If you had thirty seconds to pitch your company to an investor who could turn your vision for your social enterprise into a reality. Would you be ready?

This week, in our third episode of the Up-Level Your Impact Business series, we're tackling every doubt, fear, and uncertainty you might have about fundraising with Scott Nichols. Scott is the Founder of Velocity Pitch Decks and a professional Pitch Deck writer, with a knack for providing client-centric, solution-oriented services that get startup founders funded and help jobseekers land their next best role.

Tune in and listen to the sixty-fifth episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll get countless tips to craft the perfect pitch deck for your social enterprise, discover why you should create extra-short, short, and long pitch decks, and learn the most common mistakes you should avoid when putting together your pitch deck. Scott also debunks the myths about raising capital, teaches the right way to approach investors, and much, much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• From writing resumes to becoming a professional pitch deck writer (3:40)
• What should and what you shouldn't include in your pitch deck (9:40)
• Most common mistakes people make when writing their pitch deck (13:00)
• Why it feels so hard to tell your own story? (18:30)
• Scott's top tips for approaching an investor (21:00)
• Scott debunks the myths about raising capital (26:50)

Connect with Scott Nichols:

• LinkedIn
• Visit Velocity Pitch Decks' website
• Connect with Velocity Pitch Decks on LinkedIn
• Follow Velocity Pitch Decks on Instagram

Resources:

• My new book! Mindset Matters
• Quiz! What's Your Social Entrepreneur Style?
• Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy Waitlist

Let's Connect!

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As social entrepreneurs, we are in business to relieve, help, or solve the problems of those we serve. We are so connected with our mission that selling is the last thing on our minds.

Yet making a business ready to be sold is much more than finding a buyer, it is about preparing for success years in advance (regardless if you're selling or not).

Today, in our second episode of the Up-Level Your Impact Business series, we chat with the brilliant Leslie Hassler about growing, scaling, and selling businesses effectively. Leslie is a business strategist, speaker, and the founder of Your Biz Rules. With almost 20 years of experience in the field, Leslie helps entrepreneurs maximize the value of their businesses, whether they're planning to sell or just thinking of scaling.

Tune in and listen to the sixty-fourth episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. You'll learn to make your business valuable enough to attract potential buyers, the common pitfalls to avoid when getting your social enterprise ready for sale, and practical tips on creating a scalable and financially sound enterprise — one that works for you, not the other way around. You'll also learn about the three-year rule for selling, the differences between growth and scaling, how to reduce owner dependency, and much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Leslie talks about the most common mistakes business owners make (4:00)
• The three-year rule for selling (6:10)
• What is the difference between scaling and growing a business? (9:20)
• Three ways business owners should be paid (13:10)
• How to increase your business value before selling (21:15)
• What buyers look for in a business they're interested in (24:00)
• What it takes to start seeing our social enterprise as an asset, not a job (26:20)
• Why you MUST celebrate each win (30:00)

Connect with Leslie Hassler:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Free Guides

Resources:

• My new book! Mindset Matters
• Quiz! What's Your Social Entrepreneur Style?
• Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy Waitlist

Let's Connect!

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You don't need a massive budget to craft a clever, compelling, and effective marketing campaign, and you don't need to wait until your business is wildly successful to invest in branding or advertising. One of the biggest myths about marketing is that it is expensive, and the other is that it is only worth it after you've "made it."

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Sydney Sam as we kick off the Up-Level Your Impact Business series. In this first episode, we dive into marketing and branding. Sydney is a global speaker, trainer, and coach—an "entrepreneur's entrepreneur." He is the founder of Openspace Global, a member of the D&AD Impact Council, and the CEO of Workspace Global.

Tune in and listen to the sixty-third episode of Avant-garde Entrepreneur. Join us as we dive into the intersection of mission-driven business and effective marketing, debunk the myths about marketing and branding, and go over the marketing trends of 2025. Sydney also shares solutions to the most common marketing roadblocks, breaks down complex marketing and branding concepts into simple language, and much more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• A bit about Sydney's background and first steps in marketing (4:20)
• What's the difference between marketing and branding? (7:50)
• How to build your brand's soul, body, and purpose (13:00)
• Sydney talks about the marketing trends for 2025 (17:00)
• How expensive is it to promote your business? (24:10)
• Two of the biggest myths in marketing (35:00)

Connect with Sydney:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Visit Openspace's website

Let's Connect!

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.