“I always had super big ambitions. I knew I wanted to get the timing right because I also wanted to have a successful business and not a moonshot that failed. So that was my internal monologue for nearly five years until I did decide that the timing was right to fundraise.”- Eliza Blank, Founder and CEO of The Sill
Ask any entrepreneur, starting a startup is one of the hardest paths you can take. As a female founder there are even more challenges to overcome, especially when it comes to raising funds.
Eliza Blank, Founder of The Sill, a direct-to-consumer plant delivery startup, bootstrapped her company for 5 years before deciding to raise outside venture capital money, and closing $7.5M to date.
Eliza also shares her most important lessons about choosing the right partners. Professionally, she decided to go solo after realizing how she and her co-founder were incompatible. Personally, Eliza got engaged, married, and became a mother, all while fundraising and ramping up her startup.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to overcome the fundraising challenges that female founders specifically face
Specific tactics to improve your fundraising process
How to be intentional when selecting business partners
How to answer biased fundraising questions by highlighting your vision and track record
Listen on: Apple Podcasts // Spotify
🔥 Voices That Inspire 🔥
Reading: Bow Down by Lindsay Goldwert
…I said “I don’t know” when I did know. I acted indecisive out of courtesy. I deferred to other people when I knew that they were wrong or that I’d regret it. I’ve taken calls with recruiters for jobs that I didn’t even want and feigned enthusiasm out of politeness. I once tweeted a joke that said “My epitaph will read, ‘Ha, no problem!’” A lot of women liked and RT’ed it because they got it.
Because ‘haha, no problem” is easier than saying “thanks for wasting my time.”
It’s ludicrous how much time we as women waste in an attempt to not come off like we’re demanding too much.
Playing: Hey Lion by Sofi Tucker
Hey lion
You're not my king
And I don't want your worship
I'm already tallHey lion
You keep your gifts
I've got many of them
And I'm already fullHey lion
Here comes our death
It's time to silence your sermon
And to go back to war
Watching: 3 Ways to Measure Your Adaptability and How to Improve It, Natalie Fratto
“Adaptability itself is a form of intelligence”
🔥 Women We Admire 🔥
Katherine Ryder, Founder & CEO of Maven Raises A $45 Million Series C, One Of The Largest Funding Rounds For A Female-Led Women’s Healthcare Company
An interview with South Korean author Cho Nam-joo on how her novel addressing gender inequality became a bestseller in South Korea, sparking urgent public debate: “My book is braver than I am”
Jennifer Scanlon was named the Chair of The Commercial Club of Chicago, an organization of senior business, academic and nonprofit leaders, for the first time in the group’s 143-year history.
Candice Storey Lee was named as Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first African American woman to head a Southeastern Conference athletics program
Leticia Rice was named General Manager of the iconic Balboa Bay Club for the first time in its 75-year history and Marina Dutton recently was named general manager position at the nearby Balboa Bay Resort.
Thanks for supporting Powerful Women!
~ Lisa Carmen Wang, ⚢ The GLOW