The Exit - Presented By Flippa

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Tracy Holland, founder of Inner Fifth and Goodwill Brands, shares insights from building and selling Hatch Beauty, a company that co-created beauty brands with retailers. Starting with scented nail polish in her 20s, Tracy developed deep retail relationships that led to founding Hatch Beauty in 2009. She discusses the challenging journey of taking the company to market twice – first pulling it off at $50 million revenue when realizing rapid growth would soon hit $80 million, then successfully selling at nearly $100 million with 18% EBITDA margins. Tracy emphasizes crucial lessons about exit planning, including having upfront discussions with partners about exit strategy, carefully managing information exposure during the sales process, and understanding the differences between strategic and private equity buyers. She also stresses the importance of letting the market determine valuation rather than setting price expectations prematurely. For more details and insights from her entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Tracy Holland is a founder, investor, board member, and entrepreneur who is an authority on beauty and wellness with a global track record of incubating and launching brands. Tracy has dedicated her career to creating new brands and success stories by spotlighting innovation, amplifying authentic and celebrity voices in beauty and personal care, and nurturing promising talent, especially other women entrepreneurs. Websites Mentioned In The Episode: https://innerfifth.com/ - https://goodwillbrands.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyholland/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Laurits Just, manager of Flippa Invest, shares his journey from working at BlackRock to co-founding Bits for Digits, a marketplace for partial business acquisitions that was later acquired by Flippa. Inspired by a blog post about Basecamp's partial sale to Jeff Bezos, Laurits and his co-founder created a platform to facilitate similar transactions for founders without direct access to high-profile investors. Now managing Flippa Invest, Laurits discusses their new data-driven alternative financing platform that connects accredited investors with digital business owners seeking growth capital. The platform allows US-registered businesses to raise between $50,000 and $1 million, with potential for oversubscription, while leveraging integrated data from sources like Stripe and QuickBooks to showcase business performance. Emphasizing that "data doesn't discriminate," Laurits highlights how this approach can level the playing field for founders seeking investment. For more insights about alternative financing and digital business growth, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Laurits Just is currently the Manager for Flippa Invest, a new data driven alternative financing product from Flippa. Previously Laurits was with BlackRock’s fintech arm and before that he was with Rocket Internet’s venture development division. Laurits is also the exited Co-Founder & CEO of BitsForDigits which was acquired by Flippa.com. Website for : https://flippa.com/invest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurits-just/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Jim Stevenson, founder and CEO of Bletchley Group, shares strategic insights from 25 years of advising companies through exits and acquisitions. Jim discusses crucial aspects of preparing a business for sale, emphasizing the importance of running solid fundamentals while leaving room for buyers to see growth potential. He also highlights common mistakes that kill deals, including overvaluation, waiting too long to sell, and founder dependence. Jim explains how multiples vary by sector and the importance of realistic comparisons with similar companies rather than billion-dollar corporations. Rather than seeking perfect timing, Jim advocates for taking action while being prepared for a process that can span 12-15 months plus earnout periods. For more details and insights from his entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Jim Stevenson is the Founder and CEO of Bletchley Group, an International Growth Consultants company with the goal of making growth the objective of your strategy and the result of your transformation. Jim is passionate about creating strategies that focus on customers while developing propositions, creating go-to-market plans and aligning capabilities to drive revenue and business growth. Website: https://www.bletchleygroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimstevenson/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Aaron Spivak, founder of The Founders Club, shares his entrepreneurial journey from launching a juice shop in his mother's basement at 18 to building Hush, a premium weighted blanket company that achieved nine-figure success. Aaron discusses how Hush innovated in response to market challenges, developing the world's first cooling weighted blanket when faced with 70,000 competitors. Instead of racing to the bottom on price, they elevated their product to $349, achieving $50 million in annual sales with double-digit margins. The exit to a publicly traded sleep company came through intentional positioning and relationship building, though Aaron describes the year-long process at age 25 as incredibly lonely. This experience inspired him to create The Founders Club, a community supporting entrepreneurs through resources and connections he wished he had during his exit. His key advice to his past self: stay delusional and trust that it will work out. For more details and insights