Erben Associates President Jim Erben has spent more than three decades sitting across the table from business owners at some of the most consequential moments of their careers — the sale of a company, the handoff to the next generation, the sudden illness that forces a decision no one planned for. His new book, Succession by Design: How Visionary Leaders Prepare Their Organization for What’s Next, is now available in hardcover and eBook, published by Mission Driven Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster.
Where our earlier update covered the pre-order launch, the book has now officially released — and it gives us a good opportunity to unpack what’s actually inside it, beyond the announcement.
Why Succession Planning Still Catches Owners Off Guard
Most owners are far better at building a business than at leaving one. That gap is the problem Succession by Design is written to close. The book walks through the decisions that come up when an owner is preparing to sell, transition ownership to family or employees, retire, or simply make sure the business can survive an unexpected leadership change — decisions that, left unaddressed, tend to erode the very value an owner spent years building.
That risk isn’t abstract for Erben. Early in his career, he worked with a business owner who faced a serious health crisis with no succession plan in place — no clarity on ownership, no plan for leadership continuity, no protection for the people who depended on the company. Watching that situation unfold shaped the direction of his practice and, eventually, this book.
“Planning for a transition should not begin when an owner is already standing at the exit,” Erben said. “The earlier you understand what the business is worth, what you need personally, who needs to be involved, and where the risks are, the more options you have for determining what comes next.”
What’s Inside the Book
Succession by Design is organized around the same framework Erben uses with clients at Erben Associates: building a written succession plan, understanding and improving business value, aligning personal financial goals with an eventual exit, establishing continuity and emergency operating plans, and getting the right advisors coordinated rather than working in silos.
One concept readers will encounter early on is what Erben calls the Happily Ever After Wealth Number — a way of thinking about the personal wealth an owner actually needs to support their life after the business, rather than assuming the sale proceeds alone will cover it. It’s a small reframe with big implications: a lot of exit planning conversations start with “what’s the business worth” when the more useful starting question is “what do I need.”
The book also draws on real cases from Erben’s client work to illustrate how these issues play out differently depending on where an owner is in the process — someone five years from a planned exit is solving a different problem than someone who just inherited a leadership vacuum overnight.
“Business owners spend years making decisions that build value, but the decisions surrounding an exit or succession can ultimately determine how much of that value is preserved and what happens to the people who depend on the business,” Erben said. “The goal of this book is to help owners think about those decisions earlier, bring the right people together, and create a plan that allows them to move forward with clarity and confidence.”
About the Author
Jim Erben is President of Erben Associates, an Austin, Texas-based firm founded in 1992 that focuses on exit and succession planning for business owners and high-net-worth individuals. He holds a Master of Science in Financial Services from The American College and the Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®) designation, and speaks internationally on succession planning, business continuity, and executive retention. Succession by Design is his first book. You can find more about his background on his Simon & Schuster author page and at JimErben.com.
Erben Associates works alongside clients’ existing attorneys, CPAs, and investment advisors to coordinate business and personal planning decisions under its Succession by Design, Not Default® approach — the same philosophy that gives the book its name.
Get the Book
Succession by Design is available now in hardcover and eBook wherever books are sold. Readers can find purchase links and bonus materials, including a companion reader’s guide, at SuccessionByDesignBook.com.
If you’re a business owner thinking through your own exit or succession timeline, our team would be glad to talk through where you stand. Start the conversation with Erben Associates »
