Seed Money

Jayla Siciliano
  • 5.0 (62)
  • 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. Join my FREE Live monthly Office Hours Q&A call to get your burning questions answered. https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours

  1. 3d ago

    97 | Fund the Next Milestone, Not the Billion-Dollar Dream

    In this episode, Jayla explains why waiting until January to set annual goals can sabotage fundraising plans, and why fall is a better time to map out milestones, funding needs, and investor strategy. And she's sharing practical fundraising advice from her recent Seed Money office hours sessions. If you're raising money in the next 6 to 12 months, this episode is about setting the right goals before the year gets away from you. Key topics Jayla argues that January is the worst time to set goals because founders are tired, distracted, and coming off the holidays. Fall is framed as the best planning season for founders who want to raise money in the next 6 to 12 months. She emphasizes funding the next milestone, not the "big crazy dream," when building a fundraising plan. The real fundraising question is: what will make the company more valuable next, and how much money is needed to get there? She explains why a company may need stepping-stone capital, such as friends and family money, before becoming ready for larger investors. Jayla warns that if the story is just "I need $2 million to build a billion-dollar company," it will not sound logical or well thought out to investors. She says pitch deck design matters less than the underlying funding strategy and investor fit. Personal goals matter as much as business goals because ignoring health, exercise, travel, and rest can lead to burnout. Jayla reflects on her own experience of building for growth without aligning it to the life she actually wanted. She encourages founders to define business milestones, personal goals, and funding strategy together. Timestamps (00:00) Why January is the worst time to set goals (01:00) Why fall is the best season for planning and fundraising (02:26) How endurance sports changed Jayla's view of conditioning and grind (03:23) Why constant sitting and nonstop work hurt founders long term (04:23) Fund your next milestone, not the giant dream (06:17) What investors really want: increasing company value over time (07:38) When friends and family funding makes sense before VC (08:37) Why your fundraising story has to match your stage (09:31) Why pitch deck tweaks will not fix a weak strategy (10:00) Jayla's personal cost of building without alignment (11:24) Why growth is not worth it if it kills the life you want (12:21) The danger of chasing a billion-dollar exit because it looks normal (13:33) How to align goals before deciding your funding plan (14:57) Office hours and how to bring funding challenges for strategy help Have questions specific to your situation? Join Jayla's FREE monthly Seed Money Office Hours call to ask your real funding questions and get more clarity on funding strategy, investor materials, pitching, finding investors, and how to close. Save your spot: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours   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.

  2. Sep 2

    96 | Stop Pitching, Start a Relationship: Ethan Mayers on What Investors Really Want

    In this episode Jayla Siciliano sits down with Ethan Mayers, also known as "The Pitch Destroyer," to unpack what investors actually want, how founders should approach fundraising, and why relationship-building matters more than "the ask". Ethan shares hard-won perspective from years of helping founders sharpen their pitch, build stronger investor relationships, and understand the real purpose of a pitch deck: not to close a deal, but to start a conversation. He explains why investors are often looking for reasons to say no, how founders can better prepare for tough questions, and why the strongest pitch decks create curiosity, not just information. The conversation also digs into how founders should think about funding strategy, especially in categories like CPG where venture capital is often not the best fit. Ethan makes the case for defining success on your own terms, choosing the right type of capital for your business model, and considering alternative funding paths like angels, strategics, corporate venture, revenue-based options, and more. In this episode, you'll learn: Why investors are usually trying to de-risk, not "fall in love" with a deal How to treat a pitch deck as the beginning of a relationship Why fundraising should not replace building the business How to identify the right type of capital for your company Why CPG founders should think beyond VC How to define success in a way that fits your goals, not someone else's What makes a founder feel investable in today's market Key takeaways: Investors want inevitability, not perfection Relationship-building starts long before you ask for money The best founders know when to say "I don't know" Not every business is meant to chase venture-scale growth A durable, profitable business can be a stronger outcome than a unicorn exit About Ethan M. Ethan M. is a venture partner, mentor, and the force behind Post Unicorn Capital, where he tracks capital innovation trends and advocates for broader definitions of entrepreneurial success. He works with founders around the world to help them build stronger companies and navigate the evolving fundraising landscape. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanmayers/ Need help?  Join Jayla's FREE monthly Seed Money Office Hours call to ask your real funding questions and get more clarity on funding strategy, investor materials, pitching, finding investors, and how to close. Save your spot: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours 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.

  3. Jul 23

    95 | Build Your Angel Investor List Before Fall & Stop Wasting Time On The Wrong Investors

    Finding investors can feel like the most intimidating part of raising your first round, especially if you were not born into a wealthy, well-connected network. But the answer is not to pitch everyone with "angel investor" in their LinkedIn bio or assume anyone with money could write you a check. That spray-and-pray approach wastes valuable time, leads to more rejection, and leaves many founders exhausted before they reach the investors who might actually be a fit. In this episode, I break down how to build a focused angel investor strategy so you can stop chasing random leads and start developing relationships with people who have a real reason to care about what you are building. Summer is the perfect time to do this work. Investor responses may be slower, but that gives you an opportunity to research, prepare, and create warm paths to the right people before fundraising activity picks up again in the fall. Have questions specific to your situation? Join Jayla's FREE monthly Seed Money Office Hours call to ask your real funding questions and get more clarity on funding strategy, investor materials, pitching, finding investors, and how to close. Save your spot: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours 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.

