Finish Line Strategies Presents:

How To Position Your Company for a Successful Sale

Our Mission:

At Finish Line Stra, our mission is clear: to empower business owners in selling their companies, ensuring they achieve their desired outcome, whether it's maximizing profits or realizing a legacy. We understand that the decision to sell a business is significant, and we're here to guide owners toward a successful exit, leaving them in a better position than before.

Our Approach:

Our approach is rooted in integrity, transparency, and a deep understanding of the emotional and financial aspects of selling a business. We aim to assist owners in becoming more attractive to potential buyers by strategically positioning their businesses. Our strategy involves providing comprehensive support, strategy, and executive guidance throughout the entire process.

Who We Are:

At the core of our operations lies a deliberate intent to serve others optimally. Led by Briana and Brian (B&B), our team works diligently to understand each business's unique goals and aspirations. With a personalized approach, we navigate through the complexities of selling a company with empathy, offering tailored solutions every step of the way.

Our Process

We will coach and guide you throughout each step. Creation of a strategic roadmap for success, highlighting milestones and addressing existing gaps.

Go-to-Market Strategy: Engaging potential buyers through teasers, involving additional advisors as needed.
Negotiating the LOI: Guiding negotiations on critical aspects like purchase price, terms, and due diligence control.
Due Diligence: Assisting owners through the due diligence process, ensuring compliance and facilitating transparency.
Closing: Staying alongside owners until the deal is successfully concluded, providing support and guidance throughout.

Our commitment extends beyond just selling businesses. We're dedicated to ensuring that owners achieve their desired outcomes with confidence and clarity.

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Our Team

Brian Gottlieb

Brian Gottlieb, Author of the best-selling book Beyond the Hammer, founded Tundraland Home Improvements in 2009 on a plastic folding table with just $3000 in cash. Since that time, he’s founded Jacuzzi Bath Remodel of Arizona and Renewal by Andersen of Greater Wisconsin. The businesses combined had 600 employees and annual sales in excess of $150,000,000. In 2021, Jacuzzi Corporation acquired his Arizona business and in 2022, Leaf Home Enhancements acquired Tundraland. In the fall of 2022, his Renewal business in Wisconsin was acquired by his executive leadership team. Brian was able to sell all three businesses for just under $100,000,000.

Brian is widely recognized for his inspirational leadership style which systematically unleashes the full potential in others, and through that process, creates an environment where both business and people become limitless. He scaled his businesses by aligning people around the notion that they aren’t a construction company or a sales and marketing company; they are a training and development company that happens to be in home improvements. By obsessing on developing others, his businesses have rightfully earned the reputation of being some of the best run home improvement companies in the industry today.

Brian is a Guinness World Record Holder, an alumnus of Harvard Business School, and is currently writing a business book on culture, leadership, and people development.

Briana Hetherington

Meet Briana Hetherington, the visionary founder of Altruistic Advisory, a consultancy driven by a holistic mission to empower individuals and workplaces. Briana, a forward-thinking strategist, blends innovation with compassion, fostering authentic leadership that propels teams to unprecedented success.

As a CMO, she is passionate about helping companies plant a better future and reach their full potential. Briana is dedicated to supporting organizations in growing their teams, analyzing the marketing department and creating effective marketing strategies, org charts, culture check in and SOPs.

Beyond business, her mission is to cultivate a culture of integrity and self-belief. Ultimately, her approach centers on empowering these companies to evolve with purpose, integrity, and a forward-thinking mindset.

Todd Reese

Todd Reese is a seasoned financial executive with over 30 years of experience in accounting, financial strategy, and business optimization. As a licensed CPA in the state of Wisconsin, he has built a distinguished career focused on driving financial health and sustainable growth for businesses across various industries.

Todd earned his BBA in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, inspired by his natural affinity for numbers and the strong example set by his father, who was also an accountant. His career began at Arthur Andersen, where he developed a keen understanding of financial integrity and balance sheet analysis—principles that continue to guide his approach today.

