Growth-Drive's Business Advisor Coffee Klatsch

George Sandmann
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Every week a group of senior pros gather to dig into business advisory strategies, best practices, and client cases. Open to all - join the conversation every Tue @ 0930 ET - link below.

  1. 17h ago

    Coffee Klatsch 11-03-2026

    SummaryWhat does it take to get paid for the value you create? With George Sandmann checking in from Carl Cox's CEO conference in Scottsdale, Growth Driver of the Year Erik Owen hosts this Coffee Klatsch. It opens with Paul's practical problem: a CRM full of contacts he can't search. The group shares AI-powered fixes, from networking CRMs that enrich contact data to Joseph Frasko's suggestion to skip bulky software and build your own AI system that pulls context from your emails and calls. The conversation then returns to last week's pricing debate. Joseph makes the case for staged engagements that lead to synthetic equity, framing himself as a "chief enterprise value officer," while Erik warns that any upside deal depends on trust and on terms you can actually measure. The group weighs success fees, draws, and DCF baselines. Joseph sums it up in the line that stuck: if you can't deliver 10x your fee, why are you working with them? The takeaway is that advisors who compete on outcomes instead of price stop being a commodity and become partners. KeywordsCoffee Klatsch, pricing, value-based pricing, success fees, synthetic equity, enterprise value, upside participation, chief enterprise value officer, staged engagements, 90-day agreement, 10x value, DCF, commoditization, value proposition, differentiation, CRM, contact tagging, AI, contact enrichment, networking CRM, automation, Claude, voice notes, relationships, trust, facilitation, Fearless facilitation, Growth Driver of the Year, Growth-Drive community Chapters00:00 Election Day and the Brewers' World Series01:16 George checks in from Carl Cox's CEO conference in Scottsdale05:52 Introductions around the room12:02 Paul's question: how do you tag and search your CRM?12:52 AI contact enrichment and networking CRMs15:39 Automation tools and logging how you met17:25 Connecting AI to your contacts18:40 Building your own AI contact system21:01 Using voice notes to write better AI prompts22:28 Filtering out spam contacts24:23 One place for all your contacts25:41 How far AI has come in four years26:12 Revisiting value participation in pricing28:25 Equity, synthetic equity, and trust30:10 A staged approach to sharing in the upside32:03 Getting paid when there's no transaction35:46 Success fees, draws, and the chief enterprise value officer38:03 If you can't deliver 10x, why work with them?40:12 Measuring the harder-to-measure work42:12 Using DCF to set the baseline44:31 Partner, not commodity: escaping the price war48:00 Lightning round: final takeaways56:37 Facilitation as a duet, and Fearless in February

  2. Oct 27

    Coffee Klatsch 10-27-2026

    SummaryHow do you really feel about your pricing? Mike Garrison puts that question to the Coffee Klatsch while he builds the sales training that follows February's Fearless facilitation workshop, and the answers are refreshingly honest. Paul opens with data: 45 of his 46 clients came through referrals, which led George Sandmann to suggest using AI agents to mine your own client history. Eric Owen admits he still wrestles with confidence in his custom pricing, and others share stories of scope surprises and lowball competitors. Garrison walks through his $10,000-a-day paid discovery and urges advisors to "raise the floor, don't lower the ceiling." Barry adds that your rate is your rate, and George hints at new ways for advisors to share in the upside they create. Tip Quilter then explains why advisory work is a credence sale, where clients have to believe in you and in themselves, and describes the intentional hurdles he uses to find committed clients. The takeaway: pricing confidence starts with believing in your own value, and you're not alone in struggling with it. KeywordsCoffee Klatsch, pricing, pricing confidence, value-based pricing, paid discovery, credence sale, custom pricing, project vs. retainer pricing, hourly billing, referrals, AI agents, anchoring, benchmarking, raise the floor, revenue sharing, upside participation, client commitment, strategic intent, CLARITY, alignment workshop, sales training, Fearless facilitation, sales coaching cohort, Growth-Drive community Chapters00:00 Pre-show: Phoenix travel and staying strong after 4507:11 George joins the call08:32 Paul's data: 45 of 46 clients came from referrals10:14 Using AI agents to mine your client history11:37 Mike Garrison's question: how do you feel about your pricing?14:37 Custom pricing and the quote that surprised the client20:44 Scope surprises and lowball competitors23:37 When the client expected $5K and you quoted $25K24:51 Stop hiding in techniques27:00 George on Growth-Drive's pricing and new options30:28 Anchoring and benchmarking your price32:09 What to say when price comes up too early33:08 Paid discovery at $10K a day36:16 Raise the floor, don't lower the ceiling39:33 Your rate is your rate40:52 Pricing as a lever for client commitment45:35 Defer, don't dodge47:36 Sharing in the upside you create51:56 Easy to go down, hard to go up55:11 Price reflects perceived value56:41 Tip's credence sale and intentional hurdles1:01:28 Lightning round: final takeaways1:10:28 Postscript: how this ties into February's sales training

