The Merchant Class Awakens
As a business owner, you’re part of something bigger than payroll, marketing campaigns, or quarterly reports—you are a member of the Merchant Class. This global community of entrepreneurs has shaped history for centuries, driving innovation, building wealth, and fueling freedom.
Jason Sisneros reminds us that when you understand this identity and prepare your business to exit on your own terms, you don’t just build a company—you build a legacy that can change the world. Go check out the new podcast and join our community.
Why Most Business Owners Miss the Forest for the Trees
You’re Not Just Running a Business—You’re Building Freedom
Every entrepreneur starts somewhere: a single repair truck, a one-person cleaning company, an e-commerce store run from the kitchen table. But according to Jason Sisneros, too many business owners focus so intently on the daily grind—putting out fires and chasing the next sale—that they rarely step back to answer the most critical question:
Why am I building this business in the first place?
For Jason, the answer is clear: Business is about freedom. It’s about buying your own freedom from financial worry, controlling your destiny, and—eventually—giving back to ease suffering for others.
The Merchant Class Mindset vs. The Masses
Business owners are a unique breed. Jason refers to us as the Merchant Class—roughly 10% of the world’s population—whose drive for autonomy, value creation, and contribution separates us from people who seek security above all else.
If you’re reading this, you know the score: merchants are responsible for 60% of the GDP and 90% of all jobs. Small and midsize businesses aren’t just “important”—they’re the very heartbeat of the free world and the engine of innovation.
Building with the Exit in Mind: Merchant Class Strategies for Ethical Capitalists
One of the core themes in Jason’s message is blunt but essential: everyone exits their business eventually—the only question is how.
There are three types of exits:
- Failure (95% of business exits): The company goes under, the doors close, and the value you built is lost.
- Dictated Exit: You get pushed or bought out, often by savvy buyers or consultants who dictate your terms—usually not in your favor.
- Custom, Strategic Exit: You exit on your own terms, controlling the price, timing, and deal structure while maximizing your legacy and returns.
Far too many business owners—especially those doing $500,000 to $4 million in EBITDA—are so focused on operational demands that they never strategically plan for their exit. That means they leave money on the table, or worse, lose everything to circumstances beyond their control.
Jason stresses a simple but powerful benchmark: reaching $5 million in EBITDA. At this level, the universe of potential acquirers opens up, your negotiating leverage soars, and you gain real control over your exit outcome.
The Power of Ethical Capitalism: Impact Beyond Wealth
Jason draws on legendary examples—Josiah Wedgwood funding abolition, Vanderbilt donating a warship, Estée Lauder revolutionizing beauty, Musk transforming industries—to prove that when the Merchant Class thrives, societies thrive.
The lesson? Your company isn’t just about wealth. It’s about amplifying your positive impact on the world.
Practical Takeaways for Modern Business Owners
- Know Your Endgame and Freedom Number
- Build with the Exit in Mind
- Embrace Ethical Capitalism
- Network for Mutual Growth
- Invest in Smart, ROI-Driven Marketing
The Gratitude Mindset: Why Today is the Best Time to Be an Entrepreneur
We are living in a golden age. The ability to start a business, serve customers, build real wealth, and change lives—without permission from kings, governments, or wealthy parents—would have been unthinkable just a few generations ago.
Instead of complaining about the grind, embrace radical gratitude for the chance to play this game at all—and for the ability to design your own ending.
Final Thoughts: Join the Merchant Class, Build Your Legacy
If you’re reading this, you already know—you’re part of the Merchant Class, a force of innovators, risk-takers, and builders who refuse to settle for mediocrity.
It’s time to get crystal clear on your endgame, prepare your company for its most valuable exit, and take your place among the entrepreneurs who shape history.
👉 Take the Built to Exit (B2X) Assessment today to find out where you stand and what’s possible for your company.
👉 Contact Jason Sisneros to speak at your next event—and ignite your audience with a message of freedom, power, and the unstoppable drive of the Merchant Class.
Because as Jason says, “Everybody exits… how matters.”