  4. Jul 10

    94 | 10 Must-Dos Before Asking for Investor Introductions

    Warm introductions can open doors, but only if you use them the right way. Too many early-stage founders ask for investor intros before they know whether that investor is actually a fit, which can lead to awkward asks, weak pitches, and getting ghosted. In this episode, Jayla breaks down the research you need to do before asking for an introduction to an angel investor, so you can protect your relationships, show up prepared, and increase the chances that the intro actually leads somewhere. You'll learn: Why warm introductions are valuable social capital, and why you should not waste them Why paying for investor introductions is usually a red flag How to figure out whether an angel investor actually invests at your stage What to look for in their industry, business model, and check-size preferences Why you need to research their existing investments and potential competitors How to identify the strongest introduction path, not just the most obvious one What to say when asking for the intro so the person making it feels confident saying yes Before you ask someone to open up their network, make sure you've done the work. A thoughtful, well-researched ask will always be more effective than a random "Can you introduce me?" message. Have questions specific to your situation? Join Jayla's FREE monthly Seed Money Office Hours call to ask your real funding questions and get more clarity on funding strategy, investor materials, pitching, finding investors, and how to close. Save your spot: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours 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.

  5. Jun 9

    93 | 5 Things to Do This Summer So Investors Take You Seriously This Fall

    If your fundraising momentum stalled this winter or spring, summer is not the time to disappear. It is the time to fix the gaps before investors start paying attention again in the fall. In this episode, Jayla shares a simple 5-part summer reset plan to help early-stage founders turn customer conversations, traction, numbers, and investor research into a stronger, more fundable opportunity. You'll learn: Why summer can be the best time to regroup before your next fundraising push How to turn customer conversations into real investor-ready evidence What traction investors actually want to see in your pitch How to connect your use of funds to milestones, not just expenses Why random investor outreach does not work, and what to do instead How to practice your pitch before you are in front of real investors Have questions specific to your situation? Join Jayla's FREE monthly Seed Money Office Hours call to ask your real funding questions and get more clarity on funding strategy, investor materials, pitching, finding investors, and how to close. Save your spot: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours 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.

  6. Jun 2

    92 | Announcing Office Hours- Join us monthly

    Summer is slow for investors. Don't waste it. Fall fundraising starts now. Use the summer to tighten your deck, build your investor list, fix the gaps, and get clear on your funding strategy—so when investors are ready to talk, you're ready too. Listen for what to do this summer to be ready for fall.  To help you get dialed in this summer: Join Jayla's FREE monthly Seed Money Office Hours call to ask your real funding questions and get more clarity on funding strategy, investor materials, pitching, finding investors, and how to close. Save your spot: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours In this episode: Why summer is tough for fundraising What to work on while investors are harder to reach How to get your company more fundable by fall Why your investor list needs a real strategy The pitch deck red flag too many founders miss Why angel investors may be a better fit than VCs How Seed Money Office Hours can help 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.

  7. May 26

    91 | You Don't Need "Founder Skills" to Raise Capital—You Need Reps

    If you are holding off on raising capital because you think you need to become more confident, better at pitching, stronger at sales, or more "founder-like" first—think again. That advice sounds responsible. Strategic, even. But for many early-stage founders, it becomes a permission slip to delay the exact thing that would make them better. In this episode of Seed Money, Jayla breaks down one of the most dangerous myths first-time entrepreneurs hear online: that you need to master leadership, sales, confidence, persuasion, storytelling, and fundraising before you start building or raising. Have questions specific to your situation? Join Jayla's FREE monthly Seed Money Office Hours call to ask your real funding questions and get more clarity on funding strategy, investor materials, pitching, finding investors, and how to close. Save your spot: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours   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.

  8. May 19

    90 | Can't Even Raise $500K? Ask These 2 Questions Before You Blame Investors

    Feeling stuck because you "can't even raise $500K"? Before you decide your startup is doomed, your idea isn't good enough, or investors just "don't get it," take a breath. In this episode of Seed Money, Jayla breaks down why early-stage fundraising often feels more personal and discouraging than it actually is—especially for first-time founders without a wealthy friends-and-family network. Have questions specific to your situation? Join Jayla's FREE monthly Seed Money Office Hours call to ask your real funding questions and get more clarity on funding strategy, investor materials, pitching, finding investors, and how to close. Save your spot: https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours In This Episode, You'll Learn Why raising $500K can feel just as hard as raising $5M The difference between real fundraising and "emotionally sampling" How to define your target investor profile Why pitching random investors gives you bad data What to review after your first 20 investor conversations How to know whether you need better targeting, more traction, a clearer pitch, or more time Why fundraising should be treated like a sales pipeline How to stop taking investor rejection so personally Why early-stage founders often stop pitching too soon When to keep going, when to learn, and when to fix the gaps   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.

See All (97)

5
out of 5
62 Ratings

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. Join my FREE Live monthly Office Hours Q&A call to get your burning questions answered. https://seedmoney.mysamcart.com/office-hours

Information

  • Creator
    Jayla Siciliano
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Seed Money

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