Episode 8: Entrepreneurs at Scale : An interview with John Ratliff CEO of Align5

In this episode of Entrepreneurs at Scale, we are joined by John Ratliff. John is a co-founder and CEO of align5 an advisory and consulting organisations focused on helping growth entrepreneurs establish a strategy for scaling their businesses and preparing for a Strategic Exit.John is also CEO of the Global Scaling Up coaching organisation.Prior to founding align5, John was the President and CEO of Appletree Answers, a telephone answering service company he started in 1995 from his two-bedroom apartment in Wilmington, Delaware. John grew the company organically and through a series of acquisitions, growing the company to 24 US- based locations and 650 employees before it was sold to a strategic buyer in June 2012.In this episode we focus on the key lessons that John learnt as he scaled up and successfully exited the  Appletree Answers Business:  - The importance of discovering core values  - Building out a culture that is massively focused around caring about the people in the business - His acquisition strategy - Key areas that will add value to your business - Preparing a business for a strategic exit - How to discover Rembrandts in your attic  - Strategies to ensure that every client experience is remarkable