Issue Highlights

THIS WEEKS MANTRAS

1. Create your own Luck. 

If you are a female founder - stop shifting the responsibility of achieving your goals to the universe or “luck”. YOU have the power to turn dreams into goals and goals into reality when you take responsibility for your success. Every decision YOU make, takes you where you are trying to go - not the universe. 

2. If you want to work 15 Hours a week…work 15 hours a week.

I want you to use this as an affirmation and a reminder that as a founder YOU have the power to control your schedule. You can DECIDE to find balance between work and life. You just have to DECIDE to do it. DECIDE NOT to pull a 20 hour a day. DECIDE to connect with your partner for an hour after a long day instead of getting to that “one more task” you added to your mile long to-do list.   

Mood….

1. Need I say More ^

2. I am back into my Wellness Era! The kids are going into childcare 2 x a week which opens up more time contracted work = More time for me through out the week!

3. Marriage is hard…like really fkn hard…EVEN when you guys are best friends & ADORE each other. I think choosing someone you can laugh with and lean on even through that toughness can make the world of difference.

4. For the last 6+ Months I have just gotten the BEST handle on balancing work and mum life. And it ultimately came back to not doing more than one thing at a time. If I am in mum mode…I am ONLY in mum mode, if I am in work mode, I am ONLY in work mode etc. Allows for so much more presence.

THIS WEEKS QUESTIONS:

1. How can I maintain a balance between big-picture thinking and practical execution, ensuring that while the company innovates and scales, it doesn't lose sight of operational stability and efficiency?

2. What steps can I take to build and sustain a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability within my team, especially in the face of rapid growth and market changes?

NEWSLETTER ROUNDUP:

 👉🏼WE LAUNCHED A AN IN-KIND GRANT WORTH $500K  🎉🦄
👉🏼 VENTURA LISTINGS: New Dashboard Within SBA™ Community for Listings!!
👉🏼 HEADLINES TO WATCH: Listen to the Audio Headline Update HERE. 
👉🏼 MAKE AI YOUR BITCH WITH THIS NEW STARTUP 
👉🏼 THE APP MAKING SCREEN DETOX POSSIBLE
👉🏼 STARTUP EDIT: Why we need to stop treating founders like “little ceos”
👉🏼VENTURA EDIT: Why SMB M&A activity is often more successful than Enterprise level corporate M&A activity. 

🦄 Portfolio Client NYC Brunch Club is looking for the next consumer brand to share with their consumers!! If you are a consumer brand looking to get in front of over 8,000 Warm Members of NYC - Respond back to this email to chat about Sponsorship Opportunities!!

🦄 SBA™ Community Member URFLO - The New Creator Project Management Startup to watch has officially Launched their waitlist!! Creators & Brands…You won't want to miss out on this one!! Join the Waitlist HERE. 

🦄 NEW Podcast Episode Out on Excuse Me Sir? - The Importance of Mental Toughness & Resilience + Agility + Leaning on our Network to overcome unexpected challenges in business HERE.

🦄 VENTURA LISTINGS™ Is Hosting its first ever Virtual Pitch Night for Business Buyers & Sellers!! Register to the Event HERE. ( 19th AUG ) 

🦄 We launched a $500,000 In-Kind Grant for Female Founders Industry Agnostically!!!! Super Super Excited to Announce this Grant. Read HERE. For More Info! 

🦄 VENTURA LISTINGS™ Has Moved!!! We have created your own dedicated Dealflow Newsletter & Now Offer a dedicated listings space in our SBA™ Community with more robust access and profiling options. Join the New Ventura Listings Space HERE. FOR FREE!!

Startup Edit: Stop treating female founders like little versions of Male CEOs.

When it comes to building, growing, and scaling companies, female founders are often handed a different playbook than their male counterparts. It's not just about access to capital—though that's a big piece of the puzzle—but also the depth and quality of the information and resources we provide. And it INFURIATED me because it is this skewed approach that keeps female-led businesses smaller and less competitive. 

 Let's get real. 👀

 How often have we seen business education for women focus on the "soft" aspects? Things like work-life balance, community building—important, yes—but what about the nitty-gritty? Where are the in-depth strategies on aggressive scaling, large-scale fundraising, M&A, Investing or high-stakes negotiations? Instead of the full pitcher of knowledge, we’re often handed a watered-down version.

 Just the other day, I was chatting with a friend of mine on a podcast about this. We realized that business education tailored for women often feels segmented and diluted. It's like we’re being trained to run "cute" little businesses while men get the full suite of tools and strategies to build empires. This isn’t just unfair; it’s counterproductive.

