Succession Stories

If you're planning to sell your company one day, how transferable would it be to a new owner? Rebecca Monet joins host Laurie Barkman to share her story about building businesses, letting go, and tough lessons she learned along the way. Rebecca is the CEO and Chief Scientist of Zorakle Profiles. With her prior company, she developed intellectual property that fostered sales growth and a strong cli...

Much like a warrior, being an entrepreneur entails risk, struggle, grit, and bravery. How can you muster strength to push through even the greatest odds? On this episode, Zachary Green joins host Laurie Barkman to unpack how warrior principles can be applied to business. Zachary is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the founder and former CEO of MN8 LumAware/Foxfire. He grew the company from the trun...

How do you master something you've never done before, like selling your business? Entrepreneurs don't start and build their companies on their own. And neither should they plan their business transition or exit strategy without trusted experts in their corner. Jeffrey Feldberg is the Co-founder and CEO of Deep Wealth, a company that helps business owners learn how to prepare for a maximum-value ex...

98% of business owners don't know what their business is worth. It's risky not to know what the value of your business is since it may be the largest piece of your net worth. This can be a problem for owners who are not able to recoup their investment when they want to retire. Kristi Posluszny and Fred Kaplan from Stony Hill Advisors join host Laurie Barkman to discuss business valuations. Stony H...

Health and happiness after selling your company is often ignored. Business owners race hard to maximize monetary returns, but is it the ultimate finish line? This week on Succession Stories, Mark Fujiwara joins Laurie Barkman for a conversation about the succession journey. Mark Fujiwara is a Director at Baird, bringing solutions to 8-figure and 9-figure families and businesses. Working with many...

Succession Stories welcomes Nike Anani back to the show. Nike is an international award-winning entrepreneur, succession specialist, and legacy planning expert for future-focused business families. She's the host of The Connected Generation, a top 10 podcast for family enterprises globally. Nike joins Laurie Barkman for a conversation on how families can better connect, collaborate, and create to...

We're rewinding the first 100 episodes of the Succession Stories Podcast. Host Laurie Barkman shares favorite clips spotlighting key themes of the show– innovation, growth, and transition. Today's Rewind topics include next generation leadership, corporate innovation, enterprise value scorecards, and succession.   This episode re-broadcasts clips from conversations with just a few in a long list o...

Celebrating the 100th episode of Succession Stories! Guest host Lou Diamond interviews Laurie Barkman to reflect on the journey of the show, favorite episodes, and more milestones to come.    About Succession Stories Podcast Succession Stories is an award-winning podcast hosted by Laurie Barkman, the Business Transition Sherpa-- guiding business owners through the process from "transition to trans...

How do you handle unexpected tragedy when an owner passes away? Jennifer Ake Marriott is the second generation President of Ake Environmental, a company founded by her father. She is also the CEO of Redmond Waltz, the first non-family leader of the privately held company. Jenn joins host Laurie Barkman to share her experience with two companies that went through unexpected succession, what helped...

What are the top pitfalls to avoid when choosing business partners? Australian business leader, Troy Trewin, joins Laurie Barkman to discuss finding the right fit, setting up a partnership for success, and having an exit door if things go sideways.  Troy  has started, acquired, and grown 14 businesses working with 28 business partners in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom in various ind...

Meredith Meyer Grelli is the co-founder of the Wigle Whiskey Distillery. In 2010, Meredith and her family decided to open a distillery in the City of Pittsburgh as the first one since Prohibition. Naming their whiskey after the leader of the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, Phillip Wigle, they needed Pennsylvania's laws to change before opening their doors. Over the past 12 years, their patience and innova...

Succession isn't something you wish to happen, it's something you plan for. Deena Chochinov joins Laurie Barkman to share her 30+ years as a family enterprise advisor and discuss her new book , " HomeWork: How to Be a Leader in the Boardroom and the Living Room ." Deena works to strengthen family businesses by addressing succession derailers that get in the way of finding key pieces of the success...

