be fearless book

Seven Podcasts for Entrepreneurs to Explore

Posted on by Case Foundation

Everyone loves a good story of innovation, and entrepreneurs tend to have especially fascinating ones. In her best-selling book, Be Fearless, Jean Case uplifts the stories of entrepreneurs and changemakers who used innovation to change the world. She examines the core qualities of great innovators, past and present, and identifies five surprising traits they all have in common. It isn’t wealth, privilege or even genius. In fact, it is that every leader who broke through and brought forward transformational changes made a “Big Bet,” took bold risks, learned from their failures, reached beyond their bubbles and let urgency conquer fear. 

However, sometimes hearing—not just reading—stories can be uniquely powerful. So, we asked the Case Foundation team to share some of their favorite stories of entrepreneurship, as told by podcasts. While there are many great stories out there, we compiled a list of episodes that stand out. 

We hope these podcasts inspire you on your entrepreneurial journey. And if you’re interested in more content on inclusive entrepreneurship, we regularly share stories of female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color in our weekly newsletter, Breaking Good. Sign up here!

 

1. GirlBoss Radio, Building a Business Around Sustainability with Sarah Paiji Yoo of Blueland

GirlBoss Radio dives into what it takes to be a successful female founder through conversations with innovative women in business. Whether you are looking for advice on advancing your career, tips for scaling a business, or just a laugh, this podcast has you covered. Hosted by Sophia Amoruso, CEO and founder of Girlboss and Neha Gandhi, editor-in-chief and COO of Girlboss.

In this episode, host Amoruso interviews co-founder and CEO of Blueland, Sarah Paiji Yoo. Blueland is aiming to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in the cleaning product industry by building concentrated cleaning solution tablets that are water activated. Listen to this episode to learn more about the growing market for environmentally sustainable businesses and how entrepreneurs are tackling global problems while making a profit.

 

2. Being Boss, First Year of Business at Almanac Supply Co

In this podcast, hosts Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon examine what it takes to make money doing what you love. The podcast is geared towards full-time founders, those thinking about their first fearless step and anyone looking to learn from entrepreneurs who have turned their passions into a profiting business. 

In this episode, host Emily reflects on the one year anniversary of launching her product-based business. She highlights how she dealt with the challenges along the way, made failures from her past business ventures matter, and developed the skills necessary to be CEO. Emily’s firsthand knowledge and Kathleen’s advice offer a useful case study for those wondering about getting a business off the ground.

 

3. How I Built This, Live Episode! Walker & Company: Tristan Walker

In this podcast from NPR, host Guy Raz profiles entrepreneurs, changemakers, and innovators whose companies are making significant impacts on the world. The episodes examine the evolution of well-known brands and how successful founders turn ideas into movements.

Guy Raz interviews Tristan Walker, an entrepreneur and CEO of Walker & Co., a company that was recently acquired by Procter & Gamble (P&G), in this special live episode. Walker explains how his frustration with the way razors irritate those with curly hair turned into his first business, a subscription shaving system and personal care product line. His company attracted millions of customers and eventually was sold to P&G. Listen to this episode for an inside look at what it takes to build momentum around your business idea. *Bonus: Check out another episode of How I Built This with Case Foundation Chairman Steve Case!

 

4. How Success Happens, Tech Pioneer Jean Case on How to Change the World With Your Big Idea

How Success Happens features host Robert Tuchman as he converses with successful entrepreneurs in an effort to learn from their stories. Episodes focus on both successes and failures that the entrepreneurs have faced, and how challenges they encounter along the road can ultimately transform into steps towards progress and profit. 

In this episode, Jean Case discusses her bestselling book, Be Fearless, dives into the five universal qualities of great innovators, shares tips for startups pitching to investors, as well as how to turn an idea into a life-changing endeavor. This podcast is perfect for anyone looking for a roadmap for their next breakthrough in business.

 

5. RISE Podcast, Serving Your Community With Your Business with Charis Jones

Hosted by New York Times best-selling author Rachel Hollis, the RISE podcast aims to offer actionable items to listeners for both business and life outside of work. Through conversations with innovative entrepreneurs and personal development experts, RISE will arm you with real-world takeaways that you can implement directly in your own life. 

