In the realm of exit plans, things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes they happen smoothly the first time, other times they face delays. But that’s the thing: there’s no one right way. Each exit is its own journey, with its own ups and downs.

Join Mark Doman as he sits down with Craig Sturgill, COO, and Co-founder of Excel, a company at the forefront of the InsureTech space. Craig, a U.S. Army veteran and successful entrepreneur, shares his journey from starting an insurance agency at 18 to co-founding Excel. Follow along to learn about the challenges and strategic pivots he made, including an unsuccessful exit attempt, recalibration for growth, and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people in order to execute a successful exit.

Mark and Craig discuss: 

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• Craig’s journey from door-knocking insurance sales to co-founding an InsureTech company
  
• How his business model shifted toward digital customer acquisition
  
• Insights into the InsureTech space and Excel’s innovative lead-generation strategies
  
• Valuable lessons learned from an attempted business exit and how diversification and a strong leadership team can make all the difference 
  
• And more
  

Resources:

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• Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top by Bo Burlingham
  
• Medigap.com 
  
• BurialInsurance.com 
  

Connect with Mark Dorman: 

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• Succession Plus US
  
• LinkedIn: Mark Dorman
  
• LinkedIn: Succession Plus
  
• Facebook: Succession Plus
  
• (330)-416-9271
  
• mdorman@succession.plus
  

Connect with Craig Sturgill:

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• LinkedIn: Craig Sturgill
  
• CraigSturgill.com
  
• Excel.com  
  

About Our Guest: 

At the age of 18, Craig Sturgill founded his first business. He built his Medicare-focused insurance agency, however, he was unable to find lead-generating vendors that met his standards for quality and high performance so in 2013 he partnered with 2 like-minded individuals to found Excel which he now acts as COO. He has since started multiple other businesses such as TruRidge, LLC and ​​Stealth Ventures, LLC.