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Selling your business can be a lot like dating: you’re getting to know potential partners, identifying what you’re looking for, and ultimately—hopefully—finding your match. At last week’s 2025 Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala in Phoenix, Aleen Dreksler—founder and CEO of the New York City-based media and entertainment brand Betches Media—and Giorgos Tsetis—co-founder and chairman of the New York City-based hair growth supplement brand Nutrafol—said they’d experienced the dating similarities firsthand when they began exploring a sale. But, in the end, they both found their match: Unilever acquired a majority stake in Nutrafol in 2022 at a $1.25 billion valuation, and earlier this year, Tsetis exited the company after a full buyout from Unilever—a deal resulting in a realized valuation of $3.5 billion, per a representative for Tsetis. Meanwhile, in 2023, U.K.-based LBG Media, which owns digital publisher LADbible, acquired Betches Media for upwards of $54 million. Today, Dreksler remains CEO while Tsetis transitioned to the role of chairman—but they shared what they’ve learned with the room of entrepreneurs: Featured Video An Inc.com Featured Presentation Be prepared—and profitable Before selling the company, Dreksler and her co-founders took an exploratory call about selling the business with a “very legitimate company,” and “absolutely bombed it,” Dreksler said. That moment made her realize that they needed to be better prepared for the acquisition process. She hired an advisor and formalized a stronger pitch—and when their eventual acquirer approached, she said, they were ready. Preparing finances was an important part of that process, Dreksler adds. She and her co-founders had bootstrapped the business from the beginning, and keeping the business profitable was a key focus. Profitability was top of mind for Tsetis, too—but also in terms of making the value of his team clear during the acquisition. “If the company grows in revenue—but also in profitability—the reason why that’s happening is because of our people, and we have to protect that culture.” Follow your intuition During the acquisition process, leaders will feel significant pressure from many sides—investors, board members, and more—all while trying to successfully lead their companies, Tsetis said. But he underscored the importance of taking time to evaluate the opportunity. “It’s very easy to get excited, but these are major decisions,” Tsetis said. This reflection paid off in a big way for Nutrafol, he argues: Before its acquisition by Unilever, the company had been in talks with a private equity firm, which Tsetis chose not to name. Recently, Tsetis learned that this firm had been actively recruiting to replace him as CEO during the M&A process. “They didn’t even know me,” he said. But, by following his intuition, he believes the company “dodged a bullet.” Dreksler has a tip for how to home in on the best decision: “Something is right when you feel most like yourself when you are speaking to a potential acquirer, investor,” she said. “If you were changing who you are, the DNA of your business—it’s never going to be a right fit.” Leverage the tension While business owners need buyers to sell, don’t forget that these acquirers also need successful acquisitions to grow, Tsetis said—so business owners have more power than they might realize. But, to leverage this power most successfully, there needs to be a “competitive tension,” Tsetis adds. For instance, before Unilever’s eventual majority stake, Nutralfol had been considering another offer, Tsetis shared. Through creating “a sense of urgency” and leveraging that competition strategically, Nutrafol was positioned for a better deal. Indeed, Dreksler said, every leader needs to know their “walk-away number.” Without this alignment, “you have zero leverage,” she said. “Your negotiation power sinks to the bottom.”
