17: Building Brand Equity for Scalable Growth and Maximizing Business Exit Value

Written By Bruce Eckfeldt

Lysle Wickersham, Founder, BRANDThink

Lysle Wickersham, a seasoned founder and CEO, joins the show to share his entrepreneurial journey spanning advertising, venture capital, investment banking, and brand strategy consulting. Starting as a creative director, he scaled his agency from three to 120 employees with $170M in billings, ultimately navigating two exits in quick succession. Through this experience, Lysle discovered the critical connection between brand equity and enterprise value, a theme that has defined his career.

In the conversation, Lysle explains why early-stage businesses must establish a clear core positioning and brand attributes to build sustainable equity over time. He stresses that brand consistency is not just marketing—it’s a strategic asset that drives valuation and lowers capital costs during fundraising and exit negotiations. Drawing on his experience founding an investment bank and later BRANDThink, Lysle reveals how aligning intangible brand equity with operational performance can yield significant transaction multiples.

The episode dives deep into practical advice for founders: how to maintain focus while scaling, prepare five years ahead for an exit, and differentiate in crowded markets by leveraging emotional brand attributes. Lysle shares real-world examples, including repositioning a health supplement company in a saturated market by creating an emotionally resonant brand narrative. He also offers guidance for founder-CEOs on balancing passion for their product with the capitalistic realities of building a sellable business.

For anyone looking to scale their company or plan a future exit, Lysle’s insights provide a roadmap for integrating strategy, creativity, and financial value creation into a cohesive growth plan.

Key Takeaways

  • Build brand equity early; consistent positioning over time drives long-term enterprise and exit value.

  • Emotional brand attributes can differentiate in crowded markets and influence transaction multiples.

  • Prepare five years ahead for an exit to maximize valuation and minimize equity dilution.

  • Treat employees as your first “customers” to align culture with brand promise during scaling.

  • Balance passion for your product with the capitalistic goal of creating a sellable business

  • Align positioning, operations, and branding to create negotiating leverage at the exit table.

  • Simplicity and clarity in brand positioning lead to stronger alignment and sustainable growth.

  • Intangible brand equity can account for significant market capitalization and shareholder value.

Contact Information:

Bruce Eckfeldt
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