I write about sales, leadership & productivity to help you become a top sales performer. RSM at Lonestar Forklift | AIB MBA

I’m Chris Crane, and my mission is simple:

Transforming industrial sales reps & teams into formidable professionals.

Over my 15-year sales career, I’ve closed over $100 million in industrial equipment deals, trained more than 150 reps, and led industrial sales teams across Canada and the U.S.

I built the Scaling Success System™ to give industrial sales teams what no one else offers: a sales operating system specifically engineered for industrial sales.

This system has taught over 150+ industrial sales reps & teams to operate as formidable professionals, and it can do the same for your team.

DM "sales" to learn more.

Chris Crane

Most companies hire one kind of rep, and expect them to do both jobs.

They want someone who can hunt.
They want someone who can farm.
They end up with someone who does neither well.

Hunters drive top-of-funnel.
They chase the deal until they get it. 
They don’t stop until the calendar’s full.

Farmers grow existing accounts.
They build solid long-term relationships.
They don’t stop until the client renews again.

Here’s what I’ve learned coaching both:

→ Farmers win with value.
→ Hunters win with volume.
→ Hunters need structure and a clean target list.
→ Farmers need trust  and a relationship to protect.
→ Both lose when you try to make them play the other’s game.

Learning to do both well is an elite level game. 

I have done both, and I can teach someone how to do both, but most companies cannot, and they wonder why they are missing their quotas.


P.S. If you want to turn your industrial sales prospects into buyers, I built a system to show you how 👉https://lnkd.in/dHH93M4u

Experience alone doesn’t scale. A system does. Turn industrial sales prospects into buyers with ARC5™

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Most sales reps consume motivation. Top sales reps study communication.

Everyone wants better closing lines.

Very few reps study the psychology behind why people say yes.

And the gap between those two groups is where commissions are made.

Here are 7 talks every serious salesperson should study.

→ Rejection tolerance — “What I Learned from 100 Days of Rejection” by Jia Jiang

→ Listening discipline — “Want to Help Someone? Shut Up and Listen” by Ernesto Sirolli

→ Persuasion mechanics — “The Four Letter Code to Selling Anything” by Derek Thompson

→ Body language intelligence — “The Power of Nonverbal Communication” by Joe Navarro

→ Conversation control — “How to Have a Good Conversation” by Celeste Headlee

→ Managing resistance — “How to Deal with Difficult People” by Jay Johnson

→ Direct persuasion — “How 5 Simple Words Can Get You What You Want” by Janine Driver

Notice the pattern.

None of them teach scripts.
None of these talks teach product
All of them teach deep human behavior.

Because selling isn’t about explaining your product. It’s about understanding the person sitting across from you.

And the reps who study people always outperform those who study only products.

83% of sales reps run discovery calls with no structure.

They wing it.
They ask surface-level questions.
They pitch before the buyer even admits there’s a problem.

The call feels productive.
The buyer sounds interested.
And then the deal dies quietly two weeks later.

Here’s the 7-step discovery structure most reps skip:

→ Prepare
→ Start Calm
→ Build Rapport
→ Confirm the Agenda
→ Ask & Clarify Pain Points
→ Present Your Crafted Solution
→ Schedule the Next Follow-Up Call

Miss one, and control slips.
Rush one, and urgency disappears.
Ignore the order, and the buyer leads.

The result?

→ Buyers open up faster.
→ Pain becomes specific, measurable, and urgent.
→ Your proposal becomes the logical next step, not a hopeful pitch.

The takeaway:

→ The rep who controls discovery controls the deal.
→ Discovery is not a conversation, it’s a controlled sequence.
→ Structure creates urgency, and urgency creates movement.

Most reps try to close at the end. Elite reps start closing in the first 10 minutes.


P.S. If you want to turn your industrial sales prospects into buyers, I built a system to show you how 👉https://lnkd.in/dHH93M4u

Sales teams don’t fail because of skill.

They fail because they don’t care.
They fail because they’re not engaged.
They fail because they’re disconnected.

Motivation isn’t always about money.

It’s about meaning, mindset & execution.

Here’s what I know:
→ Trust must flow both ways.
→ Goals create clarity & direction.
→ Knowing the “why” drives performance.

Consider this:
→ Start with a 30, 60, 90 plan.
→ Align the team with this objective.
→ Explain the “why” to create full buy in.

