We’re looking forward to introducing you to Kevin Oldham. Check out our conversation below.
Kevin, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’m a competitive martial artist and got sidelined for 18 months due to knee surgery. Recently got cleared and have taken up Muay Thai and Kickboxing. It’s given me a lot of joy, but it’s also very humbling at the age of 50, starting a new combat sport.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I help business owners build companies with real value, not just income. After watching my mom’s skateboard shop close with nothing to show for years of work, I made it my mission to help entrepreneurs avoid the same fate.
As founder and chief value accelerator of Diffactory, I guide owners in transforming their businesses from founder-dependent operations into transferable, valuable assets.
As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), I specialize in helping businesses with annual revenues of $500K to $20M implement strategies that increase value by 2-10X. My approach focuses on building strong human, structural, customer, and social capital, then demonstrating that to prospective buyers.
I love creating companies that buyers fight to own one day.
Exit planning isn’t something you do “someday;” it’s a good business strategy today.
My straightforward methods have helped hundreds of business owners transform their businesses from merely successful to genuinely significant.
Specialties:
– Exit Strategy + Planning
– Value Acceleration
– AI and Automation Adoption and Integration
– Marketing Strategy + Consulting
– Managed Marketing Service Implementation
– Franchise System Development and Scaling
– Recurring Revenue / Membership Business Models.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I’m still that person. I’m still a skater, somewhat of a rebel, and a person who likes to apply creative and unique solutions to everything that I do. I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’ve continued to hold on to that despite the world telling me that I probably needed to grow up and pick other things to do.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely! Has nothing to do with business, but it has everything to do with business.
One of the things that I always tell people that I’m mentoring is that everything awesome I’ve ever done in my life, two things were consistent:
1. I had a plan
2. I was accountable to others
About 13 years ago, I was training for a half-ironman. I wanted to throw in the towel, but my wife wouldn’t let me. I was accountable to her. She wouldn’t let me and she even got me this little desktop trophy thing to remind me why I continued to train. Guess what? I continued to train and don’t give up anymore.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Integrity.
Nothing else matters without it.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’ll one-up that. I always assume that today is my last day, so every single day I do and don’t do the things that I feel like I should or should not do. This “die empty” daily mindset has served me really well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bethefilament.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekevinoldham/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinoldham/
- Twitter: https://x.com/koldhamkc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/koldhamkc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJdSCkvB3JWYRukesvSxO5w
Image Credits
Steph Rupp
