Every community bank CEO wants to protect their people — and their legacy. But very few understand the single structural decision that determines how much influence they’ll have after closing: Cash… or stock. Most CEOs assume this is a tax discussion. It’s not. Deal structure determines whether you have voice after closing — or whether you’re watching from the outside. In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt breaks down the three deal structures, the real trade-off b...

Every community bank CEO who starts thinking strategically hits the same wall: How do I protect what we’ve built? Not the price. Not the structure. The culture. The people. The trust you spent decades earning. And for most CEOs, the hardest part is this: You can’t talk to anyone about it — not your board, not your team, not even your spouse. So you carry it alone. In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt Knutson breaks down what you can protect through con...

There’s a question community bank CEOs carry more than they admit — and it rarely gets asked directly: What happens to our people? Our customers? Our community… if something changes? Underneath that is something deeper: A fear that one decision — even the right one — could undo decades of goodwill you never wanted credit for, but always felt responsible to protect. In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt Knutson names the emotional weight CEOs carry, explains the har...

You get the call. A strategic buyer wants a conversation. Now what? Who do you call first — legal counsel, an investment banker, your accountant, your board… or do you try to handle it yourself? Most CEOs think they have a plan. But as Mike Tyson put it: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt Knutson explains why the banks that maintain leverage don’t build their advisor teams after interest shows up — they ...

Many community bank CEOs carry a quiet fear: “If we start building succession, documenting systems, and developing leadership independence… our best people will assume we’re selling — and they’ll leave.” But the paradox is this: The very dependency you’re trying to “protect” is exactly what kills value — and actually puts your people at greater risk. In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt Knutson breaks down what buyers really see when a bank depends on one or two key peo...

Strategic conversations rarely start in the boardroom. They start at conferences. Over lunch. Through “deal-maker” introductions. And by the time a CEO realizes what’s happening, control is already gone. In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt Knutson explains why uncoordinated strategic conversations destroy value — and how boards protect shareholders by establishing a clear governance framework before unsolicited interest arrives. This isn’t about deciding to sell....

Most community bank CEOs have never sold a bank. So when valuation comes up, they default to the question everyone asks: “What multiples are banks getting right now?” Here’s the problem: multiples are a terrible way to understand value. They’re backward-looking, distorted by capital policy, and tell you almost nothing about what your bank is actually worth. In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt Knutson explains how buyers really value banks — and why CEOs who rely on mu...

Timing doesn’t just affect leverage. It can cost — or save — shareholders seven figures without changing a single deal term. In this episode, Kurt Knutson introduces the Golden Window — a specific, measurable 18-month cycle where regulatory timing and core contract structure align to dramatically increase leverage. This episode builds directly on the Strategic Window and shows how tactical timing decisions quietly determine outcomes long before any strategic conversation begins. What You’ll L...

There are moments in every community bank’s lifecycle when the CEO has maximum control, maximum leverage, and maximum optionality. Kurt Knutson calls this the Strategic Window. In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt explains how timing — not just performance — determines leverage, and how understanding where you are in the Strategic Window changes how you lead, whether you ever sell or not. This is not about urgency or transactions. It’s about recognizing when your ...

Most community bank CEOs think about value the same way everyone else does: call report metrics, peer comparisons, ROA, and efficiency ratios. Strategic buyers don’t. In this episode of the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, Kurt Knutson breaks down the eight value drivers buyers actually use to evaluate a bank — and why understanding them changes how you lead, whether you ever sell or not. You’ll learn the difference between: Baseline value that gets you into the conversationStrategic different...

Most CEOs assume value is about what they’ve built. Strategic buyers care about what they can become because of it. In this episode, Kurt Knutson explains how strategic value is actually created — why the right combination of banks can turn “two plus two into five,” and how understanding this perspective changes how you think about your own institution. Using real-world experience from both sides of the table, this episode shows how strategic fit, not size or headline metrics, drives exceptio...

Most community bank CEOs believe they’re in control — until a strategic question lands unexpectedly. In this episode, Kurt Knutson introduces The Leverage Matrix, a practical framework that helps CEOs understand where real control comes from — and where it quietly erodes. This episode sets the foundation for the entire series. What This Episode Covers Why leverage isn’t about size, price, or intentHow preparedness changes the power dynamicThe difference between operational control and strateg...

If your board asked tomorrow, “Should we be thinking about our strategic options?” — would you know how to answer? Most community bank CEOs can run the bank. Very few feel prepared for the strategic conversation that matters most — the one nobody talks about openly. In this trailer, Kurt Knutson introduces Community Bank Value™ Playbook and explains who the show is for, what it is — and just as importantly, what it isn’t. This series isn’t about selling your bank. It’s about understanding you...