Shows
Straighten Your CrownAlda Leu Dennis: Negotiation Coaching from an InvestorConfused by negotiations on valuation and dilution? Tired of not being heard by men? Feeling like the underdog negotiating against an investor who has 20x the deal experience? What you need is the advice of a seasoned investor you can trust. Enter this ground-breaking interview with Alda Leu Dennis, General Partner at Initialized Capital. Not only is Alda a former litigator (aka expert of experts!) and operator, she came highly recommended from a founder we trust. In this episode, Alda gifts all female found...2021-07-2348 minStraighten Your CrownAmy Jin Demystifies Difficult ConversationsThe key to mastering negotiations is mastering difficult conversations. Yet what makes difficult conversations difficult? How can you have them skillfully instead of avoiding them? As a founder, the most challenging aspects of your job probably boil down to maneuvering difficult conversations, whether they’re in fundraising, with your co-founder, or in delivering or receiving feedback. This interview with Amy gives you exactly the right tools and know-how to master any difficult conversation so that you can strengthen your relationships, and get what you want. Amy’s bio: Amy...2021-06-1658 minStraighten Your CrownNetysha Santos Gives Masterful Negotiation Coaching for WomxnDid you know that your head is connected to the rest of your body? Why does that matter in negotiation? Does this apply to you: “I know what I need to do, but I feel bad”? What’s happening Meet Netysha Santos, an expert negotiator, coach, and teacher. Netysha honed her negotiation skills on wall street, in big tech (Google and Facebook), and is a trained negotiation instructor via Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation. Yeah, when we said expert, we meant expert. From boxing to meditation, Netysha walks us through killer tools that change t...2021-06-021h 12Straighten Your CrownAndrea Minkow's Secrets to Empowered Fundraising NegotiationsSecond in our negotiation series is an in-depth interview with our very own host, Andrea Minkow! Ever wish you could sit down with a seasoned, caring founder who’s dedicated her life to helping other founders? That’s what you get in this interview with Andrea: best-in-class coaching advice, from direct experience, for how founders can win in fundraising negotiations. Andrea gives us the words, questions, and mindset to make killer deals. She shares with us the art form of negotiation, how to set expectations, and align interests. Most importantly, she gives us the magic for...2021-05-2155 minStraighten Your CrownErin Gleason Alvarez: Why Mindfulness is Key to NegotiatingFirst up in our negotiation series is star mediator and negotiation teacher, Erin Gleason Alvarez. If you’ve got a negotiation boogie man hiding under your bed, Erin’s smart tools and mindful approach will vanquish your fears and empower you. You’ll realize that negotiation is a survival skill we cultivate early on in life and use hundreds of times every day - meaning, you’re already a skilled negotiator! (What a relief!) You’ll learn how to show up in perceived power differentials, such as when we’re the only woman in the room. (Her elegant answe...2021-05-0649 minStraighten Your CrownBootstrapping, Babies, and Blasting Off: Meet Jennie Monness, the Founder of Union Square Play and Mo’MommiesWe love vulnerable, shame-busting women like Jennie Monness, the founder and Chief Mom-In-Charge of Union Square Play and the beloved blog, Mo’ Mommies. Jennie, an educator and mom, has built a business that helps all other moms. You’ll hear about the lessons she’s learned from both roles (entrepreneur and mom), and how she’s applied these lessons straight back into both worlds. Jennie also shares with us how she adapted a brick-and-mortar business to the pandemic, and how she overcame obstacles when she was getting started. Her take home message for moms, kids, and entrepreneurs? Trust yourself. We...2021-04-2032 minStraighten Your CrownAlex Batdorf Gets Sh!t Done!Alex Batdorf is an electric presence in the empowerment of female founders. She shares lessons she’s learned as a 3x founder, her early experiences in entrepreneurship, why traction is critical for female founders, and the power of focusing on revenue. We promise you will leave this interview pumped! Bio: Alex Batdorf is a 3X entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Get Sh!t Done, the superpower scaling sidekick supporting Womxn entrepreneurs in gaining traction to scale their companies on their own terms. Their motto is F*ck 4% because Womxn entrepreneurs make up nea...2021-04-011h 03Straighten Your CrownAsian Voices MatterWe are processing, holding, and doing the work to understand how we can support our Asian community right now, and going forward. We feel it is important to have this conversation, to see and be seen. To hear and be heard. Right now and forever. Amy is Chinese-American, and shares her current experience, as well as an important message to Asian Female Founders: YOU ARE REMARKABLE. We are finding and using our voice, and hope you are finding and using yours too. Some stats: NBC reports that in 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes increased by nearly 150%. While...2021-03-2337 minStraighten Your CrownLindsey Taylor Wood wants women to have and make moneyThe world is built on men investing, and Lindsey Taylor Wood is here to change that. This founder, investor, and changemaker has