Watch what happens with your team in 90 days with full focus on this effort.


P.S. If you want to turn your industrial sales prospects into buyers, I built a system to show you how 👉https://scalingsuccess.co/

71% of sales teams miss quota, and it's not because of effort.

They track revenue.
They track activity volume.
They ignore the indicators that actually drive outcomes.

The dashboard looks full.
The pipeline “feels” healthy.
And the quarter still comes up short.

Here are the KPIs every serious sales leader must track:
→ Key Sales Activity
→ Sales Cycle Length
→ Sales Pipeline Value
→ Average Order Value
→ Product Performance
→ Lead to Opportunity Conversion
→ Opportunity to Sales Conversion

Miss one, and blind spots grow.
Track them inconsistently, and patterns stay hidden.
Obsess over lagging metrics only, and you’ll always react instead of lead.

The result?

→ Forecasting becomes predictable.
→ Coaching becomes precise and data-driven.
→ Revenue stops feeling random and starts compounding.

The takeaway:

→ Activity without conversion tracking is noise.
→ Revenue without pipeline math is guesswork.
→ The leader who tracks the right numbers controls the outcome.

What you measure dictates what your team becomes.


P.S. If you want to turn your industrial sales prospects into buyers, I built a system to show you how 👉https://lnkd.in/dHH93M4u

I almost didn’t call back.

Something felt off.

The buyer sounded polite but distant on the first call.

Most reps would have written the deal off and moved on to the next name in the CRM.

But something didn’t add up.

The problem he described was too operational to ignore.

And when problems are operational, the cost is usually hidden somewhere deeper.

So I called him again.

→ Align: “I understand you’re busy and this might not be top priority right now.”

→ Redirect: “When the system breaks down like you mentioned last week, what usually happens to production that day?”

→ Clarify: “If the line stops for even an hour, what does that actually cost your operation?”

→ Reframe: “So if that downtime keeps happening every week, that’s hundreds of thousands a year lost, correct?”

→ Close: “If we can eliminate that loss, it makes sense to move forward, doesn’t it?”

The result?

→ The problem was bigger than he first admitted.
→ The cost of doing nothing was far worse than the investment required.
→ The deal that almost died on call one closed two weeks later.

The takeaway:

→ Deals rarely die because of rejection.
→ Most deals die because reps accept the first layer of the conversation.
→ The reps who win are the ones willing to dig one level deeper than everyone else.

Most lost deals aren’t lost. They’re just undiscovered.

Most salespeople will never close a seven-figure deal.

They think they can.
They act like they can.
But when the opportunity comes, they choke.

I've seen it firsthand.

I've watched seasoned reps stall.
I've watched managers fumble negotiations.
I've watched buyers walk away, never saying a word.

Here’s what I know:
→ Patience is a strategy. Use it.
→ Big deals don’t die in meetings. They die in silence.
→ If you can’t handle long sales cycles, you won’t survive.

Consider this:
1. Control the frame: If they lead, you’ve already lost.
2. Don't push, pull: Let the buyer convince themselves.
3. Slow down: The bigger the contract, the slower the close.

Big deals are a slow process. Learn to slow down, learn to ask great questions, and the deals will start to come.


P.S. If you want to turn your industrial sales prospects into buyers, I built a system to show you how 👉https://scalingsuccess.co/

Objections don’t kill deals, insecurity does. 

You get pushback.
You lose your composure. 
You spiral into defense mode.

Most reps crumble.

They talk too much.
They try to win the argument.
They forget their job is to lead. 

Here’s what I know:
→ Objections aren’t rejections.
→ They’re tests of your confidence.
→ The buyer is watching how you react.

Consider this:
→ Ask for clarification, find the real fear.
→ Your tone matters more than your answer.
→ Reframe the concern to their original pain.

Master the objection if you want to master the sale. 

Don’t fear them, embrace them.


If you want to turn your industrial sales prospects into buyers, I built a system to show you how 👉https://scalingsuccess.co/

Deals don’t die at the close. They die at discovery.

I learned this the hard way.
Early in my career, I ran a perfect demo.
Clear value, strong interest, confident delivery.

Then the buyer stalled.

“No decision right now.”
And I had nothing to anchor them to.

The problem wasn’t price.
The problem wasn’t timing.
The problem was I didn't equate cost with inaction.

