Closing Remarks is Benchmark International’s exclusive podcast, where leading CEOs, thought leaders, business experts, and M&A professionals share insights from the front lines of dealmaking. Each episode explores the strategies, stories, and lessons that shape successful transactions and lasting legacies. Whether you’re an entrepreneur preparing for the next chapter or a professional navigating the complexities of the middle market, Closing Remarks offers the perspectives you need to stay ahead in today’s business landscape.
Your business is growing. Your team is expanding. Revenue is climbing. But here's a question worth asking: Is your company culture keeping up?
Maintaining a strong culture as you grow starts with hiring great people, trusting them to lead, and making sure your values show up in everyday decisions. Growth shouldn't mean losing what made your business successful in the first place.
For Ed Mitzen, founder of the Fingerpaint Group, protecting company culture was a priority as he grew the business to $250 million in annual revenue and approximately 800 employees.
In this week’s episode of Closing Remarks, Ed joins host Dara Shareef to share what he learned about culture, growing a business, choosing a private equity partner, and transitioning out of day-to-day leadership.
Whether you're scaling your business or considering a future sale, discover how to protect what you've built, make confident decisions, and prepare for your next chapter.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
· Learn how you can maintain a strong company culture as your business grows.
· Build stronger teams by hiring talented people and empowering leaders.
· Understand why cultural alignment matters when you choose a private equity partner.
· Gain insights into how you can evaluate acquisitions while protecting your company's values.
· Explore how you can build a business that thrives without your constant involvement.
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00:00 – How to Protect Company Culture as You Grow
00:00:54 – Meet Ed Mitzen, Founder of Fingerpaint Group and Co-Founder of the Business for Good Foundation
00:03:19 – Building a $250 Million Business
00:05:03 – Ed's Journey Into Entrepreneurship
00:12:46 – Lessons From Selling His First Company
00:14:46 – Why Hiring Great People Matters
00:18:31 – Balancing Business Growth and Company Culture
00:20:02 – Building Employee Trust and Loyalty
00:23:09 – Maintaining Culture as Your Team Expands
00:25:30 – Building a Business That Runs Without You
00:27:10 – Choosing the Right Private Equity Partner
00:28:57 – Evaluating Acquisitions and Cultural Fit
00:31:20 – Transitioning Out of Day-to-Day Leadership
00:32:15 – Finding Purpose Beyond Business Ownership
00:33:06 – Supporting Entrepreneurs Through the Business for Good Foundation
00:37:02 – Creating Opportunities for Local Businesses
00:38:35 – Strengthening Communities Through Economic Growth
00:43:50 – The Question Every Business Owner Should Ask Before Selling
14 Oct 2026
E22: Thad Bench on Building Value
What happens when the market that helped build your business suddenly changes? You find another way forward.
That’s exactly what Thad Bench, founder of BW Health Group (also known as Benchworks), did. Faced with industry disruption, Thad adapted. He expanded into new services, built a strong leadership team, and positioned the company for continued growth. Ultimately, that work helped generate significant buyer interest and led to the sale of BW Health Group.
Now a Principal at The HonorWorks Group, Thad brings his entrepreneurial experience and firsthand understanding of building, growing, and selling a business to helping other business owners navigate their own paths forward.
In this episode of Closing Remarks, Dara Shareef sits down with Thad to talk about the decisions that built business value and the lessons other business owners can apply to their own companies.
Watch to learn how Thad turned experience into practical lessons for business owners. From knowing your numbers and surrounding yourself with the right people to staying open to new opportunities, Thad’s experience offers valuable insights to strengthen your business today, create more options for tomorrow, and make confident decisions about what comes next.
What You’ll Learn
Discover how adapting to market shifts can unlock new paths to growth
Learn how financial insight can help you build business value
See how experienced advisors can expand your options and strengthen outcomes
Understand how attracting multiple buyers can create greater opportunity
Learn how continued growth can strengthen your position during a potential sale
Discover why the right buyer can deliver beyond the purchase price
Gain insights for creating more choices for your business and your future
7 Oct 2026
E21: Keith Marshall on Opportunity and M&A
You’ve spent years building your business. But have you ever wondered what the future could hold for your company?
Keith Marshall is the Founder of Solution Matrix (https://www.benchmarkintl.com/insights/benchmark-international-successfully-facilitated-the-transaction-between-solution-matrix-inc-exi-investment-partners-and-broadview-group-holdings-llc/), and he understands what it takes to develop an enterprise from scratch. What started at home grew into a successful manufacturing company built on discipline, service, family, and opportunity.
On this week’s episode of Closing Remarks (https://linktr.ee/Closingremarkspodcast?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=def31f3d-e2f3-4d39-a159-400b8b8b05b3), Dara Shareef sits down with Keith to talk about his journey and the sale of Solution Matrix, facilitated by Benchmark International. They also discuss operations, entrepreneurship, M&A, and finding the right “caretaker for a legacy.”
Whether you’re focused on growing your business, exploring new opportunities, or considering what comes next, Keith’s story offers lessons for every stage of the journey.
What You’ll Learn
How discipline and persistence can help you work through setbacks, adapt when plans change, and keep your business moving forward
Why listening to the people using your product or service can uncover needs, strengthen customer relationships, and reveal new opportunities
How greater control over key parts of your operations can help you respond when suppliers, production needs, or circumstances change
Why looking at the capabilities you already have can uncover opportunities to expand into new products, services, or markets
How to think about family involvement in a way that balances opportunity with accountability and gives the next generation room to grow
Why reaching the right buyer audience matters and can create more options for your business's future
How M&A can help you find a caretaker for a legacy who can take what you built into the next chapter
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
17 ratings
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