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With Joy Chudacoff, Leading Expert on Business Success and Lifestyle Design For Women

Jesse Draper Unplugged – Getting Real About What it Takes to Succeed With The CEO & Founder of Halogen Ventures

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Jesse Draper is back for an encore! She was on the podcast back in 2018 and this time I had the pleasure of sharing her wisdom with the members of my private, online membership community, ALIGN online. It was SO good. I’m calling it, “Jesse Draper Unplugged.” She’s just raised $21M to invest in the next generation of female-founded businesses and on this episode, she takes a deep dive with us!

Jesse started her career in the entertainment industry and along the way discovered she had a “superpower” or maybe it was “x-ray vision” when it comes to knowing what it takes to be a winning idea in business. She started focusing on building an early stage venture capital fund focused on female-founded consumer technologies, which led to the creation of Halogen Ventures.

Jesse talks how she found her footing in the venture capital world, her best tips on pitching ideas to investors, the importance of insane optimism, and why you should always ask for feedback.

If you’re looking for investors or bootstrapping, this episode is for you.

You can be what you can see.” – Jesse Draper

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

For women, we are taught to give away money before we are taught to take risk with our money and that’s a problem.” – Jesse Draper

Show Notes:

  • How Jesse went from the entertainment industry to the venture capital world
  • Everyone suffers from Imposter Syndrome and why you need to just keep going
  • Her Insider “SECRETS” on pitching investors – PURE GOLD!
  • Why Jesse decided to focus on female-founders and her perspective on female-founder disruptors
  • 3 Must-Haves she looks for before giving the Green Light
  • The BIGGEST challenge for female founders (and her expert advice on how to overcome it)
  • Why asking for FEEDBACK is key
  • The Type of LEADER you have to become to succeed – BRILLIANT
  • The Essential ingredient to every business (you may be surprised!)

Bootstrap as long as you can.” – Jesse Draper

Connect with Jesse Draper:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Halogen Ventures

You can’t do anything alone.” – Jesse Draper

Kim Kovacs – Founder/CEO of MyJane, Curated Cannabis Products Delivered to Your Front Door

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Kim Kovacs on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffWhen Kim Kovacs witnessed a close relative looking and acting 10 years younger (and relieved of the pain she had suffered for years from using opioids to combat the effects of cancer), she was intrigued. She found out this positive change and outlook on life was due to the use of cannabis products and at that moment, Kim decided to get serious and learn more about everything cannabis could do to help women.

Kim saw a void in the women’s cannabis space and decided to fill it by starting MyJane – a cannabis wellness community designed to help women feel better. MyJane sends a curated box of cannabis products right to your door delivered by women ambassadors who spend time educating each customer on the products.

On today’s show, Kim has a lot to share with you. She is a serial entrepreneur and investor across multiple sectors and has raised over $100 million in venture capital for companies that she has founded.

Kim talks about how MyJane got started, her best ACTION STEPS in growing MyJane thus far, her advice on fundraising, how the movie “Groundhog Day” gets her through tough times, and much, much more.

 

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

Let’s ask women what they want. Before we go ahead and do anything, let’s ask.” – Kim Kovacs

Show Notes:

  • How the name “MyJane” came about – it truly was a Perfect Storm
  • Why Kim decided to get her product DELIVERED in person by Female Brand Ambassadors
  • The GENIUS First Step Kim took that catapulted MyJane’s early growth – Simple & Easy
  • The MyJane model and WHY IT WORKS
  • The ONE thing MyJane is doing to ensure happy, loyal customers
  • Where your FOCUS has to be 24/7
  • Managing CASH FLOW in an extremely regulated industry
  • Her BIGGEST challenge
  • Why the movie “Groundhog Day” helps get her through the challenges of entrepreneurship
  • Her best advice on FUNDRAISING
  • The advice she hears being given in the entrepreneur arena that she doesn’t agree with
  • The Inventor versus the Entrepreneur Concept
  • Her Belief about Partnerships
  • What she wished someone would have told her BEFORE she entered the world of Entrepreneurship

Do your research as your fundraising. Find the right investors so you don’t spend time talking to people you don’t need to.” – Kim Kovacs

Connect with Kim Kovacs:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | MyJane

Once you crack that conversation about cannabis then the flood gates are open to talk about other things and we’re freely (now) talking about different things that I don’t think women used to talk about.” – Kim Kovacs

Jesse Draper – From Talk Show Host to Investing in Women-Owned Businesses Through Halogen Ventures

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Jesse Draper on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

When Jesse Draper created and began hosting the 2015 Emmy nominated television series, The Valley Girl Show, she discovered something interesting; it wasn’t easy to find women in business to interview!

This ‘discovery’ ultimately led Jesse to found Halogen Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund focused on female-founded consumer technologies.

Currently, Halogen Ventures, has made some great picks with theSkimm, Carbon 38, Sugarfina, and Hop Skip Drive as part of their portfolio, to name a few.

Listed by Marie Claire as one of the “50 Most Connected Women in America,” Jesse talks networking, investor pitching tips and why the childcare industry needs a makeover.

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

If it is not fulfilling one of my priorities for that particular day or week, I have to re-prioritize.” – Jesse Draper

Show Notes:

  • HOW being the creator and host of “The Valley Girl Show” illuminated some startling stats on women in business
  • The 3 ‘ingredients’ she looks for in a company when making an investment decision
  • WHY she Loves it when she doesn’t understand something
  • Her BEST Tips on pitching your idea to investors
  • The real truth about Networking
  • Why Perfection is a deal killer
  • COLD emails are not dead – Jesse has proof
  • How she kept going after hearing 110 NO’S
  • How she stays PRODUCTIVE as a mom of two under the age of 4 while running a fast-paced business
  • Jesse’s ideas for Bulldozing the CHILDCARE industry in America
  • Why networking HAS NOT gone out of style
  • Why being “uncomfortable” is the best place to be
  • And much, much more

Get out there and do it. Meet as many people as you can, and send cold emails.” – Jesse Draper

Connect with Jesse Draper:

Twitter | Instagram | Lady Bosses Podcast | Halogen Ventures | Facebook

Do something that makes you uncomfortable every day.” – Jesse Draper

Edith Dorsen – Founder of the Women’s Venture Capital Fund – Getting Funding Into The Hands of More Women Entrepreneurs

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Edith Dorsen on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

FACT: 95% of venture capital is granted to companies where senior leadership does not include any women.

My guest today, Edith Dorsen, along with her partner, got mad and then they got busy taking action to change this statistic.

On today’s show, Edith talks about how she started this business, tips for the best pitch, the most challenging moment in her career so far, and more. 

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

The singular most important thing to execute on a good idea is having a core team around you because no successful company is built on the back of a single individual.” – Edith Dorsen

Show Notes:

  • How many “pitches” VC’s hear before choosing ONE
  • HOW to make your entrepreneurial idea more “Venture Worth”
  • The MOST important ingredient for a successful pitch (HINT: it’s not the Big Idea)
  • The UPS & DOWNS of dealing with partnerships and GREAT advice for those seeking partners
  • The most CHALLENGING MOMENT in her career thus far
  • Typical advice that a lot of startups are given that she doesn’t agree with
  • What type of entrepreneurs work with the Women’s Venture Capital Fund
  • Her BEST Book Recommendation
  • And much, much more

When you build companies that include a diverse senior leadership, you’re building stronger companies that perform better.” – Edith Dorsen

Connect with Edith Dorsen:

LinkedIn | WomensVCFund II

The decisions need to be weighed properly and probably made more slowly before you make a commitment that takes a long time to unwind if it’s not the right one.” – Edith Dorsen

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