WHERE’S THE FUNDING‪?‬ WTF (Where Is The Funding?!) Podcast

How I Bootstrapped a Luxury Jet Business with Michael Darko S7 Ep. 6

Michael Darko is the founder & CEO of Farringdon Jets, The Worlds Most
Security Focused Jet Charter Company. After becoming familiar with the needs of High- and Ultra-High-Net-Worth-Individuals through his international career in property and offshore wealth management, Michael decided to merge his experience and network with his lifelong passion for aviation to launch Farringdon Jets, a luxury charter jet service that fills the need in the market by prioritizing safety and security for its clients not just in the air but on the ground too.

In this episode youll learn:


How he bootstrap a successful charter jet company; and
Why he is looking to raise funds for the next stage of his travel venture.

When was the last time you enjoyed REST?
At the WTF? Podcast we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with our partner in rest and luxury at Farringdon Jets!

Learn more about Michael:
michaeldarko.com
Linkedin:
Email: michael@fardingtonjets.com

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Dont keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with others.

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.
To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email whereisthefunding@gmail.com.
Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn.

Be Hungry But Not Thirsty When Pitching VCs with Arlan Hamilton S7 Ep. 5

Seven years ago she was broke and sleeping on the airport floor. Now she is a successful investor, entrepreneur, and author..

Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital, Runner and author of Its About Damn Time published well before singer Lizzos popular song by the same name. Backstage Capital is a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Started from scratch in 2015, Backstage has now raised over $20 million and invested in more than 150 startup companies led by underestimated founders.

In this episode we discuss:


Arlans top recommendations for how to turn being underestimated into your greatest advantage
How she pivoted from tour manager to venture capitalist
Why you should be hungry but never thirsty when pitching VCs

When was the last time you enjoyed REST?
At the WTF? Podcast we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with our partner in rest and luxury at Farringdon Jets!

Learn more about Arlan:
LinkedIn:
Instagram:
Twitter


Learn more about Backstage Capital here: https://backstagecapital.com/

Its About Damn Time: https://www.itsaboutdamntime.com/

Learn more about Runner here: https://www.hirerunner.co/


I hope you enjoyed this episode. Dont keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with others.

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.
To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email whereisthefunding@gmail.com.
Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn.

Scaling Black Beauty with Leslie Roberson S7 Ep. 4

The US beauty industry is worth about $60 billion and spending on beauty is robust among Black Americans, a diverse and growing group of 41 million people with increasing spending power. In 2021, they spent $6.6 billion on beauty. However, Black brands make up only 2.5 percent of revenue in the beauty industry and Black consumers are responsible for 11.1 percent of total beauty spending according to a 2022 McKinsey & Company report titled Black Representation in the Beauty Industry. Leslie is on a mission to fix that by creating opportunities for Black women to thrive in the beauty space. Stick around to find out how.

Leslie Roberson is the Founder of the Black Beauty Collective with a dynamic past that lead her to create an initiative that fills a gap in the beauty industry. Leslie is a military veteran and has a background in corporate talent acquisition and business development. She is an expert at leading human resource functions, acquiring and training senior staff, and having an eye for unique talent.

In this episode we discuss:


How she is creating place and space for Black women in the beauty business to feel valued, seen and heard
Providing a sense of community with built in business development resources to help founders in the collective thrive through community and collaboration.

PR is an important part of a businesses marketing strategy. The WTF? Podcast has partnered with The PR University to help your business get SEEN and VALUED by your target customers.

If you want to learn How to be SEEN and HEARD via social and other media, follow these steps to use the WTF25 code to get a 25% discount on the Do It Yourself PR 101 class at The PR University:
1. Go to www.thePRuniversity.com to view all course options or go straight to the class at Do It Yourself PR (thinkific.com)
2. Go to the sign up option with either one of the buttons and follow the prompt to purchase the course - use the code "wtf25 - to get the course access for 25% off.
3. You can start the DIY course as soon as you are ready!

Learn more about Leslie:
Instagram
LinkedIn

Learn more about the Black Beauty Collective:
Instagram
Website

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Dont keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with 3 friends.

