Founder & Partner @ Kanvas | Foster Innovation, Develop Business Strategy, Drive Growth

Katie Nowak

Getting ghosted by partners and investors?? 🤯 
Here’s how to upgrade your outreach -

…but first, some context.

We’ve been working with several first-time business owners.

Each has an amazing product, impressive early traction with customers, but couldn't seem to convert as many investor/partner leads as they’d hoped.

After auditing their pitch deck, financial model, and every other data room item we could think of, I finally made a new request….

…I asked to see their emails! (gasp)

And voila, the problem was identified.

It was the emails!!! The whole time!! 

After 1 week of helping these business owners re-write their emails/LinkedIn requests/Instagram messages, they got immediate responses from potential investors and partners.

Here's the outreach framework we used -

✨ Anchor in their world.

When you’re writing outreach, remember... there’s a real person on the other side!

That person has their own goals, motivations, and context.

So start your message with something specific to them.

It could be a recent win, a piece of content they shared, a portfolio move, or a shared context (event, intro, community).

✨  Make one clear, business-specific ask.

We forbid things like “just reaching out” and “let's connect."

Instead, spell out the concrete outcome you want them to consider.

Complete this sentence to find your target ask:

“If this outreach works, the next concrete business step is ______.”

Then ask for that outcome in one crisp sentence.

✨ Share a credibility snapshot.

This is my favorite secret.

For email - show you’re the real deal with a few concise bullets around your users, revenue, notable customers, or outcomes. Tailor these based on who you're reaching out to.

For LinkedIn - weave one key metric you’re proud of into a connection request. (Let’s be honest, almost no one is reading full InMails.)

You’re not sending the deck in paragraph form…

...you’re simply proving that a reply is worth their time.

✨  Set expectations for a follow-up.

I love offering to follow up at a later date so I don’t feel like I’m hounding anyone.

Plus, it’s a built-in chance to demonstrate follow-through.

Just make sure it doesn’t sound stiff... keep it human and specific (“I’ll bump this in a couple weeks once X is live - we'd love to give you a demo.”).

-

Ta-da! With this framework, your outreach is ready to go.

If you’re looking for a full example email, check out the comments. I drafted a fictional one for you. 😉

What secret tricks do you have for outreach?

If you’re feeling generous, share one in the comments - I'd love to learn from you, too.

See you there 😎

—
I'm Katie Nowak, an investor, innovation leader, and new venture designer sharing examples & lessons weekly. Follow me + hit 🔔 to stay tuned.

Innovation Leader, New Venture Designer, Speaker @ Kanvas || Investor @ Altra Venture Partners

"Entrepreneurship is the most honest mirror you’ll ever look into." 🤯 
Here are 3 places that mirror shows up most clearly -

✨ Your numbers.

Terrified of opening your financial forecast?
...maybe money has always felt stressful and confusing.

Discounting heavily with clients?
…maybe you’re questioning the value you bring to the table.

Numbers don’t just describe your business; they often show where decisions are coming from (fear, habit, or conviction).

Something you can do this week -
+ Notice one place your spending/pricing feels misaligned.
+ Ask - what belief might be driving this decision? 
+ What is one step you could take to challenge that belief?

✨ Your business relationships.

Saying yes to projects you've outgrown?
...maybe you're in scarcity mindset.

Not delegating because it feels easier to do yourself?
...maybe, once upon a time, you had to shoulder a lot of life solo.

These decisions are signals about what safety, value, and control look like to you today… and they directly shape the deals you make and the culture you build.

Something you can do this week -
+ Think of one recent interaction that didn’t feel great.
+ Ask yourself “What might the braver, more grounded version of me done?”
+ Write down one small way you can move closer to that next time.

✨ Your self-care.

Resting only when you're exhasuted?
...maybe you secretly think rest = laziness.

Stressed about investing in coaching or learning?
...maybe you think the money is best spent elsewhere.

When you start seeing your nervous system as a core business asset (not a side project!) it's easier to set a growth pace that is sustainable for all.

That shift alone can change the trajectory of both you and the company.

Something you can do this week - 
+ Scan your calendar.
+ Block one hour for a nap, run, or to rewatch Bad Bunny’s halftime show 5 times. (Just making sure you’re still with me!)

-

If this hits home, pick one of these three areas this week - numbers, relationships, or self-care - and ask:

“What is my business mirroring back to me right now?”

Then, decide one small behavior you’re willing to upgrade.

If you’re brave, share in the comments for accountability. :)

—
I'm Katie Nowak, an investor, innovation leader, and new venture designer sharing examples & lessons weekly. Follow me + hit 🔔 to stay tuned.

Persona Media

We believe in the power of thought leadership to drive your influence, build trust, and serve at scale.  Our clients have included leaders at SANS Institute, Center for Internet Security, World Economic Forum, AWS, Upwork, Salesforce, Gateway Church, Asset Funders Network, Phillips Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, along with startups, founders, speakers, consultants across the U.S.  

Our current clients include global leaders and organizations in national security, AI, cybersecurity.  

Each engagement is carefully assessed for fit, and accepted if we can provide meaningful value to you and your audience. A tailored team and work plan is built around you and your influence objectives.

