Exiteers

Exiteers

5.0 (3)
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
MONTHLY

Join serial entrepreneur and founder of The Grafter, Rachel Murphy, as she invites business leaders to sit down and talk about achieving successful exits in business. Who are they and what drove them to their success? Subscribe, listen, and find out.

01/01/1970

Andrew Hulbert: I sold my business for $100m

Andrew Hulbert grew up working class on a council estate, raised on graft and grit. At 26, with no funding and no plan, he walked away from a suffocating corporate job and launched his own business from his bedroom. That bet turned into a team of 500, clients like Twitter and Deliveroo, and a $100M exit before he turned 35. But with the dream came the cost: missed moments, personal sacrifices, and a loneliness only founders understand. In this episode, Andrew sits down with Rachel Murphy to talk about: spotting the gap in a broken industry going all-in (and what it cost) the emotional reality of an 8-figure exit how it feels to finally slow down This one’s less about the money and more about purpose, risk, identity, and the quiet moments no one sees after the deal closes. You can follow Andrew Hulbert on https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhulbert/ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Want to stop guessing and start growing?Join The Grafter community, built by exited founders for the ambitious ones. Whether you’re scaling, raising or planning your next chapter, The Grafter gives you clarity, community, and expertise you can trust.Join the community now 👉 ⁠https://thegrafter.com/community⁠ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

43 min
21/11/2025

Rachel Murphy: The relentlessness needed to build a successful business

This episode is a rollercoaster, emotionally and professionally. Rachel Murphy returns for Part 2 of her Exiteers conversation with Sally Wynter, and this time, she goes even deeper. From building her first million-pound business in a year, watching her teenage stepdaughter fight for life in an ICU, to helping 41 businesses grow, raise, or exit with real ROI - it's what real leadership looks like. We talk: Why she believes the U.S. is the next frontier for The Grafter How Charlotte’s life-threatening illness shaped her entire legacy What it really takes to sell a business for 8 figures And the brutal reality of building a business through personal trauma Rachel is bold, brilliant, vulnerable, and fiercely human. This is a story about survival, impact, and what it means to lead with heart. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Want to stop guessing and start growing?Join The Grafter community, built by exited founders for the ambitious ones. Whether you’re scaling, raising or planning your next chapter, The Grafter gives you clarity, community, and expertise you can trust.Join the community now 👉 https://thegrafter.com/community ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 ⁠⁠⁠https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/⁠⁠⁠ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

43 min
04/11/2025

Rachel Murphy: £13m exits, sobriety, & starting again

In this episode of Exiteers™️, the first of a two-parter, the mic is flipped. Rachel Murphy, known for building and exiting multiple businesses, steps into the hot seat as former guest Sally Wynter takes over the questions. What follows is a raw, honest look into Rachel’s journey, from founding her first company in her 20s, a £13.3m exit, to running The Grafter today. But it’s not all business. Rachel opens up about why she moved to Spain and how sobriety has changed every part of her life. She shares the reality of being 11.5 years sober, including the heartbreak of losing friends in recovery, and what it means to be truly relentless in business, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Want to stop guessing and start growing?Join The Grafter community, built by exited founders for the ambitious ones. Whether you’re scaling, raising or planning your next chapter, The Grafter gives you clarity, community, and expertise you can trust.Join the community now 👉 https://thegrafter.com/community ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 ⁠⁠https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/⁠⁠ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

45 min
04/10/2025

Sam Alsop-Hall: Building fast, building big!

