How To Exit Rich With Nick Bartolo

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Nick Bartolo of Essential Partners for a deep dive into wealth building, exit planning, and tax strategy for trades business owners. From Wall Street to the trades, Nick brings a rare combination of CPA expertise, institutional investment experience, and a passion for helping entrepreneurs protect and grow what they’ve built.

In this episode, Nick shares:

• How he went from global investing to advising trades entrepreneurs

• Why most owners misunderstand the “magic number” when selling a business

• How to calculate what really matters: after-tax, reinvested, and sustainable wealth

• The truth about equity rollovers, private equity structures, and risk exposure

• What buyers actually look for—and what they overlook

• Why building a valuable company starts long before you're ready to sell

• How to think like an investor while staying true to your business

• The difference between concentration and diversification at each stage of growth

Whether you're years away from a sale or just getting started on your path to wealth, this episode unpacks the financial playbook every trades leader should know