The Exit Whisperer

Gail Becker shares how she left corporate America, invested in an idea almost no manufacturer wanted to make, and built CAULIPOWER into a major frozen food brand. Years later, her exit brought the story full circle when the manufacturer that took a chance on her at the beginning became part of the deal.

This episode is sponsored by:

Luminary, a global professional community where founders, investors, and professionals come together to learn, connect, and grow. Use code WHISPER10 for 10% off your first 12 months of membership at www.weareluminary.com. 

The Whisper Group helps women founders get exit-ready by connecting them with experienced exited entrepreneurs for the strategy, guidance, and support they need to prepare for a successful exit. Learn more at www.wearethewhispergroup.com.

2:40 - CAULIPOWER's Origin Story

4:57 - Taking the Leap

6:44 - Funding & Scaling Frozen Food

10:24 - Raising VC & Going into Walmart

13:06 - Cauliflower as a Movement1

5:57 - Finding a Manufacturer

18:53 - The Exit Story

24:49 - Post-Deal Feelings

27:42 - Advice for Founders

30:07 - Tuning Out the Noise

Carey Peters shares the story behind building Health Coach Institute to nine figures, taking on private equity, losing control, and navigating a final sale that didn't happen the way she expected. It's a candid conversation about ownership, investor dynamics, founder knowledge, and what Carey learned when things went sideways.

You can find Carey at www.CareyPeters.com

----

This episode is sponsored by Jessika Graham. Jessika Graham is an M&A attorney who works closely with female founders helping them understand the deal, protect their interests, and move through the sale process with clarity.

Connect with Jessika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgrahamesq/

----

2:12 - From Actress to Coach: An Unconventional Start

6:36 - Struggling as a Coach & Meeting Stacy

7:35 - Co-founding Holistic MBA

14:20 - Building Health Coach Institute (HCI)

17:14 - The Platform Play & Acquiring Schools

22:55 - Taking Private Equity: What Changed

32:24 - The Final Sale: When Things Go Sideways

38:42 - Reflections: Surrender, Growth & What's Next

M&A attorney Jessika Graham joins Carrie Kerpen to break down what founders need to know before an exit, from getting your contracts and IP in order to choosing the right attorney, understanding what you're signing, protecting your leverage, and why ChatGPT should never replace real legal counsel during a transaction.

----

This episode is sponsored by Jessika Graham. Jessika Graham is an M&A attorney who works closely with female founders on the sell side, helping them understand the deal, protect their interests, and move through the sale process with clarity.

Connect with Jessika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgrahamesq/

----

2:23 - Jessica's Path Into Law

3:00 - From Bankruptcy to Transactional Law

5:56 - Finding Her Place in M&A

8:14 - Championing Female Founders

11:26 - What Makes or Breaks a Deal

13:21 - Hiring the Right M&A Attorney

16:06 - EBITDA & Educating on Instagram

18:35 - ChatGPT in Lega

l20:36 - Privilege, Trust & Walking Through Documents

21:50 - The Missing Link in Legal

23:13 - Transparent Pricing

24:55 - Final Advice for Female Founders

Ingrid Zapata Read joins Carrie Kerpen to share how she built Working Momkind into a community of more than 250,000 moms, stepped into a new chapter, and later realized the brand, audience, and partnerships she had built were valuable enough to sell.

----

This episode is sponsored by:

Luminary, a global professional community where founders, investors, and professionals come together to learn, connect, and grow. Use code WHISPER10 for 10% off your first 12 months of membership at www.weareluminary.com. 

The Whisper Group helps women founders get exit-ready by connecting them with experienced exited entrepreneurs for the strategy, guidance, and support they need to prepare for a successful exit. Learn more at www.wearethewhispergroup.com.

----

1:17 - Meet Ingrid Zapata Reid

3:16 - Building Working Momkind

7:32 - Growing the Private Community

9:17 - Monetizing & Becoming the Queen of Pivoting

14:30 - Deciding to Sell

19:48 - Valuing the Asset

22:23 - The Deal & Partnership with Trish

25:00 - What's Next for Ingrid

Carrie Kerpen sits down with Jessica Zweig to talk about building SimplyBe., hitting burnout, and choosing an exit that gave her freedom. Jessica shares how she negotiated with buyers, protected her team, and stepped into her next chapter without apologizing for wanting more.

