Podcast
100+ episodes
Everything you need to do business on the web. From funding to finance, setup to staffing, branding to biz-dev, co-hosts Gillian Muessig and Anne Kennedy have between them, more than 50 years of success in nurturing businesses to become global brands. Gillian co-founded Moz and serves on boards on four continents. Anne was a founding board member of Helium.com and guided numerous Internet start-ups, including Zillow. Together, and with occasional guest experts, they break down the art of small business from the ground up.
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4th May 2020Final CEO Coach Podcast — Real LeadershipAs Gillian and Anne warp up 11 years of CEO Coach they address the essential elements of real leadership. Every CEO must lead with empathy, structure, and comfort with not knowing all the answers.35m
20th Apr 2020Covid19 Business Advice: What CEOs Must Do NowGillian and Anne share some excellent tactical advice from Cascadia Capital in a recent Geekwire article. In addition to exhibiting strong empathic leadership, there are several additional34m
13th Apr 2020Crisis Management for Early Stage CEOsIn times of crisis, like right now, CEOs find themselves frustrated by general advice. “But what do I DO!?” entrepreneur leaders ask. Leaders always deal with ambiguity—it’s timeless and comes with32m
6th Apr 2020Entrepreneurship in the time of CoronavirusGillian and Anne return to talk real-time tactics entrepreneurs need right now to weather the uncertainty and unpredictability during this global pandemic. From leading with compassion to stashing33m
23rd Dec 2019The Lady Engineer Lindsay Tabas on Product-Market FitAnne and Gillian welcome guest Lindsay Tabas, The Lady Engineer (which she trademarked 15 years ago) and product market-fit expert. Her e-book Start Before the Product’s Ready, subtitled ‘The34m
9th Dec 2019Product Development NowGillian and Anne address just why marketing managers struggle to create demand for products, as recently reported. They take a look at those products and the process for creating successful ones.29m
25th Nov 2019How Much Capital Should Women Raise?Anne and Gillian talk about raising capital, which is the hot topic on everyone’s mind when they talk to them, especially women. There is a bigger hurdle for women: perceived bias against them as35m
11th Nov 2019Finding Alternative Funding for Your StartupAnne and Gillian talk about how to raise capital other than by equity – that is, providing shares in your startup to investors in return for cash. Somewhere in start-up school, all budding37m
28th Oct 2019How to Flip Pattern-Matching to Work for YouGillian and Anne look at pattern matching beyond gender lens issues, reminding listeners that good pattern matching habits can be learned. While it is true pattern matching may keep investors from31m
14th Oct 2019Executors: Critical to Early-Stage SuccessEarly stage companies need Executors. There are so many Wizards out there. Gillian and Anne provide clarity around the value of finding and working with a brilliant Executor so they can experience33m
15th Jul 2019Success Hacks for Raising CapitalGillian and Anne talk about raising capital, because “How do I do that” is the question they get most. So they discuss how to hack, or leapfrog the process, starting with your deck. Or, rather ,36m
3rd Jun 2019More On Funding Women-led StartupsAnne & Gillian continue to examine the issues raised in the latest study on the rise in venture funding for gender diverse teams from the Center for American Entrepreneurship, and why it remains a36m
20th May 2019Update on Women & Funding with Rebecca LovellThough women-led startups receive far less first-round venture capital than ones led by all-male teams, they perform equally with their brothers in landing second and third rounds and exiting32m
26th Apr 2019Finding Unfound Founders with Dan KihanyaSeattle investor, founder and startup advisor Dan Kihanya joins Gillian and Anne to talk about his new podcast “Foundersunfound.com” with which he expects to create greater awareness of34m
25th Mar 2019Power - Does it Corrupt Absolutely?Gillian and Anne discuss a recent report in the Washington Post that power reveals who we really are and people with certain tendencies will gravitate to certain types of professions, examining35m
