“Mountaineering is very much a game of stepping stones.”

This week on Built to Finish, Steven Pivnik shares exciting details about his upcoming Ecuador Climbing Executive Retreat — a unique experience designed to bring together founders, business leaders, and aspiring climbers for a powerful blend of exit strategy, leadership development, and high-altitude adventure. Steven first sits down with repeat guest Mark Hodges, an experienced exit advisor who has personally achieved several exits and advised on more than 30 others, helping generate over $1 billion in founder wealth. Together, they unpack the business side of the retreat, including the types of founder conversations that will take place before the trip, the mastermind-style discussions planned during the retreat, and the practical issues founders must address if they want to build toward a successful exit.

In the second half of the episode, Steven is joined by Griffin Mims of Alpenglow Expeditions, the mountaineering partner for the retreat. Griffin explains why Ecuador is such an ideal destination for first-time high-altitude climbers, what participants can expect from the experience, and how Alpenglow’s high-touch approach, guide quality, and safety infrastructure make this an exceptional environment to learn mountaineering fundamentals. The conversation makes clear that this retreat is not just about climbing mountains — it is about giving founders a rare opportunity to step away from the day-to-day, challenge themselves physically and mentally, and gain clarity around what it takes to finish strong in business and in life.

Business Takeaways:

– Founders who successfully prepare for an exit tend to trust expert guidance, grow more confident in their market position, become more sophisticated about money, and think intentionally about what comes next after the deal closes.

– A major theme of the retreat is helping founders understand the difference between headline purchase price and actual take-home proceeds, including how working capital adjustments, taxes, bonuses, legal fees, and other deal costs can materially shrink the final outcome.

– Mark highlights several high-value topics for retreat mastermind sessions, including recruiting senior talent, handling non-performing executives or partners, and scaling a company successfully without losing focus.

– The episode also surfaces several “valuation killers,” including underinvesting in sales, losing key customers, and getting distracted by shiny new opportunities that pull leadership away from core execution.

– Steven outlines a thoughtful retreat structure that includes pre-trip one-on-one founder and leadership conversations, group mastermind sessions in Ecuador, and follow-up guidance aimed at helping participants map out the next 12 to 36 months toward a potential exit.

Climbing Takeaways:

– Ecuador is presented as one of the best places in the world to learn high-altitude mountaineering because of its access to 6,000-meter peaks, efficient logistics, and strong balance of real mountain experience with manageable risk.

– The retreat is designed for beginners, with no prerequisite climbing experience required, though Griffin emphasizes that participants who train for a few months beforehand will enjoy the experience more and set themselves up for better success.

– Alpenglow provides a highly supported experience from airport pickup to departure, along with acclimatization in Quito, mountain instruction, and access to local guide infrastructure that helps maximize safety and responsiveness. 

– Participants can expect comfortable accommodations for most of the retreat, including haciendas with real beds, hot showers, electricity, and often wifi, with only one night spent in a mountain hut before a summit push.

– Griffin notes that for many climbers, Ecuador becomes the first stepping stone to bigger objectives, with a large percentage of participants eventually going on to higher peaks elsewhere in the world. 

Contact Info

Steven Pivnik

Website for the retreat: stevenpivnik.com/executive-retreat

LinkedIn: Steven Pivnik 

Mark Hodges

Email: [email protected]

Griffin Mims

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 308-293-6629

Also available via the inquiry form on the Alpenglow Expeditions website.