Why Exit Planning Feels Like Home: I recently had one of those rare moments of absolute clarity.
As someone who has spent a lifetime in the world of referrals and trusted relationships, I’ve always known the power of collaboration. But it wasn’t until I immersed myself in the exit planning world—thanks to my introduction to Scott Snider and the Certified Exit Planning Advisor program—that I understood why I felt so at home there.
Exit planning is, at its core, about collaboration. About trust. About protection. In short—it’s about risk mitigation through relationships.
That’s exactly what my book Can I Borrow Your Car? is about. While it may appear on the surface to be a book about referrals, it’s really a deeper exploration of intentional collaboration. It’s a story of building safety, alignment, and purpose-driven growth through others.
And that’s where the marriage of my work and this community becomes so powerful.
Collaboration: The Hidden Engine of Exit Planning
Exit planning isn’t just something that happens when a business owner is “ready to sell.” It’s a journey of discovery, growth, and preparation. Whether you’re proactively driving value like my friend George Sandman teaches in the Growth Drive framework, or preparing for a possible involuntary transition, the central thread is the same: you don’t do it alone.
You can’t do it alone.
Every meaningful exit planning process, voluntary or not, requires a network of collaborators: CPAs, attorneys, financial advisors, consultants, insurance professionals, and more. What binds them together is the shared mission of building transferable value and reducing avoidable risk.
Being a Safe Driver in a Risky World
The core idea behind Can I Borrow Your Car? is deceptively simple: if I wouldn’t trust you with my car, why would I trust you with my reputation? The same is true in exit planning. A safe, trusted, and intentional advisor is not a luxury—they’re a necessity.
We cannot eliminate risk in this work, but we can name it, tame it, and share it. That’s the art of collaboration.
The best advisors I know are the ones who have the courage to lean into this work with intention. They aren’t chasing transactional wins—they’re building legacies, both for themselves and for the business owners they serve.
The Movement Has Just Begun
Can I Borrow Your Car? was never just a book, it was a personal turning point and the launch of a movement. A new lens to view relationship-based growth, human-centered business, and meaningful collaboration. And now, years later, I see how beautifully it fits within the exit planning world.
To my fellow CEPAs, Growth Drive partners, and exit planning professionals: if you’ve ever felt like you’re supposed to “go it alone,” let me assure you…you’re not. The path forward is not built on independence, but interdependence.
Let’s keep building something remarkable—together.
Related: Is Your Business Built to Last—or Just Built for Clicks?