35 - The Role your Financial Adviser plays in a Successful Exit

We talked today with Joel Seleskie, Founder and Principle of Seleskie Financial. Joel's team consists of 4 other advisers and 8 support staff, and work primarily with owners of privately held and closely held companies. Joel said he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a financial adviser. His first boss when in High School taught him the concept of earning interest on your money, and from then he went on to higher education in Finance, eventually becoming credentialed in financial advisory and insurance.  Joel works with a great number of business owners; many of whom are preparing for exit. We focused our conversation today on the role he plays in the process of exit planning. Joel believes in the power that a strong relationship brings to a long term advisory role. His focus is on being relatable, and understanding the non-financial impacts of exit, aside from the financial ones. The 'life after business' concept is one that is easily overlooked, but one that can derail the possibility of a pleasant retirement. So many owners have their life's work wrapped up in their business, in that it becomes their primary identity. Leaving it all behind is one of the most challenging aspects of transitioning, but Joel knows how to help owners deal with that well in advance. Understanding the storyline of the business and the owner, and determining what their needs and wants are is an integral part of the planning process for Seleskie Financial. During the process, Joel seeks to do what he can to help the owner memorialize their life's work. "Will I have enough?" is a question that keeps many owners up at night and it's one that Joel hears often. The remedy? Plan early and meet with your adviser regularly. Many owners also ask "how can I take care of my employees?". Joel's team works together to co-create a plan for the owner to have the best outcome possible while also being mindful of other stakeholders and their families. It's a holistic approach, to be sure. Check out the interview for more on this topic with Joel Seleskie.Find Joel here: seleskiefinancial.com or facebook.com/SeleskieFinancialFind Julie here: https://www.poisedforexit.com/Thank you to our Sponsors: JAK + Co. CPA's and Sunbelt Business AdvisorsConnect with Julie Keyes, Keyestrategies LLCFounder, Consultant, Author, Pod-caster and Instructor