The Exit Whisperer

In this Bonus episode: we speak to Stephanie Nadi Olson. Stephanie founded and subsequently sold talent marketplace We Are Rosie for a whopping 9 figures.   You’ll hear the secrets of her success in this beautiful episode which shares her views on what it takes to bootstrap a business of this magnitude. 

In this episode, Carrie welcomes Kat Weaver, a young and fearless entrepreneur, as she shares her incredible journey from founding Locker Lifestyle in her college dorm room to successfully selling it and becoming a pitch expert.   Kat candidly discusses the highs and lows of being a startup founder, the challenges of scaling her business, and the emotional rollercoaster of selling her company.   S...

Join us as we dive into the incredible entrepreneurial journey of Melissa Rogne, who turned a single-location med spa in Fargo, North Dakota into a thriving business with 22 locations in partnership with the Aspen Group.   Melissa shares how she started without any intention of becoming an entrepreneur, her struggles and triumphs, and the power of a positive culture.   She reveals the pivotal mome...

Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer, the co-founders of SocialFly and Entreprenista, share countless stories about their entrepreneurial journey.   They discuss the pivotal moments that shaped their success, the challenges of managing a startup, and their strategic approach to scaling and eventually selling their social media agency.   Carrie, Stephanie and Courtney have known each other for ye...

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 i...

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 te...

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...

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 re...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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 l...