Modern founders spend years building toward a hopeful exit or liquidity event. Almost no one talks about what comes after the acquisition.

In this episode, Nico Johnson sits down with Andy Klump, founder of Clean Energy Associates (CEA), for a thoughtful conversation about leadership after transition. After fifteen years growing CEA and completing a multi-year earn-out, Andy is in a rare season of pause — stepping back from the CEO seat and reflecting on what actually mattered.

"Great companies take ordinary individuals and make them extraordinary." – Andy Klump

Rather than revisiting the early days, Andy shares lessons from leading through change, protecting culture during uncertainty, and recalibrating his identity once the nonstop pace slowed. They discuss why communication cadence matters more than vision statements, how internal Net Promoter Score became a tool for listening, and what founders often underestimate about earn-outs and transitions.

This episode is for founders and operators who are scaling fast — or quietly wondering what comes next.

Press play. You don’t hear conversations like this very often.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Andy Klump:

• LinkedIn

Check out IDefine-The Kleefstra Syndrome Foundation:

• Website | LinkedIn

"I took the hiring process very seriously and was very committed to making sure that CEA was an environment where everyone could thrive." – Andy Klump