In this episode of The Exit Whisperer, Carrie sits down with Andrea Johnston, founder of Pure Communications, to unpack what most founders never say out loud: sometimes the business is thriving, the numbers are strong, the offers are real, and you still know it’s time to sell.

They get into building with intention, why niche agencies scale faster than scattered ones, what private equity actually wants, and how to know whether you’re growing a business… or just feeding a machine that no longer fits your life. Andrea also opens up about what she would do differently, why succession planning matters more than founders think, and the hard truth that reacting emotionally will cost you more than almost any bad strategy.

00:54 Meet Andrea Johnston

02:48 Why She Left Corporate to Start Her Agency

04:51 The Gap Between “Starting” and Building a Real Business

05:23 How She Scaled Using Only Her Network

07:27 The Decision to Niche Down

10:31 The Real Growth Engine: Existing Clients

12:15 How Private Equity Entered the Picture

17:38 Inside the Sale Process

18:14 What Actually Changes After You Sell

19:28 How Acquisitions Create Opportunities for Your Team

20:15 The Second Exit: Moving Fast in Private Equity

21:35 Burnout at the Top

25:22 Taking 2 Years Off

28:41 Building “Fuel for Female Founders”

32:24 Final Lessons on Exits, Growth, and Letting Go