From founder to employee - learnings of an exited founder: ft. Kevin of Beachly
In this episode of the ASOM Pod, hosts Jimmy Kim (CEO of eCom Email Marketer, formally Founder of Sendlane), John Roman (CEO of BattlBox), Amer Grozdanic (CEO of Praella), and Bryan MacDonald (Director of eCommerce at Oma’s Pride) sit down with Kevin Tighe, Founder & former CEO of Beachly and now VP of Growth at BUBS Naturals.
Kevin gets real about the transition from founder to employee, what it felt like to sell the company he built, and how he rebuilt his identity on the other side. The crew digs into leadership, delegation, the subscription model, and what today’s e-commerce landscape demands from operators.
What you’ll learn:
- How Kevin built and scaled Beachly and what led to its acquisition.
- The emotional + operational realities of selling your business.
- How to transition from CEO to employee without losing your edge.
- Why delegation and team empowerment unlock real growth.
- The current state of subscription eCommerce (and what’s changing fast).
- How Kevin is driving growth today at BUBS Naturals.
If you’re a founder, operator, or just curious what the “after” looks like post-exit, this one hits home.
Big shoutout to our sponsors who make this podcast possible!
Omnisend — With 125,000+ eCommerce merchants, Omnisend is the all-in-one email & SMS marketing platform built to deliver seamless, personalized experiences via email and sms with ease. Learn more at https://www.omnisend.com/
Kintsugi — AI that monitors, files, and optimizes sales tax for you. Eliminate your tax headaches forever. Mention ASOM for 3 months free at https://www.TryKintsugi.com
Particl — the competitive intelligence platform built for eCommerce brands. Track real sales, inventory, and pricing across thousands of products to see what’s selling, who’s winning, and where to move next. Get started at https://www.particl.com/
Subscribe at https://asompod.com
00:00 Teaser Trailer
00:39 Welcome to the ASOM Pod
04:25 Kevin Tighe’s Journey: From Founder to Employee
04:53 The Birth and Growth of Beachly Brands
07:46 Challenges and Successes in the Subscription Box Model
16:04 The Acquisition Journey and Transition to Employee
22:15 Discussing the Acquisition Details
22:30 Transitioning to a New Market
22:47 Joining BUBS Naturals
24:44 Reflecting on Entrepreneurial Challenges
28:48 The Importance of Delegation
31:13 The Emotional Side of Selling a Business
34:15 Current Role and Team Dynamics
35:55 Future Plans and Reflections
48:07 Closing Thoughts and Outro