118. What Now? How M&A Can Impact Your Zero to Ten Journey

Summary

Closing a merger and acquisition deal is just the beginning. Majority of M&A deals fall short of pre-deal expectations, and the key difficulty is ensuring that the deal delivers the value that prompted the decision to get into the agreement in the first place. In today’s episode, I am joined by none other than the M&A Whisperer herself Jennifer J. Fondrevay who has been a part of three separate multibillion-dollar merger and acquisition deals.  Jennifer and I chat about ways of pulling through mergers and acquisitions, a subject that she also covers in her book “NOW WHAT? A Survivor's Guide for Thriving through Mergers & Acquisitions.” Most companies that undergo mergers and acquisitions do not get the valuation that they originally intended. Majority of these deals also fail because of the workforce being unable to pivot and adapt as rapidly as the leadership expected.  If you’re worried that yours could end up the same, then this episode will help you find a way to change that.   We’ll talk about: Introduction [00:00] Going through an M&A is a matter of when [04:10] What CEOs need to prepare for during M&A [06:00] Power and influence of culture in an M&A [09:59] Dealing with the new reality of the workforce [11:47] How to avoid becoming a “former rock star” [15:37] Being crystal clear when approaching the deal [18:07] Premortem Exercises - Scenario Planning [20:19] The challenge of giving up old ways [25:32] Overcommunication as a key to a successful M&A transition [28:44] Trends in the new normal set-up of businesses [31:18]  Jennifer’s piece of advice to fellow workaholics [36:33]   Resource Links: Brett Trainor Website (https://bretttrainor.com/) Download Startup to Scaleup: A 4-Part Framework to Grow Your B2B Business to $10 Million (https://bretttrainor.com/resources/) Get a copy of Jennifer’s book “NOW WHAT? A Survivor's Guide for Thriving through Mergers & Acquisitions” (https://jenniferjfondrevay.com/now-what-by-jennifer-fondrevay/)   About Our Guest: Jennifer J. Fondrevay is the founder of Day1 Ready, an M&A consultancy agency that works with forward-thinking business executives to redefine what day one looks like in the M&A deal experience. Jennifer has been on both sides of the deal equation as a Fortune 500 C-Suite "survivor" of three multibillion-dollar acquisitions. She witnessed countless growth strategies fail due to a workforce that couldn’t pivot and adapt as quickly as leadership anticipated. Her satirical business book, “NOW WHAT? A Survivor's Guide for Thriving through Mergers & Acquisitions,” helps middle managers navigate business transformation to find the opportunities in change.   Connect with Jennifer J. Fondrevay: Website: https://jenniferjfondrevay.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-fondrevay Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjfondrevay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjfondrevay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGusxCB8gysRPpB8B4RQBJA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jfondrevay   Connect with me and learn more about growing your business: Email: BT@BrettTrainor.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrainor/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrainorBrett Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brett_Trainor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bretttrainor/   If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to tune in, subscribe, and share this podcast.