The Exit Plan Podcast
135 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 112 ratingsExit Plan is a podcast for business owners and those who want to be business owners. I’m always in search of the lesser known stories of entrepreneurship. In the Exit Plan podcast, you’ll hear stories from start up to sale, and hear from the professionals who helped business owners achieve their exit. Hosted by me, author and private equity manager Dana Robinson, along with my co-hosts and guests, you’ll hear real stories, tips, and tools that will help you plan for the exit you want, whether you are still working a day job or already running a business.
From their studio in sunny San Diego, the Opt Out Life welcomes guests who are solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, travelers, and creatives, who are proof that you can choose lifestyle over money . . . But still make money, too.
Each episode of the Opt Out Life podcast combines the incredible entrepreneurial stories of our friends, with an instructional approach to applying the tactics people are using right now to earn passive income and travel the world. Our guests live non-traditional lives, without job titles, and often without jobs at all. They wear t-shirts and have no boss. They spend time doing what they want, traveling and earning substantial income in creative ways.
We invite you to join the ranks of people who live the Opt Out Life.
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Episodes
Business Culture Matters (ft. Robert Clinkenbeard)
April 09, 2024 15:01 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBRobert Clinkenbeard's story begins with the invaluable lessons he gained while employed by another firm, which would later become the bedrock of his journey into entrepreneurship. Embracing the natural pathway of learning, Robert is candid about the numerous mistakes he made in the initial stages of his business venture. It was a process of trial and error, a hands-on experience that taught him more than any textbook could. Together, we'll explore the critical steps a business should tak...
Career Building (ft. Jena Dunay)
April 02, 2024 18:52 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBJena Dunay believes in the power of ownership in one’s career, advocating for job seekers to approach their work as valuable contributors. Her expertise lies in coaching individuals, especially senior-level job changers, to hone their storytelling and confidence for career success. With a robust experience in various roles leading up to becoming a chief learning officer, she transitioned back into entrepreneurship to achieve work-life balance and create impactful businesses. Jena's journey...
John Ovrom - The Exit Plan
March 26, 2024 18:13 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBJohn Ovrom is the embodiment of entrepreneurial spirit, channeling his vigor into a successful construction business built alongside his family. With the experience of growth, acquisition, and the rewarding challenge of diversification under his belt, he transitioned from owner to consultant, guiding others through the intricate dance of business exit strategies. His firm, Exit Consulting, manifests John's expertise and empathetic approach to mentoring business owners grappling with the em...
Building Relationships in Business (ft. Eric Johnson)
March 19, 2024 16:03 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBEric Johnson, a seasoned entrepreneur with a knack for building relationships, shifted from the hospitality industry to real estate, diving into sales' human side. As the CEO of various software platforms and a principal at Modus Coaching and Consulting, he dedicates his expertise to guiding entrepreneurs toward success through genuine connections and trust. His own venture into network marketing led to the creation of Teamsy, a ground-breaking platform devised to bridge the technology gap...
Work/Life Balance (ft. Kayla Jimenez)
March 11, 2024 18:35 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBWhen Kayla Jimenez first joined the IP and litigation sphere, she uncovered a fundamental truth that many professionals encounter: the allure of a prestigious job title isn't always what it seems. While her instincts cautioned her about the company's environment, it was this challenging position that planted the entrepreneurial seeds she would later cultivate. Kayla's transition from associate to partner and eventually to the owner of the practice illustrates a powerful narrative—prioritiz...
Pat Flynn - Benefits of Starting Small
March 04, 2024 19:48 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBPat Flynn is a resilient entrepreneur who turned a layoff from his dream job as an architect during the 2008 Great Recession into a journey of success and inspiration. Less than a year after the layoff, Pat built a 6-figure online business, helping architects pass an exam and chronicling his process on his blog, Smart Passive Income (SPI). SPI has evolved into a premier resource for entrepreneurship and online business, with the award-winning SPI Podcast amassing over 80 million downloads ...