18th Mar 2019What Do Advisors Do?Gillian and Anne discuss the defining characteristics of a successful advisory board and how they will benefit your startup. In your early stages you will have ad hoc advisors to help get through the35m
11th Mar 2019What Do Advisors Do?Gillian and Anne discuss the defining characteristics of a successful advisory board and how they will benefit your startup. In your early stages, you will have ad hoc advisors to help get through34m
25th Feb 201916 Revenue Models - Which is Right for Your Startup?Gillian and Anne chat with Seattle investor Dave Parker, founder of ‘6 Month Startup -- Ideation to Revenue’. Dave breaks down the three components of a startup in to creating value with your product39m
11th Feb 2019Know Your Leadership MetricsGillian and Anne discuss the differences between management and leadership from a metrics perspective. Metrics seem to be all about management. But leadership is setting the metrics to be tracked by32m
14th Jan 2019Funding Women Founders Barely Budged in 2018Where to find capital is the number one question heard from founders at almost every stage of entrepreneurship. For that reason, Anne and gillian keep an eye on progress toward gender equity in32m
3rd Jan 2019M&A Basics for StartupsEvery entrepreneur dreams of selling the company and cashing out. It is almost a trope that founders need to have their exit in mind from the earliest days of their startup. While many are on a36m
18th Dec 2018Opportunity Knocking for Women in CannabisGillian and Anne chat with Amy Margolis, founder of The Initiative and The Commune, an accelerator and coworking space for women launching cannabis businesses in Portland, Oregon. Noting the lack of33m
8th Nov 20183 Financial Models You Need for Your Startup - At LeastAnne and Gillian talk about different dimensions of financial models -- or more clearly, how to paint the best financial portrait of your startup -- you need more than one dimension. This is36m
22nd Oct 20186 Slides Your Pitch Deck Needs -- and 2 It Does NotAnne Gillian review the critical elements for your pitch decks, and the two most often included by novice founders that are unnecessary, and sometimes even counter productive. Too many times founders37m
10th Oct 2018October 10, 2018 - Best Benefits Practices for StartupsMarcia Zaruba O’Connor joins Anne and Gillian to talk about how startups can best approach hiring and benefits and how to build your staff and compensate them, when and what benefits to offer, and35m
24th Sep 2018Immigrants Build Great Businesses - Eveline Buchatskiy, One Way VenturesGillian Anne chat with Eveline Buchatskiy, co founder of One Way Ventures, a fund for investing in startups by immigrants. What was the business opportunity she and her co-founder discovered? While33m
10th Sep 2018Reviving Employee Motivation to Power Through Q4Now seems like a good time to address keeping your team motivated. Near the end of Q3 post-summer spirits may be flagging, especially if your company is progressing more slowly than you thought it36m
27th Aug 2018Age Bias is a Thing, Especially for Older WomenThe National Bureau of Economic Research reports there’s “robust evidence of age discrimination in hiring against older women, especially those near retirement age.” Based on evidence from over37m
24th Jul 2018Using Blockchain to Build a Better Way to FundBlockchain is surely one of the hottest topics around these days, but how does such a tool help a startup build a better way to address life’s events among consumers? Gillian and Anne’s guest Alexis36m
16th Jul 2018Team leader or Individual Contributor- How to Find Your Team’s HappyWhat makes you tick? Where are your team members happiest and most productive? These are questions you must understand, first about yourself and second about your team. In the beginning, everyone has30m
18th Jun 2018Impact Investing UpdateThere is growing evidence that indicates that impact investing supports the conventional bottom line with better returns for investors. In other words, investments in impact companies are returning32m
4th Jun 2018Investing and Advising Early Stage CompaniesCarlee Price, investor and advisor to early stage companies joins Gillian and Anne to talk about her just-launched a consultancy – Pique Ventures – that provides a novel service to founders who are33m
