The Exit Whisperer

In this raw and unfiltered interview, Sharmin Ali shares how a chance encounter on a flight changed her life forever. From joining a startup that became a unicorn to surviving a cardiac arrest at 32, she reveals what founders never talk about: burnout, bad investor deals, and the price of ambition. 2:10 Choosing To Stop Chasing A Career At Google   6:25 An Unexpected Job Offer Mid-Flight   8:14 Le...

Angela Pointon opens up about what it’s really like to buy out your partners, take on debt, and bet on yourself when everything’s on the line. From the hardest conversations to the relief of letting go, this episode is about courage, burnout, and knowing when to walk away—on your own terms.   2:32 How 11Outof11 was born from freelancing burnout   4:42 Leaving the commute and daycare guilt to go al...

Ever felt stuck running a business you no longer love—but you’re scared to let go? Meet Laura Roos, who sold her company without a broker, while pregnant, and turned the proceeds into her next seven-figure startup. This episode is messy, honest, and full of real talk about what it actually takes to walk away. 5:48 Why Selling the Business Felt Like a Dream Come True   8:01 How the Company Grew Rap...

What happens when the person running your company with you ends up buying it from you? Carey Linderman shares how she went from senior care to creating an entirely new category: the postpartum doula. And how she built a business that supported moms when no one else did, and why she ultimately decided to sell her company to her own #2.   2:10 Introducing Carey Linderman   4:44 Moving From Senior Ca...

What do you do when you raise venture money… and then realize it’s not the right path? For Elle Hempen, co-founder of The Atlas, the answer was bold: sell just one year later.   In this episode, we talk about how a Google spreadsheet turned into a tech company, why she decided to skip the long VC grind, and how she negotiated an exit during the chaos of COVID. From pitching at Y Combinator while 8...

Michelle Caba, a former Wall Street professional, transformed a failing nail salon into a successful local business, eventually selling it with a considerable profit. Michelle discusses her journey from Wall Street to business ownership, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning, market research, and innovative services like CBD manicures. Now she helps other business transform digitally to...

Julie Cole, co-founder of Mabel’s Labels, didn’t just survive the boys’ club of business—she doubled her valuation and sold to industry giant Avery. In this episode, she reveals the messy truth about co-founders, the brutal tricks buyers use to wear you down, and why staying passionate after the sale might be the ultimate win. 4:29 Turning a Simple Idea Into a Scalable Business   6:56 Why Mental H...

Suzanne Shelton built one of the top sustainability communications agencies in the US from scratch, then shocked the experts by selling it for double her target price. In this episode, she spills the unfiltered truth: the gut-wrenching moments, the bets that almost broke her, and the secrets behind her once-in-a-lifetime exit. 4:11 Specializing in Energy and Environmental Marketing 5:49 Leading a...

Ever wondered if you could risk it all—your savings, your sanity, your entire career—on a food you love? Erin Wade did just that. Fired from her law job and flat-out rejected by banks, she built a cult mac & cheese restaurant that broke every rule and every record. In this episode, Erin tells the unfiltered truth about betting everything, surviving the chaos, and what it really feels like to s...

Ever wondered what really happens after you sell your business? Ashley Deland built and sold a top vegan restaurant—then watched the new owners burn it to the ground. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Ashley and host Carrie Kerpen get brutally honest about burnout, regret, and the secrets nobody tells you about scaling and exiting. This episode is for anyone who thinks selling is the happy end...

When everyone told Andrea to play it safe, she rewrote the rules and doubled her worth. In this episode, two powerhouse founders share the real story behind selling a business, risking everything, and turning partnership into a power move. Forget the “happily ever after” exit story—this is what actually happens when women decide to cash out and level up. 1:12 How She Knew It Was Time to Exit   2:5...

Colleen West hustled her way from a tiny condo and a fax machine to a multi-million dollar exit. In this raw, inspiring episode, she shares how heartbreak fueled her business empire, why she refused to play by corporate rules, and the bold moves that doubled her revenue during COVID. If you've ever felt stuck, this story will make you rethink what’s possible.   Chapters: 2:34 Colleen’s Journey as...

