Transition, Not Transaction
A Blog and Resources From Denise Logan
Transition, Not Transaction
A Blog and Resources From Denise Logan
Don’t Let Deception Derail Your Deals
It crossed my LinkedIn feed like a perfectly aimed cannonball, fired right at my chest. “Don’t let them know you are selling.” I’m paraphrasing the actual post to keep the advisor anonymous, but the advice hit me in the stomach, and made me think back to my own exit. It was a crazy time, and I just needed advisors...
Putting the “R” Back in ROI
Adapted from my post “What Harvey Can Teach Us About ROI…” The callous use of a common phrase in someone else’s blog post shocked me. The writer used the common acronym “ROI”. But he couched it as “Relief on Investment” in describing how to choose a charity to support victims of Tropical Storm Harvey, which at the...
Helping Clients Know When to Let Go
As advisors, we’ve all come across clients who are the founder and leader of their companies, and felt like it was never the right time to let go. Last week I was listening to a great story on NPR about whether Founder CEOs have a shelf life. It focused on the concept of transition as the Co-Founder of Peloton John...
In One Shining Moment 2022
March 13th begins March Madness, the NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament. From then until the final game is played on April 4, film crews will be capturing the most memorable moments – from the joyous to the heartbreaking – to craft into a video montage played at the end of the tournament over one of the...
The Circle of 60 and the Power of Relationship Building
Previously, I was a guest of Katie Mulligan on ACG's Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast. The following is an excerpt from our discussion. I highly recommend giving it a listen! Who will your 60 be? Margaret Mead, the renowned anthropologist, was one to ask, “What were the first signs of civilization?” Was it...
Turning the Page 2021
Every year, I press pause for the last few weeks in December to create space for reflection and to connect with the people who are important to me, always encouraging you as my readers to do so, too. Let me ask you these two questions to open a space for that reflection: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how was your year? ...
The “Favorite Uncle” Standard of Care
Fifteen years ago, my parents were running three businesses and, within a three-month period, each of them was diagnosed with cancer. Dad with late-stage colon cancer, mom with mid-stage breast cancer. They were suddenly in over their heads, and everything began to unravel. I lived in another state and, like many of...
Do You Want to Know What’s REALLY Going on With Your Clients?
When I meet a new advisor and tell them that I speak about the psychology of business owners and how to make it easier for them to let go when the time comes to exit their business, they usually groan and say something like “Good grief, I spend half my time in every deal playing a part-time psychologist for my...
5 Tips to Become THE Trusted Advisor Every Client Wants to Work With
While we throw around the term “Trusted Advisor” in our industry and want our clients to see us in that role, do you know what ACTUALLY makes business owners turn to you in that role and refer you to everyone they know? In The Seller’s Journey, the business owner protagonist Marty plans a trip across Glacier National...
The Art of Letting Go: What Parents of College Freshmen and Business Owners Have in Common
I was at a networking cocktail party two weeks ago and the investment banker I was talking to kept checking his phone. He apologized at one point, explaining that his wife was driving to another state with his daughter who was starting college the following week. He was, understandably, nervous about them being on...
In One Shining Moment
This week begins March Madness, the NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament. From now until the final game is played on April 5, film crews will be capturing the most memorable moments – from the joyous to the heartbreaking - to craft into a video montage played at the end of the tournament over one of the...
Is a Groundhog Running Your Deals?
Today is Groundhog Day and millions of folks all over the country will be looking to see if there will be 6 more weeks of winter by watching the antics of a groundhog named Punxatawney Phil. You know, if he sees his shadow, we get six more weeks of winter. If not, then spring is right around the corner. In many a...
Reflective Questions to Contemplate as You Turn the Page
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS TO CONTEMPLATE AS YOU TURN THE PAGE *** CLOSING THE BOOK ON 2021 What did I embrace in 2021? What did I let go of in 2021? What changed for me in 2021? What did I discover about myself in 2021? What was I most grateful for in 2021? When did fear hold me back in 2021? Where did I demonstrate...
Why Gratitude Is Good for You
Do you need some motivation for practicing gratitude this Thanksgiving? It turns out that gratitude is good for our bodies, our minds, and our relationships. Advisors and business owners who feel honored to work with each other close deals at substantially higher rates and are happier with the outcomes, which leads...
SCARY THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
There are lots of things that cause business owners to bolt upright in their beds at 3am scared out of their minds when they’re selling their business. Whether the tale of your next deal is a horror story filled with regrets or has your client telling all their business owner friends about the fairy tale ending...
Is Dying at Your Desk Noble or Tragic?
Earlier this year, I facilitated a retreat for a group of business owners to talk about how to know when it’s time to sell their business and retire and how to navigate that transition without regrets. One of them I’ll call “Brian” announced he had no plans to retire – “Not me,” he said. “I’m planning to...
It’s a Transition, Not a Transaction: Selling Your Business Without Regret (Podcast)
Listen: Your Life, Simplified, Podcast with Mariner Wealth Advisors: Transcript: George Fernandez: Thank you for downloading this episode of "Your Life Simplified". My name is George Fernandez, and I'll be your host for this episode. Here at "Your Life Simplified", we strive to bring you relevant and timely topics...
Slaying the Emotional Dragons Lurking Inside Every Family Business
Once Upon A Time … there was a handsome young prince who married a lovely brunette actress … *** It sounds like the beginning to a beautiful story. Yet, when Prince Harry announced that he was stepping down from royal life, the world seemed shocked. So did the Royal family and their advisors. But, should...
Grief, Loss, and Owners on the Brink
“I can’t take it anymore!” Ed shouted into the phone when I answered. He was understandably exasperated. This was the third time his client, Walter, had threatened to blow up the deal he’d been working on for months. “He told me he’s not sure he wants to sell the business anymore. Can you believe that? We’re set...
Where in the World Have You Been Lately?
“Where in the world have you been?!” Gerry asked me. “I’ve missed hearing from you and was worried somehow I got dropped off your newsletter list.” Where have I been? The same place we’ve all been – at home! But, I’ve been in another place, too. A more introspective space, trying to make sense of all that is...
Let Your Empathy Be Contagious
I spend my days keeping people and deals from falling apart. Right now, as I watch the coronavirus pandemic march across communities with all of its uncertainty, I’m struck by how similar this dynamic is to what I see playing out in deals every day. It reminds me that one of the best tools to ease that panic is...
The Thread & The Throughline
There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or die; and you suffer and get...
Will You Know When It’s Time?
“Now just feels like the right time,” said Steve Croft (age 73) on Sunday as he announced his retirement after 30 years at the CBS News show 60 Minutes. He said he’d been considering when to retire at the end of each of the past four seasons and knew it was finally time. Hearing him say that he wanted to leave...
Permission To Care
He told me, “Sometimes I just feel so lonely. Lost, in fact. Where did my friends go? I guess I just let work and family take up so much space that I’ve ended up feeling like a stranger in a strange land. I miss that I don’t have a universe of close men in my life. The worst part is feeling myself stuck in solitude...
Building Your Courage Muscles
I was talking to my massage therapist the other night about a workshop called Courageous Choices that I led recently for a group of senior executives. I was preparing them to exit their companies and discover a legacy beyond just money. Helping people make courageous choices is at the heart of what I do as a...