July – November meetings are live and will be held at:

Lomas Santa Fe Country Club
1505 Lomas Santa Fe Drive
Solana Beach, CA 92075

The December meeting will be held from 2:30 – 4:30pm at:

Strazzeri Mancini LLP
6256 Greenwich Drive, Suite 250
San Diego, CA 92122

DATES AND TOPICS:

June 10th from 2:30 to 4:30pm
AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH AN OWNER: EXIT, FAILURE, RETRY, SUCCESS with the Chapter Leadership Team and Their Clients

A take on our normally virtual “Perspectives Series: Entrepreneurs Revealed,” this live, in-person conversation will provide powerful insights from two to three owners who have had a successful exit, tried and failed, or are in the process. Join us for a frank conversation including why they exited (or are considering it), how they chose their advisory team, how they decided between internal versus external options, what they did (or didn’t do) to prepare, and what they wish they would have known then that they know now.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Gain powerful insights from exited owners themselves regarding:

• Why their first exit deal failed
• How they choose their advisors
• Why they completed internal versus external transitions
• How much preparation they did for their transition
• What they wish they would have known

July 8^th from 8:00-9:30am
Outcome-Focused Planning; presented by Joe Strazzeri and Shelley Lightfoot

Successful Families and Business Owners often pressure their advisors to get straight to the solution for whatever their ow-ee is. This urgency mindset tends to cause us, as the trusted advisor, to feel like we need to jump to asset-centric strategies, products, and/or transactions. Starting with urgency is a band aid: apply, rip, repeat; or even worse, forget to take it off – causing the need to redo the work in the future. It’s likely the outcome will be less than they hoped for, and the family may not understand why.

Join Joe and Shelley to find out how planning for efficacy, based on verified data and a genuine understanding of the relational motives, will be your differentiator to attracting and engaging HNW clients. Learn what it takes to build a lasting outcome for your clients as well as maximize future deployment of their material assets.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Learn why The Invisible Guest of Motive can cause a family or an advisor to push for Urgency over Efficacy – and how to avoid it.
• Determine whether you are chasing a case or building a business – one with future enterprise value.
• Re-energize your practice by gaining the language and tools to slow down at the onset in order to transform your client’s outcomes.

August 12^th from 8:00-9:30am
When Planning Meets Reality: A Company Sale Through Governance, Succession, and Tragedy; presented by Channing Hamlet, Michael Umansky, and Aaron Malardino

This session explores how thoughtful governance, clear ownership alignment, and advance planning enabled the company—and its advisors—to continue the transaction despite this loss. The panel will examine the decisions made before and during the crisis, what could have derailed the process, and how coordinated advisory roles helped protect both enterprise value and the family’s objectives.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Through this real-world case study, attendees will gain insight into:

• How exit planning intersects with human reality
• Why governance and continuity planning matter even more than valuation
• How advisors can help clients prepare not just for an exit—but for uncertainty

September 9^th from 8:00-9:30am
Surviving to Thriving: Which AI Tools Are Essential for Your Practice; presented by Michael Sikorsky, Walter O’Brien, and Strazzeri Mancini Team

Artificial intelligence is evolving faster than market adaptation. For professional practices, the critical question is no longer if you should adopt AI, but at what level. We are excited and honored to bring together a panel of long-time industry trailblazers to answer this exact question. Join us for a lively, no-nonsense discussion on auditing your tech stack, identifying automation gaps, and deploying the precise AI tier necessary to scale and future-proof your practice.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Differentiate between mandatory essential AI tools and non-essential software hype.
• Learn ways to help your business owner clients evaluate and choose their AI driven technology needs.
• Benchmark current practice workflows against elite, automation, and wealth management tools

BONUS MEETING: October 6^th (Tuesday from 8:00-8:30am)
Virtual Business Owner Interview

This short 30-minute Zoom conversation will provide powerful insights from an owner who had a successful exit, tried and failed, or are in the process. Join us for a frank conversation including why they exited (or are considering it), how they chose their advisory team, how they decided between internal versus external options, what they did (or didn’t do) to prepare, and what they wish they would have known then that they know now.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Gain powerful insights from exited owners themselves regarding:

• Why their first exit deal failed
• How they choose their advisors
• Why they completed internal versus external transitions
• How much preparation they did for their transition
• What they wish they would have known

October 14^th from 8:00 to 9:30am
Speed Dating: Always Know Who to Call!

Great collaborative advisors realize they can’t do it all, but they always know who to call! Join your fellow members for this fast-paced method to learn more about each other, while practicing your conversations with business owners. Get to know each other on a new level.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Gain powerful insights from exited owners themselves regarding:

• Learn from and get to know fellow EPI members and the expertise they bring to the table.
• How they choose their advisors
• Access collaborative resources to help your business owner clients
• Build relationships and share your own best practices

November 4^th (1^st Wednesday) from 8:00 to 9:30am
Emerging Market Opportunities: Scaling Up with Smart Money presented by Colleen Ferrary and Aaron Brand<e/em>

Not all business owners are the same, and neither are their paths to growth or their distinct personal drivers and business challenges.

Beyond the $20M+ companies, many Main Street businesses have immense potential but struggle with outdated mindsets, funding fears, or operational gaps that make scaling feel impossible. Are they debt-averse or ready for investors? And more importantly—are they operationally ready to handle growth capital without breaking?

Join Colleen and Aaron as they dive into the nuances of scaling an emerging business, assessing operational readiness, and finding the right funding strategy for their unique journey.

Help your clients not only understand strategies to grow their business but decide among a myriad of financing options—from traditional bank lending and SBA programs to private equity or venture capital, seller financing, employee ownership, and other creative deal structures. And learn how to identify whether they’re ready to deploy that capital successfully or what needs to be fixed first.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Diagnose the operational infrastructure gaps that kill financing deals before they start—learn how to audit a client’s systems, processes, and team structure to determine if they can absorb and deploy capital effectively (or what must be fixed first).
• Build a capital-readiness roadmap that matches financing type to operational maturity—understand which operational milestones unlock which funding options, and how to sequence improvements so clients qualify for better terms and preserve more control.
• Identify the red flags lenders and investors see in due diligence—and implement the financial hygiene, KPI visibility, and process documentation that make businesses fundable, bankable, and acquisition-ready.

December 9^th from 2:30-4:30pm
Holiday Party at the Strazzeri Mancini LLP

Connect with members to foster valuable relationships and collaborative opportunities and embrace the spirit of networking as you engage in meaningful conversations and exchange insights with industry peers. Immerse yourself in the festive ambiance of holiday cheer and celebration, adding a touch of warmth and camaraderie to the event. Utilize this opportunity to expand your professional network, forge new connections, and strengthen existing partnerships.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Gain powerful insights from exited owners themselves regarding:

• Connect with members as well as the extended OC community of professional advisors
• Foster valuable relationships and collaborative opportunities and embrace the spirit of networking as you engage in meaningful conversations and exchange insights with industry peers.
• Utilize this opportunity to expand your professional network, forge new connections, and strengthen existing partnerships.

Please check the box(es) of the date(s) you will attend our EPI San Diego County Chapter Meetings. Provide the requested information and click the button at the bottom to register.

Additionally, you will receive reminders three days before and one hour before the registered session(s).  

To be featured in our next directory, stay active by attending at least three chapter meetings per semester. Questions? Contact us at [email protected]