 There is a reason almost HALF of companies across the US are owned by women and a ⅓ of companies globally…and yet over 1 - 3% ever Surpass the $1M threshold in business. 

 To break this cycle, we need to elevate the quality of resources available to female founders. 

 Here’s how:

 1. FULL SCALE EDUCATION: 
Women need access to robust business education, just like men. This means deep dives into financial management, strategic growth, advanced marketing tactics and EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN…. SIR. has been DEDICATED to raising the cumulative standard of education & access available to women for YEARS and we will continue to do so for years to come. 

 2. MENTORSHIP & NETWORKS: 
Opportunities to connect with seasoned mentors and networks are crucial. We need mentors who aren’t just successful women but also male allies offering diverse perspectives. Success in business comes from Diversity - Comes from different perspectives, insights, backgrounds and expertise! 

 3. ACCESS TO CAPITAL: 
Despite some progress, female founders still struggle with funding. And this is particularly true for founders exploring Ventura Capital Funds…the thing is over 40% of Angel Investors are women…who actively invest in women… 

 The great news is companies like Invest with Cherub x Pearl Influential are now providing opportunities for Founders to leverage SPVs so that they can access multiple angles & smaller check sizes to meet their fundraising goals without the hassle. 

 Work smarter not harder ladies. 

 4. VISIBILITY AND REPRESENTATION: 
We are starting to see this trend shift and there is alot more recognition RE female founders and their success in media but I think continuing to share stories of successful female entrepreneurs who have scaled their businesses needs to be an ongoing initiative as representation is absolutely instrumental in changing the narratives we currently face. 

 5. HOLISTIC SUPPORT: 
Women are now not only expected to be the home-makers of the house but are now also expected to be the breadwinner without any changes or adjustments at home which is leaving an astonishing impact on female founders abilities to grow & scale their businesses. Addressing both professional and personal challenges can make a significant difference and it is important that we have male allies at the forefront of this conversation with us! 

 Changing the narrative means giving female founders the same caliber of resources, opportunity and education as their male counterparts. 

 This isn’t just about fairness; it’s about unleashing the full potential of women entrepreneurs.

 Let’s stop treating female founders like "little versions" of male CEOs. 

Join SBA™ Today or Respond Back to this email to find out how you can work with me this week!

STARTUPS ON OUR RADAR

The truth is that every successful business today has their own GPT and knows how to make LLM AI models their Bitch 👏🏼👼🏼

I have been saying this time and time and time again, there is an art and a science to making chatgpt and other LLM models work for you and it all boils down to ONE thing: Communication Skills. 

Code Signals views Prompt Writing LIKE ENGINEERING and they are sharing everything you need to know about mastering winning prompts with LLM!! No fluff, no Jargon, just the good stuff that helps you get GREAT results. 

HERE IS THE SUMMARY:

CodeSignal’s Prompt Engineering for Everyone is a comprehensive learning path that equips you with the AI knowledge you NEED TO KNOW to become a skilled prompt engineer — They handle prompt engineering education from beginner friendly to advanced prompting so regardless of your skills with LLM models, I would definitely encourage you to give it a try. 

Check out CodeSignal's Prompt Engineering Courses HERE. 

 Nip your social media and technology addiction in the butt with your addiction cock-blocker Minimis. 

Imagine your phone not controlling you but the other way around. Meet Minimis Launcher, the app that brings your iPhone back to basics, empowering you to reclaim your precious time.

Minimis Launcher is revolutionizing the way we interact with our smartphones by fundamentally changing how your home screen looks and feels. Instead of endless distractions, Minimis introduces mindfulness checks and 15-minute limits to keep your attention in check. 

 Why We Love It

Smartphone UIs are designed to keep us hooked, but Minimis Launcher is here to break that cycle by fundamentally changing your mobiles code. This isn't just another “cute” time management app, this is a hardcore approach to quenching your procrastination addictions.

 By categorizing your essential apps (like Google Maps and your calendar) and addictive apps (like TikTok and Instagram), Minimis builds in mindfulness checks, asking you to justify your screen time and keeping your digital life in balance.

 How It Works

• Setup in 3 Minutes: It’s quick and hassle-free.

• Mindfulness Checks: Get a 15-minute break with addictive apps, but only if you justify it.

• If you continue to binge, your Home Screen tree dies and you are forced to reflect on why the scroll was worth killing your tree. 

• Digital Well-being: Keeps you aware of your phone usage, so you can focus on living your life to the fullest.

