Libsyn Directory

Ep 267 Profitable Exit Strategy and Succession Planning with Eric Brotman

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Release Date: 04/29/2025

Ep 273 Stop the Stupid, Proactive Problem Solving with Doug Hall

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Stop the Stupid, Proactive Problem Solving with Doug Hall Stop the Stupid, Increase Profits: Unlocking the Hidden Power of Proactive Problem Solving with Doug Hall Imagine running a business where your team is fully engaged, dumb processes are eliminated, and profits grow as a byproduct of operational clarity. That’s not a fantasy—it’s the Profit First future that innovation expert Doug Hall lays out in this episode of The Profit Answer Man. Doug has spent nearly 50 years innovating and coaching at the highest levels—from Procter & Gamble to launching his own distillery....

Ep 272 Scaling In The Age of Digital Disruption with Mike Peterson

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Scaling In The Age of Digital Disruption with Mike Peterson Are your teams helping you scale—or silently sabotaging your margins? In today’s episode, we dig into the critical intersection of people, process, and technology with Mike Peterson, author of Leading in the Age of Digital Disruption and founder of Apex Consulting Partners. Mike brings a rare combination of HR and IT expertise to the table—two departments that can either clash or collaborate to drive exponential growth when led strategically. Mike’s story is one of corporate reinvention. After a health scare, he left...

Ep 271 Business Growth Do's and Don'ts to Drive Profit with Carolyn Lowe

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Business Growth Do's and Don'ts with Carolyn Lowe Scaling Smarter – How Carolyn Lowe Uses Profit First to Power High-Growth Amazon Brands Are your people profitable—or just payroll? In this episode of The Profit Answer Man, we're diving deep into the often-ignored truth of agency growth: labor isn't your biggest expense—it’s your biggest risk. Carolyn Lowe, founder of ROI Swift and a fierce advocate for Profit First, reveals the real math behind scaling service businesses profitably and sustainably. Carolyn isn’t just another agency owner. She’s scaled brands from $30K to...

Ep 270 Profit First for Lawyers and You with Rjon Robins

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Profit First for Lawyers and You with Rjon Robins Unlocking Profits for Lawyers: RJon Robins on Escaping the Trap of Traditional Accounting Are you unknowingly flying blind in your business? If your accountant is giving you a rearview mirror of what already happened, instead of a roadmap to where you’re going, you may be sabotaging your profits—and not even know it. In this high-impact episode of The Profit Answer Man, we sit down with legendary entrepreneur, attorney, and author RJon Robins to blow the lid off common financial myths that are keeping small law firm owners broke,...

Ep 269 Implementing Entrepreneurial Operating Systems (EOS) in Your Business with Derek Newcomer

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Implementing Entrepreneurial Operating Systems (EOS) in Your Business with Derek Newcomer Have you ever felt like you were great at your craft—but struggling to build a real business around it? You're not alone. In this episode of The Profit Answer Man, we talk to someone who lived that exact journey and came out stronger for it. Meet Derek Newcomer—a former fitness entrepreneur who learned the hard way that being a great coach isn't enough. Today, he's a certified EOS Implementer guiding business owners to gain control, clarity, and consistent results using the Entrepreneurial...

Ep 268 Scale Without the Stress with Nick Keesey

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Scale Without the Stress with Nick Keesey Ever feel like your business is running you instead of the other way around? You’re not alone—and today’s guest proves it’s possible to escape that trap and scale with less stress and more profit. Nick Keesey is a battle-tested entrepreneur who’s built multiple 6- and 7-figure businesses—and burned a few to the ground along the way. But instead of staying down, Nick turned failure into fuel, discovering how organization, clarity, and ruthless focus are the keys to sustainable business growth. If you’ve ever struggled with shiny...

Ep 267 Profitable Exit Strategy and Succession Planning with Eric Brotman

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Profitable Exit Strategy and Succession Planning with Eric Brotman Are you building a business you can actually walk away from? What if the problem isn’t how to exit—but how you think about it? This week on The Profit Answer Man, we sat down with the legendary Eric Brotman, CEO of BFG Financial Advisors, who’s flipping the script on succession planning. For him, retirement isn't the end—it's a graduation into a new, exciting chapter. In this episode, we’re not just talking theory—we’re breaking down the actual moves Eric made over 15 years to build a business that thrives...

