EP 69: Scaling and Selling to Eight-Figure Exits with Carrie Kerpen

From founding one of the earliest social media agencies to crafting an intentional path to a major eight-figure exit, Carrie Kerpen has redefined what it means to be a female entrepreneur in the digital age. In this episode, Carrie shares the transformative strategies she used to scale Likeable Media into a profitable and sellable business. Carrie reveals her RED (Recurring, Expected, Diversified) revenue framework, discusses the importance of building businesses beyond the founder and provides insights into the challenges women founders face during the acquisition process. _________________________ Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101 Here’s what you’ll find in this episode: 00:00 Introduction 00:15 Building Likeable Media and scaling one of the first social media agencies 04:15 The RED framework for making a business a sellable asset 10:10 The exit gap and its impact on women entrepreneurs 15:59 Why recurring revenue is key to a strong exit 22:05 Trends in M&A and the importance of AI in future acquisitions 33:20 Insights into The Whisper Way, Carrie's upcoming book ABOUT CARRIE KERPEN Carrie Kerpen is a trailblazing entrepreneur, author, and advocate for female founders. She built Likeable Media, a pioneer in the social media agency space, which scaled rapidly and achieved a major exit in 2021. Carrie now leads The Whisper Group, focusing on exit readiness for women-owned businesses, and is set to release her book The Whisper Way in May 2025. Through her work, Carrie has empowered countless founders to dream big, execute strategic plans, and confidently navigate the exit process. Connect with Carrie: Website: CarrieKerpen.com The Whisper Group: WeAreTheWhisperGroup.com LinkedIn: Carrie Kerpen ABOUT JASON Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development. You can reach out to Jason through: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/ ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.