So I rebuilt how I run discovery using CICSR.
→ Context → I force myself to fully understand their current process before touching a problem.
→ Issue → I isolate where the process breaks and make them admit it out loud.
→ Cost → I quantify the damage until the number hurts to say.
→ Solution → I let them describe the future state before I ever show mine.
→ Resistance → I surface hesitation early while I still control the room.

The result?
→ Deals stop stalling.
→ Objections show up earlier and weaker.
→ Buyers convince themselves before I ever ask for the close.

The takeaway:
→ Bad discovery creates fake momentum.
→ Fake momentum collapses at the close.
→ Real discovery makes closing procedural, not emotional.

If you want better closes, stop trying to sound impressive and start forcing clarity.

P.S. If you want to turn your industrial sales prospects into buyers, I built a system to show you how 👉https://scalingsuccess.co/

The deal didn’t die because of price. It died because I skipped one question.

He was engaged.
He liked the numbers.
He nodded the whole meeting.

I thought it was done.
I moved straight to proposal.
I assumed alignment without confirming it.

Two weeks later he said, “We’re going in a different direction.”

Here’s what I missed.

→ I didn’t go deep enough into Context. I understood the surface process, not the internal politics.
→ I uncovered the Issue, but I didn’t press into real Cost with numbers tied to executive pressure.
→ I pitched Solution before asking the Resistance question that would’ve exposed the hidden decision-maker.

So I went back and did it again, the right way.

The result?

→ I quantified cost with his numbers, not mine.
→ I went back and rebuilt discovery from scratch.
→ I uncovered that his CFO had final sign-off and hadn’t seen the math.

The takeaway:

→ If cost isn’t quantified, urgency isn’t real.
→ Surface-level agreement is not commitment.
→ The rep who skips steps pays for it in lost commission.

Discovery isn’t about sounding smart. It’s about controlling the sequence.


P.S. If you want to turn your industrial sales prospects into buyers, I built a system to show you how 👉

Wife & Mother of 7 | Venture Capital | Scientist | TOP 30 Patent Drafters | United States Patent Examiner | Violinist | Polyglot | STEM Children's Author | #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law

Kathryn Vatt is a scientist, former USPTO Examiner, and devoted wife and mother of seven, with over 25 years shaping the future of innovation. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Patent Drafters and Prosecutors and the #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law, Kathryn has built a career at the intersection of science, law, and business—helping inventors, startups, and global companies turn creativity into competitive advantage.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Biology) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. Biotechnology), Kathryn is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Patent Law at the Franklin Pierce School of Law, one of the world’s leading IP programs. Her rare cross-disciplinary background gives her both the scientific insight and the legal strategy to protect ideas at the highest level.

At the USPTO, Kathryn examined thousands of patent applications, conducted exhaustive prior art searches, and made determinations that shaped industries and influenced global innovation. After leaving the Patent Office, she founded Vatt IP Management, where she develops bulletproof IP strategies, drafts airtight applications, and supports litigation teams in defending patents. She also mentors engineering and life science students through Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and judges international startup competitions, nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Her entrepreneurial vision extends to her ventures:

My Startup Shield™, a founder-focused program that helps startups secure their innovations before they pitch. It protects ideas at the earliest, most vulnerable stage and positions founders to raise capital with confidence

My AI Examiner™, the world’s first proprietary patent search platform that combines examiner-trained AI Patent Examiners with Kathryn’s own human review. Unlike conventional tools, it doesn’t just search faster—it “thinks like an examiner,” offering inventors and startups clarity, precision, and strategy.

MyKidVentors™, a STEM-inspired children’s book series born from her seven children’s real “What if?” questions. Through these imaginative stories, she nurtures curiosity in the next generation, showing that every big invention begins with a single question.

For Kathryn, the same motherly instinct that guides her family fuels her professional mission: to protect, guide, and nurture startups with care, strategy, foresight, and integrity. She believes innovation doesn’t just start in labs or boardrooms—it starts in the curious minds of those brave enough to ask, “What if?”

Kathryn V.

OREOS FOR MOTHER’S DAY

At a small neighborhood shop, a man quietly changes lives.

He gives free food to kids who show him their grades...a reward not just for doing well in school, but for trying, for caring, for showing up.

In this video, one young boy steps up to the counter, offered the chance to choose anything he wants.

Today, he picks milk, bread, eggs...and cookies for Mother’s Day.
And the shop owner...touched by that choice...adds a bouquet of flowers for him to bring home.

