How to Build, Scale, and Sell Your Business to a Publicly Traded Company with Ivy Zelman, Zelman - A Walker & Dunlop Company - Price Discovery: Money & Mindset #10

Welcome to Price Discovery: Money & Mindset!

This is Episode #10 and you’ll hear Host Jordan Rodriguez interview Ivy Zelman of Zelman - A Walker & Dunlop Company. Check out the video episode on YouTube and listen to the audio episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots – Follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying the show!

• Episode Summary & Player

• Show Notes

• Learn more about Price Discovery: Money & Mindset

Stay firm on the non-negotiables, defend your people, and make your family proud. In this episode, Host Jordan Rodriguez interviews Ivy Zelman, the Co-Founder of Zelman and now the Executive Vice President of Research & Securities at Zelman - A Walker & Dunlop Company. Ivy has been widely known and respected for her bold thinking and accurate assessments where others failed, helping industry players avoid costly mistakes and capture game-changing opportunities. In 2005, she called the top of the housing market, and in 2012, she called the bottom of the housing market, thus reinforcing her dominant reputation within the industry. Hear the skills she found most valuable early in her Wall Street career, how to transition from Analyst to Business Owner, how to build a unique value proposition, how to make your business attractive to acquiring companies, and how she’s been able to keep her family the priority throughout her illustrious career. This episode covers everything from how Ivy started Zelman to her dedication to work-life balance. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• How has work ethic changed across generations?

• What is Ivy's secret sauce?

• Why did Ivy start her own company?

• When did Ivy realize Zelman was sellable?

• What parts of Zelman were most attractive?

Connect with Ivy on LinkedIn, at ZelmanAssociates.com, and check out her book Gimme Shelter.

Connect with Jordan at WSWealthManagers.com.

Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• How to Sell Your Business to a Publicly Traded Company with Ivy Zelman, Zelman - A Walker & Dunlop Company

  • [0:19] Welcome to Price Discovery: Money & Mindset

  • [0:48] Connect with Ivy on LinkedIn, at ZelmanAssociates.com, and check out her book Gimme Shelter

  • [2:12] Is Ivy in Cleveland full-time?

  • [2:45] What’s the size & scope of Zelman - A Walker & Dunlop Company?

  • [3:25] What skills did Ivy learn early in her Wall Street career?

  • [5:35] How has work ethic changed across generations?

  • [8:18] Why did Ivy start her own company?

  • [12:28] How did she adjust to being a business owner?

  • [15:18] What is Zelman - A Walker & Dunlop Company?

  • [18:04] What makes it a unique industry?

  • [19:28] What is Zelman - A Walker & Dunlop Company’s unique value proposition?

  • [25:53] How do you create relationships in the business world?

  • [27:04] What does Ivy look for in new employees for Zelman - A Walker & Dunlop Company?

  • [30:42] Do New Yorkers excel in Cleveland or the Midwest?

  • [32:10] Where did Jordan go to college?

  • [36:53] When did Ivy realize Zelman was sellable?

  • [39:37] What were her non-negotiables?

  • [41:08] What parts of Zelman were most attractive?

  • [42:18] How do you make your business more attractive?

  • [44:02] What do business owners overlook in the acquisition process?

  • [45:35] What are Ivy’s kids most proud of?

  • [49:44] What are Ivy’s favorite hobbies?

  • [50:40] What’s a core belief she held early in her career she changed her mind on?

  • [51:17] What didn’t Jordan ask about?

  • [52:15] Connect with Ivy on LinkedIn, at ZelmanAssociates.com, and check out her book Gimme Shelter

  • [53:02] Price Discovery: Money & Mindset is brought to you by Wernick Spear Wealth Managers and Chagrin Valley Business Strategies. Opinions expressed by Jordan and guests are their own and do not represent investment advice, solicitation, or the like.

What is Price Discovery: Money & Mindset?

Wealth. Business. Personal finance. Each episode, hear thought leaders, business owners, and finance experts share their tales of successful entrepreneurship, innovative financial strategies, and the art of balancing wealth with personal fulfillment. Hosted by Jordan Rodriguez, CFP, CEPA, a seasoned expert in wealth management and business consulting. Presented by Chagrin Valley Business Strategies and Wernick Spear Wealth Managers.