
The Exit Plan Podcast
Exit Plan is a podcast for business owners and those who want to be business owners. I’m always in search of the lesser known stories of entrepreneurship. In the Exit Plan podcast, you’ll hear stories from start up to sale, and hear from the professionals who helped business owners achieve their exit. Hosted by me, author and private equity manager Dana Robinson, along with my co-hosts and guests, you’ll hear real stories, tips, and tools that will help you plan for the exit you want, whether you are still working a day job or already running a business.
From their studio in sunny San Diego, the Opt Out Life welcomes guests who are solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, travelers, and creatives, who are proof that you can choose lifestyle over money . . . But still make money, too.
Each episode of the Opt Out Life podcast combines the incredible entrepreneurial stories of our friends, with an instructional approach to applying the tactics people are using right now to earn passive income and travel the world. Our guests live non-traditional lives, without job titles, and often without jobs at all. They wear t-shirts and have no boss. They spend time doing what they want, traveling and earning substantial income in creative ways.
We invite you to join the ranks of people who live the Opt Out Life.
Latest episodes

Feb 27, 2024 • 34min
Nate and Dana Are Back in Action
Nate and Dana discuss transitioning back to podcasting post-COVID, changing from Opt Out Life to Exit Plan, and lessons learned during the pandemic. They talk about work-life balance, challenges in private equity, benefits of remote work, lifestyle over business growth, and leveraging employment for entrepreneurial success.

Feb 27, 2024 • 3min
Trailer
I’m starting a whole new series of podcasts focusing on how entrepreneurs transitioned away from being employees to owning their time. I can’t wait to share these journeys with you. — Follow Dana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danabrobinson/ Follow Dana on Instagram: @danarobinsonofficial Subscribe to Dana’s weekly newsletter at danarobinson.com —

Jan 14, 2021 • 54min
Merrily Orsini - A Step Ahead
Our guest today is Merrily Orsini. Merrily founded one of the first private pay home care businesses in the United States, back in 1981, which she managed to grow successfully to more than 200 employees. She has been in the home caregiving business ever since and is now the President and CEO of CoreCubed, where she pioneered the work-from-home business model, many years before it became the norm. How did she do it? Merrily tells us about her business journey in caregiving, her efforts into incorporating technology into her businesses, and how her perseverance has led to her success. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/merrily-orsini/

Jan 7, 2021 • 52min
Joe Bernstein - When you have a calling, it will keep calling you
Joe Bernstein, founder of Drop the Armor Wellness, is on a mission to help other men feel the love and freedom that he learned to cultivate when his life fell apart several years ago. Back in 2013, Joe decided to go through a series of lifestyle changes to take back control of his life. After going through a bad divorce and losing 160 lbs, he left a successful career in retail management to build a mission-focused business and help other men create the life they desire. Today, as a men’s coach and writer, Joe helps successful men live a better, more fulfilling life. Listen along as he helps us understand the process of transformation, and how to create a pathway to overcome our challenges. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/joe-bernstein/

Dec 31, 2020 • 28min
Dana Solo NYE 2020
2020, a year unlike any other, is finally coming to an end. As we welcome in 2021, it's a great time to look back and reflect on this year as a whole - with all of its ups and downs. In this solo episode, Dana walks us through a fun exercise to reflect on our year and project new ideas to get ready for a more productive 2021. We wish you a happy new year and as always, stay safe and healthy out there! More at optoutlife.com/podcast/dana-solo-nye-2020/

Dec 24, 2020 • 48min
William Stringer - Investing in Entrepreneurs
Our guest today is William Stringer. Will is the co-founder & CEO of Chisos, a company that provides capital for early-stage entrepreneurs and start-ups that have a difficult time accessing it. Chisos is the creator of a revolutionary new funding source for founders: the Convertible Income Share Agreement, or CISA - designed to equalize opportunity and give access to funding without all the usual hang-ups of traditional funding options. Listen along to learn more about this win-win investment product, and how it can provide entrepreneurs the capital and community they need to succeed. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/william-stringer/

Dec 17, 2020 • 41min
Heather Robinson - It's a Ride
As our listeners have already heard, the Opt Out Life podcast is all about getting the stories of entrepreneurs who have achieved the Opt Out Life their way- but is the life of entrepreneurship right for everybody? In this episode, Dana talks to his wife and Opt Out partner in crime: Heather Robinson. Heather shares the details of her entrepreneurial journey, her introspection work in the last year as a business owner, and her honest assessment that it is perfectly acceptable to find your Opt Out pathway and not have to be an entrepreneur. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/heather-robinson/

Dec 3, 2020 • 55min
Russ and Joey - Wealth without Wall Street
Today's guests are Russ and Joey, founders of Wealth Without Wall Street and hosts of the popular podcast. Russ and Joey came from a more traditional advisory model and realized that their methods were keeping them from reaching the financial freedom they had been seeking. They decided to focus on finding an alternative approach to wealth and money, and started an advisory firm to help regular people learn how to take control of their financial future. Listen along as they share some of their strategies to establish long-term financial freedom and help us retrain our thinking about money. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/wealth-without-wall-street/

Nov 26, 2020 • 24min
Thanksgiving 2020
Happy Thanksgiving, Opt Outers! It's that time of the year again, and Nate & Dana are both back in the studio to talk about what they've been doing lately and give us an update on what's coming next! More at optoutlife.com/podcast/thanksgiving-2020/

Nov 19, 2020 • 1h 5min
Lance Graulich - Mindset is Everything
Buying an existing business is often the fastest and least risky way to Opt Out. And if you have ever been curious about franchising, then today's episode with Lance Graulich is for you. Lance is the founder & CEO of ION Franchising, an industry-leading franchise consulting and development group, that represents over 500 franchise brands & business opportunities. Lance helps prospective entrepreneurs find their perfect franchise for free, and also assists independent business owners in creating a franchise system. In this episode, Lance gives us expert advice and tells us how to get into franchising, how to choose the right franchise to work with, how to stay away from pitfalls, and more. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/lance-graulich/
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