In this episode, Rachel interviews entrepreneur Charis Jones, founder and CEO of Sassy Jones Boutique. Jones discusses how staying connected to a loyal fan base has been crucial for the success of her business, allowing her to scale the boutique into a seven-figure enterprise. If you are looking to start or expand your business, listen to this episode for useful marketing tips that will help you connect to customers.

 

6. Side Hustle Pro, How To Get Your Niche Brand Into Major Retailers with Aycee Brown

Hosted by Nicaila Matthews Okome, Side Hustle Pro features stories of Black female entrepreneurs who have turned their side hustles into full-blown, successful businesses. Every week, Black female entrepreneurs such as Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter and Myleik Teele of CurlBox highlight their startup stories and offer advice for burgeoning side hustlers. 

In this episode, Nicaila interviews Aycee Brown, Goodnight Darling Co.’s Chief Sleep Officer. Under Brown’s direction, the niche sleep company has created partnerships with luxury boutiques and companies like West Elm to expand their in-store presence and increase the visibility of their brand. Listen to this episode to learn how Brown scaled her business into a trusted authority in the self-care field and for tips on getting your product onto the shelves of major retailers.

 

7. The Failure Factor, Bluemercury Co-founder and CEO Marla Beck On Failing Her Way To Success

How do successful entrepreneurs respond to failure? The Failure Factor: Stories of Career Perseverance examines how the low points of careers can motivate entrepreneurs to reach highs that they had never dreamed of. Host Megan Bruneau sits down with founders to identify how they were able to leverage their experiences of both success and failure to overcome obstacles and ultimately reach their full potential. 

In this episode, Bluemercury co-founder and CEO Marla Beck talks about the severe downturn the company faced early on and how she was able to turn the company around. Spoiler alert: Bluemercury ultimately secured a $210 million acquisition by Macy’s. Beck explains failure in two distinct ways: how she deals with failure herself and how she responds to failure as a manager overseeing staff. This is a great listen for any entrepreneur looking to make failure matter.

 

National Literacy Month: A few books to inspire us all to read more

Posted on by Case Foundation

Reading plays a special part in my life. So, in celebration of National Literacy Month, I wanted to share some of the books that the team at the Case Foundation and I have had the opportunity to read recently. As you might imagine, I am drawn to stories of #BeFearless leaders and insights that help lead to inspiration. I hope these stories will motivate you to look at the world with renewed curiosity, appreciation and fearlessness.

I would love to hear from you with any reflections you have after reading one of these books or with additional books you think should be added to my reading list.

Happy reading!

1. The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, by Melinda Gates – For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people across the world with the most urgent needs. In this riveting and inspiring book, Melinda provides an eyewitness account from her travels to some of the most desperate places in the world, where women are not regarded as equals and face challenges many of us will never know. You will be pulled in and lifted up by the stories of the fearless leaders she has found in communities all around the world and how she came away with the clear vision that if you want to lift a society up, you need to stop keeping women down.

2. First: Sandra Day O’Connor, by Evan Thomas – Evan Thomas shines a light on the background and upbringing of the first female Supreme Court Justice, expanding our understanding of a woman who repeatedly shattered glass ceilings and made a fundamental impact on American society. A great way to be inspired to continue to make a difference and stand up for the values and ideals you hold dear.

3. Presidents of War, by Michael Beschloss – Michael Bechloss continues to turn out books that I can’t put down and is an inspiration to all who have sought to author a book. Based on ten years of research, Presidents of War is a fresh, masterful, intimate look at a procession of American leaders as they took the nation into conflict and mobilized their country for victory. For those of us who love presidential history, this is a must-read.

4. The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, by Elaine Weiss – One hundred years ago, America was in the throes of a landmark battle over whether women should have the right to vote. Elaine Weiss’ book turns the clock back to a time where suffragists, after a seven-decade crusade, clash with a wide range of opposing forces who see Tennessee as the place where they are going to halt the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. In a riveting read, The Women’s Hour opens your eyes to this unique period and the battle lines that were drawn in the fight for this fundamental right.

5. American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race, by Douglas Brinkley – Inspired by the celebrations around the anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first moon landing? Douglas Brinkley’s book is a great way to gain insights not only on the space race but on the extraordinary political, cultural and scientific factors at play during that time.