from his entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Aaron is a 29-year-old Canadian serial entrepreneur who co-founded Revitasize at 18 years old—an organic cold-pressed juice kitchen serving high-quality juices, smoothies, acai bowls, and a variety of vegan options. Prior to this, Aaron co-founded a sleep improvement company called Hush, selling a product now considered to be the world's most popular (and reviewed) weighted blanket—designed to help those with sleep issues, anxiety, insomnia, ADHD, and more. Within its first 24 months, Hush grew into an eight-figure brand. In 2021, Aaron sold Hush to Canadian sleep giant Sleep Country in a landmark acquisition, marking a significant milestone in Canadian e-commerce history. Aaron recently launched The Founders Club, a community for high-growth founders seeking virtual, in-person, and local connections with like-minded CEOs, founders, and executives in the CPG, e-commerce, and retail sectors. Website: https://www.foundersclubofficial.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-spivak1/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Zoe Kalar, founder and CEO of WeAre8, shares insights from her remarkable journey through three successful exits over 35 years, including one for $100 million. Starting her first company at age 21, Zoe discusses the challenges of early exits, including painful earn-outs and misaligned values with acquirers. She shares crucial lessons from her experiences across different markets - from her first bootstrapped company in Australia to building a transformative business in China, and later creating a data infrastructure company that became the backbone of media trading in the US. Currently leading WeAre8, a safe social media platform that shares advertising revenue with users, she stresses that successful exits are less about the financial outcome and more about the journey and the team. For more insights about strategic exits and entrepreneurship, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Zoe Kalar, is a visionary tech entrepreneur who has built four transformative businesses over the last 35 years including NY based Standard Media Index, the world’s largest media data business. As founder of WeAre8, Zoe is shifting the power of big tech back into the hands of the people. Zoe's mission is to inspire, empower and enable a billion people to make a positive impact every day through a revolutionary social experience, while redirecting the $500bn ad market to people, publishers, nonprofits and planet projects. WeAre8 is the future of social, one that connects, inspires, and serves humanity. Websites: https://www.weare8.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-kalar/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Lindsay Pinchuk, founder and CEO of Lindsay Pinchuk Marketing, shares her journey from building Bump Club, a community-focused business for expectant parents, to its eventual exit. Starting in 2010 as a series of local events in Chicago, Lindsay grew the company into a national brand working with major retailers like Target and Nordstrom, reaching millions of parents monthly. In 2019, she sold to Advantage Marketing Solutions, but the transition proved challenging as the B2B-focused acquirer struggled to understand the community-driven, B2C nature of her business. Lindsay discusses crucial lessons about exit preparation, particularly for community-based brands, including the importance of developing a personal brand separate from the company and ensuring all promises are documented in writing. Despite not receiving her full earn-out and the eventual closure of Bump Club, Lindsay emphasizes the significance of maintaining integrity and preserving legacy during an exit. Her key advice to her past self: trust your gut and don't let buyers rush the process. For more details and insights from her entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Lindsay Pinchuk is a brand igniter, a marketing expert, and a community builder. She has over 25 years of experience in creating and growing brands, both for herself and for her clients. She is the Founder and CEO of Lindsay Pinchuk Marketing + Consulting, a company that offers consulting, coaching, and speaking services to businesses of all sizes and stages. Websites: https://www.lindsaypinchuk.com/ - https://www.dearfoundher.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaypinchuk/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Mette Dyhrberg, founder and CEO of Mymee, shares her entrepreneurial journey from her first venture in Denmark to building a successful health tech company. Starting at age three with a toy stove and cafeteria, Mette's entrepreneurial spirit led her through various industries, from a cleaning company with 160 employees to children's motor skill enhancement programs. Her current venture, Mymee, emerged from her personal battle with autoimmune diseases, where she applied process optimization principles to improve her health. Despite having no healthcare background, Mette successfully built a health tech platform that has helped thousands of people improve their quality of life. She discusses the challenges of raising venture capital, the importance of customer feedback as a key metric across all businesses, and shares insights about exit timing and preparation. For more details and insights from her entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Mette Dyhrberg is the founder of Mymee, a data-powered digital care program for autoimmune patients, with the aim of transforming autoimmune care as a whole. Mette is an economist turned diagnostician with 15+ years of building startups, and someone who took matters into her own hands, hacked her own health, and soon began helping others do the same. Drawing on ideas and methods from Lean, systems thinking, and software engineering, her company Mymee is built to support iterative health improvement for the individual. Website: https://www.mymee.