What Does It Mean To Be Exit Ready?

The past 25 years of my life have been one giant exercise in letting go.

I remember sitting in a shiny, pink vinyl booth at my favorite diner like it was yesterday. I felt still and safe for the first time in months, no one needing me and no decisions to make.

I hated to think about the decisions that were taken from me – like my surprise divorce and sending my three little kids for ‘overnights’ with their dad.

On a TV near my booth, I could see reruns of The X-Files, a science-fiction series I had heard about but hadn’t seen.

Perhaps out of desperation to deal with my sadness, I fell headlong into the fictional story of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, FBI special agents who investigate X-Files: unsolved cases that often involved space aliens and the paranormal.

This show was strangely soothing, maybe because Mulder, Scully, and I were all dealing with life-changing issues out of our control.

The TV faded in the background as I realized, with a shock, that I needed to close my political consulting and lobbying business. I felt sick. It was a gut-wrenching decision, but I needed to stop traveling and find a job with health insurance.

I didn’t have the luxury of time to ‘exit’ my company – I had to close the doors.

I was grieving the loss of my marriage, my family, my business, and my ideals. It was a heavy load and my whole identity was called into question.

Today’s Question:

At some point, you will exit your business, whether it’s voluntary or not. If you needed to step away from your business today, due to a health problem or a family issue, would your company fall apart?

But Here’s the Twist . . .

That uncertainty feels risky and scary, and you may fear you’ll have to close the doors and get nothing from what you’ve built. But your life’s work doesn’t have to end that way.

That is why I love working with women business owners in this stage, helping plan an elegant exit.

Elegance is about reaching your goals with dignity, grace, and integrity. It’s about leaving a legacy for those you care most about, including your staff and clients. It’s about starting your next chapter in the most meaningful way and inspiring others to follow your lead.

Your exit can lead to wealth if you choose to sell your company, but an elegant exit can’t happen by accident. It takes clarity, intention, and discipline.

Your exit doesn’t have to feel like The X-Files, with Mulder and Scully at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

Now What?

I think that urge to control is baked into many of us. We think it takes away the risk and uncertainty and, in fact, our high-achieving nature fosters this thinking.

Control makes us feel better, especially when our behavior leads to great outcomes. And control can work to our advantage – until our behavior tips over to fear, anger, or frustration and we start grasping for anyone and anything to keep us afloat.

That was certainly how I felt, trying to control all the people and situations around me during the divorce – like I was drowning. The tighter I held onto my kids, the more they acted out. The harder I worked to keep things I thought were important to me, the longer the divorce dragged on.

It didn’t feel like it at the time, but my saving grace was in learning to let go. I’ve now raised my kids and know they are good humans in healthy relationships, and all three are business owners, forging their own paths.

That same control dynamic applies in business. Some control is good and necessary – you’re the boss. But have you thought through how you will let go of your business some day?

Being exit ready is not a one-time event when you’ve reached a certain revenue milestone or financial target. Exit readiness is a strategic and ongoing process that involves setting the stage for a smooth transition, maximizing business value, and ensuring your legacy endures.

In this moment, you have the luxury of time and the ability to future-proof your business. If you intentionally build real business value, you can position your business for your exit one day. Not today - not tomorrow – but on your timeline, at your pace, under your control.

This is my life’s work: helping you fine-tune your operations and scale your revenue for strategic growth, creating real business value and emerging exit ready. That value can transform into wealth when you are ready to exit your company - and I believe that wealth in the hands of women elevates society as a whole.

 
Discover your Exit Readiness Index™ with this assessment: http://she-exits.com/

At some point, you will exit your business, whether it’s voluntary or not. If you needed to step away from your business today, due to a health problem or a family issue, would your company fall apart?

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