How ESOPs Help Family Business Owners Exit Without Losing Their Legacy | The Family Biz Show Ep. 40

What if you could step away from your family business without walking away from everything you've built?

What if your exit strategy could protect your people, preserve your culture, and secure your legacy for generations to come?

"I've spent decades building this business. How do I leave without losing it?"

"I don't want to sell to a buyer who will change everything we've worked for."

"Is there a way to retire while keeping our employees and company values intact?"

"How do I create an exit plan that benefits both my family and my team?"

This conversation gives you the answer.

In this episode of The Family Biz Show, host Michael Palumbos sits down with Tracy Till, former Chairman and co-founder of Butler Till, and Rob Brown, a nationally recognized ESOP attorney, to explore how Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) can provide an alternative path for family business owners preparing for succession or retirement.

Rather than viewing an exit as the end of the business, they explain how an ESOP can become a strategy for preserving company culture, rewarding loyal employees, and creating a lasting legacy. The discussion also highlights why trust, leadership development, and intentional succession planning are essential long before ownership changes hands.

Meet the Guests Tracy Till is the former Chairman and co-founder of Butler Till, the Rochester-based marketing and communications firm that successfully transitioned to 100% employee ownership. Today, she serves on corporate and nonprofit boards and helps private companies strengthen governance and strategic leadership.

Rob Brown is a nationally recognized attorney focused exclusively on employee ownership and ESOPs. For decades, he has advised closely held and family-owned businesses on succession planning, ownership transitions, and ESOP implementation across the United States.

Together, they share practical insights from both the legal and leadership perspectives of employee ownership.