Seed Money

Jayla Siciliano
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Seed Money, this is the podcast for early-stage CPG founders who are looking to raise your first round of funding from angel investors, even with no experience and no connections. If you are at the pre-seed or seed stage and need $100K to $500K to finally go all in on your company, this show is for you. Especially if you feel stuck, under-connected, unsure who to trust, or frustrated by investors who ghost you. Seed Money gives you clarity, confidence, and practical next steps so fundraising stops feeling mysterious and starts feeling doable. Before going on Shark Tank and securing a deal with Mark Cuban, I raised $450K in angel funding as a first-time, pre-revenue, CPG founder. No industry experience. No network. No safety net. All during a recession. If I could do it, I know you can too. The tools and buzzwords may change, but the fundamentals of raising as a first-time founder have not. For the past 15 years, I have helped founders prepare pitch decks, master investor Q&A, structure early deals, and raise capital with intention and confidence. Not by chasing investors, but by becoming fundable and finding partners who actually align with their goals. This podcast is about the fundamentals that matter at the earliest stage. How to think like an investor. How to pitch with calm conviction. How to find the right angels. And how to make smart fundraising decisions that set you up for the long game. So you can stop guessing. Stop chasing VCs who are not a fit. Stop getting ghosted by that "perfect" investor. And start doing what it takes to attract the right investors and get the funding you need to make your dream a reality. Get Jayla's TOP founder resources here: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/seed-money/

  1. 1 HR AGO

    85 | Pitch Deck Tear Down, Part 2 Featuring VC Brian Bell and Founder Shane Pope

    In this episode, Part II of the three part Pitch Deck Tear Down Series, Venture Capitalist Brian Bell from Ignite Ventures, sits down with first-time founder Shane Pope for a candid, real-time review of his startup. You'll hear exactly how a venture investor thinks through an early-stage opportunity, where founders often overestimate how ready they are to raise, and what signals make a startup more compelling before major traction shows up. This conversation gets into the details investors care about most: the size and clarity of the problem, why now, how the company will grow, and whether the founder can convincingly own this market. If you're trying to understand the difference between pitching an angel investor and pitching a VC, this series gives you a front-row seat. Each episode reveals a different lens on what investors want and what founders need to tighten before fundraising. Catch the whole series: Part 1: Pitch Deck Tear Down, Featuring Founder Shane Pope: Shane and Jayla talk different paths of funding Part 2: Pitch Deck Tear Down, Featuring VC Brian Bell  from Ignite Ventures and Founder Shane Pope (get the inside scoop on what VC's say and think about during a pitch) Part 3: Pitch Deck Tear Down, Featuring Tech Angel Jason Butcher and Founder Shane Pope (get the inside scoop on how an Angel reacts to Shane's pitch compared to a VC) The Follow Up: Where did Shane Land? (hear what path Shane decided to take) Guest Bio: Brian Bell, Founder and Managing Partner at Ignite Ventures, and host of the Ignite Podcast. Shane Pope is the Founder and CEO of Reflect Technologies, a new mental wellness app that uses AI to ask you questions.  About Your Host Connect with Jayla on LinkedIn here. Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too. Links:  Website: https://seedmoneypodcast.com/ Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

