​🔹 The value of cumulative client retention in HR outsourcing (first 10 clients, 5 still there after 19 years) and prioritizing team fit and cultural alignment with buyers like Venture.​🔹 Due diligence as a "full-time job on top of your regular job," but easier with preparation; lessons from earnouts and losing control post-sale.​🔹 Hiring a business coach 2.5-3 years pre-sale; tech changes in payroll/HR as a sale trigger; positive PE experience with aligned culture.​🔹 Ralph’s best advice: Plan 3-5 years out, get processes documented, develop relationships, budget for earnouts (e.g., 5 years), and think from the buyer's perspective.​Connect With JohnLinkedIn - / marshcreek Connect With RalphLinkedIn - / ralph-cimperman-sphr-mba ​🔸 Get a Complimentary Business Valuation:https://www.mcreek.com/what-is-my-bus...📌 Subscribe To The PowerExit™ Insights Newsletter:https://www.mcreek.com/newsletter/🌐 More resources ➝ https://www.mcreek.com/About John Marsh:John Marsh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Marsh Creek Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm that helps business owners navigate the sale of their companies with confidence and clarity. Since founding the firm, John has closed hundreds of millions in transactions and earned national recognition as Top Global Producer by the International Business Brokers Association and part of the Firm of the Year by M&A Source — the highest honors in the industry.Before launching Marsh Creek, John served as CFO and later General Manager of a high-growth medical device company, where he led over $300 million in M&A activity, including a $161 million sale to private equity. Earlier in his career, he worked at Ernst & Young and Frazier & Deeter, where he focused on financial reporting and audit services for both Fortune 100 companies and privately held businesses. John holds a BA from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife and two daughters.#PowerExitPodcast #BusinessExit #SellYourBusiness #HROutsourcing #PEO #DueDiligence #BusinessPreparation #MultipleExits #AdvisorTeam #Earnout #PrivateEquity #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOwners #MarathonHR​
No reviews yet