Navigating Startup Financing: Lessons from the Cap Table

Ten years ago, Brock Weatherup sold his first company, Pet360.com, to PetSmart for $160 million. It took under five years to build. Since then, he’s had two more successful exits, but two years ago, his journey took an unexpected turn when a life-changing medical diagnosis reshaped his entire outlook. In this episode, Brock talks about the secrets behind his consistent success, what keeps him optimistic and gives him a sense of purpose, and how he cultivates relationships in both business and private life. _____________________________________________________ TIME STAMPS: 00:00:00: Introduction 00:01:17: Brock's first company exit experience 00:03:02: Transition challenges after the exit 00:03:31: Acquisition by PetSmart and transition experience 00:06:00: Acquisition of PetCoach 00:07:45: Brock's role and relationship with PetCoach team 00:08:59: Insights on being a startup to grown-up stage founder 00:09:41: Brock's involvement in subsequent businesses 00:11:00: Selling Great Pet Care due to MS diagnosis 00:11:56: Diagnosis impact on priorities and motivations 00:13:09: Adjusting to life with MS 00:14:38: Post-exit reflections and personal journey 00:15:41: Engaging with the business community in new ways 00:16:27: Realignment of life and business perspectives 00:21:47: Reflections on Sharing Knowledge and Purpose 00:22:08: Importance of Meaningful Involvement and Family Time in Purpose 00:22:26: Daily Approach to Living Purposefully 00:24:10: Impact of Diagnosis on Relationships and Support System 00:26:07: Friends' Support During a Difficult Time 00:26:54: Tracing the Evolution from First Business to Present 00:27:03: Story of the First Business Failure 00:30:02: Lessons Learned from Business Failures 00:31:15: The Role of Investors and Ethics 00:35:59: Challenges of Transitioning from Owner to Employee Mentality 00:38:24: Celebrating Failures and Learning from Them 00:40:52: Keeping Perspective in Business Ventures 00:41:14: Adapting and Learning in New Environments 00:42:48: Introduction to the CEO’s vision 00:44:09: Staying humble and continuing to learn 00:51:22: Balancing experience and youthful energy 00:52:06: The importance of continuous learning 00:54:01: Past performance vs future success 00:56:15: Building successful teams 00:59:55: The value of the cap table and smart investment decisions 01:02:22: Financial considerations and risk profiles 01:03:27: Final advice for building a new business after an exit 01:02:50: Being intentional in business and personal life 01:03:11: Setting personal intentions and accountability 01:04:25: Specific goals and realistic expectations 01:06:00: Applying business discipline to personal life 01:07:15: Correlation between personal and professional success 01:08:08: Open communication and its importance 01:09:19: Achieving balance and happiness 01:09:22: How to be remembered