    54 min

  2. 6 DAYS AGO

    84 | Pitch Deck Tear Down, Part 1 Featuring Founder Shane Pope

    In this kickoff episode of a 3-part Pitch Deck Tear Down series, host Jayla Siciliano coaches first-time founder Shane Pope through the question that keeps early-stage entrepreneurs up at night: Do you chase angels/VCs/accelerators—or keep bootstrapping and stay in control? Jayla and Shane walk through his pitch deck (watch here on YouTube) as Shane preps for pitching live in the next episodes to VC Brian Bell from Ignite Ventures and Angel Investor Jason Butcher. Shane shares what he's building with Remy (an AI-powered mental wellness tool designed to ask better questions, not spit out more answers), why fundraising can become its own distracting "second business," and how to think about capital as fuel without letting it hijack the mission. And, stay tuned for the next episode where VC Brian Bell tears down Shane's pitch deck. Catch the whole series: Part 1: Pitch Deck Tear Down, Featuring Founder Shane Pope: Shane and Jayla talk different paths of funding Part 2: Pitch Deck Tear Down, Featuring VC Brian Bell  from Ignite Ventures and Founder Shane Pope (get the inside scoop on what VC's say and think about during a pitch) Part 3: Pitch Deck Tear Down, Featuring Tech Angel Jason Butcher and Founder Shane Pope (get the inside scoop on how an Angel reacts to Shane's pitch compared to a VC) The Follow Up: Where did Shane Land? (hear what path Shane decided to take)   Guest Bio: Shane Pope is the Founder and CEO of Reflect Technologies, a new mental wellness app that uses AI to ask you questions.  Download Shane's App Remy (mentioned in the episode): meet-remi.com Connect with Shane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-pope-72b972a5/ Send feedback inside the app: Use the in-app message icon About Your Host Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too.   Links:  Website: https://seedmoneypodcast.com/ Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

    1hr 2min

  3. 31 MAR

    83 | Why Most Beverage Brands Fail Before Year 3 w/Sam Anderson

    What really kills most early-stage consumer brands isn't a bad idea. It's underestimating how much cash, traction, and market proof it actually takes to survive. In this episode of Seed Money, Jayla sits down with beverage industry veteran Sam Anderson, co-founder of BevAssets and Frontline Beverages, to unpack the hard truths most first-time founders do not hear early enough.  If you are building a beverage, CPG, or physical product brand, this episode can help you avoid the expensive mistakes that wipe out most founders in the first one to three years (95% don't make it past year 3!). Sam shares what actually works instead—starting in your backyard, building proof of concept one account at a time, creating velocity before expanding, and understanding the real economics behind shelf price, margins, and reorders. Why should you care now? Because in today's market, cash is tighter, distributors are more selective, retailers expect movement fast, and founders can no longer afford to confuse visibility with traction. This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs who want to grow smarter, raise capital more credibly, and build a brand that has a real shot at lasting. In this episode, you'll learn: Why most first-time founders underestimate the true cost of launching a beverage brand How to build proof of concept before expanding into new markets The danger of expanding too fast with limited capital Why founders need industry-specific advisors before raising serious money What sustainable success can look like even without a massive exit   Guest Bio: Sam Anderson Sam is a beverage industry professional focused on building brands and driving growth. After working with brands like E&J Gallo, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Brown-Forman, Kellogg's, and Breakthru Beverage Group, Sam brings  a passion for strategy, sales, and market expansion to help emerging brands navigate go-to-market planning, distribution partnerships, and customer engagement. His goal is to turn great beverage concepts into scalable, successful businesses through practical execution and strong industry relationships. Connect with Sam here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-anderson-74a582/ About Your Host Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

    52 min

  4. 24 MAR

    82 | What Investors Really Think About During Your Pitch w/Diana Wilson

    If you're getting ready to raise—or already in the middle of it and not getting the responses you hoped for—this episode will change how you think about pitching. Jayla sits down with Diana Wilson, a seasoned executive who has raised over $100M and taken Deckers, the now-billion-dollar lifestyle brand, public. Diana unpacks one of the biggest reasons first-time founders fail to get funded: they're busy selling the beauty of their business, but never answering the one question every investor is silently asking—what's in it for me? In this episode, you'll learn: The financial mistakes that instantly weaken a pitch Why "hockey stick" projections can destroy credibility Diana's founder pet peeves—and why they might be costing you the deal How to use milestones and funding tranches to tell a more believable story The soft skills that make investors trust you How to follow up in a way that builds long-term relationships If you are building your first company and trying to raise money, this conversation will help you pitch smarter, avoid the mistakes that turn investors off, and understand what actually gets people to lean in. Listen to the end when Jayla brings on a special guest who practicies live in front of Diana. Don't have time to take notes? You can download Diana's Three Pillar Framework HERE for free. Guest Bio: Diana Wilson is a committed and success-driven leader who is passionate about helping companies and individuals turn uncertainty and change into opportunity and growth. With more than 30 years of experience across strategy, finance, and operations, she has raised over $100 million, led companies through high-stakes growth, including taking Deckers public, and built high-achieving teams that perform under pressure. Today, she advises leaders and early-stage founders through pivotal moments of growth and change. Connect with Diana on Linkedin and follow her substack Wit & Wisdom here. https://substack.com/@dianamwilson About Your Host Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too. Join the fund raising conversation with Jayla on LinkedIn. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

