Exiteers

Most AI rollouts don't move the P&L. Here's why, and what to do instead.Rachel Murphy is joined by Ben Ford: technologist, ex-Royal Marine, and co-founder of Grafter AI. Ben taught himself Python on a boat to Iraq in 2003, has built national platforms, and ran Mission Control rebuilding internal systems for founders before ChatGPT 3.5 even launched.This conversation is for founders running £3m to £30m businesses who are sick of being told to roll out Copilot and call it a strategy. We get into why generic AI tools don't shift your margin, the unit economics shift that just made bespoke software cheaper than buying SaaS, and how Grafter AI builds tech that lives on your balance sheet, not someone else's.Grafter AI is the new service from The Grafter, built for founders who want AI working inside their P&L. Not bolted on top of their stack. We map your business, find the work eating your margin, and build the tech that makes it disappear. You own it from day one.Join the waitlist: thegrafter.aiFollow Ben on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/commandodev/__________________________________________________________Not sure where you stand on exit readiness?Take The Grafter's free Exit Readiness Scorecard: ⁠https://scorecard.thegrafter.com/⁠__________________________________________________________Find Rachel Murphy:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-murphy-thegrafter/⁠Instagram: instagram.com/thegraft3rWebsite: ⁠https://thegrafter.com__________________________________________________________This podcast episode was produced by Jo Brown and The Grafter

Caroline Carruthers was the first female Chief Data Officer in the UK. She built Carruthers & Jackson from a book and a summer school into a thriving data consultancy. And along the way, found herself in the middle of an exit process she never asked for.In this episode, Rachel and Caroline talk about what it actually feels like to be courted by acquirers, why expensive advice isn't always good advice, and what happened when Caroline got ghosted mid-process by the people who wanted to buy.They also dig into why Caroline chose a partial exit over a full one and what changed when she finally got clear on what she actually wanted.Honest, funny, and completely unfiltered.In this episode:Why Caroline never thought of herself as an entrepreneur (and still doesn't, really)Getting ghosted during an exit process and why it's more common than anyone admitsPartial exits: what they look like and why they're not second bestHiring an MD and feeling unleashedThe emotional side of selling your business and why nobody talks about itFollow Caroline on https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-carruthers-22b9423/Buy her books https://carruthersandjackson.com/thought-leadership-our-books/__________________________________________________________Not sure where you stand on exit readiness?Take The Grafter's free Exit Readiness Scorecard: https://scorecard.thegrafter.com/__________________________________________________________Find Rachel Murphy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-murphy-thegrafter/Instagram: instagram.com/thegraft3rWebsite: https://thegrafter.com

What happens when a journalist with a gift for storytelling builds a PR agency in one of the fastest-moving sectors in healthcare and then walks away from it all?Holly Tennock joins the Exiteers Podcast to tell her story. Starting out as an NHS trainee and economics journalist, Holly discovered she had a rare ability to take complex, dry subject matter and turn it into stories that resonated with real people. That skill took her from the European Parliament press office to founding Journalista, a health tech PR agency that punched well above its weight.Over ten years she grew the business to a team of twelve, won industry awards, landed front-page stories in the national press, and worked with clients like Doctor Foster who were genuinely changing how the NHS delivered care. She did all of this while raising two young children.Holly opens up about recognising her own limitations as a founder and why that led to selling the business. She talks candidly about completing the deal in just three months, the physical and emotional fallout that followed.This is a raw and honest conversation about entrepreneurship, motherhood, mental health, identity after exit, and finding what comes next.Find Holly on LinkedIn or email [email protected]______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

This episode is a rollercoaster, emotionally and professionally. Rachel Murphy returns for Part 2 of her Exiteers conversation with Sally Wynter, and this time, she goes even deeper.From building her first million-pound business in a year, watching her teenage stepdaughter fight for life in an ICU, to helping 41 businesses grow, raise, or exit with real ROI - it's what real leadership looks like.We talk:Why she believes the U.S. is the next frontier for The GrafterHow Charlotte’s life-threatening illness shaped her entire legacyWhat it really takes to sell a business for 8 figuresAnd the brutal reality of building a business through personal traumaRachel is bold, brilliant, vulnerable, and fiercely human. This is a story about survival, impact, and what it means to lead with heart.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Want to stop guessing and start growing?Join The Grafter community, built by exited founders for the ambitious ones. Whether you’re scaling, raising or planning your next chapter, The Grafter gives you clarity, community, and expertise you can trust.Join the community now 👉 https://thegrafter.com/community______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/⁠⁠⁠______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

