Exit Planning Institute - Find a CEPA

Ben Blankenship is the founder and owner of ACUO Business Coaching & Advising and an entrepreneur experienced with start-up, scale-up, and contraction. He has nearly 35 years of financial and operational leadership in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Ben has served in many leadership roles including CEO, CFO, COO, and CSO, and now serves his client partners as a business coach, fractional / interim executive (CXO), and exit planning advisor. He got his start as a professionally trained chef from the Culinary Institute of America, returned to school to study finance, then served on the founding team of Qdoba Mexican Grill including national corporate and franchise growth and an exit. For nearly 10 years, Ben has been coaching a wide range of clients with annual revenues from $5 million to over $1 billion across the U.S. and globally and spanning various industries. He is passionate about helping CEOs and owners activate their vision and working with leadership teams to get focused, be accountable, and achieve results. Ben is a certified Scaling Up Business Coach, Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and former EOS Implementer and Integrator. He also has a crème brûlée recipe that will knock your socks off.

{custom_meta_description=James Blankenship - - ACUO Business Coaching & Advising - Durham, North Carolina, profile_url=[object Object], city=Durham, display_country=United States, hs_object_source_detail_1=Find A CEPA (JUNE 2024), profile_description=

, hs_object_source_label=AUTOMATION_PLATFORM, url_slug=james-blankenship, lname=Blankenship, hs_object_source_id=enrollmentId:1112633880454;actionExecutionIndex:0, cepa_attendance_sheet_url=https://exit-planning-institute.org/hubfs/Certificates%20of%20Attendance/CEPA%20JUNE%202024/BLANKENSHIP-BEN-CERTIFICATE%20OF%20ATTENDANCE-CFP-NASBA-CEPAOnline-June%202024.pdf, hs_createdate=1718980383219, cohortium_profile_title=James Blankenship | Business Coach at ACUO Business Coaching & Advising | CEPA Connect Member, state=North Carolina, id=13708372754, advisor_type=Business Coach, member_profile_approval_flag=false, custom_page_title=Exit Planning Institute - Find a CEPA | James Blankenship, email=ben@acuo-bc.com, cohortium_meta_description=Connect with James Blankenship, a specialized Business Coach working with ACUO Business Coaching & Advising based in North Carolina., associated_contact_record_id=10607299999, website=www.acuo-bc.com, cepa_certificate_url=https://exit-planning-institute.org/hubfs/CEPA%20Certificates/CEPA%20JUNE%202024/7147_Blankenship_CEPA-Certificate-2024-June.pdf, pending_profile_information=, is_editable=editable, url_slug_2=james-blankenship, user_profile_updates_pending_epi_team_review=false, impersonate_user_url=https://exit-planning-institute.org/member-detail/james-blankenship?impersonation=true, full_name=James Blankenship, hs_lastmodifieddate=1767968938582, phone=9195195353, company_name=ACUO Business Coaching & Advising, name=Ben, hs_object_id=13708372754, associated_resources=0, hs_object_source=AUTOMATION_PLATFORM, postal_code=27701, status=Published, hs_updated_by_user_id=49327279}

PDF/Download

120-Day CEPA Playbook: Download the Playbook

For a new CEPA, following the 120-day CEPA Playbook will be a critical piec..

Brochure

2022 Colorado State of Owner Readiness Quick Look Brochure

Review the most notable statistics and findings from the 2022 Colorado Stat..

PDF/Download

UBS Approved Content

2022 Colorado State of Owner Readiness Report

Download the 2022 Colorado State of Owner Readiness Report to see where Col..

PDF/Download

2023 National State of Owner Readiness Report

Download the 2023 National State of Owner Readiness Report to see where Uni..

Videos/Recordings

2024 Webinar Series

Join us as EPI interviews our 2024 speakers about their experiences.

Videos/Recordings

2025 Webinar Series

Join us as EPI interviews our 2025 speakers about their experiences.

Videos/Recordings

2026 Webinar Series

Join us as EPI interviews our 2026 speakers about their experiences.

5-4-3-2-1 Whitepaper

This whitepaper takes the Value Acceleration Methodology and breaks it into..

Whitepaper

5-4-3-2-1 Whitepaper

This whitepaper breaks the Value Acceleration Methodology into 5 easy conce..

Whitepaper

PDF/Download

A Look Inside The Unique World of - Value Creation Whitepaper

EPI interviewed 13 Value Advisors within the Exit Planning Community to lea..

Case Study

A Look Into Pressure Solutions Inc.: An Exit Planning Case Study

Download the sample case study to use with business owner clients or in wor..

Courses

Access My Courses

Navigate to your purchased EPI Academy content.

PDF/Download

Whitepaper

Best-In-Class Whitepaper

At Exit Planning Institute® (EPI), being best-in-class is a deliberate choi..

Case Study

Case Study: Human Capital, The Exit Planning Institute

How Exit Planning Institute focused on improving their Human Capital.

Case Study: The Value of Transitioning a Business to its Employees

Learn more about Happy Earth Cleaning’s transition from LLC to Co-operative..

Case Study

Case Study: The Value of Transitioning a Business to its Employees

A case study to help owner's determine the best course of action for their ..

Case Study

UBS Approved Content

Case Study: Value Acceleration

Learn more about value acceleration by downloading the case study which giv..

Infographic

PDF/Download

CEPA Development Scorecard

Track your progress and growth by completing the CEPA Development Scorecard..

View details and resources for your upcoming CEPA program.

Logos/Branding

Chapter Logos

Download your Chapter's logo to use in marketing or business development in..

