STANDARD DEVIATIONS PODCAST: Emily Blue – Humanizing the M&A Process

Emily Blue attended William Jewell College, where she studied mathematics, economics and business. She started her career in the weeds of M&A integration for a large asset manager. She made the transition from asset management to wealth management by joining one of the largest aggregators in the country to lead their valuation efforts. In this role, it became clear to her why she loved numbers – it was the people behind those numbers that mattered most to her. Before starting Hue, she served as Head of Corporate Development at a national multi-family office. When Emily is not working with her clients, she is spending time with her family. Emily serves as the Board Chairwoman for the Girl Scouts of NE KS and NW MO. She also serves on the leadership team of the Community Impact Makers for Newhouse, the oldest domestic violence shelter in Kansas City. Lastly, she is a member of EmpowHER for Big Brothers Big Sisters, a women’s philanthropic group dedicated to mentorship.

Tune in to hear:

• What is the disconnect between selling an advisory business, as it is popularly conceived, and as it usually goes down in the real world? What should people know about the process that they may not currently understand?
• What are the big things that are missing from the “highlight reel” version of selling a business and how can people become more aware of this?
• If Emily could give advisors just one tip on maximizing their saleability, and standing out in a very crowded field, what would she say?
• Is there anything advisors can do to avoid a “cult of personality” trap that could make the business hand-off harder than it might otherwise be?
• How can we humanize this transaction from every angle, including the client side of things, and what role does talent play in getting a premium for what you’ve built?
• How do we better prepare advisors for the psychological loss of their business?
• For those doing due diligence on an M&A, how can they make the cultural piece more practical and straightforward? Also, what parts of company culture are more malleable and what parts are more immutable?
• How do people sometimes get in their own way when they are trying to make this big transaction happen?