6. Hugs Daily Inspirations for Women: 365 devotions to inspire your day, Looking for a way to work more reading into your busy schedule and to start the day with a shot of inspiration? Look no further. I find this book of devotionals an uplifting way to kick off the day and hope you will find the uplifting quotes and the inspirational scriptures as energizing as I do.

7. This Blessed Earth: A Year in the Life of an American Farm, by Ted Genoways – Focusing on the plight of a longtime family farm from harvest to harvest, Ted Genoways offers a window into everything from family dynamics to the impacts of shifting trade policy and climate change as one family seeks to pass the land they have been farming for five generations to the next generation. This is sure to prompt some gripping discussions about the role the family farm in the future of our country.

8. Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from Our Culture of Contempt, by Arthur C. Brooks – In a time of political polarization, this New York Times bestselling author offers his vision of how we can reunite the nation around principles of respect, kindness and dignity. A perfect gift for the people in your life who are looking for a playbook to make a difference in our present political environment.

9. Leadership: In Turbulent Times, by Doris Kearns Goodwin – One of my favorite historians takes a close look at four presidents—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson—to examine how they cultivated the leadership qualities needed to both succeed politically, but also to fearlessly make decisions that upended the status quo. Close looks at key junctures like Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Teddy Roosevelt’s relations with labor unions, FDR’s first 100 days and the priority LBJ placed on civil rights provide inspiration and deeper understanding of the distinct methods that each of these leaders used to distinguish themselves.

10. Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World, by Tim Marshall – While we often learn about maps in school so we can find the 50 US states or to identify countries, Tim Marshall sheds new light onto the role maps play. In fact, maps and the geography and socio-economic activity they bring to life can have deep real-world impacts. And those who ignore these realities or neglect to truly understand the implications represented on maps, often miss key elements that can have grave consequences. The insights brought to life in this book may lead you to see the world in a different light.

11. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson – Bryan Stevenson is always inspiring, calling us all to act to make the world a better place through his visionary work. This book provides an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer bursting through assumptions to find success, as well as a moving window into the lives of those he has defended. Bryan builds a bold argument for compassion in the pursuit of justice.

12. Raise Your Hand,  by Alice Paul Tapper –11-year old Alice Tapper tells the story of how she made a real change in her own behavior and, working with her Girl Scout troop and her parents, inspired girls to be more confident in school after she noticed that the girls in her class weren’t participating as much as the boys. Raise Your Hand is a book for children that echoes many of the themes of Be Fearless and reminds us of the importance of self-confidence and stepping outside of your comfort zone. Alice’s fearless attitude can inspire us all to act and empower those around us.

Hoping that this wide range of books inspires your fall reading and opens your eyes to new ideas and perspectives, and inspire you to Be Fearless.

SXSW 2019: The Must Attend Sessions and Events

Posted on by Case Foundation

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, it’s SXSW season. The annual pilgrimage to Austin starts soon with more than 430,000 people from across the globe coming for content, concerts, community and good food. This year, SXSW Conference programming is organized into 25 tracks divided among Interactive, Film, Music and Convergence, presented in a variety of session formats.

This year’s keynote speakers are not to be missed and include Michael Pollan and Tim Ferriss,  Emmy Award-winning journalist Maria Shriver, storyteller Brené Brown, investor Arlan Hamilton, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, philanthropist Priscilla Chan, politico Alexandria Ocasio Cortez with Briahna Gray, Vox Media’s Jim Bankoff and Soledad O’Brien, Kara Swisher of Recode, WIRED Editor in Chief Nicholas Thompson, actress and producer Olivia Wilde, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger in a conversation with Kevin Systrom and Josh Constine, musician and creative A$AP Rocky and many more.

Each year, SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people expand their knowledge and foster the opportunity to meet fellow innovators on a mission to change the world. It is THE essential destination for social impact leaders, startup founders, investors, philanthropists and innovators. The Case Foundation team is excited to announce that we will join thousands of movers and shakers to take the stage for four sessions this year:

Our CEO Jean Case will take the stage for a Be Fearless book talk and signing, moderated by journalist Soledad O’Brien. Hear her share a mix of storytelling and strategy, practical tips and inspiration to teach you how to put these five principles to work so to spark the sorts of remarkable breakthroughs that can change the world. Copies if the book will be available at the SXSW bookstore. Pick up your copy of Be Fearless and bring it with you!

Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and our CEO, Jean Case, for a discussion on all things Be Fearless. Jean Case will bring to life the principles at the center of Be Fearless, which aims to break the myths surrounding the road to success and changing the world. Following Jean’s talk, we’ll hear from an impressive group of women about their fearless endeavors along their professional and personal journeys.

Jade Floyd (that’s me!) will moderate a session on How to Tell Your Startup Story featuring Veronica Dagher of the Wall Street Journal, Jean Ellen Cowgill from Bloomberg’s TicToc and Catherine Clifford from CNBC. Attendees will learn their tips for founders seeking to break their next big story, what makes an effective and compelling pitch, how to build relationships with reporters and how to make your company stand out. At the session’s conclusion, we will invite attendees to share their pitches with the journalists for feedback in real time (one-minute pitch each).

My colleague Jessica Zetzman will moderate a conversation exploring programs supporting Latinx entrepreneurs, what tips they have for recruiting investment and how together we can foster more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems. Speakers include Dyan Gibbens of Trumbull Unmanned, Marcos Gonzalez from Vamos Ventures and C’Pher Gresham from Seed Spot.

In addition to sessions, attendees can experience an endless number of houses and activations like the #WeDC House (led by the D.C. Economic Partnership), the Jane Club House, the Bumble House, the Google Lab, Capital Factory’s VIP Lounge, the Global Innovation Zone hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Girls Lounge (The Female Quotient), Startup of the Year House, Fast Company Grill and Create & Cultivate. Also, Generation Titans, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Google, Envolve Entrepreneurship, and the Soze Agency will launch the inaugural Titan Generator at Google Austin offices.

And per usual, when in Austin, one must eat–and eat well. In addition to the hundreds of SXSW sessions and parties, you’ll find top-notch Texas restaurants and food trucks to keep you busy. Our team of former Texans here at the Case Foundation recommends a new set of restaurants to check out this year: Darcy’s Donkey, Carpenters Hall, Dean’s One Trick Pony, Domo Alley-Gato and old timers like Holy Roller, Franklin Barbecue, Kerlin BBQ, El Naranjo, Tamale House East, Launderette, La Barbeque, Le Politque, Emmer & Rye, Tiger Fork and Hula Hut. For those looking for a memorable sunset and a scenic drive, try the Oasis on Lake Travis.

But when it does come to sessions, we at the Case Foundation have done our homework so you don’t have to. We researched every single session at SXSW this year and have detailed over 30 that should be on your radar:

March 8th

Join speakers Jennifer Abramson of Rethink Impact, Shelly Bell of Black Girl Ventures, Vanessa Dawson of The Vinetta Project and Brian Kenner from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for a conversation on why Washington, D.C. is the capital of inclusive innovation.

Start your SXSW right by joining this exclusive session filled with highlights from the all new ninth edition of the WSJ bestselling book Non-Obvious, where non-boring trend curator Rohit Bhargava will offer an inside look at some of the latest trends from his popular annual report.

Join industry experts from Barney’s, Etsy, Demestik and Poshmark for an inside look at how online marketplaces have allowed entrepreneurs to find success on their own terms, regardless of gender, age or education.

Explore how we can tackle the funding gap and ensure that future minority and women entrepreneurs don’t face the same funding challenges.

This presentation by a veteran change agent who brought meaningful change to CIA will give you the practical skills to not just overcome organizational obstacles, but to prosper and succeed as a change agent.

Code 2040 and Capital One team up for a conversation with organizational leaders and change agents about empowering diversity champions across the tech industry and increasing representation of Black and Latinx technologists.

Building on the success of her instant No. 1 NY Times-bestselling book, I’ve Been Thinking…: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life, Maria Shriver continues to explore the life topics, issues and ideas that we’re all thinking about.

Grab a cocktail at PitchTexas, the startup pitch competition for university graduate students, with a total of $50,000 in prize money. Immediately following the contest, UT president Gregory L. Fenves invites you to celebrate UT at SXSW with the contestants.

March 10th

This talk explores what a disrupter looks like. Hear stories from female changemakers of finance, healthcare, communications and entertainment to unpack the essential ingredients, challenges, and exhilaration of innovation and learn how gender plays into being a disruptor. Panel includes representatives from Vanguard Innovation Studio, Comcast, Jefferson Health and Chariot Solutions.

