The Growth + Exit Podcast

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

Latest Episodes

In this episode of Growth + Exit, Heather Bennett sits down with Allison Cummins, Founder and CEO of Blue Outcomes, to discuss scaling service-based businesses through process, people, and precision. Allison talks about values-driven leadership, the dangers of poor project oversight, and the benefits of strategic tech adoption.
In this episode of Growth + Exit, Susan Kearney interviews Doug Tatum, Chairman of Newport, LLC, about how he scaled and exited his first company. Doug talks about overcoming leadership hurdles, working with private equity, and balancing risk.
Tune in to this episode of Growth + Exit as Susan Kearney sits down with Dan Lawrence, Co-founder and CEO of OBM, Inc., to discuss how he scaled his niche startup into an enterprise SaaS platform. Dan talks about navigating technical pivots, growing a strong team culture, and reshaping personal habits.
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.

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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