Episode Summary

Alexa Fischer was laying down, pretending to be dead, on the set of Bones, when she had an awakening. She loves acting, but she thought, “What am I doing with my life?” Call it luck, call it a sign, but less than a week later, Alexa got a call, out of the blue, to become a media trainer, and this is how she made the shift out of acting and into coaching. Today, she teaches her high-profile clients how to speak with confidence -- not with arrogance -- and how they can cultivate engaging conversations with the people they serve.

What Was Covered

• 04:10 - How did Alexa get into Yale?

• 05:35 - Why did Alexa decide to become an entrepreneur?
• 09:10 - Curiosity and tenacity are a powerful combination. You need to have both!
• 09:55 - What’s the difference between confidence and arrogance?
• 13:50 - Alexa discusses the time she met Simon Sinek.
• 19:30 - Somebody who is humble takes the time to listen to others.
• 20:55 - What’s Alexa’s why?
• 24:25 - Life is tricky. We didn’t come here for an easy ride -- we have to earn our mark.
• 25:50 - Alexa recommends, The First Key: How to Remove Subconscious Sabotage, by Daphna Slonim

Links Mentioned

J Robinett Enterprises
John Livesay Funding Strategist

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Episode Summary

Samira Salman is the CEO & Founder of Salman Solutions, a firm that advises executives, startup founders, and entrepreneurs on how to build better companies and raise capital. Samira had a very successful career as a tax lawyer. Now, she uses her expertise in both corporate and tax law to advise her clients, and she speaks heavily on topics such as entrepreneurship, brand building, negotiation, and more. Discover how you can build trust with an investor, on this week’s episode!

What Was Covered

• 04:05 - How did Samira get into tech investments?
• 06:35 - Samira works with companies at all funding stages.
• 07:00 - What does Samira look for when a company is pre-revenue?
• 11:05 - If you don’t know what problem you’re solving, then you don’t understand what your company does.
• 13:45 - You can’t wing your pitch! You have to prepare, and prepare, and prepare, if you really want to wow investors.
• 16:05 - Samira believes there’s no difference between your personal life and your business life. The internet makes our lives so transparent.
• 16:40 - Before Samira takes on a client, she Googles them.
• 17:40 - Brand yourself! investors will be looking at your online profiles.
• 20:10 - Make sure your pitch deck looks professional. These days you don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a good looking presentation.
• 22:10 - It’s always a great idea to pause your presentation, and ask whether your investors have a question. Think of your pitch deck as a conversation between investors.
• 24:10 - Remember, people do business with people they know, like, and trust.
• 25:30 - You job isn’t to sell your company, it’s to sell yourself.
• 26:55 - Samira knows how to pick unicorns.
• 30:15 - You have to ‘cut off the dead tree limbs’ when you need to. If an employee isn’t working out, it’s best to let them go.
• 31:20 - Samira recommends the book, The 50th Law, by 50 Cent and Robert Greene.

Tweetables

Cut off dead tree limbs whenever someone is not working out on your team
Show investors you are prepared and organized
Use LinkedIn to brand yourself to investors
Be authentic and have a conversation where you listen

Links Mentioned

J Robinett Enterprises
John Livesay Funding Strategist
Salman Solutions Website
Samira on Twitter
The 50th Law, by 50 Cent and Robert Greene

Crack The Funding Code!

Register now for the free webinar

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Episode Summary

Stacie Shaw is the Founder of Pitch Deck Fire, where her company creates engaging and effective pitch decks for startups. As Stacie says, she is a startup storyteller! Entrepreneurs need to realize that when investors are hearing your pitch for the very first time, they are hearing it with their more primitive reptile brain and not their analytical brain. This is why you need to make your pitch incredibly simple and easy to understand, even if what you do is a complex.

What Was Covered

• 03:45 - How did Stacie get started?
• 04:45 - When did Stacie decide it was time to be self-employed?
• 07:20 - How well your pitch deck is designed is very, very important.
• 08:15 - What should people include in their pitch deck?
• 09:55 - Don’t pitch an investor like a customer. Your investor isn’t your customer!
• 11:15 - The less is more in your pitch deck.
• 11:30 - We have three parts to our brain. Stacie explains further.
• 13:30 - Explain your idea in a simple way to investor.
• 13:40 - Investors have a small attention span.
• 14:55 - Stacie shares tips on how you can be more comfortable with an investor.
• 15:55 - Is there such a thing as practicing too much?
• 17:55 - Body language also affects the way you feel.
• 20:15 - What are some common graphic design mistakes Stacie sees in a pitch deck presentation?
• 22:30 - One pitch deck fits all? No!
• 25:40 - Entrepreneurs try to do everything themselves, but as something as important as a pitch deck, you do want to seek out help.
• 26:30 - What makes an amazing story and how can entrepreneurs leverage it?
• 29:30 - Stacie recommends the book Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal, by Oren Klaff

Tweetables

Practice in front of strangers
Dont confuse investors with complex concepts
How you stand impacts how you present
Energy is contagious when you pitch

Links Mentioned

J Robinett Enterprises
John Livesay Funding Strategist
Pitch Deck Fire Website
Pitch Deck Fire on Twitter

Crack The Funding Code!

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Jon Levy is a behavior scientist, author of the book, The 2AM Principle, and a keynote speaker. Jon’s work largely focuses on two main areas: Influence and Adventure. While researching what makes and creates an ‘influencer,’ Jon created a private community and dining experience (with a twist!) for industry leaders. Through this dining experience, Jon has discovered the keys to designing a great social experience, and uses this knowledge to help brands cultivate strong influencer programs.

Links Mentioned

J Robinett Enterprises
John Livesay Funding Strategist
Jon Levy Website
The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure, by Jon Levy
Jon Levy Twitter

Crack The Funding Code!

Register now for the free webinar

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? I'd love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!