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#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves

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Oct 19, 2021

Guest

Alisa Cohn

In this engaging discussion, Alisa Cohn, a prominent startup coach and author, shares her insights on navigating the entrepreneurial world. She emphasizes the concept of 'pre-mortems' as a proactive approach to foresee challenges and mitigate failures. Alisa also dives into the importance of 360 feedback in leadership, revealing its emotional complexities. Lastly, she highlights the journey of career reinvention and self-discovery, detailing how meaningful connections and honest communication can shape professional growth.

02:39:10

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ANECDOTE

Career Shift Catalyst

Alisa Cohn's initial career path deviated from her journalism major into strategic planning, consulting, and then finance.
A pivotal moment occurred when she wished for the flu to avoid work and subsequently became very ill, prompting a career change.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Exploring Options and Finding Coaching

After PwC, Alisa explored finance roles at Goldman Sachs and in financial planning, feeling pressure to stay on a traditional career path.
Her boyfriend introduced her to the Body and Soul Conference, where she encountered Cheryl Richardson and discovered coaching.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

The Path to Coaching

Despite considering Goldman Sachs and joining a startup, Alisa's path led her back to coaching.
She was offered a job at Goldman Sachs, chose a startup instead, regretted it, then Goldman Sachs rescinded their offer, ultimately leading her to pursue coaching.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Foresight and Communication in Entrepreneurship

01:54 • 5min

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From Corporate to Coaching: A Personal Transformation

06:26 • 20min

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Journey of Self-Discovery in Coaching

25:58 • 13min

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The Power and Pain of 360 Feedback in Leadership

39:17 • 3min

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Navigating 360 Feedback in Leadership

42:31 • 9min

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Proactive Project Planning: The Power of Pre-Mortems

51:58 • 16min

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Enhancing Workplace Communication Through Effective Feedback

01:08:01 • 3min

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Mastering Difficult Conversations

01:11:29 • 18min

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Transforming Self-Talk for Success

01:29:09 • 7min

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Navigating Fears in Entrepreneurship

01:36:20 • 21min

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Understanding Broadway Investments: Insights and Recommendations

01:57:11 • 2min

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Empowerment Through Communication

01:59:25 • 29min

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The Power of Networking: Building Connections for Future Success

02:28:37 • 5min

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Weekly Delights and Quality Sponsors

02:33:52 • 5min

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Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves | Brought to you by Kettle & Fire high quality, tasty, and conveniently packaged bone broths; Wealthfront automated investing; and Allform premium, modular furniture. More on all three below.

Alisa Cohn (@AlisaCohn) is one of the most prominent startup coaches in the world. She has advised founders and executives at Venmo, Etsy, DraftKings, Wirecutter, Mack Weldon, InVision, Tory Burch, and others. She has also coached CEOs and C-suite executives at enterprises such as Dell, Hitachi, Sony, Google, Microsoft, Bloomberg, The New York Times Company, and Calvin Klein.

She is the author of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, a guidebook for entrepreneurs on the leadership journey from founder to CEO, and host of the From Start-Up to Grown-Up Podcast. Her articles have appeared in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Inc. magazines, and she has been featured as an expert on Bloomberg TV, the BBC World News, and in The New York Times. A recovering CPA and one-time startup CFO and strategy consultant, she is now an angel investor and advisory board member. Outside of work, she is a (very) amateur rap artist and an investor in Broadway shows, two of which have won Tony Awards.

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