Exercises

Template

Confidential Estate Planning Form

Use this document as a template for Confidential Estate Planning for your c..

Infographic

Decentralizing the Business Owner

Do you know the risks in with a business that is completely dependent on th..

Infographic

UBS Approved Content

Decentralizing the Business Owner

Do you know the risks in with a business that is completely dependent on th..

Template

Email Marketing Templates

Sample templated emails to begin to educate owners and advisors and build y..

PDF/Download

EPI Chapter President Circle Meeting Notes

Meeting minutes from previous Chapter President Circle Meetings can be foun..

Case Study

Exit as a Business Strategy: A Collection of Case Studies from Advisors and Owners

When deciding to exit their business, an owner has several internal and ext..

First Steps

The first steps after earning your CEPA designation.

Infographic

Five Stages of Value Maturity Infographic

An in-depth look at the Five Stages of Value Maturity

Infographic

Five Stages of Value Maturity Infographic

An in-depth look at the Five Stages of Value Maturity

Whitepaper

UBS Approved Content

From Successful to Significant

The framework for a high value business transition.

Merrill Approved Content

From Successful to Significant Whitepaper

Business, Personal, Financial: A Holistic Approach to High-Value Transition..

Infographic

PDF/Download

Infographic: Beyond CEPA Path

The Beyond CEPA Roadmap is designed to provide Certified Exit Planning Advi..

Infographic

Infographic: Decentralizing the Business Owner

See the importance of decentralizing the owner and ensuring the business ru..

Infographic

Infographic: Five Stages of Value Maturity

The Five Stages of Value Maturity impact the growth and ultimate sale of a ..

Infographic

Merrill Approved Content

MassMutual Approved Content

Infographic: The 5 D's

Educate an owner on the ways they may be forced out of their business due t..

Infographic

Infographic: Who Has a Seat at the Table

Understand the key members on your exit planning team and the roles they pl..

Articles

Books/eBooks

PDF/Download

Whitepaper

Issue One: The Annual Exit Magazine

The Annual Exit is a valuable resource for professionals in the exit planni..

Infographic

Know Your Gaps

Three numbers every business owner should know and manage to meet their goa..

Phase 1 Stage 1: The Value Maturity Index - Identifying Value

Materials to use within the Value Maturity Index: Identifying Value portion..

Exercises

Template

Sample Personal Contingency Plan

A template for putting a contingency plan in place.

Whitepaper

The Impact of Unplanned Consequences on Business Value Whitepaper

Learn how professional advisors help mitigate the risks associates with the..

Infographic

Securian Approved Content

UBS Approved Content

Merrill Approved Content

MassMutual Approved Content

The Value Acceleration Methodology

Download to utilize in your exit planning education or training with owners..

Whitepaper

Program Overview

Register for CEPA

Testimonials

Featured Courses

View All Courses

The Exit Planning Summit

Webinars

State of Owner Readiness

Annual Exit

Free Content Library

About EPI

Purpose Statement

BEN BLANKENSHIP

BEN BLANKENSHIP

120-Day CEPA Playbook: Download the Playbook

2022 Colorado State of Owner Readiness Quick Look Brochure

2022 Colorado State of Owner Readiness Report

2023 National State of Owner Readiness Report

2024 Webinar Series

2025 Webinar Series

2026 Webinar Series

5-4-3-2-1 Whitepaper

5-4-3-2-1 Whitepaper

A Look Inside The Unique World of - Value Creation Whitepaper

A Look Into Pressure Solutions Inc.: An Exit Planning Case Study

Access My Courses

Best-In-Class Whitepaper

Beyond CEPA Roadmap

Business Attractiveness Scorecard

Case Study: A Framework To Build Value In Your Business

Case Study: CEPA and CPAs

Case Study: CEPA and EOS

Case Study: CEPA and M&A

Case Study: How to Strategically Build Transferrable Value

Case Study: How To Utilize Your CEPA Credentials In A National Wealth Management Firm

Case Study: Human Capital, The Exit Planning Institute

Case Study: The Value of Transitioning a Business to its Employees

Case Study: The Value of Transitioning a Business to its Employees

Case Study: Value Acceleration

CEPA Development Scorecard

CEPA: 2024 APR | Online

CEPA: 2024 AUG | Online

CEPA: 2024 FEB | Online

CEPA: 2024 JAN | Online

CEPA: 2024 JUL | Online

CEPA: 2024 JUN | Online

CEPA: 2024 MAR | Online

CEPA: 2024 MAY | Online

CEPA: 2024 OCT | Online

CEPA: 2024 SEP | Online

Chapter Logos

Confidential Estate Planning Form

Decentralizing the Business Owner

Decentralizing the Business Owner

Email Marketing Templates

EPI Chapter President Circle Meeting Notes

Exit as a Business Strategy: A Collection of Case Studies from Advisors and Owners

First Steps

Five Stages of Value Maturity Infographic

Five Stages of Value Maturity Infographic

From Successful to Significant

From Successful to Significant Whitepaper

Infographic: Beyond CEPA Path

Infographic: Decentralizing the Business Owner

Infographic: Five Stages of Value Maturity

Infographic: The 5 D's

Infographic: Who Has a Seat at the Table

Issue One: The Annual Exit Magazine

Know Your Gaps

Phase 1 Stage 1: The Value Maturity Index - Identifying Value

Sample Personal Contingency Plan

The Impact of Unplanned Consequences on Business Value Whitepaper

The Value Acceleration Methodology

Top Questions To Ask Your Business Owner's Advisors

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to Our Blog