Finish Big 1.0 w/ Mark Dorman

Ever wonder how an entrepreneur can lead a company to growth, dodge the curveballs of a pandemic, and still find time to venture into boat manufacturing? In this episode, Mark Dorman interviews Nate Sublett, the innovative President and Owner of Benchmark Craftsmen, diving into the complexities of successful business transitions and creative reinvention. Drawing from Nate's first-hand experiences,...

Reading about exit planning can only take you so far. How has your business grown in the past few years? How will your exit impact future growth? What should you look for in an advisor? Learning from someone who has experienced exit planning firsthand can grant new insight into opportunities in the future. In this episode, Mark Dorman speaks with Brian Gale, a business consultant and investor, on...

No matter how successful a business owner is, almost all stumble on the question of the value of their business. How do you determine that number? And how can you increase that number? In this episode, Mark Dorman speaks with Michael Carter, CEO of BizEquity, on his experience and growth as an entrepreneur and business owner. Michael shares the lessons he has learned in building a financially succ...

No financial advisor understands every strategy and tool to build a perfect business plan. With the niche area of ESOP, even fewer know to use it effectively. That's why learning from someone who knows is the best option. In this episode, Mark Dorman speaks with Kelly O. Finnell, J.D., CLU, AIF®, CEO and President of Executive Financial Services, on ESOPs, their role in business planning and how b...

How much could you problem-solve with your own information? How much more could be solved with the knowledge of multiple business owners? In this episode, Mark Dorman is joined by Bob Hothem, CEO of TAB Miami Valley, on how his company works with business owners to create guidance and accountability through personalized coaching plans and learning from experienced business leaders. Bob discusses: ...

When exiting your business, you want the value that you put in. How can you ensure your exit plan considers the future of that business and your wants either through succession planning or the sale of the company? In this episode, Mark Dorman is joined by J. Douglas Drushal, partner at Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, to share his decades of experience counseling businesses through their exit...

Business owners can be seen as knowing everything about finance because their businesses succeed. But that isn't often the case.  In this episode, Mark Dorman speaks with H. Adam Holt, founder and CEO of Asset-Map about simplifying financial explanations and discussions with business owners. Adam shares how helping business owners understand complex financial planning will increase the number of c...

80% of businesses fail to transfer successfully due to a lack of planning. How can a small shift in perspective increase your chances of success? In this episode, Mark Dorman speaks with Chuck Richards, CEO of ValuCompass. He unpacks how their research tool analyzes your business, helps you treat it as an asset and connects your personal objectives and your business plan to achieve greater success...

Taking the step to build your passion into a business takes more than just money. You need an entrepreneurial spirit for what you are building. In this episode, Mark Dorman is joined by Jerry Schill, CEO of Schill Grounds Management, to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur. Jerry shares his experience in building a business, how the business has grown, and what he looks forward to for the fut...

Many advisors know about the game of golf, whether they play to let off some steam or to connect with clients on a more personal level. Behind every green course is a business like any other. In this episode, Mark Dorman speaks with Rodney Davis, from River Greens Golf Course, on his experience as a golf course owner, all the planning that goes behind the scenes and his journey to building an exit...

Employee stock opportunity plans aren't just for employees as the name suggests. Business owners can benefit from ESOPs just as much. In this episode, Mark Dorman is joined by Kevin Vonderau, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of Westfield Bank, and Dan Bender, Senior Vice President at Westfield Bank, in discussing the role of ESOPs in business planning both for business owners loo...

Joining the family business can be an easy way to start a career. But is it the career you want? And how can you explore new opportunities within the singular business?  In this episode, Mark Dorman speaks with Dr. Michael Klein, President of MK Insights and author of Trapped in the Family Business, on how multigenerational businesses trap family members with the expectation of joining the family...

While growing, businesses reach a point where they are too big to be small but too small to be big. This place is called No Man's Land. In this episode, Mark Dorman speaks with Doug Tatum, Chairman of Newport LLC and the author of No Man's Land: Where Growing Companies Fail. Doug explains how the book came to be from his personal experiences leading a firm and how it helps small business owners lo...

You should run a business as if it's going to last forever, but you could sell it tomorrow if you had to. In this episode, Mark Dorman is joined once more by Bo Burlingham, contributing writer for Forbes and the renowned author of Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies On Top, diving into the different stages of exit planning and the strategies behind building a successful exit s...

The journey towards a successful exit plan is long, with many roads to navigate. Learning from several experiences of others can grant us a push in the right direction. In this episode, Mark Dorman interviews Bo Burlingham, contributing writer for Forbes and the renowned author of Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies On Top, on his journey from starting his career as a freelanc...

Most entrepreneurs spend years of time and money building their businesses. What would happen to those businesses after they leave?  In this episode, Mark Dorman dives into the process at Legacy Business Advisors. He explains how he started this business inspired by Bo Burlingham's book, Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies. Additionally, Mark shares Bo's comments on how the pr...

There are over 20 million business owners in America. Over 10 million of these business owners will retire in the next few years. The Graying of America or The Silver Tsunami will affect our businesses soon. What type of exit planning strategies should the business owners be preparing today? In this episode, Mark Dorman shares some of the pitfalls business owners must avoid when creating an exit s...

Entrepreneurs spend a lot of time and money building their businesses to success. But when it comes time to transition out, having a plan in place that allows them to do it successfully, while rewarding the ones that helped them along the way and monetizing their life's work, can take time and effort. The goal of Finish Big – The Podcast is to offer guidance as you plan for a successful exit from...