<p>In this episode of The Exit Whisperer, Carrie sits down with Andrea Johnston, founder of Pure Communications, to unpack what most founders never say out loud: sometimes the business is thriving, the numbers are strong, the offers are real, and you still know it’s time to sell.</p><p><br></p><p>They get into building with intention, why niche agencies scale faster than scattered ones, what private equity actually wants, and how to know whether you’re growing a business… or just feeding a machine that no longer fits your life. Andrea also opens up about what she would do differently, why succession planning matters more than founders think, and the hard truth that reacting emotionally will cost you more than almost any bad strategy.</p><p><br></p><p>00:54 Meet Andrea Johnston</p><p>02:48 Why She Left Corporate to Start Her Agency</p><p>04:51 The Gap Between “Starting” and Building a Real Business</p><p>05:23 How She Scaled Using Only Her Network</p><p>07:27 The Decision to Niche Down </p><p>10:31 The Real Growth Engine: Existing Clients</p><p>12:15 How Private Equity Entered the Picture</p><p>17:38 Inside the Sale Process</p><p>18:14 What Actually Changes After You Sell</p><p>19:28 How Acquisitions Create Opportunities for Your Team</p><p>20:15 The Second Exit: Moving Fast in Private Equity</p><p>21:35 Burnout at the Top </p><p>25:22 Taking 2 Years Off</p><p> 28:41 Building “Fuel for Female Founders”</p><p>32:24 Final Lessons on Exits, Growth, and Letting Go</p><p><br></p>