Ep. 9 Business Success Without Sacrificing Family with Mac Lackey
In this episode of the Legacy Branding Podcast, host Laura Beauparlant sits down with serial entrepreneur Mac Lackey, who has started, scaled, and sold six successful businesses.
Mac shares his journey of building ventures that attracted industry giants, and the lessons he learned from his impressive exits. As the founder of ExitDNA, Mac now mentors entrepreneurs on how to prepare their businesses for sale, emphasizing the importance of proactive planning and brand equity in driving valuation.
He also reflects on balancing personal priorities—like being present for his family—with entrepreneurial success and discusses how owning a 115-year-old Spanish soccer club ties into his vision of legacy.
Tune in to hear actionable advice on creating a sellable business, maintaining balance in your life, and leaving a meaningful impact.
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Mac Lackey is an American entrepreneur who has started, scaled, and sold six companies.
Mac and his companies have been featured on CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Business North Carolina, USA Today and The New York Times.
Notable ventures include KYCK (acquired by NBC Sports), Mountain Khakis (acquired by Remington), and InternetSoccer Network (acquired by a division of News Corp/Sky).
He additionally served as a member of the Board of Directors for Lending Tree (NASDAQ: TREE) for over six years and is an angel investor in over 50 companies.
Mac is currently focused on mentoring entrepreneurs via his proprietary platform, ExitDNA. Mac is also the proud owner of the 115-year-old Spanish soccer team, Algeciras CF.
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00:13 Welcome to the Legacy Branding Podcast
00:50 Introducing Mac Lackey: Serial Entrepreneur
01:41 Lessons from Six Exits
02:51 The Importance of Early Exit Preparation
03:56 Regrets and Reflections on Timing
06:27 The First Business and Unexpected Offers
09:13 The Existential Crisis Post-Exit
16:59 Balancing Business Success and Family Life
19:31 A Father's Commitment and Entrepreneurial Journey
20:12 Balancing Family and Business Success
20:59 Empowering Teams and Creating Boundaries
23:07 The Value of Designing a Sellable Business
24:32 Introduction to Exit DNA
24:54 The Birth of Exit DNA
30:51 The Importance of Brand and Intellectual Property
35:44 Defining Legacy and Personal Reflections
38:43 Connecting with Mac Lackey and Conclusion