E283: Callum on Building Trust, Board Power, and the Agglomeration Exit Strategy for Entrepreneurs

About the Guest:
Callum Laing is not your average M&A expert. A serial entrepreneur and the author of four books (Agglomerate, Progressive Partnerships, Boardroom Blueprint, and Entrepreneurial Investing), Laing is also the founder of Unity Group, the Veblen Director Program, and Guild. His work focuses on democratizing board access, simplifying capital raising, and helping legacy business owners scale without losing control. His innovation in the agglomeration model challenges the assumptions of private equity and redefines how small businesses can achieve scale and liquidity.

Summary:
In this episode of How2Exit, guest host Roger Glovsky dives into the nuanced world of M&A and business trust-building with Callum Laing—an entrepreneur, author, and architect of the agglomeration model. With over 100 M&A transactions under his belt, Laing reveals why the most valuable asset in business isn’t capital—it’s trust. From forming influential board networks to designing incentive-aligned holding companies, Laing explains how deeply human psychology shapes scalable business outcomes, especially when preparing to exit. The conversation spans innovative M&A structures, the underestimated power of personal connections, and why tech-savvy entrepreneurs must still master the art of building real relationships—especially in an AI-driven world.

Key Takeaways:
Boards as a Competitive Advantage: A functional, diverse, and supportive board not only adds credibility during an exit but also ensures operational continuity—making a business more attractive to acquirers.

Access vs. Opportunity: The Veblen Director Program was designed to break barriers for overlooked professionals (e.g., those without elite credentials), helping them land their first board seats and contribute meaningfully.

Guild as a Capital-Raising Network: Laing’s second venture, Guild, evolved to teach entrepreneurs how to raise capital by first understanding investor needs—flipping the traditional pitch-first model on its head.

Trust Multiplies Velocity: Trust accelerates deal flow, reduces friction, and increases the efficiency of capital and collaboration. Building a public profile plays a critical role in earning it.

Give First, Gain Later: Inspired by concepts like the Boulder Thesis and Adam Grant's Give and Take, Laing emphasizes building relationships by offering value before asking for anything in return.

The Agglomeration Model: Laing’s signature innovation—business owners join a public holdco by exchanging private shares, keeping operational control while benefiting from scale, liquidity, and mutual incentives.

AI Will Amplify the Human: As AI automates tasks, the human edge will lie in trust-building, empathy, and long-term relationship management—skills no algorithm can yet replicate.

Longevity Over Hype: Contrary to Silicon Valley’s growth-at-all-costs model, Laing designs business systems with staying power, informed by centuries-old governance principles.
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