The Exit Playbook for Business Owners with Scott Snider

For most entrepreneurs, building a business is the dream — but exiting successfully is often an afterthought. Most business owners pour their lives into creating a company only to face regret, financial gaps, or a lack of purpose when it’s time to transition. Today, we’ll uncover what it takes to align your business, personal, and financial goals, so your exit leads not just to financial security, but to significance and fulfillment.

Joining me is Scott Snider, President of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI) and a nationally recognized leader in exit planning. Scott started his first business at 17, sold it by 24, and now helps entrepreneurs create transferable value and prepare for life after business ownership. He and his father have grown EPI into a global organization that educates thousands of advisors and empowers business owners to look beyond profit.

In our conversation, Scott shares his entrepreneurial journey, including the lessons learned from selling his first company, the emotional hurdles of defining identity outside of business, and why so many owners fail to prepare for what comes next. We discuss the Value Acceleration Methodology™, the importance of building enterprise value through structural, human, social, and customer capital, and why personal planning is just as critical as business strategy.

Whether you’re years away from a sale or facing one sooner than expected, this episode will help you reframe your approach to leadership, value creation, and long-term wealth.

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn: 

• The three “legs of the stool” that every business owner needs to align before an exit.
• How CEPAs help business owners prepare for a successful and profitable exit.
• Why many business owners grow profitable companies but fail to create transferable value.
• The Four Intangible Capitals that account for 80% of a company’s value and how to improve them.
• How Scott uses the Family Business Blueprint to encourage communication in family owned businesses.
• Why Scott believes Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is an emerging trend for exiting a business.
• How AI will be a net positive for the advisor industry if you’re willing to learn and adapt.

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Interview Resources

• Exit Planning Institute
• Exit Planning Institute on LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | X/Twitter | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
• Scott Snider on LinkedIn
• DriveValue
• Find a Cepa
• earncepa.com
• Thomas William Deans, Ph.D.
• Every Family's Business: 12 Common Sense Questions to Protect Your Wealth by Thomas William Deans, Ph.D., Grant Robinson

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