Ep. 46 - Brianna McDonald - One of the most powerful supporters of women, Brianna McDonald has great advice for parents on the problem of bullying. Brianna McDonald was bullied as a child, including being held underwater in a lake by five girls, until it became so bad, her parents had to move to another town. This is the epitome of mean girls and not anything for a parent to take pride in. It still affects her today as she struggles with the Imposter Syndrome. In this episode, Brianna shares her difficult childhood and how her experiences shaped the businesswoman she is today. Listen in to learn how not to allow your obstacles and internal struggles to stop you from who you want to become. You will also learn how to get funded as a woman-owned business and or a tech startup.
Key Takeaways:
- How to overcome your obstacles and show up unapologetically in the field you’re in
- How to use your past hard experiences to have consideration for others and to help them
- The importance of a streamlined fundraising system to grow your business
- How to be selflessly considerate and support others to make the world a better place
"We are all on this planet together, and we need to support one another and be kind." -Brianna McDonald
In this episode you’ll discover:
The internal barriers that Brianna has to deal with as a result of bullying in her childhood [2:32]
How she deals and overcomes impostor syndrome and internal struggles as a businesswoman [5:15]
Understanding the meaning of impostor syndrome and how to identify it [7:25]
How Brianna uses her past experiences to understand people and challenges they’re facing [9:28]
Brianna’s passion for arts, innovation, and problem-solvers [11:00]
She describes the role and function of Keiretsu Forum as the largest investment group globally [11:55]
The companies that Keiretsu Forum invests in and those they don’t invest in [13:53]
Why some businesses are meant to stay small businesses while others are meant to expand [16:29]
The difference between bank loans and individual investments [18:45]
Understanding the risk and benefits of investing plus how they make money [19:40]
How she and her husband balance high demanding jobs and having quality family time [22:19]
Brianna’s dreams for her children and her fears of the world problems for them [24:39]
She advises younger people to always have consideration for others [30:05]
CAREER
Brianna currently leads as President of the Northwest Region of the Keiretsu Forum angel investment community, the largest and most active venture investor globally, comprising over 50 chapters with over 2,500 active members investing over $75 million annually into over 180 companies. She has been an active leader and angel investor with Keiretsu Forum since its launch in Seattle in 2005 and supporting its growth to become the largest and most active group globally.
She has proven especially adept at screening companies for angel investment, coaching companies on presentation and investor relations, sales strategy execution, relationship management, and leading due diligence teams. Brianna has established a reputation for achievement in all phases of the Keiretsu process: risk management, market anticipation and response, regional/national business development, organizational development, angel investing, and overall enterprise management.