The Growth + Exit Podcast

Expert Advice for Middle Market Business Owners on Growing, De-Risking, and Exiting Their Business

Latest Episodes

Tune in to Growth + Exit as Chad Franzen of Rise25 sits down with Heather Bennett, Managing Director and Partner at Newport LLC, to talk about personal branding for businesses and professionals. Heather explains how authenticity builds trust, the importance of consistency in personal branding, and how strong personal brands elevate leadership efforts.
In this episode of Growth + Exit, Chad Franzen of Rise25 interviews Susan Kearney and Heather Bennett of Newport LLC about building, branding, and exiting middle-market businesses. Together, they discuss de-risking strategies, market expansion, product development, and their respective board experiences.
In this Growth + Exit episode, Chad Franzen of Rise25 interviews Susan Kearney, the Managing Director, Board Member, and Partner at Newport LLC, about building a scalable company through an intentional team culture. Susan explains how remote teams can stay engaged and productive, how to rebuild your culture during an internal pivot, and how the right culture attracts strategic investors.

Welcome to the Growth + Exit Podcast, where business owners, CEOs, and industry experts share the inside story of how they’ve grown, strengthened, and successfully exited their companies.

Hosted by Newport Managing Directors Heather Bennett and Susan Kearney, each episode offers candid conversations and practical insights tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of mid-market, privately held businesses.

New episodes drop twice a month.

Meet Your Hosts

Heather Bennett

Heather Bennett

Managing Director, Newport LLC

Corporate leader turned growth strategist, Heather brings 20+ years of experience managing $100MM brands, advising CEOs and entrepreneurs, and helping businesses scale through innovation, marketing, and executive development.

Susan Kearney

Susan Kearney

Managing Director, Newport LLC

A serial entrepreneur, growth expert, and digital innovator, Susan has founded, built, and sold several businesses; partnered successfully with both VC and PE investors; and participated in both buy and sell-side transactions. She leverages this expertise to help business owners scale and exit their companies successfully.

Big news! 🎉 Newport has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 2025 Power Partner Awards list, recognizing the top B2B companies making an impact around the world.

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10 Strategies to Finance the Growth of Your Business

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