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mettedyhrberg/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Xandra Laskowski, founder and CEO of Osea Angel Investors, shares her journey from tech industry veteran to angel investor. After retiring in 1998, she started a family office in 2008 and began angel investing in 2013. Xandra discusses key criteria for startup investments, including the importance of founders having prior exit experience and maintaining two years of runway. She emphasizes the critical role of early exit planning, strategic market positioning, and maintaining strong metrics for successful scaling. Drawing from her experience investing primarily in female-founded companies, Xandra highlights the challenges and opportunities in healthcare tech, sustainability, and financial technology sectors. Despite seeing positive trends in female founder representation through her syndication partners, she acknowledges the persistent challenge of only 2% of funding going to women-run companies. For more details and insights from her entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Xandra Laskowski is an angel investor and startup advisor with over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience with large multinational tech companies as well as startups as founder, investor, advisor and board member. She has held positions as Worldwide Commodity Manager and National Major Accounts managerial roles before moving into the Angel Investment and startup worlds. She founded OSEA Angel Investors in 2017, a women focused angel investment group based in Newport Beach, California. Website: https://www.oseaangelinvestors.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xandra-laskowski-765b1813/overlay/contact-info/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Kristen Cooper, CEO and founder of The Startup Ladies, shares insights on empowering women entrepreneurs to secure funding and scale their businesses. Starting from informal meetings, Kristen built an organization that now has 150 members across five states. Kristen discusses the significant funding gap for women entrepreneurs, noting that women founders secured only 2% of the $170 billion invested in US startups in 2023. She highlights her organization's innovative approach to addressing this disparity by training high-net-worth individuals to invest in women-led companies, rather than relying solely on traditional VC and angel investor channels. Key advice includes conducting thorough customer discovery, building strong foundations before seeking funding, and focusing on human connections in pitch presentations. For more details and insights from her entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Kristen Cooper has over 10 years of experience as the CEO and Founder of The Startup Ladies, where they are on a mission to increase the number of women starting up scalable businesses and help them secure investment to grow. The Startup Ladies is a professional membership organization that identifies, educates, connects, and increases investment in women entrepreneurs across various industries and stages.As a startup leader, Kristen has leveraged her background in building technology and raising money to help entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate members achieve their goals. She also writes a column for the Indianapolis Business Journal, where she shares her experience and insights on startups, tech, women in business, and LGBTQ+ issues. Website: https://www.thestartupladies.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristencooper23/ Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you’ll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Adam Kirsch, Director at West Monroe, shares insights from his journey as both an entrepreneur and M&A advisor. Starting with early ventures in high school and college, Adam has experienced exits from both sides of the table and now coaches companies through their exit processes. Adam emphasizes the importance of being "exit ready" from day one, highlighting key preparation steps like maintaining an organized data room, developing clear roadmaps, and building relationships within your ecosystem. He stresses that many of the same questions arise whether selling a company for thousands or billions. Adam warns against common mistakes like valuation disconnects and poor communication, noting that personality conflicts can derail otherwise solid deals. For more details and insights from his entrepreneurial journey, listen to the latest episode of The Exit. -- Adam Kirsch is an entrepreneur with 12+ years of professional experience spanning tech/digital strategy, venture capital, product strategy, marketing/business development, operations, private equity advisory/M&A, and management consulting. Adam is currently applying his skills at West Monroe to help private equity firms and strategic buyers intelligently invest in, operate, and exit businesses. Adam’s background is in entrepreneurship and venture capital, a skill set he leveraged to launch WM's Sell-Side Advisory (Quality of Technology™) group while guiding management teams through late-stage capital raises and exit processes. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adamjkirsch Check Out Flippa’s Data Insights Tool: https://flippa.com/data-insights -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/