The season finale of Exit Right features Mike Silver talking with Mike Stopforth about the complexities following the sale of a business. Selling is often celebrated, but founders face challenges such as anxiety and financial uncertainty. Stopforth shares his experience of feeling a loss of identity, comparing it to other life transitions. He emphasizes the need for founders to process these feelings and forge new paths, finding relief in uncharted territory, such as starting a jiu-jitsu gym despite lacking expertise.
Selling a business often feels like a triumph but for many founders, it leads to complex identity shifts and feelings of anxiety and financial uncertainty.
Mike Stopforth highlights how excessive optionality can lead to paralysis, urging founders to find their ikigai—aligning their passions, skills, and market needs.
The aftermath of selling a company can evoke feelings of fear and shame as ex-founders navigate expectations while mourning the loss of their professional identity.
Engaging in ventures outside one's expertise can unexpectedly help in rebuilding confidence, as experienced by Stopforth with his jiu-jitsu gym.
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