The Exit Whisperer

By Carrie KerpenBusiness Entrepreneurship

The Exit Whisperer episodes

July 30, 2024 #9 - Jessica Zweig (Simply Be)
Carrie speaks with Jessica Zweig, who recently sold one of the world's first personal branding agencies, Simply Be, to Hawke Media.

Jessica shares her path from launching the agency in 2017, through its fast and furious growth, to negotiating a lucrative exit deal that included no earn-out obligations. She talks about the importance of aligning one's work with their soul, her spiritual rebirth in Egypt, and how she managed to extricate herself from her business to pursue her next passion.

Jessica also discusses the themes of her upcoming book, 'The Light Work,' centered on reclaiming feminine power and overcoming burnout. Whether you're an entrepreneur, friend, or just someone interested in living their cosmic truth, Jessica's story and insights are sure to inspire.

00:00 The Big Deal: Jessica Zweig's Major Sale
03:07 Building Simply Be: From Concept to Success
07:14 The Decision to Sell: Strategic Moves
09:28 A Transformative Journey: Egypt and Beyond
14:24 Extracting from the Business: The Role of an Integrator
17:32 Negotiating the Sale: Offers and Agreements
26:22 Life After the Sale: New Ventures and Reflections
28:51 The Light Work: Reclaiming Feminine Power
36:33 Conclusion: Embracing Authenticity and Future Plans
38 min
July 23, 2024 #8 - Martha Vetter (R/P Communications)
In this episode of 'The Exit Whisperer,' host Carrie Kerpen chats with Martha Vetter, the founder of R/P Communications, about her remarkable journey of starting, scaling, and ultimately selling her business.

Martha shares her humble beginnings, her philosophy on people and profits, and the strategic decisions that propelled her business forward.

From negotiating deals to fostering a strong team culture, Martha discusses the importance of relationships, setting goals, and the challenges of selling a company -- her story is a testament to balancing empathy with excellence and offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.

00:54 Introducing Martha Vetter: A Trusted Leader
02:15 Martha's Journey: From Humble Beginnings to Business Owner
03:20 The Early Challenges and Growth
05:28 Leadership and Team Building
08:49 Financial Strategies and Cash Flow Management
11:59 The Importance of Relationships in Business
15:05 Balancing Generalist and Specialist Approaches
17:19 The Decision to Sell: A New Chapter
18:16 Financial and Emotional Readiness for Retirement
19:28 The Journey of Selling the Business
25:28 The Emotional Impact of Letting Go
28:40 Setting Goals and Building Relationships
34:44 Concluding Thoughts and Best Advice
38 min
July 16, 2024 #7 -- Kass Lazerow (Buddy Media)
From Startup to Salesforce: Kass Lazerow’s Entrepreneurial Journey and Insights

Serial entrepreneur, Kass Lazerow, joins Carrie for an in-depth discussion about her extraordinary business achievements, including co-founding and scaling Buddy Media, which was eventually acquired by Salesforce for a reported 745 Million dollars.

Kass shares the secrets behind her successful exits, her ability to work seamlessly with her husband, and the key decisions that drove Buddy Media’s rapid growth.

The episode also explores the importance of company culture, her unique marketing strategies, and advice for women entrepreneurs.

Here's what you can expect from the episode:

00:44 Introducing Kass Lazerow: My Business Icon
01:58 The Birth of Buddy Media
05:22 Navigating Business with a Partner
08:35 Marketing Mastery: The Airport Ad Campaign
11:21 Scaling and Culture at Buddy Media
14:23 The Decision to Sell or Go Public
16:26 Recruiting a Salesforce Heavy Hitter
16:46 The Unexpected Acquisition
17:25 Handing Over the Company
19:51 Employee Ownership and Impact
22:10 The Earnout Period
22:50 Balancing Parenthood and Career
26:00 Creating a Life Operating System
27:54 Advice for Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs

31 min
July 09, 2024 #6 - Alex Batdorf (ZipFit Denim / Get Sh!t Done)
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Alex Batdorf's Journey with Get Sh!t Done

In this episode of the Exit Whisperer, Carrie Kerpen speaks to Alex Batdorf, CEO of Get Sh!t Done, an accelerator for women-owned businesses.

