Trusted Advisor Matrix

To You, a Trusted Wealth Manager:

The importance and consequence of your contribution to your clients cannot be overstated. You are the guardian of their financial security, and a key source of their economic return.

The runway toward your goal of managing assets can be long, and along the way you provide solutions and guidance to maximize your client’s welfare. We would represent a valuable resource for your clients that own a private business in many ways, and this would be the basis of developing a synergistic collaborative relationship.

We can provide useful insight to you as you continually develop all of the key elements of your wealth/estate audit and plan in regard to the client’s business. For example, we can provide guidance about: 1) how best to create new enterprise and equity value, 2) the optimal time and form of a liquidity event, 3) realistic valuation metrics related to the current, and prospective future value of a company, etc. In addition, we can execute any and all transactions.

The types of leading questions you can begin to ask your client to expand your wealth management narrative are:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Are you aware of, or interested in your best choices to build your company?
• Would insight about buyer preferences be helpful to managing your company?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

Of course if your client is already contemplating some type of capital raise, liquidity event or acquisition, please feel free to direct them to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about these subjects, while suggesting a preliminary meeting with us to enrich their perspective about certain related matters.

In summary, our activities are, or should be intrinsically interrelated in order to best serve the interests of clients. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain client situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.

To You, a Trusted Accountant:

You are entrusted with clients who are dependent on your capability in regard to what they make and what they keep, and in some cases advising how their companies are performing. There is probably no other trusted advisor relationship possessed by a client that is more regularly active or penetrative.

The importance of your role related to: 1) understanding your client’s business and reporting the performance results, 2) providing guidance about the financial reporting systems and/or posing questions related to signals provided by the numbers, and 3) usually preparing the tax returns based on the financial statements, is substantial. You are probably the closest third-party relationship a client will have on a continuous basis.

We can work with you to insure your client’s welfare is maximized based on a collaborative and synergistic relationship which you can quarterback. Specifically, we can: 1) assess the degree to which the company is aligned with buyer preferences, 2) provide guidance about the likely present and future valuation, 3) propose build alternatives to increase the company’s value, 4) determine the optimal timing and form of a liquidity event, etc. We can provide a diversity of advisement that can be integrated into your activities. Of course, should there be a need for some type of M&A or capital formation transaction, we would be there to execute.

The types of leading questions you can begin to ask your client to expand your accounting narrative are:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Are you aware of, or interested in your best choices to build your company?
• Would insight about buyer preferences be helpful to managing your company?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

In addition, you can always feel free to either, direct them to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about many critical subjects that will enrich your client’s perspective, and/or suggest a preliminary meeting with us to begin a dialogue about their short and long term objectives.

In summary, our activities are, or should be intrinsically interrelated in order to best serve the interests of clients. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain client situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.

To You, a Trusted General Counsel:

You are the praetorian for your clients, and as such, the integrity and trust extended to you has no rival. You are viewed as a problem-solver, and a problem preventer so the esteem of your advisement is tremendous.

You provide guidance in regard to a diversity of subjects, all dedicated to preserving or enhancing your client’s welfare. Your guidance is sometimes related to situations that arise such as human resource, shareholder, claims, contractual, etc., matters, or related to you being anticipatory in regard to insuring your client’s could always pass a “legal audit” if one existed.

Unless there is an immediate or contemplated objective or need regarding a transaction or otherwise, it is suggested we could develop a synergistic collaboration based on you being anticipatory for your client. Upon gaining insight to a client’s objectives, we could offer analytically based recommendations related to building, building proactively, selling in whole or part, staying-the-course, etc. Our advisement would enhance your client’s welfare.

The types of leading questions you can begin to ask your client to expand your legal counsel narrative are:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Are you aware of, or interested in your best choices to build your company?
• Would insight about buyer preferences be helpful to managing your company?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

In addition, you can always feel free to either, direct them to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about many critical subjects that will enrich your client’s perspective, and/or suggest a preliminary meeting with us to begin a dialogue about their short and long term objectives.

In summary, our activities are, or should be intrinsically interrelated in order to best serve the interests of clients. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain client situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.

To You, a Trusted Commercial Banker:

You have, or could serve an important function for your clients by providing the financial resources to bridge cash flow cycles on a short-term basis, and the means to generate growth on a longer-term basis.