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.
To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email whereisthefunding@gmail.com.
Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn

Investing in BIPOC Founders and Normalizing Black Wealth with Danielle Shoots S7 Ep. 3

Danielle Shoots is the Managing Partner and Managing Director of the New Community Transformation Fund a $50 million equity venture capital fund for BIPOC founders in Denver. She is also President and CEO of Wealth Equity Enterprises, her holdings company, which owns several businesses that support the mission of building BIPOC wealth and leadership.

Her passion for people and leadership, distinguished business acumen, and tenacious work ethic have garnered her numerous accolades, including the 2019 list of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business from the Colorado Womens Chamber of Commerce, the 2020 Emerging Leader in Philanthropy award, the 2018 Woman of the Year award, and a recipient of the 2017 Denver Business Journals 40 Under 40 award.

In this episode we discuss:

Her leadership and entrepreneurship journey
Insights for Black women about leadership and growing a profitable business
How she is building BIPOC wealth and leadership
The New Community Transformation Fund and its unique approach
The most significant challenges founders should be aware of when raising their first round of funding; and
What she looks for in founders she funds

When was the last time you enjoyed REST?

At the WTF? Podcast we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with our partner in rest and luxury at Farringdon Jets!
Learn more about Danielle:
Website
Linkedin
Twitter
Instagram:

Learn more about Wealth Equity Enterprises here: https://wealthequityent.com/

I hope you enjoyed this episode. Dont keep good content to yourself. f you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with three friends. Sharing is caring so be generous.

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.
To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email whereisthefunding@gmail.com.
Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn.

Pull Up and Pitch to Win with Omi Bell S7. Ep. 2

She dabbled in all sorts of ventures such as building a tent in her living room to rent on AirBnB, building furniture, owning a t-shirt company and a print shop before she started Black Girl Ventures. Stick around to hear how this system disruptor moves ideas to profit while empowering people to live more authentically.

Shelly Omild Bell ("Omi" Bell) She was named one of the Top 100 Powerful Women in Business by Entrepreneur Mag,Entrepreneur of the Year by Technically DC, and acknowledged as ARising Brand Star by Adweek. She is among the nation's most sought-after inspirational speakers in the DC Metro area with features in Forbes, The Washington Business Journal, NewsOne, The Afro, People of Color in Tech, and on Politico Live. Her organization, Black Girl Ventures (BGV) is a social enterprise that creates access to social and financial capital for Black/Brown women founders.

In this episode well discuss:

How her endeavors before the started Black Girl Ventures
Her pitching advice for Black women to help them stand out and improve their fundraising outcomes
What not to say when you are pitching investors
The things founders should know and do when they are pitching

Learn more about Omi:
Linkedin:@omibell: Twitter: @theomibell: Instagram: @omibell: Facebook: /theomibell

Learn more about Black Girl Ventures: https://www.blackgirlventures.org/
Instagram: @blackgirlventures Twitter: @bgirlventures Facebook:/blackgirlventures

At the WTF? Podcat we are big proponents of rest as a productivity hack. Book your next relaxing luxury getaway with Farringdon Jets!
I hope you enjoyed this episode. Dont keep good content to yourself. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know by rating, reviewing, and sharing this episode with three friends. Sharing is caring so be generous.

Subscribe to the podcast at its home on the ALIVE Podcast Network, here https://wheres-the-funding.onpodium.com/ and here https://bit.ly/wheresthefundingpodcast. Follow the podcast on your favorite podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and more to get notified when new episodes drop.
To be a guest or sponsor the podcast, email whereisthefunding@gmail.com.
Follow the podcast on Instagram at whereisthefunding_podcast and follow me, your host Michelle J. McKenzie and the show page on LinkedIn.

OMG Milestone Season with Michelle McKenzie S7 Ep.1

Hey WTF? Podcast listeners! If you are new here, welcome. If you have been rocking with me for a while, thank you for being here!

Its been three years of podcasting and before the end of this season I will hit the 100th episode mark! Stay tuned to see what it will be about and make sure to check out all of the wonderful episodes coming up this season!

Please complete this survey to let me know how I can I can improve the podcast.

See you on the other side of the season.

Michelle