The Strategist Who Shows Up Before It’s Too Late
John Franklin
Wiley
Trusted Advisor to Founders, Operators & Private Equity Partners
Before You Exit, You Need to Know the Truth
Most founders don’t fail because they weren’t successful.
They fail because no one showed them how to finish strong.
John Franklin Wiley isn’t here to sell your business.
He’s here to make sure it can be sold for what it’s worth, and to someone who deserves to own it next.
Through private advisory work with founders and PE partners, John brings pattern recognition, calm clarity, and data-backed discipline to the most critical season of your company’s life:
the transition.
"The most expensive thing in business is thinking you’re ready when you’re not." - John Franklin Wiley
Is This You?
This isn’t for every founder. But if any of these feel uncomfortably familiar, you’re in the right place:
Your company is profitable, but you’re unsure if it’s actually sellable
You’re 3–10 years from exit, but feel boxed in today
You can’t step away for a week without fear of something breaking
You’ve built something valuable but don’t know how to transfer it
What Founders Get When They
Sit Down with John
A sober look at whether your business is sellable, right now
Unfiltered insight into what buyers actually value
(and what they ignore)
A map of where you’re bleeding value without realizing it
Options to exit on your timeline or build toward a better one
John doesn’t motivate. He prepares founders for the decisions no one else is helping them make, before it’s too late.
Too many founders wait until they’re burned out, boxed in, or already under LOI before asking the right questions.
That’s when the leverage is gone and the regrets begin.
Why Founders Wait Too Long
What you don’t know can absolutely kill a deal:
Systems that only work when you’re in the room
Revenue streams that look strong but scare off buyers
“Success” that hasn’t translated into enterprise value
Every founder eventually has to answer the question:
Would I buy this company in its current state?
If the answer make you pause, now is the time to act, not later.
About John Franklin Wiley
Strategist. Operator. Exit Architect.
Certified Exit Strategist — Top U.S. Advisory Platform
Chief of Strategy – Meridian84 Private Equity
100+ Due Diligence Reviews — Buyer-Side Business Audits
Built, Scaled & Sold Owner-Led Companies
John has spent decades on both sides of the table as a founder, as a private equity partner, and as the strategist who shows up before it’s too late.
At Meridian84, he leads diligence and deal flow for founder-led businesses. He’s reviewed hundreds of companies, most of which shared the same flaw: they looked successful on the surface but weren’t built to transfer value when it counted most.
Now, John works directly with owners to prevent those same breakdowns.
He helps founders:
Stress test their assumptions
Spot the hidden weaknesses buyers will catch
Build companies that are not just profitable but transferable
He’s not here to pitch.
He’s here to prepare.
📍Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, John serves clients nationwide.