The Exit Whisperer

#55 - Michelle Caba (718 Beauty Bar)

Michelle Caba, a former Wall Street professional, transformed a failing nail salon into a successful local business, eventually selling it with a considerable profit. Michelle discusses her journey from Wall Street to business ownership, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning, market research, and innovative services like CBD manicures. Now she helps other business transform digitally to achieve the same growth!
01:07 – Wall Street Dropout Buys a Nail Salon?!
02:38 – From Failing Salon to Local Empire
09:07 – CBD Manicures?! The Wild Strategy That Worked
15:28 – The Brutal Decision: Why She Finally Sold
21:25 – Life After Selling: From Salons to Consulting
24:14 – The Hard Truth Every Entrepreneur Needs to Hear
27:26 – Her Biggest Lesson (And What She’d Do Differently)

#54 - Julie Cole (Mabel’s Labels)

Julie Cole, co-founder of Mabel’s Labels, didn’t just survive the boys’ club of business—she doubled her valuation and sold to industry giant Avery. In this episode, she reveals the messy truth about co-founders, the brutal tricks buyers use to wear you down, and why staying passionate after the sale might be the ultimate win.
4:29 Turning a Simple Idea Into a Scalable Business  
6:56 Why Mental Health Support Matters for Founders  
7:30 Teaching the Market About a Product No One Knows Yet  
8:11 Leveraging Word of Mouth to Drive Early Growth  
10:12 The Real Challenges of Co-Founding With Multiple Partners  
13:08 Why Equity Decisions Matter So Much  
14:06 Recognizing When It’s Time for a Change  
15:01 The Unexpected Phone Call About an Acquisition  
16:14 Negotiating Hard to Protect the Brand and Staff  
19:34 The Exhaustion and Fatigue of Negotiation  
20:06 Staying Passionate About Your Brand Through It All  
21:02 Staying Actively Involved After the Acquisition  
24:25 Evolving the Business to Meet Changing Customer Needs  

#53 - Suzanne Shelton (Shelton Group)

Suzanne Shelton built one of the top sustainability communications agencies in the US from scratch, then shocked the experts by selling it for double her target price. In this episode, she spills the unfiltered truth: the gut-wrenching moments, the bets that almost broke her, and the secrets behind her once-in-a-lifetime exit.
4:11 Specializing in Energy and Environmental Marketing
5:49 Leading a $40 Million Environmental Campaign  
8:11 Why Companies Need Specialized Sustainability Consultants  
11:06 Payroll Struggles and Growing a Mission-Driven Business  
12:57 Staying Committed to Sustainability Through Every Challenge  
15:39 Her Deep Personal Connection to Sustainability Issues  
17:17 Why Sustainability Matters in Every Sales Conversation  
19:32 Making Business Decisions Based on Values Alignment  
21:46 The Power of Mission and Values in Choosing Partners  
24:34 The Hard Part: Losing Decision-Making Power  
26:17 Understanding the Timing and Process of Selling a Business  
28:49 Why Negotiating the LOI Is Absolutely Critical  
30:54 Working From Passion Instead of Necessity  

#52 - Erin Wade (Homeroom Restaurant)

Ever wondered if you could risk it all—your savings, your sanity, your entire career—on a food you love? Erin Wade did just that. Fired from her law job and flat-out rejected by banks, she built a cult mac & cheese restaurant that broke every rule and every record. In this episode, Erin tells the unfiltered truth about betting everything, surviving the chaos, and what it really feels like to sell your “baby” to a VC-backed food giant.
  
3:05 The Struggle to Secure Funding for the Dream  
5:38 Friends Fly In From LA to Show Support  
8:53 Launch Day: Lines Down the Street  
10:41 Getting Early Product Feedback That Shaped the Menu  
12:54 Creating a Career and Life You Truly Love  
14:30 Building a Business Centered Around People  
16:30 The Decision to Buy Out His Business Partner  
18:01 Preparing the Next Generation for Leadership  
19:49 Finding Real Joy in Everyday Business Challenges  
22:50 Navigating Personal Struggles While Running a Company  
25:36 Passing the Torch After Selling the Business  
28:29 Rewriting the Book to Share a More Personal Story  
31:42 Loving the CEO Role and Leading With Purpose  

#51 - Ashley Deland (Karmah Restaurant)

Ever wondered what really happens after you sell your business? Ashley Deland built and sold a top vegan restaurant—then watched the new owners burn it to the ground. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Ashley and host Carrie Kerpen get brutally honest about burnout, regret, and the secrets nobody tells you about scaling and exiting. This episode is for anyone who thinks selling is the happy ending. Spoiler: it’s just the start of a whole new story.
 