The hope is that we start to think twice. 

Why You Need This

Cal Newport, the author of Digital Minimalism, nailed it: “It’s easy to be seduced by the latest app or service, but then forget its cost in terms of the most important resource we possess: the minutes of our life.” Minimis Launcher helps you get those minutes back, making it an essential tool for anyone looking to reduce screen time and increase productivity.

HEADLINERS TO KEEP TABS ON:

• London VC invests in FDA Cleared, AI Dental Startup “Pearl's” $50M Round HERE.

• Summer Fridays Takes on Growth Capital from Beauty Goliath Private Equity Firm TSG Consumer Partners. ( This means MASSIVE things for Summer Fridays ) Listen to the Podcast Breakdown HERE.

• The Stock Market thinks SearchGPT is the New Google?? Is Googles Biggest Competitor Finally Here? More to come…but for now… Read up before you get left behind. HERE. ( - TechCrunch )

   

• M&A is making a comeback with headwinds clearing…but the lull is not over JUST YET. Read Goldman & Saks 2024 M&A Report HERE. ( - Goldman & Saks )

   

• . Top Lip Balms of 2024 👀 They put them to the test! Are we surprised to see Rhode & Summer Fridays on Here? Nope, our fan faves are continuing to take the beauty industry by storm. HERE. ( - NYC Times )

• These brands saw an INSANE increase in revenue after using Dating Apps to Market their Product…Could Dating apps be the new hotspot for Marketing considering women control 80% of Discretionary Spending and over 50% of Female consumers on these apps are interested in Beauty & Selfcare Brands…Read more HERE.

• Celebrity Brands are 90% Cautionary Tale and 10% Success… Unfortunately this cautionary tale is is one that everyone must learn from. Unpaid Contractors are NOT HAPPY… and rightfully so. HERE.

• Depop Removes 10% Sellers fee..for a 5% + $1 Marketplace Fee to Promote more Diversity on the app…What are your thoughts? HERE.

LISTEN TO THIS WEEKS EPISODE OF THE NEW EDIT OVER ON SPOTIFY HERE.

M&A Edit: Why Small Business M&A Transactions often Succeed when the same cannot always be said for Later Stage Corporate Development Initiatives

In today's business landscape, the mention of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) often comes with a cautionary tale. We hear about the high-profile deals that crash and burn, the culture clashes that derail integration, or the financial burdens that sink otherwise promising enterprises. However, there's a different narrative playing out under the radar—one where small business M&A transactions frequently thrive ( IYKYK ) Let's explore why small business M&A deals are often more successful than their larger counterparts and what lessons we can learn from these successes.

1. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP, TRUST & FOUNDER INVOLVEMENT 
In the realm of small businesses, relationships matter immensely. Remember that when you are in business… you are in the business of PEOPLE. The buyer and seller often know each other, or they operate within close-knit industry circles meaning this familiarity breeds trust, which is crucial for a smooth transition. When both parties have a personal stake and a shared vision for the future, they are more likely to work collaboratively towards a successful integration which where I think SMB acquisitions thrive - The sellers founder is often very involved in the process, they are selling their baby and they want to make sure the legacy leads on post acquisition. 

2. ALIGNMENT OF GOALS & VALUES 
Small businesses tend to have a strong sense of identity and culture which the founder heavily enforces where as this is often harder to capture within larger organisations. When one small business acquires another, there’s often a better alignment of goals and values making it easier to merge operations, align strategies, and integrate teams, resulting in a more seamless and successful transition. 

3. FLEXIBILITY & AGILITY 
Smaller businesses are inherently more agile and can adapt quickly to new circumstances and make decisions without the bureaucratic delays typical in larger organizations. We also have to remember that most SMBs have less runway financially which means they KNOW there is pressure to figure things out and find common ground quickly so that the deal can move forward. This agility allows for rapid integration and swift resolution of any issues that arise during the M&A process.

4. LESS COMPLEXITY 
The fact of the matter is that the operational and financial structures of small businesses are generally less complex than those of large corporations which makes integration much easier post acquisition or merger. This simplicity reduces the risk of integration issues and makes it easier to identify and address potential problems early on due to fewer moving parts meaning fewer opportunities for things to go wrong. 

While the headlines may often focus on the pitfalls and failures of large-scale M&A deals, the story is quite different for small businesses. These lessons remind us that with the right approach, mergers and acquisitions can be a powerful tool for growth and innovation, ESPECIALLY in the small business sector. 

So, the next time you hear about an M&A horror story, remember there's a thriving world of small business deals quietly succeeding, one trusted relationship at a time. 

