Whether you're a tech founder or a non-tech founder, you need help to successfully scale a startup.Our guest, Software Engineer turned “The Mary Poppins of Startups”, Naily Makangu, is passionate about bringing her multi-faceted toolkit to lead complex software projects and launch products. With over ten years of experience, she has a proven track record of turning around struggling technical projects and organizations, from seed startups to large corporations such as Siemens Industry Software.Naily has a gift for bridging the gap between tech teams and the rest of the business to ensure successful project delivery. As a Startup Advisor and Tech Consultant, she’s helped several startups and scaleups improve the maturity of their teams while continuing to deliver what customers expect. Investors count on her to help keep their startups teams on track, reducing the need to breathe down their necks. Naily is committed to fostering innovation and growth in the startup community via Athena Leaders' "Tech and Product Catalyst".The"Tech and Product Catalyst" is designed to empower startup founders and investors alike. It helps startups close, onboard, and manage more clients, particularly in the B2B sector and prepare for investor scrutiny and due diligence. We improve startup maturity level, enabling faster building, launching, and scaling. Investors can benefit from additional support for struggling startups in their portfolio. 💥 Check out Naily's Tech and Product Catalyst 👉 http://athenaleaders.com/tech-and-product-catalyst🎤 Check out "The Mary Poppins of Startups Podcast" giving your startups or business the tools to build your first prototype, reach product-market fit and blossom 👉 https://bit.ly/PodcastAthenaLeaders💻 Sign up to Naily's 1-1 Tech &amp; Product Mentoring sessions 👉 https://bit.ly/1-1FreeTechMentoring👋 Connect with Naily Makangu on LinkedIn 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nailymakangu/Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com#bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories  #startuplife CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ TikTok: @andelyons

Whether you're a tech founder or a non-tech founder, you need help to successfully scale a startup. Our guest, Software Engineer turned “The Mary Poppins of Startups”, Naily Makangu, is passionate about bringing her multi-faceted toolkit to lead complex software projects and launch products. With over ten years of experience, she has a proven track record of turning around struggling technical projects and organizations, from seed startups to large corporations such as Siemens Industry Software. Naily has a gift for bridging the gap between tech teams and the rest of the business to ensure successful project delivery. As a Startup Advisor and Tech Consultant, she’s helped several startups and scaleups improve the maturity of their teams while continuing to deliver what customers expect. Investors count on her to help keep their startups teams on track, reducing the need to breathe down their necks. Naily is committed to fostering innovation and growth in the startup community via Athena Leaders' "Tech and Product Catalyst". The"Tech and Product Catalyst" is designed to empower startup founders and investors alike. It helps startups close, onboard, and manage more clients, particularly in the B2B sector and prepare for investor scrutiny and due diligence. We improve startup maturity level, enabling faster building, launching, and scaling. Investors can benefit from additional support for struggling startups in their portfolio. 💥 Check out Naily's Tech and Product Catalyst 👉 <a href="http://athenaleaders.com/tech-and-product-catalyst" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://athenaleaders.com/tech-and-product-catalyst</a> 🎤 Check out "The Mary Poppins of Startups Podcast" giving your startups or business the tools to build your first prototype, reach product-market fit and blossom 👉 <a href="https://bit.ly/PodcastAthenaLeaders" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/PodcastAthenaLeaders</a> 💻 Sign up to Naily's 1-1 Tech &amp; Product Mentoring sessions 👉 <a href="https://bit.ly/1-1FreeTechMentoring" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/1-1FreeTechMentoring</a> 👋 Connect with Naily Makangu on LinkedIn 👉 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nailymakangu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/nailymakangu/</a> Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #startuplife CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons

Helping Founders Successfully Scale Their Startup

Fostering connection among employees and company leaders is hard enough to do within brick and mortar walls.Building company culture and forging employee relationships without the four walls is a challenge many companies are failing at today.Our guest, Dave Wilkin, is an award-winning serial LGBTQ+ entrepreneur who grew up in a small, rural town, and experienced firsthand that mentors and meaningful connections were critical to accessing career-progressing and skills development opportunities. He solved this problem by launching Ten Thousand Coffees (10KC) and building the only all-in-one talent experience platform for inclusive mentoring, employee connectivity, and skills development. Dave also helps equity-seeking groups leverage 10KC’s platform to access critical mentoring and career progressing networks through some of the largest social impact organizations in the world including ALPFA, Ascend, Black Professionals in Tech Network and more.Stay tuned for an inspirational fireside chat with an extraordinary entrepreneur on the Startup Life Show!To learn more about 10KC, please visit: https://www.tenthousandcoffees.com/Thank you for tuning in to the show - let me know what you think of Dave's startup story in the comments - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com#inspirationalstories #startupstories  #startuplife JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVEWBENC ApplicationSend me an email: ande@andelyons.comCONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ TikTok: @andelyonsSPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life  Show! ande@andelyons.com.

Fostering connection among employees and company leaders is hard enough to do within brick and mortar walls. Building company culture and forging employee relationships without the four walls is a challenge many companies are failing at today. Our guest, Dave Wilkin, is an award-winning serial LGBTQ+ entrepreneur who grew up in a small, rural town, and experienced firsthand that mentors and meaningful connections were critical to accessing career-progressing and skills development opportunities. He solved this problem by launching Ten Thousand Coffees (10KC) and building the only all-in-one talent experience platform for inclusive mentoring, employee connectivity, and skills development. Dave also helps equity-seeking groups leverage 10KC’s platform to access critical mentoring and career progressing networks through some of the largest social impact organizations in the world including ALPFA, Ascend, Black Professionals in Tech Network and more. Stay tuned for an inspirational fireside chat with an extraordinary entrepreneur on the Startup Life Show! To learn more about 10KC, please visit: <a href="https://www.tenthousandcoffees.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.tenthousandcoffees.com/</a> Thank you for tuning in to the show - let me know what you think of Dave's startup story in the comments - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #inspirationalstories #startupstories #startuplife JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> WBENC Application Send me an email: ande@andelyons.com CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life Show! ande@andelyons.com.

EP 288 Building the Best All-in-One SaaS Solution for Mentoring, Connectivity & Skills Development

You are not built to do life alone.But how do you get the real support you need to navigate the real life events you’re sailing through?This delicious conversation on the Startup Life Show is with Tamar Blue - the fab female co-founder of MentalHappy – an online health platform that provides access to peer support and group therapy, especially for people of low-income, underrepresented populations, and people living in rural areas.What I especially loved about this conversation was how Tamar’s life beautifully prepared her to be the ideal co-founder of MentalHappy!From her hugely successful volunteer program in high school called Safety Ambassadors to her dual degree in econonmics and sociology, to her 10 years in corporate environments teaching her how to drive revenue and manage gross profits, to addressing her own challenges with anxiety and panic attacks and being bullied as a first-generation Haitian American. Tamar’s lived experiences uniquely prepared her to be the ideal co-founder of her startup!I know you will enjoy hearing Tamar’s inspirational startup stories and learn why … and how… she left the paycheck and benefits behind to launch a social impact, Y Combinator backed startup: MentalHappy.To learn more about MentalHappy, please visit: https://mentalhappy.comTo learn more about MentalHappy’s Wefunder Campaign, please visit: https://wefunder.com/MentalHappy.Connect with Tamar and Mental Happy on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamarlucienblue/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/mentalhappy/Thank you for tuning in to the show - let me know what you think of Tamar's startup story in the comments - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.cominspirationalstories #startupstories #startuplifeJOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show! https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVECONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://twitter.com/AndeLyons https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ TikTok: @andelyonsSPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of celebrating diverse founders' inspirational startup stories, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

You are not built to do life alone. But how do you get the real support you need to navigate the real life events you’re sailing through? This delicious conversation on the Startup Life Show is with Tamar Blue - the fab female co-founder of MentalHappy – an online health platform that provides access to peer support and group therapy, especially for people of low-income, underrepresented populations, and people living in rural areas. What I especially loved about this conversation was how Tamar’s life beautifully prepared her to be the ideal co-founder of MentalHappy! From her hugely successful volunteer program in high school called Safety Ambassadors to her dual degree in econonmics and sociology, to her 10 years in corporate environments teaching her how to drive revenue and manage gross profits, to addressing her own challenges with anxiety and panic attacks and being bullied as a first-generation Haitian American. Tamar’s lived experiences uniquely prepared her to be the ideal co-founder of her startup! I know you will enjoy hearing Tamar’s inspirational startup stories and learn why … and how… she left the paycheck and benefits behind to launch a social impact, Y Combinator backed startup: MentalHappy. To learn more about MentalHappy, please visit: <a href="https://mentalhappy.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://mentalhappy.com</a> To learn more about MentalHappy’s Wefunder Campaign, please visit: <a href="https://wefunder.com/MentalHappy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wefunder.com/MentalHappy</a>. Connect with Tamar and Mental Happy on LinkedIn here: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamarlucienblue/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamarlucienblue/</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/mentalhappy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/mentalhappy/</a> Thank you for tuning in to the show - let me know what you think of Tamar's startup story in the comments - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> inspirationalstories #startupstories #startuplife JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of celebrating diverse founders' inspirational startup stories, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

EP 287 A Digital Health Platform Expanding Access to Peer Support and Group Therapy

Less than 2% of Venture Capital funds go to Women and Minority Owned Businesses.Our guest, Professor Banu Ozkazanc-Pan, is the Founder and Director of the Venture Capital Inclusion Lab at the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University.With $260,000 in funding from the Kauffman Foundation, Banu launched the lab to investigate WHY this abysmal under 2% number exists and find ways to solve it.During our delicious conversation we dove deep into the data pool to learn what Banu and her team have uncovered and how this data may help improve the funding of under resourced founders .The Venture Capital Inclusion Lab was started in 2018 with funds from Professor Bah-nu’s Kauffman Foundation grant to examine the decision-making and network behaviors of VCs.Today, the Lab focuses efforts on understanding and solving funding inequities in the VC industry through data-driven research, education and advocacy.Banu is also a Professor of Practice at the School of Engineering and Academic Director of the IE Brown University Executive MBA program. Her research interests are mainly in the areas of diversity and inclusion in organizations and in entrepreneurial ecosystems.To learn more about the Venture Capital Inclusion Lab, please visit: https://vcinclusion.comTap this link to connect with Professor Banu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/banuopan/Check out Banu's startup, Derpy Doggy and it's clean, gluten-free products here: https://www.derpydoggy.com/Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #venturecapitalJOIN STARTUP LIFE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVEWBENC Application Send me an email: ande@andelyons.comCONNECT WITH ME ONLINE:https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/TikTok: @andelyonsSPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life Show! ande@andelyons.com.WHAT WE LEARNED00:00 - meet Professor Banu Ozkazanc-Pan06:00 - Sylvester Myer !08:00 - Professor Banu's origin story12:20 - teach entrepreneurship transform the teacher18:30 - why we don't see equity and inclusion in the VC industry21:20 - why it took so long for women to be included at VC firms25:00 - gender stereotypes in venture capital prohibit funding of women and minority owned businesses27:00 - the challenges for Emerging Funds Managers29:00 - Ande's soap box moment (sorry, not sorry!)33:00 - response to Scroobious' Founder Allison Byers35:50 - Village Capital's Framework Study40:00 - changing the VC mindset to be inclusive is a hard task46:00 - education and alumni networks benefit men50:20 - white males need to support women getting funded

Less than 2% of Venture Capital funds go to Women and Minority Owned Businesses. Our guest, Professor Banu Ozkazanc-Pan, is the Founder and Director of the Venture Capital Inclusion Lab at the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University. With $260,000 in funding from the Kauffman Foundation, Banu launched the lab to investigate WHY this abysmal under 2% number exists and find ways to solve it. During our delicious conversation we dove deep into the data pool to learn what Banu and her team have uncovered and how this data may help improve the funding of under resourced founders . The Venture Capital Inclusion Lab was started in 2018 with funds from Professor Bah-nu’s Kauffman Foundation grant to examine the decision-making and network behaviors of VCs. Today, the Lab focuses efforts on understanding and solving funding inequities in the VC industry through data-driven research, education and advocacy. Banu is also a Professor of Practice at the School of Engineering and Academic Director of the IE Brown University Executive MBA program. Her research interests are mainly in the areas of diversity and inclusion in organizations and in entrepreneurial ecosystems. To learn more about the Venture Capital Inclusion Lab, please visit: <a href="https://vcinclusion.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://vcinclusion.com</a> Tap this link to connect with Professor Banu on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/banuopan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/banuopan/</a> Check out Banu's startup, Derpy Doggy and it's clean, gluten-free products here: <a href="https://www.derpydoggy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.derpydoggy.com/</a> Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #venturecapital JOIN STARTUP LIFE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> WBENC Application Send me an email: ande@andelyons.com CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life Show! ande@andelyons.com. WHAT WE LEARNED 00:00 - meet Professor Banu Ozkazanc-Pan 06:00 - Sylvester Myer ! 08:00 - Professor Banu's origin story 12:20 - teach entrepreneurship transform the teacher 18:30 - why we don't see equity and inclusion in the VC industry 21:20 - why it took so long for women to be included at VC firms 25:00 - gender stereotypes in venture capital prohibit funding of women and minority owned businesses 27:00 - the challenges for Emerging Funds Managers 29:00 - Ande's soap box moment (sorry, not sorry!) 33:00 - response to Scroobious' Founder Allison Byers 35:50 - Village Capital's Framework Study 40:00 - changing the VC mindset to be inclusive is a hard task 46:00 - education and alumni networks benefit men 50:20 - white males need to support women getting funded