Alex shares her inspirational journey from starting businesses at 19 to her unconventional and bold exit from ZipFit Denim. The discussion highlights the disparities in business revenue generation by women, the importance of staying true to one's values, and the launch of Get Sh!t Done to support women entrepreneurs.

Alex emphasizes the need for revenue generation over merely raising funds and the systemic changes required to support female founders.

01:27 Introducing Alex Batdorf: CEO of Get Sh!t Done
01:45 The Struggles and Realities of Women Entrepreneurs
02:51 Reviving Energy and Finding Inspiration
03:26 The Importance of Being Kind, Not Nice
04:53 Redefining Success and Community
08:36 The Journey of Starting and Exiting Companies
14:40 The Birth of ZipFit Denim
17:33 Scaling and Tough Decisions
20:55 Facing the Reality
22:29 The Decision to Resign
25:49 The Burning Man Revelation
28:39 Launching Get Sh!t Done
31:10 Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
34:22 Building a Supportive Community
36:48 Scaling Impact Through Partnerships
38:39 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
40 min
July 02, 2024 #5 - Chantell Preston (Mentis Neuro Health)
On today's episode, you'll hear how one brilliant woman found herself a niche, and then used her consulting skills to fund her health care business to an epic exit.

Chantell Preston, MBA has 20+ years of experience in health care operations, project management and consulting services for numerous health care companies. Chantell specializes in the development and management of ambulatory surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms and hospitals. She also invests in businesses as well as provides strategic advisement to growth and exit.

Today, she's sharing her story of how she grew Mentis Neuro Health. Through taking on partners in running the business, to using her own consulting to pay for the growth of the company, you'll see how she was able to grow a multi-location health care facility into a sellable asset.

Chantell's honest takes on what it takes to be a woman in a man's world are refreshing. Can't wait for you to take a listen.

23 min
June 25, 2024 #4 - Cheryl Contee (Attentive.ly)
This week I interview Cheryl Contee. Among her many successes, Cheryl was a co-founder of social marketing software Attentive.ly at Blackbaud, the first tech startup with a black female founder on board in history to be acquired by a NASDAQ-traded company.

In this episode, Cheryl talks about how she bootstrapped her first business, which incubated Attentive.ly. She talks about fundraising, and the numbers for black women who are out there doing the same.

She talks candidly about her sale, and how she felt delivering a return for her investors. And she talks about her book, Mechanical Bull: How You Can Achieve Startup Success.
34 min
June 18, 2024 #3 - Sheila Mains (Brownie Brittle)
A Sweet Exit: Insights from Sheila Mains.

Sheila built and sold Brownie Brittle, the worlds most delectable snack.

From getting excessed at her job, to selling her engagement ring, to getting screwed by a vendor, you will hear the story of Sheila-- one of persistence, and unwavering belief in her business. She's an inspiration, and boy oh boy does this story have a SWEET ending.
28 min
June 11, 2024 #2 - Melissa Kwan (Spacio)
Meet Melissa Kwan, the most badass bootstrapper around.

In this episode, Melissa tells the story of her journey, including the sale of her startup Spacio to Homespotter in 2019.

Melissa drops so many gems in this episode, including highlights around bootstrapping versus fundraising, the path to finding an acquirer, and the trick to living life on your own terms, never conforming to the status quo.

I am in awe of Melissa's transparency and desire to give back to fellow entrepreneurs and I hope you enjoy Episode 2 of The Exit Whisperer!
38 min
June 04, 2024 #1 - Carrie Kerpen (Likeable Media)
A Likeable Exit: Insights From Carrie Kerpen

From how my husband Dave and I started Likeable Media on our wedding day, to our quick pivot to becoming one of the world's first social media agencies, you'll hear all about our start.

You'll also hear about the challenges of being a woman tasked with the scale of a business that started flatlining-- which is exactly what happened when my husband left.

You'll hear what I did to make sure that we doubled both in revenue and profit. And of course, you'll hear all of the details around our sale.

This episode provides actionable advice for anyone looking to start, scale, and ultimately sell their business.

40 min