  3. Oct 20

    Coffee Klatsch 10-20-2026

    SummaryHow do great advisors actually build referral relationships? In this episode of the Coffee Klatsch, George Sandmann previews the new Growth-Drive user interface and portfolio view before heading off to ACG Philadelphia, and Peter explains why "Can I Borrow Your Car?" is a culture change tool as much as a sales approach, ahead of February's Fearless facilitation training. Then Paul asks the question that takes over the hour: what really works for building a pipeline? Mike Garrison calls for written strategy, regenerative referrals, and speaking (with writing as "the gym for consultants"). Member of the year Eric Owen shares how he hosts his own networking events and leads an EPI chapter so he controls the room. When Mitch asks how to vet a business broker, the group's advice is to ask about their favorite client, ask about the deal that went wrong, and lean on the community first. Mike Laskowski shares his COI primer, Steven pitches a board-game networking night, and a Dungeons & Dragons dinner story shows how relationships deepen once you find common ground. The lightning round lands on one message: be more human, give first, and be interested rather than interesting. KeywordsCoffee Klatsch, referrals, networking, centers of influence, COI primer, Provisors, EPI, BEI chapter, XPX, speaking, writing, hosting networking events, relational equity, give before you take, business brokers, investment bankers, vetting referral partners, Can I Borrow Your Car, Fearless facilitation, Bowen theory, owner dependence, Growth-Drive UI, portfolio view, member of the year, Growth-Drive community Chapters00:00 Pre-show banter and Tip's annual review season05:46 George on the road and the new user interface07:05 The sash, the scepter, and member of the year09:06 Fearless facilitation training this February10:05 "Can I Borrow Your Car?" as a culture change agent12:42 Inside the new UI and the coming portfolio view19:28 Paul's question: what actually builds a pipeline?20:38 Networking through community and volunteering22:50 Written strategy and regenerative referrals25:30 Why speaking and writing win clients27:31 Leadership roles and hosting your own networking event33:41 How to vet a business broker: ask about their favorite client38:44 Porsches, Jeeps, and who you trust with your referrals40:42 Ask about the deal that went wrong42:46 Lean on the community first45:34 The COI primer: give before you ask49:36 Start your own chapter and control the room52:59 A board game networking night56:02 From transactional to relational equity1:00:16 Lightning round: final takeaways

