Why estate planning and business succession fail most often has nothing to do with legal documents. It comes down to communication, valuation, and timing.
In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we explore the intersection of estate planning, business succession, and valuation with private client attorney Brian Balduzzi.
Brian explains why estate planning is not just for the ultra-wealthy. Every business owner needs core documents in place to protect their family and business: wills, medical and financial powers of attorney, and a plan for what happens to their company.
How business valuation fits into estate and succession planning
When to assemble the right advisor team and who should be at the table
The dangers of ignoring valuation for illiquid assets
Why failing to communicate plans derails succession efforts
How gifting strategies, charitable giving, and legacy intentions shape outcomes
Brian also touches on the emotional and human aspects of planning: chosen family considerations, stewardship of wealth, and why planning during life often creates better results than leaving everything to be sorted out later.
If you're a business owner, this conversation offers practical steps to start protecting your company and your family today.
#EstatePlanning #ProtectYourAssets #FuturePlanning #TaxStrategy #BusinessValuation #FamilyWealth #LifeGoals #LegacyPlanning
Brian M. Balduzzi, Esq., Tax LL.M., MBA, CFP®, CEPA®, AEP®, IPA (he/him) is an attorney in the Private Client Group at Faegre Drinker in its Philadelphia, Princeton, and New York offices. Brian specializes in sophisticated estate and wealth transfer planning, helping families prepare for transitions, exits and succession. He also advises clients on estate and gift tax exemption strategies, charitable planning, prenuptial planning, estate and trust administration, and fiduciary litigation.
Brian is a tax, business law, estate planning, accounting and finance adjunct professor. His scholarship has been featured in multiple regional and national trusts and estates and legal publications. In 2019, Brian was one of four Trusts and Estates attorneys selected as an ABA Real Property Trusts & Estate (ABA RPTE) Fellow, and, in 2021, as an American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Young Leader Fellow. For the ABA RPTE Section, he serves as the Chair of the IRA Plans & Distributions Committee, Chair of the Financial Planning and Risk Management Committee, Vice Chair of the DEI Committee, Member of the Trust and Estate Books Editorial Board and Council Member.
Brian is also an active member of the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council on multiple committees and speaker as part of their Roundtable program. He has previously been honored as a Pennsylvania City and State Forty Under 40, Al DIA 40 Under Forty, Rainbow Revolutionary Distinguished Alumni, Philadelphia KEEPER, American Bar Association Top Forty Lawyers – On the Rise, and Boston University School of Law Young Alumni Chair Awardee. Brian holds his JD/Tax LL.M. from Boston University School of Law and his MBA with a Minor in Real Estate from Cornell University. He is licensed to practice law in PA, NJ, NY, FL, and MA, and he is in the process of waiving into the South Dakota bar.
Dave Bookbinder is known as an expert in business valuation and he is the person that business owners and entrepreneurs reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries.
Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers.
He’s on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people’s contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are this company’s most valuable asset.”
Dave’s book, A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know, was recognized as a top new release in Business and Valuation and is designed to provide practical insights and tools to help understand what really drives business value, how to prepare for an exit, and just make better decisions.
He’s also the host of the highly rated Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder business podcast which is enjoyed in more than 100 countries.
🔸 Grab Dave’s Books: The New ROI: Return on Individuals | The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers | A Valuation Toolbox for Business Owners and Their Advisors: Things Every Business Owner Should Know
🔸 Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
🔸 Connect with Dave on FaceBook
🔸 Check out www.NEWROI.com for more.
💡 Want to share your insights with the business community? Message Dave to learn how you can be a guest on Behind The Numbers. https://linktr.ee/BehindTheNumbers
🔹 Check out more of Behind The Numbers on YouTube
BEHIND THE NUMBERS WITH DAVE BOOKBINDER IS AN AWARD-WINNING PODCAST THAT IS ENJOYED IN MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES. THANK YOU FOR MAKING BEHIND THE NUMBERS AMONG THE MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS GLOBALLY!
Subscribe to Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed this conversation, please share it with your network and leave a review—it helps more business owners and advisors discover the show!