While there are many banks and bankers providing senior and subordinated debt, plus other related solutions, the key challenge of your initial and ongoing success pertains to differentiation, related less to the institution you represent and more in regard to yourself as a professional. Typically this is achieved by providing more value to the client by focusing on your client’s wider needs and welfare.

We would suggest that Growth Partners would be a perfect complement to your goals. We would enable you to address subjects that transcend the purview of conventional bankers. We would have the ability to address all of the key objectives, issues and challenges related to further building a business to ultimately selling, in whole or part. A relationship with us will afford you with a resource whose use will elevate your standing as a trusted advisor.

The types of leading questions you can begin to ask your client to expand your banking narrative are:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Are you aware of, or interested in your best choices to build your company?
• Would insight about buyer preferences be helpful to managing your company?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

In addition, you can always feel free to either, direct them to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about many critical subjects that will enrich your client’s perspective, and/or suggest a preliminary meeting with us to begin a dialogue about their short and long term objectives.

In summary, our activities are, or should be intrinsically interrelated in order to best serve the interests of clients. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain client situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.

To You, a Trusted Transaction Counsel:

You serve a critical purpose at a critical time. Your transaction expertise and guidance always makes a material difference as you maximize your client’s direct and indirect welfare.

Typically, you encounter a client seeking the best possible transaction outcome, and you might refer an investment banker with whom you have worked with in the past and did a good job. We can offer two things that might be disruptive to the standard course, and would be completely aligned with your role as an important trusted advisor.

First, based on our special approach and practices, we have the ability to achieve a transaction result that is superior to conventional investment banks. We recognize this is a bold statement especially since a transaction process seems fixed. Please dedicate a moment to understand “how” we accomplish this. Second, we have the ability to step-back and assess the contemplated transaction in a clinical manner to determine if execution is warranted, or a more favorable course of action should be embraced (the value of this ability should not be underestimated).

The types of questions you can ask your client to expand your transaction engagement narrative are:

• Have you assessed other transaction and non-transactional alternatives?
• Have you been provided with some expectations about the outcome of the contemplated transaction?
• Has the introduced investment banker made a compelling case as to how value will be maximized?
• Can I refer an unconventional investment banking firm that might stimulate your thinking?

The types of questions you can ask your client to expand your non-transaction engagement narrative are:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

In addition, you can always feel free to either, direct them to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about many critical subjects that will enrich your client’s perspective, and/or suggest a preliminary meeting with us to begin a dialogue about their short and long term objectives.

In summary, our activities are interrelated in order to best serve the interests of, and outcomes for clients. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain transactional or non-transactional client situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.

To You, a Trusted Funding Source:

Whether you represent a lender, mezzanine, private equity, family office, hedge fund, etc., capital provider, you assist clients with enhancing forms of financing and capital to provide clients with a balanced capitalization structure.

Similar to the same situation with commercial banks and bankers, your challenge is to differentiate your solution. Your professional quality plays a major role, and it is also suggested the degree to which you can serve your client’s wider interests and welfare, the more distinction that can be applied to you and your service.

Collaborating with us would afford that valuable distinction as our offerings are applicable to all companies at any time. In complement to the funding you are, or might provide, we can craft plans to assist client’s with building their companies in an optimal manner (which likely would entail greater funding) to help the client increase their company’s value, provide advisement related to aligning the various dimensions of a company with buyer preferences, execute any buy side or sell side transaction in the superior manner we are representing.

The types of leading questions you can begin to ask your client to expand your engagement narrative are:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Are you aware of, or interested in your best choices to build your company?
• Would insight about buyer preferences be helpful to managing your company?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

In addition, you can always feel free to either, direct them to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about many critical subjects that will enrich your client’s perspective, and/or suggest a preliminary meeting with us to begin a dialogue about their short and long term objectives.

In summary, our activities are, or should be interrelated in order to best serve the interests of clients. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain client situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.

To You, a Trusted Consultant:

Whether your role is to share your expertise related to manufacturing, logistics, social media, branding, CEO coaching, etc., you have, or develop special trusted advisor relationships with your clients.

Whatever your center-of-expertise, you develop a deep understanding of at least one dimension of a client, complemented by insight related to the company’s setting and possibly some of the client’s objectives. This is valuable information that can be parlayed into providing additional benefit to your clients, or the client being sought.

