Most business owners can't name two numbers that shape their entire exit: what the business is worth today, and what it needs to be worth to fund the life they want after they sell. In this episode, Wendy and Kelsey break down why both matter, why rules of thumb like the 4% guideline don't tell the whole story, and how knowing your numbers turns a surprise offer into a clear yes or no. It's a practical look at planning the gap between where you are and where you need to be.

In This Episode

• The two numbers every owner should know: what the business is worth, and what it needs to be worth to fund life after the sale
• Why the 4% rule and other rules of thumb fall short when you're figuring out your real after-business income
• What a "second bite of the apple" is, and how selling a stake now can pay off later at a higher valuation
• Why the number in a letter of intent rarely matches the final closing number, and what sets apart the owners who get full value
• How knowing your numbers turns an unsolicited offer into a decision you can make on the spot
• What a roll-up is, and why being the most prepared business on the block changes your bargaining power

Featured Quote

About the Hosts

Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts.

Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning.

Resources & Links

• The Value Builder e-book referenced in this episode is available by request. Send Wendy a note and she'll get you a copy.
• Learn more about Black Star Wealth at blackstarwealth.com

Connect With Black Star Wealth

• Website: blackstarwealth.com
• LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay
• Podcast: The Number — available on all major platforms

If this episode resonated, follow The Number so you don't miss what's next.

Most business partners never put anything in writing for the day the relationship stops working, and by the time a dispute erupts, court can feel like the only path forward. In this episode, lawyer Aileen Furey explains why nearly every lawsuit settles anyway, what a fight really costs once you add up the legal bill and the toll on your focus and sleep, and how to have the hard conversation before it ever reaches a courtroom. It's a practical look at protecting both your business and the partnership behind it.

In This Episode

• Why 97% of lawsuits settle before trial, and what that means for how you should handle a dispute

• What court actually costs, from the $25,000 small claims limit to roughly $50,000 to fully pursue a $100,000 claim with no guaranteed outcome

• The hidden costs of a legal fight: lost focus, lost sleep, and time pulled away from running your business

• Why a signed partnership or shareholder agreement is only worth the conversation you're willing to have behind it

• How the 5-to-1 ratio and a “trust bank” keep partnerships healthy before conflict ever starts

• When to have the hard conversation yourself, and when to bring in a neutral third party

Featured Quote

“97% of lawsuits don't make it to trial. They resolve before court. So if that's where we know we're all headed, let's stop the dance and have these conversations sooner and more directly so that people can get back to business.” — Aileen Furey

About the Hosts

Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts.

Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. She works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning.

About Our Guest

Aileen Furey is the founder of Fresh (freshadvice.ca). She began her career on the account side at M5, one of Atlantic Canada's largest advertising agencies, before going to law school and practicing criminal and civil litigation at established firms. She now works with entrepreneurs to resolve business and partnership disputes through negotiation and direct conversation rather than the traditional court process, stepping in as a neutral facilitator or as an advisor behind the scenes.

Resources & Links

• Aileen Fury online: freshadvice.ca

• Connect with Aileen on LinkedIn

Connect With Black Star Wealth

• Website: blackstarwealth.com

• LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay

• Podcast: The Number — available on all major platforms

If this episode resonated, follow The Number so you don't miss what's next.

For two out of three business owners, selling the company will be the largest financial transaction of their lives. Yet most have never had it valued, and many don't know where to begin. In this episode, Wendy Brookhouse and Kelsey MacAulay dig into the number 66, why business value belongs right alongside revenue and profit as a metric worth tracking, and the practical first steps owners can take, often years ahead of a sale, to understand what their business is worth and build it into something worth transitioning.

In This Episode

• Why business value deserves a seat next to revenue and profit as a number to track every year
• What the "66%" and "less than 40%" figures reveal about how few owners actually know their number
• How to get a baseline read on your business's worth when a sale is still 5 to 10 years out
• Which levers can lift both your profit and your multiple, and why that combination changes the sale price so dramatically
• Who belongs on your exit team, and why a transaction specialist is not the same as your generalist lawyer
• Why waiting until you're tired weakens both your energy and your bargaining position

Featured Quote

About the Hosts

Wendy Brookhouse is the founder and chief strategist at Black Star Wealth and a Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of independent advisory experience. She works with entrepreneurs and business owners to build financial clarity, business value, and wealth that lasts.

Kelsey MacAulay is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Officer at Black Star Wealth, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. He works with business owners on the operational and strategic side of building a business worth transitioning.

Resources & Links

• CEPA (Certified Exit Planning Advisor): the credential Kelsey points to when choosing an advisor who specializes in transitions
• Baseline business valuation: an informal valuation to establish a starting number, referenced in the episode as a service Black Star Wealth offers
• Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB): succession research cited in the episode (roughly 76% of owners planning to transition within 10 years, and 9% with a written plan)

Connect With Black Star Wealth

• Website: blackstarwealth.com
• LinkedIn: Wendy Brookhouse | Kelsey MacAulay
• Podcast: The Number, available on all major platforms

If knowing your number feels overdue, visit blackstarwealth.com to learn whether a baseline valuation is a fit for where you're at.