Joyce Marter didn’t just build a therapy business—she survived betrayal, took on millions in debt, and still managed a seven-figure exit. In this episode, she gets brutally honest about the moment her co-founder quit by email (and CC’d the staff), how she rebuilt from financial rock bottom, and the mindset shifts that helped her turn chaos into a multimillion-dollar win. If you've ever felt like y...

Antonia helped build one of the most iconic period brands in the world. In this episode, she takes us inside the real, messy, deeply human journey of launching Thinx: from her pink pajama shame moment at 13 to raising millions, writing her own patent, and co-founding a brand that changed the way we talk about periods.   But that’s only the first half of the story.   She opens up about what it actu...

She built a company from scratch to serve medically fragile children — and sold it for double her valuation. In this powerful and emotional episode, Coco Sellman shares the full story behind founding her home healthcare agency inspired by her stepdaughter, scaling it to $7M in just 18 months, surviving the pandemic, navigating investors and partnerships, negotiating a merger, and finally landing t...

In this episode of The Exit Whisperer , we sit down with Ali von Paris, founder of Route One Apparel, a Maryland-themed clothing company that went from a viral college T-shirt idea to a self-funded powerhouse. Ali dives into the early hustle of building a business from scratch, learning e-commerce when it was still the wild west, scaling to 4,000+ SKUs, and eventually navigating the emotional and...

In this episode of The Exit Whisperer , Michelle Wahler shares the incredible 18-year journey of building Beyond Yoga—a body-positive, female-founded activewear brand that made comfort, inclusivity, and authenticity its mission from day one. From hand-illustrated T-shirts to a strategic, self-funded apparel company acquired by Levi Strauss & Co., Michelle unpacks every twist in her story: chil...

Carrie sits down with Jennifer Vazquez, a single mother who overcame bankruptcy and the failure of her first business to build and sell a series of successful childcare centers.   Jennifer shares her journey of acquiring, scaling, and eventually selling three childcare centers for double their valuation. She discusses key strategies such as seller financing, and the benefits of buying existing bus...

Miren Oca, the founder of Ocaquatics Swim School, a successful swim school business she started at 22 years old after becoming pregnant in college. Miren shares her inspiring journey from teaching swimming lessons to building a business with 165 employees, 5 locations, and 6,500 weekly swimming lessons. She discusses her focus on environmental and social responsibility, becoming a certified B Corp...

Carrie introduces Susan Latremoille, founder of Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors. Susan shares her journey from building a successful financial advisory practice to selling it at a premium valuation.   With over 40 years of experience, Susan transitioned from Merrill Lynch to entrepreneurship, ultimately exiting her company in 2019. She discusses the importance of trust and team development in her...

At just 26, Susan took a leap — launching News Generation with the backing of her family and a single client’s nudge. What followed was a two-decade journey building a niche agency in radio media relations, where she prioritized culture, steady growth, and real relationships. In this episode, she opens up about the real emotions behind selling a business, why she started thinking about exiting aro...

She Was Told “You Can’t Be a Good Mom and Build a Company” — So She Proved Them Wrong   Michele discusses her successful career as an entrepreneur who managed to maintain a work-life balance while building and eventually selling her global translation business.   In an engaging conversation with Carrie, Michele shares insights from her journey, including the initial struggles, the importance of of...

Kelly shares her story, from her early days of recognizing her entrepreneurial spirit to the founding of her company, Send Ribbon.   She discusses her tech startup background, the challenges of personalized corporate gifting, and how her experience inspired her business idea.   She shares insights into her strategic methods for launching the business, overcoming financial constraints, and the pivo...

Anne Mahlum, the founder of SolidCore, shares her journey from being a waitress in North Dakota to negotiating a major company sale.   Anne shares her incredible story of founding SolidCore with $175,000 of her own savings after initially working in nonprofits and creating a running club for a homeless shelter. She discusses the challenges she faced, including navigating contentious business relat...

In the inaugural episode of season four, Carrie reflects on the significant milestones surrounding April 1st, including selling her company on April Fool's Day and the release of her new book.   She discusses the intense and rewarding process of writing the book, which combines fiction, real-life examples, and an implementation guide for business growth. Additionally, she provides insights into he...