MaxValue Podcast

What is a business valuation — and why can't you just Google it or ask AI? In this episode of Max Value Podcast, we sit down with business valuation experts Jeff Faust (Abbott Stringman Lynch CPAs) and Eric Sunheim (Marovous Valuations) to break down exactly what business appraisal is, why no two businesses are valued the same way, and what separates a defensible professional opinion from a cheap shortcut. Whether you're a business owner planning an exit, a trusted adviser, or just curious about how your company's value is determined, this episode covers everything from valuation vs. appraisal, the role of AI in the field, what a professional valuation really costs and why, and the most common misconceptions owners have about the process.

What happens to your business — and your wealth — when the unexpected strikes? In this episode of the Max Value Podcast, host Ben Towne sits down with John O'Dea, financial adviser at Summit Financial Group, for a deep dive into buy-sell agreements: what they are, why most business owners overlook them, and why that's a costly mistake. John breaks down the "5 D's" triggering events — death, disability, divorce, debtors, and departure — and explains how a well-structured buy-sell agreement acts like a prenup for your business, giving every shareholder a clear roadmap before things get complicated.Beyond the legal framework, John shares how buy-sell agreements fit into a broader wealth management strategy — especially when your business is your biggest (and most concentrated) asset. From insurance funding to valuation mechanics and the importance of regular reviews, this conversation is packed with practical insight for any business owner who wants to protect what they've built. Whether you're a sole owner or have multiple partners, this episode will change the way you think about business resilience and personal financial planning.

John Borrowman has been recruiting in business valuation and professional services since 1995—and in that time, he's seen what most firm leaders never will: the full talent market, not just the handful of roles they've personally hired for. In this episode, John brings his "forest vs. trees" perspective to one of the most overlooked challenges in the profession: why BV practices keep making the same hiring mistakes, and what it actually takes to fix them.John introduces his Unique Hiring Problem framework—a simple but powerful way to understand why leadership-level hires fail when firms treat them like entry-level ones. He walks through the three cyclical drivers of appraisal demand (tax, litigation, and M&A), explains why the BV talent pool is structurally limited at the senior level, and shares the top 3 mistakes firm owners make: storyless job posts, fuzzy compensation timelines, and applying the wrong evaluation process to the wrong type of role. He also covers the practical tools he uses to assess candidates—live case studies and platform-based skills tests—and the non-obvious insight about offer velocity that could be costing your firm top talent right now.Whether you're a firm owner actively hiring or just trying to build a stronger bench, this conversation will change how you think about finding and landing the right people.

In this episode, I sit down with Robert Friedman of Fearless Branding to explore how a well-defined brand can directly increase the value of your professional services firm. We dig into why so many firms struggle to attract their best clients — not because of the quality of their work, but because of how they're telling their story. Robert walks us through real examples, including our own branding engagement at Towne Advisory, and breaks down what it really takes to go from a mushy market position to one that works for you. If this episode added value, subscribe to the Max Value Podcast and share it with someone in your network who needs to hear it.Download our FREE EBOOK: https://ebooktowne.com/

What does it really take for an accounting firm to succeed with global staffing? In this episode, Ben Town sits down with Lawrence Whittam, founder of Suite Impact, who has helped 500+ US accounting firms build and integrate offshore teams. Lawrence breaks down why internal readiness matters more than vendor selection, how communication — not language barriers — is the #1 cause of failure, and what a step-by-step approach to outsourcing actually looks like. If your firm is considering global staffing or has struggled with it, this episode is your roadmap.Download our FREE EBOOK: https://ebooktowne.com/Listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon Music: LET'S CONNECT!Ben Towne LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-towne-advisory/Web Pages: https://towneadvisory.com/ || https://assurentadvisors.com/LAURENCE WHITTAMImpact Global Solutions: https://deal.csuiteimpact.com/igs-links-pageWebsite: https://impact-global.co/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactglobalsolutions/Laurence's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencewhittam/

We sit down with Bill Reeb, co-founder of Succession Institute and former AICPA Chair, for a conversation that challenges some of the most common assumptions in professional services. Bill makes a bold case that the so-called talent pipeline crisis is largely a myth — the real issues are firms refusing to go global, failing to push work down to lower levels, and holding on to bad clients. The discussion dives deep into why work-life balance problems are almost always self-inflicted, how over-billing partners are unknowingly destroying the value of their own firms, and what the rise of private equity really means for the future of small and mid-sized accounting firms. Bill also shares his unique perspective on conflict as a catalyst for growth, the importance of letting people make mistakes as a leadership development tool, and why the best advisors focus on asking the right questions rather than having all the answers.Download our FREE EBOOK: https://ebooktowne.com/Listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon Music: LET'S CONNECT!Ben Towne LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-towne-advisory/Web Pages: https://towneadvisory.com/ || [https://assurentadvisors.com/](https://assurentadvisors.com/knowledge-center/)[GUEST NAME]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billreeb/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessionInstituteBill's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.reeb.98X: https://x.com/billreebBill's X: https://x.com/successioninst1

