Brianne Garcia

…Is my first big fundraising pitch at 8:00am. Will be pitching to “friends and family”, but it’s more like four intensely smart friends of friends of family. I’m Nervous. Excited. Confident. Terrified. I keep getting up and doing jumping jacks. I’m drinking coffee. I have known about this meeting for a while now, but it always felt like a distant neighbor. Now it’s in front of my face. Now it’s actually happening.

A friend reminded me that it’s not about the document (52 page business plan, deck printout), though important, but about selling me, the founder. He helped me remember that part of a founder’s gift is motivation and influence. He’s right. 

While the numbers and sales projections are important – if not total bullshit at this early stage – I am ultimately selling my passion and the story of where Parceld came from, and where I plan to take it. 

I may walk away with a chunk of my “ask.” I may walk away with all of it. I may walk away with four interested investors who want follow up meetings or one-on-one time. I may walk away with absolutely nothing. I say this now, because it’s easy to, but whatever I walk away with, I will have already reached a first milestone. I will have laid my freaking heart on the line. I will have sacrificed vanity and pride in hopes of taking my business one step forward. Whatever happens, I will not have stepped backwards. In this situation, that is progress.