22nd May 2018Rethinking ‘Build Value for Your CompanyYou hear it all the time ‘The CEO’s Prime Directive is to build value for her company’. Gillian and Anne take a closer look into what this exactly means. Build value for whom? Investors, certainly.32m
30th Apr 2018How Do Early Stage Founders Stay Resilient?Professor Brianna Caza, an organizational psychologist at the University of Manitoba has studied early stage founders to find what helps them avoid ‘creeping strain’ and maintain high performance at35m
16th Apr 2018What’s Your 1-Minute Pitch?Remember elevator pitches? Well, elevators may not be the only place you find the venture capitalists you want to tell about your company. There are lots of other places you may get 30 seconds or a34m
2nd Apr 2018How Unconscious Bias Holds You BackAnne Gillian revisit bias from a fresh perspective -- how are your unconscious biases affecting the decisions you make in your business, for example in forming your marketing strategy, or seeking32m
28th Mar 2018Update on VC Funding Women FoundersIt’s not news that women founders got a miserable 2% of venture capital last year and have averaged 20% of all VC deals each year since 2006. Despite that dreary reporting, Anne and Gillian have34m
12th Mar 2018Write Your Exit Story NowWhen do you take money out of your startup? When do you start planning for that happy day? Gillian and Anne discuss key signs you may notice along along your startup road that indicate it is OK to35m
26th Feb 2018Why Do Startups Fail?Flash: the startup failure rate is considerably less than the 90 percent we hear about all the time. Since 2001 the total number of startups returned 1x or less to investors was at or under 6031m
12th Feb 2018The Sybilla Masters Fund for Women FoundersGillian and Anne describe a new venture capital fund they are forming to fund startups with at least one woman in a critical and strategic leadership role. Hard numbers show that diverse teams return34m
23rd Jan 2018Funding Early Stage Med-Tech with Katherine Jordan, Drexel UniversityAnne and Gillian host Drexel University’s Katherine Jordan who directs the program there funded by the Coulter Foundation, a nationwide resource for developing and commercializing biomedical31m
15th Jan 2018CEO Tips to Get GoingGillian and Anne take a full look at an entrepreneur’s CEO journey and lay out strategic and tactical insights to help them plan their company’s futures. Where do you start and how do you get going,30m
15th Jan 2018The Sorry State of Funding for Women FoundersAnne and Gillian kick off the new year with a fresh look at whether women founders are receiving any more VC backing, and they are sorry to report the situation has slipped downward instead of30m
1st Jan 2018Funding Mid-sized Companies and Options for Early Stage FoundersAnne quizzes Gillian on funding options for startups. They discuss traditional equity. Debt. Convertible notes. Convertible securities, also known as SAFE’s. Even self-funding. Which is best for you?38m
25th Dec 2017Everything About Metrics: What's Important And What's Not And Cap Table 101Every startup needs a cap table, even if the only shareholders are the founder and perhaps a partner or two. As you grow, you will most likely be making awards of stock or options to advisors,25m
18th Dec 2017More with Voyager Capital’s James NewellAnne and Gillian return with more questions to and answers from James Newell, partners at early venture firm Voyager Capital in Seattle. What do you need to bring and be prepared to defend when you28m
11th Dec 2017Chatting with VC James Newell, Voyager CapitalEver want to ask a venture capitalist everything about how VC’s work? Gillian and Anne chat with James Newells, partner at Seattle’s Voyager Capital, early venture investors.a James willingly28m
27th Nov 2017Impact investor Luni Libes of Fledge.coGillian and Anne talk with Luni Libes, founder and Managing Director of Fledge, a global impact accelerator which launches businesses that do good by doing business, here in the US and in dozens of30m
20th Nov 2017Funding Mid-sized Companies and the Economic Impact of Big BusinessGillian Muessig and Anne Kennedy discuss how cities like Seattle are dominated by the Amazons and Microsofts at the top of big business, overshadowing mid-sized companies. They discuss the effect of31m
