There’s something valuable that happens when business owners intentionally step away from the day-to-day demands of running a company and spend time learning from and connecting with other leaders. Last week was a great example of that.
I had the opportunity to spend time with both the Exit Planning Institute (EPI) Sarasota chapter and Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Tampa Bay, and the overlap between the two groups made for a particularly meaningful few days.
One of the highlights of the week was welcoming my colleague Shelby Anderson from Clark Capital Management Group to speak at our EPI event on Advanced Planning for Business Owner Clients. Shelby covered several important planning topics including trust, estate and philanthropic planning, strategic tax management, business succession and asset protection planning, and equity compensation and concentrated position strategies.
What made the event especially rewarding was seeing several of our EO members join us for the conversation. Bringing together professionals from different networks and backgrounds always creates stronger dialogue, broader perspectives, and better ideas. That crossover between communities is where a lot of meaningful growth happens.
The week continued with our EO retreat, which kicked off with dinner at Ocean Prime alongside our friends from Clark Capital, who stayed in town for additional networking and conversations. From there, we headed into a weekend focused on learning, leadership, and connection.
One thing I’ve always appreciated about EO is that it creates space for entrepreneurs to reconnect with the bigger picture. It’s easy to get buried in meetings, operations, staffing, and the constant demands of running a business. Events like this provide an opportunity to step back, learn from other business owners who are facing many of the same challenges, and gain perspective that’s difficult to find when you’re operating in isolation.
The retreat itself was a great mix of high-impact learning and relationship building. We heard from outstanding speakers, participated in forums and discussions, and also had the chance to relax and connect through golf and time at the beach. Those informal conversations are often just as valuable as the structured sessions.
At its core, EO is a global peer network designed to help entrepreneurs grow through shared experiences, leadership development, and genuine connection. And last week was a strong reminder that growth doesn’t only happen inside your own business. Sometimes it comes from the people you surround yourself with, the conversations you make time for, and the willingness to continue learning alongside other leaders.
Here’s to strong networks, lifelong learning, and the friendships that make the entrepreneurial journey a little more rewarding along the way.