I Built a $9M Company And Got Nothing

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Kevin Bartchlett built a $9M compost toilet company from the ground up – and walked away with nothing. No contract, no payout, just a handshake. That blind faith turned into a hard lesson in trust that cost him everything – and now, the reason he’s rebuilding on his own terms.

Here’s what we talk about:

• Building a $9M business from scratch – with zero equity in writing
• The moment he realized his million-dollar payday was gone
• How a $9M sale turned into $0 overnight
• What “sweat equity” really means when it’s only a handshake
• How trusting the wrong partner cost him ownership and peace of mind
• Why he still refuses to be angry about it
• What he’s building next (yep, it involves flying cars)
• The lesson behind it all: if you’re going to bet on yourself, go all in

Cool Links:

• Hampton https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Lower Street https://www.lowerstreet.co/
• Kevin Bartchlett https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-a-bartchlett-262233ba/ 

Sponsors:

• Get a team of AI agents that run compliance for you at delve.co/moneywise
• Achieve your dream body with dailybodycoach.com/moneywise
• Join 700+ founders hiring A-players in Latin America at hirewithnear.com/moneywise

Chapters:

• (1:58) Building a Compostable Toilet Empire – The Dream of a Big Exit
• (3:22) When Expectations & Reality Collide
• (4:24) Picking Up the Pieces: What Happens After the Deal
• (6:01) The True Cost of Not Getting It in Writing
• (9:41) Why Compostable Toilets?
• (11:21) Meeting His Future Partner & Early Roles
• (14:56) Overinvested, Under-Rewarded: The Ownership Dilemma
• (20:28) Chasing Success, Counting the Cost
• (22:28) The Road to Resignation
• (24:49) Finding Empathy for His Partner
• (27:02) New Ventures: Flying Cars
• (29:12) Reflections – Betting on Yourself

This podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.

Your Host: Harry Morton

• Founder of Lower Street, a podcast production company helping brands launch and grow top-tier podcasts.
• Co-parents a cow named Eliza.