Find Your Exit - Exit Planning Strategies for Business Owners

A successful exit is about more than selling a valuable business. It's about being prepared for the life that comes next.

In the latest episode of Find Your Exit, I was joined by Renee Russo, founder and CEO of Rise Up Business Coaching. We learn about her own "double exit"—from a business and a marriage—and how it transformed her definition of success.

Renee shares practical insights for helping business owners:

• Shift from time management to energy management
• Prepare personally, financially, and professionally for an exit
• Create a clear vision for life beyond the business
• Build habits and systems that support lasting freedom

As Renee reminds us: "If you don't matter, nothing matters."

Listen to the full conversation and discover why preparing the owner is just as important as preparing the business.

FULL SHOW NOTES

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In this special 50th episode of Find Your Exit, Mark Kravitz sits down with Wendy Heilbut, technology and intellectual property attorney, entrepreneur, and former law firm founder. Wendy shares insights on protecting business value, supporting founders through growth and transactions, and why defining success beyond the exit matters.

In This Episode

• Why intellectual property should be treated as a core business asset from day one.
• Common legal and organizational mistakes that can hurt a future exit.
• The challenges female founders still face when raising capital.
• How authentic relationship-building creates long-term opportunities.
• The growing role of compassion, authenticity, and trust in business and leadership.
• Wendy's personal journey of starting, growing, and ultimately exiting her own firm.
• Why entrepreneurs should think beyond the transaction and plan for life after the exit.

Full Show Notes

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In this episode of Find Your Exit, Jaryd Krause shares his journey from plumbing to becoming a leading professional in online business acquisitions. Discover actionable insights on how to evaluate, buy, scale, and sell online businesses while understanding the mindset and strategies needed for success in the digital marketplace.

Key Topics:

• Jaryd's journey from plumbing to online entrepreneurship
• Key criteria for successful online acquisitions (avoiding single source dependencies)
• The inside-out growth methodology: listening to your business and your intuition
• Strategies for scaling online businesses systematically
• When and how to sell your online business effectively
• The importance of assembling the right team for exit planning
• Common mistakes: rushing and neglecting preparation
• Mindset principles: resilience, abundance, and authentic motivation

Whether you're new to online business or looking to optimize your existing ventures, Jaryd's insights will guide you through the mindset and practical steps toward sustainable growth and successful exits.

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In this episode of "Find Your Exit," we explore leadership with Les Csorba, a former special assistant to the President and a partner at Hendrick and Struggles. Les shares insights on effective leadership, hiring the right people, and the importance of self-awareness.

Notable Quotes:

"Self-awareness is the cornerstone of leadership."

"Leverage your strengths and address blind spots."

"Invest in your team's development."

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In this powerful episode, we sit down with Mike Fata — a high school dropout turned health advocate, founder, investor, and bestselling author — to explore his journey from personal transformation to building and exiting Manitoba Harvest, a $400 million hemp food company. Mike shares how adversity shaped his entrepreneurial grit, how he scaled a business in a niche industry, and how he evolved from a startup founder to a respected CEO and mentor.

What You'll Learn:

• How Mike's 100-pound weight loss sparked a passion for health and entrepreneurship
• The early challenges of marketing hemp foods in a skeptical market
• How Manitoba Harvest scaled from $10M to $400M through strategic growth and industry timing
• The importance of quality, vertical integration, and values-driven leadership
• Mike's advice for entrepreneurs preparing for an exit

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In this episode of Find Your Exit, host Mark Kravietz interviews Alexis Sikorsky, a strategic advisor and entrepreneur who successfully navigated a nine-figure exit to private equity. Alexis shares his journey from starting a software company to selling it, the lessons learned during the 2008 financial crisis, and the importance of due diligence and negotiation in the sale process. He introduces his APEX methodology, a framework designed to help business owners grow and prepare for successful exits. The conversation emphasizes the evolving relationship between founders and private equity, the significance of having a strong exit team, and the challenges founders face post-exit.

Notable Quotes:

• " It's easier than you think. Don't get overwhelmed growing and selling your company."

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In this episode of Find Your Exit, host Mark Kravietz interviews Justin Goodbread, a successful entrepreneur who built, grew, and sold multiple businesses, becoming a millionaire before the age of 40. Justin shares his inspiring journey from growing up on a dirt road in Brunswick, Georgia, to becoming a bestselling author and award-winning exit planner. He discusses the importance of having a clear vision, the power of coaching, and the value of an abundance mindset in achieving business success.

Key Takeaways:

• Justin's Background: Growing up in rural Georgia, homeschooled, and influenced by five key mentors.
• Entrepreneurial Journey: Starting a successful landscaping business at 15, transitioning to financial advising, and eventually founding Heritage Investors.
• Leadership Style: Emphasizing "servant leadership," delegation, and empowering his team.
• Exit Strategy: The pivotal moment when Justin decided to sell his business, influenced by his wife's health scare and the advice of his coach.
• Lessons Learned: The importance of having an abundance mindset and a clear vision for the future.

Notable Quotes:

• "If you had unlimited time and unlimited resources, what would you do tomorrow that you're not doing today?"
• "Focus on value first, and profitability will follow."

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The path to building a successful business is rarely a straight line. Our latest guest, Kerry Siggins, overcame a series of personal and professional trials and tribulations to go from jobless to the c-suite.

Kerry Siggins is the CEO of StoneAge, a fast-growing, employee-owned manufacturing and technology company based in Colorado. Kerry hosts Reflect Forward, a popular leadership podcast and she recently released her first book, The Ownership Mindset: A Handbook for Transforming Your Life and Leadership.

Today, Kerry joins the show to share her experiences and how mindset and leadership can take your business to the next level.

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You have built up your business and may be prepared to exit and move forward, but do you know how much it is worth? Our latest guest, Scott Gabehart, is a business valuation pro with over 30 years of experience doing valuations.

Scott has an alphabet of accreditations—six in total. He has a BA, MIM, CBA, CVA, BCA, and CBVS. He has served as Chief Valuation Officer with BizEquity, LLC, a patented "software as a service" online business valuation tool, since 2006. Scott also has over 30 years of experience in private firm valuation and transactional representation. He is a Certified Business Appraiser, having worked at his firm called Gabehart Valuation Services since 2000.

Today, Scott joins the show to give us a look behind the curtain at the business valuation process and BizEquity technology.

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Business owners are always searching for an edge to help them maximize growth and business value. Our latest guest Marc Adams literally wrote the book on secrets to increasing your business multiple.

Today, Marc joins the show to share how he empowers business owners to tap into new revenue streams, optimize operational efficiency, and elevate brand awareness. From digital marketing mastery to harnessing the power of social media and executing seamless acquisitions, Marc's book offers actionable tactics to drive growth.

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