been unapologetically empowering women to leverage their capital for over 15 years. And she’s here to share with you her invaluable insights on both investing and raising capital. Not only has Lindsey advised some of the biggest philanthropic names in how to mobilize their capital, she’s also figured out how to deploy funds in the for profit space as an entrepreneur and as an investor. At thehelm.co, she provides women with the opportunity to put...2021-03-0155 minStraighten Your CrownAlexsandra Guerra is a real life mermaid reversing climate change by being a badass entrepreneurReady to meet another badass female founder tackling climate change? Alexsandra Guerra is the Co-Founder & Director of Corporate Development at Nori. You’ll hear what Alexsandra wanted to be when she grew up (answer: A MERMAID, of course!) and how she’s imbued everything she’s done with true mermaid essence. She tells us stories of stepping into her entrepreneurial DNA, drops confidence sparklers like, “I do sales now because I can do anything,” and leaves us with an invaluable leadership lesson.2021-02-0853 minStraighten Your CrownSanchali Pal follows her dreams, raises an oversubscribed $2.5M seed round from Sequoia, and shows us how to take meaningful climate actionReady to meet another badass female founder? Sanchali Pal, Founder and CEO of Joro, is breaking barriers, scaling her company, and saving the planet, literally. While all of us are sitting over here emitting a full shipping container of carbon everyday, Sanchali is building Joro, an app which makes it easy for regular Janes like us to do something about our emissions. Sanchali removes your cognitive load so that you can take your individual action and turn it into aggregate demand. Sanchali shares her advice on how she closed an oversubscribed $2.5M seed round led...2021-02-0855 minStraighten Your CrownJane Mosbacher Morris shows us how to unleash our purchasing power, make global change, and conquer rejection when fundraisingIt’s Season 2 and we are bringing you interviews with incredible female founders who have broken barriers and are changing the world! You want inspiring stories? You want know how? You got it! Our first interview is going to blow your mind. Meet Jane Mosbacher Morris, Founder & CEO of TO THE MARKET. Jane is a visionary entrepreneur who was named one of the World’s 25 Greatest Leaders because of her response to COVID-19 by Fortune Magazine. Jane shares her illuminating journey from the beginning of her career at the U.S. Department of State...2020-12-0858 minStraighten Your CrownYour badass fundraising narrative is here!We are back with Season 2! And ready to help you dominate! We'll vulnerably share why we took a break, how we navigated the last 6 months, and how you can give yourself this radical act of empowerment. Now we want to help you Focus, Execute, and Gain Speed! The end of this year is yours. And so is 2021. Grab a scone and latte, and take down our four step process so that you 1) Get clear on your priorities 2) Strategize like a boss 3) Ruthlessly prioritize and 4) Execute even on the things you hate. Yo...2020-11-1153 minStraighten Your CrownCrystal Ball Predictions: How will ordinary life change post COVID?Even though the lights are down on Broadway, the show must go on. Ordinary life as we knew it is over. We now live in a world where smiling with your eyes is a real thing (you called it, Tyra! SMIZING!), the words “Tiger King” actually make sense, anxiety, grief and loss are commonplace, virtual dating is the only way to meet a partner, WFH and homeschooling is the norm, telehealth and virtual collaboration companies are exploding, and baking has become the national pastime. What else is new? What will be born out of this period? What new habits, servi...2020-06-1856 minStraighten Your CrownCrystal Ball Predictions: How will home life and work change? What new trends will we see?First puzzles sell out, now bikes and kites! Staying home has changed our spending habits, which means new tech, new products and services, and new companies. What business opportunities are in growth and decline? What are you buying? Have you fled city life? How will cities and their surrounding rental markets change as a result? Will the city office go the way of the dinosaurs? How will this pandemic affect the way we care for family members? As for work, as we sit more, will we work more? How do we reclaim headspace? Is there momentum for a...2020-06-1041 minStraighten Your CrownCrystal Ball Predictions: What will die post-COVID? (including unicorns...)2020-05-1442 minStraighten Your CrownCrystal Ball Predictions: The fastest growing companies post-Covid Newton’s Third Law states: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Ok, so, with all that is not happening, what is going gangbusters? Find yourself wondering what will thrive post-Covid? And what industries or companies will explode? We are. And we think it matters big time for you and your business. Come take a peek inside our crystal ball. Join us as we share our most exacting (and sometimes nutty) predictions for fastest growing companies in the near future. We hope you’ll find an insight for your business or investment.2020-05-1415 minStraighten Your CrownThe Covid Chronicles: Where Laughter Meets TearsFound yourself asking what the F is going on? Isn’t the “new normal” an oxymoron? If you’re anything like us, you just ordered new sweatpants and want to build an instagram filter so you don’t have to see another #QuarantinePillowChallenge. Come take a breather and have a laugh with us. After all, there is only so much Xanax in the world, and laughter is the next best medicine. Together we can weather this pandemic with grace and compassion, and return to what truly matters for you and your business. Straighten Your Crown2020-04-1333 min
