Your Next: A Guide to Finding Fulfillment After Your Exit Hosted by Jerome Myers

Most founders think the hardest part of selling their company is the deal itself. But as Jerome Myers reveals, the real challenge begins in the silence that follows. In this deeply honest solo episode, Jerome breaks down the emotional, identity, and relational fears that make exits so difficult — and why avoiding these truths leads to regret, stalled decisions, and post-exit collapse.

Using the metaphor of Pandora’s Box, he explains that what founders fear isn’t the future — it’s finally having to face everything they ignored while building the business. Jerome walks through the hidden fears inside the box, the dangers of avoidance, and the power of strategic identity work. He then shares a founder story that transforms fear into clarity, illustrating how an exit can become a portal to personal evolution rather than an ending.

Listeners walk away with a roadmap for beginning the internal work now, and an invitation to access the tools that make a healthy transition possible.

[00:00–01:15] The Hidden Struggle Founders Never Talk About

• Founders publicly speak about strategy — but privately struggle with emotional impact

• Delays, self-sabotage, and regret often stem from unspoken fears

• The myth of “just sell the company and life gets better” hides deeper challenges

[01:16–02:58] The Post-Exit Bliss Myth

• Money and time alone don’t create peace or fulfillment

• Many founders experience emptiness, restlessness, and identity confusion post-exit

• Silence after the sale can feel louder and more destabilizing than the chaos before

[02:59–05:05] What’s Really Inside Pandora’s Box

• Identity loss: If you’re not the CEO anymore, who are you?

• Purpose loss: The fires and urgency disappear — and so does direction

• Relationship reckoning: Exit removes the busyness barrier that kept issues hidden

• Unrealized dreams: Success may have cost parts of the life you wanted

[05:06–06:29] Avoidance: The Silent Exit Killer

• Avoiding emotional work leads to poor decisions: rushing, undervaluing, or holding too long

• Spouses and children experience sudden shifts when founders “come home” without purpose

• Emotional instability during exit negotiations can cost millions

[06:30–07:48] Clarity as the Antidote

• Clarity prevents chaos, not causes it.

• Frameworks like the Founder’s Exit Paradox and NEO Assessment stabilize foundersThis is strategic identity work, not therapy

• You cannot build a meaningful “next” without knowing who you’re becoming

[07:49–10:00] A Founder’s Story & Your Invitation Forward

• A successful founder feared the silence after the sale more than the deal itselfOpening the box led to purpose, reconnection, and meaning beyond achievement

• The work he avoided became his gateway to the life he wanted

Key Quotes:

“Clarity does not unleash chaos. Clarity prevents it.” – Jerome Myers“Exits aren’t endings. They’re portals to personal evolution.” – Jerome Myers

Join industry leaders shaping the future and secure your spot at the Exit Planning Summit today!

https://exitplanningsummit.com/speakers

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

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🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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Many founders stay stuck in the space between yes and no, not because of timing, money, or strategy, but because of resistance disguised as logic. In this powerful solo episode, Jerome Myers speaks directly to high performers who feel called to their next chapter yet hesitate to move. He breaks down the most common objections founders use to delay meaningful growth and reveals the deeper fears beneath them—from the discomfort of pausing long enough to feel, to the fear of being truly seen without the armor of achievement. 

Jerome also opens up about his own experience with the Founder’s Exit Paradox and the identity unraveling that happens once success goes quiet. This episode serves as a mirror, a challenge, and an invitation to stop circling the life you want and begin stepping into it with clarity, alignment, and courage.

[00:00–02:18] Sitting in the Gray Space

• Founders hesitate not because of time or money but because of quiet resistance

• Resistance dresses itself up as logic, busyness, and “reasonable” excuses

• The episode frames the work ahead: naming the fear so it stops running the show

[02:19–04:45] The Five Surface Objections (and Their Real Meaning)

• “It’s not the right time” really means, “I’m scared to slow down and feel”

• Busyness becomes a shield protecting founders from their inner truth

• Pretending everything is fine becomes exhausting — and unsustainable

[04:46–07:02] The High Performer’s Dilemma: “Will This Work for Me?”

