In this Scale to Exit episode, Alejandra Santos delves into a conversation with certified financial advisor and entrepreneur Tim Smith on how to preserve the big win well before a sale and long after the close. Tim unpacks the money misconceptions many owners bring from the boardroom to Wall Street, why liquidity beats “asset-rich but cash-poor,” and how to right-size risk without picking five “favorite” stocks.

You’ll hear practical pre-exit moves (tax/estate structures, trust strategies, and due diligence readiness) and post-exit frameworks for diversification, income needs, and avoiding decision paralysis. They also riff on AI hype vs. reality, crypto speculation vs. adoption, and the investor book Tim gives clients.

What you’ll learn

• When to start funneling cash out of the business—and why illiquid real estate isn’t always first

• A simple liquidity cushion framework + marketable, conservative instruments

• Diversification that actually reduces risk (funds/ETFs > five stock bets)

• Teaming up: the “quarterback” model across tax, legal, and wealth

• Post-exit mindset: preserve the win, don’t chase 20% every year

Resources • Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds • Tim’s channel: “The Financial Dad” (YouTube)

Connect Guest—Tim Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-l-smith-cfp-r-b1293443/ Host—Alejandra Santos | IntoTheNext.com | Scale to Exit Podcast www.thealejandrasantos.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/aalejandrasantos

Chapters 00:00 Why Tim does this work 02:00 Owners’ biggest money misconceptions 04:30 When to start personal wealth planning 08:30 Liquidity > illiquid assets 12:45 Pre-exit tax & trust strategies 15:10 Due diligence that speeds a sale 17:10 Portfolio strategy after a transaction 22:30 AI & crypto: speculation vs. adoption 37:45 Identity shifts post-exit 44:00 Practical risk management (diversify) 49:15 “Preserve the win” mindset