Design Your Next Act First

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.” – Seneca the Younger, Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, statesman, and dramatist

The moment that changed everything didn’t arrive like a bolt of lightning. It came on a late Sunday night she hadn’t planned to work, solving a problem she’d already solved a dozen times before.

She wasn’t exhausted. She wasn’t disengaged. She was simply ready for a different kind of contribution - one the business, as currently designed, couldn’t accommodate.

This is the dirty little secret that rarely gets revealed: the most successful exits don’t begin with a transaction. They begin with a future self…

Today’s BlockbustHER BrainteasHER:

What future version of you is waiting on the other side of your exit?

Patty’s Perspective . . .

When you design ‘what comes after’ first, everything about the exit becomes sharper, stronger, and more selective.

• Identity Beyond the Entrepreneur

Your business is a container for your expertise, leadership, relationships, and purpose. That’s why the idea of ‘leaving’ can feel so dramatic.

But selling and riding off into the sunset is only one way to exit. Another option could be exiting without leaving: separating your identity from ownership.

That means recognizing what you’ve built can continue - perhaps even thrive - without requiring you to remain the central operator. For many women, this is the first time they consider that their value is not synonymous with their role in the company.

Buyers understand this distinction well. They are far more confident acquiring a firm when the founder has a coherent identity beyond day-to-day operations. It signals readiness, not detachment. It suggests that the founder is exiting by choice, not fatigue.

• Lifestyle Design Is Not Indulgent - It’s Directive

One of the most overlooked aspects of exit planning is lifestyle design. Not in the aspirational sense - travel more, work less - but in the practical sense: How do you actually want your days to look?

Do you want continued intellectual engagement or a clean break? Ongoing income or upfront liquidity? Advisory involvement or creative freedom? Geographic flexibility or rootedness? A lighter schedule or a new kind of challenge?

These answers matter because they determine deal structure. They influence earn-outs, equity rollovers, consulting agreements, non-competes, and timelines. Without clarity on lifestyle preferences, founders often accept terms that look attractive on paper but feel misaligned in practice.

Sophisticated exits align capital with life design. They treat money as a tool, not as the goal.

• Understanding Your True Exit Motivators

Not all exits are driven by the same motivation - and misidentifying yours can lead to regret.

Some founders are motivated by freedom: relief from operational responsibility, decision fatigue, or constant availability. Others are motivated by impact: the desire to see their work scaled or integrated into something larger. Still others are motivated by security, legacy, or the opportunity to pivot into a new arena.

These motivators shape timing and valuation expectations. A founder seeking freedom may prioritize speed and simplicity. A founder seeking legacy may be willing to stay involved longer for the right buyer. A founder seeking optionality may structure a partial exit.

There is no right motivator. There is only the risk of pursuing an exit that solves the wrong problem.

• Aligning the Business to Your Future Self

Once you have a clear sense of your next chapter, the business can be aligned accordingly.

If your future self wants less operational involvement, the company must reduce founder dependency. If your future self wants advisory engagement, the firm must be positioned to benefit from your expertise without relying on your presence. If your future self wants to pursue something entirely new, the exit may need to be cleaner and more complete.

This alignment affects how you invest in leadership, refine services, and position the firm in the market. It turns exit preparation into a form of strategic design rather than a reactive scramble.

Importantly, this work often improves the business even if you never sell. Companies designed to support the founder’s future self tend to be healthier, more resilient, and more valuable in the present.

• Reverse-Engineering the Deal

With a clear vision of the next chapter, deal criteria become obvious.

You can reverse-engineer:

• the type of buyer who aligns with your goals
• the level of involvement you’re willing to maintain
• the timeline that makes sense for your life
• the financial structure that supports your priorities
• the cultural fit required to protect your team and legacy

This clarity allows you to say ‘no’ - early and often - to deals that don’t fit. It prevents you from being seduced by headline numbers that come with hidden trade-offs. It also signals confidence and intentionality to buyers, which improves leverage.

The paradox is this: founders who don’t need the exit to define them often secure better exits.

• The Quiet Power of Knowing What Comes Next

Exiting without leaving is not about clinging to control or avoiding change. It’s about recognizing that the exit is not the end of the story - it’s a transition between acts.

That clarity does something unexpected. It sharpens your decisions. It changes what you are willing to negotiate. It influences the type of buyer you seek, the role you are willing to keep, and the structure of the deal itself.

This transforms your exit from an ending to a new beginning - deliberate, designed, and deeply aligned.

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/