David is a master trainer and coach, with 20 years of experience in training and development, working with government, fortune 500 businesses, universities and Tribes across the country. One area of his expertise lies in working with Native-owned businesses and tribal organizations, with a focus on providing practical training solutions that drive success and growth.

As a Native-owned business, Tribal Government or Tribal Enterprise, you understand the unique obstacles when it comes to training and development, as cultural differences and values play a significant role. Insufficient cultural awareness in training solutions can impede your organization from achieving your objectives and enhancing your team’s skills and performance. Born and raised in Indian Country and as a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, David looks forward to serving by providing customized training that caters to the unique requirements, values and objectives of native-owned businesses and tribal organizations.

With experience in various facets of leadership in training and development, including sales management, training management, organizational development, corporate consulting, and as a master trainer and coach, David has honed his skills in developing and delivering programs that lead to overall professional and personal success.

Michael Poythress’ bio is coming soon.

Juan Carlos brings over 25 years of experience in strategically aligning business needs with top-tier talent
across diverse countries and cultures. In his career, Juan Carlos has successfully maximized the leadership
capabilities of CEOs and top-level executives, spearheaded multimillion-dollar negotiations in the commercial
and intellectual property arenas, and managed complex international and interdisciplinary projects. His
strategic insights have consistently ensured seamless operations and sustainable growth.

Mark Rockwell

Mark Rockwell is a successful business owner. After growing and selling his business he launched a new career as a business adviser.

As a Professional EOS Implementer (Entrepreneurial Operating System) he champions entrepreneurial companies — to break the logjams holding them back. EOS focuses on VISION, TRACTION, and HEALTHY:

VISION: Getting everyone on the same page about what their business is, where they’re going, and how they will get there.
TRACTION: Bringing discipline and accountability into the organization — becoming great at execution.
HEALTHY: Creating an environment where everyone enjoys working together.

Mark has started and grown several companies during his career, including transportation, construction, development, and senior healthcare — “To protect, engage, and love people living with memory loss.”

Mark struggled with the same frustrations, and setbacks all business owners experience. He introduced EOS to the healthcare company he started over his garage in 2008, which grew to 800 employees and $50MM in annual revenue.

Mark is a graduate of Willamette University College of Law, a former member of the Washington State Bar Association, and a graduate of Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management – Executive Program, Business.

Mark and his wife Cindy have two sons Andrew and Chase. Mark and Cindy live in Lake Oswego, Oregon with their English Bulldogs Annabel and Sugar and a sweet but somewhat cranky Shih Tzu named Daisy.

Scott Jacobs is an accomplished Sales and Marketing Executive who relishes the opportunity to elevate companies and careers. He has a track record of success as a leader in building/developing sales and marketing teams. He is a talented coach and mentor who leverages people’s individual skills to generated business results. In addition to Scott’s leadership, he has extensive experience in business advising and career coaching. As a business adviser he has worked on critical leadership succession planning to make the transition in leadership less disruptive for the organization and their employees.

The first half of his career was working with international leading consumer products companies, such as Procter & Gamble, Spalding Sporting Goods and Stearns a Colman company. Over the last 15 yrs. he has worked for industry leaders in the technology sector, including Financial, Legal, Higher Ed, Retail and HR Compliance Software. He has measurable success leading marketing, direct sales and channel organizations while at Wolters Kluwer, Intuit, Navex, Axiom EPM, Prophix, APCON and Orchestra Software.

He is the Principal of Jacobs Strategic Group llc., a results-driven professional with repeated success in helping organizations thrive, by increase sales, revenue and profit. Scott is a creative problem solver through listening and evaluating needs in a collaborative manner. With a proven track record in leadership, sales, business development and marketing, he has demonstrated success in leading organizations to accomplish challenging business objectives.

Scott earned his MBA from University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis and his BA from the University of Portland.

Working with a family business counselor when things got rough between my dad, uncle and I a few years ago. His name was Eugene Wallace and he basically saved us from killing each other.

Read Shobi’s full Executive Profile.

One of 100 nominated Oregon companies and a client of Family Business Advisers,
Glass Alchemy received the honor for its succession planning, eco-friendly focus with recycled glass and clean power, and excellent family interactions.

Eugene J. Wallace has served as a trusted adviser for business leaders since 1998. He has integrated his experience as a successful business owner, and his understanding of excellent leaders and organizational dynamics, to help thousands of business leaders strategically navigate to and through the success and succession of their businesses.

Eugene’s success in advising, coaching, and mentoring leaders around the world has earned him the trusted place of a ‘Strategic Advantage’. He has relied upon an abundance mindset, making lemonade out of lemons. He brings his business savvy, strategic mindset and passion for excellence through business to partnering with clients as they grow their organizations.

Eugene has B.A.s in Psychology and Theology, and three Masters degrees. He serves/has served on the: Board of Directors for the International Succession Planning Association; Board of Advisors for the Austin Family Business Program; part of the Oregon State College of Business Dean’s Council on Excellence; Board of Trustees for the International Theological Institute; and has served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees with the Columbia-Willamette YMCA. He is a Certified Succession Planner, a Certified Family Business Specialist and a Certified Management Consultant.

He and his wife of 35 years, Angela, have five grown children and three sprouting grandchildren.

