Allison Maslan, who built and sold four companies, argues founders shouldn't grind toward an exit only to feel lost after. Instead, build a team-managed business that runs without you so you can live fully now, not later.
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There's a specific lie that is sold to founders in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and it goes like this: just hold on, grind through, make it to the exit, then you can travel and have fun and be present, take care of yourself, and get your life back. Now, I've built 10 companies. I've sold 4 of those companies. Here's what nobody warned me about. Each moment after the exit, it felt strange because you work so hard to make that happen, and when the check finally clears, you almost don't know what to do with yourself. The grind had been your structure. The business is your identity, and suddenly that identity is gone. And I have watched the same thing happen to too many founders that I've worked with. So the work is not to survive until the exit. The work is to build a company that you don't need to escape from. You want to build a team-managed company that actually flourishes without you there, and something that fills you up instead of dragging you down, so that whether you exit in 2 years or 20 years, you're not running from your life. You are running towards it. towards it. And that is what an infinitely scalable company gives you. Say this to remind yourself to start living and enjoying your life now. And follow me for more CEO scaling strategies.
