Selling a business is an emotional elevator. Here are the 5 floors to get through.

Selling your business isn't just a financial operation.
It's an emotional shockwave, often underestimated, almost never anticipated.

We talk a lot about the selling price. Rarely the internal price to be paid.

For months, we're under tension: negotiations, projections, cold sweats.
Then one morning, everything stops. No more urgent e-mails. No more team to manage. No reason to get up at 6 a.m.
And then the void.

What you'll read here are the real emotional stages that founders go through after an exit.
Excitement, stress, euphoria, downfall, reinvention.
Nothing glamorous. All true.

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1. Excitement and anticipation

As soon as the first signs of interest appear, an adrenalin rush sets in. You start to think: how much, when, how? You feel recognized, validated, almost triumphant.

• A sense of accomplishment after years of hard work
• Adrenalin linked to reaping the rewards of one's efforts
• Eager to take a decisive step forward in his career

You dream of freedom, of money falling into your lap, of a new life. The mind runs faster than the signature.

2. Negotiation and uncertainty

Then comes the soft underbelly: the time of doubts and uncertainties, of going back and forth with advisors and buyers.

• Intense stress surrounding clauses, prices and earn-outs
• Anxiety about the outcome: is it all going to go wrong? Are we selling out?
• Fear of betraying: your team, your customers, your mission

The process becomes exhausting. And everyone continues to pretend that "all is well".

3. Agreement, relief, pride

When the closing falls, it's an inner thunderclap. The body finally releases the pressure. You take it in. We breathe. You stand up straight.

• Immediate relief: it's done
• Sudden release: no more e-mails, no more employees, no more emergencies
• Sense of power: we've won, we've succeeded

The moment is exhilarating. But it's often shorter than you think.

4. Lack, emptiness, down

And then the calm becomes strange. The euphoria subsides. And a kind of disorientation sets in.

• Nostalgia for the battles, the hardships, the little team moments
• Feeling of having lost a part of oneself
• Feeling of emptiness, even a violent psychological fall

It's paradoxical: we wanted to sell. We did. And yet... you feel betrayed by yourself.

According to some studies, 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs experience some form of "post-exit blues". Nobody talks about it. Everyone's experiencing it.

5. Adaptation and transition

You have to reinvent yourself. Recreate meaning. Structure. Mission.

• Tame a new daily routine without pressure or deadlines
• Asking real questions about your identity outside the company
• Redefine your goals, your battles, your contribution

Some pick up very quickly. Others take a real break. But all end up having to answer a brutal question: what do I do with this freedom I've wrested from me?

Conclusion:

Selling is a summit. But it's also a start. The biggest trap isn't selling. It's thinking the job is over. When it's really just beginning.

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Photo: Mike Yukhtenko