The Exit Whisperer
Women-owned businesses capture just 0.8% of the total exit value in the US. Carrie Kerpen is here to change that, through sharing the stories of women who have broken through and sold their businesses. Having sold her own business for 8-figures in 2021, Carrie knows what it takes to build a sellable brand. She also knows that the experience can be different for women than it is for men because she has personally interviewed hundreds of exited female founders. New Episode Every Tuesday!
Episodes

18 hours ago
18 hours ago
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.
00:30 – Meet Andrea & Andrea: The Story Begins01:30 – From Side Hustle to Serious Business03:05 – When Growth Gets Scary04:00 – The Immigrant Who Broke the Rules05:10 – The Truth About Female Founders & Family06:30 – Choosing Partnership Over Hiring08:00 – Why Chemistry Beats Numbers09:15 – Secrets to Surviving Tough Negotiations10:40 – Building Trust While Closing Deals12:00 – What’s Next? Wine, Growth, and the Big Picture13:15 – The Real Reason This Acquisition Worked

Tuesday Jul 08, 2025
Tuesday Jul 08, 2025
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:
01:30 — Divorce, Babies, and No Degree04:00 — Court Reporting School: From Survival to Skill06:30 — Starting Her Business From a Condo09:00 — Faking It, Fax Machines & Hustling Clients12:00 — Balancing Growth and Motherhood15:00 — Buying Another Business (and Mortgaging the House)18:00 — Running Two Companies at Once20:30 — Turning Down Bad Offers23:00 — COVID, Free Zoom, and Doubling Revenue26:00 — Cutting Costs & Skyrocketing Value29:00 — The Big Offer Returns — Her Terms Win33:00 — The Hardest Part: Due Diligence & Protecting Employees36:00 — Signing the Deal & Emotional Goodbye38:30 — Life After the Exit: Family, Freedom & Joy41:00 — Final Reflections & Advice

Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
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 you're drowning while everyone else thinks you're thriving—this one’s for you.
Chapters:
01:22 – Building a Therapy Empire with $50003:44 – Scaling Fast… and Falling into Cashflow Hell07:02 – The Shocking Co-Founder Exit (via Email!)09:15 – Half the Staff Walks Out — Now What?11:00 – Asking for Help and Facing the Truth12:30 – “Your Business Is Worth Seven Figures”14:05 – Restructuring: The Office Manager Problem15:44 – Mindset Work and the Power of Meditation17:10 – Using Therapy Tools to Fix Financial Trauma18:56 – Scarcity Mindset Rooted in Family History21:00 – The Road to Exit: Vision Boards and Vetting Buyers23:08 – Rejecting the Sexiest Deal (and Why It Paid Off)25:20 – Three Paydays: Equity, Rollovers, and More26:56 – Refusing Last-Minute Terms — Even at 7 Figures29:10 – How to Truly Shift Your Financial Mindset32:00 – Why Money Is About Flow, Not Fear34:18 – Intergenerational Financial Trauma is Real36:00 – Final Advice and How to Learn from Joyce

Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
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 actually felt like to raise money, negotiate with strategic partners, and sit in rooms where you slowly lose control of the brand you built. What happens when you and your co-founders don’t want the same future? What do you do when the investors are offering the deal of a lifetime?
01:10 – Meet Antonia: From Classical Musician to Brand Builder
04:30 – The Origin of Thinx: A Three-Legged Race & a Bikini Bottom
08:00 – From India to Innovation: Solving Global Period Poverty
11:15 – The Girl Effect: Empowering Girls by Keeping Them in School
14:20 – Designing Smart Underwear: Antimicrobial, Leak-Proof & Chic
17:40 – First Funding: From Music Studio to Kickstarter
21:30 – “Failure to Launch” & Taking the Leap
24:10 – Family & Friends Round + The $25K Investor Who Made $1M
27:50 – When Deals Don’t Close: Due Diligence with UK Partner
31:40 – Sri Lanka Email Changes Everything: MAS Becomes Strategic Partner
36:00 – Why the Subway Ads Made People Stop & Stare
38:45 – Educating the Public on “Underwear for Periods”
41:00 – Kimberly-Clark Enters the Picture
43:20 – Losing Control of Product Design After Investment
45:00 – Birth of Her Next Venture: The Shoe Brand Idea
48:15 – $2.1M Kickstarter for Her Shoe Brand in 90 Days
51:00 – Was She Ready to Leave Thinx?
53:10 – The Co-Founder Rift: Different Timelines, Different Visions
56:40 – Lessons in Equity, Contracts & Business Breakups
59:15 – Don’t Assume Love = Legal Protection
01:01:30 – Why She Has No Regrets (But Learned the Hard Way)

Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
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 the perfect exit with a major children’s hospital.
From starting without funding to surviving impossible cash flow gaps and sitting across from private equity in a room full of men — Coco breaks down what it really takes to exit on your terms. If you’re building with purpose but want a serious business outcome… this one is a must-listen.
01:15 – Meet Coco Sellman & Her Mission-Driven Business
04:30 – A Medically Fragile Child Sparked the Business Idea
08:50 – Why No One Would Take Her Stepdaughter
12:10 – From Purpose to Business Opportunity
16:25 – How She Started a Home Healthcare Agency
21:00 – 18 Months of Operating Without Reimbursement
24:10 – Bootstrapping vs. Raising Investment Early
27:15 – From Zero to $7M in Revenue
30:40 – Why Nurses Were the Real Growth Bottleneck
33:15 – How to Attract & Retain 15 Nurses a Month
35:50 – Taking on Her First Angel Investor
39:00 – What Makes a “Perfect” Investor
42:15 – Pandemic Hits: Her Growth Strategy Breaks
44:40 – Planning the Merger
48:25 – How She Negotiated the Deal
52:00 – The Reality of Merging Operations
55:30 – Losing Her Team, Gaining Scale
59:00 – Surprise: Medicaid Rate Increases by 31%
01:02:00 – Connecticut Children’s Hospital Reaches Out
01:04:40 – When You Realize You Could’ve Gone Solo
01:07:00 – How to Build for an Exit While Scaling Fast
01:09:30 – The Final Deal & Why She Has No Regrets

Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
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 strategic complexities of selling her business.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to exit a company you built from the ground up—or how to scale a community-rooted brand into a full-blown movement—this one’s for you.
00:00 - Intro: Meet Ali von Paris
01:30 - The Viral T-Shirt That Changed Everything
04:00 - Turning a Hobby Into a Business
08:45 - Growing with No Outside Funding
12:20 - Getting Shut Down (and Why It Fueled Her)
16:10 - First Office, First Employees, First Big Wins
19:50 - Licensing with Old Bay & Maryland Legends
24:00 - Learning the Business Side (The Hard Way)
28:30 - Fixing Inefficiencies That Held Her Back
32:00 - How a Sequin Jacket Made $500k
36:15 - The Emotional Shift That Led to Selling
41:00 - The Number That Meant Financial Freedom
45:00 - Finding Identity Beyond the Business
49:00 - What Selling Actually Looked Like
54:00 - Her Next Chapter (and a Call for Like-Minded Founders)

Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
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: childhood influences, bootstrapping struggles, wholesale wins, emotional negotiations, and her mindset shift post-exit.
Whether you’re scaling your first business or considering your final chapter, this is a masterclass in leading with values and building a brand people love.
00:00 - Intro: Who is Michelle Wahler?
01:45 - Losing Her Dad’s Business, Gaining a Mission
05:30 - From Unsweetened T-Shirts to Activewear Vision
08:20 - Meeting Her Co-Founder and Starting Beyond Yoga
13:40 - The Business Was Built for Real Women
17:25 - Why They Never Raised Venture Capital
21:50 - Early Wholesale Wins & Studio-by-Studio Growth
26:00 - Doubling Year After Year (Until the Recession)
30:40 - The Moment They Took Finances In-House
35:00 - Cold LinkedIn Message from Levi’s
39:15 - “Build or Buy?” and the Levi’s Strategy
42:40 - Reflecting on Earlier Offers and Knowing Their Worth
47:00 - Why She Said No to Fast Growth
52:10 - Controlling Distribution and Staying True to the Brand
56:40 - The Integrity Behind Every Decision
01:00:00 - Closing Thoughts on Exit and Identity

Tuesday May 27, 2025
Tuesday May 27, 2025
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 businesses over starting from scratch.
Jennifer also delves into her transition from running childcare centers to her current role as an EOS coach, helping other entrepreneurs achieve success. Her story is filled with persistence, grit, and invaluable insights for anyone navigating the entrepreneurial landscape.
00:30 Meet Jennifer Vazquez: A Story of Resilience
00:47 From Bankruptcy to Business Success
01:24 The Journey of Buying and Scaling Childcare Centers
02:13 Welcome Jennifer: The Interview Begins
02:54 Jennifer's First Business Acquisition
04:54 Overcoming Financial Hurdles
06:01 Scaling Up: The Second and Third Acquisitions
08:40 The Power of Networking and Mastermind Groups
14:50 Implementing EOS: A Game Changer
15:25 Implementing EOS for Business Efficiency
15:44 Achieving Business Goals and Centralized Management
16:56 Empowering the Team and Growing Profits
17:20 Decision to Sell and Overcoming Challenges
18:29 Navigating COVID and Business Resilience
19:51 Negotiating the Sale and Financial Strategies
25:59 Post-Sale Reflections and EOS Coaching
28:59 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
30:56 Conclusion and Contact Information

Tuesday May 20, 2025
Tuesday May 20, 2025
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 Corporation, and the unique exit strategy she implemented using an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), ensuring her business’s legacy and continuing benefits for her employees.
Miren explains the challenges and successes in setting up the EOT, why it was the best choice for preserving her company’s values, and the profound satisfaction she has experienced through this exit route.
00:00 Meet Miren Oca: Founder of Ocaquatics Swim School
02:49 Starting a Business at 22
05:16 Building and Expanding Ocaquatics Swim School
07:43 Challenges and Successes in Business Growth
11:36 Exploring Exit Strategies
15:06 Introduction to Co-Ownership
15:23 Establishing the Trust and B Corp Certification
16:01 Valuation and Financing Options
16:56 Seller Financing and Profit Sharing
18:48 Building a Culture of Ownership
20:25 Reflections on the Transition
22:13 Financial Planning and Real Estate
25:13 Final Thoughts and Personal Reflections

Tuesday May 13, 2025
Tuesday May 13, 2025
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 business, as well as the process of preparing for and executing a successful exit.
She also works with financial advisors to enhance their client relationships beyond just financial planning.
00:30 Welcome to The Exit Whisper
00:38 Meet Susan Latremoille
02:56 Susan's Journey: From Merrill Lynch to Entrepreneurship
04:21 Building a Successful Financial Advisory Practice
10:15 The Decision to Sell: Planning and Execution
11:01 Transitioning Clients and Ensuring Continuity
16:26 Valuing the Business and Formalizing the Exit
19:14 Next Chapter: Helping Others Navigate Their Exits
25:22 Connecting with Next Chapter Lifestyle Advisors