EP 286 Understanding and Solving Funding Inequities in the VC Industry

Our guest, Tonia Jahshan, was recovering from a difficult time in her life when she had her first cup of tea… and it was love at first sip.You will be inspired by her startup story and will love hearing how she built her direct sales wellness drink empire to extraordinary heights, by building a thriving, committed community, one sip at a time.Tonia is the founder of Sipology, a multi-million dollar direct sales company selling wellness drinks and accessories.Tonya founded Sipology after suffering a miscarriage and traveling to Nova Scotia for a pause. While there, she had her first cup of Earl Grey de la Crème tea, and for the first time in weeks, things felt better.She launched Sipology in 2007 to share the healing power of tea with the world.In 2012, Tonia pitched the business on Dragons’ Den (Canadian Shark Tank) and accepted an offer from Dragons Jim Treliving and David Chilton, skyrocketing the business to new heights.BTW: Tonia's pitch is the all time best pitch at Dragons' Den and is used as an example for potential guests pitching to be on the show. Also, Sipology's deal holds the record for the fastest closing of a deal on the show.Today, Sipology does millions in annual sales and has tens of thousands of consultants selling its products.The company has been recognized as one of Profit 500 Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies, and Tonia was named Canada’s #1 Female Entrepreneur by W100 and 1 of 6 Women to Watch by Forbes.Watch Sipology's Dragons' Den pitch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV_AqVsorxQTo learn more about Sipology, please visit: https://www.sipology.comConnect with Tonia and Sipology online via these social platforms:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sipology/ and https://www.instagram.com/toniajahshan/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steepedteainc and https://www.facebook.com/ToniaJahshan/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonia-jahshan-29977410/Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com#bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #startuplife JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVEWBENC ApplicationSend me an email: ande@andelyons.comCONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ TikTok: @andelyonsANDELICIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTSArlan’s Academy: https://arlansacademy.com/Scroobious - use Ande15 discount code: https://www.scroobious.com/How to Raise a Seed Round: https://bit.ly/AAElizabethYinTune in to Mia Voss' Shit We Don't Talk About podcast here: https://shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com/SPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

Our guest, Tonia Jahshan, was recovering from a difficult time in her life when she had her first cup of tea… and it was love at first sip. You will be inspired by her startup story and will love hearing how she built her direct sales wellness drink empire to extraordinary heights, by building a thriving, committed community, one sip at a time. Tonia is the founder of Sipology, a multi-million dollar direct sales company selling wellness drinks and accessories. Tonya founded Sipology after suffering a miscarriage and traveling to Nova Scotia for a pause.  While there, she had her first cup of Earl Grey de la Crème tea, and for the first time in weeks, things felt better. She launched Sipology in 2007 to share the healing power of tea with the world. In 2012, Tonia pitched the business on Dragons’ Den (Canadian Shark Tank) and accepted an offer from Dragons Jim Treliving and David Chilton, skyrocketing the business to new heights. BTW: Tonia's pitch is the all time best pitch at Dragons' Den and is used as an example for potential guests pitching to be on the show. Also, Sipology's deal holds the record for the fastest closing of a deal on the show. Today, Sipology does millions in annual sales and has tens of thousands of consultants selling its products. The company has been recognized as one of Profit 500 Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies, and Tonia was named Canada’s #1 Female Entrepreneur by W100 and 1 of 6 Women to Watch by Forbes. Watch Sipology's Dragons' Den pitch here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV_AqVsorxQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV_AqVsorxQ</a> To learn more about Sipology, please visit: <a href="https://www.sipology.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.sipology.com</a> Connect with Tonia and Sipology online via these social platforms: Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sipology/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/sipology/</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/toniajahshan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/toniajahshan/</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/steepedteainc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/steepedteainc</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ToniaJahshan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ToniaJahshan/</a> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonia-jahshan-29977410/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonia-jahshan-29977410/</a> Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #startuplife JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> WBENC Application Send me an email: ande@andelyons.com CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons ANDELICIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS Arlan’s Academy: <a href="https://arlansacademy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://arlansacademy.com/</a> Scroobious - use Ande15 discount code: <a href="https://www.scroobious.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.scroobious.com/</a> How to Raise a Seed Round: <a href="https://bit.ly/AAElizabethYin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/AAElizabethYin</a> Tune in to Mia Voss' Shit We Don't Talk About podcast here: <a href="https://shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com/</a> SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

EP 285 How She Built a Direct Sales Wellness Drink Empire, One Sip at a Time

Veleké Brown is dedicated to addressing food insecurity through a program focused on ensuring access to fresh produce for those in underrepresented communities and creating systems of sustainable agriculture.It's called Operation No Food Gap, and it's changing lives through learning how to grow and harvest and eat fresh produce, while ending food insecurity in marginalized neighborhoods.Veleké dives deep into her decades experience as the non-profit founder of E-Roadmap, a 501c3 nonprofit that works with after-school programs, school systems and various organizations to empower and equip youth with life-altering unique skills to eradicate poverty of mind.You'll learn about building a non profit board, nurturing donor and sponsorship relationships, how to always be learning and growing, fundraising and networking advice for non profit leaders - and more! You will love meeting this awe*mazing educator, organizer, social innovator and a connector with a focus on youth development.You can find Veleké in the classroom, at the local City Hall or on the front lines feeding the homeless. She changes lives, everywhere she GLOWS!To learn more about Operation No Food Gap, please visit: https://nofoodgap.orgTo learn more about E-RoadMap, please visit: https://www.e-roadmap.org/about Please connect with Veleke via LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/velek-brown-5a5344a/Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #startuplifeWHAT WE LEARNED:00:00 - Meet Veleke Brown!06:00 - How she learned entrepreneurship from her Grandfather and Father09:00 - Black entrepreneurship12:00 - Launching a non-profit startup14:40 - Best non-profit Board advice18:30 - Founders need to always be learning and growing21:30 - How to build a donor base and attract Sponsors23:00 - Best networking advice for non-profit founders25:30 - Outstanding advice for raising funds for a new non-profit40:00 - How to turn an abandoned property into a thriving produce-filled garden43:30 - There's a hunger issue in Palm Beach County52:00 - Delicious founder journey adviceJOIN STARTUP LIFE SHOW MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show! https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVEWBENCSend me an email to learn how I can help you with this important application: ande@andelyons.comCONNECT WITH ME ONLINE:https://twitter.com/AndeLyons https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/TikTok: @andelyonsSPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

Veleké Brown is dedicated to addressing food insecurity through a program focused on ensuring access to fresh produce for those in underrepresented communities and creating systems of sustainable agriculture. It's called Operation No Food Gap, and it's changing lives through learning how to grow and harvest and eat fresh produce, while ending food insecurity in marginalized neighborhoods. Veleké dives deep into her decades experience as the non-profit founder of E-Roadmap, a 501c3 nonprofit that works with after-school programs, school systems and various organizations to empower and equip youth with life-altering unique skills to eradicate poverty of mind. You'll learn about building a non profit board, nurturing donor and sponsorship relationships, how to always be learning and growing, fundraising and networking advice for non profit leaders - and more! You will love meeting this awe*mazing educator, organizer, social innovator and a connector with a focus on youth development. You can find Veleké in the classroom, at the local City Hall or on the front lines feeding the homeless. She changes lives, everywhere she GLOWS! To learn more about Operation No Food Gap, please visit: <a href="https://nofoodgap.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://nofoodgap.org</a> To learn more about E-RoadMap, please visit: <a href="https://www.e-roadmap.org/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.e-roadmap.org/about</a> Please connect with Veleke via LinkedIn here: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/velek-brown-5a5344a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/velek-brown-5a5344a/</a> Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #startuplife WHAT WE LEARNED: 00:00 - Meet Veleke Brown! 06:00 - How she learned entrepreneurship from her Grandfather and Father 09:00 - Black entrepreneurship 12:00 - Launching a non-profit startup 14:40 - Best non-profit Board advice 18:30 - Founders need to always be learning and growing 21:30 - How to build a donor base and attract Sponsors 23:00 - Best networking advice for non-profit founders 25:30 - Outstanding advice for raising funds for a new non-profit 40:00 - How to turn an abandoned property into a thriving produce-filled garden 43:30 - There's a hunger issue in Palm Beach County 52:00 - Delicious founder journey advice JOIN STARTUP LIFE SHOW MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> WBENC Send me an email to learn how I can help you with this important application: ande@andelyons.com CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

EP 284 Addressing Food Insecurity by Growing Healthy Food, People & Communities

Bootstrapping is how many newly minted founders launch their startup. Using their own savings and borrowing capability to get their business off the ground.However, lack of funding can cause a founder to freeze, to get caught in a mindset chokehold that prevents them from moving forward... from seeing solutions.How do you get unstuck?Our guest, Tiana Sanchez, is the queen of dissolving mindset blocks that keep folks from achieving their dreams.AND… she shares outstanding advice and pathways to help you bootstrap your business to achieve traction and increase valuation ... because when you can increase valuation through bootstrapping, investors will be more interested in your deal… and you’ll keep a much higher percentage of the equity in your business.Tiana is the CEO and Founder of TSI LLC (Tiana Sanchez International), a leadership and development company helping organizations train and develop a more competent, confident, caring and collaborative workforce.Tiana is also a Number 1 bestselling author, executive coach, corporate trainer, keynote speaker, and host of Like a REAL Boss podcast. Tiana’s public and private sector corporate training and development client list includes Sony Pictures, BMW, Mercedes Benz, and California State University Long Beach. She is the author of two books: “Undefeatable” (https://amzn.to/42Yj59Q) and “F’D Up – The UPside of Failure” (https://amzn.to/3BxziqC) and is well known for her engaging, high-energy keynote presentations at Leadership Conferences, Women’s Conferences, Higher Education Events, and Company Retreats.To learn more about Tiana's services, please visit: https://tianasanchez.comFollow and connect with Tiana via these social platforms:LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tianasanchez/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/TianaSanchezFanPage/Twitter @LikeARealBosshttps://twitter.com/likearealbossInstagram @LikeARealBosshttps://www.instagram.com/likearealbossladyTiana's Books:Undefeatable: Conquering Self-Defeat https://amzn.to/42Yj59QF'd Up: The UPside of Failure Kindle Edition https://amzn.to/3BxziqCThank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com#bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories  #bootstrap #mindsethacksWHAT WE LEARNED:00:00 - meet Tiana Sanchez07:00 - Tiana became an entrepreneur after a painful layoff11:00 - what's your talent stack?13:00 - Hot Dog and a Stick - loooove this story!16:36 - how to dissolve external blockers (competition!)19:00 - how Tiana launched and built her business without a degree and resources30:00 - Undefeatable - Conquering Self-Defeat37:00 - to make money, you have to spend money40:00 - how to build partnerships and collaborations to grow your business44:00 - F'D Up: The UPside of Failure JOIN STARTUP LIFE SHOW MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVECONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ TikTok: @andelyonsWBENC APPLICATIONDon't leave money on the table! Reach out to me to find out how I can help you apply for a WBENC Certification: ande@andelyons.com Join Innovation Women here: https://bit.ly/AndeInnoWomenSPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life Show! ande@andelyons.com.

Bootstrapping is how many newly minted founders launch their startup. Using their own savings and borrowing capability to get their business off the ground. However, lack of funding can cause a founder to freeze, to get caught in a mindset chokehold that prevents them from moving forward... from seeing solutions. How do you get unstuck? Our guest, Tiana Sanchez, is the queen of dissolving mindset blocks that keep folks from achieving their dreams. AND… she shares outstanding advice and pathways to help you bootstrap your business to achieve traction and increase valuation ... because when you can increase valuation through bootstrapping, investors will be more interested in your deal… and you’ll keep a much higher percentage of the equity in your business. Tiana is the CEO and Founder of TSI LLC (Tiana Sanchez International), a leadership and development company helping organizations train and develop a more competent, confident, caring and collaborative workforce. Tiana is also a Number 1 bestselling author, executive coach, corporate trainer, keynote speaker, and host of Like a REAL Boss podcast. Tiana’s public and private sector corporate training and development client list includes Sony Pictures, BMW, Mercedes Benz, and California State University Long Beach. She is the author of two books: “Undefeatable” (<a href="https://amzn.to/42Yj59Q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/42Yj59Q</a>) and “F’D Up – The UPside of Failure” (<a href="https://amzn.to/3BxziqC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3BxziqC</a>) and is well known for her engaging, high-energy keynote presentations at Leadership Conferences, Women’s Conferences, Higher Education Events, and Company Retreats. To learn more about Tiana's services, please visit: <a href="https://tianasanchez.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://tianasanchez.com</a> Follow and connect with Tiana via these social platforms: LinkedIn <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianasanchez/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianasanchez/</a> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TianaSanchezFanPage/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/TianaSanchezFanPage/</a> Twitter @LikeARealBoss <a href="https://twitter.com/likearealboss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/likearealboss</a> Instagram @LikeARealBoss <a href="https://www.instagram.com/likearealbosslady" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/likearealbosslady</a> Tiana's Books: Undefeatable: Conquering Self-Defeat <a href="https://amzn.to/42Yj59Q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/42Yj59Q</a> F'd Up: The UPside of Failure Kindle Edition <a href="https://amzn.to/3BxziqC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://amzn.to/3BxziqC</a> Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #bootstrap #mindsethacks WHAT WE LEARNED: 00:00 - meet Tiana Sanchez 07:00 - Tiana became an entrepreneur after a painful layoff 11:00 - what's your talent stack? 13:00 - Hot Dog and a Stick - loooove this story! 16:36 - how to dissolve external blockers (competition!) 19:00 - how Tiana launched and built her business without a degree and resources 30:00 - Undefeatable - Conquering Self-Defeat 37:00 - to make money, you have to spend money 40:00 - how to build partnerships and collaborations to grow your business 44:00 - F'D Up: The UPside of Failure JOIN STARTUP LIFE SHOW MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons WBENC APPLICATION Don't leave money on the table! Reach out to me to find out how I can help you apply for a WBENC Certification: ande@andelyons.com Join Innovation Women here: <a href="https://bit.ly/AndeInnoWomen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/AndeInnoWomen</a> SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life Show! ande@andelyons.com.

