ExitReadiness® PODCAST: Exit Planning, Succession & Selling Your Business

Every business owner needs to be able to cast a compelling vision — to employees, partners, potential buyers, and successors. But most owners have never been taught a proven framework for doing it persuasively. Vinca LaFleur, Executive Director and COO of West Wing Writers and former White House speechwriter to President Clinton, joins Pat and Corby to introduce the Monroe Motivational Sequence — a five-step model for structuring any persuasive communication — and explain how business owners can apply it to everything from team meetings to leadership transitions. A master class in communication from one of the most accomplished strategic communicators in the country.  

Guest: Vinca LaFleur, Executive Director & COO, West Wing Writers | Former White House Speechwriter
Connect with guest: westwingwriters.com/team/vinca-lafleur/

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis

Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

SBA financing is one of the most powerful and most misunderstood tools in the exit planning toolkit — both as a mechanism for funding business growth and as a vehicle that buyers will use to acquire your business when you're ready to sell. Jarred Ricks, SVP and Regional Manager for M&T Bank's Greater Washington Business Banking Group, joins Pat and Walter to demystify SBA lending for business owners. Jarred explains how SBA 7(a) and 504 programs work, what owners can do now to position their business as SBA-financeable, and why understanding SBA from the inside out gives sellers a significant advantage when going to market.  

Guest: Jarred M. Ricks, SVP & Regional Manager, Greater Washington Business Banking Group, M&T Bank
Connect with guest: linkedin.com/in/jarredricks/

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis

Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

A business with weak internal controls and unmanaged risk isn't just exposed to fraud and operational failure — it's also exposed to a significant discount from buyers during due diligence. Mac Lillard, CPA/ABV/CITP, CIA, CFE, Senior Manager of Risk & Advisory Services at GRF CPAs & Advisors and a CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 honoree, joins Pat and Walter to explain how risk management and internal controls directly connect to business value. Mac walks owners through what buyers find during financial and operational due diligence, what risk gaps routinely destroy value at the worst moment, and the practical steps an owner can take right now to protect what they've built.  

Guest: Mac Lillard, CPA/ABV/CITP, CIA, CFE, CISA/CRISC, Senior Manager, Risk & Advisory Services, GRF CPAs & Advisors
Connect with guest: grfcpa.com/people/mac-lillard/

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis



Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

Employer risk, HR compliance, and the ability to compete for top talent are not just day-to-day business concerns — they are exit planning concerns. A business that can attract and retain quality employees, manages its employment liabilities well, and has HR infrastructure that runs without the owner is a more transferable, more valuable business. Andy Schuman, Certified Business Performance Advisor at Insperity and specialist in helping small and mid-size businesses leverage the PEO model, joins Pat and Walter to explain how a PEO can reduce employer risk, enhance benefits without the Fortune 500 budget, and make a business more attractive to buyers who are evaluating HR infrastructure as part of their due diligence.  

Guest: Andy Schuman, Certified Business Performance Advisor, Insperity
Connect with guest: linkedin.com/in/andyschumanbusinessperformanceadvisor/

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis




Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

Most sellers prepare for an exit from the seller's point of view. But the buyers evaluating their business are thinking about entirely different things — and the gap between what sellers focus on and what buyers actually need to see is one of the primary reasons deals fall apart or close at disappointing prices. David C. Barnett, former Sunbelt business broker, private transaction advisor, author, and host of the David C. Barnett Small Business and Deal Making podcast, joins Pat and Walter to flip the lens. David shares what buyers are really thinking when they evaluate a business, what surprises them, what stops them cold, and what sellers can do to make the acquisition experience compelling rather than alarming.  