Gender bias and business has been intertwined in a problematic way. Through real life accounts of gender bias (magnified for mothers and women of color), this innovating panel paints womanhood and motherhood not as a hindrance to entrepreneurship, but as essential to creating a healthier, wealthier and more equitable world. This panel includes individuals from Happy Woman Foundation, Marigold Capital and Gell.

This session will explore how Puerto Rico’s business environment is a combination of tax incentives, public policy, support organizations, human capital and infrastructure with a modern Caribbean lifestyle. With the support of local entrepreneurship programs, an international startup accelerator, and a non-profit created to promote innovation in the island, Puerto Rico is becoming a startup city with hundreds of ideas advancing to become globally focused companies. The island’s entrepreneurial spirit has attracted international startups, investors and service providers to view Puerto Rico as an innovation hub. Marie Custodio from Parallel 18 will present.   

This meet up will connect black tech founders, entrepreneurs, investors, professionals and those interested in breaking into the tech space. This event aims to connect companies with diverse talent and start-ups with investors. Avant-Garde Network and Heartspace NYC host.

March 11

The panelists will discuss how they have moved beyond the statistics, and propose practical solutions, debating how to leverage women’s unique traits as founders, funders and customers to create a parallel investment ecosystem. Panelists include Daina Trout of Health-Ade Kombucha, Tosca Musk of Passionflix Inc, Maxine Kozler Koven of LDR Ventures and Sarah Chambliss of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLC.

ProjectDiane 2018, a report by Case Foundation grantee digitalundivided, revealed that Black women raised only .0006% of the total $424.7 billion of tech venture funding since 2009. The amount for Latinx women is even smaller. Join this panel of Black & Latinx startup founders as they have a candid conversation about the journey through entrepreneurship, from incubators, to pivots, setbacks and first rounds of funding. Panelists include digitalundivided graduates from The Labz, Vamos Ladies, Quirktastic Media and Sola Travelers.

A recent study stated that 95% of Fortune 500 CEOs are white males. By supporting youth innovation, we can change that statistic. Hear from Gen Z entrepreneurs on why a breeding ground for youth entrepreneurial involvement is critical to shifting the narrative for minorities in corporate culture. These youth will discuss innovative instruments which can be used to challenge inequalities perpetuated by institutionalized forms of bias. Panelists are students at University of Pennsylvania and have created their own companies, including ToxSafe, Threading Twine, ELEVATE Senior and SOAR (Students for Oncological Aid and Relief).  

According to Boston Consulting Group, 95% of startups wish to develop long-term corporate partnerships. Panelists will discuss how Austin-area companies are approaching innovation differently, what startup-corporate partnerships mean today and how both startups and corporations can find the right fit. Speakers are from Dell, Kilroy Blockchain, Oracle and Bunker Labs.

Session leaders will speak to the learnings, opportunities, and challenges of becoming location independent. Exploring such topics as what it’s like to run a fully distributed team, how life on the road increase productivity, efficiency and communication, as well as all the different ways remote entrepreneurship is changing the way we live and work. Panelists include speakers from Maverick Investor Group, Gallaher Edge, TJR Films & To The Nines Menswear, and Vitaly Design Ltd.

This is a networking session to introduce influencers to digital communicators, strategists, and managers who can potentially collaborate to work on social good issues, causes, and projects. This meet up with Women in Digital and Black Bloggers Connect will discuss the best practices when working on joint projects.

Austin is well known for its burgeoning technopreneur scene which got its start with Dell Technologies, built out of a UT dorm room back in the 80s. But local entrepreneurs are going a step further building businesses with a core focus on transforming lives with technology. Come hear from Austin’s own DivInc, along with Dell Technologies, Tiffs Treats and Cuvee Coffee to see how they weave a social mission into the fabric of their business.

Google is know for creating various opportunities for startups to partner and work with- beyond typical funding. Opportunities range from support/assistance on core products to custom partnerships. This session will uncover how Silicon Valley tech companies assess and review the trends driving these partnerships. Panelists include representatives from Google, Anchor and Overtime.

Dailey is one example of a company that went through an administrative shift that changed how employees looked at their deeply-rooted company culture. From the nuts-and-bolts of pay equity audits to socially conscious creative projects, join Dailey’s leadership for a panel discussion about how diverse leadership can create a space in which all kinds of people thrive.

