Kat Weaver’s Post

I was shocked to find that 80% of business owners are depressed after they sell… There is a LOT to unpack when thinking about an exit strategy- no matter how early you are in your company. Join me, Katie Dunn, Jeff Erickson & Carrie Kerpen (who recently had an 8-figure exit!!!) on 📍July 16th to talk strategy. 🙌 Comment “EXIT” & I’ll dm you the link!

Things that DON’T impress me after reviewing thousands pitches over the years: From investment &/or grant funding opportunities, founders hurt their chances by doing the following, in my opinion: ❌ using rhetorical questions ❌ pitching as if they’re speaking to a target consumer ❌ using buzzwords such as disruptive or revolutionary ❌ requesting to use a deck if they can’t verbalize what they do ❌ requesting an NDA to be signed before having a conversation ❌ using passive instead of active voice ❌ not researching who they’re speaking to ❌ not asking for help from startup centric folks for financial or legal support ❌ not following up after pitch opportunities This list can go on, but I see the above mistakes get made on a weekly basis. I post on LinkedIn with the goal of helping at least one more founder. If there’s a certain topic above that you’d like me to dive deeper on, please let me know below 🙌

At first my “money suit” confuses people, then it brings a smile or a good laugh. I wanted to stand out amongst the normal sea of suits, but only “money suits for men” currently exist for purchase. 💸In typical fashion, I made it work for me. So it was an honor to present a Cube Award for Best New Subscription live at SubSummit rocking my money suit. It’s a fun reminder that my superpower is in helping founders get funded faster, and that in an industry suited for men, I quite literally make it work for founders like me 😉.

I have to be on high alert working back home to see family, but not for the typical reasons. There may or may not be nerf battles around every corner. It’s always: ✅humbling ✅distracting ✅hilarious ✅competitive I’ve never considered my life to be ordinary or normal (whatever that means). I’m just realizing this is one of the reasons why. (No laptops have been harmed in recent battles…yet.)

It's not common to think about an exit strategy shortly after starting a company... But you SHOULD! Join the dynamic group of Katie Dunn, Jeff Erickson, Carrie Kerpen & myself to dive into exit strategies and how it can help you fundraise. 😅 As someone who exited a company, I wish someone had prepared me sooner. 🙌 Comment "EXIT" & I'll send you the link to join us on July 16th!

After getting refused from every job application to selling 750,000+ cookies… Collette Divitto wasn’t given a job opportunity so her mom inspired her to create her own thanks to her gifted baking ability. 😔 82% of people with a disability, capable of work, cannot find paying jobs… meaning they can’t live independently. 🙌 Not only does Collettey's Cookies create delicious desserts, they employ almost 15+ individuals with disabilities, (PLUS she’s even employed her own mom as the “Momager!”) She also has a non profit offering workshops and mentoring for independence, entrepreneurship and success in school. Collette is an inspiration to so many. If you’re looking for a founder to support, Collettey's Cookies should be at the top of your list 💪

“Validation should come from consumers, NOT investors.” This was a major gem drop at the Innovate Texas panel. I see so many founders wait to build, test, survey, interview, & make mistakes until they raise money. 👉 When you don’t have a validated business model, investors will walk all over you… & they don’t want to pay for you to figure it out (rightfully so). 🙌 Test early & before you’re ready. The future of your company will thank you.

The other day I stumbled upon an old vision board from years ago, and I am so glad I did. Did I accomplish everything? Nope! But I exceeded my expectations beyond my wildest dreams. I didn’t really realize it until I looked back at how tiny my goals were. I had this on my desktop & printed in my room, & I have an updated list to this day. ✅ Instead of doing Good Morning America once, I did it 4x. 🦈 I was almost on Shark Tank twice, but now I’ve instead helped 5 founders get on (and counting) 💰Instead of basic revenue goals, I got to sell the company & stop random consulting gigs to take Power To Pitch full-time 🧡 I didn’t become a Tory Burch Fellow, but I’ve helped 3 founders (and counting become one) PLUS Katie Dunn & I get to coach their alumni in the fall 😭 💪 one of my fitness goals was to be able to do ONE unassisted pull up, now I can do 4 sets of 8 reps in a single workout (completely unassisted) As entrepreneurs, we feel like we should always be doing more or it’s never “enough”, which is why a vision board is such a great reflection point. I save all of my old goals to remind myself of how far I’ve come. 🙌 If you’re thinking about making one, ensure you include quantifiable goals vs fluffy visions, it’s going to be much more rewarding when you have something actionable. (Below is the actual screenshot of my old list & the right was my first GMA launch.)

How I lost 10,000 followers in one day while working internationally 😅 Note to self - when your friends warn you not to join random local wifi networks… You should listen. Hopefully my LinkedIn was the only thing to get hacked, & thanks to the outreach of Katie Dunn & the amazing folks who commented resources for support - I’M BACK! Getting locked out of your own accounts is a scary thing, especially when a lot of what you do relies on a certain account. ⚠️ Notes of caution for my next travels & for future adventurers: ✅ buy a VPN (virtual private network) to protect passwords & personal data ✅ or use a local SIM to get a travel mobile hotspot if your provider doesn’t have good international rates ✅ bring extra mobile chargers - some airport plugins get compromised & it’s easier to take over a device 😅 Forbes reported 4/10 international travelers got compromised using public wifi. Let my problems be a lesson!