Gabriela Isturiz is a tech entrepreneur who bootstrapped two SaaS businesses that were successfully sold to Fortune 500 companies. Gaby pursued innovation in a mature industry and found a market niche in legal tech. She shares the M&A bid process used to generate multiple offers, and why the highest bidder is not always the best buyer for your company. Recently Gaby started a venture capital fund,...

How do you move past the difficulty that comes with leaving your business? Sarah Dusek is the Co-founder of Under Canvas and General Partner of Enygma Ventures. Founded in 2009, Under Canvas re-defined experiential hospitality in the US growing from their first location in Yellowstone, Montana, to several luxury glamping accommodations near America's most popular national parks. Sarah shared her i...

What do acquisition entrepreneurs look for in buy-side deals? Ron Skelton has been a serial entrepreneur for over 35 years. Ultimately this has led to partnering with, buying, or investing in privately held businesses . Ron joins Laurie Barkman to discuss mergers and acquisitions in the small and medium business space. Listen in as they discuss Ron's experience as an acquisition entrepreneur, his...

How you set your pricing strategy affects your profitability, ability to break even, and your chance at success. Per Sjöfors is the author of The Price Whisperer and CEO of Sjöfors & Partners. Per has made it his life's work to make pricing practical and actionable, and has helped over 600 clients substantially increase sales and profits. He joins host Laurie Barkman to discuss his firm's methodol...

Learn the secrets of putting profits first with Rocky Lalvani, The Profit Answer Man. Host Laurie Barkman talks with Rocky about how business owners can learn what's actually happening in your business, so you know whether or not you're profitable. With a Profit First Method you won't have to wait till t ax time to see the profitability picture.   Listen in to learn more about: Profitability as a...

Many business owners and entrepreneurs face the challenge of wondering what they will do after they leave the business. Often our personal identity is intertwined with our business identity. When you leave, and eventually you will, you may face this critical challenge. Jerry Cahn believes in leading a fulfilling life throughout different life stages. As Chair of Vistage Boards in New York, Jerry w...

Why are businesses that operate independently of their owners more valuable? Scott Snider, President of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), educates professional advisors and business owners around the globe about the Value Acceleration methodology. Scott joins Laurie Barkman to discuss how owners can g radually relinquish control and not let your company define you. They also talk about Scott's ow...

Nicole Jansen grew up in an entrepreneurial household and by her mid-twenties had helped build an 8-figure family business that spanned nearly a dozen countries. But at the height of their success, they lost it all. Nicole joins host Laurie Barkman to discuss how this experience fuels her mission today, working with business owners and visionary leaders to achieve success while also making a posit...

How can business owners turn their biggest asset into one worth selling? Marcia Riner shares the heartbreaking experience of watching both of her parents close their businesses. Now as a business growth strategist, Marcia helps service-based professionals strengthen their business so that it is worth selling someday. She's the author of "Big Profit Secrets" and hosts a podcast called "Profit With...

This episode focuses on what it takes to get a business ready for a sale, and how business owners can prepare for what might be one of the most important days of your life. Laurie Barkman hosts Jeffrey Ford, a Founding Partner at Grossman Yanak + Ford, a regional certified public accounting and consulting firm. They talk about the importance of having a transferable business, and how to address ri...

This week on Succession Stories, Laurie Barkman hosts fellow Certified Value Builder Advisor, Nana Bonsu for a conversation on business growth and transferability. Nana is the Founder CEO of Infinite Horizons, and he works with business owners on building value to make them easier to transfer during the M&A process. This discussion touches on common misconceptions owners often have about their bus...

There are numerous pitfalls that can derail the process when selling your business. It's an intensive undertaking that requires the right team of collaborators to guarantee success. Paul Visokey, President of Stony Hill Advisors, returns to the Succession Stories Podcast and joins host Laurie Barkman to discuss the realities of selling - before, during, and after the process.    Learn more about:...

More than 13,000 Family Offices exist in the US, preserving the legacy and investments of the original family enterprise. Many see direct investment as a way to tap into the entrepreneurial DNA that made the family business successful. And family office investors can be a source of patient capital having a longer time horizon compared to other financial buyers. Mark Brandt, Family Office Market Di...