In this episode of Max Value, performance psychologist Lauren Johnson reveals how the same mental frameworks that produce elite athletes can transform founders, executives, and teams operating under pressure. Drawing from her work with Major League Baseball and high-performing organizations, Johnson breaks down how “mental reps” train the brain to handle stress, make better decisions, and execute consistently when the stakes are highest. The conversation bridges sports science, leadership development, and early childhood mindset training—showing how simple, repeatable systems can compound into elite performance over time. Download our FREE EBOOK: https://ebooktowne.com/Listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon Music: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2489932/episodes/18825668LET'S CONNECT!Ben Towne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-towne-advisory/Web pages: https://towneadvisory.com/ || https://assurentadvisors.com/knowledge-center/LAUREN JOHNSONWeb: https://www.laurenjohnsonandco.com/https://mentalrepsco.com/subscribeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenjohnsonn/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurennicolejohnson/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAgiinhnP664j96geaFkdFgX: https://x.com/_laurenjohnson_

In this episode of Max Value, Suzi Potts, an industrial-organizational psychologist turned strategic business adviser, reveals how people strategy directly drives enterprise value—especially during growth, disruption, and exit. Moving from her early career in the wine and spirits industry to building data-backed talent systems, she explains how founders unknowingly create hidden financial drag through misaligned leadership structures, poor measurement systems, and unexamined succession plans. With sharp insights on family-business dynamics, tool-agnostic advisory work, and post-M&A leadership risk, this conversation challenges executives to think beyond financial modeling and confront the human architecture behind their results. For founders preparing to scale or transition, this episode delivers a critical message: value is built—or destroyed—through people decisions long before the deal is signed.Download our FREE EBOOK: https://ebooktowne.com/Listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon Music: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2489932/episodes/18784713LET'S CONNECT!Ben Towne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-towne-advisory/Web pages: https://towneadvisory.com/ || https://assurentadvisors.com/knowledge-center/SUZI POTTSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzipotts/Web Page: suzipottsconsulting.com.

In this episode of Max Value, Convo Communications co-founders Jared Mussano and Wayne Betts Jr. unpack what it truly means to build a mission-driven company without sacrificing scale, sustainability, or profitability. From bootstrapping for 16 years to operating across five countries and 16 time zones, they reveal how deaf-led innovation disrupted a billion-dollar industry by centering the end user instead of the balance sheet. This is not a story about accessibility—it’s a masterclass in ownership, product integrity, cultural leadership, and long-term vision. For founders and operators, it’s a powerful case study in protecting mission while scaling globally, designing for real human behavior, and building systems that create both impact and enterprise value.

In this episode of Max Value, We sit down with Anshul Agrawal to unpack what most CPA and professional service firms get wrong about global talent—and what it actually takes to build a scalable, high-performing offshore strategy. This is not a surface-level outsourcing conversation. It’s a strategic deep dive into control vs. convenience, direct hiring vs. agency models, nearshore vs. offshore decisions, and the operational discipline required to make global staffing work long-term. For founders and firm leaders serious about scaling without sacrificing quality or culture, this episode reframes offshoring as a multi-year strategic investment, not a "quick fix" and offers a clear, experience-driven roadmap for doing it right.Download our FREE EBOOK: https://ebooktowne.com/Listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon Music: LET'S CONNECT!Ben Towne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-towne-advisory/Web pages: https://towneadvisory.com/ || https://assurentadvisors.com/knowledge-center/Blog: Guest:Anshul's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anshul12/Accounting Trailblazers Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TtYUFLqEETizcWOCox6ls

In this episode of Max Value, we sit down with Adam Cipriano, owner of BSG Consulting and a 25-year veteran in exit planning, succession strategy, and M&A advisory. Adam breaks down the real differences between strategic and financial buyers, where today’s strongest buyer demand comes from, and why “boring, profitable businesses” often attract the highest interest.Adam also shares how exit and succession planning can dramatically increase value before a company goes to market. From deal structure and tax considerations to the emotional drivers behind an owner’s “why,” this conversation goes far beyond valuation formulas. You'll hear real stories from the field, including a deal nearly lost to an unexpected HR issue, and learn why preparation, the right advisory team, and multiple qualified buyers are essential to a successful outcome.Whether you’re a business owner preparing for transition, an advisor guiding clients through succession, or a valuation specialist looking to sharpen your insights, this episode delivers practical, experience-backed guidance you can use today.Download our FREE EBOOK: https://ebooktowne.com/LET'S CONNECT!Ben Towne LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-towne-advisory/Web pages: https://towneadvisory.com/ || https://assurentadvisors.com/knowledge-center/ADAM CIPRIANO:[email protected]@gmail.comwww.linkedin.com/in/adamcipriano