4:30 - Building SimplyBe

8:02 - Burnout and the Decision to Sell

11:52 - The Egypt Trip and Mindset Shift

14:48 - Negotiating the Hawk Media Deal

22:06 - Life After the Exit

25:59 - Building the Feminine Frequency Business School

29:24 - Closing Thoughts

Sharon Thony Lee sold SLT Consulting to Fiverr just two years after starting the agency and spent the next five years operating it inside the public company. Then she realized something she hadn't considered before: she could buy it back.

Sharon shares what it took to become an owner again, how she's running SLTC differently this time, and why she's already building toward another potential exit.

----

This episode is sponsored by Luminary, a global professional community where founders, investors, and professionals come together to learn, connect, and grow. Use code WHISPER10 for 10% off your first 12 months of membership at www.weareluminary.com.

----

1:09 - Welcome Back & Recap

2:12 - SLTC's Origin & Sale to Fiverr

3:14 - Realizing She Could Buy It Back

9:55 - The Back-of-the-Napkin Moment

13:20 - Running SLTC Differently

15:39 - The Future & Next Exit Plan

Cate Luzio joins Carrie Kerpen to break down how founders can use acquisitions to grow. She shares what buyers actually look for, why profit matters more than potential, and how to evaluate whether a company is truly worth acquiring.

----

This episode is sponsored by Luminary, a global professional community where founders, investors, and professionals come together to learn, connect, and grow. Use code WHISPER10 for 10% off your first 12 months of membership at www.weareluminary.com.

----

2:32 - Leaving Corporate America

6:01 - Building the Original Business Plan

9:11 - Bootstrapping vs. Raising Funds

15:20 - Building the Partner Network & COVID Pivot

18:39 - Surviving COVID & Digital Membership

21:28 - First Acquisition: Declare

27:02 - Sourcing Acquisitions Through Luminary Members

30:40 - Deal Structuring & Lessons From Failed Deals

35:22 - Exit Planning Philosophy

38:04 - Advice for Women Entrepreneurs & Closing

Bridget Firtle joins Carrie Kerpen to share how she built Owney’s Rum, sold it, stepped away, and bought the brand back. This conversation is about identity, timing, founder instinct, and what changes when you get the chance to build again with more experience and a bigger vision.

----

This episode is sponsored by Luminary, a global professional community where founders, investors, and professionals come together to learn, connect, and grow. Use code WHISPER10 for 10% off your first 12 months of membership at www.weareluminary.com.

----

2:20 - The Buyback Story Begins

4:36 - Untangling Identity from Owney’s

6:26 - How the Deal Came Together

12:18 - 20s vs. 40s: Building With More Wisdom

16:11 - Building Beyond Owney’s: The Bigger Vision

17:50 - Lessons Learned & What's Next

Carrie Kerpen sits down with Sharon Gillenwater to unpack how she went from a $25 million exit to trying to buy back the company she sold and deciding to rebuild from scratch.

-----

This episode is sponsored by Luminary, a global professional community where founders, investors, and professionals come together to learn, connect, and grow. Use code WHISPER10 for 10% off your first 12 months of membership at www.weareluminary.com.

----

1:05 - From TikTok Fame to Shutdown

1:58 - Trying to Buy the Company Back

7:30 - No Non-Compete, Deciding to Rebuild

9:33 - Customer Demand Forces the Decision

13:55 - Funding the Restart

18:06 - Building with AI, Then and Now

22:50 - What Winning Looks Like This Time

23:46 - Thinking About the Next Exit

Lauren Luckey shares how she went from military service and a near-CIA career to building and acquiring 16 businesses. This episode demystifies buying a business, challenges the online fantasy of “easy” acquisition entrepreneurship, and shows what it really takes to build wealth through grit, timing, and smart capital deployment.

This episode is sponsored by The Luckey Capital Group. The Luckey Capital Group helps small business owners access smart, practical capital when they need it most. Learn more at www.theluckeycapitalgroup.com.

2:24 - Lauren's Military Career

9:45 - Leaving the Army & CIA Rejection

17:05 - First Business: Buying a Dry Cleaner for $1

15:27 – Going All In: Selling Everything & Living in the Store

17:43 – Scaling to 16 Businesses

24:14 - The Fire: Losing $2.7 Million

28:22 - Being a Woman Is a Strategic Advantage

32:27 - The Luckey Capital Group: Filling the Gap for Small Businesses