---
title: Fitting the Puzzle Pieces Together
description: Discover how Tommy Bernard found the missing puzzle piece in his advisory practice with EPI’s Value Acceleration Methodology.
image: https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/hubfs/EPI_Puzzle-01.jpg
---

![exit planning institute](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/hs-fs/hubfs/logos/EPI_Exit-Planning-Institute_shield_white.png?width=60&height=64&name=EPI_Exit-Planning-Institute_shield_white.png)

## THE EXIT PLANNING BLOG

Keep up-to-date with exit planning, succession planning, industry trends, unique specialty insights, and useful content for professional advisors and business owners.

[![home](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/hubfs/EPI-Assets-2022/blog/home.png) ](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/)

#### Share this

[Share on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/cepa-puzzle-analogy&text=Fitting%20the%20Puzzle%20Pieces%20Together) [Share on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/cepa-puzzle-analogy&t=Fitting%20the%20Puzzle%20Pieces%20Together) [Share on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/cepa-puzzle-analogy&t=Fitting%20the%20Puzzle%20Pieces%20Together)

# Fitting the Puzzle Pieces Together

 by [**Exit Planning Institute**](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/author/exit-planning-institute) on August 19, 2024

![Title over image of giant wood puzzle pieces](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/hubfs/EPI_Puzzle-01.jpg)

Wealth advisor [Tommy Bernard](https://exit-planning-institute.org/member-detail/tommy-bernard) wasn’t looking for EPI, but when he found it, he soon discovered it was the missing piece of the puzzle he hadn’t known was missing. 

He was attending a conference where a team of money managers talked about the [CEPA® certification](https://exit-planning-institute.org/program/certified-exit-planning-advisor) and exit planning modeling they use. As Tommy listened, he realized the services they discussed were things he’d devoted his career to doing for clients: personal financial planning, estate planning, wealth generation, etc. While his focus hadn’t been on his clients’ businesses, he understood that for many of them, their wealth came from their business. So providing a strategic approach to exiting a business was an essential—and missing—piece of serving his clients more completely.  

## The Puzzle Metaphor 

“When you start solving a puzzle, you put a thousand pieces on the table, and it makes no sense,” Tommy explains. “It can be chaotic, confusing, and disjointed at first.” 

Most puzzlers strategize by putting the corners and borders together first. To Tommy, it was immediately clear that [the Value Acceleration Methodology](https://exit-planning-institute.org/about-us-methodology) represented the corners and borders.  

“With the corners and borders in place, you can put the rest of the puzzle together,” he says. “You can solve a puzzle without that framework, but it’s more difficult and usually takes much longer. The same is true in exit planning. You can still do it, but the Value Acceleration Methodology makes it easier to strategize. It contains the first pieces you need and then provides the steps for the rest.” 

## Putting the Puzzle Together 

With the “corners and borders” framework in place, Tommy says you can proceed logically through the three gates in the Value Acceleration Methodology: 

- **Discover:** Focus on assessments, measuring and vision-planning 
- **Prepare:** Focus on improvements (i.e., documenting processes and procedures) 
- **Decide:** Focus on what an owner’s transition looks like 

![EPI_Puzzle-02](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/hs-fs/hubfs/EPI_Puzzle-02.jpg?width=1080&height=1080&name=EPI_Puzzle-02.jpg)

## Aligning the Pieces 

The framework is also essential for helping owners decide where their team of advisors best fit. Before learning the Value Acceleration Methodology, Tommy’s experience with advisors was that each operated in a silo, providing advice that while good, was often disjointed from the rest of the team’s objectives.  

“We’ve witnessed client paralysis numerous times when different advisors focus too much on the details of their particular solution without crafting the necessary framework for a master plan,” he explains.  “When this happens, you’re typically left with incomplete and competing information which promotes inaction.”  

He just thought that was the way it was until EPI introduced him to a common sense, step-by-step approach. 

“The Value Acceleration Methodology is a proven system that helps you increase the value of your business and secure wealth while preparing you to think beyond the next day of business,” Tommy says. “EPI gave me the knowledge and language to put the pieces of the puzzle together for my clients and give them a step-by-step structure to construct a successful business transition plan.” 

### Related Resources

- [Read CEPA Case Studies](https://exit-planning-institute.org/clients-we-serve)
- [Explore the Basics of Value Acceleration](https://exit-planning-institute.org/program/basics-of-value-acceleration) 
- [Connect with Our CEPAs](https://exit-planning-institute.org/find-a-cepa)

Topics: [Blog](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/blog) [CEPA](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/cepa) [CEPA community](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/cepa-community)

#### Share this

[Share on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/cepa-puzzle-analogy&text=Fitting%20the%20Puzzle%20Pieces%20Together) [Share on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/cepa-puzzle-analogy&t=Fitting%20the%20Puzzle%20Pieces%20Together) [Share on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/cepa-puzzle-analogy&t=Fitting%20the%20Puzzle%20Pieces%20Together)

