Shows
Finance for Founders with Samuel AjalaI built and sold a $25 million tech company | Sharon Gillenwater | Episodes 13 |SummaryIn this episode of Finance for Founders, host Samuel Ajala interviews Sharon Gillenwater, co-founder and former CEO of Boardroom Insiders. Sharon shares her journey from her upbringing in California to building a successful tech startup that sold for $25 million. She discusses the challenges she faced, including her experiences with venture capital, the lessons learned from her early ventures, and her current endeavors in supporting other entrepreneurs. The conversation highlights the importance of resilience, integrity in business, and the often-overlooked stories of entrepreneurs outside the Silicon Valley narrative. In this conversation, Sharon Gillenwater...2024-12-162h 01
Career Blast in a HalfScaling Without Selling Out A $25 Million Story I Sharon GillenwaterWhat if Success Didn't Require Selling Out?
What if the conventional startup playbook is wrong?
Sharon Gillenwater sold her tech company in 2022 for $25M.
But that's not the interesting part.
The interesting part is how she did it.
By ignoring almost everything Silicon Valley says you "must" do to succeed.
Whether you're dreaming of starting your own venture, stuck in a soul-crushing corporate job, or simply tired of feeling like success requires compromise,
Sharon's story offers a powerful a...2024-12-1149 min
Brydge Club by Ruffin MitchenerSued by VCs, Sharon Gillenwater Bootstrapped a $25M Startup SaleWelcome to the Brydge Club podcast! I'm your host, Ruffin, and today I’m thrilled to sit down with Sharon Gillenwater, author of Scaling with Soul and a resilient entrepreneur. Sharon’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary—she raised $3 million in venture capital for her first business before pivoting to bootstrap her second business, Boardroom Insiders, to a $25 million exit. Now a viral voice on TikTok, she demystifies entrepreneurship for a wide audience.
In this episode, we dive into Sharon’s story of navigating venture capital, including her decision to raise funding and the challenges that fol...2024-10-301h 02
My Perfect FailureBootstrapping To $25 Million with Sharon K. Gillenwater✅ Subscribe now for more episodes MPF Discussion with Sharon K. Gillenwater Bootstrapping To $25 Million with Sharon K. GillenwaterAbout SharonSharon K. Gillenwater is a tech founder who built, scaled, and sold Boardroom Insiders for $25 million in 2022. She shares her journey in her book, Scaling With Soul: How I Built & Sold a $25 Million Tech Company Without Being an A**hole, aiming to make entrepreneurial success accessible to all. Sharongrew up in a working-class family, became the first in her family to earn a2024-10-271h 07
The Exit Whisperer#13 - Sharon Gillenwater (Boardroom Insiders)Season 2 is HERE!!
In this riveting episode of 'The Exit Whisperer,' we dive deep into the world of business and entrepreneurship with Sharon Gillenwater, a TikTok sensation known for her transparent exit from Boardroom Insiders, a company she sold for $25 million.
Sharon shares her journey negotiating with a room full of men, achieving double her company's valuation, and the trials and triumphs of exiting a bootstrap business.
Sharon's insight into gender dynamics in business, the importance of financial transparency, and her mission to demystify entrepreneurial exits make this a must-listen episode.
Learn about her perseverance, practical wisdom, transformative success in b...2024-09-2445 min
What The Teck?TECH STARTUP FOUNDER: The Brutal TRUTH Behind BUILDING and SELLING a $25 MILLION Tech CompanySharon K. Gillenwater is a SaaS startup advisor, mentor, and coach for aspiring tech entrepreneurs. As a tech startup founder and executive, she built, scaled, and sold Boardroom Insiders — an award-winning Inc. 5000 SaaS business intelligence platform — for $25 million in 2022. Sharon recounts this journey in her book Scaling With Soul. After gaining experience in the tech and marketing space in San Francisco, she became an independent consultant working for major tech companies, including Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle, Adobe, Sun Microsystems, and Google. In this episode… Founding a business with investments from venture capital may make the process easier...2024-08-231h 06
More than a Few Words#1041 How Women Can Survive and Thrive in the Tech Industry | Sharon GillenwaterIf you’re a woman business owner or thinking about becoming one, there are unique challenges you’ll face compared to your male counterparts. However, success is achievable, as demonstrated by Sharon Gillenwater, a tech startup founder who sold her company, Boardroom Insiders, for $25 million. Here are a few key points from our conversation.
