How It Works

A Repeatable Process for Better Business-Owner Conversations.

Owning Differently™ gives advisors a structured way to move from initial conversation to meaningful planning — starting with the owner, diagnosing opportunities across the PAID Architecture™, prioritizing what matters, and guiding the next steps over time.

01

Start the Conversation

Begin with the owner's experience of ownership
30–45 minutes

Engage the owner around a different question — not a product, valuation, or exit timeline.

Use the Owning Differently philosophy, book, advisor resources, or a direct conversation to engage the owner around a different question: “What is owning this business doing for you today?” The goal is not to begin with a product, valuation, or exit timeline.

Owner-firstNo product discussionShared language
02

Run the Owning Differently Diagnostic

The four connected areas of the PAID Architecture™
~25 minutes for the owner

Understand the owner's current ownership experience across the four connected areas of the PAID Architecture™.

The Diagnostic surfaces where ownership is working and where planning opportunities may exist across Protect Value, Align Compensation and Tax Strategies, Integrate Retirement Strategies, and Distribute Your Legacy — the full picture no single advisor normally sees.

Owning Differently DiagnosticFour connected areasOwner self-serve
03

Identify and Prioritize Opportunities

Focus on what deserves attention now
Advisor review

Turn Diagnostic insight into a focused set of priorities rather than every possible issue.

The advisor identifies what deserves attention now, what can wait, which issues connect, and where specialist expertise may be needed — so the owner isn't overwhelmed with every possible issue.

Prioritized opportunitiesConnected issuesSpecialist awareness
04

Guide the Strategy

Strategy intelligence, reviewed and personalized
60 minutes

Review, refine, sequence, and personalize the planning path before discussing next steps with the owner.

Use the Owning Differently Platform and strategy intelligence to explore relevant planning approaches. The advisor reviews, refines, sequences, and personalizes the planning path before discussing next steps with the owner — and coordinates appropriate specialists where needed.

Strategy intelligencePersonalized pathSpecialist coordination
05

Continue the Advisory Process

An ongoing advisory relationship, not a one-time report
Throughout the ownership years

Revisit priorities as the business, owner, and ownership objectives evolve throughout the ownership years.

Revisit priorities as the business, owner, and ownership objectives evolve: annual or periodic Diagnostic refresh, progress review, changed business conditions, new owner priorities, changing retirement goals, or succession and transition becoming more relevant.

Periodic refreshProgress reviewOwnership years

Why it works

A structure that starts with the owner and connects the decisions.

Start With the Owner

Begin with the owner's experience of ownership rather than a product, valuation, or transaction.

Create Clarity

Turn a broad set of business and personal issues into a prioritized planning conversation.

Connect the Decisions

Use the PAID Architecture™ to show how protection, compensation and tax, retirement, and legacy decisions affect one another.

From Diagnosis to an Ongoing Advisory Relationship.

The Diagnostic is the beginning, not the deliverable. Owning Differently™ gives advisors a repeatable process for understanding the owner, identifying meaningful opportunities, guiding decisions, coordinating specialists, and revisiting priorities as circumstances change.

The exit may be one event. The ownership years are where the advisor earns the relationship.

Build a Practice Around the Business Owner.

Owning Differently gives advisors a repeatable way to start better conversations, diagnose meaningful planning opportunities, and create value throughout the ownership years.

30-minute intro call · No commitment required