• Strategy solves business problems, but it doesn’t heal identity problems

• Founders fear inner work because it requires vulnerability

• The Intensive works differently than a playbook — it goes to the root

[07:03–09:28] Trust, Fatigue, and the Fear of Hope

• “I need to talk to my advisor” often signals lack of self-trust

• “I need a break” reveals survival mode, not true rest

• The deeper fear is hoping for change and being disappointed again

[09:29–12:32] The Founder’s Exit Paradox

• Founders fear being seen without their achievements as armor

• Jerome shares his own unraveling after leaving his $20M division

• Success becomes identity — titles, applause, income, roles

• The question underneath everything: “Who am I without what I built?”

[12:33–17:32] Choosing Your Next: The Real Invitation

• Speaking desires out loud dissolves guilt and activates clarityRemoving the founder mask leads to alignment, wholeness, and freedom

• Staying stuck is a decision — so is choosing your next chapter

• The Next Intensive becomes a turning point where founders finally feel alive again

Key Quotes:

“Vulnerability is not exposure. It’s access. It’s how you access clarity, connection, meaning, and fulfillment.” — Jerome Myers

“Staying Stuck Is a Decision”— Jerome Myers

Join industry leaders shaping the future and secure your spot at the Exit Planning Summit today!

https://exitplanningsummit.com/speakers

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

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🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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 What happens when life shifts faster than you expect? In this solo episode, Jerome offers a raw and real update on the unexpected changes unfolding in his world. From becoming a faculty member at the Exit Planning Institute to being invited into rooms he once dreamed of, he reflects on recognition, alignment, and the responsibility that comes with thought leadership. Jerome also breaks down the heart of his methodology: helping founders exit to something meaningful rather than from something overwhelming. He shares behind-the-scenes experiences, upcoming speaking engagements, and the personal transitions shaping his next chapter. 

This is a thoughtful, grounded conversation that reminds every founder that clarity, purpose, and personal planning remain the true North Star of any successful exit.

[00:00 – 01:00] A Solo Episode and a Month of Change

• Jerome sets the tone with a personal update instead of frameworks or concepts

• Acknowledges unexpected changes that appeared without warning

• Frames the episode around reflection rather than instruction

[01:00 – 03:10] Becoming Faculty at the Exit Planning Institute

• Shares the milestone of joining EPI as a faculty member

• Describes the podcast interview and connection with Scott Snyder

• Calls it a dream realized after years invested in thought leadership

[03:10 – 05:00] Recognition, Intellectual Property, and the Power of Personal Planning

• Reflects on publishing more exit-focused content than anyone in the country

• Points out the gap between theoretical expertise and lived exit experience

• Introduces his core belief that personal planning must lead the strategy

[05:00 – 06:00] Exiting To vs Exiting From

• Defines his signature concept of exiting to instead of exiting from

• Exiting to creates clarity, identity, and confidence post-exit

• Exiting from leaves founders in a painful void that can be costly

• Emphasizes why alignment and future identity are essential

[06:00 – 07:15] A Warm Welcome from Exit Planning Exchange Charlotte

• Shares the invitation to speak on November 19 with EPX Charlotte

• Reflects on the warmth and connection from the community

• Highlights the upcoming panel on life after the exit

• Notes how refreshing genuine, welcoming relationships can feel

Key Quotes:

“When founders exit TO, they leave with clarity and confidence. When they exit FROM, they find a void.” – Jerome Myers“Most people optimize their exit around goals they never defined in the first place.” – Jerome Myers

Join industry leaders shaping the future and secure your spot at the Exit Planning Summit today!

https://exitplanningsummit.com/speakers

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

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Your Next is more than a podcast—it’s a community that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and ages, united by a shared passion for personal growth and achieving excellence. 

🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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Everyone wants to know the number: what you sold your company for, the valuation, the payout. But as Jerome Myers reveals, the number is not the finish line. It is only one mile marker on the journey. In this solo episode, Jerome uncovers what truly defines a successful exit: peace, purpose, and freedom. Through powerful stories and practical frameworks, he explains the four hidden levers —structure, timing, control, and alignment — that determine whether your exit becomes an evolution or a regret. 

Founders will walk away with tools to measure success beyond money and to negotiate for a life that feels right, not just a deal that looks good.