Neither of them realizes that what just happened will be remembered for years.
Because kindness like that doesn’t end at the counter...it multiplies.

Every act of generosity plants a seed:
A child whose confidence blooms.
A parent who feels seen and loved.
A community reminded that humanity still shines bright.

So here’s to the everyday heroes: the ones who lift others quietly, who give without expecting anything in return.

You may never see the full impact of your kindness...but someone’s world is brighter because of you. 


------
If you enjoy my posts please follow me:
Kathryn V.
VATT IP Management
My AI Examiner™
My Startup Shield™
https://lnkd.in/gAERstmz
https://lnkd.in/gmAS9P7Z
https://lnkd.in/gJyb28T8

Your Company ≠ Their Company

Startup culture is loud.

Announcements.
Rounds.
Launches.
Leaps.

And even the most confident founders feel it.
That quiet comparison.
“Should I be further by now?”
“Why does their growth look easier?”
“Am I missing something?”

But when you compare, you slowly lose sight of what’s yours to build.
And what’s yours was never meant to look like anyone else’s.

Different wiring.
Different gifts.
Different responsibilities.
Different seasons.

Some are drawn to bold, public momentum.
Others move with careful protection.
Some are compelled to disrupt.
Others feel called to preserve and strengthen.

None of it is accidental.
And none of it is a hierarchy.

But when you try to imitate someone else’s arc,
you drift from your own.

You trade alignment for applause.

At Founder Chapel, we care deeply about stewardship.

Stewarding your vision.
Stewarding your ownership.
Stewarding your influence.
Stewarding the people who trust you.

Because leadership isn’t about matching someone else’s leap.
It’s about faithfully tending what’s been placed in your hands.

That’s why we created Founder Chapel Learning Pods.
Small, steady circles where founders can step out of comparison and return to clarity...about their gifts, their values, and the kind of company they are called to build.

I’m deeply honored to be leading the pod focused on intellectual property and building your moat; helping founders protect what they’ve been entrusted with and think carefully about how they bring it into the market with integrity.

My incredible Founder Chapel family: David Y., Jay Jin, and Katrena Drake are leading pods of their own, each walking alongside founders through different pressures and seasons.

You don’t need someone else’s platform.
You need to steward your own.
And you don’t have to do that alone.

Come as you are.
We welcome you to apply here → https://lnkd.in/gM9xz6qk

FIRST TOGETHER


At Founder Chapel, we believe real leaders don’t climb alone.
They rise by lifting others.

In a world obsessed with rankings, valuations, and visibility, it’s easy to believe leadership means standing above everyone else. 

But the founders who build legacies understand something deeper:
Nothing meaningful is built alone.

Behind every breakthrough are unseen sacrifices, honest conversations, shared burdens, and people who stood steady when things felt uncertain.

True leadership isn’t about guarding the top spot.
It’s about making space on it.

Because titles fade.
Headlines move on.
Momentum comes and goes.

But character remains.
Stewardship remains.
The way you build...and who you build with...remains.

That’s why Founder Chapel exists.

Through our Learning Pods, founders gather not just to scale companies, but to sharpen judgment, strengthen conviction, and build with integrity alongside others who believe leadership is a responsibility, not a spotlight.

If you’re building something that matters and you want to build it with depth, wisdom, and community...we invite you to apply here → https://lnkd.in/gM9xz6qk

Founder Chapel: Build well. Lead faithfully. Rise together.
David Y. Jay Jin Katrena Drake

LET US REMOVE THE PLANK

A donkey is trying to squeeze through a fence...
stuck between two planks, pushing, trying, determined to get through.

Another donkey stands nearby, watching the struggle.
Present, but unsure how to help.

Then a third donkey arrives.
It doesn’t rush in.
It watches for a moment.

And then, quietly, it walks up to the fence and removes one of the planks.
Suddenly, what felt impossible…isn’t.

That moment felt like such a clear picture of what so many founders experience.

Founders are relentless.
They push. They problem-solve. They endure.
Often with others watching...investors, peers, family, and friends. People who care, but don’t quite know how to step in.

And sometimes, what’s needed isn’t more effort or more grit.
It’s someone who can see the structure from a different angle 
and help remove the piece that’s making everything harder than it needs to be.