EP 283 How to Successfully Bootstrap your Startup Business

Everyone’s chatting about ChatGPT, but how does one successfully leverage this AI to grow a startup? Without increasing the work load, distracting your engineers, disrupting the work flow and causing headaches for founders?Our guest, Shanif Dhanani, is here to help! He’s the founder of Locusive, where he and his team help businesses understand and build systems that connect their internal and proprietary systems to ChatGPT, enabling internal employees, customers, and other stakeholders to reap the benefits of using large language models on their own data. Shanif has a strong background in software and data science. He built machine learning, analytics, and software systems at large companies like Twitter and Booz Allen, smaller startups like Apteo, where he was the founder, and TapCommerce, which was one of the world's first mobile advertising platforms.To learn how Locusive can help your startup integrate ChatGPT, please visit: https://www.locusive.com/Connect with Shanif and Locusive on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanifdhanani/https://www.linkedin.com/company/locusive/about/00:00 - meet Shanif!08:00 - serial founder stories13:00 - entrepreneurship is the best personal development program16:00 - what is ChatGPT and how does it work 17:00 - how can startups safely use ChatGPT19:00 - how ChatGPT helps sales enablement processes25:00 - how do you protect your proprietary data when using ChatGPT28:00 - excellent founder fundraising advice and insights33:00 - how to not distract your engineers when adding ChatGPT 35:00 - ChatGPT helps a startup move faster without a lot of resources and risk37:00 - start small, stay focused! Stitch that on a Pillow!42:00 - stop working when you're tired and feeling burned out - do not push yourselfThank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com#bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #startuplife #chatgptJOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVECONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ TikTok: @andelyonsWBENC APPLICATIONI LOVE helping female founders of B2B businesses with their WBENC applications! Send me an email requesting a 15-minute convo: ande@andelyons.com SPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

Everyone’s chatting about ChatGPT, but how does one successfully leverage this AI to grow a startup? Without increasing the work load, distracting your engineers, disrupting the work flow and causing headaches for founders? Our guest, Shanif Dhanani, is here to help! He’s the founder of Locusive, where he and his team help businesses understand and build systems that connect their internal and proprietary systems to ChatGPT, enabling internal employees, customers, and other stakeholders to reap the benefits of using large language models on their own data. Shanif has a strong background in software and data science. He built machine learning, analytics, and software systems at large companies like Twitter and Booz Allen, smaller startups like Apteo, where he was the founder, and TapCommerce, which was one of the world's first mobile advertising platforms. To learn how Locusive can help your startup integrate ChatGPT, please visit: <a href="https://www.locusive.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.locusive.com/</a> Connect with Shanif and Locusive on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanifdhanani/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanifdhanani/</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/locusive/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/locusive/about/</a> 00:00 - meet Shanif! 08:00 - serial founder stories 13:00 - entrepreneurship is the best personal development program 16:00 - what is ChatGPT and how does it work 17:00 - how can startups safely use ChatGPT 19:00 - how ChatGPT helps sales enablement processes 25:00 - how do you protect your proprietary data when using ChatGPT 28:00 - excellent founder fundraising advice and insights 33:00 - how to not distract your engineers when adding ChatGPT 35:00 - ChatGPT helps a startup move faster without a lot of resources and risk 37:00 - start small, stay focused! Stitch that on a Pillow! 42:00 - stop working when you're tired and feeling burned out - do not push yourself Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #startuplife #chatgpt JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons WBENC APPLICATION I LOVE helping female founders of B2B businesses with their WBENC applications! Send me an email requesting a 15-minute convo: ande@andelyons.com SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

EP 282 How Startups Can Leverage ChatGPT to Drive Growth and Innovation

It takes a considerable amount of courage, purpose, resilence and tenacity to bring a Micro Mobility (scooter-bike!) startup to life!With an entrepreneurial spirit that was evident from a young age, our guest – Emil Nnani - took the business world by storm when he launched his first venture at just 17 years old. His tenacity and vision led him to achieve his first million in sales by the age of 22.A serial and seasoned entrepreneur, Emil takes us on a wonderful journey through his earlier businesses - a mechanic business, a clothing line, a singing career (hip hop Christian music) and an errand driver business, where he honed his entrepreneurial skills, ideally preparing him for his current startup: Boaz Bikes.As the Founder and CEO of Boaz Bikes, Emil took a vision of a safer scooter, while supporting underserved communities, and created a groundbreaking electric scooter and E-Bike MaaS platform that has transformed the landscape of urban transportation by solving first and last-mile transportation problems for cities across the globe.Learn more about Boaz Bikes here: https://www.boazbikes.com/Join Boaz Bikes Investor Waitlist here: http://eepurl.com/gilQEXConnect online with Emil and Boaz here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boazbikes/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emil-nnani-82aa2065/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/boaz-bikes/Here's what we learned:* why Emil, while building one business, saw a way to create safer, more equitable scooters and stopped everything to build Boaz Bikes* how Emil's earlier clothing business gave him the resources and relationships he needed with overseas vendors to help him secure the best manufacturers for Boaz Bikes* all about per minute rental revenue business model* why you can't insure scooters* why equity crowdfunding is a better alternative for minority business owners to raise capital (Emil raised over $2.0 million with his first campaign!)Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com#bestpodcastforstartups #startupstories #startuplife 00:00 - meet Emil and Boaz Bikes!08:55 - a Christian hip hop artist is born12:00 - why email launched Christ Like Clothing brand16:00 - Errand Driver - what worked and what didn't work19:00 - why it's so hard to raise money from VCs when you're a minority startup owner24:00 - how Boaz Bikes came to be36:00 - Boaz Bikes business model41:00 - Scooters can't be insured50:00 - Emil's favorite mindset hackJOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVECONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ TikTok: @andelyonsWBENC ApplicationReach out to me - I can help you!ande@andelyons.comSPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

It takes a considerable amount of courage, purpose, resilence and tenacity to bring a Micro Mobility (scooter-bike!) startup to life! With an entrepreneurial spirit that was evident from a young age, our guest – Emil Nnani - took the business world by storm when he launched his first venture at just 17 years old. His tenacity and vision led him to achieve his first million in sales by the age of 22. A serial and seasoned entrepreneur, Emil takes us on a wonderful journey through his earlier businesses - a mechanic business, a clothing line, a singing career (hip hop Christian music) and an errand driver business, where he honed his entrepreneurial skills, ideally preparing him for his current startup: Boaz Bikes. As the Founder and CEO of Boaz Bikes, Emil took a vision of a safer scooter, while supporting underserved communities, and created a groundbreaking electric scooter and E-Bike MaaS platform that has transformed the landscape of urban transportation by solving first and last-mile transportation problems for cities across the globe. Learn more about Boaz Bikes here: <a href="https://www.boazbikes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.boazbikes.com/</a> Join Boaz Bikes Investor Waitlist here: <a href="http://eepurl.com/gilQEX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://eepurl.com/gilQEX</a> Connect online with Emil and Boaz here: Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/boazbikes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/boazbikes/</a> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emil-nnani-82aa2065/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/emil-nnani-82aa2065/</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/boaz-bikes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/boaz-bikes/</a> Here's what we learned: * why Emil, while building one business, saw a way to create safer, more equitable scooters and stopped everything to build Boaz Bikes * how Emil's earlier clothing business gave him the resources and relationships he needed with overseas vendors to help him secure the best manufacturers for Boaz Bikes * all about per minute rental revenue business model * why you can't insure scooters * why equity crowdfunding is a better alternative for minority business owners to raise capital (Emil raised over $2.0 million with his first campaign!) Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #bestpodcastforstartups #startupstories #startuplife 00:00 - meet Emil and Boaz Bikes! 08:55 - a Christian hip hop artist is born 12:00 - why email launched Christ Like Clothing brand 16:00 - Errand Driver - what worked and what didn't work 19:00 - why it's so hard to raise money from VCs when you're a minority startup owner 24:00 - how Boaz Bikes came to be 36:00 - Boaz Bikes business model 41:00 - Scooters can't be insured 50:00 - Emil's favorite mindset hack JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons WBENC Application Reach out to me - I can help you! ande@andelyons.com SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

EP 281 An Eco-Conscious Micro-Mobility Company Focused on Safety and Equity

Leveraging LinkedIn as a Startup Founder is a different strategy than when you were an employee. You need to build your authority as the leader of your new business, while appealing to potential investors, business partners and talent.Our guest, Donna Serdula, is a leading authority on LinkedIn profile optimization. As the founder and president of Vision Board Media, a professional branding company, Donna helps individuals and companies tell their unique stories on LinkedIn and beyond. Via her website LinkedIn-Makeover.com, Donna and her team of over 20 writers and coaches help people collide with opportunity and transform their lives via future-forward career branding. Donna has authored two editions of LinkedIn Profile Optimization FOR DUMMIES, and she has been featured on many news outlooks, including Forbes, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, LA Times, and NBC.Learn more about Donna and how she helps folks with a Linked Makeover here:https://www.linkedin-makeover.com/Connect with Donna on LinkedIn here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/todonna Hire Donna to speak here: https://donnaserdula.com/Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers from Boston!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com#linkedinoptimization #leveragelinkedin #linkedinforstartupfounders #startupfounders WHAT WE LEARNED00:00 - Meet Donna Serdula06:00 - How to add Career Break to Your LinkedIn Profile09:00 - Donna's origin story16:00 - You have to educate your target audience, sales and marketing is not enough19:50 - How to brand your profile on LinkedIn25:50 - How to use LinkedIn Profile Optimization28:00 - zhuzh up your profile every month or two (pro tip!)34:00 - Getting asked to author a For Dummies edition for LinkedIn Profile Optimization38:00 - The best strategy for your LinkedIn headline40:00 - How to connect and invite on LinkedIn47:00 - The best advice for using LinkedIn's search engine50:00 - How to optimize your time on LinkedIn55:00 - Use LinkedIn's Bell featureJOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUPGet an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVEWBENC APPLICATION SUPPORTLearn more here: https://bit.ly/GetWBENCSend me an email: ande@andelyons.comCONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/ https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/ TikTok: @andelyonsANDELICIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTSJoin Innovation Women here: https://bit.ly/AndeInnoWomenArlan’s Academy: https://arlansacademy.com/Scroobious - use Ande15 discount code: https://www.scroobious.com/How to Raise a Seed Round: https://bit.ly/AAElizabethYinTune in to Mia Voss' Shit We Don't Talk About podcast here: https://shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com/SPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

Leveraging LinkedIn as a Startup Founder is a different strategy than when you were an employee. You need to build your authority as the leader of your new business, while appealing to potential investors, business partners and talent. Our guest, Donna Serdula, is a leading authority on LinkedIn profile optimization. As the founder and president of Vision Board Media, a professional branding company, Donna helps individuals and companies tell their unique stories on LinkedIn and beyond. Via her website <a href="http://LinkedIn-Makeover.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn-Makeover.com</a>, Donna and her team of over 20 writers and coaches help people collide with opportunity and transform their lives via future-forward career branding. Donna has authored two editions of LinkedIn Profile Optimization FOR DUMMIES, and she has been featured on many news outlooks, including Forbes, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, LA Times, and NBC. Learn more about Donna and how she helps folks with a Linked Makeover here: <a href="https://www.linkedin-makeover.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin-makeover.com/</a> Connect with Donna on LinkedIn here: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/todonna" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/todonna</a> Hire Donna to speak here: <a href="https://donnaserdula.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://donnaserdula.com/</a> Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers from Boston! Ande ♥ <a href="https://andelyons.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com</a> #linkedinoptimization #leveragelinkedin #linkedinforstartupfounders #startupfounders WHAT WE LEARNED 00:00 - Meet Donna Serdula 06:00 - How to add Career Break to Your LinkedIn Profile 09:00 - Donna's origin story 16:00 - You have to educate your target audience, sales and marketing is not enough 19:50 - How to brand your profile on LinkedIn 25:50 - How to use LinkedIn Profile Optimization 28:00 - zhuzh up your profile every month or two (pro tip!) 34:00 - Getting asked to author a For Dummies edition for LinkedIn Profile Optimization 38:00 - The best strategy for your LinkedIn headline 40:00 - How to connect and invite on LinkedIn 47:00 - The best advice for using LinkedIn's search engine 50:00 - How to optimize your time on LinkedIn 55:00 - Use LinkedIn's Bell feature JOIN STARTUP LIFE LIVE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show! <a href="https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVE</a> WBENC APPLICATION SUPPORT Learn more here: <a href="https://bit.ly/GetWBENC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/GetWBENC</a> Send me an email: ande@andelyons.com CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/</a> TikTok: @andelyons ANDELICIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS Join Innovation Women here: <a href="https://bit.ly/AndeInnoWomen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/AndeInnoWomen</a> Arlan’s Academy: <a href="https://arlansacademy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://arlansacademy.com/</a> Scroobious - use Ande15 discount code: <a href="https://www.scroobious.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.scroobious.com/</a> How to Raise a Seed Round: <a href="https://bit.ly/AAElizabethYin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/AAElizabethYin</a> Tune in to Mia Voss' Shit We Don't Talk About podcast here: <a href="https://shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://shitwedonttalkaboutpodcast.com/</a> SPONSORSHIP If you resonate with the show’s mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life LIVE Show! ande@andelyons.com.