Are you an angel investor or considering becoming one? Join representatives from Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Alliance of Texas Angel Networks (ATAN) for a conversation about the topics impacting angel investing today. If you’re newer to angel investing, angel groups are a great avenue to build your understanding and confidence as an investor. Join your peers to discuss these topics, make connections, and exchange ideas about the future of angel investing.

In this interview-style session, Ikechi Nwabuisi, an entrepreneur and son of Nigerian immigrants, will interview Jason Ford, a founder who sold his business in 2014 to Bazaarvoice. Ikechi and Jason bring an insider perspective to the crossroads of entrepreneurship and diversity, highlighting different levels of access and resources that shape their experiences.  

March 12th

As new tools and technologies enable startup ecosystems around the world, entrepreneurs in these communities are starting to plug themselves into global markets. This panel will draw from their experiences in fostering new ecosystems in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America to illuminate promising solutions to these challenges. Join this session which including Affinis Labs, Pomona Impact, Samasource and Invest2innovate.

This panel of professionals in their 30s, 40s, and 60s will take a generational approach to questions around women in the workplace as they explore the value of gender diversity, why empowering women matters, and how each generation is uniquely suited to effect change. Panelists include women from T3, Women Rising, Facebook and Spredfast.

The field of philanthropy is undergoing a transformation, as new models of giving are empowering more women and communities of color to lead through giving. Case in point: in #GivingTuesday 2017, 65% of all donations came from women. This panel will explore who these new philanthropists are, what motivates them and how they are new models for helping to democratize philanthropy. Join experts from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Facebook and the YWCA as they share new research, digital data and real-world insights.

Is AI everything? This panel will discuss the types of AI startups VCs look to fund, showing investment dollars are shifting away from unproven futuristic ideas and toward more pragmatic, foundational AI infrastructure. Panelists from Blumberg Capital, Venture Capital Journal, New Enterprise Associates Inc and Verizon Ventures will also discuss the specifics they look for when assessing an AI company in the pitch room.

March 13th

For 132 years, HearstLab has survived within the media sphere, but modern challenges are pressing old companies to evolve rapidly. This presentation will share an insider’s look at Hearst’s blueprint on how they successfully select and integrate startups into their diverse organization. HearstLab goes well beyond the typical accelerator model and puts clear emphasis on the positive impact it has on all constituents including startup founders, Hearst executive leaders and all Hearst employees, and how the Lab has helped identify rising talent, encourage collaboration and create new businesses.

This session convenes some of the country’s most forward-thinking scholars to discuss how the lack of diversity throughout the tech ecosystem will impact social equality, employment, prosperity and the future of Black communities. Panelists include individuals from the Inclusion Clearinghouse, The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Kapor Center for Social Impact and Quality Education for Minorities Network

What other sessions are on your radar? Share them with us on on social media @CaseFoundation. We hope to see you at SXSW!

 

Madam CJ Walker, Inspiring All to Be Fearless

Posted on by Case Foundation

In America, we often think of an innovator as that lone genius tinkering in a garage who has an “Aha!” moment. And while that might make for good storytelling, the truth is that it’s very seldom how breakthroughs come to be. Time and time again, they come from people and organizations living with real frustrations, who get to a point where they realize, “There has to be a better way.” So they set out to create one.

In observance of Black History Month, I wanted to spotlight a story of an incredible African-American innovator that exemplifies this idea perfectly—Madam C.J. Walker. Hers is one of my favorite stories of fearlessness from my new book Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose. Walker was an entrepreneur who lived over 100 years ago, and her entrepreneurial career started with the simple process of identifying a problem and making the “big bet” to find a solution.

When Walker’s hair started falling out because of a scalp ailment, she tried to look for products on the market to address her condition, however, she couldn’t find any that helped. She began experimenting with her own homemade concoctions to find the solution to her personal problem. When seeing that her hair grew back using her newly created formula, she began thinking about how her unique formula could help other Black women suffering from her same problem.  She took her new product, “Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower,” and hair treatment system, the “Walker System,” and began going door to door to teach women about hair treatment and the use of her products. Her products were a huge success and her business continued to grow, making her one of the very first American women to become a self-made millionaire.

