From Steel Industry to Selling Businesses: Phil Eleson’s Franchise Freedom Story | Freedom Friday

From Steel Industry to Selling Businesses: Phil Eleson’s Franchise Freedom Story | Freedom FridayWelcome back to Freedom Friday on the Journey to Business Ownership podcast! 🎙️In this episode, Patrice Miles sits down with Phil Eleson, franchise owner with Murphy Business Sales, to talk about the leap from employee to entrepreneur—and what it’s really like to help business owners prepare for an exit and successfully sell their companies.Phil shares his journey from 18 years in the steel industry (plus running his own steel business) to owning multiple Murphy Business Sales franchise locations across Louisville, Cincinnati, and Nashville. He breaks down how business brokerage works, why the sales cycle can take 1–2 years, and how the support + network of a franchise can dramatically shorten the learning curve.✅ In this episode, we cover:- Phil’s path from steel sales → entrepreneurship → business brokerage- What Murphy Business Sales does (valuations, exit planning, sell-side representation, acquisitions)- Who Phil serves: $2M–$50M revenue businesses (founder-led + family businesses)- Why most businesses don’t sell—and how preparation changes everything- The #1 advice for future business owners: do your due diligence- How business ownership created more flexibility, travel, and fulfillment📌 Connect with Phil Eleson (Murphy Business Sales):LinkedIn: Phil Eleson https://www.linkedin.com/in/phileleson-lowermiddlemarketadvisor/Email: [email protected]://murphybusiness.com/louisville-east/our-business-brokers/phil-eleson/💡 Want to explore what business ownership could look like for you?Visit https://www.journeytobusinessownership.com to schedule a conversation with Patrice.👍 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who needs a spark of inspiration!#freedomfriday #businessownership #entrepreneurship #businessbrokers #exitplanning #MurphyBusiness #franchiseownership #smallbusiness #louisville #cincinnati #nashville