2:04 Her Journey Through Burnout and Breaking Point  
6:09 Opening Karma — A New Vegan Restaurant Vision  
7:10 The Tough Early Challenges Every Restaurant Faces  
8:28 How She Funded Her Businesses Without Taking On Debt  
9:12 Pushing Past Doubt in the Entrepreneurial Journey  
10:56 Scaling the Restaurant With Intention and Strategy  
13:28 Selling the Restaurant and Building Community Along the Way  
15:02 Taking a Full Year Off After the Sale  
16:03 Why Emotional Readiness Matters Before an Exit  
19:01 Understanding How Much Control You Lose After Selling  
20:01 Becoming Truly Emotionally Ready to Exit  
21:06 Why Every Founder Needs an Exit Strategy  
22:13 Lessons Learned From All Her Past Business Chapters  
23:02 Launching Her New Book, *Unreserved*  

#50 - Andrea Padilla (Square Root Marketing)

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.
1:12 How She Knew It Was Time to Exit  
2:54 Scaling Fast Through Partnerships and Collaboration  
5:12 The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Risk, Grit, and Growth  
7:12 Why Chemistry Is Everything in an Acquisition  
8:39 Shared Vision: The Foundation of Strong Partnerships  
9:20 How Common Interests Create Stronger Collaboration  
10:47 Building Unshakeable Trust Through Hard Conversations  
11:14 Staying Grounded and Seeing the Bigger Picture  
12:57 A Moment of Gratitude for the Team Behind the Journey  

#49 - Colleen West (Enright Court Reporting)

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:
2:34 Colleen’s Journey as a Single Mother  
5:05 Turning a Job Into a Real Business Opportunity  
7:10 Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship  
9:00 The Hard Realities of Growing a Business  
12:24 How Networking Became Her Growth Engine  
14:10 Moving Into Their First Dedicated Office Space  
16:36 Overcoming Barriers in the Medical Field  
20:10 Choosing Employees Over Easy Business Wins  
23:01 Getting Approached for Acquisition Before COVID  
25:52 How Revenue Doubled During the Pandemic  
29:01 How Court Reporters Adapted to Remote Work  
30:43 Why Trusted Advisors Are Essential  
34:06 Navigating Due Diligence With Confidence  
36:23 Stepping Into a Completely New Life  
38:19 Caring for Her Mother Through Illness  
40:50 Turning Dreams Into Reality Through Intention  

#48 - Joyce Marter (Urban Balance)

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.
 
 
2:10 Why Destigmatizing Mental Health Is So Important  
6:11 Cash Flow Chaos During Rapid Growth  
7:30 When a Business Partner Resigns Out of Nowhere  
9:40 Why You Need a Pre-Dissolution Agreement  
10:44 Asking for Help During a Cash Flow Crisis  
12:56 How a CPA Revealed the Business’s True Value  
14:45 Overcoming a Deep Scarcity Mindset Around Money  
16:22 Practical Steps to Improve Cash Flow Fast  
19:01 Why Aligning With the Right Buyer Matters  
21:25 Choosing the Best Offer for Long-Term Success  
22:16 Standing Firm on Your Principles in Negotiations  
23:40 The Importance of Not Folding at the Final Hour  
27:43 Tools and Practices for Managing Money Stress  

#47 - Antonia Saint Dunbar (THINX)

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?
 
4:02 The Idea Behind Stain-Resistant Underwear  
6:48 The Girl Effect: Education and Empowerment  
9:02 Commitment and Teamwork in the Early Days  
10:37 Launching Their Kickstarter Campaign  
16:23 Landing a Partnership With a Major Company  
18:01 Creative Marketing Strategies That Built the Brand  
20:02 Why Clear, Consistent Communication Shapes a Brand  
22:45 Protecting Brand Ethos While Partnering Big  
25:26 The Struggle of Stylish but Painful Shoes  
27:21 Their Breakout Kickstarter Campaign for Shoes  
29:02 Why Co-Founder Communication Matters Most  
33:55 The Critical Importance of Getting Everything in Writing  
39:02 The Bittersweet Emotions Behind the Exit  
41:40 Reflecting on Whether the Journey Was Worth It  
43:14 Why Sharing Women’s Stories Matters  
46:03 How Intuition Often Guides Entrepreneurial Paths  
49:54 The Magical Encounter That Sparked a New Partnership  

#46 - Coco Sellman (Allumé Home Care)

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.
 
2:34 Starting a Home Health Care Agency  
4:47 Spotting Big Market Opportunities in Health Care  
6:50 Building a Strong and Scalable Home Health Agency  
9:01 Why Proof of Concept Matters in This Industry  
10:36 Delivering Specialized Care for Fragile Patients  
12:11 How They Hire and Retain Exceptional Nurses  
14:01 The Decision to Bring On Investors  
18:10 Shifting Growth Strategies During the Pandemic  
19:56 Merging With Competitors to Stay Competitive  
22:01 Breaking Down How the Merger Was Structured  
24:01 The Major Challenges They Faced During the Merger  
27:22 Why Choosing the Right Partner Is Everything  
30:02 Winning a Medicaid Rate Increase  
32:13 Interest From Connecticut Children’s Hospital  
34:04 What Private Duty Nursing Really Involves  
35:38 Why Autonomy Matters So Much in Business  
39:32 The Role of Advocacy in Healthcare Pricing