In this episode of Exiteers™️, the first of a two-parter, the mic is flipped. Rachel Murphy, known for building and exiting multiple businesses, steps into the hot seat as former guest Sally Wynter takes over the questions.What follows is a raw, honest look into Rachel’s journey, from founding her first company in her 20s, a £13.3m exit, to running The Grafter today. But it’s not all business.Rachel opens up about why she moved to Spain and how sobriety has changed every part of her life. She shares the reality of being 11.5 years sober, including the heartbreak of losing friends in recovery, and what it means to be truly relentless in business, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Want to stop guessing and start growing?Join The Grafter community, built by exited founders for the ambitious ones. Whether you’re scaling, raising or planning your next chapter, The Grafter gives you clarity, community, and expertise you can trust.Join the community now 👉 https://thegrafter.com/community______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 ⁠⁠https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/⁠⁠______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

Sam Alsop-Hall co-founded Clive Henry group at the height of a global pandemic. No plan B in place, just a bold idea and relentless focus. Named after their grandfathers, the business went on to become the second fastest growing company in the UK. But behind the headlines was a journey of late nights, hard calls, and lessons LinkedIn barely touches with honesty.In this episode, Sam joins Rachel Murphy to share what scaling at pace really looks like, why diversification matters, and how purpose over profit, is shaping where he goes next.They talk resilience, risk, and what happens when the business you build starts to outgrow your original plans. For founders, investors, and anyone rethinking what success actually means, this one's worth a listen.You can follow Sam on LinkedIn______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 ⁠https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/⁠______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ready to create your business value?Our GREAT programme (Grow Raise Exit Acquire Transform) is a strategic business growth strategy and planning service designed for founders of £1-10M companies ready to create their business value and start planning for their next chapterGuided Programme – Work directly with our Exiteers™ for personalised strategy and hands-on support over a 12 month periodSelf-Service Programme – Access our complete framework and resources to prepare at your own pace, in your own timeFind out more 👉 ⁠https://thegrafter.com/services/great/⁠______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

Join us as Phil Telfer talks about the gritty reality of UK entrepreneurship! From battling policy hurdles to seizing global markets, Phil's journey from tech agency founder to industry leader is packed with insights. Discover the secrets to thriving in a challenging economic climate and why collaboration is key. Don't miss this conversation between Rachel and Phil on the current UK business landscape!You can follow Phil here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-telfer/______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ready to create your business value?Our GREAT programme (Grow Raise Exit Acquire Transform) is a strategic business growth strategy and planning service designed for founders of £1-10M companies ready to create their business value and start planning for their next chapterGuided Programme – Work directly with our Exiteers™ for personalised strategy and hands-on support over a 12 month periodSelf-Service Programme – Access our complete framework and resources to prepare at your own pace, in your own timeFind out more 👉 https://thegrafter.com/services/great/______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

In this conversation, Gareth shares his extensive journey from sales to successful CEO, detailing the pivotal moments and lessons learned during his career. Gareth and Rach talk about the challenges of scaling through acquisitions and the emotional impact of exiting a business. He talks to his current venture, BizCrunch, which aims to innovate the process of buying and selling businesses, and reflects on the need for better government support for SMEs in the UK.You can follow Gareth here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-hawkins/His latest business BizCrunch: https://www.bizcrunch.co/Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

Kathryn Strachan started CopyHouse in 2020. This was weeks away from a global pandemic kicking off. What began as a solo venture quickly scaled into a content marketing agency with 32 team members and over £2 million in revenue. But behind the scenes of that rapid growth was a founder learning to let go, to lead, and eventually, to walk away.In this conversation, Kathryn shares how she shifted from practitioner to CEO and built a team that could operate without her. She talks openly about burnout, identity loss, and what happens when your life's work is no longer yours - no one talks about the emotional fallout! Now an author of Scaling Success, she reflects on the lessons that matter most: building intentionally and prioritising what should really count and that's your personal relationships and yourself.You can follow and reach out to Kathryn here: www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-strachan/Her book, Scaling Success from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/a2HyZHoGot a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

