The Guidelight
The Guidelight — Hosted by Jason Trent
The Guidelight is for leaders like you — business owners, presidents, and CEOs who’ve built something remarkable and are now asking, “What’s next?”
Hosted by Jason Trent, each episode dives beyond the spreadsheets to explore what truly matters when selling, scaling, or reshaping your company — your people, your purpose, and your next chapter.
You’ll hear real stories and expert insights from those who’ve stood where you are, uncovering how to protect what you’ve built while stepping confidently into the future with clarity and peace of mind.
If your company’s EBITDA is between $2 and $10 million, this is your space to gain perspective that goes far beyond the deal. Because your next chapter matters just as much as the one you’ve built.
🎧 Listen. Reflect. Lead with Light.
Episodes
24 episodes
How to Lead Your Team Through An Exit Without Fear
Leading your team through an exit will either build trust or break it. In this episode, I show how to lead a business exit, M&A transition, or succession plan in a way that strengthens your team and your legacy. Most l...
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11:57
Life After Exit and Why Selling Doesn't Always Bring Peace
What really happens after you sell your business?In this episode of The Guidelight Podcast, Jason Trent shares why selling a business doesn’t automatically bring fulfillment. Drawing from personal experience and years in the M&...
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8:11
Serial Entrepreneurship: When to Start, When to Sell, and When to Stay Focused
When is it time to start something new — and when is it time to stay the course?In Part 2 of my conversation with Dave Streen, we unpack the realities of serial entrepreneurship. Dave has launched multiple companies, brought ov...
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23:12
Build to Exit: How to Create a Profitable Business That Runs Without
What does it really look like to build a business you’re proud of — not just profitable, but aligned with your life?In this episode of The Guidelight, I sit down with Dave Streen for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, focus, b...
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22:10
How To Build A Transferable Business Before The Buyers Show Up
Know Where You Stand Before You Step Away! Take the 7-minute Assessment: https://go.guidelightlegacy.com/scorecardThe best time to prepare your bu...
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9:29
Preparing Your Heart For Transition: Your Business Is NOT Your Identity
Your title is not your identity. Neither is your business.In this episode, I get into something that doesn't get talked about enough in the exit planning conversation: the heart behind the decision. Before the strategy, the val...
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8:06
When Is the Right Time to Sell Your Business? (5 Signs It’s Time)
Great leaders don’t get it right every time. They get better over time. In this episode, I tackle one of the most critical questions a founder will ever face, “When is the right time to sell?”I walk through five clear signs tha...
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8:38
When Leaders Miss the Mark: How to Realign, Refocus & Lead Better
Great leaders don’t get it right every time. They get better over time. In this episode, I explore how moments of misalignment can become powerful turning points, and why real leadership growth starts with refocusing your aim, not carrying s...
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26:40
Change Is Easy, Transitions Are Hard: How Leaders Navigate Business & Life Transitions
Transitions take time and that’s where leadership is tested. In this episode, I reflect openly on why navigating transition requires awareness, patience, and a willingness to lead people, not just processes.I share...
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25:43
God's Will to Sell: How And When
One of the biggest questions I hear from faith-driven business owners is simple but heavy: “Is it God’s will for me to sell?” In this episode, I speak candidly about the truth behind that question and why the real issue is your ...
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12:40
What’s Truly On Your Heart? A Birthday Wish With Purpose
The most powerful moments with God come when we stop asking for what we want and start listening to what’s already in our hearts. In this episode, I open up about a deeply personal experience, a birthday prayer that turned into a life-changi...
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8:21
Transition Well: Top 3 M&A Myths Business Owners Believe
Transitioning a business is a test of faith, trust, and purpose. In this episode, Duane Gentry, founder and managing partner of CD Gentry Associates, explores the heart and hope behind selling and buying businesses the right way...
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25:34
Authentic Leadership: Why It Matters More Than Ever
True leadership starts from the heart, not the spotlight. In this episode, I step away from the usual polish to talk about something deeper: authenticity.Authenticity begins with God. Before we can lead others, we ...
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16:41
Peace of God: 5 Reasons You’re Missing It & How To Find It
How often do you feel like you’re missing the peace of God?In this episode of The Guidelight, Jason shares the five reasons we drift away from God’s peace and how we can overcome these stumbling blocks to...
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23:43
Authority and Faith: Leading Under God’s Direction
As a leader, do you ever struggle with the authority that God has given you?In this episode of The Guidelight, Jason Trent explores what it truly means to walk in authority — its purpose, its power, and t...
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9:40
When Is the Right Time to Sell Your Business? The Truth About Maximizing Value
A brand is simply a promise, and a good brand is a promise kept.In this episode, Jason Trent shares a conversation with Kit Garren, Founder of IPM and tonsofrentals.com, about preparing your business for an exit and unlocking i...
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25:47
How to Structure Your Business Exit & Maximize Value
People, even non-believers, will recognize good principles.In this powerful episode, Jason Trent is with Jay Mink, an entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and Director of Outreach at the National Christian Foundation, to share insigh...
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32:51
Christian Business Exit Strategy
Thinking about selling your business? In this episode of The Guidelight, Jason Trent sits down with entrepreneur and M&A advisor Jay Mink, Director of Outreach at the National Christian Foundation, to talk ...
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36:59
Building Legacy with the End in Mind
Ten years into running his insurance agency, Jason Trent felt done. Burned out. Unsure if he should sell it all and start over.In this first episode of The Guidelight, Jason shares the mentors, faith, and...
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16:42
Chef Neil Ravenna on Feeding Hope, Not Just Hunger
In this powerful episode of JTrent Connect, we sit down with Neil Ravenna—known by many simply as "Chef"—whose journey from executive chef at the University of Alabama to lead cook at Haywood Pathways Center is anything but ordinary. Neil share...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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19:03
From Volunteer to Visionary: Julie Cloninger's Journey at Haywood Pathways Center
What does it mean to give—out of abundance or out of lack?In this powerful conversation, Jason Trent sits down with Julie Cloninger, Executive Director of Haywood Pathways Center, to unpack how one invitation led her from serving food to...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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15:42
When Life Feels Like an Outlier
Have you ever felt like your life just doesn’t line up—like something’s off-track, broken, or totally unexpected? That’s what it means to live through an outlier moment. Whether it’s financial strain, a broken relationship, a health cr...
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11:15
Space Rabbit Coffee - Brewing Hope Daily
EPISODE 2: Space Rabbit Coffee — From Burnout to BoldnessIn this inspiring episode, Jason sits down with Michael and Susan Bartlett, founders of Space Rabbit Coffee, to unpack the story behind one of the most original small-town c...
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27:43
Hope in the Storm - Trusting God's Plan
In the very first episode of the JTrent Connect Podcast, Jason Trent sits down with his longtime friend and ministry partner, Michael Bartlett, to talk about finding true hope through life's storms.This honest, powerful conversation explore...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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30:28
