What if the secret to a successful business exit isn't just about
the money — but about building something worth handing over? In
this episode of The Grown Up Business Podcast, Paul Avins is joined
by Simon Morton — founder of Eiffel Presentations, the man
Microsoft turned to for PowerPoint expertise, and author of the new
book The Guide to Transitioning from Boss to Benefactor. Simon
shares his remarkable 18-year journey from starting out at his
kitchen table to building a multi-million-pound presentation agency
with over 40 people — and ultimately exiting through an Employee
Ownership Trust (EOT). Together, Paul and Simon unpack the
realities of scaling a people-business, the emotional rollercoaster
of entrepreneurship, why most presentations fail, how to build a
leadership team you can trust with your legacy, and what it really
takes to transition out of your business without regret. This
episode is essential listening for founders and CEOs who want to
understand what a grown-up exit looks like — and how to build a
business that can thrive long after you've stepped away. Key
Takeaways Why most presentations fail — and the five biggest
mistakes people make with PowerPoint How to shift from creating
slides to crafting compelling stories that drive action The power
of visualization and goal mapping — and how one picture kept Simon
from the pub and landed a million-pound client Why building the
right team is more important than scaling sales — and how to spot
talent everywhere How to know if you're just tired or actually
ready to sell — and why getting that wrong could be your biggest
regret What an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) is, how it works, and
why it might be the smartest exit strategy you've never considered
Why you need distance from your business — physically and mentally
— to lead it well The emotional reality of exiting — grief,
identity shift, and what comes after Why building a business that
can run without you is the ultimate measure of success About the
Guest Simon Morton is the founder of Eiffel Presentations, a
multi-award-winning presentation agency that has worked with
Microsoft, Adobe, KPMG, and hundreds of leading organizations
worldwide. Known as the "Prince of PowerPoint," Simon specializes
in helping businesses cut through the noise and communicate with
clarity, impact, and humanity. After 18 years of building Eiffel,
Simon successfully transitioned the business to his team through an
Employee Ownership Trust. He is the author of The Guide to
Transitioning from Boss to Benefactor and is now focused on
writing, storytelling, and helping other entrepreneurs navigate
their own exit journeys. Next Steps Apply it now Ask yourself:
could my business operate — and grow — without me? If not, what's
the first step to making that possible? Get Simon's Book Grab a
copy of The Guide to Transitioning from Boss to Benefactor to
explore whether an Employee Ownership Trust could be the right exit
strategy for you. Connect with Simon Morton on LinkedIn Scale with
Paul If this episode resonated, Paul's work focuses on helping
founders step out of the day-to-day and scale with structure and
confidence. Book a call with Paul:
https://www.paulavins.com/book-a-call Subscribe to the Scale-Up
Newsletter: https://www.paulavins.com/newsletter-opt-in About Paul
Avins Paul Avins is a scale-up business coach and founder of the
Grown-Up Business framework. He works with founders and CEOs to
help them move from operator to scale-up leader — building
businesses that grow sustainably, scale beyond the founder, and
create real enterprise value. Paul's work focuses on disciplined
leadership, high-performing teams, and systems that replace chaos
with clarity. Level Up. Team Up. Scale Up. Fire Up.
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