Cory Verner - The Business of Selling
February 27, 2024 20:34 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBWhen I interviewed him four years ago, Cory talked about how working at a traditional job wasn’t for him. Sure, the money, the job security, those things were great, but he hated the work to the point where he couldn’t physically get himself to open the door to his office one day. That’s when he knew he needed a change. Cory’s a good friend and sometimes business partner who has been in the audiobook industry for over a decade. When he started, audiobooks were on cassette tapes! Here, we...
Jeff Goins- Started a Blog and a New Life
February 27, 2024 20:29 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBJeff Goins is a writer who's truly left an impact on my creative journey. His blog is a treasure trove of practical advice for aspiring writers, filled with wisdom from his own experiences. Goins' mantra, "You are a writer when you say you are," empowered me to own my identity as a writer. I even worked with him as a writing coach. Here, we chat about how he started with a simple blog and it opened doors for his career. Plus, how he leveraged contacts, experience, and the online course s...
Nate and Dana Are Back in Action
February 27, 2024 18:57 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBNate and Dana talk about getting back on the podcasting horse after COVID, how Opt Out Life became Exit Plan, and lessons learned during the pandemic. They chat about how things have changed and choosing a life that meets your needs without having to throw yourself into your business. “...it was life changing because I realized I could do it all from home.” Topics discussed in this episode: Work-life balance and family commitments Private equity industry challenges and ...
Trailer
February 27, 2024 18:36 - 3 minutes - 29.1 MB VideoI’m starting a whole new series of podcasts focusing on how entrepreneurs transitioned away from being employees to owning their time. I can’t wait to share these journeys with you. — Follow Dana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danabrobinson/ Follow Dana on Instagram: @danarobinsonofficial Subscribe to Dana’s weekly newsletter at danarobinson.com —
Merrily Orsini - A Step Ahead
January 14, 2021 10:30 - 54 minutes - 37.7 MBOur guest today is Merrily Orsini. Merrily founded one of the first private pay home care businesses in the United States, back in 1981, which she managed to grow successfully to more than 200 employees. She has been in the home caregiving business ever since and is now the President and CEO of CoreCubed, where she pioneered the work-from-home business model, many years before it became the norm. How did she do it? Merrily tells us about her business journey in caregiving, her efforts in...
Joe Bernstein - When you have a calling, it will keep calling you
January 07, 2021 10:30 - 51 minutes - 35.9 MBJoe Bernstein, founder of Drop the Armor Wellness, is on a mission to help other men feel the love and freedom that he learned to cultivate when his life fell apart several years ago. Back in 2013, Joe decided to go through a series of lifestyle changes to take back control of his life. After going through a bad divorce and losing 160 lbs, he left a successful career in retail management to build a mission-focused business and help other men create the life they desire. Today, as a men’s...
Dana Solo NYE 2020
December 31, 2020 10:30 - 27 minutes - 19.5 MB2020, a year unlike any other, is finally coming to an end. As we welcome in 2021, it's a great time to look back and reflect on this year as a whole - with all of its ups and downs. In this solo episode, Dana walks us through a fun exercise to reflect on our year and project new ideas to get ready for a more productive 2021. We wish you a happy new year and as always, stay safe and healthy out there! More at optoutlife.com/podcast/dana-solo-nye-2020/
William Stringer - Investing in Entrepreneurs
December 24, 2020 10:30 - 47 minutes - 33.3 MBOur guest today is William Stringer. Will is the co-founder & CEO of Chisos, a company that provides capital for early-stage entrepreneurs and start-ups that have a difficult time accessing it. Chisos is the creator of a revolutionary new funding source for founders: the Convertible Income Share Agreement, or CISA - designed to equalize opportunity and give access to funding without all the usual hang-ups of traditional funding options. Listen along to learn more about this win-win inves...
Heather Robinson - It's a Ride
December 17, 2020 10:30 - 40 minutes - 28.5 MBAs our listeners have already heard, the Opt Out Life podcast is all about getting the stories of entrepreneurs who have achieved the Opt Out Life their way- but is the life of entrepreneurship right for everybody? In this episode, Dana talks to his wife and Opt Out partner in crime: Heather Robinson. Heather shares the details of her entrepreneurial journey, her introspection work in the last year as a business owner, and her honest assessment that it is perfectly acceptable to find you...