That’s what Founder Chapel exists to be.
Not another voice shouting encouragement from the sidelines.
Not more pressure to push through.
But steady presence. Clear perspective.
And the right kind of help at the right moment.

As we begin our Founder Chapel Learning Pods, we’re creating small, trusted spaces where founders don’t have to struggle alone...
where real questions are welcome,
where clarity can emerge,
and where the weight gets lighter because it’s shared.

I’m deeply honored to be serving as one of the Founder Chapel Learning Pod Guides. In my pod, I will walk alongside founders and talk through the things that quietly matter most...
protecting your intellectual property,
thinking clearly about go-to-market strategy,
and making sure you’re safeguarding your ownership rights and your ability to ethically bring what you’re building into the world.

Please see the link below to apply for my pod, as well as the pods led by my amazing Founder Chapel family: David Y. (B2B Sales for $1M+ Revenue Startups), Jay Jin (Social Media Scaling: Managing 100+ Videos production & uploads every week with AI), and Katrena Drake (Operationalizing Your Startup).

👉 https://lnkd.in/gM9xz6qk

This year, you don’t have to carry it alone.
We’re here.
Come as you are. 🙏

“You cannot have a symphony made entirely of soloists.” – David Y.

I’ve been thinking about that line ever since I read it in David's latest piece in Unicorn Parents (https://lnkd.in/gzUt3QHV ).

How easy it is, as parents, to confuse shaping with loving.

When you hold a newborn for the first time, you don’t see a résumé.
You don’t see a title.
You don’t see a future LinkedIn headline.

You see a soul.

And yet somewhere along the way, the noise creeps in.

Be confident.
Be exceptional.
Stand out.
Lead.
Win.

But what if the truest work of parenting isn’t pushing our children toward a spotlight…
but learning the light they already carry?

I have seven children.

Seven hearts.
Seven temperaments.
Seven entirely different ways of moving through the world.

One feels deeply and needs time before speaking.
One runs headfirst into new rooms.
One studies quietly before acting.
One wants clear direction.
Another wants room to explore.

If I tried to mold them into one “ideal” personality, I would crush something sacred in each of them.

Not every child is meant to be loud.
Not every child is meant to be first.
Not every child is meant to lead in the way our culture applauds.

Some are anchors.
Some are builders.
Some are bridges.
Some are protectors.
Some are steady flames that warm a room without ever demanding attention.

And all of it matters.

I think the real discipline of motherhood is restraint.

Resisting the urge to project our unfinished dreams.
Resisting comparison.
Resisting panic when they don’t fit the mold.

And instead, choosing to watch closely.
To listen carefully.
To guide gently.

Children unfold. They don’t perform.

Their identity is not something we engineer. It’s something we steward.

And when they feel safe enough to become who they truly are...not who we wish they were...something beautiful happens.

They grow in confidence that is quiet but rooted.
They make choices that feel aligned, not forced.
They step into responsibility when they’re ready...not when we’re anxious.

The world does not need copies.

It needs fully formed humans.

Our role isn’t to script their story.

It’s to love them so well that they have the courage to write their own. 💛

BUILD THE BOOTH ANYWAY

I saw the cutest video today.
A man is driving through his neighborhood and spots a golden retriever standing behind a little booth.

Handmade sign.
“Kisses: $100”

The man gets out of his car in disbelief.
“What? No one is going to pay $100 for a kiss.”

The camera pans.
There’s a long line of women waiting their turn.
Almost fighting each other to pay.

And I thought…
That’s entrepreneurship.
There will always be someone who rolls down the window and says:
“No one will buy that.”
“That’s too much.”
“Who do you think you are?”

And meanwhile…
There’s a line forming you can’t see yet.

Not because the golden retriever was the loudest.
Not because he begged.
Not because he discounted his kisses to $5 to prove a point.
But because he believed in the booth enough to build it.

Founders...
don’t listen to the person in the car.

Build the booth.
Put up the sign.
Set your price.
If it’s real, if it’s authentic, if it’s aligned...
your people will feel it.

And when you build something with heart?
It becomes contagious.
Investors don’t line up for desperation.
They line up for conviction.

Happy Valentine’s Day to the ones brave enough to put their idea out there.
Build it with love.
The right line will form. ❤️

THE FOUNDER CHAPEL SOLO CUP CHALLENGE

As I watched this video, I kept thinking about the founders I walk alongside every day.

Building a company can feel exactly like that hallway.

