“No one in history has done anything great by following how it’s always been done.”

That mindset shaped Rhys Harvey's career - and the way he’s approached multiple successful brand exits, from Popchips to Plenish and now in his role of CEO at Ocean Saver. In a conversation with former team mate (at popchips) Ruth Fittock, Rhys shares what most people misunderstand about getting exit-ready - and how to build a business that doesn’t just look attractive to buyers, but actually is.

Here are some of his biggest lessons.

1. Exit readiness isn’t a checklist. It’s a mindset.

Forget ticking boxes.
Being “exit ready” means building a fundamentally strong, growth-oriented business - with or without a buyer in sight.

“You can’t time a perfect sale. The best thing you can do is always be ready.”

2. Profit is what buyers really want.

Everyone obsesses over revenue. But buyers?
They care about margin.

“They’ll laugh at your revenue. What they want to know is - can they scale this and make money doing it?”

Gross margin > Revenue. Every time.

3. Repeat rate is the early warning signal.

Want to know if your brand has real staying power?
Track repeat rate - especially once you’re past £1M in revenue.

If people come back without deep promotions, you’re onto something.

4. Don’t underestimate your operations.

Acquirers want to plug and play.
If your supply chain is too complex (or runs on manual spreadsheets), it’s a dealbreaker.

Invest early in:

• Scalable finance systems
• Clean supply chains
• Operational simplicity

5. Most of your innovation won’t make it. And that’s okay.

Rhys learned the hard way - most NPD launched to impress buyers gets mothballed post-sale.

“We thought the new stuff would seal the deal. Turns out, they only wanted the core.”

Double down on your hero SKUs. That’s what buyers want anyway.

6. A good exit keeps the brand alive.

Yes, the payday matters.
But the real win is walking through the grocery aisle years later… and seeing the brand still standing.

“The brands I worked on- I still go check on them in-store. That’s what makes me proud.”

7. Bonus: Finance + Brand = Secret Weapon

Most think finance and marketing don’t mix. Rhys says otherwise.

“Brand people dream it. Finance people make it real.”

Build mutual respect between departments. It’s one of the things that separates brands that scale from brands that stall.

Final thought:

You can’t plan the perfect exit. But you can build the kind of business that buyers notice - and consumers love. That starts with a clear vision, strong margin, repeat customers, and a team built for scale.

That’s how you become a brand of tomorrow.

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