While Walker was growing the market for her hair-care business, she was also doing something truly remarkable: she was training and recruiting large numbers of young Black women across the country as a salesforce. By teaching other young Black women about business and providing them with educational opportunities, she was empowering women with few opportunities to generate income for themselves. She continued to create opportunities for others through her philanthropic work and always inspired young entrepreneurs to get up and make their own opportunities. Her famous saying was, “I got my start by giving myself a start.”

Although Walker’s story shows that making a big bet is the first step to creating transformational breakthroughs, this first step can be difficult if aspiring entrepreneurs are placed at a disadvantage. In 2019, the data on the lack of venture capital for female founders and African-Americans is stark. Although the total funding of female founders is increasing, the percentage of venture capital going to female founders has stalled at a mere 2.2 percent. The statistics are even lower for African-American founders, receiving only 1 percent of venture capital. Recognizing that an unequal playing field may be stifling the creators of the next great innovations, it is important to equalize these odds and make sure that everyone has a seat at the table. To combat these disadvantages, platforms such as Black Girl Ventures, DigitalUndivided, and Camelback Ventures try to help with the entrepreneurial success of Black, Latinx, and/or female startups, however, we still have a long way to go.

Despite the fact that Walker’s innovations were created over 100 years ago, her fearlessness and philanthropic spirit still continue to inspire me. Not only was she a successful businesswoman, but she also recognized the importance of giving back to her community. Rooted in her mission to uplift young Black entrepreneurs in her community, Shea Moisture CEO Riche­lieu Den­nis plans to turn Madam CJ Walker’s historic es­tate into a train­ing cen­ter de­signed to sup­port Black women en­tre­pre­neurs in their ef­forts to turn their ideas into successful en­ter­prises. In my opinion, turning her home into a center for Black female entrepreneurs truly embodies what she would say was her real “big bet,” creating entrepreneurial opportunities for others.

I hope you take Black History Month, and every month, to recognize the African-American entrepreneurs who have been inspired to be fearless and who have helped to create the world in which we live today.

A Fearless Beginning

Posted on by Case Foundation

Exactly one month ago, my first book, Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose, was published, and what a month it’s been. Thanks to ALL of the support the book has received, Be Fearless was named a national bestseller!

The book picks up on research we undertook at the Case Foundation to examine the core qualities of changemakers, entrepreneurs and innovators. What we found were five simple principles at work anywhere transformational change has taken place. Equally important: through the research, we were able to debunk the myth that breaking through requires a special genius, or connections or attending the right school—good news for anyone who has had an idea for making the world a better place but has been stopped in their tracks with thinking, “This can’t be me.”

The stories in the book bring the principles to life—stories of seemingly ordinary people who have ignited the kind of change that creates real impact by applying the five principles that are present and common among innovators:

Make Big Bets and Make History: Strive for big ideas, not incremental change

Be Bold, Take Risks: Try new things and keep experimenting

Make Failure Matter: Apply lessons learned when you encounter setbacks

Reach Beyond Your Bubble: Forge unlikely partnerships

Let Urgency Conquer Fear: Let the urgency of the moment move you to act

In just the past month, I’ve been privileged to share the principles of fearlessness with television and radio audiences, through print and online interviews and in various podcasts, and I’ve been humbled by the support of friends, colleagues and partners along the way. YOU helped turn Be Fearless into a national bestseller! It’s been incredible to see the welcome reception to the Be Fearless message at the many book signings and events I have attended and the widespread support for the book at both national and independent bookstores. We couldn’t have done it without you!

But more impressive than any of those accolades are the fearless stories I’ve received since launching the book. I’ve received so many personal messages from people who found that the stories featured in the book have helped them take the next step in their journey toward a Big Bet. From a soon-to-graduate college student who is boldly pursuing her passions, to the social impact startup founder who listened to the Audible version of Be Fearless together with her young daughter and are now talking about how bring more purpose to their lives, to the leading executive at a prestigious company in New York City who writes that he’s been holding back his big ideas because of fear of failure and is newly emboldened to take them forward.

Hearing these stories from you means that we’re accomplishing what we set out to do: helping to build a more fearless world. My hope is that you’ll keep them coming! Tweet, tag, or comment to share your stories of fearlessness and pictures of the book! Those who have shared their stories with us and others fuel an optimism about the future. After all, the road to transformational change begins with a first step, which is why the title of Chapter 1 of the book is, “Start right where you are.”

