More Than a Payout: Aaron Hasler on Exit Plans That Build Buy-In

What if selling your advisory business wasn’t the end, rather the beginning of something new? Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour sit down with SkyView co-founder Aaron Hasler to explore the emotional and strategic layers of acquisitions and succession planning.

From preparing Gen 2 successors to avoiding common retirement pitfalls – it’s a candid conversation about legacy, leadership, and what it really takes to step away with purpose.

• Tyson Ray and Kim Cochenour are joined by SkyView co-founder Aaron Hasler.
• One of SkyView’s strengths is adding capital and fueling the industry with the funds advisors can use for the succession plan of their choice. 
• Aaron is really excited about fueling the next generation and thinking about how to get more advisors into his industry.
• The idea of what’s coming into advisor retirement is something that’s top of mind for a lot of advisors.
• Aaron believes that today advisors have more choices than ever when it comes to retirement. 
• Over the last 24-36 months, Aaron and his partners have noticed a trend: the generation 2 of a practice is starting to buy out the founders.
• A talent drain is something Aaron sees as a current industry challenge.
• Aaron touches upon where he thinks someone who’s thinking about potentially selling their practice should start from.
• Advisors’ education has been SkyView’s #1 challenge since the business was started seven years ago.
• Tyson brings up a big mistake advisors tend to make: they know so much about financial and retirement planning and take them so much for granted that they end up not doing them for themselves… 
• Aaron takes back the curtain on how he helps his clients – he advises them to work on their succession plan while they’re working in and on your business (even if they’re in their 30s or 40s).
• Aaron talks about the key things advisors preparing themselves to go through a succession should consider, as well as his best practices regarding acquisitions and finalizing deals.
• “I think that a lot of why advisors struggle with retirement is this is a fun business,” says Aaron.
• Aaron illustrates an example of a client he has recently helped with the succession planning process.
• Tyson, Aaron and Kim talk about the good and the bad of “downloading” the knowledge that’s in your head and preparing yourself to pass that along to the next generation of advisors.
• Advisors need to keep in mind that it may take multiple people to replace them.
• Kim points out that many advisors confuse the sale of their business as the end of their business or their career. 
• However, an exit can be a move toward something else...
• Aaron recommends addressing your succession planning annually.

 

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

TotalSuccession.com

FORM Wealth Advisors

Tyson Ray

Kim Cochenour

Aaron Hasler on LinkedIn

SkyView Partners

Ameriprise Financial