EP 280 Attract Business Partners, Investors, and Talent with Your LinkedIn Profile

Are you curious about how a business is born – why someone was compelled to leave a paycheck and benefits behind to head off into the wild blue yonder, without a safety net, navigating high levels of uncertainty, and risking financial ruin?Entrepreneurship is an adventure, and you will love hearing these phenomenal founders share their nail-biting moments and their uplifting wins – often occurring within hours of each other in any given day!As a 4x Founder I easily resonate with each guest's uniqe startup story and am able to bring to light the vulnerable moments from their founder journey.On the Startup Life Show you’ll find inspiration for navigating your best life through the fascinating stories of Diverse Founders who fought through obstacles and bias to change the world with their beautiful social impact businesses.Tap the link to your favorite podcast platform and get ready to hear an awe*mazing adventure that will leave you feeling exhilarated and empowered. Waving from Boston - cheers!Ande LyonsProducer + Host of the Startup Life Show

While that may sound redundant, Ande truly is genuinely sincere.  She brings a caring vibe to the topics she discusses and, if you&#39;re fortunate like me, the same sincerity to her guests.  Thanks for the opportunity to chat.

Genuine Sincerity

The Startup Life podcast is a valuable resource for anyone considering a business - with investors or organically.  The guests are fouders sharing their experiences, insights and struggles along the journey to success.  With each episode you gain a deeper understanding of &#39;how&#39; and &#39;why&#39; start your own business. Ande is a gracious, energetic and overall phenomenal host who helps create a solid foundation for anyone considering a startup. Subscribing is a MUST for anyone thinking about launching a business.

Insightful Episodes for Any Type of Startup!

Are you curious about how a business is born – why someone was compelled to leave a paycheck and benefits behind to head off into the wild blue yonder, without a safety net, navigating high levels of uncertainty, and risking financial ruin? Entrepreneurship is an adventure, and you will love hearing these phenomenal founders share their nail-biting moments and their uplifting wins – often occurring within hours of each other in any given day! As a 4x Founder I easily resonate with each guest's uniqe startup story and am able to bring to light the vulnerable moments from their founder journey. On the Startup Life Show you’ll find inspiration for navigating your best life through the fascinating stories of Diverse Founders who fought through obstacles and bias to change the world with their beautiful social impact businesses. Tap the link to your favorite podcast platform and get ready to hear an awe*mazing adventure that will leave you feeling exhilarated and empowered. Waving from Boston - cheers! Ande Lyons Producer + Host of the Startup Life Show

Startup Life Show with Ande Lyons

It was not Bobbie Carlton's plan to launch a business. But it was the Great Recession. There were no jobs, and she was the primary revenue generator for her family. It was an "unexpected" decision to launch her PR and Marketing firm in 2008, followed by Innovation Nights in 2009, and she's never looked back!Bobbie is a Greater Boston startup community favorite! She is the founder of Carlton PR &amp; Marketing, a boutique integrated marketing agency focused on efficiently delivering marketing results for startups and small companies. She’s also the co-founder of Innovation Women, an online speaker bureau for entrepreneurial, innovative and technical women. With more than 4500 members on the platform, Innovation Women makes dozens of connections every month, and it helps event organizers avoid the embarrassing all male, all pale, all stale panels.  Bobbie is also the founder and host of the BEST monthly startup event in Greater Boston called Innovation Nights. It’s a free monthly product launch party and networking event that has grown into a local innovation economy mainstay. With more than 127 events to her credit, Bobbie and her team have helped launch more than 1000 products in 10 years – and these companies have received more than $2 billion in combined funding.You will love hearing Bobbie's unexpected entrepreneur startup stories, and your business will benefit from her wise guidance and insights.To learn more about Bobbie's three businesses, please visit:Carlton PR and Marketing: https://www.carltonprmarketing.com/Innovation Nights: https://mass.innovationnights.com/Innovation Women: https://innovationwomen.com/Please connect with Bobbie on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiecarlton/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BobbieCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninno/If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyonsListeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

It was not Bobbie Carlton's plan to launch a business. But it was the Great Recession. There were no jobs, and she was the primary revenue generator for her family. It was an "unexpected" decision to launch her PR and Marketing firm in 2008, followed by Innovation Nights in 2009, and she's never looked back! Bobbie is a Greater Boston startup community favorite! She is the founder of Carlton PR &amp; Marketing, a boutique integrated marketing agency focused on efficiently delivering marketing results for startups and small companies. She’s also the co-founder of Innovation Women, an online speaker bureau for entrepreneurial, innovative and technical women. With more than 4500 members on the platform, Innovation Women makes dozens of connections every month, and it helps event organizers avoid the embarrassing all male, all pale, all stale panels. Bobbie is also the founder and host of the BEST monthly startup event in Greater Boston called Innovation Nights. It’s a free monthly product launch party and networking event that has grown into a local innovation economy mainstay. With more than 127 events to her credit, Bobbie and her team have helped launch more than 1000 products in 10 years – and these companies have received more than $2 billion in combined funding. You will love hearing Bobbie's unexpected entrepreneur startup stories, and your business will benefit from her wise guidance and insights. To learn more about Bobbie's three businesses, please visit: Carlton PR and Marketing: <a href="https://www.carltonprmarketing.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.carltonprmarketing.com/</a> Innovation Nights: <a href="https://mass.innovationnights.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://mass.innovationnights.com/</a> Innovation Women: <a href="https://innovationwomen.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://innovationwomen.com/</a> Please connect with Bobbie on: LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiecarlton/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiecarlton/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbieC" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/BobbieC</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/womeninno/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/womeninno/</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; <a href="http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter</a> Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit</a> Do you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: <a href="https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons</a> Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

The Unexpected Entrepreneur

"Maria, you are one of the most impressive people I’ve ever seen in the carpet here. I’m in!" ~ Lori Greiner, Shark Tank I agree 100% with Lori; in fact, I said those same words while watching Maria Luna, the co-founder of BRAVO, pitch the Sharks. She was so outstanding, I had to hop on Twitter and share my awe and wonder! Click this link to read the Tweet: https://twitter.com/AndeLyons/status/957323290577694720 I was delighted to hear right back from Maria, and we’ve been online friends and fans ever since.Maria is an energetic serial entrepreneur with over 22 years of experience in marketing and managing consumer and healthcare brands at Nabisco and other top companies. Maria excels at lean operations and is a firm believer that blockchain and cryptocurrency will disrupt many industries as we know them. Her expertise in business planning, organic growth and building functional teams has kept her in demand from the United States to Central and South America. Maria holds an MBA from the McCombs Business School at the University of Texas as well as a B.A. in Public Communications from the University of Puerto Rico, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is fluent in several languages, including English, Spanish, and Italian.BRAVO is the easiest way to provide a cashless gratuity or payment to artists, service professional or any micro-merchant seamlessly from your mobile device by connecting users without exchanging information. BRΛVO is transforming the way to pay with cryptocurrency. Making cryptocurrency seamless and mainstream by enhancing the user experience.Be sure to go to 17 minutes in the podcast to hear Maria's REMARKABLE story about how BRAVO was chosen out of a thousand startups as the Wild Card company at the San Francisco Tech Stars annual pitch event. The Wild Card company wins the opportunity to pitch to the crowd... with only TWO HOURS to prepare!! Maria and her co-founder were just exhibiting at the event and were not prepared to pitch.  This opportunity is what led to BRAVO's appearance on Shark Tank!! A perfect example of Luck = Opportunity + Preparation!!It was pure deliciousness to finally speak with Maria after years of sharing life and business on social media. I know you'll enjoy the candor and insights from her startup journey.Please visit BRAVO's website: trybravo.com, and follow BRAVO on the following platforms: Twitter @Bravo_PayInstagram @bravo_payFacebook @bravopayhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mlunaceobravopay/If you’re ready for startup mentoring – please visit my website, http://andelyons.com where you’ll find all the ways I can add value to your startup journey: strategy calls, pitch deck and one page business snapshot coaching, WBENC application support for women business owners - I’d be honored to mentor you through whatever you’re going through – so please don’t hesitate to reach out.If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow me on Spreaker, Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media!Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

"Maria, you are one of the most impressive people I’ve ever seen in the carpet here. I’m in!" ~ Lori Greiner, Shark Tank I agree 100% with Lori; in fact, I said those same words while watching Maria Luna, the co-founder of BRAVO, pitch the Sharks. She was so outstanding, I had to hop on Twitter and share my awe and wonder! Click this link to read the Tweet: <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons/status/957323290577694720" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons/status/957323290577694720</a> I was delighted to hear right back from Maria, and we’ve been online friends and fans ever since. Maria is an energetic serial entrepreneur with over 22 years of experience in marketing and managing consumer and healthcare brands at Nabisco and other top companies. Maria excels at lean operations and is a firm believer that blockchain and cryptocurrency will disrupt many industries as we know them. Her expertise in business planning, organic growth and building functional teams has kept her in demand from the United States to Central and South America. Maria holds an MBA from the McCombs Business School at the University of Texas as well as a B.A. in Public Communications from the University of Puerto Rico, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is fluent in several languages, including English, Spanish, and Italian. BRAVO is the easiest way to provide a cashless gratuity or payment to artists, service professional or any micro-merchant seamlessly from your mobile device by connecting users without exchanging information. BRΛVO is transforming the way to pay with cryptocurrency. Making cryptocurrency seamless and mainstream by enhancing the user experience. Be sure to go to 17 minutes in the podcast to hear Maria's REMARKABLE story about how BRAVO was chosen out of a thousand startups as the Wild Card company at the San Francisco Tech Stars annual pitch event. The Wild Card company wins the opportunity to pitch to the crowd... with only TWO HOURS to prepare!! Maria and her co-founder were just exhibiting at the event and were not prepared to pitch. This opportunity is what led to BRAVO's appearance on Shark Tank!! A perfect example of Luck = Opportunity + Preparation!! It was pure deliciousness to finally speak with Maria after years of sharing life and business on social media. I know you'll enjoy the candor and insights from her startup journey. Please visit BRAVO's website: <a href="http://trybravo.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">trybravo.com</a>, and follow BRAVO on the following platforms: Twitter @Bravo_Pay Instagram @bravo_pay Facebook @bravopay <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlunaceobravopay/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlunaceobravopay/</a> If you’re ready for startup mentoring – please visit my website, <a href="http://andelyons.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://andelyons.com</a> where you’ll find all the ways I can add value to your startup journey: strategy calls, pitch deck and one page business snapshot coaching, WBENC application support for women business owners - I’d be honored to mentor you through whatever you’re going through – so please don’t hesitate to reach out. If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow me on Spreaker, Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

FinTech Founder Creates Cashless Tipping App

Are you wondering which marketing tactics and resources to use with your limited time and marketing budget? Our guest, Growth Marketer, Educator and Founder Shamir Ozery shares his best startup marketing advice.Shamir helps entrepreneurs, startups and businesses build, plan and execute digital marketing initiatives that focus on growth, business impact and ongoing optimization, while making the most of existing resources.Shamir taught Entrepreneurial Marketing at the University of Michigan’s Center For Entrepreneurship, and continues to share his marketing brilliance with the startup community here in Boston. With extensive international agency experience, and working with various Fortune 500 clients, Shamir Ozery has spent the past 10 years focusing on branding, messaging, digital marketing strategies, and execution to help clients of all sizes attain impactful and measurable growth.I randomly met Shamir on Twitter, as one does when hanging out at the Twitter bar, when he shared an extraordinary startup marketing slide presentation. Shamir knows that marketing can be especially challenging for startups and early stage companies with limited resources and time. Which is why I’m so thrilled he’s here to share his best startup marketing insights and guidance, including:* the 50/50 rule* 4 steps for Founders to get traction* beware of Vanity Metrics* Bull's Eye Traction Strategy* Minimum Viable Campaigns* Online Advertising, SEO, Email MarketingHere's the link for the Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic (2018):https://chiefmartec.com/2018/04/marketing-technology-landscape-supergraphic-2018/Please connect with Shamir on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamirozery/Twitter: https://twitter.com/OzeryBlog: http://shamirozery.com/Sivenso: http://www.sivenso.com/You can purchase my Pitch Deck Template here: http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/Be sure to use STARTUPLIFE at checkout to receive a 20% discount.Until next time dear Listeners - stay strong, stay focused – and remember - you’ve got this – Cheers!

Are you wondering which marketing tactics and resources to use with your limited time and marketing budget? Our guest, Growth Marketer, Educator and Founder Shamir Ozery shares his best startup marketing advice. Shamir helps entrepreneurs, startups and businesses build, plan and execute digital marketing initiatives that focus on growth, business impact and ongoing optimization, while making the most of existing resources. Shamir taught Entrepreneurial Marketing at the University of Michigan’s Center For Entrepreneurship, and continues to share his marketing brilliance with the startup community here in Boston. With extensive international agency experience, and working with various Fortune 500 clients, Shamir Ozery has spent the past 10 years focusing on branding, messaging, digital marketing strategies, and execution to help clients of all sizes attain impactful and measurable growth. I randomly met Shamir on Twitter, as one does when hanging out at the Twitter bar, when he shared an extraordinary startup marketing slide presentation. Shamir knows that marketing can be especially challenging for startups and early stage companies with limited resources and time. Which is why I’m so thrilled he’s here to share his best startup marketing insights and guidance, including: * the 50/50 rule * 4 steps for Founders to get traction * beware of Vanity Metrics * Bull's Eye Traction Strategy * Minimum Viable Campaigns * Online Advertising, SEO, Email Marketing Here's the link for the Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic (2018): <a href="https://chiefmartec.com/2018/04/marketing-technology-landscape-supergraphic-2018/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://chiefmartec.com/2018/04/marketing-technology-landscape-supergraphic-2018/</a> Please connect with Shamir on: LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamirozery/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamirozery/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Ozery" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/Ozery</a> Blog: <a href="http://shamirozery.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://shamirozery.com/</a> Sivenso: <a href="http://www.sivenso.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.sivenso.com/</a> You can purchase my Pitch Deck Template here: <a href="http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/</a> Be sure to use STARTUPLIFE at checkout to receive a 20% discount. Until next time dear Listeners - stay strong, stay focused – and remember - you’ve got this – Cheers!

