
Exiteers
Join serial entrepreneur and founder of The Grafter, Rachel Murphy, as she invites business leaders to sit down and talk about achieving successful exits in business. Who are they and what drove them to their success? Subscribe, listen, and find out.
Latest episodes

Jul 3, 2025 • 47min
Kathryn Strachan: I almost lost everything
Kathryn Strachan started CopyHouse in 2020. This was weeks away from a global pandemic kicking off. What began as a solo venture quickly scaled into a content marketing agency with 32 team members and over £2 million in revenue. But behind the scenes of that rapid growth was a founder learning to let go, to lead, and eventually, to walk away.In this conversation, Kathryn shares how she shifted from practitioner to CEO and built a team that could operate without her. She talks openly about burnout, identity loss, and what happens when your life's work is no longer yours - no one talks about the emotional fallout! Now an author of Scaling Success, she reflects on the lessons that matter most: building intentionally and prioritising what should really count and that's your personal relationships and yourself.You can follow and reach out to Kathryn here: www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-strachan/Her book, Scaling Success from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/a2HyZHoGot a story to tell about your exit? Email us at exiteerspodcast@gmail.com-More of Rachel MurphyLinkedInInstagramXThe Grafter

Jun 4, 2025 • 41min
Sally Wynter: I want to level the playing field
Knowing how to survive is one thing, but knowing how to succeed is something completely different.She wasn’t handed a network, a mentor, or a safety net. What she was given? Grit. Hunger. And a stubborn refusal to accept her circumstances.At 24, Sally Wynter went from the idea of creating the first CBD-infused gin to a 7-figure exit in less than a year. This was all without funding, connections, or a clue how the drinks industry worked.Since selling the brand, she’s taken that same fire into recruitment, building a business that defies convention and puts people first.This is a story about reinvention, risk-taking, and rewriting the rules of what success has to look like.You can follow and reach out to Sally here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-wynter/www.askhunch.comhello@sallywynter.comGot a story to tell about your exit?Email us at exiteerspodcast@gmail.com-More of Rachel MurphyLinkedInInstagramXThe Grafter

May 4, 2025 • 43min
Stephen Critchlow: How Selling My Business Made Me Feel Lost – Until I Found My Real Purpose
Stephen Critchlow built and sold not just one, but two companies. One to a major healthcare software firm, and another that developed wind farms. Both were highly profitable exits. But what happened after the sale?In this powerful and honest conversation, Rachel and Stephen explore the real story behind the headlines: what it feels like to walk away from a company you've poured decades of your life into, the identity crisis that can follow, and why the biggest exit of your life might leave you feeling completely empty.Together, they dive into:What Stephen calls the Bermuda Triangle of Business Growth and why most companies never make it throughHow to know if you are the right person to scale your business past 20–40 peopleThe crushing emotional aftermath of selling a company and losing your purposeWhy Stephen regrets the timing of his exit from Ascribe and how losing board control changed everythingWhat founders must consider before they sell (hint: it’s not the number)Why his second exit - a wind farm company - was faster and more lucrative than his firstHow Evergreen Life is using AI, DNA and GP-linked data to add years to people's healthy life expectancyAnd why Stephen believes this UK tech company can rival the likes of Amazon and GoogleThis isn’t a story about success. It’s a story about intention. About building something that matters, walking away too soon, and then finding the clarity to start again, with purpose at the centre.You can follow more of Stephen belowLinkedInGot a story to tell about your exit?Email us at exiteerspodcast@gmail.com-More of Rachel MurphyLinkedInInstagramXThe Grafter

Apr 4, 2025 • 44min
Niraj Shah: The Truth About Life After an Exit
Niraj Shah, an expert in building and selling businesses across various sectors, shares his transformative journey following a life-changing stroke at 30. He discusses the emotional aftermath of exiting a wellness business that was part of his identity, addressing the challenges beyond just financial success. Niraj emphasizes the need for reflection and understanding the personal shifts post-exit. He also touches on innovations in real estate and the vital lessons from the book 'Exit Strategy' for navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship.

Mar 3, 2025 • 52min
The 3 Exiteers™️: Dissecting the anatomy of an Exit
Here in the UK, we don't talk about money and we certainly don't talk about planning to sell our businesses. You may not have even thought about selling but if you're running your own business, succession and exit plans are necessary.Being approached by another company wanting to buy what you've built happens all the time and that's where the Exiteers™️ come in. With over 10 businesses sold between them, Rachel Murphy got together with Exiteers™️, Caroline Carruthers, and James Gairdner, to dissect the anatomy of an Exit - what does it really entail and what should you be looking out for?Jumped to your burning questions:05:20 Key defining moments in business (COVID!)25:50 Rachel: The technical process of going through an exit28:23 Caroline: The technical process of going through an exit31:07 Earn outs with be challenging32:26 James: The technical process of going through an exit33:40 You've got to plan for after you exit38:40 Motivations on Exit shift over time39:57 Exit culture: USA vs UK42:56 Question time: how has recent volatility (Brexit/Covid/Trump) altered valuations & do buyers take this into account?49:05 Question time: what would you do differently next time around in selling a business?Got a story to tell about your exit?Email us at exiteerspodcast@gmail.com