Waverly Deutsch

To be able to leave a career in which I was experiencing some success and make a huge change where I had to go back to the beginning again, not something that was supported by my graduate school friends, the people who knew me as an academic and as a thought leader in a particular field. And I think that

To be able to leave a career in which I was experiencing some success and make a huge change where I had to go back to the beginning again, not something that was supported by my graduate school friends, the people who knew me as an academic and as a thought leader in a particular field. And I think that

Having to lose a community and having to rebuild the community gave me a sense of not a complete inoculation to what other people think about what I'm doing, but much less strength in that particular pressure on me and my life.

Having to lose a community and having to rebuild the community gave me a sense of not a complete inoculation to what other people think about what I'm doing, but much less strength in that particular pressure on me and my life.

Often, I think that the best pitches talk a little bit about momentum and traction and a little bit about the Reason for the existence of the business. As a wise heart advisor, I am an operating partner with OCA Ventures, a venture capitalist in Chicago. I'm an advisor to Pace Healthcare Ventures, a venture capitalist in Chicago.

Often, I think that the best pitches talk a little bit about momentum and traction and a little bit about the Reason for the existence of the business. As a wise heart advisor, I am an operating partner with OCA Ventures, a venture capitalist in Chicago. I'm an advisor to Pace Healthcare Ventures, a venture capitalist in Chicago.

I'm working with anywhere from half a dozen to a dozen entrepreneurs actively in everything from building their business strategies and processes to raising money That's what I'm doing with Wiseheart. Wiseheart was started not because I wanted to build a scalable company and sell it for $100 million. Wiseheart was started because I was retiring.

I'm working with anywhere from half a dozen to a dozen entrepreneurs actively in everything from building their business strategies and processes to raising money That's what I'm doing with Wiseheart. Wiseheart was started not because I wanted to build a scalable company and sell it for $100 million. Wiseheart was started because I was retiring.

And what that means to me, what retirement means to me is that you no longer have to work in order to cover your basic necessities, to keep your benefits, to have a steady paycheck, but the work you do because you want to do it. And some of that work might be remunerated, paid for, and some of that work might be volunteer, and some of it might be purely recreational.

And what that means to me, what retirement means to me is that you no longer have to work in order to cover your basic necessities, to keep your benefits, to have a steady paycheck, but the work you do because you want to do it. And some of that work might be remunerated, paid for, and some of that work might be volunteer, and some of it might be purely recreational.

And your job in retirement is to figure out the balance that you're looking for across those three dimensions. So that's my definition of retirement. I knew I was going to continue to support entrepreneurs. I knew I was going to continue to work with venture capitalists. I'm passionate about that work. I love it. Highly personally rewarding.

And your job in retirement is to figure out the balance that you're looking for across those three dimensions. So that's my definition of retirement. I knew I was going to continue to support entrepreneurs. I knew I was going to continue to work with venture capitalists. I'm passionate about that work. I love it. Highly personally rewarding.

And though I feel like I may be working more hours than I worked as a professor at Booth, particularly when I was focused on the EMBA program where the work came in spurts, right? You know, as you know, their classes are very intensive for short periods of time. and I'm making a tiny fraction of what I was making as a fully employed professor, I'm having more fun than I've ever had.

And though I feel like I may be working more hours than I worked as a professor at Booth, particularly when I was focused on the EMBA program where the work came in spurts, right? You know, as you know, their classes are very intensive for short periods of time. and I'm making a tiny fraction of what I was making as a fully employed professor, I'm having more fun than I've ever had.

So Wiseheart was a place to put all of that work, an LLC for tax purposes where I could get paid. It was never intended to be a business that makes me millions of dollars. Why Wiseheart? Because I love working with entrepreneurs. I love working with innovators. I love working with investors. Who is my target customer?

So Wiseheart was a place to put all of that work, an LLC for tax purposes where I could get paid. It was never intended to be a business that makes me millions of dollars. Why Wiseheart? Because I love working with entrepreneurs. I love working with innovators. I love working with investors. Who is my target customer?

My target customer is entrepreneurs who have a really great business who are struggling to bring it to market. That means that I might have a session with you and turn you down as a client because I don't think that either the business or you or the market is compelling. And as an independent consultant, I have the ability to do that, to say no to customers. And I have done that.

My target customer is entrepreneurs who have a really great business who are struggling to bring it to market. That means that I might have a session with you and turn you down as a client because I don't think that either the business or you or the market is compelling. And as an independent consultant, I have the ability to do that, to say no to customers. And I have done that.

I said, this is not a business that I think I can add value to because I don't believe in it. Wiseheart is for early stage companies. and investors who invest in early stage companies. Not interested in taking on corporate innovation clients, not interested in helping a very large growth company get their series D. That is not my skillset. That is not my passion.

I said, this is not a business that I think I can add value to because I don't believe in it. Wiseheart is for early stage companies. and investors who invest in early stage companies. Not interested in taking on corporate innovation clients, not interested in helping a very large growth company get their series D. That is not my skillset. That is not my passion.