Startup Marketing 101: Goals, KPI's and Traction Channels

Our guest, Olga Bashkatova, left the stable world of corporate accounting and boarded the startup roller coaster ride by working at startup companies - 5 of them in 7 years. She found the work inspirational and educational and quickly learned she could never return to her former career as a corporate CPA. As the last startup she worked at filed for bankruptcy, Olga decided to launch her own business - NextStage Advisory - where she provides affordable outsourced CFO services to startups.Olga’s typical clients are VC-backed Seed or Series A startups looking to clean up historical financials, establish a stable, monthly financial process, produce GAAP financial statements and reports, pass an audit, implement financial software, manage an outsourced payroll and benefits company… and hire/train an internal accounting team. In addition, she makes sure her clients maximize their valuations by focusing on revenue growth while cutting expenses, automating manual processes, and developing more mature operations.Do I hear a "oh hell yeah" and a "yes please, right away please?!"Olga dives into the must haves and the "nope, you don't need that right now" details every startup founder needs to know, including:* setting up proper books for YOUR business model* cleaning up financials so investors feel confident in your ability to run a business* cash flow projections vs. Income Statements and Balance Sheets* matching expenses with revenue* managing 90 days invoices with 30-day payables* why cleaning up your financials will give your business a better valuation with investorsPlease visit NextStage Advisory https://www.nextstagellc.us/services to learn how Olga and her team can help take your business to the next level.Please connect with Olga on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-bashkatova-cpa/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextstagellc/Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/NextStageAdvisoryLLC/If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyonsListeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

Our guest, Olga Bashkatova, left the stable world of corporate accounting and boarded the startup roller coaster ride by working at startup companies - 5 of them in 7 years. She found the work inspirational and educational and quickly learned she could never return to her former career as a corporate CPA. As the last startup she worked at filed for bankruptcy, Olga decided to launch her own business - NextStage Advisory - where she provides affordable outsourced CFO services to startups. Olga’s typical clients are VC-backed Seed or Series A startups looking to clean up historical financials, establish a stable, monthly financial process, produce GAAP financial statements and reports, pass an audit, implement financial software, manage an outsourced payroll and benefits company… and hire/train an internal accounting team. In addition, she makes sure her clients maximize their valuations by focusing on revenue growth while cutting expenses, automating manual processes, and developing more mature operations. Do I hear a "oh hell yeah" and a "yes please, right away please?!" Olga dives into the must haves and the "nope, you don't need that right now" details every startup founder needs to know, including: * setting up proper books for YOUR business model * cleaning up financials so investors feel confident in your ability to run a business * cash flow projections vs. Income Statements and Balance Sheets * matching expenses with revenue * managing 90 days invoices with 30-day payables * why cleaning up your financials will give your business a better valuation with investors Please visit NextStage Advisory <a href="https://www.nextstagellc.us/services" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.nextstagellc.us/services</a> to learn how Olga and her team can help take your business to the next level. Please connect with Olga on: LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-bashkatova-cpa/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-bashkatova-cpa/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nextstagellc/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/nextstagellc/</a> Facebook: <a href="https://business.facebook.com/NextStageAdvisoryLLC/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://business.facebook.com/NextStageAdvisoryLLC/</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; <a href="http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter</a> Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit</a> Do you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: <a href="https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons</a> Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

Finance 101 for Startup Founders

Do you have a dream business you'd like to launch but don't know where to start? Our guest, Nichelle McCall Browne, shares her best launch and growth strategies for the Solopreneur and Online Entrepreneur. Nichelle is a Startup Strategist, Venture-backed Tech Entrepreneur and Money Milestones Maven. She is the founder of Bold Startups, which provides courses and results-based coaching to help consultants, online and tech entrepreneurs hit six figures and secure funding, so they can be full-time, fully-funded, and financially-free. I love that outcome! As a non-tech founder, Nichelle raised $500,000 within a year for her own software company, making her part of the .02% of black women founders in tech to raise venture capital. Bravo!She has also managed two startup accelerators, where entrepreneurs have made over $3.6M in revenue within a few years. Woo hoo!She’s been blessed to be featured by INC Magazine, FORTUNE, ESSENCE, GLAMOUR, Crain’s, Huffington Post, The White House, Black Enterprise, and SXSW (South by Southwest). I found Nichelle on Twitter and now follow her everywhere she glows because I looooove how generous and spot on she is with her startup advice… and I know you will too!Please email Nichelle at nichelle@nichellemcall.com to register for her Money Milestones: Three Steps to Building a Six-Figure Business. If you email Nichelle at nichelle@nichellemccall.com and mention you heard her on the Startup Life podcast, she will also send you a free cheat sheet that talks about how she raised half a million a year and closed 160,000 in contracts in 90 days! Thank you Nichelle!Please connect with Nichelle on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nichelle-n-mccall/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nichelle_McCallFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nichelle.mccall.1Are you ready for startup mentoring? Please visit my website, http://andelyons.com where you’ll find all the ways I can add value to your startup journey: strategy calls, pitch deck and one page business snapshot coaching, WBENC application support for women business owners - I’d be honored to mentor you through whatever you’re going through – so please don’t hesitate to reach out.If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow me on Spreaker, Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media!Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

Do you have a dream business you'd like to launch but don't know where to start? Our guest, Nichelle McCall Browne, shares her best launch and growth strategies for the Solopreneur and Online Entrepreneur. Nichelle is a Startup Strategist, Venture-backed Tech Entrepreneur and Money Milestones Maven. She is the founder of Bold Startups, which provides courses and results-based coaching to help consultants, online and tech entrepreneurs hit six figures and secure funding, so they can be full-time, fully-funded, and financially-free. I love that outcome! As a non-tech founder, Nichelle raised $500,000 within a year for her own software company, making her part of the .02% of black women founders in tech to raise venture capital. Bravo! She has also managed two startup accelerators, where entrepreneurs have made over $3.6M in revenue within a few years. Woo hoo! She’s been blessed to be featured by INC Magazine, FORTUNE, ESSENCE, GLAMOUR, Crain’s, Huffington Post, The White House, Black Enterprise, and SXSW (South by Southwest). I found Nichelle on Twitter and now follow her everywhere she glows because I looooove how generous and spot on she is with her startup advice… and I know you will too! Please email Nichelle at <a href="mailto:nichelle@nichellemcall.com">nichelle@nichellemcall.com</a> to register for her Money Milestones: Three Steps to Building a Six-Figure Business. If you email Nichelle at <a href="mailto:nichelle@nichellemccall.com">nichelle@nichellemccall.com</a> and mention you heard her on the Startup Life podcast, she will also send you a free cheat sheet that talks about how she raised half a million a year and closed 160,000 in contracts in 90 days! Thank you Nichelle! Please connect with Nichelle on: LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nichelle-n-mccall/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/nichelle-n-mccall/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Nichelle_McCall" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/Nichelle_McCall</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nichelle.mccall.1" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/nichelle.mccall.1</a> Are you ready for startup mentoring? Please visit my website, <a href="http://andelyons.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://andelyons.com</a> where you’ll find all the ways I can add value to your startup journey: strategy calls, pitch deck and one page business snapshot coaching, WBENC application support for women business owners - I’d be honored to mentor you through whatever you’re going through – so please don’t hesitate to reach out. If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow me on Spreaker, Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

Launch and Build a Successful Solopreneur Business

It's natural to feel anxious when the "lights/camera/action" are focused on you. You're working hard to communicate your business message while managing your facial expressions and body language, all under the microscope of intense scrutiny. Our guest, Eric Cox, is a media and communications veteran with over 20 years experience in TV news, PR, marketing and on-air talent development for news. His passion is helping people tell their stories and he’s spent his professional life following that passion.His business, Media Prepared, is the culmination of two decades of working with some of the best in the fields of media, PR and marketing and consistently delivering results that help clients tell their story, make an impression or simply feel comfortable in an unfamiliar space.And he’s going to help you feel media prepared, too!You can learn more about how Eric and Media Preparedness via his website:Be sure to connect with and follow Eric via:Website: http://www.mediaprepared.com/Email: eric@mediaprepared.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericlloydcox/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereal_ecox/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Eric_Cox611Here's the link for District Hall: https://districthallboston.org/If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media!Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and my Pinterest Boards: https://www.pinterest.com/andelyons/boards/.Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: https://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/Are you ready for 1 on 1 founder coaching? Please schedule a free convo with me here: https://andelyons.as.me/Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

It's natural to feel anxious when the "lights/camera/action" are focused on you. You're working hard to communicate your business message while managing your facial expressions and body language, all under the microscope of intense scrutiny. Our guest, Eric Cox, is a media and communications veteran with over 20 years experience in TV news, PR, marketing and on-air talent development for news. His passion is helping people tell their stories and he’s spent his professional life following that passion. His business, Media Prepared, is the culmination of two decades of working with some of the best in the fields of media, PR and marketing and consistently delivering results that help clients tell their story, make an impression or simply feel comfortable in an unfamiliar space. And he’s going to help you feel media prepared, too! You can learn more about how Eric and Media Preparedness via his website: Be sure to connect with and follow Eric via: Website: <a href="http://www.mediaprepared.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.mediaprepared.com/</a> Email: <a href="mailto:eric@mediaprepared.com">eric@mediaprepared.com</a> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericlloydcox/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericlloydcox/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thereal_ecox/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/thereal_ecox/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Cox611" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/Eric_Cox611</a> Here's the link for District Hall: <a href="https://districthallboston.org/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://districthallboston.org/</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and my Pinterest Boards: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/andelyons/boards/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/andelyons/boards/</a>. Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="https://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/</a> Are you ready for 1 on 1 founder coaching? Please schedule a free convo with me here: <a href="https://andelyons.as.me/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.as.me/</a> Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

Are You Media Prepared?

Author, serial entrepreneur, angel investor and mentor Will Herman shares his best startup stories, lessons, insights and advice to help founders build a successful and sustainable business.Will co-authored The Startup Playbook, based on his and co-author Rajat Bhargava's entrepreneurial journeys. They have started over a dozen high-tech software companies, raised over $500 million in investment capital, acquired over thirty-five companies, had three of their startups go public, sold six of them, and made billions of dollars for shareholders. They’ve also advised and mentored over two hundred companies.You will find so much valuable and actionable advice in this episode - I'm excited to hear how Will's insights helped you and your startup!You can grab a copy of The Startup Playbook here: https://startup-playbook.com/ and follow Will on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/FounderBook.Here's the link to CB Insights: https://www.cbinsights.com/.You can purchase my Pitch Deck Template here: http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/Be sure to use STARTUPLIFE at checkout to receive a 20% discount.Until next time dear Listeners - stay strong, stay focused – and remember - you’ve got this – Cheers!Will Herman is an entrepreneur, active angel investor, corporate director, startup mentor and author of The Startup Playbook. He was previously a serial entrepreneur, having started and managed five venture-backed companies, resulting in two IPOs and two corporate sales. In a series of transactions, including multiple IPOs, acquisitions and management buyouts, Will created almost $4B in value for his investors. Will is currently a fund advisor at the venture capital firm, Bolt, a mentor at TechStars and is a frequent speaker at startup accelerators.As an angel investor, Will has invested in over 70 startups and actively advises ten of those companies. He sits on the boards of Jumpcloud and Concrete Sensors. He lives and works mostly in the Boston area.

Author, serial entrepreneur, angel investor and mentor Will Herman shares his best startup stories, lessons, insights and advice to help founders build a successful and sustainable business. Will co-authored The Startup Playbook, based on his and co-author Rajat Bhargava's entrepreneurial journeys. They have started over a dozen high-tech software companies, raised over $500 million in investment capital, acquired over thirty-five companies, had three of their startups go public, sold six of them, and made billions of dollars for shareholders. They’ve also advised and mentored over two hundred companies. You will find so much valuable and actionable advice in this episode - I'm excited to hear how Will's insights helped you and your startup! You can grab a copy of The Startup Playbook here: <a href="https://startup-playbook.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://startup-playbook.com/</a> and follow Will on Twitter here: <a href="https://twitter.com/FounderBook" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/FounderBook</a>. Here's the link to CB Insights: <a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.cbinsights.com/</a>. You can purchase my Pitch Deck Template here: <a href="http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/</a> Be sure to use STARTUPLIFE at checkout to receive a 20% discount. Until next time dear Listeners - stay strong, stay focused – and remember - you’ve got this – Cheers! Will Herman is an entrepreneur, active angel investor, corporate director, startup mentor and author of The Startup Playbook. He was previously a serial entrepreneur, having started and managed five venture-backed companies, resulting in two IPOs and two corporate sales. In a series of transactions, including multiple IPOs, acquisitions and management buyouts, Will created almost $4B in value for his investors. Will is currently a fund advisor at the venture capital firm, Bolt, a mentor at TechStars and is a frequent speaker at startup accelerators. As an angel investor, Will has invested in over 70 startups and actively advises ten of those companies. He sits on the boards of Jumpcloud and Concrete Sensors. He lives and works mostly in the Boston area.

