Advisor · Author · Speaker

Cut through the noise and gain the clarity to act with confidence.

Workshops, keynotes, and panels for business owners on exit planning, ownership transition, and keeping the people your plans depend on.

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Byron McFarland
Author ofThe Bankable Buyer
9.9/10

Exit Confidential attendee rating

9.7/10

Design Your Exit attendee rating

$3B+

Business value guided through ownership transitions

Recent stages
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization) Vistage Bloom Growth Petra Coach Wilson 360

Recent stages: EO Seattle · EO Orange County · EO Nebraska · EO Alchemy · EO Nerve · EO Central Region Leadership Conference · EO DealExchange · Vistage · Bloom Growth · Petra Coach · Wilson 360

Sessions

Three sessions, each built to send owners home with a next step.

Byron tailors the stories and exercises to your members. Each runs as a keynote, a workshop, or a panel, and they pair well, such as an evening Exit Confidential panel before a Design Your Exit workshop.

Sizzle reel · 58 sec
01 · Flagship 9.7 / 10

Design Your Exit

Three paths to realizing the value you've built in your business.

Keynote2-hour workshopHalf-day workshop
See the session ↓
9.9/10Attendee rating
02 · Panel 9.9 / 10

Exit Confidential

Three owners who have sold their companies, interviewed on stage.

Moderated panel
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Overview · 2 min
03 · Keynote

Win the War for Talent

How to compete for the senior leaders your plans depend on.

KeynoteWorkshop
See the session ↓
Session 01 · Flagship workshop
9.7 / 10 attendee rating

Design Your Exit

Three paths to realizing the value you've built in your business.

Every owner will one day leave their business. Not all will realize its value. Design Your Exit helps owners view their business through three exit paths: selling to outsiders, transitioning to their own team, or becoming an investor in their own company.

Through stories, reflections, and proven frameworks, owners learn to reduce owner dependence, align their team, and build a business that rewards them, whether they sell, share, or step back.

Best forOwners and partners starting to think about what comes next
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Want the ideas in 90 seconds?
Watch the animated overview.

What owners walk away with
  • Clarify which path fits your goals, your timeline, and your team
  • See your business the way a buyer or lender would, beyond EBITDA
  • Score how much the business still depends on you
  • Define where the business is going and what's in it for your leadership team
  • Leave with a 90-day roadmap
Formats
KeynoteThe three exit paths and what drives value beyond EBITDA, told through stories from real transitions.
2-hour workshopThe core frameworks plus hands-on workbook exercises, with a break in the middle.
Half-day workshopThe full experience: readiness and risk assessments, the destination exercise, and a 90-day plan.

The workbookWorkshop participants receive a workbook that guides the session: a readiness assessment for each exit path, a buyer's-eye risk assessment across leadership, financials, operations, customers, and growth, and space to define where the business is going and the next 90 days of work.

Session 02 · Moderated panel

Exit Confidential

What selling a company is really like, from owners who have done it.

9.9/10
Attendee rating

Three members who have sold their companies, interviewed on stage. The stories are real, the questions are pointed, and the room gets the part of an exit that never shows up in a deal summary: what it felt like, what surprised them, and what they would do differently.

Exit Confidential works best for peer groups with members who have exited, such as EO chapters and Vistage groups. It runs well on its own as an evening session, or the night before a Design Your Exit workshop.

  1. 01The host picks the panelThree members who have sold their companies and are willing to talk about it.
  2. 02Byron interviews each one firstHe sends questions ahead of time, interviews each panelist, and records the conversation.
  3. 03He builds the storylineThe pre-interviews surface the moments worth hearing. Byron shapes those into the arc of the session.
  4. 04The panel, liveOn stage, he asks about the experiences the pre-interviews revealed. The room hears what selling was actually like from peers who have done it.
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Session 03 · Keynote or workshop

Win the War for Talent

Competing for the hearts and minds of your senior leaders.

Your senior leaders have more options than ever. This session shows owners how to compete for the people they need to execute their plans, using incentive and equity plans that connect rewards to growth, results, and shared success.

Best forAny owner who needs key people to stay, grow, and execute
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Three fronts in the competition for leaders
  1. 01
    Self-employmentYour best people can go out on their own more easily than ever.
  2. 02
    Free agencyPrivate equity-backed companies and owners planning their own succession are recruiting your leaders.
  3. 03
    ExpectationsSenior people expect a stake in the value they help create.