    1hr 2min

  5. 13 MAR

    81 | Investors Don't Think You're Credible—Here's the Proof You're Missing

    It's 11pm and you're tweaking your deck for the gazillionth time. You know your background. You know your level of commitment. You know exactly how much you've sacrificed to get here. But how are investors supposed to know that? If investors don't think you're credible, they won't take you seriously. And here's what no one's telling you—it's probably not your idea, your market size, or your projections that's holding you back. Investors are looking at your deck and quietly asking one question: "Is this founder for real?" And your deck isn't answering it. In this episode, Jayla reveals the exact credibility marker that was missing from all three pitch decks she reviewed last week—from founders who had personally invested anywhere from $300K to nearly a million dollars of their own money. These were serious, committed, deeply invested founders. And none of them had it in their deck. Investors at this stage aren't funding ideas. They're funding you—your conviction, your sacrifice, the proof that you've already got skin in the game. This episode could be the difference between another polite pass and someone saying "yeah, let's meet." Listen to the full episode now—and if it hits home, please leave a review. It helps more first-time founders find this show when they need it most. And if you know someone who keeps tweaking their deck and still isn't getting responses, send this their way. They need to hear this. 🎯 Know If You're Investor Ready Raising capital for a CPG brand can feel like a black box. The Investor Ready Checklist shows you exactly what investors are looking for, the signals they use to judge founders, and whether your brand is truly ready to raise. Use this simple checklist to remove the guesswork and approach investors with confidence. 👉 See If You're Investor Ready About Your Host Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too.   Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

    15 min

  6. 10 MAR

    80 | Your 5-Minute Investor Pitch Litmus Test w/Ali Dastjerdi

    Most founders think fundraising is persuasion. It's not—it's alignment. In this episode, Ali Dastjerdi (Co-Founder of Raylu) shares the mental models he learned from speaking with 5,000+ founders, raising seed and Series A, and surviving multiple near-death pivots. You'll learn how to diagnose investor fit in minutes, engineer momentum with strategic angels, and recognize product-market fit when customers try to rip the product out of your hands. Click below to listen and apply these frameworks to your next raise. Listen Now & Qualify Smarter Guest Bio: Ali Dastjerdi is the Co-Founder and CEO of Raylu, an AI platform built for private market investors. Raylu helps funds separate signal from noise, evaluate opportunities faster, and make higher-confidence investment decisions with complete transparency. Before founding Raylu, Ali worked on the investment team at Insight Partners, where he focused on developer infrastructure, data, and enterprise software. His experience investing in companies such as Weights & Biases, Landing AI, and DNSFilter inspired him to bridge the gap between technology and investing. Based in New York, Ali leads Raylu with the belief that the future of private markets belongs to investors who combine judgment with intelligence and who move not just fast but smart.   Connect with Ali Dastjerdi: LinkedIn Relu Careers Relu - AI Platform for Investor-Startup Matching    About Your Host   Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too.   Know If You're Investor Ready Raising capital for a CPG brand can feel like a black box. The Investor Ready Checklist shows you exactly what investors are looking for, the signals they use to judge founders, and whether your brand is truly ready to raise. Use this simple checklist to remove the guesswork and approach investors with confidence. Click below to get your copy now. See If You're Investor Ready https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/free-checklist     Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

