“An acquisition is not the end all, be all. And I really want to emphasize that because I think there's so many misnomers or ideas out there that people think the norm is raising money. I did not. There's another way to do it. It's just less talked about and gets less attention. The end all is not always an exit.”
Gwen Whiting is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of The Laundress, an eco-friendly cleaning brand. After selling the company to Unilever in 2019, Gwen faced unexpected challenges navigating the acquisition process and the emotional toll of watching the brand she had built for many years start to sink. Now, Gwen is channeling her passion for wellness into her latest venture, The Fill, a private members cleaning community focused on sustainable solutions. Through this new chapter, she continues to advocate for responsible entrepreneurship and creating meaningful impact. After not being able to speak about the details of her acquisition until now, Gwen is finally able to reveal what can really happen after a sale. Tune in and hear the challenges Gwen faced going from founder to employee, what she learned from her acquisition, and why some of her best advice is to join the Entreprenista League.
We talked about:
- How the Laundress was acquired (06:42)
- The emotional toll of selling a business (24:52)
- Sustainable business practices (31:36)
- The importance of giving back (35:56)
- Challenges of starting fresh (47:14)
Connect with Gwen:
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Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
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Guests
Gwen Whiting
Hosts
Stephanie Cartin
Stephanie Cartin is a serial entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, community builder, and a champion for women founders. She created the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, to provide resources and support necessary at all business stages. She’s also the Co-founder of Socialfly, one of the first social media marketing agencies, as well as Entreprenista Media and Pearl Influential Capital which was recently acquired by Cherub. Stephanie has shared her journey managing her health challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Infertility, and a complicated pregnancy and is an advocate for women going through similar challenges. Her story and businesses have been featured on the Today Show, Bloomberg and Forbes. Consider Stephanie your biggest business cheerleader.
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