Category: finances

Angel Investors

November 8, 2021 inspiring-women

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I have an amazing guest who is a top female investor. She offers a way to get started in angel investing, and diversify your portfolio. This is a smart way you can also help women. Startups and entrepreneurs struggle. Because they lack capital a lot of the times. They may have a lack of sense of how to run a business. But they have this passionate idea that they really want to get out there. And so capital is a huge issue. An angel investor is someone who provides funding for small startups or entrepreneurs. The funding can be any amount, really, and sometimes the angels will get an ownership stake in the company for their investment, while other times there will be an agreement drawn up for getting your money back — plus profits — once the company gets off the ground. You may sometimes hear angel investors referred to as “private investors,” “seed investors,” or “angel funders,” but one thing is clear — no matter what you call them, angels can make a huge difference in the life of an entrepreneur, and they can also make some serious money in the process. With me on this episode is Brianna McDonald. She is the President of the Northwest Region of the Keiretsu Forum angel investment community, the largest and most active venture investor globally, comprising over 50 chapters with over 3,000 active members investing over $450 million annually into over 600 companies. She’s an active leader and angel investor with Keiretsu Forum and has been a part of the organization since it launched in Seattle in 2005 and supporting its growth to become the largest and most active group globally. She’s proven over time to be adept at screening companies for angel investment, coaching companies on presentation and investor relations, sales strategy execution, relationship management, and leading due diligence teams. Listen in as Brianna McDonald gives us all a crash course in what angel investing really is, and breaks down how angel investing differs from crowdfunding and venture capital. Brianna talks about how angel investors can find successful rates of return, and why now is a great time for women to consider becoming angel investors. Brianna also walks us through how she got started investing, how to find angel investing groups around the country and the importance of doing your research. She offers up 7 tips.

Is this something you want to do?
Find female support
Sit in on meetings (a great question to ask – rather than “how are things going?”, ask “what challenges are they going through?”)
Pick the brains of the experts
Find something that is interesting to you
Stay active with the investment
Reach your financial goals

This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.

For more information, go to the Insights page at Brady Ware and Company.

Remember to follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. And forward our podcast along to other Inspiring Women in your life.

Categories: finances, financial planning, journey, woman-owned business Tags: Tags: Brianna McDonald, Keiretsu Forum

Now What? Pt 1

November 9, 2020 inspiring-women

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:30 — 41.3MB) | Embed

We ended this decade on such a high note. I began 2020 with a lot of optimism. I didn’t think anything could get in our way; the marketplace was just roaring, and at this amazing speed. Not only Wall Street, but also Main Street, they were just hitting records.

But by the 1st of March and as March unfolded, I’m attending a board meeting at Brady Ware, where I’m on the board of directors to discuss corona; not the beer, but the coronavirus, and later renamed, of course, COVID-19. Our CEOs were saying, “How is this going to affect our business and should we be making plans?” I thought, “What for? What would we need to possibly do with this?”

But but we were ahead of the game, and on March 16 we were sending our employees home and restructuring how we did business. We were certainly not out of business, but we were certainly doing it differently.

Life absolutely stopped on a dime.

CPAs were considered essential, and so, I was in our office. There was no traffic. There was no one in the parking lot. I was here for mail and phones and different things while our people were home, safe. It was a lot of craziness; new wardrobes of masks and gloves; and “Wine with DeWine” became a big thing in Ohio.

We had endless days of phone calls. I felt like they would never end, especially in that first 30 days. Overwhelming legislation started taking place, and the word unprecedented – which I can hardly take – I have changed it to ‘for such a time as this’. It sounds better than unprecedented times.

I’m asking the question every day, now what?

As a business owner and leader, I was amazed, as usual, at the resilience of the marketplace, not just in Columbus, but in the country.

The resilience of business owners, and our leadership from the federal to the state, to local levels. We go from this roaring speed to an absolute, screeching halt.

And even so, we jump in, as opposed to jump off.