Throughout his career, Todd has held key financial leadership roles, including:

Controller at Green Bay Packaging – where he played a pivotal role in transforming the Folding Carton Division from a loss-making operation into a business generating nearly $1 million in monthly profits. He helped leadership understand how to leverage assets and pricing strategy to optimize revenue.
Financial Leader at VerHalen, Inc. (Pella Windows and Doors distributor) – where he restructured financial reporting, breaking the business into core product categories. This allowed the company to make data-driven decisions, leading to greater financial clarity and profitability.
CFO of Tundraland Home Improvements – bringing his expertise to the home improvement industry, where he has helped scale operations, improve financial performance, and lead successful business transactions.

Todd believes that a company’s financial strength starts with a well-managed balance sheet—focusing on leverage, cash position, debt management, and operational efficiency. His expertise in acquisitions, business restructuring, and financial turnarounds makes him a sought-after advisor for companies looking to improve their financial health.

As a board member and financial strategist, Todd is passionate about helping business owners unlock their full potential. He enjoys leveraging his extensive experience to provide actionable insights that drive profitability, operational efficiency, and long-term success.

Robert Macklin

Rob Macklin has 25 years of experience advising public and private company clients of all sizes, both domestic and international. As a recovering lawyer, his legal practice has focused on the areas of mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, tax structuring, and contracting systems and processes.

Over the last few years, his practice has almost been exclusively dedicated to the home improvement industry. In particular, he has sold dozens of companies - including many home improvement companies you know, like Tundraland, to private equity and strategic buyers. As well as his consulting work, he and his wife also own a concrete coatings business, BAM Coatings, as well as a home improvement finance company, 1 & Fund.

In addition, Rob served as an intelligence officer for the US Navy working with the Office of Naval Intelligence and deploying to Iraq as part of a joint task force led by SEAL Team 8. In that role, Rob led the human intelligence collections operation for the Team and commanded a detachment of over 30 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. He received an award from Admiral William McRaven for his service in Iraq, and brings the skills he learned overseas into his practice.

Michael Hoy

Michael Hoy is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of driving growth and fostering a thriving organizational culture. As the Chief Executive Officer of Great Day Improvements, and currently the Executive Vice Chairman, Michael has spearheaded the company's expansion and success since assuming the role in 2015. With nearly a decade of dedicated service to Great Day, Michael has been instrumental in charting the company's course toward excellence and expansion. His visionary leadership style emphasizes a commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and employee development.

Michael leads by example, inspiring those around him to strive for greatness and embody the values of integrity, collaboration, and accountability. Drawing upon a wealth of experience garnered from a distinguished career in the building products industry, Michael brings invaluable insights and expertise to his role. Prior to his tenure at Great Day Improvements, he held pivotal leadership positions at direct-to-consumer companies such as Renewal by Andersen and Pella Windows and building products leaders BMC/Stock Building Supply, the Wolf Organization, and 84 Lumber where his experience and strategic acumen consistently drove success and profitability.

Throughout his career, Michael has demonstrated a relentless commitment to excellence and a passion for delivering results. Under his guidance, Great Day Improvements continues to thrive, setting new benchmarks for innovation, growth, and attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry. As a visionary leader, Michael Hoy is dedicated to shaping the future of Great Day Improvements and leading the company’s continued growth and success.

B&B Synergy in Action: B&B Unite for Unmatched Collaboration

Brian Gottlieb is no stranger to innovation and success in the home improvement industry. With a remarkable journey, he's built three thriving businesses, generating approximately $150 million in revenue and leading a combined team of 600 employees. His ventures included Tundraland Home Improvements, Renewal by Andersen of Greater Wisconsin & Milwaukee, and Jacuzzi Bath Remodel of Arizona. He has successfully sold his Jacuzzi Bath Remodel business to Jacuzzi, Tundraland to Leaf Home Enhancements, and his Renewal by Andersen locations to his executive leadership team.

Pioneering Your Path to a Prosperous Exit Route

Get Started

At Finish Line Strategies, our aim is to foster an environment characterized by empowerment, transparency, integrity, and honest, open communication. We're dedicated to providing unconditional support, joy, and gratitude within our community.

In 2024, we're excited to offer a series of impactful events, including workshops, conferences, and leadership retreats, focusing on guiding businesses in positioning themselves effectively for successful sales. These events will serve as invaluable opportunities for growth, learning, and networking within our community.