Guest: David C. Barnett, BBA, CMEA, Private Transaction Advisor | Host, David C. Barnett Small Business and Deal Making Podcast
Connect with guest: businessbuyeradvantage.com

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis




Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

Nick Fogle spent years building Wavve, a bootstrapped SaaS tool for podcasters, while working day jobs, paying off a quarter-million dollars in student debt, and teaching himself to code from scratch. When acquisition offers started coming in, he had to figure out — in real time — how to evaluate them, negotiate them, and ultimately choose one. In 2021, Wavve sold for a mid-7-figure sum. Nick joins Pat and Walter to share what that experience actually looked and felt like from the inside: the early offers that came before the business was ready, the lessons from fielding multiple bids, and what he would tell other founders who find themselves in the same position.  

Guest: Nick Fogle, Co-Founder & CEO, Churnkey | Former Co-Founder, Wavve (acquired 2021) Connect with guest: linkedin.com/in/nickfogle/

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis

Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

Most business owners who receive unsolicited investor outreach have no idea how to evaluate it — which ones are serious, which are fishing for information, and how to respond in a way that protects their interests without burning a potentially valuable relationship. Mark Gartner, Managing Director at RLH Equity Partners, a private equity firm focused on knowledge-led B2B services businesses, joins Pat and Walter from the investor's side of the table to explain what's really happening when that email lands. Mark walks through what sophisticated investors are looking for when they reach out, the red flags that should make you pause, and how a well-prepared business owner can turn investor engagement into a strategic advantage rather than a distraction.  

Guest: Mark Gartner, Managing Director, RLH Equity Partners 
Connect with guest: rlhequity.com/team/mark-gartner

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis

Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

Performance management is one of the most contentious topics in leadership — and one of the most consequential for business owners building toward an exit. Sarah Goelitz, leadership consultant and founder of Sarah Goelitz Consulting, rejoins Pat for a direct and honest conversation about whether formal performance management actually works, what it tends to get wrong, and what effective accountability looks like in a small or growing business. When done well, performance management creates the leadership depth and organizational independence that buyers pay a premium for. When done poorly — or not at all — it becomes an invisible ceiling on transferable value.  

Guest: Sarah Goelitz, Founder, Sarah Goelitz Consulting
Connect with guest: sarahgoelitz.com

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis



Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

Tax minimization is a reflex for most business owners — but not every tax-saving strategy that makes sense during the life of the business makes sense in the context of a future exit. In this episode, Pat and Walter take on one of the most important and counterintuitive conversations in exit planning: the ways that aggressive income tax strategies can actually reduce your enterprise value, complicate due diligence, and ultimately cost you more at the closing table than they saved along the way. A frank, practical discussion every business owner should have with their advisors well before any transaction.

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis



Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.

For business owners with charitable intent, donating business interests before a sale can be one of the most tax-advantaged decisions they make — but it requires careful planning and expert guidance to execute correctly. Laurie Roche, Vice President in Fidelity Charitable's Complex Assets Group, and Glenn Garbutt, Vice President and Charitable Planning Consultant with Fidelity Charitable, join Pat and Walter to share five essential tips for owners considering this strategy. From timing and valuation to the mechanics of the donation process, this episode covers what every philanthropically minded business owner needs to understand before the transaction process begins.  

Guest: Laurie Roche, VP, Complex Assets Group & Glenn Garbutt, VP, Charitable Planning Consultant — Fidelity Charitable
Connect with guest: fidelitycharitable.org

“We want you to help you build a business that is sellable and exit successfully on your own terms and conditions.” - Pat Ennis

Conversations that move you closer to a regret-proof exit.

Subscribe To The Channel By Clicking HERE!

Learn more about working with Pat and Walter at ennislp.com 
Connect with Pat: linkedin.com/in/pat-ennis-25b4a111/
Connect with Walter: linkedin.com/in/walter-deyhle-cpa-abv-cff-maff-cexp-cepa-57386614/

#PatEnnis #WalterDeyhle #ExitReadiness


DISCLAIMER: The information in this presentation is provided as education only. 
Neither the presenter nor ENNIS Legacy Partners is engaged to render legal, accounting, or other professional services. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. ENNIS Legacy Partners assumes no legal liability for any loss related to information contained in this presentation.