#166 - We Can Choose to Ride the Roller Coaster of Entrepreneurship - with Jean Smart & Jerry Colonna
Jul 19, 2023
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Jean Smart, founder of Penelope, discusses her motivation for creating a retirement savings platform. The podcast explores the challenges of entrepreneurship, lack of representation in the financial industry, and the importance of purpose and appreciation. It also touches on the impact of racism on opportunities and the significance of representation in entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster ride, but it's important to pause and reflect on accomplishments along the way.
Jean Smart's mission with Penelope is driven by her personal experiences and the desire to provide financial relief for small businesses and individuals in retirement planning.
Deep dives
The Roller Coaster of Entrepreneurship
The podcast discusses the roller coaster experience of entrepreneurship, with ups and downs, and emphasizes the importance of pausing to acknowledge accomplishments and the challenges faced along the way.
Finding Purpose and Reconnecting
The podcast highlights the journey of Jean Smart, founder and CEO of Penelope, a provider of retirement services for small businesses. She shares her personal and professional ups and downs, the weight of representation, and the importance of reconnecting with purpose.
Creating Opportunities for Small Businesses
Jean Smart explains why she chose to focus on retirement planning and 401k services for small businesses. She shares her experiences as a child of immigrants and her mission to provide financial relief and help more people achieve a secure retirement.
Navigating the Challenges of Being a Founding CEO
The podcast delves into the challenges of being a founding CEO and the necessity of being involved in every aspect of the business. It explores the tension between wanting to delegate and trust others while also feeling the responsibility to be aware of every detail.
For leaders, navigating the roller coaster experience of entrepreneurship can be flat-out exhausting. The constant fluctuation of riding highs and surviving lows often leaves little time for reflection, much less appreciation for how far you’ve come. But what if there was a different way? What if you didn’t have to ride the rollercoaster at all? In this episode, Jerry sits down with Jean Smart, founder and CEO of Penelope, a retirement savings platform exclusively for small business owners and their employees. Jean describes how growing up as a child of Korean immigrants and watching her parents struggle to save for retirement served as the impetus for creating Penelope. She reflects on the responsibility she carries to be a good steward of her business and the new weight she feels to represent Asian women in the fintech space. Jerry urges Jean to return to the question, “Why do I do what I do?” when things get overwhelming, and provides guidance for how to view the rollercoaster from the ground versus strapping in for the ride. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Follow our step-by-step guides: - How To: Leave a Review on Your Computer: - How To: Leave a Review on Your iPhone: Never miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all our episode releases.
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