A panel discussion to include the perspectives of professionals in the coaching, financial, tax and legal spaces. The focus of the discussion will be to outline the importance of the value acceleration process and how a professional team can assist in the successful preparation and transition of a business. Each professional will share areas that each business owner should address and common challenges faced.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the value acceleration process and how it can positively impact a transition.
- Highlight the importance of developing a professional team.
- Each professional will share several areas that each business owner should address and challenges they may face in each of their respective areas of expertise.
About the Presenters:
Hear from industry experts Charlie Janes, Melanie McDonald, Hernando Gomez, and Mitchell Goldberg.
Thank you to our Sponsors




Event Location
Event Details
Who Should Attend?
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Financial Advisors
One of the critical ‘legs of the stool’ is personal financing planning. An owner must have a strong financial plan & contingency plan post-transition to enable them to thrive in the next act of the lives personally and financially. Exit planning brings this future mindset into the present. Exit is now.
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Wealth Managers
You’re a skilled relationship person. Being entangled into your clients’ professional lives matters as you build a strategy to manage their wealth upon them harvesting it from their business. Exit planning allows you to build a deeper relationship with your client, expands your COI network, while giving you an early seat at table well before the liquidity event.
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CPAs/Accountants
Owners participating in the State of Owner Readiness research continue to indicate that you are the No. 1 "Most Trusted Advisor." You are a natural fit to lead the exit planning team and deepen your relationship (and retention) of next generation owners.
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Attorneys
You have close relationships with clients, and can benefit from being the first advisor to introduce the idea of exit planning.
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Estate Planners
Exit planning is a natural fit for estate planners who want to operate more holistically with their owner clients.
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Investment Bankers
Only 2 of every 10 businesses that come to market actually sell. Learn how exit planning can bring attractive AND ready business to your purview.
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Valuation Analysts
Valuation is both a billable engagement AND an opportunity to provide owners some perspective on how to accelerate value drivers (and deal with value killers). Use exit planning to make that valuation into a longer term value acceleration engagement.
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Strategic Consultants
One of the most critical roles in exit planning is building transferable value. Strategic consultants have the ability to expand options and drive rapid business value that affect performance today.
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Insurance Professionals
Exit planning addresses the 5 D's. So do you. Approach the risk conversation differently with exit planning.
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Mergers & Acquisition Advisors
Proper exit planning causes less deals to fall through at the last minute. Connect with CEPAs to build your healthy deal flow network.
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Commercial Lenders
One of the best relationships a business owner makes is with their banker. How can you help your corporate clients think about the future and ensure financial continuity? Answer: exit planning.
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Family Business Advisors
More than 50% of lower middle market business owners would prefer to transition to the next generation. Help them succeed with exit planning strategies.
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Other Professional Advisors
Regardless of your unique specialty, there is seat at the exit planning table for you. Learn more at www.EarnCEPA.com.
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Private Business Owners
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Members of Family Business Boards
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Professional Advisors
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Business Consultants
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Other Business Professionals
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Business Owners
EXIT PLANNING IS GOOD BUSINESS STRATEGY
The Exit Planning Institute, provides Financial Advisors, Accountants, Consultants, and other advisors of business owners with the critical education to differentiate themselves and add value to their existing client relationships through a credential, conference, courses, and content. Download the CEPA brochure for more information.
Meet Melanie McDonald, CFP, CEPA:
As a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Melanie brings invaluable perspective to help clients accomplish what is most important to them. Melanie started in the financial services industry in 2007 and after spending 12 years at a large wealth management firm before co-founding Pursuit Wealth Management in 2019.
Melanie earned her bachelor's in business administration from the University of Miami. She’s a licensed Certified Exit Planning Specialist and holds a life health and variable annuities insurance license.
Melanie makes her home in Palm Beach Gardens with her husband Matt and children Ell and Greyson. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Meet Charlie Janes:
Charlie Janes helps business owners visualize and achieve better outcomes. He believes successful leaders deserve a trusted advisor to help them find their best path forward.
Charlie’s clients want accelerated profit growth, stronger teams, and systems to scale and optimized business valuation and transferability. They want to build “legacy” businesses that will thrive without them. His clients find purpose and achieve a work-life balance to enjoy life while reaching their fullest potential in less time with less stress. In 2022 his clients averaged profit growth in the 75% range.
Charlie provides his clients a unique perspective based on his experience building high-growth organizations, his FocalPoint, Exit Institute, and Value Builder certifications, and his current ownership of Right at Home West Palm Beach adult care business that has scaled from 1 to 130+ employees in two years.
Over a 30-year career in Silicon Valley, he helped grow several organizations from the ground up to over $100 million. He participated in exits to tech titans like IBM, Oracle, Workday, and PTC. He helped other start-ups achieve funding from leading VC and PE firms. He has helped individuals achieve career success and emerge as leaders in some of the world’s most influential high-tech and Fortune 500 companies.
Meet Mitchell Goldberg:
Mitchell Goldberg is partner on Berger Singerman's Business, Finance and Tax Team and is Board-Certified Specialist in Tax Law by The Florida Bar. Mitchell concentrates his practice in the areas of federal income, partnership, corporate, international and transfer taxation and related business transactional matters. He counsels businesses and individuals on choice of entity for both new business ventures and for restructuring ongoing businesses in order to achieve desired economic and tax results.
Meet Hernando Gomez:
EXPERIENCE
Hernando is part of the firm’s Valuation & Capital Market Analysis team and has more
than 20 years of experience advising local and international companies and
entrepreneurs. He has focused his practice on business valuations, mergers &
acquisitions, debt management, financial modeling, and litigation support for various
industries including automotive dealerships, financial institutions, investment funds,
manufacturing, logistics, professional services, real estate, construction, hospitality,
sports & entertainment, technology, utilities, retail, and wholesale/distribution.
Hernando manages national and international engagements to assist clients from SMEs to
multi-billion-dollar operations. He prepares valuation analysis and complex valuation
models for the following purposes: business transactions (M&A), financial reporting
including goodwill/intangible asset impairment analysis (ASC 350) and purchase price
allocation analysis (ASC 805); stock option valuations and equity-based compensation
analysis (ASC 718), tax, arbitration & litigation matters. He has designed and trained
business valuation programs.
Hernando has traveled extensively delivering business valuation and other
business/management-related seminars in 20+ countries worldwide. He has been invited
as an international speaker to events in North America, Latin America, and the
Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Hernando has also participated as a guest speaker at
multiple universities in South Florida.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Finance Association
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
American Society of Appraisers
Barry University, Business School’s Dean Advisory Circle, Member
BBVA Compass, South Florida Market Advisory Board, Member
BNI Platinum, Miami Dade Chapter Past Treasurer
CFA Institute, Miami Chapter, Member
Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Florida International Bankers Association, Asian Market Committee, Former Vice Chair
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
Hong Kong Business Association of Florida, Co-Founding Member and Treasurer
EDUCATION
M.I.B., Florida International University
M.B.A., Universidad del Norte
International Training Fellow
Post Graduate Studies, Finance & Project Management, B.S. Industrial Engineering,
Universidad del Norte
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
History Miami’s Flagler Street Society, Member
Junior Chamber International, International Training Fellow and JCI Senator
United Way of Miami-Dade, Miami Small Business Program, Mentor; Young Leaders;
Impact Counsel Committee, Member
Universidad del Norte, Alumni Miami Chapter, Committee Chairman