The Exit Planning Coach

Jozef Ogrodny on the Human Side of Exit PlanningWhy trust, thoughtful questions, and honest conversations matter as much as technical expertiseSummary In this episode of The ExitMap Podcast, Jozef Ogrodny, CPA, CEPA, Business and Executive Coach with Focal Point Business Coaching Chicagoland, joins John F. Dini, CExP, CEPA, CBEC discuss why successful exit planning requires more than valuations, tax strategies, and transaction expertise. He explains how owner dependency, unrealistic expectations, and a lack of leadership development can undermine both external sales and internal successions. Jozef also shares how trust, thoughtful questions, strategic partnerships, and an understanding of the human side of transition help advisors guide owners toward practical, achievable outcomes.

Kelly Finnell Podcast Summary:Keeping the Business in the Family: Kelly Finnell on ESOPsHow ESOPs can create liquidity, preserve family ownership, and balance the competing needs of active and inactive children In this episode of The ExitMap Podcast, ESOP expert Kelly O. Finnell, J.D., CLU, AIF®, President & CEO of EFS ESOP Consultants, LLC joins John F. Dini, CExP, CEPA, CBEC to explore how ESOPs can help solve one of the toughest family business challenges: balancing the needs of active and inactive children. They discuss how an ESOP can provide liquidity for family members who are not involved in the business while allowing the next generation of leadership to maintain operational control and position the company for continued growth. The conversation also covers ownership, governance, estate planning, and the significant tax advantages that can make ESOPs a powerful family business succession strategy.

Mike Huey: From Founder-Led to Sale-ReadyHelping business owners build scalable companies buyers want to own. In this episode of the ExitMap Podcast, John F. Dini talks with Mike Huey, founder of Scalable Sales Solutions, about why scalable sales systems and exit planning should go hand in hand. Mike explains how reducing founder dependence, building repeatable sales processes, and increasing enterprise value prepare a company not only for growth but also for an eventual sale. The conversation also explores the importance of helping owners develop a meaningful vision for life after the business, effective referral-based marketing, maintaining exceptional client relationships, and practical advice for advisors entering the exit planning profession. Throughout the discussion, Mike emphasizes that owners should begin preparing for an exit long before they think they're ready to sell.

This episode of the ExitMap Podcast focuses on one of the most overlooked—and potentially costly—aspects of exit planning: poorly written or poorly funded buy-sell agreements. John Dini, CExP, CEPA, CBEC, CEMC, the Exit Planning Coach, interviews CPA and Certified Exit Planner David Jean, who shares real-world stories illustrating how vague language, flawed valuation formulas, missing signatures, unfunded obligations, and outdated agreements can create significant financial and legal problems. Together they outline the key provisions every advisor should review to help protect owners, their families, employees, and the business itself.

In this episode of the ExitMap Podcast with John F. Dini, Blair Koch, Managing Partner of TAB Denver West,  shares her approach to helping business owners move from dependence to true independence by strengthening leadership teams and shifting decision-making away from the owner. She emphasizes that most barriers to transition are self-imposed—owners struggle to let go, even when their teams are capable. Through a coaching-based approach rooted in deep relationships and thoughtful questioning, Koch helps owners clarify both business and personal goals, often years before an exit. The conversation highlights key signals that owners are ready to step back, the importance of building the right advisory team, and the often-overlooked challenge of defining purpose after the business. Ultimately, successful exits begin long before a transaction—by helping owners create a business, and a life, that can thrive without them.