- Recent
- Topics

Recent

Topics

- [Blog (572)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/blog)
- [CEPA (445)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/cepa)
- [exit planning (247)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/exit-planning)
- [CEPA community (194)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/cepa-community)
- [Business Owner (178)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/business-owner)
- [Exit Planning Summit (115)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/exit-planning-summit)
- [EPI Chapter Network (88)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/epi-chapter-network)
- [Value Acceleration Methodology (84)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/value-acceleration-methodology)
- [Exit Planning Partner Network (82)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/exit-planning-partner-network)
- [EPI Announcement (49)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/epi-announcement)
- [Content (48)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/content)
- [Webinars (36)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/webinars)
- [Excellence in Exit Planning Awards (35)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/excellence-in-exit-planning-awards)
- [Marketing (30)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/marketing)
- [2024 Exit Planning Summit (28)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/2024-exit-planning-summit)
- [5 Stages of Value Maturity (26)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/5-stages-of-value-maturity)
- [Books (24)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/books)
- [EPI Academy (24)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/epi-academy)
- [EPI Team (23)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/epi-team)
- [Exit Planning Teams (23)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/exit-planning-teams)
- [Leadership (21)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/leadership)
- [2023 Exit Planning Summit (20)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/2023-exit-planning-summit)
- [Intangible Capital (20)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/intangible-capital)
- [family business (20)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/family-business)
- [women in business (20)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/women-in-business)
- [Exit Options (18)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/exit-options)
- [Black Friday (16)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/black-friday)
- [Walking to Destiny (16)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/walking-to-destiny)
- [CPA (15)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/cpa)
- [personal planning (15)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/personal-planning)
- [Chapters (14)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/chapters)
- [State of Owner Readiness (14)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/state-of-owner-readiness)
- [Small business (13)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/small-business)
- [charitable intent (13)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/charitable-intent)
- [Chris Snider (12)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/chris-snider)
- [National Accounts (12)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/national-accounts)
- [Financial Advisors (11)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/financial-advisors)
- [DriveValue (10)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/drivevalue)
- [Season of Deals (9)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/season-of-deals)
- [5 Ds (8)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/5-ds)
- [About us (8)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/about-us)
- [Podcast (8)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/podcast)
- [Scott Snider (8)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/scott-snider)
- [Awards (6)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/awards)
- [Case Studies (6)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/case-studies)
- [Christmas (6)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/christmas)
- [Exit Planning Content Library (6)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/exit-planning-content-library)
- [Insiders Bash (6)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/insiders-bash)
- [Three Legs of the Stool (6)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/three-legs-of-the-stool)
- [Circle of Excellence (5)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/circle-of-excellence)
- [Five Ds (5)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/five-ds)
- [Owner Roundtables (5)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/owner-roundtables)
- [Value Advisors (5)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/value-advisors)
- [Annual Exit (4)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/annual-exit)
- [EPI Thought Leadership Council (4)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/epi-thought-leadership-council)
- [Exit & Succession (4)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/exit-succession)
- [financial planning (4)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/financial-planning)
- [Exit Is Now Podcast (3)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/exit-is-now-podcast)
- [Owners Forum (3)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/owners-forum)
- [Whitepapers (3)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/whitepapers)
- [author (3)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/author)
- [executive training (3)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/executive-training)
- [forbes (3)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/forbes)
- [Artificial Intelligence (2)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/artificial-intelligence)
- [Peter Christman (2)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/peter-christman)
- [Veteran (2)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/veteran)
- [Business Owners Forum (1)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/business-owners-forum)
- [CEPA Connect (1)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/cepa-connect)
- [Growth and Impact Week (1)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/growth-and-impact-week)
- [Mastering the Market (1)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/mastering-the-market)
- [SOOR (1)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/soor)
- [Value Gap (1)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/value-gap)
- [business consultants (1)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/business-consultants)
- [team work (1)](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/tag/team-work)

[See all](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/cepa-puzzle-analogy#)

### Subscribe by email

### RELATED ARTICLES

[Exit Planning Summit Speaker Spotlight: Sean Hutchinson ](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/exit-planning-summit-speaker-spotlight-sean-hutchinson)

[![](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/hubfs/011822-013122-SeanHutchinson-Speaker-Instagram.jpg)

](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/exit-planning-summit-speaker-spotlight-sean-hutchinson)

[Blog CEPA CEPA community exit planning Exit Planning Summit

#### [Exit Planning Summit Speaker Spotlight: Sean HutchinsonExit Planning Summit Speaker Spotlight: Sean Hutchinson](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/exit-planning-summit-speaker-spotlight-sean-hutchinson)

](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/exit-planning-summit-speaker-spotlight-sean-hutchinson)

January 18, 2022  5 min read

[EPI is Pleased to Welcome 189 New Advisors to the CEPA Community ](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/epi-announcement/2020-april-masterclass-189-new-cepas)

[![](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/2020_banner-blog_Class-Annoucement-Masterclass_APR-1024x576.jpeg)

](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/epi-announcement/2020-april-masterclass-189-new-cepas)

[Blog CEPA CEPA community National Accounts exit planning Exit Planning Partner Network CPA Small business

#### [EPI is Pleased to Welcome 189 New Advisors to the CEPA CommunityEPI is Pleased to Welcome 189 New Advisors to the CEPA Community](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/epi-announcement/2020-april-masterclass-189-new-cepas)

](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/epi-announcement/2020-april-masterclass-189-new-cepas)

May 13, 2020  10 min read

[Meet our Newest Certified Exit Planning Advisors – A Mid-Year Review ](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/meet-our-newest-certified-exit-planning-advisors-a-mid-year-review)

[![](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/business-meeting-855x910.jpg)

](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/meet-our-newest-certified-exit-planning-advisors-a-mid-year-review)

[Blog CEPA CEPA community exit planning

#### [Meet our Newest Certified Exit Planning Advisors – A Mid-Year ReviewMeet our Newest Certified Exit Planning Advisors – A Mid-Year Review](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/meet-our-newest-certified-exit-planning-advisors-a-mid-year-review)

](https://blog.exit-planning-institute.org/meet-our-newest-certified-exit-planning-advisors-a-mid-year-review)

August 19, 2021  2 min read