Your Next: A Guide to Finding Fulfillment After Your Exit Hosted by Jerome Myers

Less Than 1%: Changing the Story of Women and Exits with Carrie Kerpen

·29 min·2 clips

Jerome Myers reveals that women-owned businesses account for less than 1% of total exits, sparking a conversation with Carrie Kerpen.

Jerome Myers introduces the episode by framing the exit as a portal to personal evolution, not an end. He welcomes Carrie Kerpen, who co-founded the social media agency Likeable in 2007 with her husband, growing it quickly despite initial inexperience. Kerpen took over the agency in 2013 after her husband launched a separate software company, focusing on making it profitable and sellable by following principles from the book 'Built to Sell'. She sold Likeable in 2021 to a strategic acquirer for eight figures and worked for them briefly before founding The Whisper Group. Kerpen wrote the book 'The Whisper Way' to outline a seven-factor methodology (WHISPER) for building sellable businesses, targeting women entrepreneurs. She notes that women-owned businesses represent fewer than 1% of exits and capture only 0.8% of exit value over a decade, attributing this to different motivations like lifestyle needs. Kerpen discusses the psychological challenges post-exit, including loss of identity and control, and emphasizes the importance of support systems like The Whisper Collective for exited female founders. She advises against relying on earn-outs or rolled equity unless terms are clear and controllable. The conversation touches on integration issues after acquisition and the need for an 'oh shit plan' for unforeseen events like death or divorce. Kerpen identifies common mistakes such as founder dependence, lack of diversified revenue, and not showing profit. The episode concludes with resources for listeners, including Kerpen's podcast 'The Exit Whisperer' and a free valuation tool on her website.

As heard by us

A grounded look at turning exit proceeds into time, choices, and a workable life after ownership.

Kerry Kerpen turns her exit story into a useful question: what does the money make possible, and how should life change when the company no longer sets its rhythm?

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Why you'd press play

You'll turn an abstract exit number into a clearer picture of the life it can fund.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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