Less Than 1%: Changing the Story of Women and Exits with Carrie Kerpen

Your Next: A Guide to Finding Fulfillment After Your Exit Hosted by Jerome Myers

Selling your business won’t save you if you’re not ready for what comes after, and most founders aren’t.

Less than 1% of women founders successfully exit their businesses. That story is changing, and Carrie Kerpen is leading the movement.

In this episode of Your Next, I sit down with Carrie Kerpen, founder of The Whisper Group and a successful agency exit veteran, to explore how women are rewriting the rules of business, building companies designed to sell, and creating exits that unlock freedom, legacy, and purpose.

We go deep into the reality of life after a big sale: the loss of identity, the challenges of integration, and the path to reclaiming power on your own terms. If you’ve ever wondered what happens after the wire hits, this conversation will change how you think about exits.

Press play now, and step into the conversation that could redefine how you see your next chapter.

[00:00 – 12:00] The Agency and the Exit

• Carrie’s journey from co-founding Likable to an 8-figure exit
• How Built to Sell became her roadmap to acquisition
• Why do women approach exits differently than men

[12:01 – 20:00] Life After the Sale

• The emotional crash that follows even a successful exit
• The reality of working for “the mothership” after selling
• Why community and support matter most post-exit

[20:01 – 25:00] The 3 Ds + B Every Founder Faces

• The 3 Ds that threaten every founder: Divorce, Death, and Disability, plus the B: Burnout
• Why lump sums bring more fear than freedom if you’re not prepared
• How The Whisper Group equips women for the full journey, not just the transaction

[25:01 – End] Building a Sellable Business and Lasting Legacy

• The three biggest mistakes that kill value
• Carrie’s WHISPER framework for creating a sellable business
• Why legacy is built through resilience, profit, and purpose

Key Quotes:

“Nobody was really speaking to them in a way that matters.” - Carrie Kerpen

“Women-owned businesses, fully female-founded businesses, account for fewer than 1% of total exits.” - Carrie Kerpen

Connect with Carrie!

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carriekerpen

Website: carriekerpen.com/

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