The Exit Exchange

Marina Byezhanova, Brand of a Leader, on Identity Loss and the Emotional Cost of a Successful Business Exit (The Exit Exchange, Episode 29) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray welcomes Marina Byezhanova, Co-Founder of Brand of a Leader and newly minted master's graduate from Concordia University's John Molson School of Business, to […]

Employee Ownership as a Practical Exit Path, with Megan Gordon, Project Equity (The Exit Exchange, Episode 28) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray welcomes Megan Gordon, Senior Manager of Business Engagement and Partnerships at Project Equity, to discuss employee ownership as a succession option that more business owners and their advisors should […]

Cindi Filer, Innovative Outsourcing, on HR Issues That Derail a Business Exit (The Exit Exchange, Episode 27) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray welcomes Cindi Filer, Founder and CEO of Innovative Outsourcing, to talk about why HR is so often the last thing business owners think about and why, when it comes […]

Will Lee, Applied Economics, on Valuation Myths, ESOPs, and Why Exit Planning Can't Wait (The Exit Exchange, Episode 26) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray welcomes Will Lee, Managing Director at Applied Economics, for a wide-ranging conversation on business valuation, ESOPs, and the cost of waiting too long to plan a business […]

What Business Owners Should Be Doing 3–5 Years Before Exit, with Lynda Martin, John Ray, Mary Dombrowski, and Jeff Armacost (The Exit Exchange, Episode 25) This episode of The Exit Exchange reprises a live XPX Atlanta luncheon featuring Lynda Martin, John Ray, Mary Dombrowski, and Jeff Armacost on what business owners should be doing three […]

The Role of Human Capital in Successful Business Exits, with Steve Keck and Maria Forbes (The Exit Exchange, Episode 24) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray sits down with experts Steve Keck, President of Span the Chasm, and Maria Forbes, President and Founder of FIREPOWER Teams, to discuss the significance of […] The post The Role of Human Capital in Successful Business Exits, wit...

Navigating Back Office Success with Gabrielle Mills of Sourced. (The Exit Exchange, Episode 23) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray welcomes Gabrielle Mills, President of Sourced., a leading full-service back-office solutions firm. Gabrielle discusses her entrepreneurial journey, highlighting how she and her mother founded Sourced., a firm that provides fractional support […] The p...

The Transformative Impact of AI on Business Exit Planning, with Gerardo Kerik (The Exit Exchange, Episode 22) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray dives into the business implications of artificial intelligence with Gerardo Kerik, a WSI consultant. Gerardo discusses the evolving landscape of AI and its significant impact on advisors and […] The post The Transformative Impact of AI o...

Franchise Strategies from Startup to Exit, with Michael Rosenthal, Clark Hill Law (The Exit Exchange, Episode 20) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, hosted by John Ray, the discussion features Michael Rosenthal, a founding member of XPX Atlanta and a seasoned advisor in franchise and distribution law. Michael delves into the intricacies of franchising, […] The post Franchise Strategies from Sta...

Building a Business Through Acquisitions, with Joe Noonan, Inside EDGE Consulting (The Exit Exchange, Episode 19) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, Joe Noonan joins host John Ray to offer a reprise of the story he shared during a recent XPX Atlanta lunch session on building a business through serial acquisitions. They discuss Joe's […] The post Building a Business Through Acquisitions, with Jo...

How XPX Atlanta Makes Advisors Better, with Scott Ward, Corporate Real Estate Advisors (The Exit Exchange, Episode 18) In this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray welcomes Scott Ward, an active member of XPX Atlanta and a commercial real estate tenant representative. They discuss the role and benefits of XPX Atlanta, a group dedicated […] The post How XPX Atlanta Makes Advisors Better, wit...

Announcing EXIT XPO 2024, XPX Atlanta's First Conference, with David Shavzin, Nikki Evans, and Josh Dukelow (The Exit Exchange, Episode 17) This episode of The Exit Exchange features a major announcement from XPX Atlanta: the organization's first conference, EXIT XPO. The conference is scheduled for November 14th, 2024, at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. Exit […] The post Announcing EXIT XPO 2024, X...