Contracts.
Hiring decisions.
Fundraising.
Intellectual property.
Go-to-market strategy.
Partnerships.
Ownership rights.

So many cups.
So little margin for error.

Some founders charge ahead.
Some try to leap everything at once.
Some quietly step out of the hallway altogether.

But sometimes the wisest move isn’t speed.
It’s slowing down long enough to understand the structure of the room.

At Founder Chapel, we don’t believe every founder should move the same way.

Different temperaments.
Different wiring.
Different seasons.

Some need bold momentum.
Some need careful navigation.
All need companionship.

That’s why we created Founder Chapel Learning Pods.
Small groups of founders walking through their own hallways...together.

I’m deeply honored to be leading the Learning Pod focused on intellectual property and building your moat: helping founders move carefully through decisions that affect ownership, protection, and ethical market entry.

My incredible Founder Chapel family...David Y., Jay Jin, and Katrena Drake... are leading pods of their own, each supporting founders in different ways.

No bulldozing required.
No leaping necessary.
No walking away alone.

Just steady steps.
Thoughtful guidance.
And a community that understands the weight of the hallway.

This year, you don’t have to navigate the cups alone.
Come as you are. Feel the presence. 💛             

We invite you to apply --> https://lnkd.in/gM9xz6qk

I’m honored to be returning for the second year in a row as a judge for Pitch the Pros® on April 10th in Greenville, SC.

As a former United States Patent Examiner I have spent more than 25 years helping founders and inventors protect what they build.

And I have seen how often founders focus on perfecting the pitch, raising capital, and gaining traction...only to think about protection later while losing ownership rights in the process. 

That is why this year, I am proud to personally offer a Protection Prize to the Top 3 presenters through moatly™.

Each of the top founders will receive dedicated intellectual property strategy support to help ensure what they are creating is properly protected. Not just celebrated. Not just visible. Protected.

Pitch the Pros® brings together a select group of founders, investors, and industry experts in an intentional setting. 

Ten founders will pitch live. The top three will also be invited to a private VIP evening featuring a Fireside Chat and networking experience with Daymond John of Shark Tank, along with dinner and live entertainment.

If you are building something meaningful and ready to step forward, I would love to see you there.

You can learn more here:
https://lnkd.in/eZyx78ge
Christopher Guerrera LSSMBB The Modern Inventor

Looking forward to supporting the founders who take the stage and helping them protect what they have worked so hard to create.

DOLPHINS IN THE DESERT 🐬🌵

Today is the day, Arizona!!

I am so excited to be serving as a panelist and workshop speaker for Dolphin Tank with Springboard Enterprises.

For more than two decades, Springboard has been accelerating women-led, high growth companies with an extraordinary track record:

850+ portfolio companies
$36.4B+ in value created
225+ exits
26 IPOs

And today, Dolphin Tank is happening at Grand Canyon University.

This is not your average pitch event.
It is a true launchpad. Women founders receive real time, thoughtful feedback from investors and operators who genuinely care about growth, strategy, and long term success.

I am honored to join an incredible panel and lead a special session during the Founder Workshop from 3-5 PM focused on protecting what you are building before you pitch, scale, or raise.

Joining me on the panel:
• Mitzi Krockover, MD, CEO, Founder, Investor at WomanCentered and Women’s Health Council Member at Springboard Enterprises
• Azin Radsan van Alebeek, Co founder and General Partner at Emmeline Ventures
• Rory Bidinger, Community Development Officer at Stearns Bank N.A.

If you are a founder, investor, operator, or supporter of women entrepreneurs, this is where you should be.

And Arizona…it is not too late.
🔗 Dolphin Tank RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eQDSywgq

🦾 Founder Workshop (3 to 5 PM): https://lnkd.in/ei4XZGSW

Come support the founders who are bravely stepping forward to pitch what they are building.

There is something powerful about watching vision meet opportunity in real time.

Proud to support this right here in Arizona. 🌵🐬

There is something defining about walking into a room and realizing you may be the only woman there and deciding that you belong anyway.

I have felt that in government spaces. In investor meetings. In high level technical discussions. In rooms where expertise is tested before it is trusted.

What I have learned is this. Leadership is not about blending in. It is about standing grounded in who you are, even when the room was not designed with you in mind.

