Preparing for the Exit: How Families Build Resilience Through a Liquidity Event

This episode is for founders and family business owners preparing for a liquidity event: a sale, recapitalization, or IPO that turns years of work into a new chapter for the family. Co-hosts Claire Martin and Matt McClintock, are joined by Brendan Bybee and S. Craig Stone II, managing partners at Stone Bybee & Associates, who bring over 30 years combined experience helping families navigate exactly this transition.The conversation moves through the full arc: how to prepare years ahead of a transaction, why treating succession as an ongoing process builds a stronger next generation, and how families can stay ready for whatever comes after the deal closes. Brendan and Craig share stories from their practice, including a "fire drill" exercise that helped one family build real continuity, and make the case that preserving options early gives families more strength and flexibility down the road.Walk away with a clearer sense of how starting these conversations early, even when they're hard, helps families build resilience and confidence for the road ahead.