After successfully exiting SC Labs, Jeff Gray found himself back at the helm of the company he built. In part two of this Max Value interview, Jeff and I explore what happens after the deal closes, from the excitement of the sale to the realities of integration, leadership changes, and ultimately taking back control.Jeff shares candid insights about post-acquisition life, financial discipline, rebuilding trust, and leading through a turnaround. He reflects on evolving as a CEO, maintaining company culture, and how disagreements among founders can actually strengthen a business when guided by shared values.This episode is a must-watch for founders, business advisors, and valuation experts looking to understand the human and strategic sides of exit planning, M&A transitions, and second-act leadership.

(PART 1) Scaling Smart in Cannabis: The Story of SC LabsWhat does it take to build, scale, and position a business for long-term success in a highly regulated industry? In this episode of Max Value, host Ben Towne sits down with Jeff Gray, the once-and-future CEO of SC Labs, one of the first cannabis testing laboratories in California.Jeff shares how growing up in Santa Cruz led him to co-found SC Labs, the early challenges of legitimizing cannabis testing, and how his company helped shape modern standards for consumer safety and transparency. He also dives into the complex process of scaling across states, working through the shifting regulatory landscape, and finding the right investment partners — all while balancing life and leadership.If you advise business owners or work in valuation, M&A, or strategy, this conversation is full of lessons on exit readiness, scaling models, investor alignment, and leadership resilience.

In this episode of the MaxValue Podcast, host Ben Towne sits down with Dr. Steven Kirch, productivity coach and founder of Profit Minds, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming leadership, scaling small businesses, and protecting intellectual property in the process.Dr. Kirch shares his remarkable journey from physicist to business coach, revealing how AI can cut repetitive work by up to 60%, boost engagement, and free teams to focus on high-value, strategic growth. Together, they unpack practical ways to adopt AI responsibly—from building an internal AI policy to safeguarding proprietary data with encrypted “IP vaults.”You’ll also hear about real-world results, including how one law firm increased efficiency and quality using AI-powered tools, and learn the habits that help business leaders integrate technology without losing the human touch. Whether you’re a business owner, valuation expert, or advisor, this episode delivers actionable insights on productivity, data protection, and the evolving role of AI in business leadership.

Join host Ben Towne in this episode of Max Value as he sits down with John Walker—entrepreneur, mentor, and longtime Vistage International leader. With over 40 years of experience coaching CEOs and building businesses, John shares hard-earned lessons from both major wins and painful failures.You’ll hear stories about turning around a strike-ridden manufacturing plant, bringing the Brita water filter to U.S. markets, and navigating the challenges of a failed energy startup. John also dives into the power of leadership vision, what makes succession planning work (or fail) in family businesses, and why he believes the ultimate wealth is human creativity.Whether you’re a business owner, valuation specialist, or professional advisor, this conversation is packed with insights on leadership, exit planning, and long-term value creation.👉 If you enjoy conversations on business valuation, succession planning, and leadership growth, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with a colleague who would find this valuable.business valuation, exit planning, succession planning, leadership lessons, entrepreneurship, Vistage coaching, family business strategy, human creativity in business.

What makes a CPA more than just an accountant? In this episode of Max Value, host Ben Towne sits down with Denise Froemming, President & CEO of CalCPA, to explore why CPAs are trusted as the custodians of financial truth—and how they can directly boost the value of your business.Denise shares her inspiring journey from healthcare finance and data analytics to global real estate leadership and ultimately guiding one of the largest CPA organizations in the U.S. She explains what sets CPAs apart, how the licensing process is evolving, and why their integrity and public trust responsibilities matter now more than ever.You’ll also hear how CPAs add strategic value far beyond tax preparation, from business valuation and exit planning to advisory insights that help companies grow. Plus, Denise weighs in on the future of the profession, including how CPAs can stay relevant in the age of AI while maintaining professional skepticism.📌 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:What a CPA really does—and why it mattersHow CPAs safeguard public trust and financial integrityNew, more flexible pathways to becoming a CPAHow CPAs increase business value and support ownersWhy strategic advice makes CPAs worth the investmentHow the profession is adapting to AIIf you’re a business owner, advisor, or finance professional, this conversation will help you see why having the right CPA in your corner can be a game-changer.