Russ and Joey - Wealth without Wall Street
December 03, 2020 11:30 - 54 minutes - 38 MBToday's guests are Russ and Joey, founders of Wealth Without Wall Street and hosts of the popular podcast. Russ and Joey came from a more traditional advisory model and realized that their methods were keeping them from reaching the financial freedom they had been seeking. They decided to focus on finding an alternative approach to wealth and money, and started an advisory firm to help regular people learn how to take control of their financial future. Listen along as they share some o...
Thanksgiving 2020
November 26, 2020 10:30 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBHappy Thanksgiving, Opt Outers! It's that time of the year again, and Nate & Dana are both back in the studio to talk about what they've been doing lately and give us an update on what's coming next! More at optoutlife.com/podcast/thanksgiving-2020/
Lance Graulich - Mindset is Everything
November 19, 2020 10:30 - 1 hour - 45.2 MBBuying an existing business is often the fastest and least risky way to Opt Out. And if you have ever been curious about franchising, then today's episode with Lance Graulich is for you. Lance is the founder & CEO of ION Franchising, an industry-leading franchise consulting and development group, that represents over 500 franchise brands & business opportunities. Lance helps prospective entrepreneurs find their perfect franchise for free, and also assists independent business owners in cre...
Gregory Shepard - Meet the Boss
November 12, 2020 11:30 - 1 hour - 42.8 MBToday's guest is Greg Shepard. Greg is the CEO and founder of BOSS Capital Partners. He is a Serial Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, and Angel Venture Capital Investor with a legacy of building and running sustainable growth businesses. But to get to the top, he had to tackle many obstacles. His journey inspired him to start helping entrepreneurs around the world by creating the BOSS Operating Support System, a strategic playbook that teaches entrepreneurs how to scale a business through a s...
Grant Aldrich - "Know Thyself"
November 05, 2020 10:30 - 52 minutes - 36.5 MBToday's podcast guest is Grant Aldrich, the CEO and Founder of OnlineDegree.com. After graduating with honors from the University of California Irvine in Economics, and overwhelmed with debt, Grant went on a mission to make higher education more accessible and affordable for everyone - that's when OnlineDegree.com was founded. This for-profit company allows people to take courses and earn degrees from over a thousand participating universities, all for free. Grant has spent his entire ca...
Geordie Wardman - 100 Days of Ski
October 29, 2020 16:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBOur guest today is Geordie Wardman. Geordie has been an entrepreneur for 15 years and currently lives in Switzerland with his family. He helps other people build companies, builds his own software services and products, and still manages to ski 100 days a year while working on all of his businesses. In this episode, Geordie shows us a version of the Opt Out life that you may not have even thought of, and teaches us that no matter where you're at in life, you could pick up and move to Switz...
Erik the Listener
October 22, 2020 09:30 - 54 minutes - 37.9 MBOpt Out Life listener, Erik, hit us up to discuss a situation that many people find themselves in - Erik is in his late 20s, works as a civil engineer, and is looking for opportunities to opt out. How could he best approach this? In this special episode, we invited Erik onto the mic and talked through the most effective strategies he, and other aspiring Opt Out-ers, can use to take back control of their time. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/erik-the-listener/
Chad Peterson - “If It's Meant To Be, It's Up To Me”
October 15, 2020 09:30 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBIn today’s episode, we talk to Chad Peterson. Chad is an expert business broker and the founder of Peterson Acquisitions, an award-winning M&A firm. Chad is a self-made entrepreneur that has been in the trenches. He has started, built and sold 6 of his own businesses, and also wrote two books: “From Blue to White: A Working Man’s Guide to Self-Employment” and “Swinging Doors: A Guide to Selling Your Company” Learn more about his process of selling a business, how marketing strategy and o...
