7 Lies We Believe

“Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” – Sheryl Sandberg, technology executive, philanthropist and writer

What we believe is a funny thing. We’re strongly attached to some beliefs and yet, we allow others to evolve.

Belief can be strong and powerful, sometimes providing safety and sometimes feeling dangerous. I see this all the time with pricing, when women are afraid raising prices will scare away clients.

So watch out – because in every BELIEF there lives a LIE…

Today’s BlockbustHER BrainteasHER:

What is your first step to changing beliefs that are working against you?

Patty’s Perspective . . .

There’s a good chance you’ve heard one or more of these opinions:

• “Your business isn’t big enough to sell.”
• “Buyers won’t value a relationship-based company.”
• “You should just be grateful for whatever offer you get.”
  
  

These statements aren’t truths. They’re lies - repeated so often that many women internalize them, keeping brilliant owners from building the companies (and exits) they deserve.

It’s time for a wake-up call! Here is the real deal:

• Lie #1: Your company doesn’t have enough value to sell.

Translation: You haven’t met a buyer who understands your business model. Are you underestimating the value you've created because you’ve been conditioned to? In reality, expertise-based service firms with recurring revenue, loyal clients, and strong reputations are highly attractive.

• Lie #2: No buyer wants a business dependent on you.

This one has a grain of truth - if the business truly relies on you. But here’s what’s left out: you can change that. Systems, documented processes, and a strong second-in-command quickly shift the perception of founder dependency.

• Lie #3: You should take the first offer because you’ll never get another.

As women, we are socialized to be agreeable. Buyers know this. But negotiation is part of the process, not a character flaw. Counteroffers and creative structures frequently produce dramatically better exits.

• Lie #4: Service-based companies don’t sell well.

Actually, the opposite is true right now. Buyers increasingly want stable, expertise-driven companies with predictable revenue. The myth persists because so many women founders haven’t been taught how to package their value.

• Lie #5: You’re too small to attract serious buyers.

Size matters - but fit matters more. Strategic buyers are actively acquiring companies under $10M revenue. Your company may be exactly the piece they’re missing.

• Lie #6: Scaling is the only path to a successful exit.

Scaling is one path – and so is staying intentionally boutique, selling your book of business, or being acquired for your systems, team, or intellectual property. Women founders often succeed through strategic refinement - not endless expansion.

• Lie #7: You have to figure this out alone.

This is the quietest and most damaging lie of all. Exiting requires expertise - financial, legal, operational, and emotional. You’re not supposed to know it all. You’re supposed to build a team of experts to guide you and protect you.

The truth? Women founders build companies worth buying, but too few are counseled through their exit strategically, profitably, and confidently.

If you're exploring what an exit could look like for you - even if it feels early - you deserve real information, not recycled lies.

Now What?

My client, Jill, said it best: “I don’t see the way out, but I see the why out.”

Her business is financially solid, she’s built a great team, her clients are grateful, and she’s providing an extremely valuable service. By every indicator, she and her company are successful.

And yet, feeling stuck has become the default mode for her. “I don't think I realized the level of dissatisfaction I was living in and where that was seeping into all areas of my life, until the curtain got pulled back a bit. Because for 99.9% of us, we just keep going and it becomes our next normal.”

She has gotten very clear about why she wants to exit her business - and where there's a why, there's a way…

The exit process is filled with pitfalls and confoundingly complex issues – especially for women, who get hurt and hustled. All. The. Time.

It’s why I do the work I do, helping women achieve an Elegant Exit™, and reach their goals with dignity, grace, and integrity.

As your advocate, by definition, I’m looking out for your best interests. I am not taking a brokerage fee, commission, or equity. I am not motivated by how quickly the exit moves or the final dollar amounts. I want what you want – and will help you get it.

Are you ready to exit your business on your terms?

That requires a new way of thinking, new skills, a simple and elegant design, and an advocate by your side. Contact me to learn more. 

What are your biggest blind spots in crafting an exit? Find out at: http://she-exits.com/