Build Practical Exit Planning Skills with EPI Academy’s Exit Planning in Practice Course

Helping a business owner exit their business requires more than a general understanding of the exit-planning process and the Value Acceleration Methodology™ (VAM).

Advisors need a practical framework and the confidence to guide conversations that can affect an owner’s business, personal, and financial future.

The Exit Planning in Practice course, part of EPI Academy’s Mastery Series, allows Certified Exit Planning Advisors (CEPA^®) to grow their knowledge through a several-week-long course focused on the key decisions owners face before, during, and after a transition.

What to Expect in the Program

This six-week program will provide advisors with proven frameworks they can put into their own practice. Across six sessions, attendees will explore how advisors help business owners evaluate their exit options, assess their readiness using VAM, and build long-term value.

The Exit Planning in Practice course covers nearly every step of a business owner’s exit journey, from initial valuation to personal planning for their post-exit future. For advisors, it also provides strategies for retaining assets under management and a successful relationship with the business owner after a sale.

Over the course of five weeks, advisors in each Exit Planning in Practice cohort will work through six sessions, including:

• Session 1: Financial Planning for the Owner and Spouse
• Session 2: Private Company Valuation for Exit Planning
• Session 3: Facing the Personal Planning Gap
• Session 4: Selling to a Private Equity Firm and How to Retain the AUM After a Business Sale and More
• Session 5: Understanding Family Transitions with the Bruce Family and ESOPs: Creating Liquidity Without Sacrificing Legacy
  

Meet the Faculty

Leading this course are seven EPI faculty members with a wide range of experience and expertise to help advisor attendees get the most out of each session. They are:

• Adam Koos, CEPA, President and Sr. Financial Adviser with Libertas Wealth Management Group, and President and Founder of Adrenaline Advisor Consulting
• Seth Webber, CEPA, ASA, CFA, Principal at BerryDunn
• Jerome Myers, CEPA, MBA, Founder of Exit to Excellence
• John Guinee, Managing Partner and Co-CEO at Staple
• Scott Bushkie, Managing Partner and Founder of Cornerstone Business Services
• Judi Cunningham, CEPA, Principal of Trella Advisory Group
• Andrew Nikolai, Managing Director at CSG Partners

Over six weeks, advisors can join live virtual sessions that fit into a busy advisory calendar. Each 90–120 minute session combines instruction with case studies. Attendees can also send questions to faculty to gain further insights into each session.

At the end of the course, advisors will take a 40-question online exam and earn an EPI Academy Mastery Series certificate after passing. This course also offers CEPAs looking to earn continuing education hours, 10 Value Acceleration Knowledge hours.

Upcoming Exit Planning in Practice courses are set for:

• October 26 – December 14, 2026
• February 22 – April 12, 2027

Learn More About the Course

Business owners need guidance when making decisions about the company they have spent years building. The Exit Planning in Practice course provides advisors with practical tools and expert insights to lead these conversations.

Discover the upcoming Exit Planning in Practice cohorts and take the next step toward becoming a more valuable resource for the business owners you serve. Visit the EPI Academy course page to learn more and register.

For advisors looking to build a more comprehensive exit-planning strategy, consider pairing Exit Planning in Practice with the Business Owner Prospecting and Engagement Series. Together, these two courses help strengthen an advisor's ability to attract business-owner clients and guide them through the exit-planning process.

About EPI Academy

EPI Academy is the Exit Planning Institute’s® (EPI) online learning platform, offering professional education for advisors working with business owner clients. Through practical instruction, case studies, and other real-world scenarios, advisors can deepen their exit-planning expertise and earn continuing education credits toward maintaining their Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) and other relevant credentials.

Related Resources

• How Top Advisors Integrate Value Acceleration into their Practice
• Explore Every EPI Academy Course
• An Inside Look at the Business Owner Prospecting and Engagement Series