Discover how virtual assistants are helping business owners and professional service firms save time, boost productivity, and focus on what truly matters. In this episode of Max Value, Ben Towne interviews Tessa Baragasa, founder of Birdie Consulting in Colombia, about why U.S. businesses are turning to virtual assistants, how to find the right talent, and the secrets to building trust with remote teams.Whether you’re curious about nearshoring, want to learn how to delegate effectively, or need insights on data security and remote staffing, this conversation delivers real-world tips and experiences you can apply today.What You’ll Learn:Why Colombia is a top choice for virtual assistantsCommon myths about remote staffing—and the truth behind themPractical ways business owners use VAs to free up timeHow to build trust and integrate VAs into your team seamlesslyIf you’re ready to unlock growth and efficiency with virtual assistants, this episode is for you!

In this in-depth conversation, we explore how divorce affects business valuation, from determining marital value to handling goodwill, related party transactions, and post-COVID financial adjustments. Family law valuation expert Megan Thompson shares real-world challenges, including small business complexities, replacement compensation disputes, and ensuring fairness in court. Whether you’re an attorney, business owner, or valuation professional, this episode offers practical strategies and legal insights to navigate divorce-related business valuations with accuracy and confidence. 

How does a $400 million capital gains tax exclusion sound? In this breaking update, tax strategist Garry Whitfield returns to MaxValue to unpack game-changing revisions to QSBS (Qualified Small Business Stock) following a newly signed federal bill. From raised asset thresholds to tiered holding periods and smarter exit strategies, this episode dives deep into how these enhancements can radically impact startup founders, investors, and exit planners.  You'll learn: - What changed under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code and why it matters   - Real-world examples of how these updates can create massive tax-free opportunities   - Advanced structuring tips for LLCs and C-Corps that maximize QSBS benefits   - Why the expanded $75M cap opens the door to strategic share issuance   - How Garry’s personal passion fuels his professional precision 

What does it take to exit your business successfully? In this in-depth conversation, wealth advisor Sarah Raven and valuation expert Ben Towne explore the full spectrum of exit planning—from business readiness and financial strategy to emotional preparedness and long-term vision. Whether you're years away from selling or just beginning to think about life after ownership, this series walks you through the three critical pillars of exit planning: business value, personal goals, and financial planning.Through analogies, real-life examples, and practical advice, Sarah and Ben break down key concepts like the readiness gap, value gap, wealth gap, and legacy planning. They share insights on navigating the emotional complexity of transition, structuring deals, building a strong advisory team, and preparing for what comes next. This is more than a checklist—it’s a blueprint for business owners who want to maximize value, avoid costly missteps, and exit on their own terms.

 In this closing conversation, Bekah Zsiga reflects on how flexible, remote work makes it possible to balance a fulfilling career in business valuation with active family life—something that once felt out of reach. She shares how continuous learning, meaningful client relationships, and a supportive team culture contribute to deep job satisfaction. Becca and I conclude with personal reflections on how part-time work models create real benefits for both professionals and firms. 

In this special episode, Ben Towne and guest Megan Thompson take a hilarious and insightful look at The Accountant 2, the action-packed sequel to the 2016 thriller. They break down the film’s plot, revisit key moments from the original movie. Blending humor with professional insight, this episode is perfect for both movie buffs and number nerds.

In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Gary Whitfield to dive into one of the most powerful tools in exit planning: Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS). We break down how business owners can potentially exclude up to $10 million—or even more—in capital gains, and what it takes to qualify. From entity structure to valuation strategy, we cover what you need to know early if you're thinking about a future sale. Whether you're an entrepreneur or advising one, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.

Thanks for joining MaxValue, a podcast designed to help business owners and their professional advisors achieve maximum value. I'm your host, Ben Towne.I’m a CPA and an accredited valuation specialist. I run Towne Advisory, a business appraisal, exit planning, and consulting firm in the U.S., and I also own a financial outsourcing firm in India. At Towne Advisory, we’ve valued billions of dollars in assets and helped business owners achieve around a quarter billion dollars in successful exits. Through our business valuation and exit builder programs, we focus on partnering with advisors—including CPAs, attorneys, and wealth advisors—for small businesses.This show provides valuable education around business valuation, exit planning, global staffing, and other topics I find relevant. We’ll feature experts discussing their roles in advising businesses, offering insights into how business value is created, communicated, and ultimately converted into a successful exit.