Succession Planning for Financial Advisors: Building an Enduring Business, + Website

Acknowledgments

First, let me thank the only girlfriend I’ve ever had, my wife of 35 years, Penny. She has supported every dream I’ve ever had whether they made sense or not. Every day she shares with me her special gifts—a smile and a great attitude, and endless patience. Being married to an entrepreneur means a lot of time alone, not just the time to write this book, but the preceding decades it took to amass the knowledge and experience and education. As I work through yet another million miles of travel across the country on behalf of FP Transitions, I am thankful that she has been rescued by our four small dogs that don’t believe in alone time.

One of the points we make in this book is that businesses are not built alone. My business partner, Brad Bueermann, is nothing short of my coauthor. When he joined FP Transitions, it was to serve as our second stage rocket booster. We had gotten off the ground, as you’ll read, but we likely would never have achieved orbit but for his wisdom and foresight—Brad showed me firsthand that it often takes a different set of skills to transition from a job or a practice into a business of enduring value. There is not one page of this book that he has not touched or improved. He was also the only person courageous enough to suggest that the book’s first draft would make a wonderful contribution to Oregon’s renowned recycling efforts.

Brad lives a simple, but sophisticated business life based on two fundamental tenets: (1) constantly explore ...