Reviews by Valuation Professionals

As a 35-year provider and recipient of professional advisory services in the healthcare industry as a consultant and senior executive, Carl Sheeler knows how a trusted advisor relationship can help bolster the success and significance of a company. Whether you are a professional advisor, business owner, or advisee, I highly recommend Carl’s new book as a must-read on how to leverage the role of governance, relationships, risk and knowledge (“GRRK”), which help us thrive by enhancing our greatest strategic investments, equity value, and business relationships.

Roger W. Logan, MS CPA/ABV ASA, President and CEO
Logan Consulting Group, Inc.

A granular guide for entrepreneurs, small business owners and the financial service industry professionals who serve them. Lots of specific examples and case studies help readers better understand the concepts presented by Sheeler.

Bruce B. Bingham, FASA, FRICS, former Senior Managing Director
Trenwith Valuation, LLC

Carl challenges valuation consultants to get out of the transactional mindset and shift from being a vendor to becoming a strategic partner.  If you’re a business owner who’s gotten “3 names” from your accountant, Carl tells you how to discern the ‘A’ advisors from the rest of the pack with real-world vetting criteria.

David Bookbinder, Director, Valuation Services
GBQ Consulting LLC

Equity Value Enhancement will likely create a new acronym, (“EVE”), for both business owners and their advisors to consider so both mutually benefit.  Carl has written the go-to book for business owners and their trusted advisors to deepen their relationship, challenge existing paradigms and move outside their comfort zones – all with the goal of increasing the value of the business – the client’s and the advisor’s!   

Peter J. Butler, CFA, ASA, MBA - Principal
Valtrend, LLC

Drawing upon his diverse background, Dr. Carl Sheeler brings a unique perspective to leveraging Governance, Relationships, Risks and Knowledge (“GRRK”) to enhance strategic value.  In a refreshing and easily readable style, the author provides insights into practical approaches to mitigating risk, thereby increasing value for owners of closely-held businesses.  Dr. Sheeler goes to great lengths to consider the relevant issues from the perspectives of not only the Business Owner, but all members of the professional advisory team, and demonstrates how this collaborative approach optimizes value.  Rather than focusing on the mechanics of business valuation as many treatises do, Carl Sheeler shows how value can be created by taking well-planned and realistic steps to reduce risk.  An easy and informative read, this is a business valuation book which itself is valuable and enhances value for the Business Owner.

Raymond T. Sloane, CPA, JD, ABV, CVA, CBA, CFE, CFF, former Senior Managing Director
FTI Consulting

Carl’s book is most appropriately titled, addressing not just quantitative financial metrics but also the key human elements that enable “A” level advisers to help their clients build value. He offers vital lessons to business owners on how to select and measure an adviser’s value; and for the adviser, his practical insights illustrate why leveraging complementary knowledge sources and relationships is a key differentiator in building high value solutions. 

Jerry Matecun, CBA, MBA - Founder
Compound Value Advisers, LLC

Equity Value Enhancement is a book that is useful for not only business valuation professionals, but one of the primary users of the valuations, the business owner.  Dr. Carl L. Sheeler challenges the business valuation professional to look beyond the analytics, and provide value added services to users of business valuations, particularly, business owners.  In addition, he challenges the business owners to look beyond the fee charged by the business valuation analyst and consider the value added services provided by the analyst.  Finally, he provides various detailed lists of questions and thoughts representing insightful challenges to both the analyst and business owner.

Mark W. Norris, CPA/ABV, CVA, MAFF, ASA, Managing Member
Tucker & Meltzer Valuation Advisors

I have been a business appraiser for nearly two decades and the concepts presented in Equity Value Enhancementresonated with me.  Not only I am challenged to think about how I am developing and managing client relationships, but Dr. Sheeler also made me consider my role as an advisor and whether or not I am bringing wisdom to my clients to help solve problems.  Focusing on the differences between value, price and worth, this book brings to light core issues every top tier advisor should consider.

Laura Markee, CFA, ASA
Markee Valuations LLC

This wonderful book shines a light on a universal but widely unrecognized truth: value is only created in the networks of relationships, conversations and commitments between people. The failure to look beyond the numbers to cultural and systemic factors goes a long way to explain the dismal record of value destruction in mergers and acquisitions across the globe. Carl’s book is essential reading for executives, advisors and investors seeking sustainable value creation strategies.

Paul Sweeney, former Managing Partner
20thinking

Equity Value Enhancement guides the business owner from working “for” his/her business to maximizing the value potential “of” the business. Through implementing the concepts presented in the book, a good paying job can be transformed into personal wealth. The “holistic” approach guides business owners out of the “putting out fires” management mentality to a “fire prevention/risk reduction/value maximization” business owner mentality. Carl completely understands and brilliantly communicates the “blocking and tackling” fundamentals necessary to maximize the wealth potential of a business.  

