— Exit Planning & Strategic Wealth
Most exit plans fail.
Here's why yours doesn't have to.
I work with business owners building toward a strategic exit — helping them understand what their business is actually worth, close the gap between that number and what they're counting on, and figure out what comes next.
I'm selective about who I take on. If you're serious about the work, let's talk.
Take the Exit Readiness Assessment
30+
YEARS ADVISING BUSINESS OWNERS
CFA, CEPA - specialized in exit planning and value acceleration
2-8x
MULTIPLE RANGE ON SAME REVENUE
The difference between a lifestyle business and a strategic asset
3-5 yr
TYPICAL RUNWAY NEEDED
To meaningfully move the value drivers that matter most to buyers
— Who I Work With
Is this you?
I don't work with everyone. These are the business owners I tend to work with best — and the ones who get the most out of the process.
✔
You own a business doing $500K–$5M+ in revenue and you're thinking about an exit in the next 3–10 years — even if it's vague right now.
✔
You're not sure what your business is actually worth to a buyer — and you suspect the number might be different from what you've been assuming.
✔
You're willing to hear a hard truth about where your business actually stands — and do something about it.
✔
You've heard generic financial advice your whole life and you're tired of it. You want someone who understands that your wealth is in your business, not in a portfolio.
✔
You want to understand what "exit planning" actually means beyond the financial mechanics — including what you're building toward on the other side.
✔
You run a creative agency, professional practice, or owner-operated business where your personal involvement is tied into the value — and you want to change that.
NOT A FIT
I'm not the right advisor for someone looking for stock tips, someone who wants validation for decisions they've already made, or someone who isn't ready to take a clear-eyed look at where their business actually stands. I'm also not the right fit for clients who want a transactional relationship — I work best with people who want a long-term strategic partner. If that's not you, no hard feelings. There are advisors better suited for that work.
—
"Real wealth is built in a concentrated fashion. You got wealthy by putting 80% of your net worth into one thing — your business — and building it. Every advisor who tells you to diversify immediately doesn't understand how you actually got here."
David Ward, CFA, CEPA · Brookside Strategy & Consulting
— How I Work With Clients
Three ways I can
help you right now
01
Primary Focus
Exit Planning
Most exits fail — not because of the numbers, but because the owner wasn't ready for what came after. I work backwards from your exit goal: what needs to be true about your business in 3, 5, or 7 years for you to sell it at the number you need, to a buyer who values it, and transition to a life you've actually thought about.
Every engagement starts with a Discovery Call. From there, the work depends on where you are and what you need most. Most clients work with me across more than one of these areas over time.
02
Know Before They Do
Business Valuation & Value Acceleration
There's the number you think your business is worth. Then there's the number a buyer would actually pay. I help you understand the gap — and more importantly, close it. We work through the eight value drivers that move your multiple and build a plan to address the ones that matter most in your timeline.
03
Concentrate to Build
Strategic Wealth Building
Business owners aren't employees. The advice designed for employees — diversify early, protect against downside, keep everything balanced — is often exactly the wrong advice when your wealth is still being built in a concentrated asset. I help business owners think about wealth the right way for where they actually are.
— About David
I spent 20 years helping people
preserve wealth. Then I realized
that's not how wealth gets created.
I started out managing portfolios. Diversification, risk management, the whole thing. And I was good at it. But I kept noticing something: the clients who had actually built real wealth hadn't done it through a balanced portfolio. They'd done it by putting everything into one thing and building it.
Their business. Their practice. Their concentrated bet.
That's when I made the shift. For the past decade, I've focused specifically on business owners — helping them understand what their business is actually worth, build toward a strategic exit, and figure out what a well-structured financial life looks like on the other side of the transaction.
People call me "The Professor" — not because I make things complicated, but because I work hard to make complicated things simple. I've been doing this for 30+ years. I've seen what works and what doesn't. And I'm direct about both.
CFA
CEPA
30+ YEARS EXPERIENCE
NATIONAL CLIENT BASE
— Results & Philosophy
"I told him my business was worth $5 million. He told me what a buyer would actually pay. The gap was uncomfortable. Working through it changed everything."
Business Owner — Creative Agency, California
40%
Average increase in projected exit value for clients who begin preparation 3+ years out
2–8×
Range in EBITDA multiples between unprepared and well-prepared businesses in the same industry
$0
Cost of a 30-minute Discovery Call. No pitch. No obligation. Just an honest conversation.
— Free Resource
Find out where your
business actually stands.
"This place doesn't run without me."
If you've ever said that with pride, your business is worth 30-50% less than you think.
✓ Used by 80,000+ business owners
✓ No email required to start
✓ See exactly where you're losing value
— Discovery Call —
Not everyone qualifies.
Find out if we're a fit.
A Discovery Call is 30 minutes. No pitch. I'll tell you what I see in your situation and what I'd prioritize — you decide if it makes sense to go further. I'm selective about who I work with, which means these conversations are worth having.