13th Nov 2017Lifestyle vs. Scalable --- New Ways to Fund StartupsA unicorn is a start up that achieves a billion-dollar valuation. A scalable company is one that finds a way to increase revenues and profit margins without increasing overhead, or production costs.29m
6th Nov 2017Funding Options for Early Stage FoundersAnne and Gillian continue their discussion of your funding options when you are starting a company, including some new takes on old methods, such as revenue sharing, and REIT-style investment33m
17th Jul 2017Tips from Top Speech Writer Elaine BennettWe hear from Elaine Bennett, an award-winning speech writer who has written for Warren Buffet and Governor Howard Dean, and numerous financial and business consulting firms. Why do we want our34m
10th Jul 2017More with Early-Stage Investor & Activist Janis MachalaWe continue our conversation with Janis Machala about how to seek early stage investing, because we just couldn’t get everything we wanted to hear from her into one episode. This week Janis34m
26th Jun 2017Talking with Early-stage Investor Janis MarchalaJanis Marchala of Palladin Partners has been called the ‘Oracle of Startup mentoring and early-stage investing” which she has been doing since the mid-1990’s in Puget Sound. Along the way she founded36m
19th Jun 2017Best of What We Heard at TiECon Silicon Valley“Silicon Valley is the only place in the US where rich people want to meet with poor people” -- that is, if they have compelling startups. Anne Gillian heard that and many other tidbits and outright36m
12th Jun 2017Best Blog ResourcesHow important is it to raise your head up from your startup and read blogs regularly? Very important. A breadth of sources gives you a better perspective on what is going on inside -- and outside --34m
1st May 2017Everything About Metrics: What's Important And What's NotGillian and Anne revisit metrics to take a deeper dive into finding the right measurements in your business for clarity and intelligence-based decisions. Rigor is critical such as what to measure, as31m
17th Apr 2017Women and VC’s UpdateWhile it’s true that VC funding to women founders has more than doubled in 10 years, the actual amount is paltry. Anne and Gillian discuss why this is so, and report on updates from Pitchbook and the35m
10th Apr 2017Cap Table 101Every startup needs a cap table, even if the only shareholders are the founder and perhaps a partner or two. As you grow, you will most likely be making awards of stock or options to advisors,34m
3rd Apr 2017How to Build a Board of DirectorsEventually your startup will need a board of directors. But, when do you shift from advisors to directors, and what are the need for them, as well as the ramifications of setting up a BOD? Anne and32m
27th Mar 2017How to Find Mentors and AdvisorsEvery successful person speaks of mentors that led the way and provided encouragement. This is especially true when you are founding a startup, a time when you “perpetually need more expertise34m
21st Mar 2017Term Sheets 101Term Sheets 101Terms sheets are good news, but they can be intimidating. Gillian and Anne break down what some of the confusing terms and what they mean, what to look out for. Disclaimer none of this33m
13th Mar 2017Funding Early Stage Ideas PT. 2Gillian and Anne continue their discussion of the best ways to fund your very early stage company. This week is all about how to find the investors who are right for the stage of your company or33m
8th Mar 2017Funding Early Stage Ideas PT. 1Gillian and Anne discuss ways to get your very early stage idea funded. Maybe it’s not even a product yet, just a good idea. Where do you look for funding? It depends on your stage of development.33m
20th Feb 2017Why Does Funding Your Startup Take So Long?Only .05 percent of startups get VC funding. And it takes a long time. Hard news. Gillian and Anne talk about why this is so, and what you can do about it. Not every company is fundable. Is yours? If34m
13th Feb 2017Talking with Blendoor CEO Stephanie Lampkin on Bias in HiringGuest Stephanie Lampkin tells how to hire for merit alone, and get past unconscious bias on gender, race or age, and more to point, why this is important. Inclusive teams perform better as do the33m