My path began internationally, where at 21 I cofounded a company in Pakistan and learned firsthand that leadership is rarely about position and always about responsibility, requiring conviction, cultural awareness, and resilience. I later served as a United States Patent Examiner, and went on to found and lead my own firm, invest in innovation, mentor founders, and raise seven children. 

Each chapter has shaped how I understand leadership, not as authority, but as stewardship.

As Women’s History Month begins, I am honored to join a panel at The New York Public Library on March 4th for a conversation on growth and leadership alongside remarkable women whose journeys are equally layered and powerful.

We will be speaking candidly about what it truly takes to build influence, the pivots, the pressure, the persistence, and the quiet strength behind the scenes that rarely gets highlighted.

If you are building something, a company, a career, a life, while trying to remain fully yourself, this conversation is for you.

Grateful to James Corry for creating space for this meaningful dialogue and for bringing together such an inspiring group of women. I look forward to sitting alongside Christina Mitine, Laura Kavanagh, Olga Alcaraz, and Rechelle Balanzat for this important conversation.

👉🏼 Join us this Wednesday: https://lnkd.in/gtz_23Eu

Sr. GTM Leader at AWS | Head of GTM at Women in AI | Agentic AI Strategy & Digital Transformation | Industry Speaker

I know what it feels like to be the only woman in the room. If you’ve ever navigated climbing the leadership ladder while authentically showing up, this conversation is for you.

As Women’s History Month begins, I’m honored to be a panelist for “Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership” on March 4th hosted by The New York Public Library.   

I’m joining four resilient women to share our career journeys and dive into the real grit required to build influence in both the corporate and government sectors.

Huge thank you to James Corry for hosting this important conversation! See you soon, Kathryn V., Laura Kavanagh, Olga Alcaraz, Rechelle Balanzat. 

👉🏼 Join us this Wednesday: https://lnkd.in/gtz_23Eu

#WHM2026 #WomensHistoryMonth #LeadingTheChange #IWD2026 #GiveToGain #WomenInTech #NYPL #Leadership

Open article: Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership by nypl.org

Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership

So, so good, Jason Butcher!

Founders - isn’t this true of any relationship? 

Trust isn’t built in moments of performance...it’s built in the quiet, consistent ones. 

In how you communicate when it’s uncomfortable. In whether your actions match your words. 

Investors, like all humans, are looking for patterns. 

Consistency builds trust. Trust builds confidence. And confidence is what ultimately moves capital.

Multi Exit Founder, seasoned advisor and strategic investor backing bold ideas in Payments, Fintech, AI, Sports Tech, Mental Health and creative Innovative projects while empowering founders to make a positive impact.

Long-term trust with investors isn’t built during a pitch.
It’s built, how you behave when nothing is being sold.

Investors pay close attention to patterns, how you communicate, how you handle uncertainty, and whether your words consistently match your actions.

They don’t expect certainty. They expect judgment.

Being realistic earns more trust than being optimistic. Saying what’s actually happening, especially when it’s uncomfortable, builds far more credibility than waiting to “fix it first.”

Small commitments matter more than big promises.
If you respect timelines, follow up when you say you will, and communicate clearly, investors assume you’ll respect their capital the same way.

Numbers alone don’t build confidence. Context does.
Explaining why things changed shows awareness. Avoiding the conversation signals risk.

What ultimately compounds trust is ownership. Founders who take responsibility, without defensiveness or excuses, earn long-term support, even through volatility.

The strongest investor relationships aren’t transactional.
They’re built on transparency, consistency, and alignment over time.

Capital follows confidence.
Confidence follows trust.

#InvestorRelations #TrustBuilding

Professionalism and humanity start with respect. Every message. Every time.

Monday rant.    Apologies in advance but I have to...

IYKYK, I'm here on LinkedIn alot.   

I follow lots of you, I read your posts, I comment on many.   

I love the power of this platform.   Because sometimes, serendipity happens.  Some of your LinkedIn DM's, Hubble calls or Boardy intros leads to me Investing or actively Advising many of you.   The power of connecting, sending that DM, a Hubble call, and having that conversation, it never ceases to amaze me.  

I connect with all of you who request.   I read all your DM's.   My inbox buried but I try to respond to all.  And the DM's I receive, most all are genuine and respectful.    Thank you.

BUT

Sometimes I get -  Terrible.   Not kind.  Not polite.  And some bordering on things I shouldn't have to deal with in 2026.   Seriously.  Can't even repeat here.  But It's so wrong and hurtful.  

