Live Your Life According to E-P-I: Experiences. People. Innovation.

Power Sessions offer the Exit Planning Summit attendees the opportunity to encounter presenters who challenge the status quo and offer new ideas to professional advisors. In the past, exit planning was seen as a transactional service: an advisor helping an owner sell their business. Our community of advisors, industry experts, and business owners have challenged that idea and since grown exit planning, and advisory practices in general, into a transformational experience.

These Power Sessions are similar to a TED Talk and provide the audience with a thought-provoking, inspiring, and motivational experience that transforms the way we think and provides actionable education and insights. 

We spoke with Power Session Speaker and EPI President, Scott Snider, about how he created the E-P-I concept, what attendees can expect from the Power Sessions, and how following your purpose improves your business and your life. 

Meet Scott Snider 

Scott Snider is the President of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI) and the Operating Partner of Snider Premier Growth, a small family investment company. Scott is a nationally recognized industry leader, growth specialist, and lifetime entrepreneur. He launched his first business at the age of 17. At 24, he sold to a strategic buyer (his first “exit”) and joined his father’s, Chris Snider, private exit planning and M&A firm Aspire Management. At the time, the firm was looking to dominate Northeast Ohio’s exit planning space.

With their passion for business strategy and serving owners and advisors alike, Scott and his father Chris purchased the Exit Planning Institute (EPI), introduced the Value Acceleration Methodology, wrote an award-winning book called Walking to Destiny, and effectively increased the business size by 10x.

As an exited business owner himself, Scott’s passion is helping business owners create significant companies while aligning their personal financial plans and helping the owner find and tap their personal purpose. He and his EPI team achieve this through educating professional advisors who surround the business owner during this journey. Creating not only significant companies but significant teams and outcomes.

Outside of business, Scott is active inside of the Northeast Ohio community. He serves on various boards including America SCORES Cleveland and the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program at St. Edward High School. Scott is a former professional indoor soccer player and team owner in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL).

How did you come up with the “E-P-I” Experiences, People, Innovation concept?

Scott Snider: Through a strategic planning session. In 2020, EPI as an organization produced its 3-year strategy which required us to also look at our mission, vision, values, and purpose. Between that and the financial metrics and goals, we then asked ourselves what the key capabilities were internally we needed to get us there. We said that we, as an EPI team, needed to provide transformational educational experiences, we needed to motivate, inspire and bring people together, and we needed to continue to stay ahead of the market by evolving and being innovative. As we approached our Summit, we also thought of our CEPAs and found that our CEPAs and those who want to work with owners in transition and building value shared similar capabilities. So we embraced this overall. 

Based on your leadership training with Dr. Fred Johnson, one of our main stage speakers, you determined your personal purpose is based on “creating experiences”, how does this relate to your work at EPI and outside of the business?

Scott Snider: I found that my purpose is to help create significant experiences for those around me. I think it relates directly to my role at EPI both internally with our team or externally with our EPI Community. Internally, at the highest level, I am in charge of attracting and retaining great people, developing them, and creating a great culture that everyone here loves. You don’t just achieve that without providing your people with transformational experiences, surrounding them with other great people, and giving them the ability and challenge to stay creative. Looking at our members, it’s the same. In order to arm our CEPAs with the right knowledge and skills, we need to provide transformational educational experiences. In order to build effective exit planning teams, we need to have great people. And for CEPAs to remain on top of the market, we need to innovate and evolve always. 

How does the E-P-I concept fit in the exit planning industry?

Scott Snider: Experiences, People, and Innovation are three components that are useful in every industry, but especially in exit planning. Exit planning advisors work holistically with business owners to ensure their business, personal, and financial needs are met. Utilizing the E-P-I concept will create transformational client engagements. 

What can Summit attendees expect from this year’s Power Sessions?

Scott Snider: Expect an all-star lineup that will move you. These experts will make you think differently, they will motivate you, and inspire you. Just as the session is titled. Powerful stuff. Summit attendees will hear from experts who represent Experiences, People, and Innovation. The three elements are needed to be a top advisor in the exit planning space.

The 2022 Exit Planning Summit

We are excited to welcome hundreds of Certified Exit Planning Advisors Sunday, May 1 – Tuesday, May 3, 2022, to Scottsdale, Arizona for a conference where top advisors, their teams, and business owners come to build deep relationships, share unique experiences, and uncover innovative solutions for their business.

The Exit Planning Summit is the coming together of the CEPA Community. The best CEPAs from around the world collaborate with their supporting partners and colleagues that are all helping business owners to create more significant companies. CEPAs will develop new or further current relationships, learn best practices, and advance themselves as advisors. Advisors will leave the Exit Planning Summit not only galvanized to accelerate their practice but with the tools and connections to do so.  

Learn more about the Exit Planning Summit and register to reserve your spot today!