Knowing how to survive is one thing, but knowing how to succeed is something completely different.She wasn’t handed a network, a mentor, or a safety net. What she was given? Grit. Hunger. And a stubborn refusal to accept her circumstances.At 24, Sally Wynter went from the idea of creating the first CBD-infused gin to a 7-figure exit in less than a year. This was all without funding, connections, or a clue how the drinks industry worked.Since selling the brand, she’s taken that same fire into recruitment, building a business that defies convention and puts people first.This is a story about reinvention, risk-taking, and rewriting the rules of what success has to look like.You can follow and reach out to Sally here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-wynter/[email protected] a story to tell about your exit?Email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

Stephen Critchlow built and sold not just one, but two companies. One to a major healthcare software firm, and another that developed wind farms. Both were highly profitable exits. But what happened after the sale?In this powerful and honest conversation, Rachel and Stephen explore the real story behind the headlines: what it feels like to walk away from a company you've poured decades of your life into, the identity crisis that can follow, and why the biggest exit of your life might leave you feeling completely empty.Together, they dive into:What Stephen calls the Bermuda Triangle of Business Growth and why most companies never make it throughHow to know if you are the right person to scale your business past 20–40 peopleThe crushing emotional aftermath of selling a company and losing your purposeWhy Stephen regrets the timing of his exit from Ascribe and how losing board control changed everythingWhat founders must consider before they sell (hint: it’s not the number)Why his second exit - a wind farm company - was faster and more lucrative than his firstHow Evergreen Life is using AI, DNA and GP-linked data to add years to people's healthy life expectancyAnd why Stephen believes this UK tech company can rival the likes of Amazon and GoogleThis isn’t a story about success. It’s a story about intention. About building something that matters, walking away too soon, and then finding the clarity to start again, with purpose at the centre.You can follow more of Stephen belowLinkedInGot a story to tell about your exit?Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠X⁠⁠The Grafter

Niraj Shah has been on both sides of the deal table with building, buying, and selling businesses across real estate, wellness, and technology. In this episode, he sits down with Rachel to share what it really feels like to go through an exit - emotionally, financially, and personally.From suffering a stroke at 30 that changed the course of his life, to exiting a wellness business that was deeply tied to his identity, Niraj opens up about the wins, the regrets, and the moments of “what now?”You can follow more of Niraj belowhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/niraj5hahnirajs.comAnd his book recommend - Exit Strategy by Sherry & Rob Walling let us know what you think!Got a story to tell about your exit?Email us at [email protected] of Rachel MurphyLinkedInInstagramXThe Grafter

Here in the UK, we don't talk about money and we certainly don't talk about planning to sell our businesses. You may not have even thought about selling but if you're running your own business, succession and exit plans are necessary.Being approached by another company wanting to buy what you've built happens all the time and that's where the Exiteers™️ come in. With over 10 businesses sold between them, Rachel Murphy got together with Exiteers™️, Caroline Carruthers, and James Gairdner, to dissect the anatomy of an Exit - what does it really entail and what should you be looking out for?Jumped to your burning questions:05:20 Key defining moments in business (COVID!)25:50 Rachel: The technical process of going through an exit28:23 Caroline: The technical process of going through an exit31:07 Earn outs with be challenging32:26 James: The technical process of going through an exit33:40 You've got to plan for after you exit38:40 Motivations on Exit shift over time39:57 Exit culture: USA vs UK42:56 Question time: how has recent volatility (Brexit/Covid/Trump) altered valuations & do buyers take this into account?49:05 Question time: what would you do differently next time around in selling a business?Got a story to tell about your exit?Email us at [email protected]

Andrew Hulbert grew up working class on a council estate, raised on graft and grit.At 26, with no funding and no plan, he walked away from a suffocating corporate job and launched his own business from his bedroom. That bet turned into a team of 500, clients like Twitter and Deliveroo, and a $100M exit before he turned 35.But with the dream came the cost: missed moments, personal sacrifices, and a loneliness only founders understand.In this episode, Andrew sits down with Rachel Murphy to talk about:spotting the gap in a broken industrygoing all-in (and what it cost)the emotional reality of an 8-figure exithow it feels to finally slow downThis one’s less about the money and more about purpose, risk, identity, and the quiet moments no one sees after the deal closes.You can follow Andrew Hulbert on https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhulbert/______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Want to stop guessing and start growing?Join The Grafter community, built by exited founders for the ambitious ones. Whether you’re scaling, raising or planning your next chapter, The Grafter gives you clarity, community, and expertise you can trust.Join the community now 👉 ⁠https://thegrafter.com/community⁠______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-More of Rachel Murphy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter