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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
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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.