I wrote this book because in the years I’ve been sharing the Be Fearless principles, I’ve had countless men and women who represent companies, nonprofits, social movements and everyday people come back to me and tell me that they’ve been inspired to be bold, take risks, make failure matter, march toward their dreams and make a difference in this world. Maybe one day I’ll hear from you.

Now go, Be Fearless!

Five Be Fearless Principles for Entrepreneurs

Posted on by Case Foundation

Six years ago, when we started studying the “secret sauce” of those who have created transformational, breakthrough advances in society, we found five surprising common traits. They weren’t wealth, privilege or even genius. It was that they–no matter their time in history, their gender or where they were born–chose to make a “big bet,” take bold risks, learn from their failures, reach beyond their bubbles and let urgency conquer fear. The results became what is now known as the Five Be Fearless Principles and these are the focus of the book Be Fearless: 5 Principles for Breakthroughs and Purpose that will be coming out in January.

I love getting to share the Be Fearless principles with different audiences across the globe comprised of those who are striving to create change or have a big bet they’ve dreamed about but haven’t yet taken the first step. People are often surprised when I share these findings and are excited by the tangible and attainable nature of them—they’re applicable to everyone, no matter their skills, talents or background. While the principles create the framework for the book, they are brought to life around a wide variety of stories of innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers who come from all walks of life who made big bets, learned from failures along the way and took bold risks to make transformational changes.

At the Case Foundation, we recognize that entrepreneurs are often innovative creators, risk takers and problem solvers working to transform industries, products and the world we live in. And yet, entrepreneurs routinely tell us they have found the principles helpful in their own fearless journey, and have been inspired by the stories of others who have overcome fear, moved past failure and turned a really big bet into a breakthrough. Commenting on the role of these principles for entrepreneurs, Tory Burch said: “Starting a business is not easy, but Be Fearless gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to embark—fearlessly—on their own journey.”

And it is clear that we need fearless entrepreneurs now more than ever. So, whether you are just getting started or are farther along on your entrepreneurial journey, I hope you will apply these principles and set your sights high by checking your approaches against the Be Fearless framework:

Make Big Bets and Make History. By nature, almost all entrepreneurs are making bets at some point—including starting a business from scratch or hitting a new ambitious milestone. But to truly breakthrough to something bigger, it requires setting audacious goals. Making big bets and fearlessly going after them is the only way to reshape our world for the better.

Be Bold, Take Risks. Don’t be afraid to experiment or to go first! An entrepreneur who is working hard to build a business can sometimes lose sight of the need for constant risk taking to advance a business to the next level. Whether starting or trying to grow a new business, entrepreneurs would do well to approach risk taking as R&D, applying a proven approach that recognizes the importance of trial and error in bold pursuit of a transformative idea.

Make Failure Matter by using errors or failures along the way to teach you something new by embracing the perspective of Thomas Edison, who famously said, “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 things that won’t work.” Making failure matter means staring down both the failure and the fears that accompany it, and applying the lessons as you move forward.

Reach Beyond Your Bubble by identifying the skills and perspectives that aren’t represented on your team or among those contributing valuable advice to you as you take forward your big bet. A study by the Boston Consulting Group released earlier this year found that companies with more diverse management teams had revenue streams that were 19% higher than those lacking. Why? Different views can eliminate blind spots and help lead to more and better innovation.

Let Urgency Conquer Fear by using it as a powerful motivator to seize the moment.

No matter where you are on your own fearless entrepreneurial journey, these principles can be applied to help you breakthrough.

And, by the way, if you need a little help along the way, #FacesofFounders is a great place to start. Our Resources for Entrepreneurs page highlights resources and tools that can be used to help you in mentorship, research, business plans, forming your company, funding and finding networks or events. Entrepreneurs don’t have to go it alone.

The Case Foundation believes that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. You’ll find countless examples of this in my upcoming book, Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose. Really big problems require really big solutions, and fearless entrepreneurs can help us pave the way to these big ideas and new approaches. As celebrated entrepreneur and founder of Nike, Phil Knight advises: “Dream audaciously. Have the courage to fail forward. Act with urgency.”

Put simply, it’s time to Be Fearless.

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