🏴‍☠️ The Emotional Cost of Selling Your Business

Hey, it’s Kinza.

In today’s issue.

1. Meet Mark, he faced emotional fallout after selling

2. Why founders need to build businesses they might want to keep

3. What to do about it

4. And more...

I posted a carousel on the hidden emotional costs of selling your business earlier this week (and how to prepare) earlier this wee.

Best Links

💰Sales Methods We’re Loving:
Affiliate programs are game-changers for B2B service companies. But they don’t work because it’s too hard to keep track of referrals…or worse…your referral fees aren’t good enough to create action. This one looks cool. Good programs do the following:

• Strong, recurring or high-ticket commissions with fast, reliable payouts

• Easy onboarding, co-branded marketing assets, and hands-on partner support

• High-retention product that converts referrals into long-term revenue

🌟 Industry (Un)Trends:
Reducing costs without considering revenue is like fishing in a barrel…easy for consultants, deadly for companies. Think twice if you pay on a percentage of savings basis (typically $1 for every $5–7 "saved")

🍏 Extra Credit:
Prep for what you’ll feel BEFORE selling your business. Or share with someone who needs to prepare.

Deep Dive

You sold the business.

So why are you still waking up at 4am, panicked?

Mark (name changed) ran a successful liquor store chain. Years of sweat equity, strong local brand, stable margins. He sold because of a health scare.

He thought walking away would bring peace. Instead, it brought confusion.

His identity had been tied to the business. Every win, every setback, every late-night decision — that was him.

So when it was gone, something felt off.

He didn’t miss the chaos. He missed the rhythm.

Before the sale, we rebuilt how his business ran. Mark started tracking revenue accurately. Understood the profitability of each customer segment. Removed family from key roles.

Suddenly, the business worked without him.

But by then, the exit was already in motion.

Takeaways

Mark still wakes up early some days. Still misses leading from the front. Still wonders if he sold too soon.

Here’s what I tell founders now:

1. Build something you might want to keep. Don’t let burnout drive the sale.

2. Design your life after. Exit without a new rhythm and the silence will be deafening.

3. Lead now like you're already gone. The best exits start long before the deal.

Read the full list and how to prepare here.

If you’re in this moment, or getting close, you’re not alone.

Before You Go

Hit reply if you are you building toward a sale.

See you next week.

-Kinza