Most founders prepare the business for an exit.
Almost no one prepares themselves.

That gap is where doubt, drift, and second-guessing take hold—long before the deal is done.

Most founders don’t realize this gap exists until it starts affecting decisions, relationships, and momentum.

What many founders experience after the exit is often set in motion long before it.

What is the Founder’s

Exit Paradox?

The Dirty Little Secret About Exiting:

Why Most Founders Aren't Exit Ready

Most founders assume the hardest part of an exit is the transaction.
In reality, the transaction is the most structured part.
The unstructured part is what follows as identity, direction, and motivation start to shift — often before the deal is even signed.

The 8 Exits of a Founder

Our ‘8 Exits of a Founder’ framework provides a roadmap to guide you through each phase of your

entrepreneurial journey. Whether you’re stepping away from corporate life or building a post-exit portfolio, this

model ensures personalized guidance tailored to your unique path

Our ‘8 Exits of a Founder’ framework provides a roadmap to guide you through each phase of your entrepreneurial journey. Whether you’re stepping away from corporate life or building a post-exit portfolio, this model ensures personalized guidance tailored to your unique path

Leaving Corporate America

Embrace the unknown and step out of your comfort zone.

CEO 1.0

Lay the groundwork for your venture’s core identity.

Product Manager Thought Leader

Carve out a niche and refine your distinctive voice.

CEO 2.0

Evolve into a visionary leader, crystallizing your company’s mission.

Board Chair

Focus on long-term strategies that align with your aspirations.

Liquidity Event

Celebrate your achievements—whether through a sale or scaling.

Building Your Post-Exit Portfolio

Plan for future financial moves and mentor the next generation.

Philanthropy and Legacy

Craft a legacy that transcends business achievements.

Overcome the 6 Challenges Every

Founder Faces

Most founders don’t experience an exit as a clean sequence of steps.

As the possibility of an exit becomes real, multiple forces begin acting on the founder at once, often before anything changes on paper.

They don’t arrive in order or on a schedule.
They surface unevenly, overlap, and quietly influence decisions while the founder is still focused on running the business.

That’s what makes the exit so disorienting.
Founders feel the impact long before they can see the pattern.

We call these forces the 6 Centers of Doubt.

They aren’t stages. They aren’t problems to solve.


They’re the internal forces that determine whether a founder approaches an exit with clarity or drifts into it reactively.

The journey through each exit is accompanied by the 'Six Centers of Doubt.' These critical challenges are crucial for every founder to confront, comprehend, and conquer to successfully navigate the paradox of parting with their business.

When these pressures go unexamined, they shape the exit by default.
When they’re understood, founders regain agency before decisions harden.

A Different Way to Prepare for the Exit

The N.E.X.T INTENSIVE is designed to help founders regain clarity and agency before exit decisions harden.
It doesn’t replace strategy. It stabilizes the person making it.

The N.E.X.T. INTENSIVE provides business owners with unparalleled clarity and direction. Through two meticulously designed sessions, this process intertwines…

See What Our Clients Are Saying

"Working with Jerome at Exit to Excellence was a game-changer; his genuine empathy and actionable guidance not only earned my trust but also propelled my personal and business growth. I highly recommend their transformative services to anyone looking to advance professionally and personally."

Asia

Entrepreneur

"Working with Jerome has been a pivotal chapter in my journey as the head of a real estate investment company. His guidance has not only doubled my net worth but also opened doors to invaluable opportunities and connections, like CPAs and investors. Jerome's intuitive and humble approach made me feel comfortable to be vulnerable, enabling real growth."

Amy

Business Owner, Investor

"Jerome's thought-provoking questions and empathetic, non-judgmental approach created a transformative space for me, fostering significant personal and business growth. His straightforward guidance during critical decisions has proven invaluable, truly enhancing my resilience and professional success."

Larry

Founder, Investor

Meet the Team Behind Exit

to Excellence

Meet the Team Behind Exit to Excellence

We are a collective of experienced advisors, strategists, and mentors dedicated to guiding business owners through the

8 Exits of a Founder. Our team is passionate about helping leaders discover what’s N.E.X.T after their business, providing

both the emotional and strategic tools to navigate the transition with ease.

We are a collective of experienced advisors, strategists, and mentors dedicated to guiding business owners through the 8 Exits of a Founder. Our team is passionate about helping leaders discover what’s N.E.X.T after their business, providing both the emotional and strategic tools to navigate the transition with ease.

Our Founder

Jerome Myers, America's Leading Exit Authority, created Exit to Excellence after experiencing the Founder’s Exit Paradox firsthand—navigating the emotional challenges that follow selling a business.

A CEPA-certified with an MBA, Jerome blends strategic insights with emotional intelligence, helping founders align financial success with a life of purpose and fulfillment.

After building a $20M division for a Fortune 550 company and scaling a multimillion-dollar portfolio, he now equips entrepreneurs worldwide with transformative frameworks like the N.E.X.T. Intensive and the 8 Exits of a Founder. Through his books, workshops, and top-rated Your NEXT podcast, Jerome is redefining what it means to exit successfully—and build a lasting legacy.

These tools provide founders with a clear roadmap for financial success and personal growth,

supported long-term by the NEO Navigator program.

These tools provide founders with a clear roadmap for financial success and personal growth, supported long-term by the

 NEO Navigator program.

FREE DOWNLOAD

5 Mistakes Every Founder Should Avoid

When Exiting Their Company

Discover common pitfalls founders face during exit and strategies to avoid them. Understand the Founder's Exit Paradox and apply these insights for a smoother transition, leading to a fulfilling, purpose-driven post-exit legacy.