Exit-Ed

About Exit-Ed

Exit-Ed: Stories from Grind to Sale Join us on Exit-Ed, the podcast where successful founders share the untold stories behind building, scaling, and selling their companies. In each dynamic episode, we go beyond the headlines to explore the challenges, strategies, and pivotal moments that shaped the journeys of entrepreneurs from each corner of the globe. From the long nights spent grinding to the high-stakes negotiations that led to rewarding exits, our guests provide practical insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiration for anyone on the path to success. Whether you're an entrepreneur preparing for a sale, an investor looking to understand founder dynamics, or a business leader seeking new growth strategies, this podcast is for you. Learn from those who've been there. Get Exit-Ed.

Publisher

Gabriela Smith

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 May 2025

Latest episode

5 May 2026

Latest episodes

11 of 12 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   5 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 11 - Gaming, Government, and Growth: A German Founder's Playbook (feat. Thorsten Unger)

   Host [Host Name] interviews German founder Thorsten Unger about his journey from gaming to government and his playbook for successful company exits.

2. 

   20 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 10 - From Side Hustle to Acquired; A Solo Founder's Take on Timing, Grit, and Letting Go (feat. Kelly Parker)

   Kelly Parker, founder of Launch Grow Exit, shares her solo founder journey of building and selling a bootstrapped business, revealing insights on timing, negotiation, and the emotional aspects of acquisition in this interview.

3. 

   15 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 9 The Art of the Pivot: Lessons from an AI Entrepreneur (feat. Joseph Hanna)

   Joseph Hanna, AI entrepreneur, discusses with Gabriela Smith the art of pivoting in business, emphasizing adaptability and continuous learning as key components of entrepreneurial success in the age of AI, in this interview.

4. 

   24 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 8 Seasoned, Not Done: Turning Decades of Experience into a Successful Exit (feat. Tom McKeown)

   Gabriela Smith interviews Tom McKeown, who recounts building and selling his HR analytics company, Trend Data, after a long corporate career, emphasizing preparation and adaptability as keys to a successful exit.

5. 

   3 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 7 Scaling Smart: From Rustic Wedding Chic to Empowering Female Founders (feat. Maggie Lord)

   Entrepreneur Maggie Lord discusses with Gabriela Smith her journey of scaling Rustic Wedding Chic into a major online media company and selling it to David’s Bridal, highlighting the importance of authenticity and adaptability.

6. 

   1 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 6 - Nearshore Founder Story: No Loans, No VC—Just 15 Years of Grit (feat. Iago Rodriguez)

   Host Gabriela Smith interviews Iago Rodriguez, a technical founder, who shares his fifteen-year journey of building a multinational software company and reveals the importance of trust and cultural empathy in international growth.

7. 

   11 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 5 - Legal Battles and Cocktails: THIS Founder is Raising the (Can!) (feat. Tatiana Chamorro)

   Host Gabriela Smith interviews Tatiana Chamorro, CMO of Toucan Cocktails, who shares her entrepreneurial journey, including legal battles and reinvention, offering insights on resilience and learning from challenging experiences.

8. 

   21 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 4 - Faith, Finance, Growth, and REAL Life (feat. Skip Johnson)

   Host Gabriela Smith interviews entrepreneur Skip Johnson, who shares his journey of scaling a financial services firm, emphasizing the importance of personal values, client relationships, and intentional leadership during business growth and exit.

9. 

   30 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Ep. 3 - Charisma, Grit & the Grind (feat. Andy Smith)

   Entrepreneur Andy Smith discusses with host Gabriela Smith the highs and lows of building and exiting businesses, highlighting the importance of trust, resilience, and emotional intelligence in entrepreneurship; this is an interview.

10. 

    9 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT

    Disrupting ‘I Do’ (feat. Ashley Hawks)

    Founder Ashley Hawks discusses disrupting the wedding industry by building and exiting Forever Bride, emphasizing the importance of community, authenticity, and readiness to scale in this interview with Gabriela Smith.

11. 

    19 May 2025TRANSCRIPT

    Not Just Unicorns

    Host Gabriela Smith introduces Exit-Ed, a podcast exploring the unglamorous journeys of everyday entrepreneurs who successfully built and exited real businesses, offering insights from her experience with founders.

12. 

    12 May 2025

    Exit-Ed: Behind the Curtain of Exits

    Host Gabriela Smith introduces Exit-Ed, a podcast exploring the authentic journeys of entrepreneurs who have successfully exited their companies, offering insights into the risks, challenges, and strategies involved in building and selling businesses; this is a trailer episode.

Who has been a guest on Exit-Ed

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Thorsten Unger
• Kelly Parker
• Joseph Hanna
• Tom McKeown
• Maggie Lord

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

8,818

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

9

Social presence

0

YouTube

65

Engagement

51

Contact Exit-Ed

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Exit-Ed