David Royce - 4x Exited Entrepreneur ($500M) | Following Your Dreams Can Keep You Broke
Description
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David Royce is a serial entrepreneur who turned a door-to-door pest control hustle into a billion-dollar empire. He built and sold Moxie, EcoFirst, and Alterra for a combined $170M+—with individual exits of $13M, $30M, and $130M—before launching Aptive Environmental, now one of the fastest-growing service companies in America with 3,700+ locations. Known for scaling “boring” businesses into goldmines, Royce mastered the art of growth through elite teams, strong culture, and bulletproof systems. His playbook is the blueprint for turning everyday industries into nine-figure wins.
➡️ Show Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-royce-22539425/
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Hubspot - https://hubspot.com/
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iDigress Podcast - https://idigress.show
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➡️ Talking Points
00:00 – Intro
01:27 – Accidental Entrepreneur?
03:04 – What Made David a Sales Star
04:22 – Passion vs Profit
08:24 – From Employee to Founder
11:50 – Building a Service Business
13:37 – Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made?
17:04 – Near Bankruptcy and the Comeback
19:14 – 7,500 Customers in Year One
25:26 – Sponsor Break
27:23 – The 3 Phases of Business
31:51 – How His 4 Companies Evolved
37:39 – Lessons from 4 Exits
40:54 – Hiring Rockstar Executives
44:27 – Sponsor Break
46:05 – When Will He Exit Again?
54:41 – Why Founders Can’t Switch Off
58:54 – Redefining Success
1:08:41 – How David Learns
1:13:52 – Will His Kids Take Over?
1:15:56 – What’s Next for David
1:16:48 – One Lesson for His Kids
United States