Ep 266 Predictable Profitable Membership Models with Stu McLaren

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Predictable Profitable Membership Models with Stu McLaren What if your current business model is quietly killing your freedom? That’s the harsh truth Stu McLaren uncovered—and when he made the switch, everything changed. In this episode of The Profit Answer Man, Stu shares the pivotal moment he realized his business, while successful on paper, wasn’t scalable or sustainable for the life he wanted. What followed was a transformation into one of the most respected minds in the world of membership-based business models. If you’re a coach, creator, consultant, or service...

Ep 265 Systems & Processes That Drive Profit with Adi Klevit

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Systems & Processes That Drive Profit with Adi Klevit Chaos is expensive. In this episode of The Profit Answer Man, we crack the code on how documented systems aren’t just nice-to-have—they’re the missing multiplier in your business’s profitability formula. If you're tired of being the bottleneck, constantly putting out fires, and never getting ahead, it's time to trade the hustle for high-performance systems that scale. Our guest, Adi Klevit, reveals how business owners can create a self-operating machine by implementing and optimizing their processes. Spoiler...

Ep 264 Profitable Exits How to Build and Sell For Maximum Value with Cameron Bishop

Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond

Profitable Exits: How to Build and Sell For Maximum Value with Cameron Bishop Are you sitting on the edge of explosive business growth—but don’t know how to scale profitably or exit wisely? Want to know how the pros turn $7 million companies into $400 million powerhouses while pocketing $100 million in profit? In this episode of The Profit Answer Man, we sit down with Cameron Bishop, a serial acquirer, turnaround expert, and strategic advisor who’s bought, built, and exited dozens of businesses. From the front lines of private equity deals to the nitty-gritty of turnaround...

More Episodes

Profitable Exit Strategy and Succession Planning with Eric Brotman

Are you building a business you can actually walk away from?

What if the problem isn’t how to exit—but how you think about it? This week on The Profit Answer Man, we sat down with the legendary Eric Brotman, CEO of BFG Financial Advisors, who’s flipping the script on succession planning. For him, retirement isn't the end—it's a graduation into a new, exciting chapter.

In this episode, we’re not just talking theory—we’re breaking down the actual moves Eric made over 15 years to build a business that thrives without him. If you’re serious about maximizing the value of your business and exiting on your terms (without private equity hijacking your legacy), this is the playbook you need.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Why Eric hates the word retirement—and what mindset shift could unlock your next level.
How to start building your exit strategy a decade before you plan to leave.
The difference between building a sellable company… and just owning your job.
Real-world examples of internal succession done right—without sacrificing culture or control.
The one metric you’re probably not watching that could destroy your transition plan.

Key Takeaways:

Start Your Exit Long Before You Need It. Eric started building his succession plan at 38. Today, he’s gradually transferring ownership to internal partners—protecting culture, profitability, and legacy.
“Graduation” Beats “Retirement”. Instead of stepping away into boredom, Eric talks about moving into a chairman/advisory role, staying engaged with strategic vision without day-to-day stress.
Internal Buyouts Aren’t Always Lucrative—But They’re Often More Fulfilling. He could’ve taken a big check from PE. Instead, he chose continuity, values, and staying true to the mission.
Team Building Is Strategic Planning. This wasn’t just about creating a leadership team. It was about building equity, commitment, and a business that thrives without dependency on one person.
Succession = Culture + Cash Flow + Control. Get these right, and you’ve got options. Ignore them, and you’re the bottleneck holding the whole thing back.

About Eric Brotman:

Eric D. Brotman, CFP®, is the CEO of BFG Financial Advisors, founder of Brotman Media Group, and author of Don’t Retire…Graduate! With 30+ years in the financial planning world and over $700 million AUM, Eric is a true architect of long-term business and financial legacies. His firm’s unique internal succession model offers a rare roadmap for owners who want to graduate instead of retire.

Conclusion:

Will Your Business Outlive You?

Too many founders build a business that dies when they leave. Eric Brotman is living proof that with vision, systems, and intentional planning—you can build a company that survives and thrives without you.

If you're not exit-ready, you're not growth-ready. It's time to change that.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/BFGFinancialAdvisors/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bfgfa/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebrotman/

https://www.instagram.com/bfgfinancialadvisors/

brotmanmedia.com

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman

Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page

Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst

Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/

My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/