[00:00 – 03:30] The Illusion of the Headline Number

• The world celebrates the sale price, but that number rarely reflects true success

• Founders often chase valuation without understanding its emotional cost

• “You can hit your financial goal and still miss your life goal”

[03:30 – 07:30] The Hidden Levers: Structure and Timing

• Structure determines how money actually reaches you — not just what’s promised

• Beware of earnouts and rollover equity tied to someone else’s performance

• Timing affects your freedom; stretched payments can quietly fund your own exit

[07:30 – 11:30] Control and Alignment: The Freedom You Forget to Negotiate

• Freedom isn’t automatic after an exit — it’s negotiated

• Many founders unknowingly trade autonomy for an employment clause

• Alignment between values and culture is the silent determinant of post-exit peace

[11:30 – 15:30] Redefining Winning: Beyond the Transaction

• Create a non-negotiables list — your personal term sheet

• Identify your true freedom number after taxes and fees

• Measure deals through the Freedom Compass: control, connection, meaning, and sustainability

[15:30 – 19:00] The Power Questions That Reveal True Value

• Founders lose leverage when they ask for valuation instead of impact on the future self

• Strategic questions expose power dynamics — “Who controls the capital stack post-close?”

• Emotional readiness is key: “Do I know what I’m walking toward?”

[19:00 – 21:30] Exit as Evolution, Not Ending

• The exit isn’t closure — it’s a portal to who you’re becoming

• Peace is the ultimate return on investment

• “The company was never the dream; it was a vehicle for it”

Key Quotes:

“You can hit your financial goal and still miss your life goal.” – Jerome Myers

“If you do not define your non-negotiables, someone else will, and it will not be for your benefit.” – Jerome Myers

Join industry leaders shaping the future and secure your spot at the Exit Planning Summit today!

https://exitplanningsummit.com/speakers

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

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If you found this episode valuable, leave us a review and share it with someone who wants to expand their business growth.

Your Next is more than a podcast—it’s a community that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and ages, united by a shared passion for personal growth and achieving excellence. 

🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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What if achieving everything you dreamed of still left you feeling empty? In this enlightening episode of the Work You Love podcast, host Danielle Mizrachi sits down with Jerome Myers, founder of Exit to Excellence, to explore what really happens after success. Jerome reveals the emotional aftermath of selling a business—the Exit Paradox—and how he helps founders rediscover meaning beyond money. Together, they unpack why fulfillment, not achievement, is the real finish line, and how to align work with your purpose, joy, and impact.

Listeners will leave with a renewed perspective on success: that true wealth isn’t measured in dollars, but in the difference you make and the peace you carry.

[00:00 – 07:00] The Exit Paradox

• Jerome shares how he helps founders rediscover meaning after selling their companies

• The “Exit Paradox”: the grief, loss, and disorientation many feel after achieving financial success

• His first exit from corporate life revealed the emotional void behind professional wins

[07:00 – 13:00] When Success Feels Empty

• Jerome recounts how a billionaire’s public confession revealed a shared struggle among high achievers

• Research confirmed that post-exit depression is common but rarely discussed

• The emptiness of “doing” without “being”—learning to untangle identity from occupation

[13:00 – 19:00] Redefining Work and Wealth

• Jerome breaks down the “first four exits” every founder must navigate

• The unglamorous reality of being a “Chief Everything Officer”

• The true measure of success: building a business that operates without you

[19:00 – 25:00] The Freedom to Pivot

• Danielle and Jerome discuss how to find joy in work again

• The “Four I’s of Fulfillment”: Interest, Income, Influence, and Impact

• How to align your career or business with your unique gifts and purpose

[25:00 – 31:00] From Liquidity to Legacy

• The final evolution of a founder: shifting from accumulation to contribution

• Jerome’s call to help others avoid the regret 75% of founders face post-sale

• Legacy isn’t the company you sell—it’s the lives you impact afterward

[31:00 – 35:00] Living the Work You Love

• Why fulfillment—not money—is the real game

• Letting curiosity, generosity, and community guide your next step

• Simple but powerful reflection: “Does what I’m doing matter to me?”

