Our Team
John B. Charleston, III
MBA, CM&AP
Principal, Business Broker & M&A Advisor at Murphy Business North Fulton County in Alpharetta. John is the advisor you talk to first — and the one who builds the financial story buyers pay for.
Principal | Business Broker & M&A Advisor
The Operator Who Builds the Buyer’s Model for You
MBA, University of Michigan · Licensed Georgia Real Estate Agent
John bought his first company the way many of his clients will sell theirs: through a business broker. In 2005 he acquired a 200-employee commercial cleaning company in Florida whose customers included The Walt Disney Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and the Orlando Utilities Commission. As president he owned every line of the P&L — payroll, staffing, receivables, sales, operations — and he learned firsthand how one large customer can change what a business is worth. He has, in his own words, walked in your shoes.
Around that chapter, John spent more than twenty years in brand management and marketing at The Walt Disney Company and Fortune 100 consumer companies including M&M Mars, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Sara Lee, managing mature brands and launching a new $20 million brand. He has also bought, renovated, and resold distressed properties in Florida and Georgia and partnered with a builder on new homes in Madison and Commerce, Georgia; he still holds his Georgia real estate license.
That mix — operator, marketer, investor — is what he brings to a sale. John does the deep financial analysis himself: monthly, year-to-date, and trailing-twelve-month performance plus a three-year forecast, modeled the way private equity groups, family offices, and lenders will model it. The point is to answer the hard questions before a buyer asks them, so the offer you accept is the price you close at.
John leads Murphy Business North Fulton County from Alpharetta, where he has lived for the better part of a decade. He is the team’s first point of contact and the advisor who stays on your deal from the first conversation to the closing table.
Direct: (770) 366-7890 · j.charleston@murphybusiness.com
LinkedIn Profile →In John’s Words
Straight Talk From the Closing Table
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Our team at Murphy has all been business owners. We understand the stresses and the pressures, because we’ve been there. I acquired and operated a 200-employee commercial cleaning business — so the main thing I can say to you is that we’ve walked in your shoes.
— John
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If you can’t take a 30-day vacation without the business falling apart, you’re selling a job, not a business. Buyers today want a turnkey operation — and they pay a premium for one.
— John
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We had reduced the price. Then three qualified offers arrived at once. We told each buyer there were two others at the table, and we sold the business for its original asking price.
— John
Client Reviews
What Owners and Buyers Say About Working With John
“John was a trusted partner and invaluable leader throughout the acquisition process. He exceeded my expectations in ensuring that the process was seamless and that all stakeholders were communicated with effectively. I highly recommend John!”
– John Henley · Google review
“John Charleston got me more money for my business than I thought I was going to get.”
– Eric Ridenour · Google review
“My experience working with John was excellent. He listened carefully to what I wanted to accomplish, and he understood all of the nuances of the issues involved. Overall, it was a great business interaction.”
– Bob Isaacs · Google review
“John is a great business broker to work with. He is knowledgeable and patient, and he thinks strategically. If you are looking to buy or sell a business, he is a good person to call.”
– Craig Lawson · Google review
“John was terrific to work with! He’s very thorough, and both buyer and seller were pleased!”
– Helen Stahel · Google review
How John Helps You
What John Brings to Your Deal
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Financial modeling built to a buyer’s standard — monthly, year-to-date, and trailing-twelve-month performance with a three-year forecast — so due diligence confirms your story instead of rewriting it
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A readiness assessment two to three years out: owner dependence, customer concentration, and clean, verifiable financials, with a plan to fix what needs fixing
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Competitive sale processes that bring several qualified buyers to the table at once — the way the eight-figure cybersecurity sale drew eight letters of intent
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A vetted network of CPAs, attorneys, wealth advisors, fractional CFOs, and business coaches — built through ProVisors, XPX Atlanta, and years of Alpharetta relationships — for owners who are “ready to get ready”
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Calm, direct negotiation that keeps emotion — yours and the buyer’s — from killing a good deal
Deal Experience
Where John Has Done This Before
Cybersecurity Firm → Private Equity
Taken to market without an asking price to private equity, family office, and strategic buyers. Eight letters of intent, narrowed to two, closed with a Chicago private equity group as an add-on to a platform acquisition — an eight-figure enterprise value. John built the consolidated financials and three-year projections the buyers underwrote.
Hotel Furniture Liquidator → Private Buyer
After early offers that weren’t the right fit and a price reduction, three qualified buyers surfaced at year-end. John converted the process into a competitive sale and closed at the original full asking price.
The Deal He Did as a Buyer
The 200-employee commercial services company John acquired in 2005 — the reason he reads due diligence from your side of the table, and the reason he checks customer concentration first.
Career Highlights
John’s Background
Business Ownership & Executive Management
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Acquired a 200-employee commercial cleaning and business-services company serving The Walt Disney Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Orlando Utilities Commission, and Seminole County Government
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As president, ran day-to-day P&L, sales, marketing, operations, and administration
Marketing & Brand Management
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20+ years of marketing and brand-management roles at The Walt Disney Company and Fortune 100 consumer packaged goods companies — M&M Mars, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Sara Lee
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Managed mature brands and created and launched a new $20M brand
Real Estate Investment
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Bought, renovated and resold distressed properties in Florida and Georgia
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Partnered with a builder on new residential construction in Madison and Commerce, GA
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Licensed Georgia real estate agent (License #390635)
Education & Affiliations
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MBA, Marketing/General Management — University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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BS, Marketing — North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro
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Member, Georgia Association of Business Brokers · International Business Brokers Association · M&A Source · ProVisors · XPX Atlanta
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