How to Build, Scale, and Exit a Business That Outlives You

In this episode of Humans of Growth, host Aly Hathcock sits down with Jeff Parnell, founder and CEO of JHP Advisors, to talk about what it really takes to build a business that lasts — and to eventually step away from it.

Jeff’s career spans from pioneering one of the internet’s first e-commerce businesses in the 1990s to guiding today’s CEOs through growth, succession, and exit planning. After surviving a heart transplant in 2018, Jeff brings a rare blend of hard-won business wisdom and deep life perspective to the conversation.

Together, Aly and Jeff explore:

✔ How to scale your company by making yourself replaceable

✔ Why most entrepreneurs fail to plan their exit — and how it costs them millions

✔ The coming “silver tsunami” of aging business owners and what it means for small business

✔ How consolidation and private equity are reshaping local industries

✔ The difference between owning a business and being in the business

✔ Why patience, gratitude, and in-person connection still drive long-term growth

This isn’t just a story about business strategy — it’s a masterclass in leadership, legacy, and what it means to build something worth handing off.

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