ASK A CERTIFIED EXIT PLANNING ADVISOR: A LIVE ASK ME ANYTHING WITH ADVISORS IN THE FIELD
Go beyond theory in this live “Ask Me Anything” webinar featuring three Certified Exit Planning Advisors (CEPA®) at different stages of their journey—1 year, 3 years, and 5+ years in. Through guided discussion and live audience Q&A, panelists will share why they pursued the CEPA credential, what changed after earning it, and how they’ve applied the Value Acceleration Methodology™ in practice.
From early challenges to scaling a practice, attendees will gain real-world insights into client conversations, business development, and lessons learned along the way. Interactive polls and a rapid-fire segment add audience engagement, while candid advice from each panelist offers practical takeaways. Ideal for a broad range of advisors, this session delivers actionable ideas and an honest perspective to help you move forward with confidence.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key motivations for pursuing the CEPA credential and how to activate it immediately in their practice.
- Describe how CEPAs apply the Value Acceleration Methodology™ at different stages of their professional journey.
- Compare how approaches to client engagement, business development, and service delivery evolve from early to advanced stages.
- Evaluate common challenges and turning points in implementing exit planning strategies across varying experience levels.
- Apply practical insights and peer-driven advice to determine next steps in pursuing or advancing an exit planning practice.
Event Details
Who Should Attend?
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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
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Business Owners & Their Trusted Advisors
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.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
As a former general contractor, land developer, and business owner, Joe combines these skills along with more than 25 years of experience as an attorney to counsel families and business owners.
Through 3 unique brands and with his partners, Joe educates wealth advisors, assists business owners to find “what’s next,” counsels families towards alignment, as well as protects families and their assets.
The Southern California Institute is a Thought Leader Community providing resources, education, and advice via collaborative think tanks, events, programs, online content, and introductions.
Strazzeri Mancini LLP helps affluent families get to the heart of highly relevant matters and resolve messes in the areas of integrated tax and estate planning, business succession, and family governance counseling.
The Founders Group leads business owners through all phases of transition where increased clarity, net cash flow, and market value expands and solidifies choices for business transition: if, when, how, how much, and to whom.
Renee Russo is a powerhouse in the exit planning and business advisory space, known for her rare ability to integrate value acceleration, operational systemization, and personal transformation to set business owners truly free. As Founder and CEO of Rise Up Business Coaching, Renee leads a team of elite female advisors who deliver high-touch, results-driven coaching rooted in one mission: helping entrepreneurs build transferable value, unlock personal wealth, and achieve real freedom in both business and life.
A Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®), Renee’s work is grounded in the Value Acceleration Methodology. She brings a strategic, real-world lens to helping owners prepare for exit—on their terms and timeline—while aligning business, personal, and financial goals. Her background as a Professional EOS Implementer® and Certified Outgrow Advisor allows her to embed scalable operating systems that drive sustainable growth and shift the owner from the day-to-day to the Owner’s Box.
Renee’s proprietary Ready to Rise Energy Management System complements her business strategies with a powerful framework that helps entrepreneurs overcome internal barriers to growth. Drawing from personal experience—including a high-stakes business turnaround and her own “double exit” from a marriage and company—she is uniquely equipped to help founders navigate complexity, regain control, and chart a new path forward.
At Rise Up Business Coaching, Renee has architected an end-to-end advisory model that prioritizes strategic, value-enhancing initiatives to accelerate enterprise value. Her approach focuses on six core business value drivers—financials, sales, marketing, leadership, recruiting, and productivity—and three essential owner freedom drivers: personal planning, financial planning, and succession planning. Through customized strategic roadmaps, live KPI tracking, and consistent accountability, Renee helps clients create a business that is scalable, transferable, and aligned with the owner’s long-term vision.
Recognized for her sky-high energy, compassionate heart, and relentless solution focus, Renee has guided hundreds of leaders through pivotal inflection points. Whether helping owners 10x their valuations, reduce reliance on themselves, or finally get clarity on what they want from their business and life, she brings an unwavering commitment to unlocking potential.
As a dynamic speaker and bestselling author, Renee brings thought leadership and real-world tools to national stages, consistently energizing audiences of advisors, founders, and professionals alike.
Renee’s message is clear: when we create value for business owners, we create choices—and in those choices lies their freedom.
Jon is a value accelerator who guides owner-operators to build valuable, exceptional companies for exceptional lives. His "why" is to make sure entrepreneurs don't spend their entire lives building something, only to walk away with nothing. A former Fortune 100 and hyper-growth strategy consultant, CEPA, certified business coach, and 6x entrepreneur, Jon brings a rare perspective, a deep library of cross-industry patterns, and the ability to see the familiar differently.
His job is to bridge — and exceed — the value gap. His work starts with value, but goes beyond scale to building an exceptional company that creates exceptional lives for everyone they touch: owners, employees, customers, and community. These companies are exceptional where it counts: enterprise value, category dominance, leadership, employee engagement and culture, and customer experience.
Jon began as a consultant at Sapient, helping startups through Fortune 100 companies launch new businesses, products, and scale. He joined when it had 600 people and was part of the leadership that helped grow it to 10,000. He then helped Vistaprint scale from $500M to $1B as an internal strategy consultant before turning to entrepreneurship across food and beverage, real estate, finance, SaaS, and consulting. His beverage tech company launched in nine months, was named Food & Wine Magazine's favorite way to drink coffee a month after launch, and was on Whole Foods shelves within three months. He has also served on a number of for-profit and nonprofit boards as chair, treasurer, and strategic planning lead.
Today, Jon coaches lower mid-market business owners. He starts by defining a compelling, ambitious strategy and coaches the leadership team to actually execute it, since most strategies never get executed. While many bemoan the lack of loyalty and engagement in today's workforce, Jon helps business owners build companies worth engaging with by unleashing their soul.
As a quarterback and value advisor, he is continually developing relationships with the best practitioners across the financial, personal, and business legs of the CEPA ecosystem to better serve his clients. (He's one of the few six-foot-two Asians in this EPI community, so don't hesitate to say hi and connect if you see him around.)
Jon splits his time between Boston and Southern California. A proud father of three adult children, he's taking advantage of his recent empty-nest status to travel, speak internationally, and check items off his bucket list.