How to Build Your Startup from the Ground Up

Our guest David Lowe had a sensational successful outcome with his first startup Uberpong, a company providing custom made ping pong paddles, where he partnered with major clients like the LA Dodgers, Nike and Red Bull before successfully leading the company to an exit. Now David is working on his second startup: Qwerky, a micro co-living brand that attracts like minded people to live together in co-living communities. In his recently-launched book 'Blow It Up: 21 Ways Your Startup Can Shake Up An Industry and Change The World' David looks at the entire life cycle of a startup from pre-launch to sale."If you are too proud to pick up the phone or email people, contact people for advice and actually get out there and go to networking events and ask for help, you're never going to succeed." During our delicious conversation, David shares:•His successful kickstarter campaign•How to ask for help•The best time to exit/sell your business•Why co-living is the next shared economy movement•How he overcame his fear of raising capital•His candid book about the startup life cycle: Blow it Up•His hard-earned mindset hacks for foundersTo learn more about Qwerky please visit: https://www.qwerky.co/You can purchase Blow It Up on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2VEvI8i Brush up on your Startup Lingo via David's Medium post here: https://medium.com/d-lowe-playbook/startup-lingo-a-glossary-of-business-terms-you-need-to-succeed-48473be7d4bfPlease connect with David via:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djlowe/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwerkycoliving/Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidjloweFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dloweplaybookIf you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons - use Discount Code STARTUPLIFE to receive 25% off!!Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

Our guest David Lowe had a sensational successful outcome with his first startup Uberpong, a company providing custom made ping pong paddles, where he partnered with major clients like the LA Dodgers, Nike and Red Bull before successfully leading the company to an exit. Now David is working on his second startup: Qwerky, a micro co-living brand that attracts like minded people to live together in co-living communities. In his recently-launched book 'Blow It Up: 21 Ways Your Startup Can Shake Up An Industry and Change The World' David looks at the entire life cycle of a startup from pre-launch to sale. "If you are too proud to pick up the phone or email people, contact people for advice and actually get out there and go to networking events and ask for help, you're never going to succeed." During our delicious conversation, David shares: •His successful kickstarter campaign •How to ask for help •The best time to exit/sell your business •Why co-living is the next shared economy movement •How he overcame his fear of raising capital •His candid book about the startup life cycle: Blow it Up •His hard-earned mindset hacks for founders To learn more about Qwerky please visit: <a href="https://www.qwerky.co/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.qwerky.co/</a> You can purchase Blow It Up on Amazon here: <a href="http://amzn.to/2VEvI8i" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/2VEvI8i</a> Brush up on your Startup Lingo via David's Medium post here: <a href="https://medium.com/d-lowe-playbook/startup-lingo-a-glossary-of-business-terms-you-need-to-succeed-48473be7d4bf" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://medium.com/d-lowe-playbook/startup-lingo-a-glossary-of-business-terms-you-need-to-succeed-48473be7d4bf</a> Please connect with David via: LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/djlowe/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/djlowe/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/qwerkycoliving/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/qwerkycoliving/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/davidjlowe" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/davidjlowe</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dloweplaybook" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/dloweplaybook</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; <a href="http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter</a> Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit</a> Do you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: <a href="https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons</a> - use Discount Code STARTUPLIFE to receive 25% off!! Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

From Launch to Exit: The Full Cycle of a Startup

"The reality is you're going to fail more than you're going to succeed. And the goal of a good baseball player and a good entrepreneur, when dealing with things like rejection or failure, is to recognize that it isn't the end point. It's just another data point." ~ Justin RealOur guest, Justin Real, has been obsessed with baseball his entire life. During his own baseball career, he experienced the stress of spending the end of high school competing for the attention of college team scouts. This is where the idea for his startup, Realplay Sports, came from – Realplay is an AI powered technology company that delivers video of every swing, pitch, and catch that any player makes on a baseball or softball field. Its cameras capture every moment to help players improve, share their highlights with anybody, and hold on to memories. The platform helps high school and college athletes gain a competitive advantage in baseball and softball.Justin shares his best startup stories, and yes... you will hear many baseball metaphors and analogies... because baseball and startup life have a lot in common!Please visit https://www.realplay.us/ to learn more about this remarkable platform, and follow/connect with Justin on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinbreal/Twitter: https://twitter.com/realplaysportsInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/realplay_sports/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealplaySports/If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://andelyons.as.me/Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

"The reality is you're going to fail more than you're going to succeed. And the goal of a good baseball player and a good entrepreneur, when dealing with things like rejection or failure, is to recognize that it isn't the end point. It's just another data point." ~ Justin Real Our guest, Justin Real, has been obsessed with baseball his entire life. During his own baseball career, he experienced the stress of spending the end of high school competing for the attention of college team scouts. This is where the idea for his startup, Realplay Sports, came from – Realplay is an AI powered technology company that delivers video of every swing, pitch, and catch that any player makes on a baseball or softball field. Its cameras capture every moment to help players improve, share their highlights with anybody, and hold on to memories. The platform helps high school and college athletes gain a competitive advantage in baseball and softball. Justin shares his best startup stories, and yes... you will hear many baseball metaphors and analogies... because baseball and startup life have a lot in common! Please visit <a href="https://www.realplay.us/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.realplay.us/</a> to learn more about this remarkable platform, and follow/connect with Justin on: LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinbreal/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinbreal/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/realplaysports" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/realplaysports</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/realplay_sports/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/realplay_sports/</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RealplaySports/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/RealplaySports/</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; <a href="http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter</a> Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit</a> Do you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: <a href="https://andelyons.as.me/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.as.me/</a> Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

Baseball and Startup Life: Failure Isn't the End Point

On this episode of Startup Life Show we’re talking about stepping into our authority. How often have you said “Of course I know what I’m doing” ... even though you felt like you had no idea what you were doing?Perhaps you heard a voice in your head say, “You’re an imposter!”This happens to all founders.There is no training for this role. Most newly minted founders have no experience running a company. So it’s easy to feel clueless and uncertain. To help founders overcome the imposter syndrome, I'm sharing a segment from a live video interview I had a few years ago with Blair Glaser, an authority and leadership expert and a dear friend of mine who I often turn to for authority advice. For 17 years Blair Glaser has been helping people and businesses design creative, sustainable, dynamic environments where connection and good work can thrive. She shares her pearls of wisdom for tapping into your personal authority so you can fully show up for you and your business. After all, you are the author of your life. You must learn to stand unaplogetically in your competence… a space in which a world of possibility is at your command.I know you will enjoy this delicious and impactful conversation!PS: Please visit http://blairglaser.com to download Blair's fabulous and free eBook called:“4 Ways to Step Into Your Authority Now”(even if you’re broke, frustrated or feeling a little hopeless)

On this episode of Startup Life Show we’re talking about stepping into our authority. How often have you said “Of course I know what I’m doing” ... even though you felt like you had no idea what you were doing? Perhaps you heard a voice in your head say, “You’re an imposter!” This happens to all founders. There is no training for this role. Most newly minted founders have no experience running a company. So it’s easy to feel clueless and uncertain. To help founders overcome the imposter syndrome, I'm sharing a segment from a live video interview I had a few years ago with Blair Glaser, an authority and leadership expert and a dear friend of mine who I often turn to for authority advice. For 17 years Blair Glaser has been helping people and businesses design creative, sustainable, dynamic environments where connection and good work can thrive. She shares her pearls of wisdom for tapping into your personal authority so you can fully show up for you and your business. After all, you are the author of your life. You must learn to stand unaplogetically in your competence… a space in which a world of possibility is at your command. I know you will enjoy this delicious and impactful conversation! PS: Please visit <a href="http://blairglaser.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://blairglaser.com</a> to download Blair's fabulous and free eBook called: “4 Ways to Step Into Your Authority Now”(even if you’re broke, frustrated or feeling a little hopeless)

Of Course I Know What I'm Doing! #justkidding

Is your Startup properly protected? Virtually every legal decision a founder makes carries with it the potential to seriously impact the company’s partners, investors, employees, and even customers. On this episode of Startup Life Show, Attorney Eric Leander shares how founders must familiarize themselves with the basic legal principles and practices associated with building a business. You'll love Eric's story about the time he negotiated on a client's behalf with Shark Tank's Mr. Wonderful!Please connect with Eric via LinkedIn here: www.LinkedIn.com/in/LeanderEsq  and via The Wagoner Firm here: www.TheWagonerFirm.com and on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/LeanderEsqHere's the link for WaiveCar: https://www.waivecar.com/ - they are electric cars too - woo hoo! I just downloaded the app... *Disclaimer* This recorded conversation is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Transmission of the conversation is not intended to create, and viewing and/or listening does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Viewers and listeners are advised to seek professional help if they are concerned about a specific legal issue.

Is your Startup properly protected? Virtually every legal decision a founder makes carries with it the potential to seriously impact the company’s partners, investors, employees, and even customers. On this episode of Startup Life Show, Attorney Eric Leander shares how founders must familiarize themselves with the basic legal principles and practices associated with building a business. You'll love Eric's story about the time he negotiated on a client's behalf with Shark Tank's Mr. Wonderful! Please connect with Eric via LinkedIn here: <a href="http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/LeanderEsq" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.LinkedIn.com/in/LeanderEsq</a> and via The Wagoner Firm here: <a href="http://www.TheWagonerFirm.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.TheWagonerFirm.com</a> and on Twitter here: <a href="https://twitter.com/LeanderEsq" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/LeanderEsq</a> Here's the link for WaiveCar: <a href="https://www.waivecar.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.waivecar.com/</a> - they are electric cars too - woo hoo! I just downloaded the app... *Disclaimer* This recorded conversation is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Transmission of the conversation is not intended to create, and viewing and/or listening does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Viewers and listeners are advised to seek professional help if they are concerned about a specific legal issue.

Legal Documents Every Startup Needs to Protect Their Business

What happens when a computer engineer and seasoned entrepreneur with a strong product development and UX background attends a local trivia game night event? He creates an impulsive trivia game app!Our guest, Stephon McCoy, is Founder of QuicWit – a 24/7 365 trivia gaming experience and lead generation digital marketing platform. QuicWit asks users multiple trivia questions randomly … on a daily basis … and the first person to answer wins a valuable prize mailed directly to their house, no strings attached! Stephon is an entrepreneurial renaissance man with experiences ranging from hardware, digital marketing, Alexa skills, B2B platforms, iOS/Android development, and web app development to consumer products. He founded his first startup while in his senior year at University of Pittsburgh, and has participated in four different startups since then. A food truck connoisseur, grill master and travel enthusiast with a genuine love and curiosity for tech, you can feel how much Stephon fully embraces life!Stephon takes us on his journey from the ah-ha moment at trivia night... through his entire product development and beta testing adventure... and into the excitement of launching the app.Tune in to find out how this founder:* proved his value proposition* figured out the revenue model* aligned himself with outstanding tech talent* holds unique company strategy sessions (a grill is involved!)* created an impulsive trivia game appPlease visit https://www.quicwit.com/, download the app, and start winning prizes with your trivia talent!Be sure to follow QuicWit on:Twitter - https://twitter.com/quicwit_triviaTwitter - https://twitter.com/evilquicwit (Evil QuicWit)Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/QuicWitTriviaLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/quicwitInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/quicwit_trivia/If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://andelyons.as.me/Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

What happens when a computer engineer and seasoned entrepreneur with a strong product development and UX background attends a local trivia game night event? He creates an impulsive trivia game app! Our guest, Stephon McCoy, is Founder of QuicWit – a 24/7 365 trivia gaming experience and lead generation digital marketing platform. QuicWit asks users multiple trivia questions randomly … on a daily basis … and the first person to answer wins a valuable prize mailed directly to their house, no strings attached! Stephon is an entrepreneurial renaissance man with experiences ranging from hardware, digital marketing, Alexa skills, B2B platforms, iOS/Android development, and web app development to consumer products. He founded his first startup while in his senior year at University of Pittsburgh, and has participated in four different startups since then. A food truck connoisseur, grill master and travel enthusiast with a genuine love and curiosity for tech, you can feel how much Stephon fully embraces life! Stephon takes us on his journey from the ah-ha moment at trivia night... through his entire product development and beta testing adventure... and into the excitement of launching the app. Tune in to find out how this founder: * proved his value proposition * figured out the revenue model * aligned himself with outstanding tech talent * holds unique company strategy sessions (a grill is involved!) * created an impulsive trivia game app Please visit <a href="https://www.quicwit.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.quicwit.com/</a>, download the app, and start winning prizes with your trivia talent! Be sure to follow QuicWit on: Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/quicwit_trivia" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/quicwit_trivia</a> Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/evilquicwit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/evilquicwit</a> (Evil QuicWit) Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QuicWitTrivia" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/QuicWitTrivia</a> LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/quicwit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/quicwit</a> Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/quicwit_trivia/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/quicwit_trivia/</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; <a href="http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter</a> Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit</a> Do you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: <a href="https://andelyons.as.me/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://andelyons.as.me/</a> Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

