Poised for Exit
Welcome to the Poised for Exit podcast! Poised for Exit is an under 30-minute strategic planning guidance podcast for busy small business owners. Each week you’ll hear certified exit planning advisor, Julie Keyes, talk with a range of entrepreneurs and professionals about preparing your business for a future transition. Guests at every stage of company ownership will share their personal stories and lessons learned about topics such as the anatomy of the exit planning process, developing a growth strategy, how to sell on your terms, exit planning for women small business owners, handling business diversity, and how to sell a family business. Whether you’re planning an exit in the near future or not, this show will provide you with the same action-oriented content that Julie utilizes while consulting with Keyestrategies clients. Building an exit strategy can be overwhelming, especially with all the decisions and details you have to consider. “Poised for Exit” will simplify the process and help you unwrap the unknowns, giving you more confidence in your planning process. Previous episodes are available for download, so if you are new to our show, you can listen to them in any order that suits you. Join us each week for timely, relevant content that will surely impact your business exit outcome! Subscribe to our newsletter below to receive your weekly episode link and stay updated on new strategic planning content. Find “Poised for Exit” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and others. Thank you to our Sponsors: Sunbelt Business Advisers and JAK CPA's. A special note of thanks to Tyler Keyes who produced the music for the “Poised for Exit” show.
Poised for Exit
Keeping the Family Aligned as the Business Grows
In this episode of Poised for Exit, we talk with Jon Keimig, Executive Director of the University of St. Thomas Family Business Center and a leading voice in multi-generation family business education.
Jon shares what he’s seeing inside today’s family-owned companies and why communication often breaks down between generations. He explains why ownership conversations stall, how assumptions build on both sides, and what families can do to create clarity around roles, expectations, and decision-making. Jon also highlights the surprising research showing how many next-gens don’t even know whether they’re owners, and why that uncertainty creates long-term challenges.
We dig into the real dynamics behind alignment: understanding which decisions belong to the family, which belong to ownership, and which belong to management. Jon walks through simple frameworks families can use to keep conversations focused, reduce conflict, and build confidence in the next generation as they step into leadership or ownership roles.
Finally, we talk about the importance of proactive education, outside advisors, and consistent family meetings to ensure smooth transitions and stronger businesses for generations to come.
Next Steps
- Learn more at: https://stthomas.edu/familybusiness
- Email Jon directly: familybusiness@stthomas.edu
Connect with Julie Keyes, Keyestrategies LLC
Founder, Consultant, Author, Pod-caster and Instructor