University of Chicago

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

I give self-funded, first-time womxn founders a fast lane to CEO success.

Los Angeles, California, United States

I started my company because I like to run companies. But for many of you, this is your LEAST favorite part of having a self-funded small business. You like the flexibility, but running the thing is your nightmare. My clients often say, “I wish I had an MBA,” or “I wish I had taken a some business classes.”Well, I’m here to tell you: even if you'd tried, that small business course didn’t exist.Everyone first-time small business founder has a learning curve, even if we have an MBA or ran a business unit of a larger company. Self-funded businesses aren't a thing that get taught in school. But, that stress and anxiety you feel is very real. What if you could leave behind the stress and anxiety you feel about what you don’t know? What if I taught you how to do just the things that really make a difference?That’s how I designed my six-week CEO Confidence course. If you’re a self-funded womxn business owner, you’re in the right place. Using my five-step framework, I’ll help you build the CEO skills and knowledge that make your business work for you and get you paid.We’re doing this as a group because, for one, it’s a lot more fun! I’ve seen the awesome power of womxn business owners working together and in support of one another. You deserve that community of support!And, being honest, we all have some areas that aren’t working. It feels more okay to be honest about it with someone else with a similar experience. We meet weekly to share ideas, celebrate breakthroughs, and workshop where we’re getting stuck.You’ll also have my 1:1 support to design and run the business YOU want. The guided coursework can be done on your time, at your own pace in about two hours per week.You are the right CEO for your company. And your company can work for you. To be the first to know about our next cohort, sign up here: <a href="https://sifindustries.com/waitlist/">https://sifindustries.com/waitlist/</a>

Sif Industries

CEO Confidence Course

Supporting the CEO & founder of Boutique Box on launch, product/market fit, and fundraising.Leveraging experience, data, and handpicked D2C designers, Boutique Box delivers professional women a truly personalized and curated shopping experience.

Boutique Box

Advisor

Are you wondering what to do, right now? Should you accelerate growth? Should you pivot? Do you have a new idea to explore? Where should you invest? Our Financial Health Coaching takes a less structured but rationally grounded approach to helping you find that next step. This isn’t woo-woo coaching. My team and I will help you prioritize your ideas, understand the financial and operating impacts of what you want to do, and support you in implementing your decisions.To start, we meet weekly for 3 months. We'll figure out how to align your vision and your zone of genius. We'll tackle the areas where you’re getting bogged down or aren’t sure what to do. - We brainstorm solutions that fit your stage of business, skills, goals, and budget. - We make sure you have a strong finance and operations foundation. - We review your monthly and quarterly financials, including sales performance. - We evaluate where you may need systems, partners, or staffing and help with sourcing. Recent clients include Mary Stephenson, Powderkeg Media, Covet & Mane, Riverside Entertainment, Savoir Agency, Boutique Box, GoNoodle, and Double A Labs.Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter for DIY tips on moving your small business idea to a big business goal. <a href="http://sifindustries.com/Newsletter">http://sifindustries.com/Newsletter</a>

Financial Health Coaching

Are the things you don’t know as a first-time CEO keeping you up at night? Have you hit a point where you feel stuck?If you’ve been running your business for at least a year, you’ve called on most of your skills and relationships. You’re getting bogged down by the areas you didn’t sign up for and maybe didn’t know you had to do like finance, taxes, registrations, and expenses. This is not your vision.You have questions like: - How do I increase my revenue? How can I be more profitable?- Can I build a sustainable business with this service or product set?- Am I spending the right amount on my operations? - Should I hire people?- How much can I pay myself?- How do I spent less time on the day-to-day stuff that I don't enjoy?Together, we’ll evaluate your opportunity to build the company you want. We’ll talk about your vision versus where you are today. We'll review your products or services, revenue, costs, operating expenses, and staffing. We’ll evaluate whether your current business can meet your financial and life goals. If it doesn’t, we’ll rework your margins, unit economics, and revenue plan to see how we’ll get there. The outputs include: - goals for the next 12 months- a 3-month step-by-step plan to get you on the right track- a 12-month financial projection that serves as an operating budget and roadmapRecent clients include Beeler.tech, Feed Me Fight Me, Kascade Supply Company, Riverside Entertainment, Sydney Brown, Geek Girl Tech, Don't Call Me Mommy, Apeiron Strategy Group, Fernweh Land and Slow.content Studios, Savoir Agency and Savoir Collab, Sunnys Hair and Wigs Online, and Rambin Strategy Group.For DIY tips on moving your small business idea to a big business success, sign up for my free weekly newsletter. <a href="http://bit.ly/SifNewsletter">http://bit.ly/SifNewsletter</a>

Sif Industries - sifindustries.com

Financial Health Check-Up

Supporting founders in the SA&M Precellerator program with coaching, revenue growth strategy, and operations planning.

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

Precellerator Mentor

Functioned as COO, CFO, and CMO for personalized matchmaking services and technology company from product/market fit to Series A completion. Grew run rate to $2.5 million with path to profitability. Expanded from two to six metro areas and 2 to 30 full-time employees.

Three Day Rule

Fulfilled my commitment to the Panache earnout following acquisition by WPP. Reconcepted the video offering for agencies and brands and led growth of North America video ad network.

Real Media Group - a division of 24/7 Media Inc.

Pivoted the firm from platform professional services to a digital video workflow and ad product solution that drove sales development to reach EBITDA break-even for exit. Acquired by WPP PLC for a multimillion dollar, undisclosed amount.

Panache

VP, Marketing

Learned everything digital marketing, e-commerce, creative, SaaS, analytics, media, consumers, kids, and moms from the best in the business. My favorite part was putting Barbie on Facebook. Clients included Mattel, Disney-ABC  Television Digital, SOAPnet/ABC Daytime, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts (WDPRO), LA Metro, and Munchkin.

Razorfish

Account Director

We helped progressive brands test and optimize their e-commerce sales and marketing. Designed and executed e-commerce marketing optimization programs for Fortune 500 marketing departments including Sears, Intuit, T-Mobile, <a href="http://Blinds.com">Blinds.com</a>, Fandango, and Kelly Blue Book. The professional services arm of Offermatica, an Accel-backed venture acquired by Omniture ($65M), now Adobe Site Catalyst Test and Target.

Offermatica

Client Manager, Otto Digital

Back when there were only a few SaaS products, launched first two open source web-based collaboration suite products. We helped a lot of large companies give everybody an email inbox. The company was backed by Accel and Redpoint and was acquired by Yahoo! ($350M), now VMWare Zimbra.

Zimbra

Product Marketing Manager (Internship)

Where I got my first taste of supporting a CEO. I spent every day with the CEO and executive team to support our insurance, direct sales, and mutual fund operations in the US. Wrote speeches, ran offsites, evaluated opportunities, worked on mergers, looked for opportunities to improve the company, wrote speeches, organized offsites, generally wrangled. Before that, I spent two years advising individuals and small businesses on their personal and business financial planning and wealth management.

AXA Financial, Inc.

Project Analyst to the Chairman & CEO

In the dot com boom, figured out how to automate our services for scale and build internet software for trading stuff. Ran post-auction settlement for global domain name marketplace acquired by <a href="http://Register.com">Register.com</a> ($60M); defined business requirements, added relationships for escrow and credit card processing.

Afternic.com

Commerce Strategy Manager

Managed $150 million leveraged lease portfolio while restructuring to release $30 million in cash to the business unit.

Jill James