Elevating Exit Planning and XPX Atlanta, with XPX Atlanta President Maria Forbes and President-Elect Anthony Chen (The Exit Exchange, Episode 17) On this episode of The Exit Exchange, host John Ray welcomes Maria Forbes, President of XPX Atlanta, and Anthony Chen, President-elect. They discuss the formation of XPX Atlanta chapter in 2018 as part of […] The post Elevating Exit Planning and XPX Atla...

Diana Murphy, Diana Murphy Coaching, and Bill McDermott, The Profitability Coach (The Exit Exchange, Episode 16) On this episode of The Exit Exchange, Diana Murphy and Bill McDermott each shared how they help business owners achieve successful exits. Bill noted that the difficult part of getting clients to sell their businesses is not necessarily the [...]

Jeff Armacost, Whole Brain Creative (The Exit Exchange, Episode 15) Branding is foundational for all businesses, says Jeff Armacost. Jeff joined this edition of The Exit Exchange to discuss several different aspects of branding, including defining what branding is and what makes a brand successful, the role of branding in building and maintaining the value [...]

Eric Togneri, Neri Capital Partners, and Rob Margeton, Ryco Advisors (The Exit Exchange, Episode 14) Eric Togneri, Managing Partner with Neri Capital Partners, and Rob Margeton, Co-Founder of Ryco Advisors, joined the show to discuss critical elements and considerations in selling a business. They discussed including the increasing attempts of equity groups to consolidate industries, [...]

John Ray, Business RadioX® and Ray Business Advisors (The Exit Exchange, Episode 13) The tables were turned on this edition of The Exit Exchange, as regular co-host John Ray was also the guest, interview by co-hosts David Shavzin and Mike Rosenthal. John is the owner of the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®, which produces [...]

Erica Dumpel, CDA Inc., and Ashley Edwards, Insperity (The Exit Exchange, Episode 12) Erica Dumpel, CDA Inc., and Ashley Edwards, Insperity, joined the show to provide information and feedback about their experience as members of the Atlanta chapter of the Exit Planning Exchange. Erica mentioned the value she's received personally as a family business owner [...]

Bruce McFadden, Carr, Riggs & Ingram (The Exit Exchange, Episode 11) As a CPA and Partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram, Bruce McFadden has seen many missteps in how businesses handle an exit. He shares common mistakes, including not bringing the CPA into the process early enough. Bruce discussed ways to get the CPA on [...]

Tony Hill and Tim Templeton, Trivest (The Exit Exchange, Episode 10) Tony Hill and Tim Templeton joined the show to discuss how Covid affected the private equity market, which trends may endure out of the pandemic, what Trivest looks for from owners, what they offer owners, the "Trivest Promise" which eliminates pain points for founders, [...]

Andrei Tsygankov, Founders Legal (The Exit Exchange, Episode 9) Andrei Tsygankov helps fast-growing companies to avoid becoming "flying gas cans." Andrei joined this edition of The Exit Exchange to discuss questions firms should be asking their attorneys at various points in their growth cycle, trends in the legal industry which affect business owners, why he [...]

Dave Daniels, Dave Daniels Consulting (The Exit Exchange, Episode 8) Dave Daniels of Dave Daniels Consulting says a strong diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) approach is far more than staffing and retention; it needs to be integrated into all aspects of a business. Dave joined "The Exit Exchange" to discuss why an effective DEI initiative [...]

Tiffany C. Wright, The Resourceful CEO, LLC (The Exit Exchange, Episode 7) Tiffany Wright of The Resourceful CEO joined The Exit Exchange to discuss many factors business owners need to consider in preparing to sell. These issues are both varied and complex, including cash flow issues, the psyche of the owner as they prepare to [...]

Michael Bull, Bull Realty (The Exit Exchange, Episode 6) Michael Bull of Bull Realty and host of America's Commercial Real Estate Show surveys the current health of the commercial real estate market, the advantages of being open to all options regarding selling or leasing a property, how the details in a lease agreement can impair [...]

Harry Merker, Aon (The Exit Exchange, Episode 5) Harry Merker joined the show to discuss business insurance, how coverages and premiums have been impacted by current business conditions, why you may want more coverage than your lender requires, actions business owners can take proactively to keep premiums down, and much more. This edition of "The [...]