Present-Tense Exit Planning: Vitals, Value & the Advisor Bench
Release Date: 10/09/2025
Planning for the Inevitable: The 5 D’s of Business Succession with Mark Fry
The Confident Exit Podcast
In this episode of The Confident Exit Podcast, Pete Bush sits down with longtime friend and Baton Rouge attorney Mark Fry of Phelps Dunbar, who leads the firm’s Trust & Estates Group within its business practice. Together, they explore why estate planning and business succession planning must be addressed together, and why exit planning is not a future event—but an ongoing process that should start early in a business’s life. Mark shares insights from advising business owners across industries, explaining where deals break down, why owners often overestimate value, and what buyers...
info_outline
The Insider’s View of Buying, Building & Exiting a Financial Advisory Firm (with Brian Toma)
The Confident Exit Podcast
Summary This episode dives into the real-world journey of growing up inside a financial advisory firm, buying into it, becoming the successor, and then turning around to acquire other practices. Pete and Brian unpack the mindset, mechanics, and emotional reality of ownership transitions—both for founders planning to exit and for next-generation successors stepping in. Brian shares why early, honest communication between owners and potential successors is the #1 factor in successful internal transitions, how deal financing has...
info_outline
The Emotional Side of Selling a Business (with Bob Federici)
The Confident Exit Podcast
Summary The conversation delves into the emotional complexities involved in selling a business, emphasizing the importance of understanding one's desires post-sale and the dynamics between buyers and sellers. It highlights why wealth management is uniquely relationship-driven, how to structure firms for continuity (solo, silo, ensemble), what makes a practice “sellable,” and why doing the involuntary/continuity plan first protects families and preserves value. Key Takeaways People often underestimate how emotional selling a business is. Be crystal clear on what you want after...
info_outline
Present-Tense Exit Planning: Vitals, Value & the Advisor Bench
The Confident Exit Podcast
Episode Summary In this episode, host Pete Bush welcomes CJ Aulet to explore why exit planning isn’t something to save for the future—it belongs in the present. They unpack how education, strategic planning, and clear assessments help business owners protect value, reduce risk, and prepare for life’s inevitable transitions. CJ shares his journey back to Baton Rouge, his role as a CFO/COO-for-hire, and his mission to help owners close the profit, value, and wealth gaps. Together, Pete and CJ highlight the importance of building an advisor ecosystem, focusing on both offense (growing...
info_outline
From Valuation to Vision: Starting Exit Planning Long Before the Finish Line
The Confident Exit Podcast
Episode summary Pete kicks off The Confident Exit Podcast with Baton Rouge–area advisor Ben Vance to unpack what really drives a successful business exit. They cover why every business will exit (planned or not), how to start years earlier than most owners think, common valuation misconceptions (it’s not just “EBITDA × multiple”), and how to balance the financials with very real family and emotional dynamics. You’ll hear practical next steps, timeline expectations (think 2–9 years), and ways to surround yourself with the right advisor bench so you’re improving enterprise value...
info_outlineEpisode Summary
In this episode, host Pete Bush welcomes CJ Aulet to explore why exit planning isn’t something to save for the future—it belongs in the present. They unpack how education, strategic planning, and clear assessments help business owners protect value, reduce risk, and prepare for life’s inevitable transitions. CJ shares his journey back to Baton Rouge, his role as a CFO/COO-for-hire, and his mission to help owners close the profit, value, and wealth gaps. Together, Pete and CJ highlight the importance of building an advisor ecosystem, focusing on both offense (growing EBITDA) and defense (de-risking for buyers), and starting early to achieve a truly confident exit.
Key Takeaways
● Exit planning is essential at every stage—not just at retirement.
● Education is lacking: most owners underestimate the work needed for a successful sale.
● Every business will exit—planned or unplanned, voluntary or involuntary.
● Knowledge without application = missed opportunities.
● Two levers drive value: adjusted EBITDA and the multiple buyers are willing to pay.
● Lifestyle vs. growth business: owners must clarify which path they’re on.
● De-risking matters: concentrated customers, weak depth charts, or undocumented processes lower multiples.
● Simple ≠ easy: small, consistent strategies yield big improvements.
● Collaborative ecosystems win: CPAs, bankers, wealth advisors, and specialists all play vital roles.
Chapters
● 00:00 – Introduction: Pete sets the stage—why CEPA, why this podcast, and why exit planning is a present-tense issue.
● 02:15 – Meet CJ Aulet: CJ shares his “emergency sabbatical,” his return to Baton Rouge, and his CFO/COO-for-hire work.
● 03:55 – Positioning & purpose: Helping owners understand the value of planning and building stronger communities.
● 05:35 – Exit planning today: From “end-of-career” myth to daily discipline; knowledge vs. execution gap.
● 08:50 – Intangible capitals: Why culture, systems, and people drive revenue more than top-line obsession.
● 09:55 – Consolidation & private equity: Why PE and angel capital are coming down-market and what it means for owners.
● 11:45 – The advisor bus: Who sits on it (CPA, banker, wealth advisor, M&A experts) and where CJ adds value (strategic planning + value enhancement).
● 15:10 – Taking vitals: CJ’s assessment approach—quantitative (cash flow) and qualitative (owner goals).
● 17:40 – Offense & defense: Improving EBITDA while de-risking to strengthen multiples.
● 20:40 – Consequences of not planning: Concentrated wealth in one asset = high risk; competitors are planning even if you aren’t.
● 23:30 – The Value Builder tool: Why a baseline is critical and how to use it to close gaps.
● 25:00 – Simple vs. easy: Planning is straightforward but requires discipline.
● 29:15 – The “hired gun” role: CJ’s rewarding work fixing businesses and returning owners to the joy of why they started.
● 30:40 – Reading list: As a Man Thinketh and daily Bible study.
● 31:05 – How to reach CJ: Email and advisor-referral collaboration.
Notable Quotes
● “Every business will eventually sell.”
● “Knowledge unapplied is why I exist.”
● “If you aren’t planning, your competitor is.”
● “Simple doesn’t mean easy.”
● “Baseline value today—then close the profit, value, and wealth gaps over time.”
Resources & Next Steps
● Baseline your business: Use Value Builder or similar tools to establish starting scores.
● Quarterly cadence: Focus on one urgent-but-important initiative every 90 days.
● Build your bench: CPA + banker + wealth advisor + operators (CFO/COO-for-hire).
● Address the 5 D’s: Death, Disability, Divorce, Disagreement, Distress—plan around life’s inevitabilities.
Connect
● Guest — CJ Aulet
o Email: cjaulet@boulomai.com
● Host — Pete Bush, CFP®, CEPA® (Horizon Financial Group)
o Email: pbush@horizonfg.com
Disclosure
The views depicted in this material are for information purposes only and are not necessarily those of Cetera Advisors LLC. They should not be considered specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Pete Bush is a registered representative offering securities and advisory services through Cetera Advisors LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, a broker-dealer and registered investment advisor. Cetera Advisors LLC is under separate ownership from any other named entity. The guest on this episode is not affiliated with or registered with Cetera Advisors LLC. Any information provided by our guest is in no way related to Cetera Advisors LLC or its registered representatives.
15015 Jamestown Boulevard, Suite 100, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810.