CEO; Thought Leadership Strategist

I speak on the why and how of modern thought leadership. I’ve spoken at CMO Huddles, National Cybersecurity Alliance’s Convene Conference, various ERGs, network events, meetings and on panels, virtually and in person. If your audience needs to represent your brand, I can show them how.

Guest Speaker

Today's leaders share their own thought leadership journey. And I teach the tactics of personal writing, speaking, monetization, B2B revenue, and how to serve at scale. Shape the future of your field.

Host | How To: Thought Leadership podcast

SecurityBiaS

Advisor

Level Up Ventures

Mentor

DIY Influence

You’re a leader. Now it’s time to become a thought leader. So we built a learning network! Learn to market yourself and monetize your subject matter expertise in a supportive community. It’s time to bet on yourself.

Founder

SecureTheVillage

Head of Thought Leadership

The Webby Awards

Jury Member

Chief

Member

Citizens Committee for New York City

Chief Marketing Officer

Communities Foundation of Texas

Assistant to the Chief Philanthropy Officer

UC San Diego

Corporate Communications

Thought Leadership Strategist | AI, Cybersecurity, National Security | 15-year founder | Social media obsessed | Build your influence to serve at scale.

If you’re reading this, you have influence. Everyone does. It’s just a matter of how adept you are at welding it to get what you need done. Stick around to learn from a thought leadership strategist for startups, executives, and orgs in AI, cybersecurity, national security. 

I’ve seen thought leadership win when marketing impact is dull in an AI-powered world and the customer journey is fragmented and self-driven. 

I’m obsessed with how ideas spread, how people earn trust, and how our brightest minds can serve at scale. 

Equally obsessed with sharing these ideas that I learn in client work and studying the leadership field with all interested in expanding their influence. 

In my work, I advise and create thought leadership toward revenue and influence, and to help clients create a more secure tomorrow. 

At my firm, Persona Media, now 15 years in, my team and I develop and execute visibility strategies, from idea and interview to live thought leadership content. We embed within executive and stakeholder ecosystems, partnering with your organization's comms, product, and policy teams to align with strategy behind what’s being built and align thought leadership to bring about those revenue and influence objectives. 

Every message we craft is grounded in trust, discretion, and a deep respect for the complexity and consequence of their work. A handful of examples of our work: 

Our client engagements often begin with board members in quiet conversations asking our help to make their C-suite comfortable and confident (palatable!) on camera. 

We work alongside crisis comms to adapt statements into something palatable the humans and social platforms. 

We take keynotes from our clients and turn them into TikToks, blogs, articles in major publications that your PR team can work with. 

Our thought leadership content becomes the best performing marketing content on your brand channels.

I am based in Dallas with my brilliant communications strategist and YouTuber husband and two daughters. Here, there’s always a notebook open, books consumed, nerding out over 'the future of,' sci-fi, and tech, cooking avoidance, and the outdoors. 

I teach weekly, speak often, and host the How to Thought Leadership podcast. My first book, coming in 2026, is a reinvention field guide to align on what you want, what the market wants from you, and how to MVP that brand in AI-first world.

Julie Michelle Morris

If you told me a few weeks ago I’d be cancelling Otter, my favorite AI tool? But a tool with more utility won me over shockingly fast. 

I won’t try OpenClaw despite its helpfulness for managing communication. My learning time is maxed out, and for client communication, there is no room for me-built experiments. 

Lindy has filled a major tool gap: 
Calendar, email, and schedule management 

How I’m using it -  

- Find something on my calendar. Add new events. Find options for recurring meetings. Send meeting invites. Find windows of project time. 

- Monitor my email for client questions, text me to alert, with links back to that email. Draft replies, or at my request, sends email once approved. 

- Records meetings better than Otter - Incredibly actionable and accurate meeting tasks, takeaways 

- Sends me a daily calendar, top cyber and AI security news brief, alerts for news naming my folks. Easily customizable.

But this is the BEST part: 
All that can be done via iMessage (text!)

I’m younger Gen X that absolutely uses text message, phone Slack etc. 

It’s only a few bucks more a month than Otter. 

The cost of change here: Minimal impact. 

Claude Code was able to export my old Otter transcripts so I’m not losing that valuable reference info. It will organize those transcripts in folders by client and done. And be able to refer to them easily. 

Really pleased a few weeks in. 

If you are here for the micro business, we’d love to see that on your roadmap. 

Not an affiliate, just blown away that this kind of functionality is HERE!

Head of Thought Leadership. AI, Cyber, National Security

graphical user interface, text, application, chat or text message

My whole career has been dedicated to dragging the genius out of techy brains and forcing them to put it out there. 

I just sent this message to someone in Slack who built a super cool Valentine's game for his love:

"You should put this explanation and screenshots on LinkedIn as a post. 

Sharing your work will change your life, like ... 
ten push ups a day would. 

Slowly but surely.

You figure out who you are as you do, too.

Here's your filter for should you share this:

- Would it make someone think, hey this guy built something cool!
- Would it serve or inspire someone?
- Is it show, not just tell?

Then you ship the post at 70% good.

And get back to your day.

Do it once a week till u retire."

Find ONE Slack message you sent last week and add it as a post. Real life / work lessons that meet those filters. 

BAM! 

Keep your head up, optimism high, and your AI learning ON!

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The Battle

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Julie Michelle Morris

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