7th Feb 2017Raising Capital: How to Keep Your Head in the GameRaising capital is critical to your startup’s success. So is running your business. Gillian and Anne discuss how to manage both, and why your fundraising efforts make you a better manager, and what33m
30th Jan 2017Intentional Inclusion: Take the 1-Seat ChallengeGillian and Anne challenging every speaker, mentor, advisor, event organizer, company and organization leader, and department head to do something about the dearth of gender and diversity in tech30m
29th Jan 2017Bringing a Company to the Next LevelBringing a Company to the Next Level as Gillian has a conversation with Jay Love, CEO Slingshot SEO, a SEO agency that helps customers increase sales through various Web search strategies that is26m
29th Jan 2017Self Funded GrowthSelf funded growth and how to grow revenue without a marketing budget. as Gillian interviews with the co-founder and President of Slingshot SEO, Kevin Bailey.Advertising Inquiries:34m
29th Jan 2017Welcome to the Incubator. What Do You Do First?Welcome to the Incubator. What Do You Do First? From getting the most out of networking, and avoiding the distractions, Gillian offers some insight so that you are prepared to know what to start32m
29th Jan 2017IT Project Management and How to Hold Your Team AccountableAnne and Gillian discuss IT project management, in particular how to manage development projects and maintain forward progress and your sanity. Learn project management tips from those who have been33m
29th Jan 2017How to Prepare for an Analysts BriefingGuest Rebecca Lieb of Altimeter explains what analysts do and how they can be of benefit to entrepreneurs. Most importantly, she details what every start up needs to know about preparing for that36m
29th Jan 2017Timing is Everything - and Then SomeGillian Muessig and Anne Kennedy discusswhy start ups succeed: most often its timing. It's a lot like love. Or anything else in your life that's great.So let's examine that. Is timing the key32m
29th Jan 2017Cognitive Bias in the WorkplaceGillian Muessig and Anne Kennedy chat about Cognitive Bias. The dynamic duo define what cognitive bias' are, and mention that they can disrupt your decision making. Anne and Gillian run through a32m
29th Jan 2017Productivity: Small Tools for a Big BoostNeed some practical productivity tools? The best streamline your process and keep you on track and distraction-free. Anne & Gillian talk about their favorites. It’s likely you already have a couple32m
23rd Jan 2017Inclusion and Why It Is Good for BusinessInclusion and Why It Is Good for Business. Inclusion is a key driver of internal innovation and business growth. Anne Kennedy and Gillian Muessig discuss why it matters to your startup and how to get34m
16th Jan 2017Basics of Board MeetingsGillian Muessig and Anne Kennedy discuss the Basics of Board Meetings. How to stay on top of them, how to control them and how to make the meetings most effective. They offer some top tips on35m
9th Jan 2017Raising Your Seed Round with ConvertiblesGillian and Anne discuss benefits and drawbacks the three most popular ways for investors to join your seed round -- traditional equity, convertible notes against, which are loans against future32m
2nd Jan 2017Startup Weatlh and Leadership In a Fast Growing OrganizationStartup Weatlh and Leadership In a Fast Growing Organization as we look back at two favorite interviews: 'StartUp wealth" author Josh Mayer, and Moz CEO Sarah Bird.Josh Maher is the president of36m
26th Dec 2016Best of CEO Coach 2016Best of CEO Coach: Looking back to best of CEO Coach for 2016: How to build a better founder, why your founder should give away the Legos, and bonus -- Take a vacation! Happy Holidays!Advertising32m
19th Dec 2016Lean Holiday Giving for StartupsThe holiday season is about giving, but how do you honor that when your startup is still subsisting on ramen noodles, and likely you are not even taking a paycheck? Giving gifts or year end35m
12th Dec 2016Bullish on Inclusion - TiE Global’s Nitin RaiInclusion is the future, says Nitin Rai, entrepreneur, investor and impact investor. He is making 50% of his Elevate Capital investments in women-led startups, and the rest in under-served and areas31m
