11: How Alan McLaren Scaled Two Agencies, Built a Personal Branding Powerhouse, and Prepped for Exit

Alan McLaren, co-founder of Strata Originals, shares his journey from corporate leadership to entrepreneurial success. In this episode, he reveals how he scaled two marketing agencies, built a powerful personal branding firm, and supports founders preparing for strategic business exits. Alan discusses M&A readiness, founder well-being, and how personal branding plays a crucial role in business growth and exit strategies.

Key Takeaways

• Corporate experience builds foundational skills, but entrepreneurship demands creativity and flexibility.
  
• Aligning values is critical to sustaining long-term business partnerships.
  
• Business exits are emotionally complex—founders must prepare mentally, not just financially.
  
• Personal branding helps founder-CEOs drive visibility, valuation, and thought leadership.
  
• Successful M&A requires operational performance and expectation management through the entire deal.
  
• Founders must prioritize health, relationships, and purpose to avoid post-exit burnout.
  
• Defensible calendars protect time and focus across business and personal priorities.
  
• Leaders who invest in people—not just transactions—enjoy deeper, lasting success.

Links & Resources

• Alan McLaren

  • www.strataoriginals.com

    LinkedIn - Alan McLaren
    
    

• Subscribe to the Podcast:

  • Find From Angel to Exit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Be sure to hit “Subscribe” so you never miss an episode.

• Newsletter & Exclusive Content:

  • Sign up for the free newsletter at eckfeldt.com/podcast for episode transcripts, bonus insights, frameworks, and community updates.

• Connect with Bruce & the Community:

  • LinkedIn: Bruce Eckfeldt

  • Instagram: @bruce_eckfeldt

  • Email:

    • podcast@eckfeldt.com

    • bruce@eckfeldt.com