Lacy Garcia

Seeing this as having applicability across companies the industry. You know, you don't have to go and seek outside investment. We'll talk a lot about kind of side hustles or the self-funded and there's pros and there are cons to all of them.

Seeing this as having applicability across companies the industry. You know, you don't have to go and seek outside investment. We'll talk a lot about kind of side hustles or the self-funded and there's pros and there are cons to all of them.

I mean, if you are someone who's listening to this and you're thinking about this passion project that you want to turn into a full-time job and or you would turn into, you know, something that's supporting your lifestyle and maybe you want to grow it, but you don't want to grow it that big. I mean, there's no reason if you can do it

I mean, if you are someone who's listening to this and you're thinking about this passion project that you want to turn into a full-time job and or you would turn into, you know, something that's supporting your lifestyle and maybe you want to grow it, but you don't want to grow it that big. I mean, there's no reason if you can do it

to seek external investment, to give up sort of your equity or whatever, unless you want to scale it. And because there's outside capital comes with prices, right? It comes with less ownership, less autonomy. There certainly accelerates your ability to grow and scale for sure. So there's certain pros and there's cons. So I think it's not a one size fits all solution.

to seek external investment, to give up sort of your equity or whatever, unless you want to scale it. And because there's outside capital comes with prices, right? It comes with less ownership, less autonomy. There certainly accelerates your ability to grow and scale for sure. So there's certain pros and there's cons. So I think it's not a one size fits all solution.

And depending upon where you are in your personal life, your personal finances,

And depending upon where you are in your personal life, your personal finances,

your goals for this venture whether or not it's something that is going to be a passion project that grows and and it's more of a lifestyle business or if it's something that you're like i really want to change an industry and i want to provide a really scalable solution right you got to think through first what your goals are and then what works for you on i think it's the pillars right it's like what are you trying to achieve from a business perspective

your goals for this venture whether or not it's something that is going to be a passion project that grows and and it's more of a lifestyle business or if it's something that you're like i really want to change an industry and i want to provide a really scalable solution right you got to think through first what your goals are and then what works for you on i think it's the pillars right it's like what are you trying to achieve from a business perspective

What are you willing to kind of give up to get? And then also, realistically, what does that mean for you as a person? If you're not just somebody who all you can do is work 24-7, right? But you have a family. You want some balance. You know, what does it look like? So thinking through all those pieces of the puzzle, because there's pros and there's cons to all of them.

What are you willing to kind of give up to get? And then also, realistically, what does that mean for you as a person? If you're not just somebody who all you can do is work 24-7, right? But you have a family. You want some balance. You know, what does it look like? So thinking through all those pieces of the puzzle, because there's pros and there's cons to all of them.

No, very, very much. And I'd say, because I think that I was raised in the old school entrepreneurship model where you, one of the things that was a success point was being able to raise external capital.

No, very, very much. And I'd say, because I think that I was raised in the old school entrepreneurship model where you, one of the things that was a success point was being able to raise external capital.

So it was, of course, we're going to go and we're going to raise external capital and we're going to, you know, and granted for what we were doing for the technology platform that we built and what we needed it. So it was appropriate and it's been totally worth it. But I look today at companies like Leap Academy and what you're doing. You don't have to raise external capital.

So it was, of course, we're going to go and we're going to raise external capital and we're going to, you know, and granted for what we were doing for the technology platform that we built and what we needed it. So it was appropriate and it's been totally worth it. But I look today at companies like Leap Academy and what you're doing. You don't have to raise external capital.

I mean, I think that every startup, one thing that I wish that I've been more hyper-focused on from day one, and I tell every founder, is forget everything else. If you're starting a company and growing a company, figure out how you're making money. Get paying clients.

I mean, I think that every startup, one thing that I wish that I've been more hyper-focused on from day one, and I tell every founder, is forget everything else. If you're starting a company and growing a company, figure out how you're making money. Get paying clients.

And especially if you're doing something that's mission-driven and there's thought leadership and there's impact and there's all this.

And especially if you're doing something that's mission-driven and there's thought leadership and there's impact and there's all this.