"No one's promised tomorrow." Host Laurie Barkman talks with Scott Arden, Chairman of Controllers Ltd and Managing Partner of Generational Wealth Solutions, about the intricacies of financial strategies for business owners. Controllers Limited focuses on advanced strategies for asset protection and generational wealth.

Focusing on growth, succession planning, and the importance of legacy, Scott emphasizes the need for business owners to prepare for transitions, whether through exit strategies or succession planning, and highlights the significance of teaching financial literacy to future generations. The conversation also touches on the psychological aspects of business ownership and the value of experiences over mere accumulation of wealth.

Key Insights

• Business owners often procrastinate on succession planning due to a false sense of security.

• Crucial to identify who will run the business in case of an owner's incapacitation.

• Protecting asset value can be as important as building asset value.

• Experiences and memories may be more valuable than simply accumulating wealth.

• Financial literacy is essential for future generations to manage inherited wealth.

• Engage the next generation in business operations or governance.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Financial Strategies for Business Owners

02:35 Understanding Business Growth and Exit Strategies

05:28 The Importance of Succession Planning

10:30 Psychology of Business Transition and Legacy

14:34 Rethinking Wealth: Experiences Over Accumulation

17:19 Teaching Financial Literacy to Future Generations

This Show Is Sponsored by The Business Transition Sherpa®

📣 Write a Podcast Review: ratethispodcast.com/successionstories

Website: https://generationalwealthsystems.com/

Website: https://www.controllersltd.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottarden/

🎙️ Business growth and succession planning start long before an exit. In this special Succession Stories swapcast, Laurie Barkman introduces the B.U.I.L.T.™ Method, a practical framework for building value and preparing for business transition.

🔓 This episode features Laurie's guest appearance on The B2B Growth Podcast with Mark Osborne, where the mic is turned around and she shares the thinking behind the B.U.I.L.T.™ Method for Business Growth and Transition. Designed for founder-led and closely held companies, the framework helps owners reduce dependency on themselves, strengthen operations, and prepare for leadership transition or exit — on their terms.

🎯 This conversation is especially relevant for owners in the built environment, including construction, engineering, architecture, and related professional services, where complexity, people, and relationships make transition planning both critical and challenging.

📊 The B.U.I.L.T. Method explained…

• Why succession planning should be integrated into business growth

• How the B.U.I.L.T. Method helps build transferable enterprise value

• Common transition challenges for built-environment companies

• How owners can prepare for what's next without rushing an exit

💬 Standout insight: "Gen X business owners have seen what happens when owners never step away — and we want something better." - Laurie Barkman

🧭 If you're thinking about business growth, succession, or transition planning, this episode offers a clear, structured approach to building a stronger, more resilient company — long before an exit is on the table.

This Show Is Sponsored by The Business Transition Sherpa®

📣 Write a Podcast Review: ratethispodcast.com/successionstories

In this episode, Laurie Barkman is joined by Dr. Brianna Rhue, optometrist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Dr Contact Lens. Brianna shares her journey from a private practice owner to a tech maven, driven by the need to solve a critical "leaky bucket" problem: doctors losing contact lens sales to online retailers. She discusses the "entrepreneurial gene", the power of a "chip on your shoulder", and the lessons learned in building a full-blown tech platform from scratch.

💬 Quote from Brianna: "You have to get a really thick skin... as an entrepreneur, you are going to pave roads and you're gonna get arrows shot at your back. You're gonna get knocked off, you're gonna get made fun of... And if you don't have that core belief in yourself of your why, it makes those days really, really hard."

Key Takeaways:
💡 How the "entrepreneurial gene" is planted by early exposure to risk and observing the "ups and downs".

👥 Why a "chip on your shoulder," often formed from childhood experiences, can be essential energy for an entrepreneur.

💰 The steep transition from medicine to tech, and learning a new language of SaaS, CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), and LTV (Lifetime Value).

🏦 How Doctor Contact Lens solves the "leaky bucket" problem of doctors losing recurring revenue to online retailers.

🤝 Brianna's "Three Frogs" method for daily productivity: one joy, one easy, and one hard task to move the business forward.

🎧 Tune in to Succession Stories to learn how to identify a major pain point in your industry and build a tech solution to solve it.

This Show Is Sponsored by The Business Transition Sherpa®

📣 Write a Podcast Review: ratethispodcast.com/successionstories