359 | Ryan Begelman (Part 2) | What It Really Takes to Step Away from Your Company Without Regret

The Greatness Machine

Darius Mirshahzadeh

Education, Entrepreneurship, Business

5.0 • 135 Ratings

🗓️ 4 June 2025

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if selling your company didn’t mean letting go—but leveling up, on your terms? In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Ryan Begelman returns for part two to share the behind-the-scenes story of how he scaled, sold, and systematized a company—without losing his sense of joy. From building a business with friends to generating millions in additional value by taking the exit process into his own hands, Ryan unpacks how thoughtful planning, operational excellence, and self-education made all the difference. He shares why most founders leave money on the table during a sale, how he trained his COO to take over, and the surprising reason he almost didn’t want to sell. Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/339-ryan-begelman-part-1-the-mayor-effect-how-to/id1555334180?i=1000697821147 In this episode, Darius and Ryan will discuss: (00:00) Introduction and Recap of Previous Episode (03:00) The Journey of Bisnow Media (06:09) Acquisition Entrepreneurship and Bootstrapping (09:00) The Role of AI in Business (12:12) Navigating Multiple Ventures (15:09) The Summit and Powder Mountain Experience (18:07) Challenges of Managing Multiple Businesses (21:10) The Future of Powder Mountain and Lessons Learned (31:20) The Journey of Acquiring Powder Mountain (32:38) Lessons Learned from Past Experiences (35:46) Building Bisnow: Growth and Strategy (39:13) The Exit Strategy: Selling Bisnow (48:10) The Joy of Entrepreneurship and Life Design Ryan Begelman is an executive coach, entrepreneur, and investor. As CEO of Bisnow Media, he grew the company from $1 million to $20 million in revenue before its sale in 2016. He co-founded Summit, described by Forbes as “The Davos of Generation Y,” and has invested in startups like Uber, Warby Parker, and Coinbase. A mindfulness practitioner based in NYC, Ryan is passionate about cycling, cooking, and lifelong learning. Sponsored by: Huel: Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code GREATNESS at https://huel.com/GREATNESS (Minimum $75 purchase). ExpressVPN: Secure your online data today with ExpressVPN. Go to expressvpn.com/darius. Indeed: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/DARIUS. Shopify: Sign up for a $1/month trial period at shopify.com/darius. Connect with Ryan: Website: https://www.ryanbegelman.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanbegelman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanbegelman/ Email: ryan.begelman@gmail.com Connect with Darius: Website: https://therealdarius.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmirshahzadeh/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imthedarius/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegreatnessmachine Book: The Core Value Equation https://www.amazon.com/Core-Value-Equation-Framework-Limitless/dp/1544506708 Write a review for The Greatness Machine using this link: https://ratethispodcast.com/spreadinggreatness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Finding the perfect person for your team always feels like it should have happened yesterday,
0:03.7	but don't stress, Indeed has your back. With tools like sponsored jobs, your job post gets seen
0:09.2	by top candidates faster, helping you stand out and hire the right person quickly. Plus,
0:14.5	you only pay for results. So no long-term contracts or hidden fees. And here's the best part.
0:19.2	Right now, you can get a $75 credit to boost your
0:21.8	job post at indeed.com slash darius. Don't wait, visit indeed.com slash darius and make your hiring
0:27.4	easy. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring, indeed is all you need. When I started this podcast,
0:32.6	I had to figure out everything out on my own. Scripts, branding, editing.
0:38.2	It was a lot.
0:40.7	If I'd had Shopify back then, game changer.
0:45.1	Shopify powers millions of businesses, including 10% of all U.S. e-commerce,
0:49.7	with tools to build your online store, write content with AI, and run marketing like a pro.
0:53.5	Turn your big idea into with Shopify on your side.
0:58.4	Start with your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash Darius.
1:02.0	That's Shopify.com slash Darius.
1:02.9	Love gang.
1:03.9	Welcome to The Greatness Machine.
1:05.3	I'm your host Darius from Shazda.
1:06.7	I'm so pumped to have you here with me.
1:09.6	Now listen, the greatness machine were about two things.
1:29.9	Number one, people were living their passions. And number two, those who are creating greatness in the world and doing both of these things despite the odds against them. Each episode, we're going to feature interviews with game changers, business leaders, you know, telling us their origin stories. What made them tick? What got them to where they are now? Why? So it can help you step into your greatness within your life, your business, and your career.
1:34.6	Occasionally, you might hear a few solo episodes from myself, more as I say, as I leverage my 20 years of entrepreneurship as a CEO and founder to help you grow and level up in your journey
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Darius Mirshahzadeh, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Darius Mirshahzadeh and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.