Key Quotes:“Fulfillment is the game. It doesn’t matter how much money you have if you can’t find joy in what you do.” – Jerome Myers“We’re human beings, not human doings.” -Jerome MyersConnect with Danielle!LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-mizrachi-56058983/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@work_you_love

Join industry leaders shaping the future and secure your spot at the Exit Planning Summit today!

https://exitplanningsummit.com/speakers

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

Leave a Review + Help Others Achieve a Great Legacy

If you found this episode valuable, leave us a review and share it with someone who wants to expand their business growth.

Your Next is more than a podcast—it’s a community that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and ages, united by a shared passion for personal growth and achieving excellence. 

🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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Most founders think they’ll know when they’re ready to exit, but readiness doesn’t arrive with an offer sheet. It’s forged in the years before the deal, through every decision made when no one’s watching. In this powerful episode, Jerome Myers exposes the hidden gap between financial readiness and founder readiness, where many leaders lose more than money: they lose purpose, relationships, and identity.

You’ll discover why waiting feels safe but quietly destroys value, how to recognize when you’ve already started your next exit, and how to build the muscle of readiness long before the market, or life, forces your hand. This isn’t about selling your business. It’s about designing your evolution.[00:00 – 04:00] The Illusion of Readiness

• Exit readiness is more than revenue or valuation; it’s about emotional and operational alignment

• Many founders mistake momentum for readiness, avoiding the deeper work of letting go

• Readiness must be trained like a muscle, not treated as a milestone

[04:00 – 08:00] The Real Cost of Waiting

• A founder-dependent company loses up to 50% of its value

• Avoidance creates silent erosion—financial, relational, and personal

• The cost of unreadiness shows up in distance from loved ones and disconnection from self

• Freedom fades when your title becomes your identity

[08:00 – 12:00] Building True Readiness

• Three pillars of readiness: Operational, Emotional, Strategic

• Operational: Can the business run without you?

• Emotionally: Can you let go without losing yourself?

• Strategic: Don’t just plan what you’re leaving—plan what you’re stepping into

• Introduces the NEXT Framework: Nourish → Evaluate → Explore → Transcend

[12:00 – 15:00] Designing the Next Chapter

• Complete the Exit Readiness Assessment to measure alignment in seven key areas

• Clarity—not cash—reveals whether you’re truly ready

• Reclaim one hour a week for “future design.” Protect it like a board meeting with your future self

• Curiosity—not capital—is the founder’s greatest asset

[15:00 – 17:00] Evolving by Design

• Readiness is built through reflection, honest conversation, and consistency

• Say it out loud: “I’m beginning to think about what comes next”

• Don’t wait for the crisis to evolve; create momentum while you still have leverage

• “The best exits aren’t timed—they’re earned”

Key Quotes: “Readiness isn’t a moment—it’s a muscle.” – Jerome Myers

“Waiting feels safe until it costs everything that actually matters.” – Jerome Myers 

Join industry leaders shaping the future and secure your spot at the Exit Planning Summit today!

https://exitplanningsummit.com/speakers

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

Leave a Review + Help Others Achieve a Great Legacy

If you found this episode valuable, leave us a review and share it with someone who wants to expand their business growth.

Your Next is more than a podcast—it’s a community that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and ages, united by a shared passion for personal growth and achieving excellence. 

🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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What if the very mindset that built your success is now the thing keeping you stuck? In this episode, Jerome Myers, America’s Leading Exit Authority, breaks down the five most common objections founders tell themselves after exiting their businesses and reveals what they truly are: fear wearing logic’s clothes.

From waiting for clarity to fearing the wrong move, Jerome reframes each belief and shares how to move from hesitation to evolution. If you’ve built your empire and now find yourself wondering what’s next, this episode is your mirror, not your map for rediscovering meaning and momentum beyond the business.

[00:00 – 01:00] The Portal Beyond the Exit

• Exiting isn’t the end — it’s the beginning of personal evolution

• Control and certainty no longer serve this new chapter

• The Founder’s Exit Paradox: the same habits that brought success now create stagnation

[01:00 – 02:00] Objection #1: “I Just Need More Clarity”

• “I need clarity” is often avoidance disguised as prudence

• Movement creates clarity — not waiting

• Frameworks like The Next Intensive exist to turn confusion into alignment

[02:00 – 03:00] Objection #2: “I Can Figure This Out on My Own”

• You can’t solve internal questions with external tools

• Post-exit growth requires mirrors, not maps

• You’ve always had advisors for your business — why not for your life?