  4. Oct 13

    Coffee Klatsch 10-13-2026

    SummaryFresh off the Growth-Drive Summit in Charleston, the Coffee Klatsch crew gathers to unpack what stuck. George Sandmann leads a candid debrief: Carl Cox's execution exercise and the "Could, Should, Must, Will" filter for cutting through the noise, the power of table assignments that gave newcomers a real voice, and the summit's one flaw (a room too loud to hear your own table). Mike Garrison shares how a six-hour drive home with Peter turned into a recorded strategy session that rewrote their client approach, giving us the lifeguard analogy: let clients swim, jump in only when they go under. The group digs into moving from expert to guide, using AI to rehearse client conversations and analyze meeting transcripts, and the Fearless facilitation training coming this February. In the closing lightning round, one theme rises above the rest: this community is the magic, and the challenge now is getting more of its 284 members engaged. KeywordsGrowth-Drive Summit, Coffee Klatsch, Could Should Must Will, facilitation, strategic intent, expert vs. guide, lifeguard analogy, succession planning, case study, table workshops, study groups, BEI, EPI, CLARITY, CLAIRE AI, AI role-play, discovery calls, Fearless training, sales coaching, revenue durability, business advisory community, private business owners Chapters00:00 Pre-show banter: weather, winter travel, and the Charleston-to-Roanoke road trip09:18 Mike Garrison's AI article for private equity players11:08 Summit takeaway: Carl Cox's execution exercise12:30 Could, Should, Must, Will: a facilitation tool for priorities14:20 Rereading the Growth-Drive book after the summit18:07 The BEI handouts and five client-facing succession articles21:06 Table conversations: "the coffee klatsch on steroids"23:32 How impactful were the table assignments?25:53 Seeing it from the owner's side of the table28:00 The one drawback: a room too loud to hear31:19 Doing the homework: case study prep and a pre-summit webinar33:21 Same format next year? Plus BEI timing35:08 Case formats and democratizing study groups38:17 Wrestling with the big strategic ideas41:06 A six-hour car debrief and the lifeguard analogy46:04 Community is the magic48:37 Creating deal flow: from expert to guide49:59 Owning the language: role-play and AI-powered prep54:59 Don't solve, don't sell: rethinking the discovery call55:46 Fearless facilitation training and the sales cohort57:51 Lightning round: final takeaways1:07:46 284 members and the engagement challenge

  5. Sep 30

    Coffee Klatsch 09-29-2026

    SummaryThis Coffee Klatsch session features real-time deal talk between advisors, led by Eric sharing two live transactions — a 90/10 ownership flip between brothers-in-law and a minority buy-in for three key employees. Chad brings a fresh case for group input: valuing a cybersecurity company mid-partner-dispute with newly signed contracts not yet reflected in historical earnings, sparking a detailed discussion on weighting future revenue, customer concentration risk, and earnout structuring. Mitch, a former business owner who sold to private equity, adds firsthand color on what earnouts actually feel like post-close — including a memorable payroll scare the day after his sale — and stresses the value of coaching sellers to mentally let go of control before closing. Julie, an HR executive, contributes perspective on the human and cultural fallout of ownership transitions, especially when former owners stay on. The session closes with takeaways emphasizing the value of real deal experience over theory, and the importance of building deeper one-on-one relationships within the community ahead of the upcoming Summit. KeywordsManagement buyout, ownership transition, earnout structuring, seller note, normalized EBITDA, valuation adjustments, customer concentration, minority ownership, deal structuring, cookie jar syndrome, third-party valuation, employment agreements, post-sale transition, coaching sellers, cybersecurity company sale, family business conflict, Growth-Drive Summit Chapters- 00:39 – Introductions and casual catch-up- 06:53 – Summit travel plans and Charleston chat- 07:45 – Eric's deal #1: brothers-in-law flipping 90/10 ownership- 12:11 – How day-to-day roles were restructured ahead of the flip- 15:21 – Valuation disagreement: unrealistic forecasts and record-year EBITDA- 18:35 – Chad's case: valuing a cybersecurity company mid-partner split- 20:00 – Group input on weighting future contracted revenue- 21:00 – Eric's past deal: proving margin gains added $500K to sale price- 25:48 – Distinguishing booked contracts from projected pipeline- 27:23 – Second deal: minority buy-in for three key employees- 31:12 – Suggestion: using a third-party valuation for objectivity- 33:09 – Uncovering "cookie jar syndrome" and compensation imbalance- 34:46 – Structuring earnouts and seller notes to manage risk- 39:23 – Mitch shares his own earnout experience and lessons- 44:02 – Julie on best practices for post-sale employment agreements- 46:17 – The risk of forcing an ownership relationship that isn't working- 47:46 – Family business dynamics and sibling roles- 51:39 – Mitch's story: the day-after-sale payroll scare- 52:52 – Letting go of control after a sale- 53:29 – Transition to closing takeaways- 53:33 – Paul's takeaway: "exit right," not "exit left"- 54:07 – Mike's takeaway: coaching vs. advising, intangible value- 55:02 – Teresa's takeaway: reconnecting with the community- 55:36 – Mitch's takeaway: appreciating situational, story-driven discussion- 56:34 – Julie's takeaway: coaching and open-ended questions- 57:33 – Jemaiah's takeaway: the value of a like-minded expert community- 59:28 – Chad's takeaway: the reminder of why these calls matter- 59:52 – Eric's closing thoughts and Summit encouragement

