JANUARY 2027 COHORT • STARTS JANUARY 13
Launch B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ with your clients.
An eight-week, structured implementation system for advisors who serve business owners. Learn the framework, lead the business-value conversation, and leave with a 90-day launch plan.
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8 live sessions with Laurie Barkman
Wednesdays 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. ET,
January 13 to March 3, 2027 - A 90-day customized launch plan for your practice
- 12 months of Membership Access to an exclusive network of strategic advisors
- Early-Bird BONUS: 2 client seats + a private session with Laurie
- Limited to 20 advisors
Join before Dec 15 (2 payments)
$4,250 upon signup, $4,250 on January 1
Built from actual owner engagements, including a $25M+ private equity sale, an ESOP plus acquisition, and a company that tripled profit and more than doubled enterprise value in three years. Results vary; none are guaranteed.
This is implementation, not information
You don't need another course sitting in a portal. You need to know what to say in the next owner meeting, how to connect business priorities to personal wealth, and what to do when the owner says yes.
The Accelerator is where you practice that with real clients, not hypotheticals. And year-end reviews are the natural place to start: every one is a chance to ask about the business.
The three moves
Recognize
Use fit criteria and trigger questions to pick 3 to 5 existing owner-clients and find the natural opening.
Lead
Use guided questions and owner-ready tools to surface value drivers, personal priorities, and risks.
Guide
Agree on next steps, specialists, owners of each action, and review dates in a 90-day roadmap.
Your eight-week Accelerator
Live sessions meet Wednesdays, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. ET, January 13 to March 3, 2027.
| Week | Date | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 13 | Choose your 3 to 5 best-fit owner-clients and plan the opening conversation |
| 2 | Jan 20 | Owner dependency and business bottlenecks |
| 3 | Jan 27 | The owner's personal vision and readiness |
| 4 | Feb 3 | Connect financial goals to business value assumptions |
| 5 | Feb 10 | Ownership paths and when to bring in specialists |
| 6 | Feb 17 | Valuation drivers and earnings risk |
| 7 | Feb 24 | Cash flow and working capital |
| 8 | Mar 3 | Build a prioritized 90-day roadmap for you |
Is this cohort right for you?
You'll get the most from it if you:
- Serve business owners today, typically 15 to 40 owner households
- Have the autonomy to bring a new process into client reviews
- Expect to work with 3 to 5 clients after completing the B.U.I.L.T. Accelerator
It's not designed for:
- Advisors with few or no business-owner clients
- Anyone seeking CE credit alone
- Owner situations already inside a 1-year transaction window
Qualify to launch with clients
Register before January 13 to join the cohort. Complete the Accelerator with a passing score on the final assessment quiz to become eligible to purchase client seats and offer the B.U.I.L.T. By Design client program. Client seats are purchased separately. There are no make-ups for missed live sessions; video recordings will be available.
THE BUSINESS CASE FOR YOUR PRACTICE
Relevance now. Revenue now and later.
Fees now
Package Prepare-phase work as a paid advisory engagement instead of free ad hoc advice.
Assets retained
Stay the strategic quarterback when the owner's biggest decision arrives.
AUM later
Be in the room before a liquidity event, not after.
Referrals and differentiation
Owners talk to other owners.
The economic logic is illustrative. Offering paid engagements is subject to your firm's policies, regulatory requirements, and client-seat terms. No enrollment, fee, retention, or revenue results are guaranteed.
Membership includes
Investment and renewal
$8,500
through Dec 15, 2026
Standard Price $10,000
First year (Accelerator + 12 months Membership)
Private 30-minute session with Laurie Barkman BONUS
Limited to 20 advisors per cohort.
- After 12 months:
- $499/month
- Client seats:
- Additional client seats can be purchased for those who complete B.U.I.L.T. By Design Accelerator.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
WHY LAURIE BARKMAN
Built from experience on both sides of the transition table.
Laurie Barkman, MBA, CEPA®, CMAA, was CEO of a $100M division and led it through a $1.4B acquisition by a Fortune 50 company.
She has been the operator, the buyer, the seller, and the advisor.
Today she leads as The Business Transition Sherpa®, faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, hosts Succession Stories Podcast, and is the author of The Business Transition Handbook.
B.U.I.L.T. packages the sequence behind actual owner engagements.
FAQs
Do I need new clients?
No, start with owners already in your book.
Will I need to be in the operational details?
No, you lead conversations and coordinate specialists.
I already have my CEPA.
Good. The gap is implementation. B.U.I.L.T. turns the sequence behind actual engagements into client actions, prompts, and tools.
We already work with CPAs, attorneys, and M&A advisors.
Keep them. B.U.I.L.T. helps you know when to bring them in without giving up your seat at the table.
When can I purchase client seats?
After you complete the Accelerator with a passing score on the final assessment quiz.
Can I charge clients?
Qualified advisors may offer paid engagements subject to firm, regulatory, and program terms.
What if I miss a live session?
There are no make-up sessions, so plan to attend all eight Wednesdays.
What happens after eight weeks?
Your Membership continues for the remainder of the 12-month period with Learning Labs, resources, and community.
How much time should I plan?
Up to 2 hours a week during the Accelerator, including the 90-minute live session.
What happens at renewal?
The subscription renews at $499/month after 12 months, subject to enrollment terms.
The next step isn't another credential. It's implementation.
The January cohort starts January 13. Early-bird pricing and your private session with Laurie end December 15.
Join the January Accelerator