[03:00 – 03:55] Objection #3: “Now’s Not the Right Time”

• Waiting for “the right time” only hardens your old identity

• The longer you delay, the harder reinvention becomes

• The right time isn’t when things settle — it’s when you decide to evolve

[03:55 – 04:47] Objection #4: “I’m Not Sure This Is for Me”

• Restlessness isn’t ingratitude — it’s potential trying to get your attention

• You’re not broken for wanting more; you’re built for evolution

• Purpose isn’t a “should”; it’s a signal

[04:47 – 05:00] Objection #5: “I Don’t Want to Make the Wrong Move”

• This stage is about rediscovering meaning, not managing risk

• Progress, not perfection, is the new currency

• There are no wrong moves — only feedback

Key Quotes

“You need mirrors, not maps.” – Jerome Myers

“The right time isn’t when things settle down — it’s when you realize they won’t until you do.”  – Jerome Myers

Join industry leaders shaping the future and secure your spot at the Exit Planning Summit today!

https://exitplanningsummit.com/speakers

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

Leave a Review + Help Others Achieve a Great Legacy

If you found this episode valuable, leave us a review and share it with someone who wants to expand their business growth.

Your Next is more than a podcast—it’s a community that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and ages, united by a shared passion for personal growth and achieving excellence. 

🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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Most founders chase the exit as if it’s the ultimate destination. But what happens when the deal closes and you’re left asking, “Who am I without my business?”

In this crossover episode from The Amazing Marketing Show, Jerome Myers joins hosts Dmitri Smirnov and Chris Gray to reveal why 75 percent of business owners regret selling their companies, and what the other 25 percent did differently. Jerome shares hard-won wisdom on exit readiness, identity, purpose, and redefining wealth beyond money. He invites listeners to see freedom not as walking away from something, but as stepping into the next meaningful chapter.

00:00 – 04:15 The Reality Behind Business Exits

• Only 25% of founders who sell their company feel no regret

• Success without purpose can lead to depression, not freedom

• True exit readiness requires planning on both financial and emotional fronts

04:16 – 09:30 Loneliness After the Exit

• Up to 60% of personal relationships fade after leaving a company

• Without intentional community, many founders experience isolation

• Redefine your “Top Five” relationships for the post-exit phase

09:31 – 17:45 Identity, Self-Acceptance, and the Founder’s Paradox

• Many founders only feel loved through achievement—a “scar of success”

• Real acceptance begins with forgiveness and releasing old expectations

• Your worth isn’t tied to titles, deals, or results—it’s intrinsic

17:46 – 26:15 From Exit to Impact

• Jerome shares his own painful corporate exit and the six centers of doubt: identity, relationships, health, prosperity, motivation, and significance

• Purpose-driven legacy starts when you exit to something, not from it

• “Enough” isn’t stagnation, it’s the foundation of real freedom

26:16 – 34:00 Freedom, Legacy, and the Power of Choice

• Real wealth is the ability to choose how you use your time, talent, and treasure

• Money is a tool; freedom is the measure

• True success is living a life that others want to honor and remember

34:01 – 47:00 Exit Readiness and Higher-Level Leadership

• Jerome’s Exit Readiness Assessment measures seven areas of preparedness

• Great leaders focus on the upper tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy: impact, fulfillment, transcendence

• Marketing that proves understanding creates trust faster than persuasion.

Key Quotes:

“Only 25% of people who sell their company don’t regret it.” – Jerome Myers

“It’s not about doing more, it’s about becoming more. – Jerome Myers

Connect with the Amazing Marketing Show! 

Website: https://amazingmarketingshow.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTBn-qDCWMXR7jrHiE1YvXg

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

Leave a Review + Help Others Achieve a Great Legacy

If you found this episode valuable, leave us a review and share it with someone who wants to expand their business growth.

Your Next is more than a podcast—it’s a community that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and ages, united by a shared passion for personal growth and achieving excellence. 

🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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Exiting a business is never just about the deal, it’s about who you become on the other side. In this episode, Jerome Myers, America’s Leading Exit Authority, explores the unseen emotional and psychological realities of selling a company. From the illusion of control to the founder’s exit paradox, Jerome explains why independence can’t carry you through the transition and why trust, guidance, and proven frameworks are essential for a fulfilling next chapter. 

