Why Selling Your Business Feels Like Grief | Ep 303 with Sunaina Sinha Haldea

In this episode of Founder’s Story, Sunaina Sinha Haldea breaks down what founders need to think about years before an exit is even possible. From building businesses that can survive cycles and disruption to navigating the emotional grief that comes after selling, this conversation explores exits as both a financial and deeply human transition. Key Discussion Points:Sunaina explains why engineering a business purely to sell is dangerous, and why founders must instead build companies designed to last for decades. She walks through how acquirers actually think, including the metrics that matter, the difference between venture and private equity capital, and why profitability questions always come due. The conversation also dives into the emotional side of exits, reframing selling as a form of grief and a real identity shift that founders must consciously process. Sunaina introduces “upper limit theory,” explaining why many successful exits lead to self-sabotage if founders do not recalibrate their mindset and sense of self-worth. Takeaways:Building to last is the most reliable path to a successful exit. Chasing a specific exit number often creates a fragile business and a deferred life plan. Founders must prepare not only financially, but psychologically, for what comes after selling. Sustainable businesses attract buyers naturally, while resilient founders invest in mindset, purpose, and long-term impact beyond money. Closing Thoughts:This episode challenges the idea that exits are the ultimate goal of entrepreneurship. Sunaina’s perspective reframes success as building enduring value while staying grounded through massive transitions in wealth, identity, and purpose. For founders thinking about exits, this conversation offers clarity, realism, and uncommon wisdom. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This Founder’s Story episode features Julian Metcalfe, the founder behind Pret A Manger and itsu, sharing hard earned lessons from decades in food and retail entrepreneurship. He explains why founders should focus less on prestige and more on solving real customer problems, building trust, and obsessing over product quality and detail. Key Discussion Points: Julian pushes back on romantic founder mythology and redirects attention to what actually matters, which is serving customers exceptionally well and building something useful. He explains that most great businesses are not built on new inventions but on making existing products meaningfully better through care, taste, design, and discipline. He describes founder life as demanding, unpredictable, and never boring, requiring adaptability and emotional resilience every day. He also shares the four internal values he believes drive great teams and founders: wanting to grow, building trust, taking pride, and truly caring. Takeaways: Julian emphasizes that anyone can become a founder, but not everyone is willing to accept the responsibility and consistency required. Money and status symbols like luxury travel or cars are poor motivators compared to pride in product and customer delight. True satisfaction comes more from seeing teams grow and gain confidence than from personal purchases. He also offers a candid warning that business success often comes at a relationship cost, and founders must actively protect family and personal connections. Closing Thoughts: This episode delivers a grounded, no hype view of entrepreneurship from someone who has built globally recognized brands. Julian Metcalfe’s message is simple and sharp: build trust, care deeply about your product, stay honest, and never confuse status with real success. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Julia Arpag, the founder of Aligned Recruitment, joins Founder’s Story to explain how hiring actually works behind the scenes in today’s AI-driven job market. She shares why most resumes disappear into a black hole, how recruiters and founders really find talent, and why networking, LinkedIn optimization, and human connection still outperform every automated system. Key Discussion Points Julia argues that most people should stop applying for jobs entirely and instead focus on relationships, manual outreach, and visibility. She breaks down exactly how recruiters search LinkedIn, what makes a profile instantly compelling, and why candidates must clearly communicate their value instead of hiding behind vague titles. The conversation also explores how AI has increased noise in both hiring and sales, making authentic human skills more valuable than ever. Takeaways Jobs are not disappearing, but the path to landing them has changed dramatically. Candidates who rely on resumes and automated applications are losing, while those who optimize their LinkedIn presence, prepare their personal “brag book,” and build real connections continue to win. Julia emphasizes that AI is a tool, not a shortcut, and the future belongs to adaptable, human-first professionals who know how to sell themselves with clarity and confidence. Closing Thoughts This episode offers a reality check for anyone frustrated with today’s job market. Julia Arpag’s insights reveal that despite all the noise around AI, hiring still comes down to people, relationships, and clarity. For job seekers and founders alike, the message is simple: stop chasing systems and start showing up where real decisions are made. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yarin Gaon joins Founder’s Story to explain why the leap from $1M to $10M is where most companies stall or die. He unpacks the “adolescence stage” of business, where founders must decide what they are actually scaling, and why the hustle logic that got you to traction stops working once you have a team, multiple revenue streams, and limited capital. Key Discussion Points:Yarin explains that founders hit $1–2M and assume they have “made it,” but after replacing the founder’s role, most of these businesses are still not attractive to sophisticated buyers. The real danger comes when founders try to scale everything: more products, more customer types, more revenue streams, without choosing a clear direction. He argues the missing ingredient is clarity, not tactics, and that most “tactical problems” like rising CAC or churn are symptoms of upstream strategy decisions that were never made. His solution is a planning system modeled on private equity, built around creating simple one page sources of truth for strategy, finances, and operations. Takeaways:Yarin’s core message is that growth should start with subtraction. Before adding new offers or segments, founders should identify where profit actually comes from, because sales and profit are not the same thing. He also reframes success metrics, saying revenue is too generic to guide decisions and founders need a sharper metric tied to what they are truly building. For founders aiming for a life changing exit, he explains that private equity typically starts paying attention around $2M EBITDA, which often means building a $10M to $20M revenue business depending on margins. Closing Thoughts:This episode is a wake up call for founders who feel stuck after early traction. Yarin shows that the path to scale is not more hustle, it is more clarity, better filters, and the discipline to say no. He also shares his free Clarity Playbook and why he believes planning is the highest leverage work a founder can do before scaling what they have built. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shalin Shah joins Founder’s Story to explain why declining testosterone levels represent a global health crisis and how outdated myths, regulations, and delivery methods have held back effective treatment. He shares the science behind testosterone as a core metabolic hormone, the FDA approval of KYZATREX, and why oral therapy marks a paradigm shift in how men (and women) can age healthier, longer lives. Key Discussion Points:Shalin explains how testosterone sits at the foundation of metabolic health, influencing the brain, heart, muscle, bone, and even cellular energy. He breaks down the biggest myths around testosterone, including fears about heart attacks and prostate cancer, and explains why modern clinical data has disproven them. The conversation also explores why injections fail to match the body’s natural hormone rhythm and how oral therapy better mirrors daily physiology. Finally, Shalin discusses why consumer-driven healthcare and telemedicine are accelerating access to testing and treatment. Takeaways:This episode reframes testosterone replacement therapy as a legitimate, evidence-backed medical intervention rather than a stigmatized shortcut. Shalin emphasizes that testing is the first step, education is critical, and hormonal health must be layered on top of sleep, diet, stress management, and exercise. His core message is clear: testosterone therapy isn’t about chasing youth, it’s about restoring health, vitality, and longevity. Closing Thoughts:Shalin Shah’s perspective challenges decades of misinformation and positions testosterone as one of the most powerful biomarkers of overall health. This conversation invites listeners to rethink aging, advocate for better testing, and consider how modern medicine can help add life to years, not just years to life. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Founder’s Story, Daniel Robbins sits down with Manoj Gupta to unpack why modern hiring fails so often and how AI agents are reshaping how companies evaluate talent. Manoj explains how ACHNET’s AI agent, iJupiter, unifies resumes, interviews, and assessments into a single system that helps leaders make clearer, faster, and less biased hiring decisions. Key Discussion Points Manoj breaks down the real hiring disaster most companies ignore: nearly half of employees leave within one to two years because they were never the right fit to begin with. He explains how fragmented systems, gut instinct, and rushed decisions force leaders to stitch together incomplete signals under pressure, creating costly mis-hires. ACHNET was built to solve this by designing hiring around clarity first, not speed or volume. The conversation dives into how AI agents conduct structured interviews, evaluate candidates consistently, and rank talent objectively while keeping humans in control of the final decision. Manoj argues that AI doesn’t remove the human element but removes inconsistency, fatigue, and bias from early-stage evaluation. The result is faster hiring without sacrificing quality, and a level playing field for candidates who would otherwise be filtered out. Takeaways Manoj reframes the future of hiring as a mindset shift rather than a technology shift, where clarity replaces time as the marker of quality. He explains why speed and quality are no longer trade-offs when evaluation is designed correctly from the start. For candidates, honesty and evidence of real outcomes matter more than resume fluff in an AI-evaluated world. The episode makes a compelling case that AI agents will not replace humans in hiring but will fundamentally change how humans make decisions. Closing Thoughts This episode offers a rare inside look at how AI agents are already transforming enterprise hiring from the ground up. Manoj’s perspective challenges long-held assumptions about interviews, resumes, and decision-making, pointing toward a future where people are placed where they actually belong. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Founder’s Story episode, Dr. Robert Lustig connects the dots between physical illness, mental health disorders, and societal unrest, arguing they all stem from a single neurological breakdown. He introduces the concept of the “hostage brain,” explaining how chronic stress, dopamine overload, and environmental changes have disabled the brain’s natural brakes, leaving the amygdala in a constant state of threat. Key Discussion Points Dr. Robert Lustig explains that today’s physical illness, mental health disorders, and societal breakdown are not separate crises but the result of a single neurological failure centered in the brain’s fear system. He introduces the concept of the “hostage brain,” where chronic stress and dopamine overload keep the amygdala permanently activated, destroying resilience and emotional regulation. According to Lustig, the four natural brakes on fear—reasoning, memory, intuition, and social safety—are all failing at once due to modern environmental forces. The conversation explores how ultra processed food, social media, and profit-driven technology amplify cortisol and dopamine while depleting serotonin, leaving people anxious, reactive, and disconnected. Lustig distinguishes pleasure from happiness, arguing that real well-being comes from connection, purpose, and service rather than stimulation or consumption. Takeaways This episode reframes mental illness and societal unrest as biological outcomes of environmental design rather than personal failure. Chronic dopamine stimulation lowers serotonin, increases stress damage, and erodes resilience. True happiness cannot be purchased, consumed, or scrolled into existence—it is built through connection, purpose, service, mindfulness, sleep, movement, and real food. Lustig emphasizes that purpose must extend beyond profit, stress must be actively reduced, and human connection must be restored if individuals and societies are to heal. Awareness is the first step, because problems cannot be solved until they are properly understood. Closing Thoughts Dr. Lustig’s message is clear: the crisis is not who we are, but what we have built around ourselves. Healing the brain requires changing the environment, not numbing the symptoms. This conversation challenges listeners to rethink pleasure, technology, success, and connection—and to reclaim the conditions that allow humans to thrive. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this recorded episode of Founder’s Story, Aurora Winter joins Daniel Robbins to deliver a masterclass on storytelling, neuroscience, and why the right words at the right time can change the trajectory of a business, a book, or an entire career. Key Discussion Points Aurora shares the moment she realized storytelling wasn’t a “nice-to-have” but a revenue-defining skill—when seven carefully chosen words took a business from stalled to $3 million in a single week. She explains how the brain processes messages in three stages, why most founders mistakenly start with logic, and how pattern interrupts capture attention without triggering fear. The conversation explores why stories sell while data merely informs, how credibility and authority function neurologically, and why books, podcasts, and YouTube are becoming critical legacy assets as AI reshapes discovery. Aurora also dives into imposter syndrome, fame versus service, myth-busting as a messaging tool, and why practicing your message may be the highest-ROI activity a founder can do. Takeaways This episode reveals that attention isn’t disappearing—it’s becoming more selective. Founders who lead with emotion, story, and clarity outperform those who rely on features and facts. Messaging must first hook the reptilian brain, then establish social proof and authority, before delivering substance. Books function as intellectual passports that unlock stages, media, and trust. Story structure is not fluff—it is strategy. And ultimately, the most powerful messages emerge when founders shift the spotlight away from themselves and onto the people they serve. Closing Thoughts Aurora Winter reminds us that businesses don’t fail because ideas are weak—they fail because the message never lands. In an era where anyone can create content, the founders who win will be the ones who choose their words with intention, practice relentlessly, and understand that a single message can quietly change everything. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Seth Casden joins Founder’s Story to explain how Hologenix is delivering health and wellness through everyday textiles, why infrared science took years to gain acceptance, and how building a meaningful company requires patience, humility, and a long-term mindset. Key Discussion Points Seth explains how CELLiant technology captures the body’s natural heat and converts it into infrared energy that re-enters the body to improve circulation and recovery. He walks through the early skepticism around infrared and photobiomodulation, why scientific validation mattered more than hype, and how adoption accelerated as biohacking and longevity gained mainstream attention. The conversation also explores Seth’s personal experiences using the technology for injury recovery, sleep improvement, and even animal health—highlighting the absence of placebo effects. On the business side, Seth shares why Hologenix shifted from pure licensing to direct-to-consumer, the importance of controlling the narrative, and the leadership lessons learned from building multiple companies over decades. Takeaways This episode reinforces that real wellness breakthroughs often come from applying science quietly and consistently rather than chasing trends. Seth emphasizes that success in entrepreneurship is less about avoiding failure and more about maintaining perspective, resilience, and integrity. Separating personal identity from business outcomes allows founders to endure setbacks without losing momentum. The future of health, Seth argues, lies in integrating wellness into daily life seamlessly—without requiring people to change who they are or how they live. Closing Thoughts Seth Casden’s journey shows that longevity—both personal and professional—is built through patience, curiosity, and commitment to real value. As wellness technology evolves, the most powerful innovations may be the ones working invisibly in the background, improving lives while people sleep, move, and live their everyday routines. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amanda Marino shares her journey from child runway model and hip hop music video dancer to addiction, recovery, and ultimately founding Next Level Recovery Associates, a global concierge recovery service helping individuals and families navigate addiction, mental health, and trauma with privacy and care. Key Discussion Points Amanda Marino reflects on the contrast between early fame in the entertainment industry and the darker realities that followed, including sexualization, childhood trauma, and substance abuse. She shares how becoming a mother forced her to confront addiction, sobriety, and the identity shift that came with recovery, grief, and physical changes. The conversation explores her transition from performer to recovery professional, including her work on Intervention and why authenticity and boundaries matter when helping people in crisis. Amanda also explains how COVID accelerated both mental health challenges globally and the growth of Next Level Recovery Associates, built on customized, private, and service-driven care. Takeaways Amanda’s story shows that recovery is not a straight line and success without healing is unsustainable. True resilience comes from sitting with pain rather than bypassing it. Entrepreneurship, especially in service-based businesses, thrives when it solves a real and urgent need rather than a personal desire. Healing personal trauma can unlock the ability to help others at scale, and legacy is built not through fame but through integrity, presence, and impact on family and community. Closing Thoughts This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn’t erase the past. It integrates it. Amanda Marino’s journey proves that when healing becomes the mission, business success can follow in ways that are deeper, more meaningful, and far more enduring than fame alone. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.