What his clients are saying of him:

“Eugene really helped us save our business. We moved from challenging family dynamics and struggling to manage growth that threatened to pull us apart to a dynamic and successful company with growing pains”

“We have worked with consultants who were ‘experts’, yet Eugene, as an experienced business leader and adviser, helped us discover and pursue our goals and to achieve the transformation that we had wanted for a long time.”

“I have been continually amazed at his powers of observation and ability to help my family and I understand what we want, where we really are and how we can move the family and business ahead in achieving our goals.”

Securing the Life and Legacy of Your Family Business

Failure to develop an adequate plan for the disposition of a business interest at the death or disability of its owner could kill your business legacy.  It may result in a forced sale of the interest whether it is a proprietorship, partnership, or a substantial stock ownership in a closely held corporation. A buy-sell agreement is often the only way to arrange for the disposition of the owner’s interest in a fair and equitable manner.

Buy-sell agreements are directed toward the continuance of the business interest after the death of one or more of the owners. The existence of a buy-sell arrangement is designed to eliminate the problems that may arise if the surviving owners are forced to become business associates of the decedent’s family. Not only may there be goal and personality conflicts, but inexperience and differing financial needs are potential business killers which could ultimately result in the financial death of a once-profitable enterprise.

A business without a buy-sell agreement is comparable to a person without a will. In each case, important decisions will need to be made. Allowing the property to pass according to a plan specified in the state law of intestacy, rather than according to the wishes of the decedent, might result in outcomes that are unintended by the individual and/or business owner. They might not be appropriate and, in the case of the business, could result in its sale to non-family members leaving remaining family and/or partners without income and often in debt.

Estate liquidity will be a paramount concern for survivors. Every business owner will want to assure the family of a fair and reasonable price for the business—not a liquidation price that may result from a forced sale. Finally, few people want their family’s future totally dependent upon the fortunes of a business venture which they no longer manage. A properly drafted business buy-sell agreement should accomplish the following:

• Pre-determine the business’s value for federal estate tax purposes
• Assure that any future growth in value accrues to benefit those responsible for the gain
• Provide sufficient cash to surviving business associates with which to purchase the decedent’s interest
• Assure a fair and adequate sales price
• Separate the family’s financial position from that of the business
• Transform illiquid assets into a liquid income-producing fund

Keeping your business alive while you’re running it is hard work.  Keeping it alive after you pass it on is even harder work.  A buy-sell agreement is a powerful tool to consider as you plan for the ongoing life of your business.

[Note: This article is not to be used as tax or legal advice. Always consult with local counsel or a tax specialist on all specific tax and legal matters.]

Recently, in speaking with a father, who founded a very successful business, he mentioned that his planning was all done.  When I asked him what he meant, he indicated that his wills and trusts were in good order and he was now relying on the kids to take over the business and run it the way that he had done so successfully for the past thirty years.  I was impressed and went on to ask how the plan to make sure that the kids and the key employees were ready to run the business was laid out?  He hesitated a bit and told me about the recent awards his business had won and how successful he has been and that he expected his kids to do the same.

We had gotten together because he wanted to make sure that he was done with his planning.  I learned that he had the transition transactions in place – wills, trusts, etc. – and I discovered that he had been very successful.  Yet, I was asking about two things in addition to that:  first, what were the plans to make sure the people, to whom he was passing on leadership of the business were ready; and, secondly, what were the plans to make sure the business would make it through the generation to which he was passing on the business and make it successfully to the next generation of leaders?

Succession planning includes celebrating success and getting documents in order to guide the transition process at your death.  However, it also includes the planning, people and provision for continued success and longevity.

The planning includes strategically thinking about how best to grow and position the business for ongoing success.  Take the time to assess where you are — the good, bad and ugly –, determine where you want to go and then create the goals and action steps to get there.  This does not have to be a long drawn out process.  It does need to be clear and relevant.  This planning is increasingly important as a business is preparing to change leadership.  How clearly laid out is your planning process and ongoing plan?

The people taking on leadership need a path forward and the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully take the baton from the outgoing leadership.  Taking the time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of potential new leaders and then creating a successor development plan for them, is powerful.  Businesses that put the effort into developing people experience a process of continued growth as they grow new leaders prior to the time when they take on the full mantle of responsibility.  Succession planning is about the people most of all.  Estate planning documents are necessary, yet the ‘will’ that is more important is at the heart of those taking on leadership.  Are they ready, able and willing to do what it takes to keep the business on track?

The provision of exit strategies, business structures and funding that effectively prepare the business to move successfully through the next generation can make or break the legacy.  Over time businesses typically grow in size and value.  This growth presents challenges and opportunities.  Take the time to carefully plan for what that growth will look like so that the next generation can exit the business to make room for successors.  This means making sure the exit strategies do not drain the business or leave it weakened in some way.  Paying attention to business structures to minimize transition difficulties and tax liabilities can make or break a business.  Desire to pass a business on to the next generation is one thing, providing the funding and economic viability is another.  How will the successor generations be able to take on the business without compromising the lifestyle of the outgoing business leaders?

Failing to plan is the forerunner of planning to fail.  As you consider the success and succession of your business, take the time to fill the holes in your plan.  The planning, people, and provision for success are critical elements in every succession plan.  Taking the time to cultivate success will go a long way to grow your business now and through the next generation.