Sam Alsop-Hall co-founded Clive Henry group at the height of a global pandemic. No plan B in place, just a bold idea and relentless focus. Named after their grandfathers, the business went on to become the second fastest growing company in the UK. But behind the headlines was a journey of late nights, hard calls, and lessons LinkedIn barely touches with honesty. In this episode, Sam joins Rachel Murphy to share what scaling at pace really looks like, why diversification matters, and how purpose over profit, is shaping where he goes next. They talk resilience, risk, and what happens when the business you build starts to outgrow your original plans. For founders, investors, and anyone rethinking what success actually means, this one's worth a listen. You can follow Sam on LinkedIn ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 ⁠https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/⁠ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ready to create your business value? Our GREAT programme (Grow Raise Exit Acquire Transform) is a strategic business growth strategy and planning service designed for founders of £1-10M companies ready to create their business value and start planning for their next chapter Guided Programme – Work directly with our Exiteers™ for personalised strategy and hands-on support over a 12 month period Self-Service Programme – Access our complete framework and resources to prepare at your own pace, in your own time Find out more 👉 ⁠https://thegrafter.com/services/great/⁠ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

40 min
05/09/2025

Phil Telfer: Breaking rules can lead to innovation

Join us as Phil Telfer talks about the gritty reality of UK entrepreneurship! From battling policy hurdles to seizing global markets, Phil's journey from tech agency founder to industry leader is packed with insights. Discover the secrets to thriving in a challenging economic climate and why collaboration is key. Don't miss this conversation between Rachel and Phil on the current UK business landscape! You can follow Phil here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-telfer/ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you truly know where you are and where you're going with your business?Start with your Founders Scale Readiness Assessment. A quick diagnostic to understand where you are on the journey from founder-dependent to systematically scalable👉 https://founders-assessment.thegrafter.com/ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ready to create your business value? Our GREAT programme (Grow Raise Exit Acquire Transform) is a strategic business growth strategy and planning service designed for founders of £1-10M companies ready to create their business value and start planning for their next chapter Guided Programme – Work directly with our Exiteers™ for personalised strategy and hands-on support over a 12 month period Self-Service Programme – Access our complete framework and resources to prepare at your own pace, in your own time Find out more 👉 https://thegrafter.com/services/great/ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

41 min
04/08/2025

Gareth Hawkins: Government support for SMEs is lacking!

In this conversation, Gareth shares his extensive journey from sales to successful CEO, detailing the pivotal moments and lessons learned during his career. Gareth and Rach talk about the challenges of scaling through acquisitions and the emotional impact of exiting a business. He talks to his current venture, BizCrunch, which aims to innovate the process of buying and selling businesses, and reflects on the need for better government support for SMEs in the UK. You can follow Gareth here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-hawkins/ His latest business BizCrunch: https://www.bizcrunch.co/ Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

47 min
03/07/2025

Kathryn Strachan: I almost lost everything

Kathryn Strachan started CopyHouse in 2020. This was weeks away from a global pandemic kicking off. What began as a solo venture quickly scaled into a content marketing agency with 32 team members and over £2 million in revenue. But behind the scenes of that rapid growth was a founder learning to let go, to lead, and eventually, to walk away. In this conversation, Kathryn shares how she shifted from practitioner to CEO and built a team that could operate without her. She talks openly about burnout, identity loss, and what happens when your life's work is no longer yours - no one talks about the emotional fallout! Now an author of Scaling Success, she reflects on the lessons that matter most: building intentionally and prioritising what should really count and that's your personal relationships and yourself. You can follow and reach out to Kathryn here: www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-strachan/ Her book, Scaling Success from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/a2HyZHo Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠The Grafter

47 min
04/06/2025

Sally Wynter: I want to level the playing field

Knowing how to survive is one thing, but knowing how to succeed is something completely different. She wasn’t handed a network, a mentor, or a safety net. What she was given? Grit. Hunger. And a stubborn refusal to accept her circumstances. At 24, Sally Wynter went from the idea of creating the first CBD-infused gin to a 7-figure exit in less than a year. This was all without funding, connections, or a clue how the drinks industry worked. Since selling the brand, she’s taken that same fire into recruitment, building a business that defies convention and puts people first. This is a story about reinvention, risk-taking, and rewriting the rules of what success has to look like. You can follow and reach out to Sally here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-wynter/www.askhunch.comhello@sallywynter.com Got a story to tell about your exit?Email us at ⁠⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ ⁠⁠The Grafter