If you’re approaching an exit, or even just thinking about it, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and invite you to prepare in a way that safeguards not only your wealth, but also your peace, relationships, and purpose.

[00:00 – 01:09] Introduction to Business Exits

• Exits are more than transactions; they’re transformations

• Many founders believe they can handle the process alone

• Independence created success, but it can also create blind spots

[01:09 – 03:06] Illusion of Control & The Trust Gap

• Control brings results in business, but doesn’t guarantee clarity in exits

• Spreadsheets can model finances, but not emotions

• Past betrayals create fear and isolation, blocking growth

• Real safety comes from trust—self, others, and frameworks

[03:06 – 04:47] The Founder’s Exit Paradox & The Guarantee Fallacy

• Selling your company also means letting go of the version of yourself it represents

• Perfect deals can still leave founders unfulfilled

• Chasing guarantees fuels regret; preparation reduces it

• Exiting alone costs more than money—it risks peace, clarity, and purpose

[04:47 – 06:26] Common Objections and Misconceptions

• Privacy vs. secrecy: why keeping plans hidden creates isolation

• “No one understands my business,”—but the process is about you, not the business

• “I just need one more deal”—a dangerous trap leading to burnout“I don’t trust anyone”—trust is the doorway to healing and legacy

[06:26 –08:11] Invitation to Action & Next Steps

• Independence built your empire, but interdependence builds legacy

• You don’t need another consultant—you need a guide and a framework

• Take the Exit Readiness Assessment to discover where you stand

• Explore The Next Intensive to gain clarity in the emotional, strategic, and financial dimensions of your transition

Key Quotes:

“The exit isn’t just a transaction, it’s a transformation, and no one transforms alone.” – Jerome Myers

“Independence built your empire, but interdependence will build your legacy.” – Jerome Myers

Ready for your next chapter?Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

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Your Next is more than a podcast—it’s a community that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and ages, united by a shared passion for personal growth and achieving excellence. 

🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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You got the money. Now what?

That’s the question too many founders face when the wire hits and the silence sets in.

In this episode of Your Next, the mic flips, as Jeroeme sits down with JR Lay for a no-BS conversation about what really happens after you sell your business. Spoiler: it’s not champagne and sunsets.

The discussion revolves around The Founder’s Exit Paradox, that sinking feeling of confusion, disconnection, and loss that arises when the work is gone, yet you’re still searching for meaning and worth. This is for every visionary who built a mountain, reached the top, and thought, “Is this it?”

Jerome shares his raw, personal journey through post-exit chaos, identity unraveling, and the scars that success leaves behind, and how he helps other high-achieving founders find meaning after the money.

If you’re building toward an exit, don’t just listen to this episode; study it.

[00:00 – 12:00] Time Over Money

• Why tracking days off beats tracking dollars
• The hidden cost of chasing success
• How entrepreneurs trade presence for provision
• Time is your most valuable asset; treat it like one

[12:01 – 20:00] After the Exit

• What no one tells you about the emotional crash
• The Founder’s Exit Paradox: money in the bank, purpose on empty
• Identity, fear, and the myth of “finally relaxing”
• Why exiting from is never enough, you need an exit to

[20:01 – 33:00] Energy, Identity, and Attachment

• How mismanaged energy leads to implosion
• The trap of tying your self-worth to your business
• Childhood attachment styles are playing out in your exit
• From significance through status, to significance through service

[33:01 – End] Scars, Significance, and Exit Readiness

• The 5 hidden scars driving high achievers
• Why success without purpose leaves you empty
• Exit readiness is personal, not just financial
• Take the free assessment to map your next chapter

Key Quotes:

“Money is just a tool, no different than hammers or saws in a shed.” – Jerome Myers

“The title that you had gave you the illusion of significance.” – Jerome Myers

Connect with JR!

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jrwlay

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelUpBusinessVideos

Ready for your next chapter?

Start Your Assessment Now 👉 https://theexitparadox.com/assessment

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Your Next is more than a podcast—it’s a community that welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and ages, united by a shared passion for personal growth and achieving excellence. 

🎧 Explore our previous episodes or learn more about our mission at https://exittoexcellence.com. Your next chapter starts here!

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