Straighten Your CrownEp. 9 Fundraising During Corona? Listen to this!If you're fundraising during the COVID-19 pandemic, LISTEN TO THIS NOW. Andrea and Amy interview well respected VCs, angel investors, lawyers, and finance experts and summarize their advice for you. Are investors still writing checks? How do current events influence their decision making? We show you how to: take control of your own destiny, adapt your story even if your revenue has dropped, tap your network, strategize, find opportunities, and pitch remotely. Head to our website for more resources.2020-03-241h 12
Straighten Your CrownWhat holds female founders back? Wielding Your Feminine ProwessHave you wondered about how female energy plays a role in entrepreneurship and fundraising? Can your female prowess be an asset instead of a liability? Sexuality is never going away, so let’s navigate it and behave in a way that benefits us and our businesses. How can founders identify their prowess and wield it effectively? Get tips for how to amp up your situational awareness, set boundaries, make asks and more. And, we recommend obligations that investors can adopt today. Tips: https://bit.ly/2xn9MXh2020-03-0453 minStraighten Your CrownWhat holds female founders back? The Dangerous Dance of ComparisonEver find yourself distracted comparing yourself to others and their success? You have come to the right place! Andrea & Amy explore how female founders get cheated when they stop asking, "Why not me?", and focus on what others are doing. We are trained from a young age to compete and compare -- what would happen if we stopped and focused on empire building, AND helped other women along the way? Join Andrea & Amy as they provide hilarious stories, tips and tricks for how to increase the pace of your personal and business success. Read: “We could find no...2020-01-0847 minStraighten Your CrownWhat holds female entrepreneurs back? Our need to be liked!In our next batch of episodes, Andrea and Amy excavate and conquer what holds women back. First up: our need to be liked. What’s the problem with needing to be liked, especially as a female entrepreneur? How does it hold us back, and can it diminish our authenticity? At the end of the day, is there something more important than being liked? How can we free ourselves AND other women from this societal patterning, and thereby unleash a community of women leaders? As usual, Andrea and Amy provide tips and tricks for you to better understand yo...2020-01-0843 minStraighten Your CrownHow to run a baller pitch meeting: Making the ask (Part 4 of 4)2019-10-1626 minStraighten Your CrownHow to run a baller pitch meeting: All the mechanics you need (Part 3 of 4)Pitching can be the most empowering thing you do! We give you the secrets of a charismatic mindset, the pre-meeting ritual that primes the rockstar in you, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Andrea recounts her experience pitching 100 investors, and you learn the power of discovery. We discuss best practices on where to sit, what to wear, and how to showcase your special sauce. Tune in for stories from other founders and tips that you can't live without. Most of all, never leave the meeting without making an ask. (Part 3 of 4)2019-10-1638 minStraighten Your CrownEp 3: How to run a baller pitch meeting - Prep your materials (Part 2 of 4) So you're pitching and fundraising. What materials do you need to ace the process? Andrea and Amy break down the essentials of a pitch deck, business plan, and financial model and make it easy and simple. You'll also get tips on email templates. The best part - learn about the single mindset shift that will totally change the way you approach pitching and fundraising, for good! Tune in, get guidance and clarity, and realize that it is you who's offering an incredible opportunity to your investors! (Part 2 of 4.)2019-10-1615 min
Straighten Your CrownEp 2: How to run a baller pitch meeting - Know your why and get unflappable confidence (Part 1 of 4)Are you thinking about fundraising, or in the middle of it? Trying to ace your pitch? We will walk you through how to prepare before you even start pitching. Get the tools to develop unflappable confidence. Uncover your personal & business WHY & use this to power your pitch. Understand what makes you unique, formidable, and therefore a compelling investment. Last, we will help you get clear on the business problem you're solving so that you can articulate it in a quantifiable & urgent way. Part 1 of 4.2019-10-1621 min
Straighten Your CrownEp 1: Meet your hosts and get the #1 tip they want female founders to knowWelcome to Straighten Your Crown, the secret society for women who want to rule the world! Meet your co-hosts, Andrea Minkow and Amy Jin, and learn how they got to where they are, what's motivated them to share all of the secrets you need to know to start, grow, scale and raise money for a business, and be the best leader you can possibly be! They also share the ONE thing they want all female entrepreneurs to know -- it's an empowering secret you won't want to miss! Send us your questions and comments at straightenyourcrownpodcast@gmail.co...2019-07-1735 min