LIMITED TIME: Join the Founding Cohort Before This Offer Ends!
For RIAs, CFPs, Exit Planning Advisors
In the Next 5 Years, Your Best Business-Owner Clients Will Transition. Will You Be in the Room?
Up to75% of owners switch financial advisors during or after the sale.
B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ gives you a repeatable way to lead the business value and exit conversation, so you stay indispensable before, during, and after the liquidity event.
THE STAKES
The Largest Transfer of Private Business Wealth in History Is Already Underway.
$14 trillion in business wealth is changing hands. A combined wave of Boomers retiring and Gen-X owners seeking liquidity is moving across your client base right now.
75%
want to transition within 10 years
$14 Trillion
changing hands
80%
have never spoken to an advisor about an exit
The mass exit isn't the risk to your practice. Being absent from it is.
THE ADVISOR RISK
By the Time You Hear About the Deal, Someone Else Is Leading the Wealth Conversation.
75% of owners switch advisors during or right after the sale because most financial advisors were never in the conversation.
A banker was. An attorney was. A new wealth advisor was.
You manage the portfolio, but not the conversation around the business, where 80% of your client's wealth sits. By the time the deal reaches you, the relationships are already set.
If you’re not talking to owners about their business years before a transaction, you may lose the relationship and AUM. That's the problem.
The Opportunity for You.
Owners think about their business every day and they want guidance years before a sale. Whether your client transitions in two years, five years, or twenty, sells, transfers to family, steps back, or just wants more freedom, the conversation starts now.
And when you start that conversation early, you earn:
Deeper trust
Larger planning opportunities
Stickier relationships
Better client outcomes
This isn't about replacing investment management. It's about becoming indispensable before the liquidity event.
The solution is not another certification. It’s having a proven repeatable process for financial advisors to turn knowledge into conversations. And that's where B.U.I.L.T. By Design comes in.
THE SOLUTION
B.U.I.L.T By Design
The Framework That Puts You in the Room.
A practice-ready framework that gives advisors a repeatable way to lead business value and exit conversations— before, during, and after the sale.
Advisors don't need more knowledge. They need implementation. If you've earned your CEPA and asked “Now What?”. This is the answer.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
The Essentials Package
Everything you need to start using the framework with clients.
Full Framework, Lifetime Access — $6,000 value.
One-time fee, lifetime access to all modules, 40+ client-ready videos, and client-facing tools. Lifetime access for Founding Cohort only.
6 Months of Direct Support — $5,000 value.
Monthly 1:1 sessions with creator Laurie Barkman, CEPA. Founding Cohort only.
Client Tools & Templates — $4,000 value.
Client guides, exercises, and videos built for practical owner conversations.
Advisor Implementation Starter Kit — $3,000 value.
Turnkey onboarding, planning, and communication templates, plus a Monetization Guide.
Optional Client Seats.
Scale when you're ready—add seats at $100/month per client (12-month subscription). Pre-sell a client before you buy a seat. No large licensing commitment.
Total Value: $18,000
Founding Cohort Price: $1,000 one-time
Limited to 20 Advisors Only.
Join by June 30. Price increases to $3,000 on July 1, 2026.
HOW IT WORKS
Advisor First.
Client Ready.
Get the Framework. Complete the Modules.
Founding Cohort Member Lifetime Access
40+ Modules. 5+ hours high impact learning includes templates, advisor guides & short videos.
Integrate Into Your Practice
Implementation Starter Kit helps you launch and monetize
quickly. 1:1 Cohort coaching included.
Pre-Sell Clients + Scale-Up
Engage clients with their own subscription. Purchase Annual Client Seats when you’re ready for $100/month.
No large commitment. No guessing. No pressure to scale before you're ready.
What You'll Master
Through assessments, worksheets, and guided discussions, you'll lead clients through the decisions that determine transition readiness.
The result is a practical roadmap that helps them build a more profitable, more transferable business that's less dependent on any one person
Why Join B.U.I.L.T. By Design?
Engage Early:
Reach owners years before a sale to secure your role before other advisors.
Turn Knowledge into Implementation:
Augment your certifications with a structured, repeatable process you can implement right away.
Differentiate Your Practice:
Position your firm as trusted advisors who lead the value conversation.
Connect Value to Wealth:
Engage business owners how to build value long before a liquidity event.
HOW ADVISORS ARE USING BUILT BY DESIGN
Advisors are already bringing these conversations into client relationships.
"B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ opened my eyes to a major opportunity I was missing. CEPA gave me the language. B.U.I.L.T. gave me the process and the confidence. I’ve started applying the framework with clients and within 6 months, there was 10% revenue growth with one of my clients and deeper relationships”
Michael Laliberté
MSPFP, MPAS, ChFC, CEPA
Coastal Family Wealth Advisory
"B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ gave me a foundation to expand beyond traditional planning and become more valuable to my clients.”
