In this episode of 5G Talent Talk, Carrie Charles interviews Seth Buechley, owner of Cathedral Consulting. Seth shares his journey in telecom, which began in the late 1980s when his father built cell sites, and later evolved into owning spectrum and focusing on public safety communications in buildings. He co-founded the Safer Buildings Coalition to improve communication systems for first responders inside buildings during emergencies.
Seth also discusses his involvement with Cathedral Consulting Group, which he acquired after the passing of its co-founder. Cathedral played a crucial role in his business growth by offering mentorship and applying best practices from larger companies. He stresses the importance of building businesses that are not overly reliant on the founder’s skills, making the value of the business identifiable and transferable to potential buyers. Common mistakes include not preparing early enough for an exit and failing to develop systems independent of the founder. Seth emphasizes nurturing talent and gradually transitioning leadership to ensure the business can thrive without the founder.
Seth identifies four key pillars for building a valuable business: finance and accounting, sales and marketing, systems and workflow, and people and culture. He advises business owners to plan their exits well in advance, focusing on the right valuation and strong leadership teams. Despite current challenges in the wireless industry, Seth believes companies with solid leadership and strategic growth can still attract buyers and emphasizes the importance of being prepared for unexpected exit opportunities and navigating leadership transitions effectively.
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About Seth Buechley
Seth Buechley is a serial-entrepreneur and business founder who has led several multi-million dollar telecom exits. He is the Owner and Chairman of Cathedral which provides Merger and Acquisition advisory and Strategic Plan Design to business owners looking to achieve their Ideal Exit™. His book, Ambition: Leading with Gratitude, was written as a leadership manifesto to help driven people understand why they struggle to find satisfaction and what they can do about it. He is the host of the Business Done Right podcast which seeks to help ambitious entrepreneurs lead with gratitude and live out the motto of the late co-founder of Cathedral who taught “In God’s World, Business Done Right is a Blessing”.
Seth is the Founder of the Safer Buildings Coalition and in his prior role as President of SOLiD USA, he helped bring cellular and public safety radio coverage to some of the most recognized public venues in America including the Empire State Building, the NY Subway, Amazon HQ, and Daytona International Speedway. He sold his last business in 2016.
He and his wife, Helen, live in rural Oregon and are watching their four grown children build their lives.