  6. Sep 23

    Coffee Klatsch 09-22-2026

    SummaryThis Coffee Klatsch session covers two main threads: a preview of the new Growth-Drive UI (portfolio view, gamified progress tracking, MCP integration with Claude), and a deep dive on facilitation led by Larry Deets using Wilkinson's five Ps model. The group distinguishes true facilitation from merely "MCing," with Erik, Peter, and Ed sharing discovery tactics that blend hard data with emotional drivers (via frameworks like HERD and Bowen Theory). The session closes with takeaways emphasizing that facilitation — more than any tool — is what drives real client transformation. KeywordsFacilitation, Wilkinson's five Ps, discovery questions, strategic capacity, UI update, MCP integration, Claude, Bowen Theory, HERD framework, client preparation, own the room, Summit, sales process, emotional drivers, portfolio view, gamification, operator model, private equity Chapters00:40 – Catching up and Summit travel logistics04:38 – George's newsletter teaser: "the only exit that really matters"09:03 – Story: firing a client over a betrayed referral11:22 – Introducing the new software UI12:04 – Why the UI changed: brand update and portfolio view14:00 – New features: strategy planner, business flow scorecard, permissions17:57 – The "put the CEO in the middle" software vision18:41 – MCP integration with Claude explained21:19 – Summit attendee roll call23:58 – Jemaiah's strategic capacity–focused website25:22 – Why advisors are the "operator" private equity needs28:36 – Introducing the Fearless Facilitation training29:58 – Larry explains Wilkinson's five Ps of facilitation32:18 – The "good tired" of facilitating33:08 – Facilitation vs. consulting: process over content35:05 – Watching facilitation in action at the Summit38:16 – Eric on preparing for resistance points39:32 – The 3-to-5x prep-to-delivery ratio40:58 – MCing vs. true facilitation42:28 – The importance of post-session follow-up44:58 – Framing sessions and "level B" open-ended questions47:17 – Discovery question: Ed's data-driven industry research approach49:31 – Eric's emotional-hook approach to discovery52:39 – Larry's HERD framework (Hours, Emotion, Relationships, Dollars)53:30 – Peter's use of Bowen Theory in client discovery55:30 – Transition to takeaways55:50 – Mike Garrison's takeaway: facilitation and decentralization58:11 – Jemaiah's takeaway: presence and process over project1:01:09 – Mike Laskowski's takeaway: facilitation enables self-discovery1:01:40 – Tim's takeaway: most solutions are already in the room1:02:53 – Steven's takeaway: the power of shared learning1:03:54 – Eric's takeaway: facilitation inspires action, participation matters1:06:25 – Peter's takeaway: being present as a "superpower"1:07:30 – Ed's takeaway: reframing how he presents valuation work1:09:08 – George's closing takeaway and sign-off