Bob Wheeler - I Thought I Was the Only One
October 08, 2020 10:30 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBIn today's episode, we talk to Bob Wheeler. Bob’s crusade for personal growth has cross-pollinated with his accounting practice to create a new approach to personal finances. His passion is to help others gain insights about how their emotions trigger financial decisions. While strengthening his accounting practice, Bob has simultaneously pursued his love of satire and ventured into the realm of standup comedy, and is currently the CFO for The World Famous Comedy Store. Take a listen t...
Bill Bice - In It for the Journey
October 01, 2020 09:30 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBIn today's episode, we talk to Bill Bice. Bill has always been an entrepreneur, starting his first company at age 14, putting on road races with corporate sponsors. At 18, he started ProLaw Software, the first integrated ERP for law firms. After selling the company, Bill became a VC as a founding partner in the Verge Fund, investing in high tech, high growth companies in the Southwest. One of the core things that Bill has learned in building and investing in companies is that the go-to-ma...
Ben Nachman - Perseverance is a Must
September 24, 2020 09:30 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MBIn today's episode, we talk to Benny Nachman. Benny worked as an attorney on corporate law but always had a bug for entrepreneurship. He created his first startup while in Law School, and eventually became a serial entrepreneur. He now has a proven track record in building a global bank with over 30 licenses all over the world, managing hundreds of employees, and thousands of merchants with over $7Bn in volume. Learn more about the companies he has founded, such as Credorax and Jassby, and...
Dana & Nate Update (Sept 2020)
September 17, 2020 09:30 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBNate and Dana are finally back in the studio! With a bunch of new episodes coming out, they return from their COVID break to give you an update on what they’re doing now, and what’s been going on with Opt Out in these last few months. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/dana-nate-update-sept-2020/
Dan Johnston - Stories Beat Stuff
May 14, 2020 09:30 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBIn this episode, our guest is Dan Johnston. He is the host of the Dreams Around The World podcast, and a business and life coach with a mission to help others create the best version of themselves. Dan went from a rock bottom point to living the life of his dreams, learning some incredible lessons along the way, and creating a life of travel, location independence, and freedom over his time. His #1 rule? Stories beat stuff. Listen along and get some inspiration and practical tips you can...
J. Massey - Fail Fast, Fail Forward, and Fail Frequently
May 07, 2020 09:30 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MBOur guest today is J Massey. J is a real estate investor, Podcast Host, and the CEO and Founder of Cashflow Diary, a short-term rental hospitality training company, where he shows people how to build their own short-term rental business from scratch. Listen along as J shares some cool angles on how you can still leverage vacation rentals amid the COVID-19 crisis, and learn about his incredible Opt Out journey, a story of personal success that will inspire you. More at optoutlife.com/podc...
Michael Green - The Flip Factor
April 30, 2020 09:30 - 55 minutes - 38.3 MBToday’s guest is Michael Green. Michael is an expert real estate investor, entrepreneur, and the host of The Flip Factor podcast. At age 17, he got in trouble with the law and faced a 4-year jail sentence that inspired him to turn his life around. He decided to learn how to flip houses and today, he runs his own house flipping business and has bought and sold over 1,100 deals. Listen to this classic Opt Out story and learn how he managed to change his life's path, and how he runs his suc...
Opt Out in the Age of COVID-19
April 23, 2020 09:30 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBIn this special episode, Nate and Dana talk about COVID-19 and how it’s impacting business and life in general. Listen as they share their experiences navigating quarantine, social-distancing, and work-life in the new normal. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/covid-19/
Ken Goodrich - Should've Been a Plumber!
April 09, 2020 09:30 - 1 hour - 45.2 MBAs a young boy, Ken Goodrich used to help his father by holding a flashlight for him as he worked on repairing air conditioners for customers. The first air conditioner unit he shined a flashlight on was a Goettl. With time, he became proficient as an air conditioning technician and ran service calls. Fast forward to today, and Ken owns and operates the Goettl Air Conditioning company. In this episode, you'll hear about his struggles learning how to run a business, how he took that knowl...
