In this episode of The Exit Whisperer, Carrie sits down with Amanda Goetz, founder of House of Wise and author of Toxic Grit, to unpack one of the most dangerous deal structures founders don’t talk about: the equity sale with no cash.
Amanda shares the full, unfiltered story of selling her fast-growing brand in an equity deal that looked “perfect” on paper — and how it quietly turned into a nightmare. We get into the emotional state founders are in when they sell, the paperwork everyone assumes gets handled, and the brutal reality of what happens when it doesn’t.
00:47 Meet Amanda Goetz
02:13 The Rise Of House Of Wise
02:42 Challenges In Fundraising
04:30 The Equity Deal (No Cash, High Risk)
04:43 When The Deal Started To Go Wrong
07:15 The Personal And Financial Fallout
10:28 Lessons Learned And Hard Advice
12:46 Decisions Made Under Pressure
13:39 Letting Go: Identity, Trauma, And Loss
14:38 When New Management Took Over
15:57 Starting Over: 2025 And Beyond
16:19 Finding New Roles And Creative Energy
16:57 From Newsletter To Book Deal
20:25 What “Toxic Grit” Really Means
23:17 The 10 Characters That Shape A Life
