The Ripple Effect: A Simple Exit-Ready Shift for 2026
It All Begins Here
Happy New Year from Ripples Edge Advisors!
Hello friends,
January always seems to arrive with a mix of momentum and reflection. As things start to settle back into their usual rhythm, this feels like a good moment to pause…look up from the day-to-day, and think about the kind of ripples we want to create in the year ahead.
This edition is all about small, thoughtful moves that make your eventual exit feel less like a cliff and more like an intentional journey.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Ripples Edge Advisors is proud to launch our 2026 Referral Program. We’ll drop the details below!
Happy New Year and here’s to a wonderful and prosperous 2026!
Kimberly Wasney & Alex Seydel
Co-Founders, Ripples Edge Advisors
Ripples in Action
At the beginning of our work together, a client mentioned that he had received an offer to buy his business for $10M. On the surface, it was exciting news—but he wanted to be sure both he and the business were truly ready before saying yes. So, we sat down with him for an Exit Exploration Workshop to pressure-test that readiness and identify any gaps.
Over the two-day session, we uncovered a few key areas that would slow down diligence and drag down valuation, including:
Tight profit margins
Heavy owner dependence in the sales process
An inexperienced leadership team without clear roles and accountabilities
The owner made the decision to pause on the offer and invest in strengthening the business first. Over the next 18 months, we worked together to:
Improve profit margins by 10%
Hire key sales support to remove the owner from day-to-day selling
Train and develop the leadership team, and implement an organizational chart with clear accountabilities
When the same Buyer came back, their offer had increased to $15M - a 50% jump in just a year and a half. The Buyer was willing to pay more for a business they could step into and operate on Day One, without spending months catching up or cleaning up messy processes.
The moral of the story:
a focused season of readiness can translate directly into a higher valuation and more money in your pocket at close.
Exit Essentials
Here’s a simple January-friendly “Exit Readiness Starter Kit”.
First, look ahead: at the end of 2026, how do you want to describe your business in one word - transferable, profitable, sellable, delegated, efficient, purposeful, or something else entirely? Take a minute to sit with what it would feel like for that word to be true.
Then ask yourself: what is one simple action you can take this quarter to move in that direction?
If you’d like a little help with that step, hit reply with your word of the year and one challenge you’re facing in making it real. A short Loom video will come your way with one practical tip on where to start.
Making Waves
Ripples Edge Advisors is on the move this month! Find us in Austin, Denver, or Chicago!
Know any business owners or Founders in Austin, TX? Invite them to join Ripples Edge Advisors and Kinship Milk Tea on Thursday, January 22 for a Walk & Talk event!
In Denver? Join Co-Founder Alex Seydel at the Dealmaker Wisdom for 2026 event on January 27th, hosted in collaboration with Pierson Ferdinand, Class VI Partners, the Women of Mergers & Acquisitions Network, Plante Moran
For those in the Midwest, join Co-Founder Kim Wasney at the MBBI Annual Conference Grit to Growth: Winning in Uncertain Times on January 29th.
2026 Referral Program
Ripples Edge Advisors is delighted to launch our 2026 Referral Program as a way to show our gratitude for your trust in us. For each client you send our way ($5,000 minimum spend), we’ll give you the choice of the following:
$1,000 credit towards an Exit Exploration Workshop for you and your team
$500 cash
$500 donation to a charity of your choice
We appreciate all of your support and look forward to sharing our success with all of you!
We’d love to hear from you!
Thank you for reading and for letting Ripples Edge be part of your thinking this month. If this sparked a question or you’re wrestling with what “exit ready” means for you, share this link with a friend.. Those are the conversations this newsletter is meant to start.
And if a particular founder or business owner came to mind while you were reading, feel free to forward this along or introduce us - we’re always glad to be a sounding board as they plan their next chapter.
Welcome to the Ripple Effect
It All Begins Here
Greetings from Ripples Edge!
Hello and Welcome,
We’re delighted to have you on board as we launch the inaugural edition of The Ripple Effect — your source for insights, inspiration, and connection from Ripples Edge Advisors. Whether you’re considering your business legacy or looking to create meaningful impact, this journey is about more than just exit strategies — it’s about the positive ripples every founder can make.
This newsletter is here to spark fresh conversations, keep you updated on what’s new in the world of growth and transition, and encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences. We invite you to follow along, respond, and help us build a community that values learning, legacy, and the ripple effect of smart decisions.
Let’s inspire one another and stay connected as we set in motion the ripples of lasting value.
Okay, now we promise we’re done with the puns….for a while.
Kimberly Wasney & Alex Seydel
Co-Founders, Ripples Edge Advisors
Ripples in Action
Recently, we had a conversation with a founder whose business had attracted a surprise offer from a private equity firm. At first glance, the deal seemed fair enough. But as she talked about her journey, one thing stood out: her genuine pride in her team and her deep concern for what would happen to them once she stepped away.
During negotiations, she asked the buyer about the future of her people. Their response stopped her in her tracks: “You actually care about what happens to your people after you leave?”
In that moment, she realized the deal wasn’t aligned with her values or vision for her legacy.
When she reached out to Ripples Edge Advisors, it wasn’t just to explore her options, but to make sure her exit would be something she could celebrate, not regret. Together, we walked through a strategic exit workshop to clarify her core values, define her ideal outcomes, and sketch a roadmap for a transition that honors what matters most.
Here’s something we hear time and again: the deepest regret isn’t always selling the business — it’s how the sale was handled.
“I wish I hadn’t sold to this buyer.”
“I wish I had listened to my gut.”
Your legacy should never be left to chance. Protecting what you’ve built means making sure your exit story is one you’re proud to share.
Exit Essentials
Want to try a core values exercise on your own?
TRY THIS PROMPT
Name the three best leaders you’ve had in your life. Managers, coaches, peer leaders, whoever. Now list the three traits that made each of them a great leader.
Was it their open communication? Their commitment to innovation? Their focus on the human behind the role?
Start to look for patterns about what you admire in other leaders and you’ll tease out your core values as a leader yourself.
Making Waves
Did you know that 75% of businesses that go to market never sell? Ripples Edge Advisors Co-Founder Alex Seydel and financial advisor Allie Beckmann of Liberated Financial joined Beatrice Gutknecht on The Art of Positioning podcast to explore why (and how to fix it).
Ripples Edge is a proud Bronze Sponsor of the upcoming Professional Women’s Club of Chicago Holiday Progressive Luncheon. In Chicago? Join Kim Wasney as her guest.
We are opening up three Strategic Planning workshop slots in January. Join us for a half-day session to build your annual plan for 2026.
Email us at hello@ripplesedgeadvisors.com for more information.
We’d love to hear from you!
Thank you for reading and being part of the Ripples Edge Advisors community.
Your feedback means a lot—contact us to share your thoughts or questions. And if you know a business owner who’s considering their legacy or exploring what comes next, we’d be honored if you’d refer them our way.