{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Number","title":"How to Decide What to Do With Your Business","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2647,"description":"Most owners default to two exits: sell to a stranger, or shut down. Exit planning advisor Pete Walker lays out why that's a false choice. He explains how to get clear on what you actually want before an offer arrives, the three gaps every owner has to close first, and why employee ownership, including the newer employee ownership trust, is becoming a credible way to sell a business while keeping it locally owned. A grounded conversation about legacy, money, and knowing your number.\nIn This Episode\nWhy fewer than 10% of Canadian owners have a written plan for their exit, and how to start one\nThe three gaps to close before you sell: your personal number, your business value, and your life after work\nHow to weigh money against legacy so an offer becomes a clear yes or no\nThe full range of employee ownership options, from stock options to worker co-ops\nHow an employee ownership trust works, including the $10 million capital gains exemption and the 50.1% controlling-interest rule\nWhy keeping a business local protects the jobs, customers, and community around it\nFeatured Quote\n\"It's your story. It's your life, your legacy, your financial plan. You have the right to choose that outcome for yourself.\"\n — Pete Walker\nAbout the Hosts\nWendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts.\nKelsey McCauley is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. She works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning.\nAbout Our Guest\nPete Walker is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and a self-described reformed banker who spent 14 years in executive leadership at TD before building his own practice, Bolton Riverview Consulting. He grew...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/D12ba7JW-PGdd44Wu708yaH4zadpc44rOFn3Sk95kkU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zOThh/NWY5NjRiNTlkZjEw/YjRlZjRjNmQ1ZTI1/ODI5Ni5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}