Doug Gaskins, CBA, ASA, ABAR, CVA, BCA
Business Appraisal Group, LLC

In the present valuation environment of templates, purchased economic and industry reports, and piecemealed static valuation methodologies, Dr. Sheeler reminds us that an entity is an “ecosystem” of valuation drivers (benefits and risks).  The “Governance, Relationships, Risks and Knowledge (GRRK) concept economically contributes to the “story behind the numbers” and can enhance or diminish value to equity holders.  This book is a must read resource for business owners / operators and business advisors

David D. Riley, CPA/ABV/CFF, CFE, ASA, CVA, CMA, CBA, MBA, Forensic & Valuation
Eide Bailly LLP

Carl Sheeler’s book is a pragmatic and practical guide for advisors and their clients that seek a consistently high level of excellence; this book will help them achieve excellent results.  The book focuses on Equity Valuation, as its title suggests, but the book addresses the wide ranging topics of selection of advisors, how to consider and measure risk in business values, and the role of governance in the valuation process.  It is an excellent reference for advisors and clients.

Jim Krillenberger
ValueKnowledge LLC

At a time when valuation opportunities are becoming more and more commoditized, Carl provides a beacon for service professionals to follow.  He identifies a path through the shifting sands of fee negotiations and the hard-core sale of services, as well as outlines the value drivers and best practices in value-added professional services where intangible assets are of primary concern.  He provides real solutions for meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of potential clients as well as their other professional advisors.  I can already see that Equity Value Enhancement will become a must-have resource for any practitioner involved in the valuation and business consulting services area.

Lari B. Masten, MSA, CPA/ABV/CFF, CVA, ABAR, MAFF, Founder and Managing Director
Masten Valuation, LLC

Carl Sheeler has provided an invaluable book that should be required reading for all business owners and trusted advisors.  He takes a truly holistic approach to value enhancement and risk management that breaks down silos among managers and advisors that too often can hinder successful outcomes.  With clear and compelling examples and a blend of theory and practical advice garnered through years of experience, Sheeler’s work is both a guide and call to action for businesses and professionals to thrive and reach their full potential.

William W. Thomsen, ASA, CFA, MBA

This is an aspirational book.  Not only a how-to, but a real road map to be that “Most Trusted Advisor” to your clients.  I don’t care if you are at the beginning of your career, or have 30 years’ experience.  This book provides insight into relationship building and growing successful with your clients.

Robert E. Kleeman, Jr., CPA/ABV, ASA, Managing Director
OnPointe Financial Valuation Group, LLC

Dr. Carl Sheeler offers critical insight on the creation and augmentation of value in his latest text Equity Value Enhancement: A Tool to Enhance Value and Mitigate Risk.  The attention dedicated to the various stakeholders in the business valuation profession, coupled with Dr. Sheeler's emphasis on the significance of establishing and nurturing lasting relationships among such stakeholders, distinguishes the contents of this resource from other books covering the valuation profession.  Consequently, this text provides beneficial, compelling acumen to valuers and others who rely on business valuations.

Drew Stuart Dorweiler, MBA, CPA•ABV, CBV, ASA, CFE, CBA, CVA, FRICS, Managing Partner
DARTMOUTH PARTNERS LIMITED

I have tremendous respect for Carl Sheeler.  His book on Equity Valuation strikes me on two levels.  To succeed one needs trusted, competent advisors with similar values.  Second, it is all about relationships.   To the business owner, this is key.  This book offers real insight on how the business owner can identify and tap into trusted relationships on multiple levels.  I highly recommend this read.

Michael A. Gregory, Founder
Michael Gregory Consulting, LLC

In his book Equity Valuation, Carl presents complex financial concepts in a way that not only makes these concepts easy to understand, but actually fun to read!  The book is written as a journey in which Carl provides the reader with helpful tips on how to create value and avoid potholes along the way.  Carl steers the reader along the value path with helpful insight from his diverse experiences.  His book is a roadmap to value creation.

Mark L. Zyla, Managing Director
Acuitas, Inc., Author of Fair Value Measurements: Practical Guidance and Implementation 2nd ed.

An interesting read for business valuation professionals.   A unique perspective of how to move from becoming a service provider to a trusted advisor.  This book also provides some considerations for utilizing business valuation concepts for strategic planning purposes.

Stephen D. Kertzman, LLB, CBV, Partner
ap Valuations Ltd.