Building an Advisory Team That Gets You Across the Goal Line
February 20, 2026 
© Hoss McBain/ZUMA Press Wire
“There was something in the air that night,” as Fernando Mendoza, Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback of the #1 Indiana Hoosiers, on fourth down, clinging to a tight 17–14 lead, broke multiple tackles, and dove 12 yards into the end zone. The Hoosiers would go on to win the NCAA college football National Championship, their first ever, and finish a perfect 16–0 season. Mendoza was the quarterback, but he didn’t win alone — every player and coach mattered. Coach Curt Cignetti summed it up well: “The whole was greater than the sum of its parts.”
In succession and exit planning, the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) is your Mendoza, the quarterback who coordinates the plays. But just like Indiana’s championship, your exit will only succeed if you build the right team. In football, the game’s heart and soul lie in teamwork. No matter how talented a quarterback is, he alone can’t win the game. Victory requires everyone working together toward a shared goal.
Succession and exit planning for business owners are very similar. An owner can’t develop a successful exit strategy alone. Many owners focus on daily operations and overlook their “end game,” leaving them unprepared when transition time comes.
Spring 2026 Pre-Season
As we head into the spring growing season, horticulture business owners are facing their own fourth-and-goal moment. According to the 2025 State of Succession and Exit Planning in the Horticulture Industry survey by BEST-PivotPoint Business Solutions, our landscape is in transition: External pressures, including tariffs, immigration, rising insurance costs, access to capital, and more, are reshaping exit timelines.
- 52% of owners have no transition or exit plan, and only 9% are prepared to exit today.
- 1 in 4 owners have changed their planned exit timeline; 12% have delayed it by 5+ years.
- The primary business challenge: 58% of owners said, “Building a team that can function without me.”
Every successful football team depends on coaches and players to make the right moves and reach the goal line. For a business owner, your coaching staff are your trusted advisors. They play an essential role in guiding you toward a successful exit. Just like Mendoza couldn’t win alone, you can’t plan your exit solo.
According to the Exit Planning Institute, 73% of privately owned companies in the U.S. will transition within the next 10 years. Exits, particularly for Gen X and Baby Boomers, are accelerating faster than ever. And only the best will sell or transition.
Who are the key players on your exit planning team, and how do they help you score the winning touchdown?
Your Exit Plan Quarterback
The CEPA is your Fernando Mendoza, the one who sees the whole field, calls the plays, and makes critical decisions. A CEPA coordinates the moving parts: personal goals, business goals, and financial readiness.
There are three phases of a CEPA-led engagement:
- Discover: Understanding your personal goals, business goals, and financial situation, including a business valuation (47% of survey respondents still lack a formal business valuation or land appraisal).
- Prepare: Build value, mitigate risks, set up your financial future, and build a team that can function without you.
- Decide: Guiding you to confidently choose your path, whether it is to grow, sell, transition to family, or another option, with everything in place for a smooth transition.
In the survey, personal readiness to exit today has doubled from 4% to 9%. Progress, but still too low. Your CEPA helps you identify what you’re running toward, not just what you’re leaving behind.
Coach Cignetti trusted Mendoza to make the 4th-down call. Your CEPA is the advisor you trust to make the critical calls in your transition.
Your Trusted Advisor Bench
Certified Exit Plan Advisor (CEPA) infographic. | PivotPoint Business Solutions
Just as Indiana required every position group, not just the quarterback, your exit plan requires a coordinated team of specialists.
The Accountant (CPA): Your Offensive Line
Your accountant protects your financial foundation and keeps your books clean. Without your accountant, nothing moves forward. Often the most trusted advisor, your accountant knows your financial history inside and out. Survey results show that 31% of respondents rely most on their accountant.
The Attorney: Your Defensive Coordinator
Your attorney handles agreements (buy-sell, shareholder), Letters of Intent, and estate planning, protecting the business during a transition. 12% of respondents cited their attorney as a top advisor.
The Financial Advisor: Your Special Teams
Often overlooked but transformative, your financial advisor guides you toward your “Freedom Point”: the financial milestone where you can exit on your terms. Only 14% of business owners named their financial planner their top advisor. Too many owners still don’t know their post-transition income needs, yet financial readiness is crucial to your transition. In fact, owners rated their financial preparedness at only 6.1 out of 10.
The Value-Building Advisor: Your Strength & Conditioning Coach
Increasingly recognized in the 2025 survey as essential, the value-building advisor focuses on the eight key drivers of business value, helping you build a stronger, more transferable business (a CEPA is also trained in this).
Your advisors must work together, not in silos. Just like Mendoza, the CEPA ensures alignment by coordinating with the offensive coordinator, line coach, and receivers.
Notice your spouse isn’t listed on the roster. Your spouse is an essential partner in your personal and possibly business life. Include your spouse in discussions, but rely on trained legal, financial, and tax professionals for the technical aspects of your exit.
The Spring Ahead
As we enter spring, think of succession planning as a planting season for your future. The 2025 survey’s key lesson: “Succession isn’t a storm to weather, it’s a season to prepare for.”
The time to start is now. Build your advisory team and engage a CEPA. Get a business valuation. Understand your Freedom Point. The external climate of tariffs, immigration, and economic uncertainty may be unpredictable, but your preparedness doesn’t have to be.
Mendoza and Indiana didn’t become champions overnight. Your exit will take three to five years. Start now so you have the right team on the field when it matters.
Get the Survey
2025 State of Succession and Exit Planning in the Horticulture Industry Report QR Code
View and download your complimentary digital copy of the 2025 State of Succession and Exit Planning in the Horticulture Industry report by clicking HERE or scanning the QR code above.
Also, ask us about the new complimentary PeerReview, a customized report that compares your responses to the full 2025 survey data. It shows where you’re ahead, where there’s room to grow, and what steps others are taking to prepare for transition.
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