Entrepreneurial Renaissance Man Creates Impulsive Trivia Game App

Our guest, seasoned Tech Startup Founder and Angel Investor Igor Belagorundsky, is all about startups. As his bio on Angel.co reads: Founder of startups. Developer for startups. Adviser for startups. Investor in startups. Excited about startups. I love it!I first met Igor at a local monthly startup pitch event called Startupalooza. He’s a judge for this event, and I had to dial up my smarty pants decoder ring to tap into his brilliant ability to quickly zoom in on a startup’s business model and ask relevant, highly valuable questions of the Founder(s).A technical, hands-on professional with over 20 years of experience in technology based businesses, Igor is a serial entrepreneur having most recently scaled Erecruit from a team of 3 to over 120, through several rounds of investments and to a successful sale for $62.8 million dollars. Woo Hoo!Active in the Boston startup scene as a founder, adviser, pitch competition judge and angel investor, Igor generously adds value everywhere he glows. He’s a confident full stack enterprise architect in several technology ecosystems, a trusted leader and mentor of professional services and R&amp;D teams in multiple time zones and industries; he’s a big believer in smart and transparent teams, open communication across the entire organization, and leadership by example. He also just launched a new platform, FastCTO – a network of CTOs with decades of experience as actual CTOs and other C-level executives.And when he’s not sharing his genius with the world, Igor is an avid skier, a slow runner, a decent hiker and a doting dad.I am so delighted Igor is here to share his startup stories and advice - I know you'll hear just what you need for your startup. Here are a few quotes from our conversation:"Your value proposition doesn't matter because you're going to pivot a dozen times before you make money. Whatever you think your value proposition is, unless it's a very specific service-oriented business or something like that, it's going to change. Your revenue streams are going to change. Everything is going to change.""The obvious things investors look for in your deck is you have to prove that you have a well-defined problem that addresses a sufficiently large population, that your company and/or products can solve to some reasonable degree with a team that could prove that they can execute and grow the company and make money doing it in a reasonable amount of time which for an angel means three to five years max, with an exit strategy that can make investors money, where the funding you're asking for is the only thing that stands in the way."You can connect with Igor via:igor@fastcto.comhttps://www.instagram.com/lookattheigor/https://www.linkedin.com/in/igorbelagorudsky/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwPlH1g1VlvVp2F9I2wfLTwhttps://twitter.com/TweetAtFastCTOhttp://fastcto.comIgor provided us with a lot of information to think about – how will his advice help you and your startup? Please leave a comment or reach out on social media – your shared experience helps other founders grow and learn - thank you!If you need startup mentoring – please visit my website, http://andelyons.com where you’ll find all the ways I can add value to your startup journey: strategy calls, pitch deck and one page business snapshot coaching, WBENC application support for women business owners - I’d be honored to mentor you through whatever you’re going through – so please don’t hesitate to reach out.If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow me on Spreaker Stitcher or Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media!Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

Our guest, seasoned Tech Startup Founder and Angel Investor Igor Belagorundsky, is all about startups. As his bio on <a href="http://Angel.co" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Angel.co</a> reads: Founder of startups. Developer for startups. Adviser for startups. Investor in startups. Excited about startups. I love it! I first met Igor at a local monthly startup pitch event called Startupalooza. He’s a judge for this event, and I had to dial up my smarty pants decoder ring to tap into his brilliant ability to quickly zoom in on a startup’s business model and ask relevant, highly valuable questions of the Founder(s). A technical, hands-on professional with over 20 years of experience in technology based businesses, Igor is a serial entrepreneur having most recently scaled Erecruit from a team of 3 to over 120, through several rounds of investments and to a successful sale for $62.8 million dollars. Woo Hoo! Active in the Boston startup scene as a founder, adviser, pitch competition judge and angel investor, Igor generously adds value everywhere he glows. He’s a confident full stack enterprise architect in several technology ecosystems, a trusted leader and mentor of professional services and R&amp;D teams in multiple time zones and industries; he’s a big believer in smart and transparent teams, open communication across the entire organization, and leadership by example. He also just launched a new platform, FastCTO – a network of CTOs with decades of experience as actual CTOs and other C-level executives. And when he’s not sharing his genius with the world, Igor is an avid skier, a slow runner, a decent hiker and a doting dad. I am so delighted Igor is here to share his startup stories and advice - I know you'll hear just what you need for your startup. Here are a few quotes from our conversation: "Your value proposition doesn't matter because you're going to pivot a dozen times before you make money. Whatever you think your value proposition is, unless it's a very specific service-oriented business or something like that, it's going to change. Your revenue streams are going to change. Everything is going to change." "The obvious things investors look for in your deck is you have to prove that you have a well-defined problem that addresses a sufficiently large population, that your company and/or products can solve to some reasonable degree with a team that could prove that they can execute and grow the company and make money doing it in a reasonable amount of time which for an angel means three to five years max, with an exit strategy that can make investors money, where the funding you're asking for is the only thing that stands in the way." You can connect with Igor via: <a href="mailto:igor@fastcto.com">igor@fastcto.com</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lookattheigor/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/lookattheigor/</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/igorbelagorudsky/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/igorbelagorudsky/</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwPlH1g1VlvVp2F9I2wfLTw" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwPlH1g1VlvVp2F9I2wfLTw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TweetAtFastCTO" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/TweetAtFastCTO</a> <a href="http://fastcto.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://fastcto.com</a> Igor provided us with a lot of information to think about – how will his advice help you and your startup? Please leave a comment or reach out on social media – your shared experience helps other founders grow and learn - thank you! If you need startup mentoring – please visit my website, <a href="http://andelyons.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://andelyons.com</a> where you’ll find all the ways I can add value to your startup journey: strategy calls, pitch deck and one page business snapshot coaching, WBENC application support for women business owners - I’d be honored to mentor you through whatever you’re going through – so please don’t hesitate to reach out. If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow me on Spreaker Stitcher or Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

Startup Stories and Advice from Seasoned Tech Founder and Angel Investor

"The difference between success and failure is your perspective." Even with great ideas and passion, it's difficult to navigate the murky waters of entrepreneurship. Our guest, Michael Dermer, is an entrepreneur, lawyer, speaker, coach, author, and founder of The Lonely Entrepreneur – a one stop shop that understands the entrepreneur’s struggle and provides solutions to the business and personal issues we all face as entrepreneurs.Michael founded his first company, Incent One, in 1998. It was a pioneer in the health rewards industry, and Michael survived the harrowing experience of watching the company he built from the ground up almost get destroyed overnight by the financial crisis of 2008.  Fortunately, there’s a happy ending to this startup story - Michael sold IncentOne in 2013. Whew and Woo Hoo!Today, Michael’s mission is to help unlock the potential of entrepreneurs worldwide by turning their passion into success through The Lonely Entrepreneur Learning Community. Click the play button to hear Michael's best advice to help you find success along your startup journey.Please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/ to learn more, and be sure to follow Michael and TLE via:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldermer/Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thelonelyeInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/the_lonely_entrepreneur/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLonelyEntrepreneur1/If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyonsListeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

"The difference between success and failure is your perspective." Even with great ideas and passion, it's difficult to navigate the murky waters of entrepreneurship. Our guest, Michael Dermer, is an entrepreneur, lawyer, speaker, coach, author, and founder of The Lonely Entrepreneur – a one stop shop that understands the entrepreneur’s struggle and provides solutions to the business and personal issues we all face as entrepreneurs. Michael founded his first company, Incent One, in 1998. It was a pioneer in the health rewards industry, and Michael survived the harrowing experience of watching the company he built from the ground up almost get destroyed overnight by the financial crisis of 2008. Fortunately, there’s a happy ending to this startup story - Michael sold IncentOne in 2013. Whew and Woo Hoo! Today, Michael’s mission is to help unlock the potential of entrepreneurs worldwide by turning their passion into success through The Lonely Entrepreneur Learning Community. Click the play button to hear Michael's best advice to help you find success along your startup journey. Please visit <a href="https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/</a> to learn more, and be sure to follow Michael and TLE via: LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldermer/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldermer/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/thelonelye" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/thelonelye</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_lonely_entrepreneur/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/the_lonely_entrepreneur/</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheLonelyEntrepreneur1/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/TheLonelyEntrepreneur1/</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; <a href="http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter</a> Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit</a> Do you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: <a href="https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons</a> Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

Solutions for the Lonely Entrepreneur

"You want to reach the point where the average salesperson can sell to the average customer."Our guest, Uri Haramati, is a seasoned product manager with over a decade of business knowledge and experience in diverse capacities. A serial entrepreneur, Uri founded Life on Air, the startup that previously launched the Meerkat and Houseparty video streaming apps, which are used by millions of users worldwide, and where he held the position of Head of Product and managing company operations. Previously, Uri founded Skedook, an event discovery app, and served as a senior consultant at Deloitte. Today, Uri is Founder and CEO of Torii – a SaaS Management Platform that gives instant real-time visibility and control of all company-wide SaaS apps.Uri shares his extensive startup experience with us (Meerkat/Houseparty!), including his deep understanding of finding product market fit. You'll especially appreciate his advice on:•Co-Founder Operating Agreement•Chicken before the egg founder challenges•Transitioning from B2C to B2B•Why accelerator programs benefit founders•Sales team strategyPlease visit Torii here: https://toriihq.com/And connect with Uri and Torii here:Uri LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/uriharamati/Uri Twitter - https://twitter.com/uriharamatiTorii LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/toriihq/Torii Twitter - https://twitter.com/torii_hqIf you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyonsListeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

"You want to reach the point where the average salesperson can sell to the average customer." Our guest, Uri Haramati, is a seasoned product manager with over a decade of business knowledge and experience in diverse capacities. A serial entrepreneur, Uri founded Life on Air, the startup that previously launched the Meerkat and Houseparty video streaming apps, which are used by millions of users worldwide, and where he held the position of Head of Product and managing company operations. Previously, Uri founded Skedook, an event discovery app, and served as a senior consultant at Deloitte. Today, Uri is Founder and CEO of Torii – a SaaS Management Platform that gives instant real-time visibility and control of all company-wide SaaS apps. Uri shares his extensive startup experience with us (Meerkat/Houseparty!), including his deep understanding of finding product market fit. You'll especially appreciate his advice on: •Co-Founder Operating Agreement •Chicken before the egg founder challenges •Transitioning from B2C to B2B •Why accelerator programs benefit founders •Sales team strategy Please visit Torii here: <a href="https://toriihq.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://toriihq.com/</a> And connect with Uri and Torii here: Uri LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/uriharamati/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/uriharamati/</a> Uri Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/uriharamati" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/uriharamati</a> Torii LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/toriihq/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/toriihq/</a> Torii Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/torii_hq" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/torii_hq</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; <a href="http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter</a> Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit</a> Do you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: <a href="https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons</a> Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

What Founders Need to Know About Product Market Fit

As a startup, you need your target customers to find your business online. One of the top tactics you can use is search engine optimization (SEO), but it’s highly unlikely your customers are going to be searching for your brand name. That’s why having a strong SEO strategy in place the day you launch is so important for early-stage startups. While it’s a long tail game (at least 12 months!), it will more effectively and cost-efficiently promote your products or services to your target audience.Growing up in a lower-middle class family as the oldest of seven, and after spending seven years on-air in radio in Salt Lake City, Utah, our guest Damon Burton founded an internationally successful search engine optimization agency in 2007 called SEO National. I’m thinking seven is Damon’s lucky number!A husband and father of 3 kids, Damon has been featured on Forbes, Entrepreneur, BuzzFeed, USA Weekly, he’s spoken at conferences, and has optimized websites for INC5000 companies, NBA teams, and businesses featured on Shark Tank. Damon generously shares his top SEO tactics for Startups! I’m so excited for you to learn from this extraordinary entrepreneur – and let me know which tactics you’re going to implement, okay?Here are the links to Damon's recommendations, FREE SEO REPORT, Lost and Founder book, and Answer the Public:Free SEO Report: https://www.seonational.com/report/Free SEO Cheatsheet: https://www.seonational.com/free/Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074DGYVD5/https://answerthepublic.com/Please connect with Damon on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurdamon/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonburton/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/outrank/Website https://www.seonational.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/seonationalIf you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! https://twitter.com/AndeLyonsDo you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletterDo you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAuditDo you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyonsListeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

As a startup, you need your target customers to find your business online. One of the top tactics you can use is search engine optimization (SEO), but it’s highly unlikely your customers are going to be searching for your brand name. That’s why having a strong SEO strategy in place the day you launch is so important for early-stage startups. While it’s a long tail game (at least 12 months!), it will more effectively and cost-efficiently promote your products or services to your target audience. Growing up in a lower-middle class family as the oldest of seven, and after spending seven years on-air in radio in Salt Lake City, Utah, our guest Damon Burton founded an internationally successful search engine optimization agency in 2007 called SEO National. I’m thinking seven is Damon’s lucky number! A husband and father of 3 kids, Damon has been featured on Forbes, Entrepreneur, BuzzFeed, USA Weekly, he’s spoken at conferences, and has optimized websites for INC5000 companies, NBA teams, and businesses featured on Shark Tank. Damon generously shares his top SEO tactics for Startups! I’m so excited for you to learn from this extraordinary entrepreneur – and let me know which tactics you’re going to implement, okay? Here are the links to Damon's recommendations, FREE SEO REPORT, Lost and Founder book, and Answer the Public: Free SEO Report: <a href="https://www.seonational.com/report/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.seonational.com/report/</a> Free SEO Cheatsheet: <a href="https://www.seonational.com/free/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.seonational.com/free/</a> Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074DGYVD5/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074DGYVD5/</a> <a href="https://answerthepublic.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://answerthepublic.com/</a> Please connect with Damon on: Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurdamon/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurdamon/</a> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonburton/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonburton/</a> Facebook Group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/outrank/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/outrank/</a> Website <a href="https://www.seonational.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.seonational.com/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/seonational" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/seonational</a> If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! You’ll always find me hanging out at my favorite social media bar – Twitter! <a href="https://twitter.com/AndeLyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/AndeLyons</a> Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel Andelicious Advice: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice</a> and please subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter, Let’s Stick Together -&gt; <a href="http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/AndeliciousNewsletter</a> Do you need a pitch deck reviewed? I've raised millions from VC and thousands from Angels... and I'm a co-host of a monthly pitch event in Boston. I can make sure your deck is ready for investors and a pitch event. Click this link to learn more: <a href="http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/PitchDeckAudit</a> Do you need an “Urgent Care for Startup Founders” coaching session? You can schedule me by the minute here: <a href="https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://provider.magnifi.io/andelyons</a> Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

What Startup Founders Need to Know About SEO

Finding funding is a constant challenge for most Startup Founders. PleaseNotes Founder Cheryl Sutherland shares her sensational startup stories along with how she uses creativity, clear vision and confidence to attract investors and customers and get rapid results. We talk about funding, marketing, and mindset challenges for startups. Cheryl discusses how she created a 150% result for her Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign - and generously shares all her awesome sauce secrets to help you have a successful campaign.Cheryl reveals her product development strategies and how she hustles to find solutions and resources to help her company grow. Be sure to listen carefully because Cheryl also shares a special discount offer with you - woo hoo!Please click on the play button to hear our conversation - I know you'll find an AH-HA moment for you and your business!You can follow Cheryl on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PleaseNotes/), Twitter @please_notes and Instagram @please_notes and please visit http://pleasenotes.com to purchase PleaseNotes products.

