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
What Exit Advisors Need to Know About Estate Planning
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In this episode of Poised for Exit, Kari Voorhees, founder and president of Voorhees Law Group, estate planning attorney, and fellow CEPA, explains why estate planning must be integrated into the broader exit planning process. Kari shares how her father’s brain cancer diagnosis led him to sell his successful trucking company in a panic, without a valuation or a qualified advisory team, and how the poorly structured transaction left him facing significant legal and financial consequences.
Kari discusses how exit advisors can help business owners identify gaps between their estate plans, corporate documents, and long-term transition goals. She explains why advisors should review trusts, buy-sell agreements, operating agreements, stock ownership, and business real estate together, while also considering how family members, trustees, and business partners will work together if the owner dies or becomes incapacitated.
The conversation also explores the risks of delaying these decisions until a health crisis or unexpected death forces action. Through real client examples, Kari illustrates why business owners need plans for incapacity, access to company finances, leadership continuity, and the eventual transfer or sale of the business. She emphasizes that effective estate planning is not simply about creating documents. It requires thoughtful conversations and coordination among the owner’s trusted advisors.
Connect with Kari Voorhees here
Learn more about Voorhees Law Group here
Connect with Julie Keyes, Keyestrategies LLC
Founder, Consultant, Author, Pod-caster and Instructor