Buyers Don’t Pay For What Your Business Is.
You aren’t exit-ready — yet
Don’t get short-changed on the deal of your lifetime.
Where marketing moves multiples
The Value Activation Platform
Grow
- Market research & insights
- Priority identification
- Strategic trajectory setting
Scale
- Marketing engine optimization
- Internal process standardization
- AI-powered operational efficiency
Exit
- Compelling exit narratives
- Hyper-targeted buyer campaigns
- Future-state vision mapping
Buyer Intelligence
The Three Phases of Execution
Setting your trajectory
You determine the right timeline to exit, identify your most likely buyers, and define how your business needs to be positioned to maximize value.
Becoming exit-ready
You transform your business into a high-performing, strategically positioned asset that aligns with buyer expectations and market demand.
Achieving an extraordinary Exit
You bring your business to market with clarity and conviction—ensuring it is understood, differentiated, and valued at its highest potential.
Origin
Branding for Buyout© was shaped inside real transactions.
- We saw how buyers determine value.
- We saw what gets compressed.
- We saw what drives multiple expansion.
Branding for Buyout began as an observation inside real transactions and evolved into a defined framework — later codified in the book Branding for Buyout by Ted Schlueter.
Branding for Buyout exists to influence the sale moment — before it arrives.
Proof of Impact
Who This is For
You may be a fit if you:
- Are considering an exit in 9-36mos
- Are frustrated you aren’t tapping your maximum value potential
- Are fed up with generic processes solely driven by your EBITDA
- Want to shape how buyers see the company before the market defines it for you
- Care about trajectory, not just timing
- Understand that perception influences price
Leadership
Ted Schlueter
Founder/CEO
Ted is the author of Branding for Buyout. His work sits at the intersection of brand strategy, enterprise value, and transaction psychology, advising founder-led and PE-backed companies in advance of exit.
Leif Holtzman
Strategy, AI, M&A
Leif architects the structured frameworks behind Branding for Buyout, integrating AI-driven market intelligence, buyer mapping, and strategy development to a high-precision, data-backed path to a premium exit.
Mary Webb
Chief Brand Officer
Mary leads enterprise positioning and value articulation across engagements, aligning growth strategy with buyer perception. Her focus is translating narrative clarity into measurable valuation impact.
Simon Leadbetter
UK "Brand Ambassador"
Simon represents Branding for Buyout in the UK, helping businesses close the gap between what they are and what buyers will pay. Former Global Head of Marketing at Knight Frank and CEO of Fine & Country.
