De-Risk, Delegate, and Deliver a Great Exit: How Certified Exit Planner Julie Keyes Helps Founders Sell Smart

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In this episode of The Exit, Steve welcomes Julie Keyes, a serial entrepreneur turned Certified Exit Planner and faculty member at the Exit Planning Institute (EPI). Julie shares how her own difficult exit nearly two decades ago inspired her to guide business owners toward smoother, more profitable transitions.

Julie breaks down exit preparedness into two core pillars: owner readiness and business readiness. She stresses that true readiness starts long before a sale: owners must update legal, tax, and estate plans, and ensure their personal finances and mindset are aligned with life after the exit. On the business side, she focuses on transferability, decentralizing the owner’s role, building strong teams, and creating a company that can thrive without its founder.

Julie also discusses timing the sale, navigating the “five Ds” (death, divorce, disagreement, disability, and distress), and structuring negotiations with the help of skilled M&A advisors. Her message is clear: “Don’t wait for an offer to learn what your business is worth.” This episode is a practical masterclass on planning early, reducing risk, and protecting your life’s work.

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Julie Keyes is the founder and owner of KeyeStrategies, an advisory firm helping entrepreneurs build enterprise value and prepare for successful business transitions. A lifelong entrepreneur turned Certified Exit Planning and Value Growth Adviser, Julie brings firsthand experience from starting, growing, and selling multiple companies. Recognized twice as EPI’s “Thought Leader of the Year,” she’s a national speaker, faculty member for the CEPA Program, and author of Poised for Exit: A Woman Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Transition.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliekeyes/

Website - https://keyestrategies.com/

Podcast - https://keyestrategies.com/podcast/

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The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/