Funding and Networking Obstacles:
Women receive only about 2% of venture funding. Additionally, if you’re not part of the entrepreneurial network, gaining access to funding and talent can be tough. It’s crucial to build a network of contacts who can guide an...2024-08-0811 min
21 Hats PodcastA Silicon Valley Bootstrapper Tells AllThis week, in episode 207, special guest Sharon Gillenwater lets us in on some dirty little secrets about Silicon Valley. She’s the founder of two businesses. The first one was backed by venture capital and then destroyed by venture capital. Despite that experience, Sharon tried to raise capital for her second business, Boardroom Insiders, a software-as-a-service marketing tool that helps businesses sell to the top decision-makers at big corporations. But this time, the VCs weren’t interested. So she bootstrapped the business with the help of an angel investor—and proceeded to learn some surprising lessons, many of which she shares...2024-08-061h 00
Unbreakable MompreneursScaling with Soul: Business Insights from Sharon GillenwaterJoin us in this compelling episode as we welcome Sharon K. Gillenwater, a renowned business mogul who took her tech startup from zero to a $25 million exit. As the founder of Boardroom Insiders, Sharon brings unmatched business acumen and a wealth of experience to the table.
In this episode, Sharon shares her journey of building, scaling, and selling her company without compromising her values, a story beautifully chronicled in her book, "Scaling With Soul: How I Built & Sold a $25 Million Tech Company Without Being an A**hole." She demystifies entrepreneurship and offers practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs...2024-08-0359 min
Business Growth TrailblazersSuccesses, Setbacks, and Strategies with Sharon Gillenwater
Welcome to the Business Growth Trailblazers Podcast! In this episode, we’ll explore the dynamic landscape of startups, learn from the experiences, and discover the strategies that can turn visionary ideas into thriving businesses.
Sharon K. Gillenwater is a tech startup founder, business executive, and speaker whose mission is to demystify entrepreneurship and make it more accessible for everyone. She is the author of Scaling With Soul: How I Built & Sold a $25 Million Tech Company Without Being an A**hole which chronicles how she built, scaled and sold Boardroom Insiders.
...2024-06-2519 min
It Gets Late Early: Ageism in the WorkplaceBuilding a $25M Tech Company Without VC, Gender Barriers, Social Media Fame, and Writing “Scaling With Soul” With Sharon GillenwaterEver wonder what it takes to build and sell a tech company for millions without venture capital? Well, we've got the inside story straight from the source!Today I'm chatting with Sharon Gillenwater, a trailblazing entrepreneur who did just that - she built and sold her tech company (Boardroom Insiders) for a cool $25 million, all without relying on VC funding! She is the author of Scaling with Soul, which chronicles how she built, scaled, and sold her company.Sharon's not your typical tech founder - in fact, she didn't...2024-06-111h 04
Fail Your Way to Success28. How to Own Your Failures with Sharon K. GillenwaterSharon K. Gillenwater never expected to sell the company she founded for $25 million. But that’s exactly what happened to this former working-class kid when she and her business partner sold her baby, Boardroom Insiders, in 2022. Of course, it hasn’t been one smooth ride to the top. That journey has been rife with challenges that Gillenwater so eloquently describes in her just released memoir, Scaling with Soul: How I Built and Sold a $25 Million Tech Company Without Being an A**hole, which I’m oh so proud to...2024-06-0329 min
The Her Retirement PodcastEpisode 121: Unlocking Ethical Entrepreneurship with Sharon K. GillenwaterSharon K. Gillenwater is a dynamic tech startup founder, seasoned business executive, and inspirational speaker whose mission is to demystify entrepreneurship and make it more accessible for everyone. With a passion for fostering inclusive and ethical business practices, Sharon has made a significant impact on the entrepreneurial landscape. She is the author of the acclaimed book Scaling With Soul: How I Built & Sold a $25 Million Tech Company Without Being an A**hole. In this insightful work, she shares the compelling story of how she built, scaled, and successfully sold Boardroom Insiders, a company that provides in-depth executive...2024-05-1933 minThe Her Retirement PodcastEpisode 121: Unlocking Ethical Entrepreneurship with Sharon K. GillenwaterSharon K. Gillenwater is a dynamic tech startup founder, seasoned business executive, and inspirational speaker whose mission is to demystify entrepreneurship and make it more accessible for everyone. With a passion for fostering inclusive and ethical business practices, Sharon has made a significant impact on the entrepreneurial landscape. She is the author of the acclaimed book Scaling With Soul: How I Built & Sold a $25 Million Tech Company Without Being an A**hole. In this insightful work, she shares the compelling story of how she built, scaled, and successfully sold Boardroom Insiders, a company that provides in-depth executive...2024-05-1933 min
Founders WeeklyBootstrapped to $25 Million Exit, Founders Authenticity in the Face of Political SensitivityIn this episode, hosts Courtney and Heini delve into how founders navigate sensitive political situations and discuss a notable case involving a founder sentenced to prison for defrauding investors. They explore the pivotal role of effective communication by founders and the importance of authenticity, responsibility, and due diligence in the startup landscape.
