Life After an Exit: What Comes Next?
“John Rood sold a business called Next Step Test Prep and then wrote the book Beyond the Exit,” shares Sam Thompson, a Minneapolis business broker, and the president of M&A firm Transitions In Business. “He shares what he did post sale of his business and provides thoughts from interviews of multiple business owners that have sold. He talks about redefining success beyond building another business.”
Most founders focus all their energy on getting to an exit, but few stop to consider what comes next. In this episode of Built to Sell Radio, John Rood shares what he learned after selling Next Step Test Prep to private equity—and why he decided to write Beyond the Exit.
You’ll discover how to:
- Navigate the emotional and psychological impact of selling a business.
- Avoid the “achievement trap” that keeps entrepreneurs chasing the next big thing.
- Rethink what financial freedom really means—and how to use it wisely.
- Manage post-exit expectations with family, friends, and your own sense of identity.
- Avoid common pitfalls that can make life after selling harder than it needs to be.
- Redefine success beyond just building another business.
Rood’s candid insights and research from 70 entrepreneurs who have sold their businesses shed light on the realities of life after an exit.