Since our offerings pertain to important considerations and objectives, and are applicable to all companies at all times, we would suggest the development of a collaborative relationship between ourselves would serve both, your clients by virtue of what we can provide, and your relationship with client by virtue of taking action on behalf of their greater welfare. What you do, and what we do, are related to ultimately making the company more valuable.

The types of leading questions you can begin to ask your client to expand your engagement narrative are:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Are you aware of, or interested in your best choices to build your company?
• Would insight about buyer preferences be helpful to managing your company?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

In addition, you can always feel free to either, direct them to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about many critical subjects that will enrich your client’s perspective, and/or suggest a preliminary meeting with us to begin a dialogue about their short and long term objectives.

In summary, our activities are, or should be interrelated in order to best serve the interests of clients. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain client situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.

To You, a Trusted Vistage Chair:

You enjoy a position of prominence and influence with your members, each of whom are seeking to have their companies and themselves be better. With this status comes significant responsibility and implicit trust.

The Vistage experience is tremendously enriching for its members. Whether having experts expand understandings or challenge thinking, processing issues to identify the “real” issue and establishing accountability, or developing special comradery within a group of intended individuals, the investment pays incalculable dividends. As such, we are staunch advocates of Vistage believing that all owners, Presidents and CEO’s should be members. This is why we have dedicated space within this website to express our endorsement and offer our membership assistance.

Since most of our principals are Vistage members or speakers, we are part of your community and culture. As a result, we understand the code-of-trust, and the right and proper protective posture related to your members. However, it is hoped you might be open to vetting our prospective benefit to your members. We promise that you will not have a frame of reference for what you will assess because we do not believe another firm does what we do.

We are first focused on enriching the understanding and perspective of your members regarding important build and sell issues that are applicable to all companies at any time. The purpose of our advisory work is to afford your members with the ability to make better decisions about critical issues. We have seen the tremendous benefit to be gained, and as such, this is our quest (i.e., the basis of our “why”). If some type of transaction is warranted based on the work we do, or otherwise, we execute in a manner that is different from a conventional investment bank.

If you are intrigued, please explore this site to validate our claims. If you are interested in some leading questions you can pose during your 1-2-1’s to expand you your coaching engagement narrative, please note the following:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Are you aware of, or interested in your best choices to build your company?
• Would insight about buyer preferences be helpful to managing your company?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

In addition, you can always feel free to: 1) direct your members to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about many critical subjects that will enrich your client’s perspective, 2) inquire about the type of presentation we would be able to conduct to all of your members, and/or 3) suggest a preliminary meeting with us to begin a dialogue about their short and long term objectives.

In summary, our activities are, or should be interrelated in order to best serve the interests of our fellow members and colleagues. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain member situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.

To You, a Trusted Advisor:

Whether your role is to assist clients in regard to tax advisement, public relations, risk management, intellectual property protection, information technology, interim CEO or CFO duties, background checks, etc., you have, or develop special trusted advisor relationships with your clients.

Whatever your center-of-expertise, you develop a deep understanding of at least one dimension of a client, complemented by insight related to the company’s setting and possibly some of the client’s objectives. This is valuable information that can be parlayed into providing additional benefit to your clients, or the client being sought.

Since our offerings pertain to important considerations and objectives, and are applicable to all companies at all times, we would suggest the development of a collaborative relationship between ourselves would serve both, your clients by virtue of what we can provide, and your relationship with client by virtue of taking action on behalf of their greater welfare. What you do, and what we do, are related to ultimately making the company more valuable.

The types of leading questions you can begin to ask your client to expand your engagement narrative are:

• Are you at a point of thinking about “what to do next” or “what lies ahead”?
• Should you be preparing your company today for a liquidity event tomorrow?
• Are you aware of, or interested in your best choices to build your company?
• Would insight about buyer preferences be helpful to managing your company?
• Might you want to get a sense of your company’s value three years from now?
• Do you know the optimal time and form of a liquidity event that is best for you?

In addition, you can always feel free to either, direct them to our website to gain some insight from the content that has been made available about many critical subjects that will enrich your client’s perspective, and/or suggest a preliminary meeting with us to begin a dialogue about their short and long term objectives.

In summary, our activities are, or should be interrelated in order to best serve the interests of clients. We would welcome the opportunity to explore a synergistic relationship, and discuss certain client situations on a confidential basis recognizing you will always be “quarterbacking” the relationship.

It would be a pleasure to work together, and we hope to hear from you.