Couple sold company for $745 million, but felt nothing: 'It was like a version of PTSD'

The couple said they threw a lavish party to the employees to celebrate the deal but instead of feeling euphoric, they felt a 'numbness'. (Image credit: Copilot)

In 2012, New York-based Mike and Kass Lazerow sold their social media marketing startup, Buddy Media, to Salesforce for a staggering $745 million. From the outside, it looked like a dream exit. The couple had built the company from scratch, weathered three pivots, and scaled it to over $50 million in annual recurring revenue. But instead of euphoria, they felt numb.

“We get into the Uber to go home … and [Mike] looks at me and goes, ‘Okay, so which doctors’ appointments do we have tomorrow for the kids?'” Kass, 54, told CNBC Make It. The moment, she said, was devoid of celebration — just a return to routine.

Kass, who had given birth to their third child just before Buddy Media took off, had juggled motherhood and entrepreneurship, even nursing her newborn while assembling office furniture. After the sale, she stepped away from her role as COO to focus on family, but the emotional fallout lingered. “I don’t want to compare it to real trauma, but it was like a version of PTSD,” she told the publication. “We couldn’t process it all at once.”

Mike, who was CEO of Buddy Media, stayed on at Salesforce for four years as its leading marketing and strategy initiatives. But he said the demanding travel schedule eventually took a toll on his health and family life. Both struggled with a loss of purpose — a common theme among entrepreneurs post-exit.

“We wanted freedom; that we weren’t tied to one business. We didn’t want to sit behind a desk," Mike said.

To get out of their ruts, Kass said they’re back in the entrepreneurial game — supporting founders through personal equity investments and sharing insights in their new book, Shoveling S---.

“I don’t think I could do another standalone company again,” Kass said. “It took just about everything out of me.”