Julie Keyes, founder of KeyeStrategies, is an author, national speaker, teacher, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). Keyes has been a lifelong entrepreneur as well as a faculty member of the Exit Planning Institute.
Keyes first started a business consulting practice in 2011 and noticed many of her clients needed to start planning for transitions. Since she had many clients express this need to her, she wanted to make it official by earning the CEPA certification from EPI in 2015.
Keyes has contributed her time and knowledge to the EPI community. She launched an EPI chapter in the Twin Cities Metro Area in 2016, as well as helped many other EPI chapters successfully launch. Keyes is also an EPI faculty member and accepted the Excellence in Exit Planning Leader of the Year award in 2017.
Keyes celebrates the release of her new book, “Poised for Exit: A Woman Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Transition.” She describes “Poised For Exit” as, “a small book packed with super valuable information.”
After becoming a certified exit planning advisor, Keyes wanted to help other business owners have a better experience transitioning than she did in the past. So, Keyes originally planned to write a book about her own experiences as an entrepreneur to share best practices with her fellow entrepreneurs.
Keyes then decided the book should be for women entrepreneurs specifically. Since there is very little literature in the exit planning industry that covers entrepreneurship from a woman’s standpoint, Keyes feels she has something valuable to contribute.
Keyes has a lifetime of wisdom, insight, and lessons learned from living as a woman entrepreneur. “I’ve lived it,” Keyes said. “I raised a family and kept up my home all while juggling the facets of being a woman entrepreneur.”
“Exit Planning is Not a DIY Project”
Julie Keyes
Over the course of her time as an entrepreneur, Keyes has learned the value of creating a solid community around you. “There’s no way you have all the answers and you need to have good advisors to walk with you and help you long the way,” Keyes said.
Keyes thinks one way to exit your business successfully is to have a good idea of what you are planning to do with your life after business.
“Get ready and prepare. Exit planning is not a DIY project. We are in a disaster right now, and many people weren’t ready,” Keyes said.
Keyes says that when business owners can imagine what life would be like outside of business, it makes for better planning and preparation for transition.
In addition to the release of her new book, Keyes recently launched a new podcast that is also called “Poised for Exit.” The purpose of the podcast is to supplement and dive even deeper into content from the book.
The “Poised for Exit” podcast consists of short, light, informative, and action-oriented information. In 30 powerful minutes, the episodes cover how people can improve their business and life.
For more information, you can read about both Julie Keyes’ new book and podcast by clicking here.
*Rated 5 stars, “Poised for Exit” is available for purchase on Amazon.