Getting your head straight.
When Dave first told John he was thinking about stepping away from the business, John did not ask about revenue or assets. He asked what Dave would do on Monday morning after the handover. That question landed hard. Dave had no idea. For years he had been in the middle of everything. He could not picture a week without phone calls, decisions or staff updates.
That was the beginning of the real work. Before any plan could be built around valuation, structure or succession, Dave needed to work out who he was without the business. That was not easy. It forced him to face parts of the transition most owners avoid—grief, identity loss and the discomfort of no longer being in control. But it was also the moment things started to move forward with purpose.
Where did Dave start?
Dave had been running his manufacturing business for almost thirty years. It had shaped his routines, his relationships and how he saw himself. He was proud of what he had built but the thought of stepping away left him uneasy. He could feel the change coming but had no real plan for what came next. It was not just the end of ownership that was hard to imagine. It was what would replace it.
What is the problem we are working on?
The challenge was not selling the business. It was preparing Dave to let go of the role he had spent most of his working life in. His days were shaped by the business. His name was tied to the brand. Without that, who would he be? The risk was not just being unprepared for the market. It was being unprepared for life after the deal was done.
What are the options we can explore?
Dave could try to ignore the emotional side and press ahead with the technical steps of an exit. He could delay the process until he felt more mentally ready. Or he could start working with John and the RegenerationHQ team to explore the mindset and habits he would need to build a strong transition, both professionally and personally.
What reflective questions should Dave be considering about this part of the journey?
What does a good life look like without the business?
What parts of my identity are too tied to the role of owner?
What habits or routines will I need to replace?
Who am I when I am not solving business problems?
Am I letting fear keep me tied to something I have outgrown?
What decision has Dave made?
Dave chose to start doing the inner work. He began carving out time to think about what would bring him purpose beyond the business. He started planning weekly routines that had nothing to do with work. He made a list of people he wanted to reconnect with and projects he had parked for years. He treated his post-exit life as a new phase to design, not just drift into.
Why did he make that choice?
Dave realised that if he did not plan for the emotional transition, he would end up back in the business within months. He had seen it happen to others. He knew that without a structure, he would either feel lost or keep interfering. He wanted to exit cleanly, with confidence and a sense of peace. That meant starting early on the personal side of the transition.
What are the implications for the rest of the journey?
By working on his mindset now, Dave made the rest of the process smoother. He became clearer about what he needed from the deal and what he could walk away from. He started empowering his team more. He began to see the business as something he would leave behind, not something he would be pulled back into. That mental shift made every next step easier to face.
What is HR best practice?
Good HR planning includes more than succession charts. It also means preparing the owner to reduce their operational involvement and build team capability before a sale. Creating space for others to lead is part of transition planning. When owners are emotionally stuck, it holds the whole organisation back.
What is the psychological perspective?
Exiting a business is often compared to retirement, but it is more complex. Owners are not just walking away from work. They are stepping out of a role that has given them status, structure and purpose. That can trigger anxiety, guilt or even grief. These emotions are normal. Planning for them is a strength, not a weakness.
What are the red flags to be watched out for and how can they be eliminated or mitigated?
Red flags include dismissing emotional preparation as unimportant, refusing to delegate, or having no clear plan for post-exit life. These can be addressed by working with someone who understands the full exit journey, building a personal vision early and committing to habits outside of the business while still in it.
What has been the immediate effect on the business of taking this action?
The business started to feel less owner-dependent. Dave stopped jumping in on issues that were not his to solve. His team noticed. They stepped up. Meetings became more focused and less reactive. Dave also became easier to work with. He had more energy and was no longer clinging to every detail.
Golden nugget
You cannot build a clean exit if you are still clinging to the role that needs to end. The real handover begins in your head.
Talk to us about your exit journey. www.regenerationhq.co.nz/contact