Kim Whitaker (eMBA)'s Recent LinkedIn Posts

“I don’t think in that moment I realised just how much of my identity was wrapped up in the company we built." This Agency Entrepreneur went from 8-figure exit, to feeling untethered. It started at a baseball stadium. 2006: Carrie Kerpen and her husband Dave Kerpen said “I do” in front of 7,000 fans and $100,000 in wedding sponsors. That one idea would become the blueprint for Likeable Media, one of the world’s first social media agencies. But this wasn’t a blitzscale unicorn. Carrie and Dave bootstrapped from the beginning. They stayed profitable, built slowly, and made unsexy decisions: • Retainers over one-off projects
 • Hire slow, fire fast
 • Prioritize culture While others chased growth at any cost, they built Likeable as an asset, not a job. They were implemented the lessons in John Warrilow’s “Built to sell” book. Using the “Scaling up” Operating System, they learnt to set up operating systems and delegate early. By the time Carrie took over as CEO, Likeable Media had grown into a multi-8-figure business. 1,000+ clients and a strong culture. She doubled the company’s size while staying off the fundraising circuit. Carrie remained underestimated by many of her (mostly male) peers. And then she did what few agency founders manage to do. She sold. 6 interested parties. 4 parties - met with. 1 Crazy, all-cash offer. A near-miss, bait & Switch deal which fell through. “If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.” Carrie says she’ll print this on her tombstone! Eventually: Carrie and Dave exited to 10Pearls in 2021. It was a low-8-figure deal. Around 8× EBITDA - high for an agency. A three-year transition/earn out built in. But here’s the conflict. Even with the money. Even with a good outcome. Carrie felt… untethered. Who was she, if not the founder of Likeable Media? Where do you go after the business card changes? Why does no one talk about the emotional hangover of a successful exit? This is the part she now "whispers" in rooms where few women have ever been invited. It’s not only about preparing your business to sell. You have to prepare yourself to walk away. Today, Carrie runs The Whisper Group with co-founder and post-exit founder Maggie Lord. A firm helping female founders turn lifestyle businesses into life-changing exits. They built the support network they wished existed when they sold. The dynamic duo created The Whisper Collective, the first community of exited female founders. Carrie wrote her second book - "The Whisper way". Hosts a top rated podcast - "The Exit Whisperer." Her new mission is as clear as her old one: Build something that can thrive without you. Exit before your tank is empty. Then help others do the same. ————————— 💡 In 2026, I’m sharing 365 stories of exited entrepreneurs (Exiteurs) — one each day.
If you’re intentionally building with an exit in mind (or navigating life after it), you’ll find something here.