Most women founders never sell the business they built. Alisha Pennington wants to change that, and she says the block is not financial literacy. It is identity.In this episode, I sit down with Alisha Pennington, founder of Exette and a consultant who scaled and sold her own multi-seven-figure staffing agency. Only about 1% of female founders ever exit, and Alisha breaks down why: a lack of women we can point to who have done it, and the emotional attachment that keeps us holding on long after the business stops serving us.We get into the idea that your business is an asset, not your baby. We talk about building for optionality from day one, what "be ready so you don't have to get ready" actually looks like, and her vision for women buying and selling businesses to each other instead of letting them quietly disappear.If you are building toward a million and wondering what comes after, this one is worth your time.Chapters:🎙️ 00:52 Meet Alisha Pennington, the founder helping women exit the businesses they built📊 02:16 Why only 1% of women founders exit, and the 68% who stay for emotional reasons💭 04:45 How women tie their worth to output, and why that keeps them holding on🍼 06:36 Your business is not your baby: making logical decisions about an asset🔁 12:01 The marketplace women are missing: buying and selling businesses to each other⏱️ 24:32 Be ready so you don't have to get ready: building for optionality from day one🚪 28:00 Why Alisha sold a multi-seven-figure agency when it stopped being fun💬 37:06 Inside Exette and the free community normalizing the exit conversationLinks:Website: penningtonperspective.com LinkedIn: Alisha Pennington Instagram: @itsalishamp Facebook: @itsalishampConnect with Alisha Pennington to learn more about preparing to exit, sell, or evolve beyond your business, and join her free Exette community at exette.co where women are normalizing the exit conversation every week.Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors.⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at [email protected].⭐️Reach out to Adrienne: [email protected] Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking.As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!!XOAdrienne (00:52) - 🎙️ Meet Alisha Pennington, the founder helping women exit the businesses they built (02:16) - 📊 Why only 1% of women founders exit, and the 68% who stay for emotional reasons (04:45) - 💭 How women tie their worth to output, and why that keeps them holding on (06:36) - 🍼 Your business is not your baby: making logical decisions about an asset (12:01) - 🔁 The marketplace women are missing: buying and selling businesses to each other (24:32) - ⏱️ Be ready so you don't have to get ready: building for optionality from day one (28:00) - 🚪 Why Alisha sold a multi-seven-figure agency when it stopped being fun (37:06) - 💬 Inside Exette and the free community normalizing the exit conversation

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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