And here's what I've learned after 4 decades in Silicon Valley as an Operator and Investor.  The ones who win long term are the ones who treat everyone with RESPECT before they need something.   
Not selectively.   
Not after. 
Never.  

For my entire life, being KIND has never put me back.  
It has never ever been a handicap.  
I think its one of my strengths.

So here's my ask...

Before you send that cold DM, before you hit  'connect'  ask yourself
Would I say this to someone's face at a dinner table?
Will my Mom or Dad be proud of me? 

If the answer is no, pls. DON'T SEND IT 

To the 90% of you who show up with kindness, curiosity, and good intent 
Thank you so much.   

To the other 10%.   PLEASE DO BETTER.  
Be kind.  Be respectful.  Be human.  It's not that hard.

Thank you.   Okay, Rant over.  
I promise to be my colorful smiley positive self soon.  

p.s. - Turns out I don't have 'gloomy moody not smiling pics' but this one styled by ChatGPT, I think did a good job of showing how I really feel right now...

Reposting this from Hubble because every founder needs this reminder. 👇

The desert is real.
The no’s are loud.
The pivots are humbling.

But:
• Anything is possible.
• You’re not trying to be right...you’re trying to get it right.
• Give before you receive.
• And don’t forget to celebrate the milestones.

Kevin's lessons aren’t just inspirational...they’re practical survival strategy.

To every founder building right now (especially in the quiet, unseen moments), you are not alone. Keep going. 🚀

And congratulations to the graduating founders of Spring 2026, Founder Institute Caribbean!! 🎓🚀

Starting a company is choosing one of the hardest, and most rewarding journeys of your life.

Recently, our cofounder Kevin Jurovich was a keynote speaker at the Founder Institute Caribbean Spring 2026 Graduation Ceremony.

Here are Kevin’s 4 personal lessons to carry any new founder through the hardest days as a founder:

1/ Never, ever let go of the feeling that anything is possible.

“In 2016, I left my job in banking, packed up all my stuff, got in my Ford Explorer Sport, and drove up to San Francisco to chase that dream.”

Once you enter the real world, it won’t be kind.

You'll pitch 10, 50, maybe 100 investors who say no.

Cofounders will decline, and customers will churn.

Those rejections will get to you if you don’t do something about it.

You have to find a source of inspiration to pull you out of the cycle.

For Kevin, it was listening to hours and hours of founder podcasts. 

You have to do the same for yourself.

2/ You’re not trying to be right. You’re trying to get it right.

"Every opportunity is an opportunity to run an experiment and learn.”

It’s inevitable you will face a time called “the desert.”

The period when you’re at a dead end, trying to find the path forward.

Kevin spent five years wandering his own desert.

When you arrive, don't panic.

The product you just pitched might look completely different in a year.

Your GTM will shift. 
Your story will evolve. 
You might pivot entirely.

Don’t resist this time.

This is where you get it right.

3/ Always give before you receive.

"Do the most with what you have, give to the world, and karma has a funny way of working it all out in the end.”

Before Hubble, Kevin started writing on LinkedIn about his journey.

His goal was simple: to help other founders.

One day, he wrote a viral post about Uber's first investor, and caught the attention of Mike Walsh.

After a friendly back-and-forth for months, Mike slid into Kevin's DMs:

"Hey pal, I want in."

He led Hubble's pre-seed round.

Being a founder is not about what you can extract from people.

It's about what value you can create for them first.

The returns come when you stop chasing them.

4/ Don’t forget to celebrate the milestones.

"You are exactly where you need to be. You have exactly the abilities and attributes you need.”

As a founder, you’ve one of the hardest paths a human can walk.

The stakes just keep rising.

Don’t skip the milestones.

Everyone’s on their own timeline.

You are exactly where you need to be.

To every founder reading this:

You're not alone.

The journey will be difficult, but you have everything you need already inside you.

P.S. Congratulations to the graduating founders of Spring 2026:

Andrew Phillips, Brian Branch, Dr. Sophia Morgan, Gerard Llanos, Jasmine Greene, Javanna Haughton, Jonathan Joel Mentor, Laureano Leguizamon, Michael Staniewicz, Mileyska Rodriguez, Navin Seeterram, Rodney Browne, Ryan R. Roper, Samantha Carter, Ph.D., Silvia Guzmán, Darren T., and Angela W.

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