The Exit Planning Institute’s® (EPI) second Annual Exit magazine is here, and this year’s issue leans into one big theme: personal planning. This edition of the Annual Exit is an invitation to slow down, look beyond the numbers, and ask what a great life after exiting a business really looks like for an owner.
The award-winning first edition of Annual Exit brought together voices from across the exit planning community to talk about readiness, value, and the advisor’s role in guiding owners through transition, establishing the magazine as a place where real stories, practical tools, and big ideas come together.
This second issue is the next step in that journey. It focuses on the human side of exit: identity, relationships, time, and purpose once the daily demands of the business are no longer there.
Features in the second Annual Exit, like “The Key to Building a Fulfilling Post-Exit Life” and “Exiting To, Not From”, help to spotlight how Certified Exit Planning Advisors (CEPA®) can help craft meaningful exits for their clients that leave them fulfilled.
As EPI did in 2025, this year we highlight our Peter Christman Exit Planner of the Year, Joe Seetoo, on the front cover of the Annual Exit. A former EPI Thought Leader of the Year, Joe is a trailblazing CEPA who has set the standard for others in the exit planning community during his career.
Inside the 2026 Annual Exit, hear directly from Joe what led him to become a CEPA and his philosophy when helping business owners through the Value Acceleration Methodology™ (VAM).
“I try to meet owners where they are, flexible but structured. My first goal is to connect with who they are and what’s most important to them,” he says. “Sometimes it’s about the business. Other times it’s more personal, like health issues, burnout, or financial fears.”
To learn more about Joe and his approach to exit planning, check out our series of blogs highlighting Joe, including how he defines success, and a deep dive into his business owner toolkit, The Strategist.
The 2026 Annual Exit also features insights from personal planning experts, including Jerome Myers, MBA, CEPA®, Gerald “Kep” Kepner, CEPA®, Judi Cunningham, CEPA®, Lien De Pau, Christian Muntean, CEPA®, Sarah Friedell O’Connell, and Dede Kalt, CFA, CFP®. These contributions provide several practical strategies that advisors can implement in their exit planning practice.
Readers will also find a close look inside EPI and how those within the organization practice and are empowered to become leaders through VAM.
Whether you're a CEPA looking to hone your personal planning skills or a business owner eyeing an exit, this issue of the Annual Exit magazine equips you with the mindset and methods for a rewarding post-exit life.