29: Founder Fatigue, Deal Drama & the Power of Values in a Successful Business Exit with Gregg Lederman
Gregg Lederman, CEO, Brand at Work, Inc.
In this compelling conversation, host Bruce Eckfeldt sits down with Gregg Lederman, founder of Brand Integrity, a pioneering SaaS company in the employee engagement space. Gregg unpacks his journey from bootstrapping a consulting business to building an innovative online recognition platform long before such tools were mainstream. As the company matured, he shifted from a consulting-heavy model to a scalable tech platform that caught the attention of multiple acquirers.
But selling the business wasn’t the clean break Gregg expected. He candidly shares the emotional and ethical challenges of the M&A process—from "retrading" deals and cultural misfits to the gut-wrenching decision of what (and when) to tell employees. At one point, the stress drove him to therapy and literal physical breakdown.
Throughout, Gregg stayed grounded in the very values his company helped clients define. This helped him find the right buyer—Reward Gateway—whose cultural alignment ensured Brand Integrity’s mission would live on. Post-exit, Gregg launched A Great Life Now, a transformational leadership program focused on self-awareness, purpose, and values-based decision-making—crucial elements he believes are often missing in the M&A world.
If you’re a founder-CEO thinking about scaling or exiting, Gregg’s story is an honest, insightful look into what it really takes to exit on your terms.
Key Takeaways
A values-based culture helped Brand Integrity stand out in a crowded market.
Hiring people better than yourself is critical to scaling a founder-led business.
M&A processes often lack integrity—be prepared emotionally and ethically.
Not raising capital allowed control but limited speed—tradeoffs matter.
Founders should define personal values before engaging in an exit.
“Retrading” in M&A is real—expect late-stage changes in deal terms.
Staying aligned with company culture should outweigh the highest valuation.
Therapy and self-awareness can be survival tools during exit stress.
Contact Information:
gregg@gregglederman.com