  7. Sep 15

    Coffee Klatsch 09-15-2026

    SummaryThis week's Klatsch focused on collaboration and billing within the Growth-Drive community — George Sandmann praised the arm's-length model where members consolidate billing while still helping clients on single projects, Mike Garrison echoed a preference for simpler billing, and George encouraged public shout-outs to collaborators on LinkedIn — before shifting into conference logistics, with attendee lineups shared for the BEI conference, the 40Strategy workshop in AZ, and a call for who's headed to the EPI Summit in May, wrapping with a quick takeaways round led by Tip Quilter on the importance of the first conversation. KeywordsCoffee Klatsch, Growth-Drive, collaboration, arm's-length model, billing structure, referral community, BEI conference, 40Strategy workshop, EPI Summit, LinkedIn shout-outs, business advisors, exit planning Chapters:0:00 – Curated experience & Summit teaser13:53 – Restaurant analogy: process over buffet28:19 – Collaboration model & billing discussion29:19 – LinkedIn shout-outs encouraged31:45 – Teresa thanks Erik & John for collaboration32:33 – Intro offered for Mike L36:05 – BEI conference attendees37:09 – 40Strategy workshop attendees38:02 – EPI Summit planning43:28 – Ed steps out55:49 – Tip takes the floor1:02:16 – Lightning round: key takeaways1:03:27 – Closing remarks

  8. Sep 8

    Coffee Klatsch 09-08-2026

    SummaryIn this Coffee Klatsch session, advisors trade real client stories about a recurring problem: business owners scoring their own CLARITY assessments far higher than their financials support. The group shares tactics for surfacing that gap without sounding salesy — reframing scores against an old school grading curve, pointing out the difference between "good" and best-in-class (85+), and Ed's standout move of asking about employee turnover and firing history to expose hidden complacency. They also touch on AI tools like Claude and CLAIRE 2, platform updates, and the distinction between calculated value, opinion of value, and strategic value. The throughline: strategic capacity, not value, is what advisors should be coaching clients toward — value is just a lagging indicator of it. KeywordsCLARITY Assessment, strategic capacity, strategic culture, client coaching, business valuation, calculated value, opinion of value, strategic value, EBITDA, normalized earnings, NAICS codes, benchmarking, employee turnover, client pushback, Level 1 report, Level 2 report, CLAIRE 2, AI tools for advisors, Claude, equity planner Chapters00:00 – Catching up: personal check-ins and community updates06:00 – Summit prep and panel planning follow-up07:24 – Personal news and long weekend recap08:50 – Growth-Drive summit fully subscribed; wait list opens08:51 – Platform updates: new Level 1/Level 2 reports, snapshot report11:01 – Introducing CLAIRE 2 and the "dashboard" naming debate12:00 – AI tools in practice: Claude, ChatGPT, Lovable15:59 – Why clients still pay for BEI's software despite AI17:00 – Cautionary tale: AI misapplying methodology in a client report18:36 – Case study: owner wanting to step back, not sell22:34 – Should there be a separate "run it without me" score?23:27 – The 17% average score degradation from Level 1 to Level 224:49 – Case study: a company losing money but self-scoring high27:33 – More people in the analysis = more realistic scores27:37 – Paul's question: how to challenge an overconfident client29:14 – Reframing scores using an old school grading curve30:58 – Turning the "no gaps" moment into a value-add pitch33:26 – Using benchmark data to challenge inflated self-scores39:05 – Should the software auto-flag profitability mismatches?41:08 – Normalized EBITDA and tax return blind spots43:10 – Are optimistic business owners overrepresented in the data?44:57 – Case study: senior leader scoring himself low, team agrees44:57 – Ed on NAICS code precision and its limits46:43 – Debate: four-digit vs. six-digit industry classification48:39 – Calculated value vs. strategic/synergistic value50:05 – Strategic capacity as the real driver of value51:18 – IPO hype vs. due diligence: where does that value sit?53:54 – Startup valuations and investor infusion skepticism56:23 – Closing round: key takeaways begin58:36 – Tip's insight: "why are we even talking?" reframe59:54 – Ed's story: sending a written commitment letter to clients1:03:38 – Ed's key diagnostic questions: turnover and firing history1:06:07 – Closing: strategic culture as the top capacity correlator

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Every week a group of senior pros gather to dig into business advisory strategies, best practices, and client cases. Open to all - join the conversation every Tue @ 0930 ET - link below.

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