Evolve

Your attorney and CPA are essential for the technical execution of your transition—they handle the legal structures, tax strategies, and financial mechanics. Evolve does the strategic foundation work that comes before (or alongside) those advisors. We help you clarify what you actually want, build alignment among family members and key stakeholders, and create a roadmap that addresses the people-side issues that cause 60% of transitions to fail. When you have clarity on your objectives, deal breakers, timing, and roles, your expensive advisors can do their best work without navigating family conflicts or undefined expectations.

Perfect. Most of our clients aren’t ready to leave their business… they’re building toward something, not walking away from it. Evolve is designed for business owners who want to create optionality and clarity about what’s next, not force an exit timeline. Whether you’re planning to transition in 2 years or 10 years, or you’re still actively growing and want to build a roadmap that gives you choices, this program helps you plan for multiple possibilities while keeping your options open.

While you can absolutely start Evolve on your own, we’ve found the process is most powerful when your successor participates with you. Transition planning isn’t just about what the owner wants, it’s about building alignment, clarifying expectations, and making sure everyone is moving in the same direction. When both owner and successor go through the program together, you build a shared roadmap, have the hard conversations in a facilitated environment, and avoid the “announcement vs. collaboration” trap that derails so many transitions. If your successor isn’t ready to participate yet, we can work with you first and bring them in when the timing is right.

Our commitment is simple: after 12 months, you’ll have your complete roadmap, or we’ll continue working with you at no additional cost until you do. Most clients create or refine their roadmap in the first few months, then spend the rest of the year implementing it with our support. But every family and business is different, and we’re not going to abandon you just because the calendar says 12 months. We’re in this with you until you have the clarity and plan you need.

Evolve is 100% virtual, no travel required, no multi-day retreats. We designed it this way so the work fits into your actual schedule, not the other way around. You’ll have monthly 1:1 coaching sessions and bi-weekly Group Labs, all conducted virtually. This means you can participate from your office, your home, or wherever works for you, without disrupting your business or personal life. That being said, we love getting together in person, so we do offer in-person retreats for additional fees.

Evolve is designed for businesses with up to 3 members and includes monthly 1:1 coaching sessions. Evolve+ is for families with more than 3 people or for those who want to move at a faster pace. It includes double the monthly coaching sessions (two per month instead of one) and priority support. If you have a larger family, more complex stakeholder dynamics, or you want more intensive guidance, Evolve+ gives you that additional support starting at $5,400 per month.

Yes. Family conflict doesn’t disqualify you—in fact, it’s often a sign that you need this kind of structured, facilitated process. Our job is to create a safe space for those difficult conversations, help everyone feel heard, and guide you toward alignment even when you’re starting from very different places. We’ve worked with families navigating everything from long-standing resentments to power struggles to fundamental disagreements about the future. The key is willingness to engage in the process, not perfect harmony.

Plan for about 4-6 hours per month: one 60-90 minute 1:1 coaching session, two 90-minute Group Labs, plus time for any work you’re doing between sessions (like conversations with family, reviewing documents, or working through your roadmap). This isn’t a program that takes over your life—it’s designed to fit into your schedule while still giving you meaningful progress.

Absolutely. In fact, many of our clients come to us because they’ve already talked to attorneys or CPAs but can’t move forward with the recommendations they received. Maybe something doesn’t feel right, maybe there’s resistance from family members, or maybe you realize you’re missing critical information about what you actually want. We work alongside your existing advisors to clarify the people-side decisions that make their technical work more effective. You can think of us as the strategic foundation that makes your legal and financial advisors more valuable.

Your $2,700 monthly investment includes: monthly 1:1 coaching sessions with your dedicated coach, bi-weekly Group Labs led by Elizabeth Ledoux and Andrea Carpenter, access to our proprietary tools (Transition Compass, Objectives Matrix, Transition Roadmap), ongoing support between sessions, and all the guidance you need to create and implement your roadmap. There are no hidden fees, no percentage-based compensation tied to your deal structure, and no surprise charges. It’s a flat monthly rate for the full 12 months.

We intentionally limit the number of clients we work with so we can give each family the attention and care they deserve. This isn’t a mass-market program—it’s a guided journey with dedicated coaching and small peer groups. When you work with us, you’re not just a number in a system. You have a dedicated coach who knows your story, and you’re part of a small community of business owners navigating similar transitions.

We work with family businesses and closely-held companies across all industries—from manufacturing and construction to professional services, hospitality, agriculture, and retail. What matters isn’t your industry, it’s that you’re facing the people-side challenges of transition: unclear expectations, family dynamics, successor readiness, timing questions, and relationship preservation. The tools and frameworks we use apply universally because transition challenges are fundamentally human, not industry-specific.