    42 min

  7. 5 MAR

    79 | Find Vetted Partnerships Faster w/Kyle Kane

    If you're a first-time founder, you're probably feeling it: Cold outreach gets ignored. Paid ads are expensive and unpredictable. And in an increasingly "fake" online world, trust is harder (and slower) to earn. The result? You burn weeks in meetings, chase intros that never materialize, and pour energy into "partnerships" that look good on paper… then ghost at the finish line. In this episode, Jayla sits down with Kyle Kane (former Universal Music VP of A&R, TEDx speaker, executive producer, award-winning entrepreneur), now founder of Onspark.com, to break down why partnerships are the #1 growth driver for modern businesses—and how early-stage founders can stop guessing and start building partnerships that actually produce revenue. Kyle shares lessons from building over $2B in partnership value working with major brands and artists, then explains how he's turning that playbook into OnSpark, an AI-powered partnership engine designed to help founders, creators, and investors find vetted, aligned, high-intent partners. What You'll Learn: The real reason most partnerships fail: misalignment + unclear value exchange How Kyle reverse-engineered partnership success into a simple lifecycle: Discover → Verify → Launch → Amplify The two hidden deal-killers that often show up right before the finish line: Low self-worth ("What do I even have to offer?") Lack of trust (ghosting, last-minute fear, sabotage) How to define a "successful partnership" based on your stage (audience, distribution, clients, investors, etc.) The founder investor strategy most people get wrong: Stop treating investor meetings like interviews—you're interviewing them Ask the questions that reveal if they can actually cut a check The value of being (not just looking) buttoned up when talking to investors The growth principle trends Kyle sees successful entrepreneurs have: Distribution before product Leverage over effort "Build environments where luck becomes inevitable" Being focused is the #1 force of nature for any entrepreneur Kyle's take on AI: essential, but dangerous if it replaces your thinking  Visit OnSpark Today– AI-powered partnership engine Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn  Dan Martell + Book Buy Back Your Time About your Host: About Your Host Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too.   Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

    44 min

  8. 24 FEB

    78 | Why Investors Grill You (and How to Handle It)

    If you're tired of getting silence after your investor pitch, this episode is your wake-up call. We're breaking down the real reason you're getting ghosted—and it's not your idea. It's how you handle the investor Q&A. Learn how to show up composed, confident, and ready to answer any investor question. Find out how to stop rambling under pressure, and get the exact system Jayla used to raise her first round as a pre-revenue cpg startup and later land a Shark Tank deal. Need help with Q&A? I created a tool for you (what I wish I had) to help you get fully prepared and crush that next investor meeting by having the answers investors are looking for.  https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/deck-of-investor-ready-flashcards97 Topics Covered in this episode: Why investor silence usually has nothing to do with your idea The four make-or-break questions every founder must be ready to answer How to talk about your numbers—even if you're early stage Crafting a compelling "Why Now" narrative What to say when asked: "What stops someone from copying this?" How to address red flags before investors bring them up The mental trap of desperation and how to avoid it Practicing under pressure: the exact method Jayla used to land $450K and a Shark Tank deal Why the Q&A is more important than your pitch deck How physical flashcards can train your brain to stay calm and confident   About Your Host Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too.   Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

    21 min
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About

Welcome to Seed Money, this is the podcast for early-stage CPG founders who are looking to raise your first round of funding from angel investors, even with no experience and no connections. If you are at the pre-seed or seed stage and need $100K to $500K to finally go all in on your company, this show is for you. Especially if you feel stuck, under-connected, unsure who to trust, or frustrated by investors who ghost you. Seed Money gives you clarity, confidence, and practical next steps so fundraising stops feeling mysterious and starts feeling doable. Before going on Shark Tank and securing a deal with Mark Cuban, I raised $450K in angel funding as a first-time, pre-revenue, CPG founder. No industry experience. No network. No safety net. All during a recession. If I could do it, I know you can too. The tools and buzzwords may change, but the fundamentals of raising as a first-time founder have not. For the past 15 years, I have helped founders prepare pitch decks, master investor Q&A, structure early deals, and raise capital with intention and confidence. Not by chasing investors, but by becoming fundable and finding partners who actually align with their goals. This podcast is about the fundamentals that matter at the earliest stage. How to think like an investor. How to pitch with calm conviction. How to find the right angels. And how to make smart fundraising decisions that set you up for the long game. So you can stop guessing. Stop chasing VCs who are not a fit. Stop getting ghosted by that "perfect" investor. And start doing what it takes to attract the right investors and get the funding you need to make your dream a reality. Get Jayla's TOP founder resources here: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/seed-money/

Information

  • Creator
    Jayla Siciliano
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Seed Money

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