We learn, we read, we apply for dollars, we use the word “pivot” every day. But not just for business, our personal life too.

By mid-year, the roller coaster ride had slowed down for some businesses and owners. We were getting a little more comfortable, till those things called “spikes” came into play. Then June and July brought assessing the damage. It’s like, “The tornado went through. Now, what do I have?”

The impact was both negative and positive. I think many of my clients are amazed at how they’re doing.

I think others are devastated.

But whether you are devastated or the opportunity was just amazing, we’re tired. We’re all tired, I think.

So, now what?

Fortunately, the basics of business have not gone anywhere, it’s just the approach. In our personal lives, I think it’s been a more of an assessment of what is important.

We start by taking a deep breath and focusing, and we put our energy into actions. I’m going to talk about these actions you need take…

Know
Assess
Move
Reflect
Embrace

These are all actions, and it means you have to do something.

After you listen to this episode, go to www.BradyWare.com and look up Betty Collins, my podcast will be right there. There will be handouts that summarize all this.

I’d love to talk to you about it, because it’s something that I’m passionate about. Because when the marketplace works in this country, the country works. Right now, it needs businesses to work. It needs employers to have success.

For more information, go to the Insights page at Brady Ware and Company.

Remember to follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. And forward our podcast along to other Inspiring Women in your life.

Categories: confidence, finances, leadership

Charting A Financial Course For Women

January 13, 2020 inspiring-women

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:50 — 29.7MB) | Embed

As the title states, I am talking about a financial guide for women. It’s mind boggling that women today take financial planning and put it in a drawer; maybe a closet; under the rug. You would be amazed. It’s not something that they really are at the helm of.

Why is that?

We’re dominating in so many ways. We’re educating ourselves further than men. We are definitely dominating marketplace, where we’re starting more businesses. We’re providing for our families – sometimes, THE provider. We’re becoming a lot more influential in top leadership positions, such as CEOs. According to statistics from UBS, a financial planning firm. 85 percent of women today manage the expenses of their household, whether they’re married or single. It’s just the woman takes that on. Only 23 percent take the lead when it comes to long-term financial planning.

What should you do?

First, you’ve got to manage your own money. If you have a confidence issue with money, or you hate money, or you don’t want to face it, or you just don’t want to deal with it, then picture your life over the next five, 10, and 15 years without money and a plan. What is it going to look like? What are you going to look like when you don’t have the ability to work, or you’re staring at retirement?

It’s a long journey – maybe as long as 40 years. Life is too short, and it’s meant to be enjoyed. Chances are, you will have to work, so make it worth all the time and effort that you do. You can either live in control of your financial path, or you can be controlled by it. I would suggest choose wisely and determine how you are going to chart your course to some financial freedom where you can enjoy life on your terms.

Joining me on this podcast as well is Helen Colon, with Capstone Wealth Advisors. I met Helen through NAWBO Columbus, which is the National Association of Women Business Owners. She has an amazing career and background, and her passion, along with her New York sass, are what sets her apart.

As Helen states:

“Financial planning is a relationship with the client. I take great pride in developing a team effect around my clients, as you know. I bring in the CPA for the tax strategies. I bring in the estate attorney for legacy planning, multi-generational planning. Those women that come to me realize that they find value in being- they feel safe. They feel they have their team around them so they can go on and do what they need to do.

She continues:

“Financial planning doesn’t just involve investments. We look at risk protection, long-term care. I work with a CPA, with tax strategies, things of that nature. I had a client come to me, as you know, several years ago that wanted help with financial planning. Her fear was that she was going to live in her daughter’s basement if she didn’t plan properly. Well, I can tell you, as of today, that will never happen.”

This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.

For more information, go to the Insights page at Brady Ware and Company.

Remember to follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. And forward our podcast along to other Inspiring Women in your life.

Categories: confidence, empowerment, episode, finances, financial planning Tags: Tags: Capstone Wealth Advisors, Helen Colon, NAWBO