5th Dec 20166 Ways to Tune Up Your Business PlanYour business plan is your roadmap for your company’s growth and success, and is your internal key to organizing your own thoughts at a deeper and more detailed level. furthermore informs you pitch34m
22nd Nov 2016Stop Barking Up the Wrong TreeHow do you really qualify potential investors, so you don’t waste time one the ones who are not going to fund your startup? Start with you asking them questions, according to NYC Techstars Director31m
14th Nov 2016November’s Must-Do: Employee Evaluations 2.0This month it is critical to review your employees’ performances, especially if you are a lean early stage startup. You have no room for any margin of error in terms of employee performance. Gillian32m
24th Oct 2016Diversity in Tech: Update 2016Last year Fortune magazine reported on gender and racial diversity in nine leading US tech companies, with disappointing results. Anne Gillian go back for another look to see what progress has33m
17th Oct 2016What You Must Do in October: Ring the Freaking Cash RegisterFourth Quarter expectations lead to questions about your revenue. Anne and Gillian discuss some great steps to Ring the Freaking Cash Register, as referenced by Mark Shuster of Upfront Ventures. He34m
10th Oct 2016Leadership Speaking Style and Communication KillersAnne and Gillian discuss Leadership Speaking Style and Communication Killers as they reference a blog post from Ian Lurie entitled These 10 Phrases Are Killing Your Team. Ian explains, " We32m
26th Sep 2016Productivity: Small Tools for a Big BoostNeed some practical productivity tools? The best streamline your process and keep you on track and distraction-free. Anne Gillian talk about their favorites. It’s likely you already have a couple on32m
19th Sep 2016Tune Up Your Startup: More Productivity HacksSeptember is time to tune up your systems and processes, and CEO Coach turns to another century-old method, this time from Lillian Frank Galbreth who pioneered activity and motion management, and33m
12th Sep 2016Up your Productivity Game (What you Must Do in September)Time to step up your game in productivity. Q4 is nearly upon us. The summer doldrums are over. Hopefully you took Gillian and Anne’s advice and headed out of Dodge to take a holiday of your own. Now,31m
29th Aug 2016Making You a Better CEO’; How to Avoid the Chasm of MicromanagementHow abundant thinking makes you a better CEO as Anne and Gillian look at the work of Bay Area executive coach Katia Verresen and what she calls the remarkable advantage of abundant thinking.43m
22nd Aug 2016Profits vs Growth; which way should you go? 10X vs. 10% - Which is Better?Laura Weintraub, CEO of renowned digital agency Aimclear joins us to talk about leadership and managing growth at her company, one of Inc’s 500/5000 for four years, and three years named one of the37m
15th Aug 2016Take a Vacation! (What you must do in August)Anne and Gillian talk about why taking a vacation will make you a better CEO and your company more successful, and why you must make time to unplug your laptop and recharge yourself. After noting31m
8th Aug 2016Funding: Pre-money and PreferencesPre-money. Preferences. Dilution. The vocabulary of start up funding has a language all its own. What’s more, pitfalls await the unwary entrepreneur. Yes you can give away too much in the beginning.32m
1st Aug 2016Build a Perfect FounderWhat attributes make a good founder? Gillian and Anne review characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, with input from Fast Company, Compass and Techstars. Patterns emerge from a multitude of40m
25th Jul 2016Fundraising Part 4: When the Big Company KnocksWhat do you do when a big VC firm or a Really Big Company wants to invest and become your strategic partner? Push the euphoria aside and proceed with caution. Anne and Gillian talk about the31m
18th Jul 2016Fine-tuning Your Fundraising Part 3: Rejected! What to Do Next.Fine-tuning Your Fundraising Part 3: Rejected! What to Do Next. In a continuing series on how to boost your fundraising results, Anne Gillian talk about rejections, which will inevitably happen, and31m
11th Jul 2016Boost Your Pitching Technique in One Key WayWhen you pitch to potential investors keep control of the conversation. Drive the car, says Elizabeth Yin, entrepreneur and partner at 500 Startups. Avoid letting the direction of your presentation30m