Merrick Lozano - Google Dance, Leap, Scale
April 02, 2020 09:30 - 1 hour - 41.6 MBIn this episode, our guest is not only inspirational to our audience, but has also been part of our own inspiration. Merrick Lozano. Founder of Let's Build A Brand and Co-Founder PRLeap, our long-time friend has been living the Opt Out life before it was even called Opt Out. Listen along as we chat about Google, SEO, business and having to do the 'dirty work' in Mexico. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/merrick-lozano/
Mindsets and Jets (EP.101)
March 26, 2020 09:30 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBIn this special episode, Dana & Nate go ‘guestless’ to talk about business, life, and opt out mindset - as it relates to private jets. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/mindsets-and-jets/
Dan Lu - Making the Leap from Engineer to Entrepreneur
March 19, 2020 09:30 - 52 minutes - 35.9 MBToday's guest is Dan Lu - a listener of the Out Out Life who quit his job as a mechanical engineer and moved to San Diego to start his own marketing business and reinvent his life. In this episode, we talk about the psychological struggles of being stuck in a life that you don't enjoy and working towards making a leap to take back control of your time. Dan's story shows that you don't have to have one of those giant success stories in order to get the life you want. Listen along to learn...
The Nomad Next Door
March 12, 2020 09:30 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBIn today’s episode, our guest is Kristy – also known as The Nomad Nextdoor. A free spirit from Encinitas, California, who left her career in sales to travel the world and live the opt out life. Dana met her in Bali, traveling between islands, where she shared her story of how she left everything behind to fulfill her dreams. Like many people, she felt stuck in her 9-5 job, so she found a way to leverage her passion for travel, and make a living out of it. Kristy is a great inspiration fo...
Listener Q+A (EP. 98)
February 27, 2020 10:30 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBToday’s episode is all about the listeners! Listen along as we answer YOUR questions about entrepreneurship, how to get the life you want, side gigs and anything Opt Out. Do you have a question? We want to hear from you! Email us your best question at [email protected] or [email protected] and we’ll add it to the list for our next special Listener Q+A episode. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/listener-qanda2/
Malcolm Nicholl - Making Words Count
February 20, 2020 10:30 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBIn this week's episode we have a special guest host, Cory Verner, who has brought to the studio a fascinating entrepreneur with quite an opt out journey, Malcolm Nicholl. Malcolm went from high-school dropout to millionaire entrepreneur and has lived and worked remotely, experiencing a variety of careers. Listen along as he takes us back to the initial endeavors that led him off the grid. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/malcolm-nicholl/
Opt Out Spirituality (EP.96)
February 13, 2020 10:30 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MBThroughout his spiritual journey, Dana has learned that certain spiritual narratives can become hindrances to our improvement. In today's special episode, he talks about spirituality and the implications it has on your ability to become a successful business person. Listen along as he discusses the importance of finding your own opt-out path to achieve the life you want. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/opt-out-spirituality/
Real-Time Buying a New Business
February 06, 2020 10:30 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBBuying an existing business can be a great path to entrepreneurship, but before rushing out to buy a business, there are some important things you should understand and consider. In this episode, Nate and Dana talk about "the truths" of buying a business, and Dana shares many of the nitty-gritty details of his latest property management business acquisition. If you’re curious about buying your way into entrepreneurship, this is your episode. More about https://optoutlife.com/podcast/re...
Rich Schefren - The Guru to the Gurus
January 30, 2020 10:30 - 1 hour - 46.2 MBOur guest in this episode is the “guru to the gurus”, Rich Schefren. Rich was the first guy to do online coaching, and ended up leveraging that to become the godfather to many of the major online marketing players of today. His passion was deepened to share what he had learned with all the aspiring internet marketers who wanted to build real businesses and have more freedom. That's when his consulting business, Strategic Profits, came into existence, adding over 15 Billion dollars of addi...
