This was a big year for me and The Whisper Group in terms of accomplishments. It’s absolutely insane to think that we launched just 6 months ago. From the outside it all looks very exciting, but it wasn’t without challenges. In this solo episode, l’ll walk you through the behind the scenes and what it actually took to build this business so far. I’m so grateful to our incredible team of advisors and women who make the magic happen daily. Excited for 2025!
Dec 20, 2024•15 min•Ep. 23
Carrie interviews Jaclyn Johnson, founder of Create and Cultivate. Jaclyn's journey from selling her first business, No Subject, to creating and eventually buying back Create and Cultivate is an excellence tale. Jaclyn shares insights on entrepreneurship, mindset, and navigating business partnerships. This episode provides valuable lessons for women in business, focusing on building, scaling, and selling a business. 00:28 Welcome to The Exit Whisperer 00:47 Interview with Jaclyn Johnson: Founder...
Oct 29, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Maggie Lord, founder of Rustic Wedding Chic, highlights her incredible entrepreneurial journey. Maggie shares how she transitioned from being a teacher to starting and scaling a successful digital media business without prior business experience. Learn about her strategies for building and monetizing her company, navigating the decision to sell to David's Bridal during COVID-19, and her shift to a corporate role post-acquisition. Maggie also discusses her current focus on mentoring female entrep...
Oct 22, 2024•25 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Carrie interviews Nathalie Walton, who shares her journey of transforming Expectful, a meditation app for expectant mothers, into a comprehensive wellness platform. Nathalie discusses her transition from a stable role at Airbnb to co-founding Expectful, raising seed funding within 90 days, and the importance of a structured approach to fundraising. She candidly addresses challenges in a male-dominated space, the mental health toll on entrepreneurs, and balancing time management with venture capi...
Oct 17, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In this episode of 'The Exit Whisperer,' host Carrie Kerpen interviews entrepreneur Sharon Lee Thony about her inspiring journey from a corporate job to founding and scaling SLT Consulting, which she eventually sold to Fiverr. Sharon shares practical steps for transitioning from a side hustle to a thriving agency, challenges in balancing family obligations, and the significance of building a supportive network of freelancers. The discussion includes insights on mindset shifts, strategic decision...
Oct 15, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Carrie Kerpen interviews Christine Merser, an experienced entrepreneur who shares her journey with Blue Shoe Strategy and what it took to sell her business with both triumphant successes and challenging failures. Christine reflects on her negotiation of a company sale for double the valuation amidst a room of skeptical men, the early days of the internet and managing forums in 1993, and her pivotal role in launching Obama's digital campaign. The conversation delves into her ventures during the d...
Oct 10, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Michelle Jacobik, a successful entrepreneur who transitioned from employee to business owner. Michelle shares her journey of buying out her employer, expanding the business, and ultimately selling it at a high valuation. With a focus on maximizing business profits and protection for business owners, Michelle's story is filled with challenges and triumphs. She emphasizes the importance of planning, vision, and financial awareness, offering insights into partnerships, transitions, and life after e...
Oct 08, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Richelle Pena shares her inspiring journey of building and selling American Pediatric Dental Group alongside her husband, Will. Starting from a single dental office funded by bootstrapping their savings, they expanded to seven locations by focusing on strategic marketing and community engagement. Richelle discusses the importance of ignoring competition noise, leveraging relationships, and understanding market needs. She also shares the thought process behind selling their business to Dentistry ...
Oct 03, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this episode, Kat Hantas, co-founder of 21 Seeds, shares the journey of building her female-focused infused tequila brand. Kat discusses how a personal need for a low-calorie, less harsh alcoholic option led to the creation of 21 Seeds with the unique market insight that propelled the brand to success: women drink tequila differently. Kat recounts the challenges and strategies behind scaling the business quickly, the importance of understanding your core consumer, and the strategic decisions ...
Oct 01, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Lindsay Pinchuk shares the incredible journey of launching and scaling Bump Club, a thriving community for expectant mothers that she bootstrapped with her background in media sales. She dives into the nuances of negotiating her company's sale, including achieving double the valuation and confronting the challenges of an earn-out gone wrong. Lindsay candidly discusses the emotional and practical hurdles she faced post-sale, from retaining her brand's integrity to ultimately advocating for her te...
Sep 26, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Season 2 is HERE!! In this riveting episode of 'The Exit Whisperer,' we dive deep into the world of business and entrepreneurship with Sharon Gillenwater, a TikTok sensation known for her transparent exit from Boardroom Insiders, a company she sold for $25 million. Sharon shares her journey negotiating with a room full of men, achieving double her company's valuation, and the trials and triumphs of exiting a bootstrap business. Sharon's insight into gender dynamics in business, the importance of...
Sep 24, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 13
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.
Sep 23, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 13
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. She also provides valuable insights into pitching for grants and funding, drawing from her own impressive...
Aug 20, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 12
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 moment at a conference that changed her business trajectory and discusses the importance of confidence, pers...
Aug 13, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 11
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 years! And now reflect on the importance of mentorship, community, and remaining adaptable in the face of ...
Aug 06, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 10
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. Jessic...
Jul 30, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
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 selli...
Jul 23, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 8
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 epis...
Jul 16, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 7
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 Do...
Jul 09, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 6
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 provide...
Jul 02, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 5
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 ho...
Jun 25, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 4
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.
Jun 18, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 3
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 yo...
Jun 11, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 2
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'...
Jun 04, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 1
