06/05/2026
Ask most people what they think about private equity and you get a short, unkind answer. Strip it for parts, fire the good people, flip it in three years.
Some of that is earned. But not all of it.
We recently helped a client sell to a PE firm, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions he has made. The difference was not luck. He treated the buyer as a choice to vet, not a number to grab.
The thing most owners miss: the day after closing, you work for someone. If you are staying on, the most important relationship in the whole deal is the one with the CEO you will report to. Meet them before you sign.
Joey Brannon and Cameron Earhart, CEPA, on what this looks like from the inside.
A real client sale to a private equity firm, and what made it go right. Cameron Earhart on vetting the buyer, the future CEO, and life after closing.