GWCPA

GWCPA Helping family businesses through succession without losing your family or your business

09/01/2026

Bigger business deals can be safer than smaller ones.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA, welcomes Jay Bourgana, Partner at MashTank, Founder & Mentor of Acquisition Collective, to talk about why acquisition size changes the risk profile.

Small is not always safer when buying a business.

Bigger businesses can be harder to kill.

More scale can mean more margin for error.

A stronger team often comes with a larger business.

A $400,000 EBITDA or SDE deal may be too small for some buyers.

A million to a million and a half can be a better fit.

Some buyers need a business they can sink their teeth into.

Acquiring a business is not the same as starting one.

Startup risk leaves less room for error than an existing company on the move.

Business buyers should match the deal size to their goals.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast on: https://youtu.be/sqtEG3yvATw

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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT

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08/24/2026

Your advantage requires uncomfortable courage.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA welcomes Craig Paxson, Competitive Advantage Architect at Visionary Results and Fractional COO at The Roster, to explore competitive advantage, business strategy, leadership, and what it takes to stand apart in crowded markets.

Most businesses say they want to be different.

Very few are willing to act differently.

It's easy to follow the market.

It's much harder to challenge it.

The strongest companies didn't become great by copying what everyone else was doing.

They earned attention by taking a stand.

By saying no when others said yes.

By serving customers in a way competitors wouldn't.

By committing to a path before the results were obvious.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast on: https://youtu.be/RagXZXQ2Wjo
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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT
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08/21/2026

Culture is revealed under pressure.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA welcomes Craig Paxson, Competitive Advantage Architect at Visionary Results and Fractional COO at The Roster, to explore competitive advantage, organizational culture, leadership through adversity, and building resilient businesses that endure.

Most leaders think culture is built during major events.

It's not. The crisis only reveals what was already there.

Quarterly meetings can inspire people.

Company-wide announcements can energize teams.

But neither replaces the daily habits that shape an organization.

Trust is built in ordinary moments.

Accountability is built in ordinary moments.

Consistency is built in ordinary moments.

When disruption arrives, people don't rise to the occasion.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast on: https://youtu.be/RagXZXQ2Wjo
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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT
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08/18/2026

Big moments never build great cultures.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA welcomes Craig Paxson, Competitive Advantage Architect at Visionary Results and Fractional COO at The Roster, to explore competitive advantage, leadership through change, organizational culture, and what it takes to build businesses that thrive through uncertainty.

Most leaders wait for a crisis before they focus on their business.

The problem is that culture, performance, and resilience aren't built during the crisis.

They're built long before it arrives.

An organization is a lot like your dental health.

You can't only show up for the big appointments.

And you can't rely only on daily routines either.

The strongest companies combine consistent habits with intentional moments of reflection and correction.

When disruption shows up, the businesses that survive are usually the ones that were already doing the small things well.

Great leadership isn't proven when everything is easy.

🎧 Listen to the full podcast on: https://youtu.be/RagXZXQ2Wjo
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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT
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Most owners don’t get the exit they want by accident.They get it because they started making better decisions years befo...
08/13/2026

Most owners don’t get the exit they want by accident.

They get it because they started making better decisions years before the deal, transition, or succession conversation became urgent.

Josh Wynne and Barrett Young have released the second episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹:

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁

Watch now: https://go.gwcpas.com/webinar/working-toward-exit-you-want/signup

In this episode, we talk through why business value isn’t fixed — and why a valuation shouldn’t feel like a final verdict. It’s a starting point.

We get into the decisions that can actually shape the future value and transferability of a business:
• growth that fits the right buyer
• leadership depth beyond the owner
• cleaner books and stronger systems
• customer concentration and recurring revenue
• personal readiness for life after the business
• building the right advisory team before the deal starts

Because waiting until you’re “ready to sell” is usually waiting too long.

The episode is available now, and 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 will continue as a monthly series for business owners thinking through value, liquidity, succession, and what comes after the business.

