Kaitlyn Carlson from Theory Planning Partners joins Carrie Kerpen for a powerful conversation about money, values, and preparing for the exit of your dreams.

From surviving toxic power dynamics in wealth management to building a financial planning firm rooted in honesty and advocacy, Kaitlyn breaks down what founders should be thinking about long before they sell.

This episode is sponsored by Theory Planning Partners. Theory Planning Partners helps founders and business owners make smarter decisions around wealth, financial planning, and life after exit. Learn more at www.theoryplanning.com.

4:13 - Kaitlyn's Background & Ice Hockey

6:38 - Career Path into Finance

13:33 - The AUM Model Explained

23:58 - Mindset: Abundance vs. Scarcity

26:53 - Theory Planning Partners' Flat Fee Model

33:26 - When to Start Planning Your Exit

35:52 - Investment Categories & Shiny Objects

42:25 - Advice for the First-Time Founder

Gesche Haas joins The Exit Whisperer just before selling Dreamers & Doers, the women entrepreneur community she built over 12 years. She shares how she grew it without outside funding, why the right buyer mattered, how SBA financing helped shape the deal, and what founders should consider when an exit becomes personal.

This episode is sponsored by The Whisper Group, helping women founders navigate exit opportunities with clarity, strategy, and confidence.

2:01- Welcome and how Gesche and Carrie met

3:50 - The story behind Dreamers & Doers

6:58 - The first acquisition conversations

8:09 - Finding the right buyer

10:19 - How SBA financing shaped the exit deal

12:10 - Sorting through the exit decision and valuation

16:06 - Due diligence and getting to the finish line

18:41 - Life after the exit and what comes next

Marina Khidekel joins Carrie Kerpen just days after selling Hugimals to Relatable. She shares how she built a design-forward weighted plush brand from the ground up, bootstrapped it to seven figures, chose control over outside funding, and navigated the reality of selling her company while stepping into a new role with the buyer.

This episode is sponsored by The Whisper Group, helping women founders understand their exit options, prepare for the right opportunity, and turn the businesses they’ve built into life-changing assets.

2:51 - The origin story behind Hugimals
4:48 - How Marina brought the product to life
6:53 - Turning the product into a business
10:03 - Funding the growth
12:57 - Knowing when it was time to sell
15:48 - Manifesting the right acquirer: how Relatable entered the picture
16:48 - Inside the year-long M&A negotiation process
19:08 - The biggest lessons Marina learned from selling her company
22:37 - What it felt like when the deal officially closed
23:29 - Marina’s first day at Relatable and what comes next
24:55 - Marina’s letter to herself one year from now