Pitchin' and Sippin' with Lexie Smith IFundWomen, Social Capital, and Seedlip with Guest Trifecta Julia Steele
Download Podcast Transcript
Trying to start your own business is hard, but is even harder if you are a woman! Our guest today is Julia Steele, the Head of Marketing and Communications at IFundWomen, the go-to funding marketplace for women-owned businesses and the people who want to support them with access to capital, coaching, and connections. Julia shares with us some golden tips to pitch your ideas, whether that be to the press or to new potential investors.
Highlights:
- After more than three years in her previous job, Julia needed a break: she wanted a job more aligned with her personal mission. She was interested in finding a job where she could do something to progress women’s equality and pay in the workplace. She then found exactly what she was looking for at IFundWomen.
- Although there are some formulas to fundraising, Julia knows there is sometimes unavoidable systemic bias in the investment world.
- IFundWomen is a funding marketplace, with workshops and coaching services to help women take their projects to the next level. Julia invites us all to join their open community, where women support and advise each other.
- You need to have a Marketing and PR plan. Julia shares some tips: start small with your local community before trying to get to the big media, always know exactly who you should reach out to, why it might be interesting for them, have a good pitch and story, and provide social proof and data. Also, as she learned, have confidence in yourself and what you are doing.
- Finding investors is not that different than making a PR Plan: you must do research, find who could be interested, and tap your network. Use social media to your favor, look for events and competitions where you can go and pitch your idea, and ask questions. You need to get over your introversion!
To get in touch with Julia, follow her on LinkedIn. To learn more about IFundWomen, visit their website, and if you are looking to partner with IFundWomen, take the quiz.
If you want to know the apps that Julia mentioned during the show, check Streak and Calendly.
Interested in learning more about Pitchin’? Follow me on Instagram or book a Free Consultation here.