Finding funding is a constant challenge for most Startup Founders. PleaseNotes Founder Cheryl Sutherland shares her sensational startup stories along with how she uses creativity, clear vision and confidence to attract investors and customers and get rapid results. We talk about funding, marketing, and mindset challenges for startups. Cheryl discusses how she created a 150% result for her Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign - and generously shares all her awesome sauce secrets to help you have a successful campaign. Cheryl reveals her product development strategies and how she hustles to find solutions and resources to help her company grow. Be sure to listen carefully because Cheryl also shares a special discount offer with you - woo hoo! Please click on the play button to hear our conversation - I know you'll find an AH-HA moment for you and your business! You can follow Cheryl on Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PleaseNotes/)" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/PleaseNotes/)</a>, Twitter @please_notes and Instagram @please_notes and please visit <a href="http://pleasenotes.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://pleasenotes.com</a> to purchase PleaseNotes products.

How to Use Creativity, Clear Vision and Confidence for Rapid Results

Do you have a service-based startup idea but are uncertain about taking that Big Leap from the Guaranteed Paycheck? A Mom to four boys and the primary breadwinner for her family, Marketing Advisory Network Founder Samantha Stone shares all the gritty details from her startup journey. A successful business owner today, it was not so easy when she launched her B2B marketing business in 2012. Tune in to our engaging conversation and learn how you can make the Big Leap with your Startup Idea!! ♥You may learn more about Samantha and her B2B Marketing Services by visiting her website: http://marketingadvisorynetwork.com/.Please feel free to leave comments and questions ... and reach out to me at ande@andelyons.com. I'd love to learn more about you and your startup!

Do you have a service-based startup idea but are uncertain about taking that Big Leap from the Guaranteed Paycheck? A Mom to four boys and the primary breadwinner for her family, Marketing Advisory Network Founder Samantha Stone shares all the gritty details from her startup journey. A successful business owner today, it was not so easy when she launched her B2B marketing business in 2012. Tune in to our engaging conversation and learn how you can make the Big Leap with your Startup Idea!! ♥ You may learn more about Samantha and her B2B Marketing Services by visiting her website: <a href="http://marketingadvisorynetwork.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://marketingadvisorynetwork.com/</a>. Please feel free to leave comments and questions ... and reach out to me at <a href="mailto:ande@andelyons.com">ande@andelyons.com</a>. I'd love to learn more about you and your startup!

Unleash Possible for Your Startup Idea

Hold onto your seats folks – you’re about to take a roller coaster ride with these two startup co-founders!Our guests, Rajia Abdelaziz and Ray Hamilton, are the founders of invisaWear, a safety jewelry company that creates smart jewelry and accessories with advanced safety technology, allowing users to instantly alert friends, family, and police during an emergency. Rajia and Ray didn’t set out to start a tech company. They met in their sophomore year in an engineering lab at UMass Lowell and became good friends. But due to a series of events in her senior year, Rajia realized there was a strong need for a stylish, smart jewelry with safety technology product and approached her pal Ray with her idea. He responded with the suggestion “Let’s do this as our senior year class project!” Three years later, invisaWear is a vibrant, online safety jewelry company.Since starting the company, invisaWear has been featured in many newspapers, news stations and magazines, and Rajia and Ray were named one of the top ten startups to watch in the Boston area. Over the last 12 months they finalized product development and began shipping products. And the product is already saving lives! I met these two remarkable founders in the fall of 2016, when invisaWear was a “newborn," and I had the good fortune to be assigned as their Coach and Mentor through the Entrepreneurship for All accelerator program, where I volunteer as a Mentor. I’ve had a front row seat to invisaWear’s growth over the last 2 and a half years, watching in awe and wonder, the extraordinary effort and commitment Rajia and Ray have made to their startup. They give new meaning to grace under fire; in fact, if you look up hustle in the dictionary, you’ll see their photos! They are the nicest people you will ever meet, and it is a sincere privilege and honor to call them friends. No, it wasn’t all champagne and caviar moments. Please click the play button to find out how these two college friends took their idea and turned into a viable, profitable business! Rajia and Ray share all their startup struggles and successes, including:•Telling their parents “we’re starting our own business” while turning down job offers•Finding mentors and attorneys•Engineering a product safety technology into a stylish design•Competing in pitch events•Applying to … and participating in… free accelerator programs•Bootstrapping to investor funding•Identifying a target market and proving their value proposition•Creating a prototype, testing and manufacturing the product•Go-to-market strategy•Shipping those first orders•Meeting demand•How entrepreneurship has enhanced their lives•Savings lives with their product – a very special storyYou will love Rajia and Ray, and you will benefit from the nail-biting moments along with the laugh-out-loud moments from their startup stories. To purchase an invisaWear necklace, bracelet, keychain and matching accessories, please click here:  https://www.invisawear.com/collections/, and be sure to sign up for their email while you’re there.Please follow and connect with invisaWear on:Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/invisaWear/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/invisawear/Twitter: https://twitter.com/invisaWearLinkedIin:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/invisawear/about/Website: https://www.invisawear.com/Rajia Abdelaziz is the CEO of invisaWear and holds a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer science from UMass Lowell. In the rare occasions when Rajia’s not working, she's usually watching movies or swimming.Ray Hamilton, the CTO of invisaWear, graduated from UMass Lowell with a degree in electrical engineering. Ray is passionate about helping others and focuses on making a difference in society.If you need startup mentoring – please visit my website, http://andelyons.com where you’ll find all the ways I can add value to your startup journey: strategy calls, pitch deck and one page business snapshot coaching, WBENC application support for women business owners - I’d be honored to mentor you through whatever you’re going through – so please don’t hesitate to reach out.If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow me on Spreaker, Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media!Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

Hold onto your seats folks – you’re about to take a roller coaster ride with these two startup co-founders! Our guests, Rajia Abdelaziz and Ray Hamilton, are the founders of invisaWear, a safety jewelry company that creates smart jewelry and accessories with advanced safety technology, allowing users to instantly alert friends, family, and police during an emergency. Rajia and Ray didn’t set out to start a tech company. They met in their sophomore year in an engineering lab at UMass Lowell and became good friends. But due to a series of events in her senior year, Rajia realized there was a strong need for a stylish, smart jewelry with safety technology product and approached her pal Ray with her idea. He responded with the suggestion “Let’s do this as our senior year class project!” Three years later, invisaWear is a vibrant, online safety jewelry company. Since starting the company, invisaWear has been featured in many newspapers, news stations and magazines, and Rajia and Ray were named one of the top ten startups to watch in the Boston area. Over the last 12 months they finalized product development and began shipping products. And the product is already saving lives! I met these two remarkable founders in the fall of 2016, when invisaWear was a “newborn," and I had the good fortune to be assigned as their Coach and Mentor through the Entrepreneurship for All accelerator program, where I volunteer as a Mentor. I’ve had a front row seat to invisaWear’s growth over the last 2 and a half years, watching in awe and wonder, the extraordinary effort and commitment Rajia and Ray have made to their startup. They give new meaning to grace under fire; in fact, if you look up hustle in the dictionary, you’ll see their photos! They are the nicest people you will ever meet, and it is a sincere privilege and honor to call them friends. No, it wasn’t all champagne and caviar moments. Please click the play button to find out how these two college friends took their idea and turned into a viable, profitable business! Rajia and Ray share all their startup struggles and successes, including: •Telling their parents “we’re starting our own business” while turning down job offers •Finding mentors and attorneys •Engineering a product safety technology into a stylish design •Competing in pitch events •Applying to … and participating in… free accelerator programs •Bootstrapping to investor funding •Identifying a target market and proving their value proposition •Creating a prototype, testing and manufacturing the product •Go-to-market strategy •Shipping those first orders •Meeting demand •How entrepreneurship has enhanced their lives •Savings lives with their product – a very special story You will love Rajia and Ray, and you will benefit from the nail-biting moments along with the laugh-out-loud moments from their startup stories. To purchase an invisaWear necklace, bracelet, keychain and matching accessories, please click here: <a href="https://www.invisawear.com/collections/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.invisawear.com/collections/</a>, and be sure to sign up for their email while you’re there. Please follow and connect with invisaWear on: Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/invisaWear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/invisaWear/</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/invisawear/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/invisawear/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/invisaWear" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/invisaWear</a> LinkedIin: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/invisawear/about/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/invisawear/about/</a> Website: <a href="https://www.invisawear.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.invisawear.com/</a> Rajia Abdelaziz is the CEO of invisaWear and holds a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer science from UMass Lowell. In the rare occasions when Rajia’s not working, she's usually watching movies or swimming. Ray Hamilton, the CTO of invisaWear, graduated from UMass Lowell with a degree in electrical engineering. Ray is passionate about helping others and focuses on making a difference in society. If you need startup mentoring – please visit my website, <a href="http://andelyons.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://andelyons.com</a> where you’ll find all the ways I can add value to your startup journey: strategy calls, pitch deck and one page business snapshot coaching, WBENC application support for women business owners - I’d be honored to mentor you through whatever you’re going through – so please don’t hesitate to reach out. If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow me on Spreaker, Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media! Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers! Ande ♥

How Two College Friends Launched a Successful Smart Jewelry with Life Saving Technology Business

Social Media and Brand Strategist Dede Watson has been a really good online friend of mine for over 8 years. She was one of the first people I met on Twitter in 2011 … when I was a newbie social media user… as a business owner… stumbling along, trying to figure things out. Dede was a warm, welcoming light in a vast, confusing landscape.Dede is the Founder of Turn It Social, where she provides social media marketing services to personal brands … as well as small to mid-sized companies … helping them build their businesses with fresh, creative social media strategies. She is recognized as one of the top social media influencers in the world and listed as an exclusive FORBES Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer.Dede is also responsible for my own special brand: Andelicious! That’s right – it was on Twitter she began calling me Andelicious… and of course, I call HER Dedelicious!I am so delighted Dede is here to share her best Instagram Growth Hacking tips and social media strategies for startup founders, along with her own personal startup insights and stories.Favorite Quote: "Instagram, to me, is a very social place. With social media, and I tell my clients this, just posting something, you can have the best content, you can have the best captions, you can have great hashtags but if you don't communicate with your audience and if you don't hit their emotional points and their pain points and identify with them, then they're just going to look at your pictures and they're going to move on. It's just a post. It's nothing special. You have to let people know that you care about them."LINKS:http://dedewatson.comhttps://twitter.com/dede_watsonhttps://www.instagram.com/dede_watson/https://www.facebook.com/turnitsocial/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dedewatson/https://courses.dedewatson.com/courses/hashtag-like-a-pro-how-to-get-paying-customer-with-a-targeted-hashtag-strategyhttps://courses.dedewatson.com/courses/instagram-growth-hackingDede's fave digital planning app: https://www.planoly.com/You can purchase my Pitch Deck Template here: http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/Be sure to use STARTUPLIFE at checkout to receive a 20% discount.

Social Media and Brand Strategist Dede Watson has been a really good online friend of mine for over 8 years. She was one of the first people I met on Twitter in 2011 … when I was a newbie social media user… as a business owner… stumbling along, trying to figure things out. Dede was a warm, welcoming light in a vast, confusing landscape. Dede is the Founder of Turn It Social, where she provides social media marketing services to personal brands … as well as small to mid-sized companies … helping them build their businesses with fresh, creative social media strategies. She is recognized as one of the top social media influencers in the world and listed as an exclusive FORBES Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer. Dede is also responsible for my own special brand: Andelicious! That’s right – it was on Twitter she began calling me Andelicious… and of course, I call HER Dedelicious! I am so delighted Dede is here to share her best Instagram Growth Hacking tips and social media strategies for startup founders, along with her own personal startup insights and stories. Favorite Quote: "Instagram, to me, is a very social place. With social media, and I tell my clients this, just posting something, you can have the best content, you can have the best captions, you can have great hashtags but if you don't communicate with your audience and if you don't hit their emotional points and their pain points and identify with them, then they're just going to look at your pictures and they're going to move on. It's just a post. It's nothing special. You have to let people know that you care about them." LINKS: <a href="http://dedewatson.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://dedewatson.com</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dede_watson" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/dede_watson</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dede_watson/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/dede_watson/</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/turnitsocial/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/turnitsocial/</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dedewatson/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/dedewatson/</a> <a href="https://courses.dedewatson.com/courses/hashtag-like-a-pro-how-to-get-paying-customer-with-a-targeted-hashtag-strategy" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://courses.dedewatson.com/courses/hashtag-like-a-pro-how-to-get-paying-customer-with-a-targeted-hashtag-strategy</a> <a href="https://courses.dedewatson.com/courses/instagram-growth-hacking" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://courses.dedewatson.com/courses/instagram-growth-hacking</a> Dede's fave digital planning app: <a href="https://www.planoly.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.planoly.com/</a> You can purchase my Pitch Deck Template here: <a href="http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://andelyons.com/powerful-pitch-deck-investors/</a> Be sure to use STARTUPLIFE at checkout to receive a 20% discount.

Instagram Growth Hacking

The best self improvement podcast episodes. From improving productivity, to finding purpose in your life to what constitutes freedom, this topic is on anything and everything that can help people to improve their lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes on Self Improvement, Growth & Development

The best podcast episodes of anyone with an interesting story. With famous guests like Obama, LeBron James, Drake, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, to anyone who has a unique and interesting story to tell. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!