<p>Kristine Tokonow bootstrapped her way into major retailers and global brands, survived COVID, supply chain chaos, labor shortages, pregnancy, and a year that pushed her to the edge. She knew she was burned out in 2021 — but she didn’t sell then. Instead, she rebuilt, stabilized, and intentionally positioned the company to be worth walking away from.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of <em>The Exit Whisperer</em>, Carrie sits down with Kristine, founder of <em>The Conery</em>, just days after selling the company she spent 12 years building from scratch. What started as a simple question — <em>why are ice cream cones still terrible?</em> — turned into a bootstrapped manufacturing business supplying major brands, theme parks, and retailers.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>00:50 Meet Kristine Tokonow</p><p>01:17 The Idea That Didn’t Exist Yet</p><p>02:19 From Side Hustle to Real Business</p><p>04:03 Scaling, Scrappiness, and Early Growing Pains</p><p>10:19 When COVID Hit the Business</p><p>11:21 Burnout, Pregnancy, and Pressure</p><p>13:30 Knowing It Was Time to Sell</p><p>14:15 Rebuilding Energy Before an Exit</p><p>15:27 Why 2021 Nearly Broke Everything</p><p>16:53 The Advisor Who Changed the Outcome</p><p>18:57 The Emotional Reality of Selling</p><p>20:04 The Day After It Was No Longer Hers</p><p>21:39 Letting Go and Walking Away</p><p>23:16 What Comes After the Exit</p>