Disclaimer:

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Always consult with a professional advisor before making any financial or legal decisions related to mergers and acquisitions. 

JOIN SBA™ TO PREPARE YOUR COMPANY FOR ACQUISITION ( WHETHER YOU ARE A BUYER OR A SELLER )

As we grow, Ventura Listings has moved!!! We are moving the listings edit to it's own Newsletter to accommodate for deeper business deep dives and more personalised newsletter opportunities. 

We have also created a new Listings Page in our SBA™ Community!! This is A FREE private access group that allows you to scroll through all available businesses and chat with other founders and investors about navigating the M&A process. 

COLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

• Liza Founder of NYC Brunch Club is looking for Consumer Brands to Sponsor a super exciting upcoming event!! Want to get an insane amount of eyes and drive crazy awareness to your brand? Message Liza HERE.

• Brenda Founder of Meraki Collective ( Social Media Management & Marketing Agency ) is looking for OSPs to organise Strategic Partnerships With!! Want to offer diversified services to your clients? Message Brenda HERE. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Lacey Madison Office Hours & Group Coaching Call ( Wednesday 31st July @5:30PM EST ) HERE. 

• MASTERCLASS: Simple Money Generating Activities You should be Doing every day to Drive Sales without Burnout ( SUNDAY 4TH AUGUST @ 5:30PM EST ) HERE. 

• VENTURA.IO Pitch Night - Buyers & Seller Mingle ( Monday 19th August @ 5:50 PM EST ) HERE. 

• SIR. VENTURES™ x 10TH HOUSE BY FEMALE FOUNDER COLLECTIVE ( Friday 30th August @11am AEST ) HERE. 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your business? 
I have been a model and content creator for 5 years, working with amazing brands and creative humans all over Australia and I am also studying my postgraduate degree in Psychology! Urflo is an app built to empower content creators with tools to efficiently manage their brand collaborations and simplify their creative business. 

What inspired you to start your business? 
About a year ago I was incredibly burnt-out. Juggling multiple different pieces of software to manage my collaborations, drowning in emails and ready to quit the creative industry. Speaking to my friends who are creators made me realise I wasn’t alone in the struggle to keep up with the admin that comes along with being in the creative industry. I realised a few things: that all of us had a different workflow when collaborating, current platforms weren’t designed with creators in mind and everyone had just shrugged their shoulders and accepted this was the way to work as a creative. 

What products or services do you offer? 
Urflo offers creators a space for centralised communication with brands, track the progress of each collab on a dashboard, a collaborative brief and script tool to make sure everyone is quite literally on the same page, an interactive content approval tool so they can receive clear feedback, and on platform invoicing and payment tracking. 

Who is your target audience? 
Established Freelance content creators and people in the creative industry seeking a more streamlined and flexible system to manage their collaborations and finances. 

How has your business evolved since you started? 
When we started, the idea was to create a marketplace for creators and brands to connect… but then we pivoted toward become a tool for freelance content creatives to use to manage their business. 

What has been your biggest achievement so far? 
Biggest achievement would be having creators from the UK and US sign up to our waitlist. That was a huge moment for me to see that people are interested globally. 

What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them? 
Biggest challenge would be trying to not get disheartened/ frustrated that out competitors are further along, getting more interest or just even looking at what they are doing. To overcome this I always come back to our mission and vision for urflo. This keeps me grounded, and makes me realise that my unique perspective that I bring to the space is what will set us apart. 

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned as an entrepreneur
Most important lesson is that surrounding yourself with like minded individuals and other entrepreneurs is so important to stay inspired, motivated and supported. 

How has being a member of SBA helped your business? 
I love learning from the other women in SBA, listening to their stories, and being inspired. Being an entrepreneur can often feel like a lonely journey. But sharing our weekly wins, losses, and goals each week has kept my motivated and kept the development of urflo on track. 

 What specific SBA resources or strategies have you found most valuable
The long term strategic planning resource has helped me and the team at urflo get really clear on shared goals and then for each week and month set goals that need to be completed. Makes it really clear on what steps to be taken and when to reach out long term goals. The Elite CEO Mindset micro lesson is something I always go back to shift my perspective on situations and challenges. 

What is one thing you cannot live without as a female founder?
MY MIRO BOARD APP! I am such a visual person and love to have a place where I can brain dump all my ideas, map out different workflows and visually see them. Miro board lets me share this with my team without the chaos of a physical whiteboard.

That is all for this Month!! 

xox, Lace

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