Sharon Gillenwater, co-founder and former CEO of Boardroom Insiders, joins the conversation to share her journey of building a bootstrapped startup and selling it for $25 million.
Sharon sheds light on talent acquisition strategies, bootstrapping intricacies, and the challenges of sustaining viability while operating u...2024-04-2637 min
Famous Interviews with Joe DiminoTech Start Up Founder & Business Executive Sharon GillenwaterWelcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series .. On this episode, we talk with Tech Start Up Founder & Business Executive Sharon Gillenwater .. Her mission is to demystify entrepreneurship and make it more accessible for everyone. In 2022, Sharon sold Boardroom Insiders, a business she built and scaled with no venture funding, for $25 million. After selling her company, she realized she had learned so much that would be valuable to entrepreneurs like her who come from non-traditional backgrounds and lack access to mentors and funding. With that in mind, he journey continues. Enjoy this story.
2024-04-1628 min
SaaS Buyers' ClubMastering the Exit: Sharon Gillenwater's $25M Entrepreneurial Sale SagaIn this SaaS Buyers' Club Episode 25, your hosts, Software as a Service (SaaS) mergers and acquisitions (M&A) lawyers Omeed Tabiei and Joe Prencipe from Optimist Legal interview Sharon Gillenwater, founder of Boardroom Insiders, as she candidly shares her journey from the inception of a unique SaaS platform to its strategic $25 million sale. In this revealing episode, listeners will gain unparalleled insights into the crucial strategies, challenges, and decision-making processes essential for successful business growth and an eventual lucrative exit. Key focuses include the importance of due diligence, the differences between strategic buyers and private eq...2024-04-051h 48
saas.unboundNavigating SaaS acquisition financials with Sharon Gillenwater @Boardroom Insiderssaas.unbound is a podcast for and about founders who are working on scaling inspiring products that people love brought to you by https://saas.group/, a serial acquirer of B2B SaaS companies. We're dedicating the full month of March to amazingly talented female founders. In this episode #1, Anna Nadeina talks with Sharon Gillenwater, founder of Boardroom Insiders, one of the leaders in executive intelligence, enabling enterprise sales and marketing teams to close bigger deals, faster. She sold the company to Euromoney LLC for a whopping $25M and is now openly sharing her exit experience with...2024-03-0450 min
Founding Women10: Sharon GillenwaterSharon is the co-founder and former CEO of Boardroom Insiders, a SaaS business intelligence platform that was acquired in January of 2022.
Sharon is our first guest who fully bootstrapped her company. As entrepreneurs, we’re sold a glorified path to entrepreneurship: seed rounds, A, B, C rounds, all on a prescribed timeline between raises… but this isn’t the only way to raise capital.
In today’s show, we talk to Sharon about her journey bootstrapping and ultimately selling her successful startup. We talk about some of the benefits, like full control of your company (operatin...2023-03-0140 min
Sales Strategy & Enablement by Revenue.ioAccelerate! Expresso #05Accelerate! Expresso. It's a weekly round-up show that contains snippets from each interview from the previous week's slate of guests. These clips have been edited into tight, short show that will give you just a taste of the insights you missed if you didn't catch every episode of Accelerate! In this episode, you'll hear from excerpts from my conversations with the following experts: Doug Devitre, David Hoffeld, Justin Gray, Michael Bungay Stanier, Bridget Gleason & Anthony Iannarino and Sharon Gillenwater
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-05-0715 min
Sales Strategy & Enablement by Revenue.ioHow to Engage the C-Suite w/ Sharon GillenwateIn this episode, we have a conversation about the elusive yet valuable C-suite buyer, and how sales reps can optimize for success. Sharon Gillenwater, Founder of Boardroom Insiders, and CXO engagement strategy expert, joins me on this episode.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2017-05-0642 min