The 3 Ways to Exit Your Business
And Why Every Founder Needs an Exit Strategy
“I don’t plan to sell.”
I hear this a lot.
From brilliant founders. From creatives. From service providers who love what they do.
And I get it...your business is your baby. You’ve poured your heart, your ideas, your time, and your soul into it. You’re not building this to flip it. You’re building it to last.
But here’s the truth: You will exit your business. The only question is how.
As I see it, there are only three ways out:
By choice.
By force.
Or by death.
I shared this recently on my podcast, and the guest (someone who’s already sold one business and is building her next) paused and said, “whoa...that is so true.”
Because it hit her. And it hits most people when they hear it.
Let’s break it down.
1. Exit by Choice
The dream scenario.
You build something amazing. Your brand is strong, your operations are humming, and one day, a buyer knocks on your door. Or maybe you decide it’s time, you put out the feelers, and you attract a premium buyer who sees the full value of what you’ve created.
This is the founder fantasy. And it does happen…but it doesn’t happen by accident.
If you want to exit on your terms, it starts years before the sale. You need to build your business so it can thrive without you. You need a brand that has equity. Not just in your name or your personality, but in your message, your values, and the way your business consistently delivers results.
Too many founders wait until they’re “ready”. But by then, it’s often too late to make the strategic shifts that make a business truly sellable.
A few years ago, one of my clients changed the name of her business (removing her last name from the brand) because she realized: I don’t want to sell my name. I want to sell the business.
Smart move.
That’s the kind of thinking that makes a clean exit possible – with a big payday and peace of mind.
2. Exit by Force
The one nobody wants to talk about.
You get injured. Or sick.
Your industry shifts overnight.
A key team member leaves.
Your business partner betrays you.
A global pandemic shuts down half your revenue stream.
Suddenly, you have to sell. Or worse, you just… can’t continue. This kind of exit is reactive, not intentional. It’s usually rushed. Often painful. Rarely profitable.
And while you can’t prevent or expect every crisis, you can build your business in a way that’s more resilient – so that if something unexpected happens, your entire life doesn’t implode alongside it.
Think about it:
If you got hit by a car tomorrow (I have, by the way and spent 2 years recovering)…
What would happen to your business?
Would your team know what to do?
Would your clients be taken care of?
Would there be anything left to sell?
I'm not here to instil fear - that's not the purpose of writing this. It’s a call to prepare. Get things out of your head. Write the playbooks. Delegate. Do what you can to make your business less reliant on you.
3. Exit by Death
The only guaranteed one.
You might live to be 99.
Or you might drop dead at 39.
Either way – at some point, this business will outlive you.
And yet… most founders don’t plan for that. We plan for launches. For growth. For expansion. For hiring and scaling.
But not always for our eventual exit. Not for the inevitable.
Why? Because we don’t want to think about it. It feels too heavy or too far away. Or maybe too final.
If you die tomorrow, what happens to the people you’ve hired?
The clients you serve?
The legacy you’ve spent years building?
Would it continue without you, or collapse?
I’ve heard stories (maybe you have too) of founders who passed away unexpectedly, leaving their families scrambling. No succession plan. No documented systems. No clarity on how to sell, who to call, or even where to begin. A business that once supported their loved ones suddenly becomes a burden.
It’s heartbreaking…and preventable.
The Lie Most Founders Tell Themselves
When I hear founders say:
“I’m never selling.”
“This is my life’s work.”
“I love what I do...why would I stop?”
I get it. I've said those very same words myself.
We assume we'll get to decide. And sometimes… you just don’t.
You can love your business and still build it to sell. You can enjoy what you do and still make smart moves to protect your future.
Legacy doesn’t just mean sticking around forever. It means building something that lasts – even after you leave.
So Let Me Ask You This…
If you were to exit your business next year, would it be by choice, by force, or by death?
And are you okay with that?
Because if you’re not, now is the time to do something about it.
Build your business to thrive without you.
Brand it to be sellable.
Document the systems.
Empower your team.
Separate your personal identity from your business brand.
And create a plan. Not just for today, but for the inevitable tomorrow.
Because you will exit. The only question is: Will it be on your terms… or someone else’s?
If this hit home, let’s talk.
You don’t need to sell tomorrow. You just need to be ready… for whatever tomorrow brings.