A Family Office Before Or After Selling Your Business With Armando Roman And Guest Host, Catherine Anaya

In Ep. #62 of the #FoundersGuidepost Podcast, Catherine Anaya, three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, interviews me about how Axiom Founders Family Office helps first-generation business owners protect what they’ve built and plan for what’s next.

I share how we support founders through business exits, tax planning, and creating strategies that reflect their values and goals. Even if they don’t have hundreds of millions, they still face complex decisions—and that’s where we step in.

At Axiom, we act as a family CFO, helping coordinate everything from legal and financial planning to charitable giving and passing wealth to the next generation. Our goal is to make sure their hard work lasts—so their legacy lives on long after the business is sold.

 

What You’ll Learn:

Start Planning Your Business Exit Sooner Than You Think: The best exits don’t happen by accident—they’re the result of years of preparation. A strong exit plan gives you time to increase business value, avoid tax surprises, and leave on your own terms.

Treat Your Personal Finances Like a Business: Your personal financial life deserves the same structure and strategy you bring to your company. When your advisors are aligned and your goals are clear, your financial decisions become faster and more confident.

Build a Legacy That Reflects Your Values—Not Just Your Net Worth: Wealth without direction can create confusion for the next generation. The more you involve your family in purpose-driven planning, the more likely your legacy will last beyond the money.

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Links & Resources: 

Preserve Your American Success Story!

Find Armando on LinkedIn

 

About Armando:

Armando Roman is CEO of AXIOM Founders Family Office - the Family CFO and Wealth Management firm for Founders and their families. As an entrepreneur, Armando has built and exited two businesses, a CPA firm serving closely held businesses and a niche management consulting firm. He founded the Scottsdale Founders Forum, Arizona's premier pre-exit event for founders and the Founders Guidepost podcast, a podcast dedicated to business exit and succession planning. He is a sought -after speaker and presenter. In fact, he was invited by the FBI to train 400 FBI special agents, all of whom were CPAs, to train them about their own personal financial planning. Armando has helped oversee a 1.5 billion dollar institutional investment portfolio for a major charitable organization, and, as an appointee of two bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, he was responsible for prudent investment management and oversight of the Diocese's institutional investment portfolio. He helped lead the CPA profession in Arizona and nationally serving as chairman of the Arizona Society of CPAs and serving on the governing body of the nation's largest CPA association, the American Institute of CPAs. For founders seeking an experienced, trusted advisor who understands both the financial and personal aspects of wealth advisory and business transitions, Armando Roman offers an unmatched combination of expertise, integrity, and a deep commitment to family legacy. A licensed CPA over 30 years and securities licensed over 20 years, Armando received his MBA from Drexel university and undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from the University of Arizona.

Career Highlights:

• Founded and sold CPA firm focused on Arizona closely held businesses under $100M revenue.
• Founded and exited consulting firm focused on Native American tribes in Arizona.
• Founded Arizona's premier pre-exit event for Founders considering exiting, Scottsdale Founders Forum.
• Founded Arizona's first podcast focused on exit/succession/transition, Founders Guide Post podcast.
• Invited by FBI to create/present 2 hour CPE training course for 400 FBI Special Agents (all were CPAs) on Personal Financial Planning (FBI loved the course, invited Armando back two additional years).
• Appointed by two Bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix to lead the Committee responsible for prudent investment management of the Institutional investment portfolio of the Diocese, 10 yrs.
• Member of committee responsible for overseeing prudent investment management of $1.5 billion Institutional investment portfolio for one of Arizona's largest charities.
• Chosen by peers to lead the CPA profession in Arizona as Chairman of the ASCPA (11,000 CPAs in AZ).
• Member of the governing body of the nation's largest professional association of CPAs (400,000 members).
• Member of the AICPA's national committee tasked with promoting Financial Literacy in the United States.

About the Guest Host:

Catherine Anaya is a three-time Emmy award-winning journalist.

She is the host of Horizonte on Arizona PBS, a weekly television series discussing Arizona issues and topics of particular interest to the Hispanic community.

In 2017, the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences inducted Catherine into the nationally recognized Silver Circle for more than 25 years of broadcast excellence and contribution to the community.

The former television news anchor of 25 years spent 12 of those years at CBS in Phoenix where she anchored the evening news. Prior to that, she anchored/reported at CBS in Los Angeles, NBC in Phoenix, as well as television stations in Indiana and Texas. Catherine has won numerous awards including ‘Anchor of the Year’ by the Arizona Associated Press Broadcasters Association. Her career highlights include interviewing President Obama at the White House and co-anchoring a post-presidential debate with the legendary Walter Cronkite.

When she’s not working, Catherine and her husband enjoy traveling and spending quality time with their four children.

Catherine is a University of Southern California alumna, an avid reader, a fitness enthusiast, and a three-time Boston Marathon finisher.