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For CEPAs, CFPs, RIAs, and Financial Planners
Turn Business Value and Exit Planning Into Your Most Profitable Advisory Service.
Most of your client’s wealth is locked in their business.
Join B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ to lead the exit conversation before outside dealmakers step in and protect the relationship before, during, and after the deal.
Earn Continuing Education Credits
6.0 EPI Credits · 4.5 CFP Board CE Credits
Built by a former CEO who led a $100M company through a Fortune 50 acquisition and has guided 50+ founders through 7- and 8-figure exits.
For CEPAs, CFPs, RIAs, and Financial Planners
Turn Business Value and Exit Planning Into Your Most Profitable Advisory Service.
Most of your client’s wealth is locked in their business.
Join B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ to lead the exit conversation before outside dealmakers step in and protect the relationship before, during, and after the deal.
Earn Continuing Education Credits
6.0 EPI Credits · 4.5 CFP Board CE Credits
Built by a former CEO who led a $100M company through a Fortune 50 acquisition and has guided 50+ founders through 7- and 8-figure exits.
For CEPAs, CFPs, RIAs, and Financial Planners
Turn Business Value and Exit Planning Into Your Most Profitable Advisory Service.
Most of your client’s wealth is locked in their business.
Join B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ to lead the exit conversation before outside dealmakers step in and protect the relationship before, during, and after the deal.
Earn Continuing Education Credits: 6.0 EPI Credits · 4.5 CFP Board CE Credits
Built by a former CEO who led a $100M company through a Fortune 50 acquisition and has guided 50+ founders through 7- and 8-figure exits.
THE ADVISOR RISK
By the time you hear about the deal, someone else is already leading the wealth conversation.
If the owner stepped away for 90 days, what would the business be worth?
That is the first question an acquirer asks, and for most founders, the honest answer is far less than they think.
When you only manage the liquid portfolio, the bulk of your client's net worth remains outside the scope of your advisory relationship.
While you wait for a future liquidity event, attorneys, investment bankers, and competing advisors enter the room.
By the time the transaction reaches you, the critical advisory relationships are already set.
The Solution
B.U.I.L.T. By Design™
The Framework That Puts You in the Room.
Advisors don't need more knowledge. They need implementation.
If you've earned your certification and asked "now what?" this is the answer.
A practice-ready framework that gives you a repeatable way to lead business value and exit conversations, years before a transaction.
B.
Blueprint
Vision &
firm model
U.
Unlock
Operational bottlenecks
I.
Integrate
Systems &
team
L.
Lead
With clarity,
not chaos
T.
Transition
With confidence
& control
The result is a practical roadmap that helps your clients build a more profitable, more transferable business, one that's less dependent on any one person, including themselves.
That conversation positions you as the advisor they can't replace.
GETTING STARTED
Your Practice. Enhanced Today.
B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ is built around two phases.
FREEDOM PHASE:
Personal Readiness
Learn the mindset and operational shifts that make an exit possible.
Identify what’s driving your readiness to transition
Spot dependency on the owner and reduce key-person risk
Define life after the business
Clarify financial goals and the “freedom point”
SUCCESS PHASE:
Business Value
Master the factors that make a business attractive to a buyer.
Understand buyer types and deal structure
Identify key value drivers and growth opportunities
Strengthen cash flow
Address transferability risks across customers, team, and operations
WHAT'S INCLUDED
The Accelerator Package
Everything you need to start using the framework in your practice and with your business-owner clients.
1-Year Advisor Membership
The complete B.U.I.L.T. framework. All modules, all updates, all tools.
Continuing Education Credits
Qualifying CE credits upon completion and knowledge checks:
6.0 Exit Planning Institute | 4.5 CFP Board.
BONUS: Advisor Conversation GPT
Your on-demand coaching partner for the B.U.I.L.T. By Design™ conversation framework. Whenever you need questions, framing, or next steps.
BONUS: Implementation and Monetization Guides
Support for the business side. How to position with business owners, pricing, introducing to clients. It's all mapped out.
BONUS: Advisor Community Portal
Invitation to private network of advisors. Reduce your learning curve in a peer forum.
BONUS: Learning Lab Sessions
Live monthly sessions to help you differentiate your practice and deepen client relationships.
Optional Client Seats.
Scale when you're ready, add seats at $100/month per client (12-month subscription). No large licensing commitment.
$699
$500/month
(minimum 12 months commitment)
Complete B.U.I.L.T. framework + all updates
6.0 EPI · 4.5 CFP Board CE credits
Advisor Conversation GPT coaching partner
Implementation & monetization guides
Private advisor community portal
Live monthly Learning Lab sessions
HOW ADVISORS ARE USING B.U.I.L.T. 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.
HOW IT WORKS
Advisor First. Client Ready.
Build a valuable practice and strengthen client relationships
Complete the Program
High-impact, on-demand videos, tools & templates. 40+ lessons, 5+ hours. Annual access.
Build Your Practice into an Asset
Apply the framework internally to de-risk your own operations, streamline workflows, and build an advisory practice that holds sustainable enterprise value.
Lead Business Conversations
Use client-facing tools to uncover hidden risks, assess owner readiness, and lead conversations no other planner is having to deepen client retention for decades.
IS THIS FOR YOU?
Right fit. Right time.
This is a FIT if:
You work with business owners and want to be part of the exit conversation
You've watched a client sell with someone else managing the process
You want a repeatable framework, not another certification
You're ready to connect business value to the wealth plan you already manage
You want to engage clients years before the transaction, not after
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 guaranteed outcomes instead of a proven process
You're not ready to implement with actual clients
You don't work with business owners
You only want investment conversations
You're looking for another certification
You want guaranteed outcomes instead of a proven process
You're not ready to implement with actual clients
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.
About the Creator
Laurie Barkman
Founder, Business Transition Sherpa®
MBA · CEPA® · CMAA
Laurie Barkman, MBA, CEPA, CM&AA (The Business Transition Sherpa®) is a former corporate CEO who guided a $100M business through a successful sale to a Fortune 50 company and has coached 50+ founders through 7- and 8-figure exits.
She trains financial planners on practical execution: uncovering value gaps, strengthening transferability, and helping owners build businesses ready for transition on their own terms.
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 Accelerator includes 12 months of group sessions and support calls with creator Laurie Barkman, CEPA. You won’t be left alone, our team is here to actively support your implementation.
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?
Yes, this is accepted by Exit Planning Institute (EPI) for 6 CE hours and CFP Board for 4.5 CE hours.
If you've reached this point and you're not ready yet, start with our 7 Questions Guide. It will help you start the right conversation with your business owner clients.