Ethan Stewart
CFP, CEPA
Centennial Financial Group
"B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ gave me a foundation to expand beyond traditional planning and become more valuable to my clients.”
Ethan Stewart
CFP, CEPA
Centennial Financial Group
Individual experiences may vary. These examples are not guarantees of outcomes.
THE IMPACT
WHAT BUSINESS OWNERS ARE SAYING
Real feedback from business owners who went through B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ with their financial advisor.
GETTING STARTED
Your Practice.
Enhanced Today.
Immediate access to the full framework, 6 months of direct support from Laurie Barkman, CEPA, and every tool to operationalize exit conversations.
$1,000
(one-time)
Founding Cohort pricing available only until June 30, 2026.
TOTAL VALUE = $18,000
Includes:
Full framework, lifetime access ($6,000)
6 months support ($5,000)
Client tools & templates ($4,000)
Implementation Starter Kit ($3,000)
Optional client seats($100/mo per client, 12-month subscription)
IS THIS FOR YOU?
This is a FIT if:
You want deeper client relationships, differentiation, and a repeatable process to engage before the sale.
This is NOT for you if:
You don't work with business owners.
You only want investment conversations.
You're looking for another certification.
You want guarantees instead of a process.
In the Next 5–7 Years, One of Two Things Will Happen.
Your business-owner clients will transition with you at the center of the conversation.
Or they'll transition without you.
The difference is whether you engage before the transition begins. Now you have the opportunity.
Limited to 20 advisors.
Cohort offer closes June 30. Price increases to $3,000 on July 1, 2026.
About the Creator
Laurie Barkman
Founder, Business Transition Sherpa®
Laurie Barkman, CEPA®, CMAA, MBA, is known as The Business Transition Sherpa®. An Exit Planning Advisor, M&A Advisor, and creator of the B.U.I.L.T. Method™, Laurie helps founders build valuable companies and prepare for successful transitions through strategic value creation and exit planning.
A former CEO who led a $100 million business through a successful sale to a Fortune 50 company, Laurie has guided more than 50 founders through transition planning and multi-million-dollar exits.
Her unique perspective comes from viewing businesses through a buyer's lens— helping owners identify the factors that drive business attractiveness, transferability, and enterprise value long before a transaction.
Today, Laurie helps financial advisors and exit planning professionals move from theory to implementation by engaging business owners in meaningful value-creation conversations.
Through the B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ framework, advisors learn how to uncover value gaps, strengthen business fundamentals, and help clients build businesses that are more valuable, transferable, and ready for transition— whether that exit is next year or a decade away.
Have questions?
Have questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ for?
Financial advisors who work with business owner clients and want a structured framework for value-building and transition-readiness conversations.
What will I gain from this program?
You'll have a practical framework, supporting tools, and conversation guides designed to help you engage business owner clients around succession and value-building topics.
How is the program delivered?
Entirely online, with self-paced modules, videos, and downloadable templates.
Will I get support?
The B.U.I.L.T. By Design Essentials includes six months of 30-minute support calls with course creator, Laurie Barkman, CEPA. (Included for a limited time only)
Can I use this system with my clients?
Enrolled advisors can invite clients into your own guided portal by purchasing client seats for $100/month per seat (minimum 12 months license).
What is the expected time commitment for clients?
Clients should expect to commit 2–4 hours per month, including bi-weekly sessions with you as the financial planner and light independent work between meetings.
Are there additional resources available for clients?
The Business Transition Handbook is an excellent companion to B.U.I.L.T. By Design. It’s available for purchase on Amazon. For customized orders or quantities exceeding 20 copies, contact [email protected].
Is my access transferable or shareable?
This proprietary framework is licensed for individual advisor use only. Access is non-transferable and should not be shared with colleagues, teams, or third parties.
What are the licensing terms?
Life-time access is only available for Advisors who join the Founding Cohort. Standard licensing for Advisors is one year licensing term.
Client seats are available for one year licensing terms which are renewable under the subscription agreement.
To review the License Agreement, click here.
Who created B.U.I.L.T. By Design™?
The proprietary framework was developed by Laurie Barkman, founder of The Business Transition Sherpa, a former CEO who led a $100 million company through a successful acquisition, adjunct professor, Certified Exit Planner Advisor (CEPA), and M&A Advisor specializing in business succession.
Will this qualify for CE credit?
Not at this time, but we are actively working on it. Stay tuned for updates.
Limited to 20 advisors.
Cohort offer closes June 30. Price increases to $3,000 on July 1, 2026.