Total Succession

Are you struggling to figure out how to pass the torch without leaving money on the table or burdening your team with debt? Succession planning is more than just a retirement strategy; it is about rewarding your best talent and building a scalable legacy. In this episode of the Total Succession Show, Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour dive deep into the evolving landscape of business exits and internal t...

Are you an advisor who knows it is time to plan your exit but feels hesitant to let go of the professional reins? Succession planning is more than just a business transaction, it is a fiduciary responsibility to ensure your clients are protected and cared for long after you step away. In this episode of the Total Succession Show, host Tyson Ray and Kim Kochenour discuss the complex emotions and st...

Are you feeling like a prisoner in your current broker-dealer or wirehouse setup? The wealth management industry is seeing its most robust M&A market in history, and now is the time to decide how you will protect your legacy and maximize your firm’s value. Whether you are looking to exit soon or just want to build a more scalable practice, understanding the current landscape is essential for e...

Are you building for a distant future or for the life you want to live right now? Many business owners wait too long to plan their next chapter, but shifting your mindset from exiting to what is next can change everything. Welcome to the Total Succession Show with Tyson Ray and Kim Coconour. In this episode, we explore why the word “exit” feels so emotional and why it is time to change our languag...

Are you building a business that is ready to sell at a moment's notice, or are you just getting by? In this episode of the Total Succession Show, host Tyson Ray is joined by Kim Cochenour to discuss why you should always be prepared for an exit, even if you aren't planning to leave today. Learn how to transition from being the bottleneck in your business to creating a high value, scalable asset. T...

Is your succession plan sitting on a post-it note, or is it a documented strategy for the future? Many financial advisors delay planning because it feels emotional or scary, but treating your exit as a long-term business strategy is the key to protecting your legacy. Hosts Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour, are joined by special guests to discuss the realities of moving from a single-owner practice to a...

Building a team and making it work are two different things, especially when succession planning depends on your relationship with your next-gen advisor. Hosts Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour are joined by JAM Consulting Group’s Kaleen Barbera to discuss and explore the behavioral science behind effective teams. Feelings come before facts, asking before telling builds connection, and acknowledging dif...

It's a seller's market with higher multiples, but stretching for more money in your succession planning might lead to more suffering for you, your team, and clients. Emma Boston of Raymond James breaks down the four dimensions that drive practice value and why advisors must decide whether to put clients' interests first or maximize their payout. You'll discover why starting succession planning lat...

Why do advisors who excel at guiding clients through retirement planning struggle to start their own succession planning? Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour, along with Aaron Hasler and Andrea Schlapia, explore the three reasons why advisors don’t get around to it. You’ll hear about the #1 challenge for advisors, why and how “business exit” should be reframed, and why failing to treat succession planning...

Most advisors retire three years earlier than they expect, which means your succession planning needs to be ready three years earlier, too! Guest Jeremy Keil, author of “Retire Today,” joins Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour to explore how to apply retirement planning wisdom to your own exit. You’ll discover Jeremy’s five-step process, why being ready to exit early creates a more valuable business, and...

Succession planning works like retirement planning: the earlier you start, the more options you have. Kim Cochenour and Tyson Ray explore why advisors delay planning, how to reframe it as business strategy, and why you should ask, "What am I exiting toward?" instead of, "What am I exiting from?" You’ll hear insights from guest experts Andrea Schlapia, Ted Motheral, and Dean Smith. Kim Cochenour ki...

Many great advisors build great books but not scalable businesses, and when it's time to exit, they don't have succession planning in place. Vladislav “Vlad” Zherenovsky joins Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour to share patterns from 15 successful acquisitions. Dive in and hear more about why the industry is split, what makes firms sellable, and why you have more time than you think. Guest Vlad Zherenovs...

A huge number of advisors are approaching retirement, but the next generation isn't entering the profession fast enough to replace them. If that wasn’t enough, many founders don't have succession planning in place. Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour address the “succession planning crunch” with insights from Jackie Wilke, Duncan MacPherson, and Scott Danner. You'll discover why succession planning is abo...

When buyers evaluated Tyson Ray's practice in 2024, they asked one question: "What happens to client trust if you're not there?" That's where branding and succession planning often collide. Tyson and Kim Cochenour sit down with marketing expert Mike Saunders to explore how brand equity determines your exit value and why your brand drives your succession planning decisions. You'll discover the posi...

Advisors have more options than ever when it comes to succession planning, but those options only work when you start early and bring the right people into the conversation. Kim Cochenour shares insights from various industry experts to help ensure your exit isn't rushed, reactive, or forced. You'll hear why modern "rainmakers" focus on serving rather than selling, and why being methodical about y...

In the era of industry consolidation, many advisors have turned their firms into a "joyful prison," and succession planning is the key to breaking free on your own terms. Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour sit down with Charles "Chuck" Failla to explore why taking a private equity check means trading 30 years of hard work for a boss, and what advisors need to consider before signing with a mega RIA. You'...

You might be really successful, but if you have success without succession planning... you're failing. Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour reveal why thinking about legacy is essential for advisors at every stage, how your legacy lives within your firm's culture and team, and the critical question to ask yourself: "What will people say about me when I'm done?" You'll discover why starting your journey wit...

Founder dependence is often the largest obstacle to a successful succession plan, costing you your health, family time, and growth opportunities… but it doesn't have to be this way! In this episode, Kim Cochenour sits down with Mariana and Ivan Polic, a husband-and-wife team who took over a highly technical, founder-led business, eliminated founder dependence and sold it to a private equity firm i...

Industry consolidation is unlike anything we've seen before, and if you're not watching closely, your succession planning won't matter because you'll get caught in the chaos. Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour reveal why the longer you wait for succession planning, the fewer options you have, and how consolidation is eroding advisors' negotiating power and their understanding of what their practice is ac...

Succession planning doesn't start with finding a successor… It starts with defining your vision and inviting your G2 to co-create the future of your firm. The mother-daughter duo of Bridget Venus Grimes and Marnie Bonner of WealthChoice reveal why soliciting feedback from next-generation advisors is non-negotiable for success and how coaching facilitated their transition. You'll discover the bigge...

You'll only exit your practice once… so will you lead it, or will it lead you? In this interview by Kary Oberbrunner, Tyson Ray pulls back the curtain on why most succession planning conversations miss the mark, sharing the hard-won lessons that led to his book Total Succession and the S.P.A.C.E. framework that keeps clients, team, and your legacy intact. Discover the critical questions every advi...

What if the biggest obstacle to successful succession planning isn't strategy but the unexamined money stories running in the background? The Hidden Heist author Bill Cates joins Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour to discuss how beliefs we formed about money around age seven secretly sabotage wealth transfer, client relationships, and your own financial psychology. Find out why understanding your clients...

Succession planning is often postponed, not because it's unimportant, but because taking care of clients always feels more urgent. Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour unpack why "later" quietly becomes "now," how life events can force decisions before you're ready, and why clarity beats shame every time. Tune in to learn how to get started where you are and move toward an outcome that happens on your term...

Succession planning isn't just about stepping away, it's about who you become once you stop doing everything yourself. Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour dive into the messy middle of succession planning, where identity, control, and clarity collide and founders are forced to evolve. You'll hear why succession is built through trial and adjustment, how to create a business that can live beyond you, and t...

Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour discuss Tyson's 20-year journey and reveal the raw truth behind his internal succession plan, and why he eventually chose the joy of client impact over the lure of a multi-million dollar buyout. You'll hear about common succession planning mistakes and the hard-won processes that finally ended Tyson's cycle of "burning through people", including the S.P.A.C.E. framework...