What owners walk away with

  • The real cost of losing a key leader, often two to four times annual salary
  • The types of equity plans: stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted and phantom stock
  • How to set award amounts, vesting, and payment triggers
  • Case studies of plans built to recruit, reward, and retain
"Byron McFarland's session was a game-changer for our organization. His ability to distill complex business strategies into clear, actionable insights is unparalleled. He not only inspired us but also equipped us with the tools necessary to attract and retain top-tier talent."
David Aferiat
"Sorry for anyone who missed this insightful, top-notch presentation that helped dispel many of my misconceptions about how to fairly compensate our team in ways that reward and incentivize them to continue their amazing work with us."
Lisa MacLean
Byron McFarland
About Byron

Byron works with business owners who've built something valuable and don't want to be trapped by it.

He helps owners and leadership teams create buy-in that builds trust, reduces risk, and increases transferable business value. Over the last two decades, he has guided leadership teams responsible for more than $3B in business value, helping owners move from being essential to being optional.

His work sits at the intersection of finance, human behavior, and legacy.

Byron and his wife, Terri, live in Omaha, Nebraska. Whenever possible, he can be found fly-fishing in clear, moving water.

Byron McFarland
Founder, The McFarland Group · Omaha, NE
The Bankable Buyer by Byron K. McFarland
The book

The Bankable Buyer

How to ensure your team can buy your business and you get paid in full.

If you're a business owner who believes legacy matters just as much as liquidity, this is a book you'll want to keep close. It's written for owners who don't just want out. They want their people taken care of, their story respected, and their business strong after they step away.

  • Sell your company to your management team
  • Use bank financing, not wishful thinking
  • Prepare your people to be credible buyers
  • Get paid and still feel proud of the outcome
"It feels like someone is showing you the real map that most owners never get to see."Noma Reads
Get chapters 1–3 free ↗ Order the book
From a founder who sold
"The Bankable Buyer is short. It is also the book I wish someone had handed me a few years before we sold Kermit."

"Byron's argument is that a more graceful option may already be sitting inside your own building, and his book is a practical guide to making that team bankable."

Richard PalareaBusiness growth coach, on LinkedIn
Read Richard's post ↗
Richard Palarea's LinkedIn post: Byron McFarland sent me his book last week. I read it in one sitting. View on LinkedIn ↗
The Transferable Value Index

Buyers don't purchase history. They purchase confidence in the future.

The Transferable Value Index is a business transferability assessment for closely-held business owners. Twelve questions, three to four minutes, scored on the two dimensions that decide whether a company can be sold: how durably it runs, and how independent it is from you.

  1. 01
    Your Transferable Value Score
    A 0 to 100 composite with quadrant placement, on completion
  2. 02
    Your dimension scores
    Business Durability and Owner Independence scored separately
  3. 03
    A personalized analysis
    Written for your specific scores and quadrant
Begin the assessment ↗ Twelve questions · Three to four minutes · No cost
Watch

More from Byron

More on YouTube ↗

"A perfect 10 out of 10!"

Ryan G., South Orange County, CA

"Byron's delivered exactly what we were looking for."

Lisa M., Seattle, WA

"We left more knowledgeable and ready for the future."

Kara B., Atlanta, GA
Beyond the stage

The work behind the talks.

Advisory · The McFarland Group

We help owners think clearly about what comes next, and act on it.

Byron is the founder of The McFarland Group, a boutique advisory firm in Omaha. M&A advisory, ownership succession, and equity compensation for closely held businesses.

Visit The McFarland Group ↗ For business coaches · McFarland Method

Help your clients build transferable value before they are ready to talk about selling.

Your clients are already making decisions that affect the transferable value of their businesses. The McFarland Method helps you bring that lens into the coaching conversation.

Explore the McFarland Method ↗
Booking

Bring Byron to your group.

Start with the outcome you want your members to walk away with. Pick a time and we'll build the session around it.

Book time with Byron ↗
  1. 01
    Tell us about your groupWho will be in the room, roughly how many, and the dates you're considering.
  2. 02
    Pick the session and formatA keynote, a workshop, a panel, or a pairing, such as an evening Exit Confidential panel before a Design Your Exit workshop.
  3. 03
    A prep call with ByronHe tailors the stories and exercises to your members. Fees and travel are covered on this call.
  4. 04
    The eventWorkshop participants receive a printed workbook, and Byron stays available to attendees afterward.