You’ve had your Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) credential for some time now … but it’s always a good idea to keep learning and refining your exit planning skills.
As the summer months fade into autumn, and students return to classes, now is as good a time as any for you, the exit planning professional, to head back to school with all of the tools available to you through the Exit Planning Institute® (EPI).
Class is Back in Session
As you prepare for your first day back at CEPA School, it is a good time to consider your electives. Luckily, with EPI Academy’s extensive (and still growing) catalogue of continuing education courses, there are plenty of options.
EPI Academy’s best-in-class faculty will include several familiar faces from your CEPA Program, including Christopher and Scott Snider and 2024 Exit Planner of the Year Amy Wirtz. EPI Academy courses dive deeper into the topics you covered in the CEPA Program, like the Value Acceleration Methodology ™, the Three Legs of the Stool, the role of the exit planning quarterback, and more.
Each course also awards continuing education credits required to maintain your CEPA credential.
Study Groups
How can you supplement your EPI Academy learning opportunities? EPI’s webinars and CEPA Think Tanks are a great way to learn directly from experts in the exit planning space.
Consider scheduling time for an EPI webinar to get more insight into hot topics, including how to master LinkedIn, strategies for implementing AI into your exit planning practice, and emotionally preparing owners for their exits.
If you’d prefer a more interactive class, EPI-hosted Think Tanks could be an attractive alternative. Exclusive for CEPAs, CEPA Think Tanks are a great place to make connections with other CEPAs, share experiences, and discuss strategy during breakout rooms.
Live CEPA Think Tanks and live webinars also offer CEPAs an hour of EPI continuing education, which is required to maintain your credentials.
As you prep for your return to CEPA School, see if you can fit a few webinars or CEPA Think Tanks into your busy schedule. For more information on upcoming learning opportunities and, if you are in the Credentialed Plus Tier, to view archived webinars you may have missed, check out the member resources tab in your EPI Member Center. For our exclusive CEPA Think Tanks, be sure to set aside time on your schedule, as those events are not recorded.
For non-CEPAs, check out our upcoming webinar schedule to find one that fits into your schedule.
Class Reunion
Another great way to stay in touch with your exit planning peers you may have met in EPI’s webinars, CEPA Think Tanks, or Chapter meetings is the annual Exit Planning Summit.
The Summit offers networking opportunities with other exit planning professionals, valuable workshops, main stage sessions with familiar names like Justin Goodbread, and breakout sessions that allow for more in-depth learning.
Sessions at the 2025 Exit Planning Summit included workshops on mastering the triggering event, personal planning, team building, and more.
A three-day event, the Summit also moves to a new location each year, giving you the opportunity to network with exit planners from across the country. To get more info on the Exit Planning Summit and see where we’re headed this year, visit the Summit website.
EPI’s Chapter Network is another opportunity to stay in touch with fellow exit planning pros and share experiences, challenges, and successes with others working in the same area as you. EPI has 30 chapters spread across 20 states and is always expanding.
Each chapter has its own unique events where you can connect with exit planning peers to workshop the best outcomes for business owners. To find the EPI Chapter closest to you, visit our chapter page and click on each region to learn more about its upcoming events and meet its leadership.
The best part about the Exit Planning Summit and your local EPI Chapter? Unlike your high school reunion, you won’t have to wait another ten years to experience them again.
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