In this episode, we dive into the journey of female founders navigating business exits and acquisitions, featuring the inspiring story of SLT Consulting’s sale to Fiverr and subsequent buyback by Sharon Lee Thony. We cover the emotional, strategic, and practical aspects of scaling, selling, and reclaiming a business, while spotlighting the work of the Whisper Group in supporting women-owned businesses through the exit process.
Key discussion points:
How Sharon Lee Thony built, scaled, and ultimately sold her digital marketing agency, and what led to buying it back.
The unique challenges and emotional journey female founders face during acquisition, especially when their identity is tied to their business.
The sobering statistics around women-owned business exits, and how organizations like the Whisper Group are working to change that.
Strategies for building your business with exit readiness in mind, including scalable systems and team development.
The parallels between motherhood and entrepreneurship, and how skills honed as a mom—resilience, multitasking, adaptability—fuel business success.
TL;DR:Sharon Lee Thony shares her insights from scaling and selling her agency, then reclaiming it, offering valuable lessons on intentional growth, exit planning, and founder identity. The episode highlights how female founders can shift their mindset from building “lifestyle businesses” to creating transformative assets, and the power of community support through networks like the Whisper Group.
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Connect with Megan Swan
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Connect with Sharon Lee Thony
Websites: https://www.wearethewhispergroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonthony/
Keywords
female founders, business acquisition, business exit, entrepreneurship, SLT Consulting, Fiverr acquisition, digital marketing agency, boutique agency, brand and marketing executive, award-winning campaigns, scaling businesses, exit readiness, Whisper Group, collective of exited female founders, business mentorship, business advisory, bootstrapping, building a business from scratch, pivoting in business, working moms, motherhood and entrepreneurship, resilience, multitasking, business identity, founder identity crisis, contingency planning, selling a business, buying back a business, angel investing, networking, building teams, succession planning