Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa®, welcomes David Newman, author of the business bestseller "Do It! Marketing" and his new book, "Do It! Selling." He's the founder of the Do It! MBA mentoring program and the host of The Selling Show, a top-rated business podcast.  Laurie and David discuss his take on how business owners can avoid a common succession pitfall related to sales. It’s called the “Rainmakers Dilemma” and happens when the owner of the business...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa®, welcomes Matt DiFrancesco, Principal of HighLift Financial, and host of the "Your Business, Your Life" podcast.  Laurie and Matt discuss navigating complex family dynamics for business succession planning. How to have difficult conversations with family members, especially children, about their roles in the business and potential ownership succession. Family legacy and continuity planning are essential parts of the...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa®, welcomes Ross Brannon, Tax Shelter and Private Equity Consultant at CoastalOne. Ross joined Laurie for a conversation about tax strategies business owners should consider when selling a business. Listen in to learn more about tax deferral and tax mitigation strategies including opportunity zones, installment sales, and diversified investment structures. Don’t wait until you’re in a transaction to learn about tax...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa(™), welcomes Elliot H. Kallen, President of Prosperity Financial Group, a financial planning and advising firm. Elliot is a three time CEO with a passion for working with family businesses to achieve a meaningful life beyond financial measure. Listen in as they discuss the emotional aspect of family businesses and the hypothetical umbilical cord that’s hard to sever. It could be a reason why family business owners want...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa(™), welcomes Rocco Cozza, Founder and Managing Partner of Cozza Law Group, for a conversation spotlighting a topic owners may be starting to think about, but not yet talk about – business legacy and succession planning.  Learn key framing questions to help you think about business legacy and implications for planning your succession. “What do you want people to say about your business when you're no longer here?” It’s...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa(™), welcomes John Denny, Principal of Denny Civic Solutions and the first client Laurie brought onto the show. In this episode, Laurie and John tackle a topic close to Laurie’s heart – succession planning and ownership transition. Listen in as they explore the keys to successful exits without regrets, the nuances of envisioning your business legacy, and discuss critical aspects of planning for the future. They also...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa(™), welcomes Chuck Goldblum, Founder and Financial Strategist of Hurley Capital. Today's episode is critical if you’re planning to sell your business. Laurie and Chuck discuss a topic many owners want to know more about – maximizing net proceeds after a sale.  Listen in as they explore tax strategies when you’re planning to sell your business, navigating life after the sale, and pivotal success factors for a regret-free...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa™, welcomes Shawn O’Malley, Chief Editor and Financial Writer for "We Study Markets" at The Investor's Podcast Network.  “We Study Markets” financial newsletter has quickly gained traction with 36,000 daily readers at the time of this recording. The essence of this episode is about organic growth and intrapreneurship – building a new business within an existing enterprise. Shawn is working at the intersection of unmet...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa™, welcomes Ken Rusk, founder of Rusk Industries.  Ken's journey is a blueprint for blue-collar entrepreneurship. He’s on a mission to redefine the narrative around blue-collar jobs in his book, "Blue Collar Cash.”  Laurie and Ken explore the topics of ownership succession, sale to an ESOP, and the legacy hopes to leave on the company and beyond. “We don't live to work, we work so that we can live.” Stay tuned for an...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa(™), welcomes Heather Pearce Campbell, The Legal Website Warrior. Heather equips entrepreneurs with tools to champion positive change and safeguard businesses.  Her passion for working with entrepreneurs extends to her popular podcast “Guts, Grit, and Great Business.”. Laurie and Heather discuss protecting the transferability of your business assets. It’s as much about legal protection as it is about value protection.  ...

Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa(TM), welcomes Tim Scannell, Managing Director, Partner at Hightower Great Lakes. Tim is the Managing Director at Hightower Great Lakes and host of "The Wealth Stream Podcast."  As an expert in proactive wealth management and tax planning, Tim guides families and business owners toward their financial aspirations. Laurie and Tim pull back the curtain on what a virtual family office is and what value they provide to owners...

Succession Stories host, Laurie Barkman, is joined by Pat Ennis, Founder of Ennis Legacy Partners. With decades of experience in financial services, Pat has extensive understanding of the challenges business owners face. Because 100% of owners will eventually exit, it's important to understand the 6Ds– risks that can derail a business like death, divorce, and disasters. Understandably these risks can feel like taboo topics so that’s why we’re diving in.  “Owners need a plan to prepare the...

A majority of small businesses that intend to exit don’t actually sell. A big reason is owner-dependency. A business that can’t thrive without its owner will likely be less desirable to buyers. Listen in as Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa, talks with Christine Nicholson, an award-winning business mentor in the UK. An expert on exit and succession planning in owner-managed businesses, Christine is the author of four books offering practical advice on...

Pete Walsh is a Master Coach and a trusted advisor who brings real-life lessons to his family business and executive clients. Pete is the first guest on Succession Stories who turned down next generation succession. In 1919, Pete’s great uncle and grandfather started Walsh Bros. as a typewriter repair company in the times of the US wild west. As the 3rd generation, Pete joined the business and slowly worked his way up the company ladder. There were lots of owner branches on the family tree,...

Christopher A. Panagiotu is a respected financial author, podcaster, and trusted wealth manager. His financial planning business in Washington state, CAPitalize Your Finances, led him to create a podcast and book of the same name, “CAPitalize Your Finances: The How-To Financial Framework That Takes You from Compoundingly Clueless to Monetarily Magnificent.”  Chris joins Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman to discuss what eventually all business owners need to determine about their exit...

Rick Vanasse advises CEOs and rising leaders as Chair with Vistage, a global membership organization. He’s like a CEO whisperer, creating space for leaders to address strategic questions from an organizational, personal, and business standpoint. Rick chairs Vistage groups in DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis, Maryland. Listen in as Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman talks with Rick about growth and self-awareness as a leader; taking a strategic view from the balcony; and why strategic...

This episode provides great questions to help you think about what can protect your business and create wealth. Brian Trzcinski, Director of Business Market Development with MassMutual, joins host Laurie Barkman to discuss questions business owners need to answer to enhance value and reduce risk. Like what would your business be worth today if you died 90 days ago? And why should exit planning begin the day your doors open? Head to SuccessionStories.com for the show notes and transcript to...

When it comes to family business succession, will dysfunction prevail? Eva Fischer was the chair of the family business, Brunata, one of Scandinavia's largest clean-tech companies, and at the helm during its turnaround. Eva talks candidly with host Laurie Barkman about how the business consumed the family, and caused relationships to become dysfunctional.  Family problems became company problems and there was a negative spiral. Eva was a dark horse in a succession process that eventually...

If you’re a fan of business podcasts, you might know the name John Lee Dumas (JLD), founder and host of the award-winning show, Entrepreneurs on Fire. Since launching in 2012, JLD has interviewed over 3,000 of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. With over 100 million listens, he’s turned the show into a media empire generating 7-figures of net annual revenue. JLD joins Succession Stories host Laurie Barkman to talk about business and personal legacy. What does it take to create a...

Ryan Dusick is the founding drummer of Maroon 5, one of the world’s most popular bands. In the nineties, Ryan and his high school buddies Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael dreamed about making it big…and they did!  Ryan joins host Laurie Barkman to talk about his book, “Harder to Breathe: A Memoir of Making Maroon 5, Losing It All, and Finding Recovery.”   Just as his career was taking off, Ryan left the band after suffering from a breakdown on the Grammy award-winning “Songs About Jane”...

When is the right time to transition your business? Bill Spohn, President and Owner of TruTech Tools, plans to retire in three years. TruTech Tools is an award-winning e-commerce reseller of tools and test instruments for HVAC and building performance professionals. He’s working on making the company less dependent on him by adding capable leaders, documenting workflows, and keeping a notebook of ideas. Bill joins host Laurie Barkman on Succession Stories for a "Legacy Series" conversation...

What do small business owners wish they had done differently before selling? While the attention on billion dollar mergers and acquisitions, detailed information about acquisitions of smaller businesses is harder to find. Alexis Grant launched an online media platform, They Got Acquired, to help founders understand deal-making in the lower middle market. It’s valuable to think about your potential exit even if it's years away. Lexi joins host Laurie Barkman on Succession Stories to discuss...

Are you prepared for the emotional realities of succession planning? Regina Beatty, an advisor with the financial planning group, Heritage Financial Consultants, joins Laurie Barkman on Succession Stories to discuss how to prepare and transition a business to the next owner, while navigating the financial and emotional challenges associated with transitioning from a family-owned business.   Listen in to learn more about: Top concerns for business owners looking to exit How to minimize the...

If your goal in life is to have no regrets, what are the things you need to address now to be happy about your business transition? Bruce Werner, family business advisor and author of “The Ownership Journey,” joins Laurie Barkman on Succession Stories to discuss how a board of advisors or family board can help with the growth and transition of your business. They also explore common issues owners face with life after the deal. You can make more money, but you can't make more time.    Listen...

For any business, regardless of size, innovation is an essential part of growth. We live in the age of entrepreneurs who are disrupting large companies more than the large companies are disrupting each other. Technologies like generative AI are enabling us to create value at a rapid pace. How do we explore new ideas that can drive radical value for your customer?  Succession Stories host, Laurie Barkman, talks with Mike Stemple, the Amazon best-selling author of two books, “Million Dollar...