The Exit Podcast

Mark Rampolla, founder of ZICO Coconut Water, shares his journey from Peace Corps volunteer to selling ZICO to Coca-Cola—and later buying it back. He reveals insights on scaling brands, negotiating major deals, and building purpose-driven companies through GroundForce Capital.

Rufus Griscom, co-founder of Nerve, Babble, and Next Big Idea Club, shares lessons from his $40M Disney exit. From early struggles to scaling Babble into the top parenting site, he highlights disciplined growth, cultivating acquirers, and selling on momentum. Today, he champions big ideas with thought leaders.

Flippa CEO Blake Hutchison discusses digital M&A’s evolution, revealing 36% growth despite market decline. He highlights ecommerce’s resurgence, AI-native businesses’ rise, and Lauren AI’s role in deal sourcing. With 83% cross-border transactions and stronger online businesses, this episode spotlights the future of smarter, global digital acquisitions.

Serial entrepreneur Divya Gugnani shares her journey from finance to founding five companies and achieving three exits, including Send the Trend’s rapid sale to QVC. She stresses cash management, early preparation, hiring strong operators, and selling during growth. Today, she educates founders worldwide, sharing business and AI insights on TikTok.

Ingrid Vanderveldt, founder and CEO of EBW Worldwide, shares her journey from early inspiration to launching and exiting multiple ventures, and ultimately creating EBW to empower one billion women through access to capital.

In this episode of The Exit: Wendy Diamond, serial entrepreneur and founder of WEDO, shares her journey of blending profit with purpose. From early ventures and animal advocacy to founding Women’s Entrepreneurship Day in 100 countries, Wendy champions women, integrity-driven founders, and social impact.

In this episode of The Exit: Ben Zvaifler shares his journey from founding PupBox, sold to Petco after Shark Tank, to launching Cloud Water Filters. He reflects on negotiation, earn-outs, and corporate dynamics, emphasizing resilience, learning from exits, and using experience to build bolder ventures.

In this episode of The Exit: Alan Franks explains how business owners can maximize value and achieve financial independence before selling. He highlights the importance of tracking worth, planning for transferability, building strong systems and a management team, and using tax strategies. Success, he says, requires a top-tier advisory team.

In this episode of The Exit: Entrepreneur Rob Basso grew Advantage Payroll Services to $25M, planning his exit from day one. He prioritized clean financials, visibility, and authenticity, ultimately selling to a public company on his terms. Rob’s journey shows that successful exits require preparation, self-awareness, and choosing the right buyer for both financial and personal fulfillment.

In this episode of The Exit: Bubba Page shares lessons from bootstrapping Launch Leads, launching Influence.VC, and navigating success, failure, and founder burnout. He champions lifestyle businesses, critiques VC myths, and explores how creator partnerships can drive profitable growth. A must-listen for founders weighing exit and funding options.

In this episode of The Exit: Kerri Glover shares how she built and sold her wedding planning business for 7 figures, covering SOPs, financial prep, branding, and what buyers really want. A must-listen for anyone turning a service business into a valuable, sellable asset.

In this episode of The Exit: Linda Hamilton, a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, shares why early exit planning builds resilience and optionality—not just a sale. She stresses clean financials, documented systems, and team support as key to exit success, especially for women founders. Exit readiness boosts value, confidence, and post-sale satisfaction.

In this episode of The Exit, Jonathan Bennett shares the emotional side of selling a business. From identity loss to smart negotiation, he explores the importance of exiting at your peak, choosing the right successor, and finding purpose after the sale. A must-listen for founders planning their next chapter.

In this episode of The Exit, Christy Brown, CEO of Dr. Noze Best, shares her journey from engineer to multi-exit entrepreneur. She discusses the power of accelerators, supporting 260+ women-led startups, lessons from her exits, and the realities of venture funding. Her parting insight: “Scaling is a strategy. Exiting is personal.”

In this episode of The Exit: Anne Mahlum shares her journey from nonprofit founder to fitness empire builder. After scaling Solidcore to 100 studios, she sold the business for $100M—plus a $10M bonus. She unpacks how early exit planning, smart negotiation, and bold vision helped her win big—and why founders should always ask for more.

In this episode of The Exit: Anthony Citrolo reveals the emotional, strategic, and financial realities of preparing for a sale. From exit planning mistakes to buyer expectations and hidden risks, this must-hear episode is packed with insights every founder should know—long before they’re ready to sell.

In this episode of The Exit: Lisa Jones, founder of Shecom, shares her journey from fired employee to entrepreneur with three exits. She highlights key lessons on profitability, systems, and financial literacy while building a mission-driven, all-female team toward a bold $50M goal.

In this episode of The Exit: When Ben Brickweg’s family’s eight-figure deal collapsed, it sparked his mission to help founders avoid the same fate. Here, he shares hard-won lessons from 200+ deals, common legal traps, and how to build an exit-worthy business—starting now, not later.

In this episode of The Exit: Nellie Akalp, founder and CEO of CorpNet, takes us on a no-fluff journey from launching her first business with just $100 to securing a 20x EBITDA exit to Intuit — all before turning 32.

In this episode of The Exit: Charlie Lass shares lessons from 20 years in startups, including big wins, equity missteps, and burnout. Now building Humble Inc., he redefines success as freedom and sustainability—urging founders to prioritize autonomy, honest partnerships, and long-term value over fast exits.

In this episode of The Exit: Aggie Chydzinski and Cristy O’Connor, co-founders of Athena Advisory Collective and hosts of the Badass Women in Business podcast share share the real, tactical advice most founders never hear. Between them they have had multiple exits—including turning around failing fitness franchises and scaling operations in manufacturing and tech.