It's The Year of Opt Out
January 02, 2020 10:30 - 34 minutes - 48 MBIt's officially 2020, and we head into the third calendar year of existence of Opt Out Life! We're recapping our favorite lessons and episodes of 2019, and we talk about where we're headed - personally and professionally. 2019 was a busy and exciting year. Thanks for joining us! More at Optoutlife.com/podcast/its-the-year-of-opt-out/
Jono Bacon - An Empowered Community (EP. 92)
December 26, 2019 10:30 - 47 minutes - 64.9 MBToday we sit down with Jono Bacon. Author of five books, community strategist, and Keynote speaker. Jono spent his career developing his community management skills and decided to do consulting/advising on the side, which led him into founding Jono Bacon Consulting and extending the power of collaboration to a wider range of industries across the world. He wrote the critically acclaimed book The Art of Community, and also founded the Community Leadership Summit. His story gives us some i...
Nick Watts - Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable (Ep. 91)
December 19, 2019 10:30 - 1 hour - 91.1 MBAbout a year ago, we interviewed Courtney Condy - the founder of a business called Occupation Wild. Fast forward a year later, and we're closing the loop with Nick Watts, the new VP. Nick graduated from college and decided to never opt-in. His positive attitude and adventurous approach to life have taken him all over the world - from boat hitchhiking, to Surfing at Cloudbreak in Fiji. This fun, fast-paced story where Jacques Cousteau meets Indiana Jones will enlighten fellow opt-outers as ...
I have a business idea! (EP. 90)
December 12, 2019 10:30 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MBOk, so you've got a business idea - Now what? Dana & Nate go ‘guestless’ on this special episode to talk about how to implement a business idea. They share personal stories of both successes and failures that could give you the information you need if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/i-have-a-business-idea/
Michael Dash - Chasing the High (EP. 89)
December 05, 2019 10:30 - 53 minutes - 73 MBToday’s guest is Michael Dash. Michael is the author of Chasing the High, a book about his personal journey through addiction, entrepreneurship, legal battles, and all the lessons he learned along the way. Michael battled with gambling and drug addiction for many years, until a perspective-shifting trip to Bali inspired him to have a more positive mental attitude and outlook on life. Through it all, he was able to channel his compulsions into productivity, and find his entrepreneurial pass...
UNCUT – What's a Million Worth? (EP.88)
November 14, 2019 10:30 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MBFor many people, becoming a "millionaire" sounds like a dream come true. Many believe that reaching the million-dollar mark means being set for life and never having to worry about money again. But in today’s world, what's a million really worth? Listen along as we talk about millionaires and the reality of making a million dollars. No notes, no guest, this episode is 100% uncut and raw from the studio. More at optoutlife.com/podcast/whats-a-million-worth/
Kristian and Sabrina - The Green Coconut Run
November 07, 2019 10:30 - 53 minutes - 74 MBFor many opt outers, it’s all about getting out from under the 9 to 5 and building a business. But, what if your opt out is just a little more OUT? Like out on the azure waters of French Polynesia, floating on a boat, and not working a real job ever again? Today’s guests are Kristian and Sabrina, a married duo who designed that very life over a decade ago, and have been floating along in their version of the opt out life while the rest of the world spins on. The cool part about Kristian ...
Jillian Sassone - The Art of Serendipity - (EP. 86)
October 31, 2019 09:30 - 59 minutes - 81.4 MBOur guest in this episode, Jillian Sassone, started down her own entrepreneurial journey accidentally. She took a piece of an old heirloom and turned it into a cool new ring. Her first day out wearing it, she landed two custom jewelry clients without even trying. From there, Jillian’s business grew quickly as people realized that she could create custom rings. They soon outgrew their dining table, and leased a small space to have meetings. As things grew, she added her husband as a partner...
Listener Q+A Episode (EP. 85)
October 24, 2019 09:30 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MBToday's episode is all about the listeners! Listen along as we answer YOUR questions about entrepreneurship, how to get the life you want, side gigs and anything opt out. Do you have a question? We want to hear from you! Email us your best question at [email protected] or [email protected] and we'll add it to the list for our next special Listener Q+A episode. So what do you want to ask? More at optoutlife.com/podcast/listener-qanda/