#71 - Kristine Tonkonow (The Konery)

Kristine Tokonow bootstrapped her way into major retailers and global brands, survived COVID, supply chain chaos, labor shortages, pregnancy, and a year that pushed her to the edge. She knew she was burned out in 2021 — but she didn’t sell then. Instead, she rebuilt, stabilized, and intentionally positioned the company to be worth walking away from.

 

In this episode of The Exit Whisperer, Carrie sits down with Kristine, founder of The Conery, just days after selling the company she spent 12 years building from scratch. What started as a simple question — why are ice cream cones still terrible? — turned into a bootstrapped manufacturing business supplying major brands, theme parks, and retailers.

 

00:50 Meet Kristine Tokonow

01:17 The Idea That Didn’t Exist Yet

02:19 From Side Hustle to Real Business

04:03 Scaling, Scrappiness, and Early Growing Pains

10:19 When COVID Hit the Business

11:21 Burnout, Pregnancy, and Pressure

13:30 Knowing It Was Time to Sell

14:15 Rebuilding Energy Before an Exit

15:27 Why 2021 Nearly Broke Everything

16:53 The Advisor Who Changed the Outcome

18:57 The Emotional Reality of Selling

20:04 The Day After It Was No Longer Hers

21:39 Letting Go and Walking Away

23:16 What Comes After the Exit