41 min
04/05/2025

Stephen Critchlow: How Selling My Business Made Me Feel Lost – Until I Found My Real Purpose

Stephen Critchlow built and sold not just one, but two companies. One to a major healthcare software firm, and another that developed wind farms. Both were highly profitable exits. But what happened after the sale? In this powerful and honest conversation, Rachel and Stephen explore the real story behind the headlines: what it feels like to walk away from a company you've poured decades of your life into, the identity crisis that can follow, and why the biggest exit of your life might leave you feeling completely empty. Together, they dive into: What Stephen calls the Bermuda Triangle of Business Growth and why most companies never make it throughHow to know if you are the right person to scale your business past 20–40 peopleThe crushing emotional aftermath of selling a company and losing your purposeWhy Stephen regrets the timing of his exit from Ascribe and how losing board control changed everythingWhat founders must consider before they sell (hint: it’s not the number)Why his second exit - a wind farm company - was faster and more lucrative than his firstHow Evergreen Life is using AI, DNA and GP-linked data to add years to people's healthy life expectancyAnd why Stephen believes this UK tech company can rival the likes of Amazon and Google This isn’t a story about success. It’s a story about intention. About building something that matters, walking away too soon, and then finding the clarity to start again, with purpose at the centre. You can follow more of Stephen below LinkedIn Got a story to tell about your exit?Email us at ⁠exiteerspodcast@gmail.com⁠ - More of Rachel Murphy ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠X⁠ ⁠The Grafter

43 min
04/04/2025

Niraj Shah: The Truth About Life After an Exit

Niraj Shah has been on both sides of the deal table with building, buying, and selling businesses across real estate, wellness, and technology. In this episode, he sits down with Rachel to share what it really feels like to go through an exit - emotionally, financially, and personally. From suffering a stroke at 30 that changed the course of his life, to exiting a wellness business that was deeply tied to his identity, Niraj opens up about the wins, the regrets, and the moments of “what now?” You can follow more of Niraj below https://www.linkedin.com/in/niraj5hah nirajs.com And his book recommend - Exit Strategy by Sherry & Rob Walling let us know what you think! Got a story to tell about your exit?Email us at exiteerspodcast@gmail.com - More of Rachel Murphy LinkedIn Instagram X The Grafter

44 min
03/03/2025

The 3 Exiteers™️: Dissecting the anatomy of an Exit

Here in the UK, we don't talk about money and we certainly don't talk about planning to sell our businesses. You may not have even thought about selling but if you're running your own business, succession and exit plans are necessary. Being approached by another company wanting to buy what you've built happens all the time and that's where the Exiteers™️ come in. With over 10 businesses sold between them, Rachel Murphy got together with Exiteers™️, Caroline Carruthers, and James Gairdner, to dissect the anatomy of an Exit - what does it really entail and what should you be looking out for? Jumped to your burning questions: 05:20 Key defining moments in business (COVID!) 25:50 Rachel: The technical process of going through an exit 28:23 Caroline: The technical process of going through an exit 31:07 Earn outs with be challenging 32:26 James: The technical process of going through an exit 33:40 You've got to plan for after you exit 38:40 Motivations on Exit shift over time 39:57 Exit culture: USA vs UK 42:56 Question time: how has recent volatility (Brexit/Covid/Trump) altered valuations & do buyers take this into account? 49:05 Question time: what would you do differently next time around in selling a business? Got a story to tell about your exit? Email us at exiteerspodcast@gmail.com

52 min

11 Episodes

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

Join serial entrepreneur and founder of The Grafter, Rachel Murphy, as she invites business leaders to sit down and talk about achieving successful exits in business. Who are they and what drove them to their success? Subscribe, listen, and find out.

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Exiteers
Episodes

11
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Explicit
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© Exiteers
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Exiteers