Watch here: https://go.gwcpas.com/webinar/working-toward-exit-you-want/signup

08/10/2026

Systems create growth. Heroes create limits.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA invites Ryan Steuer, Author of PBL Simplified & CEO at Magnify Learning and also a Project-Based Learning Keynote Speaker & Author, to explore how a simple opportunity evolved into a scalable national model and the leadership lessons behind sustainable growth.

Many organizations hit a ceiling for one reason.

Everything depends on one person.

The founder becomes the trainer.

The trainer becomes the bottleneck.

The bottleneck becomes the limit to growth.

Real scale happens when you create systems that others can execute.

Not because you're stepping away from quality.

Because you're building a process that protects it.

The strongest organizations don't grow by working harder.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on: https://youtu.be/y5zJFlOACTc
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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT
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08/07/2026

Great ideas fail without leadership buy-in.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA invites Ryan Steuer, Author of PBL Simplified & CEO at Magnify Learning and also a Project-Based Learning Keynote Speaker & Author, to explore why great initiatives fail when leadership isn't aligned and how sustainable change requires support at every level of an organization.

The biggest threat to transformation isn't resistance.

It's inconsistency. A team can embrace a new way of working.

Teachers can invest time, energy, and effort into a new approach.

But when leadership changes, priorities often change with it.

Suddenly, people are being measured against a completely different vision.

Not because the previous strategy was wrong.

Because the new leader simply wasn't part of the journey.

That's why successful organizations don't just train the people doing the work.

They equip the people shaping the culture.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on: https://youtu.be/y5zJFlOACTc
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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT
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08/04/2026

Resistance often hides valuable lessons.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA, invites guest Ryan Steuer, Author of PBL Simplified & CEO at Magnify Learning, and also a Project-Based Learning Keynote Speaker & Author, to explore the realities of leadership, organizational change, and why meaningful transformation often meets resistance before it gains momentum.

Every organization says it wants innovation.

Very few are prepared for the discomfort that comes with it.

People have seen initiatives come and go.

They’ve watched leaders promise change only to move on before results appear.

That history creates skepticism. And sometimes, that skepticism is justified.

The challenge is knowing the difference between healthy questioning and refusing to evolve.

Experience is valuable. But relying solely on what worked yesterday can quietly limit what's possible tomorrow.

The leaders who create lasting impact don't force change.

They build trust, create clarity, and help people see why the future requires a different approach.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on: https://youtu.be/y5zJFlOACTc
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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT
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07/27/2026

Question costs before accepting them.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA invites Brian Calvert, Company Owner at Business Health Market- Employee Benefits Expert and Managing Partner at HST of Western New York Inc., to explore business growth, employee benefits, acquisitions, and why business owners should challenge assumptions before accepting rising costs.

Too many business owners see a 20% increase and assume it's normal.

They sign the renewal. Pay the bill. And move on.

But the smartest leaders ask one simple question.

Why? Growth doesn't come from accepting every increase.

It comes from understanding your options.

The biggest opportunities are often hidden behind conversations most people never have.

A better solution may already exist.

A stronger strategy may already be available.

The businesses that grow efficiently aren't afraid to challenge the status quo.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on: https://youtu.be/hI2ypKJNH6A
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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT
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07/24/2026

Trust matters more than the proposal.

In this episode of The Art of Succession Podcast, host Barrett Young, CPA invites Brian Calvert, Company Owner at Business Health Market- Employee Benefits Expert and Managing Partner at HST of Western New York Inc., to explore acquisitions, succession planning, business growth, and the realities of selling employee benefits to business owners.

Individuals can move fast. Company owners slow everything down.

They already have brokers. They have employees depending on the decision.

They’re not just buying a product. They’re weighing trust, disruption, and the ripple effect across the business.

That makes the quick pitch fall flat. A one-call close might work with an individual plan.

But with an owner, skepticism is part of the process.

They need proof that you’re a trusted source before they’ll even consider making a change.

The lesson is simple. When the decision affects the company, the sale is no longer just about the plan.

It’s about confidence. It’s about risk. It’s about earning the right to be heard.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on: https://youtu.be/hI2ypKJNH6A
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This GPT has already supported hundreds of multi-generational businesses through complex transitions, and I’ve translated that experience into a free Custom GPT available on our website. Explore it here: https://bit.ly/artof-succession-our-GPT
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