Five Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Startup

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

After celebrating a successful fundraiser for a company, I was chatting with my husband about what’s next for me. He casually suggested that I start my own company.

My first reaction was a firm no.

I had worked at several startups and seen firsthand what founders go through to build and scale companies.

But after giving it some thought, I said to myself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” If I fail, I’ll look for a job.

It’s now been seven years since I launched my startup and I’m so glad I did.

Starting my own firm gave me the flexibility and the freedom to choose who I’d partner with. More importantly, it gave me the ability to support more founders and business owners and help build and amplify their success.

What was the “Aha Moment” that led to the idea for your current company? Can you share that story with us?

My Aha Moment was realizing, you don’t inherit credibility, you engineer it.

When I started out on my career journey, I didn’t have an alumni network to lean on or a clear path to follow. I had to learn how to network, build credibility and trust — all from the ground up. After years of working with public and private tech companies, positioning them for growth, supporting fundraises and exits, I realized two key things:

1. Credibility is the currency that drives opportunity.
2. Leaders aren’t born visible; they have to build visibility and credibility with intention.

Whether you’re talking to customers, investors or strategic partners, if they don’t trust your vision or see your expertise and industry knowledge clearly, it’s hard to move forward. And what I found repeatedly was — you don’t inherit credibility; you engineer it from the ground up.

That moment didn’t just shape my career; it shaped my entrepreneurial journey. Which is why I work hard to help engineer credibility for entrepreneurs and leaders of small and mid-sized companies who are planning what’s next for their company.

What do you think makes your company stand out?

B&B is an award-winning, boutique consulting firm that works with small and mid-sized companies to fuel sustainable growth, strengthen market leadership and architect what’s next. Our sweet spot is companies under $50 million in revenue and our expertise includes market positioning to sharpen competitive advantage, modernizing legacy companies, preparing for exits and expanding into new markets.

What sets us apart is our methodology which I created leveraging my expertise and experience having worked in the corporate world. You see, we are often called “McKinsey for small businesses”. The difference being we develop custom strategy and programs for each company and execute with speed, precision and agility — key requirements when working with small and mid-sized businesses.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

For me, success isn’t just about what you build, it’s about who you help rise along the way. And I am grateful to be named a Global Impact Maker for using my success to help others.

You see, I’ve been fortunate to work with incredible companies and founders, and I’ve always made it a point to volunteer my time and expertise to support underrepresented entrepreneurs, women in tech and early-stage founders who are navigating growth without the usual safety nets.

Whether it’s mentoring through accelerators, helping a founder refine their pitch before a critical investor meeting or guiding someone through a tough pivot — our work doesn’t make headlines, but those are the moments that matter most to me.

To me success is using our influence to create access for others.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Resiliency: Like many first-generation professionals, I didn’t have an alumni network or a playbook to fall back on. Early in my career, I faced skepticism in the U.S. — especially as a woman in tech with a non-traditional background. But I stayed focused. When I led iRobot’s brand strategy as part of the IPO executive team, working closely with leadership, there was little room for error. Resiliency meant pushing forward, staying composed under pressure and delivering a strategy that positioned the company as The Robot Company — culminating in a successful IPO, with a robot ringing the NASDAQ bell for the first time in Wall Street history.

Strategic Listening: Some of my most pivotal wins came not from speaking, but from listening. When I’m brought in to advise a company — whether it’s a pivot, pre-acquisition prep or a repositioning, I don’t lead with assumptions. I ask, observe and connect the dots. One founder told me, “You heard what I wasn’t saying and that changed everything.” That’s the power of strategic listening. Or when I am at a networking event, I lead with praise and then a question — which allows the person to tell me a lot about their challenges and their plans. My kids often say, jokingly of course — mom, you have a ‘talk to me penciled on your forehead’ which leads people to just sharing their life’s story — whether I am at a school function or standing in line at a grocery store.

Humility with Bold Vision: I’ve always believed you can lead quietly and still create extraordinary impact. At Brand and Buzz, we work behind the scenes, but we help leaders and companies make bold moves. I’m not the loudest person in the room, but I help others step into the spotlight. Whether guiding a startup to its first fund raise or helping an executive position herself for a board leadership, my success comes from combining humility with conviction and clarity of purpose.

Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. Can you share a story about advice you’ve received that you now wish you never followed?

Early in my career, my boss (a former journalist) told me I’d never make it in the tech world because I couldn’t write “technical jargon”.

At the time, I took her comment to heart and questioned my career and capabilities and whether I should not be in the tech industry. It was several years before I decided not to follow her advice. Over time, I realized that advice said more about her worldview than mine. Jargon isn’t a sign of intelligence. It’s about translating complexity into clarity. People don’t buy jargon, they buy outcomes. They want to understand how technology can help them

Thankfully, I didn’t follow her advice or walk away from the tech world. Instead, I leaned into what I do best: humanize technology, translate innovation into impact and help founders build credibility.

That moment taught me an important lesson: not all advice is meant for your path — even when it comes from someone more senior than you.

The journey of an entrepreneur is never easy and is filled with challenges, failures, setbacks, as well as joys, thrills and celebrations. Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder”?

Being a founder is like riding a rollercoaster.

When I launched my firm, there were days when I questioned everything and other days where I felt unstoppable. One week I was helping a client prepare to get acquired, the next I was navigating self-doubt and burnout.

What helped me ride the highs and lows are my strong support system, a clear sense of purpose and the reminder that even when it feels messy, I’m building something that matters.

Founders don’t need to be fearless, just resilient. We need to:

• Normalize the chaos and uncertainty.
• Build our circle, not just our network.
• Anchor to purpose, not just metrics.

Let’s imagine that a young founder comes to you and asks for your advice about whether venture capital or bootstrapping is best for them? What would you advise them? Can you kindly share a few things a founder should look at to determine if fundraising or bootstrapping is the right choice?

My advice to young founders is to bootstrap for as long as possible. Then consider non-dilutive options such as grants to fund product development.

While venture capital offers funding, resources and access to powerful ecosystems, it often shifts founders’ focus to rapid scaling. The pressure to grow fast and increase valuation, sometimes 10x, can be intense, all to deliver quick ROI for investors.

There are clear benefits to funding, no doubt. But it also means equity dilution and aligning your timeline with investor expectations, not your own.

Of course, there are exceptions. Some VCs do collaborate with founders and act more like partners than gatekeepers. If you find those investors, you are a lucky founder.

I believe the right time to seek funding is after you’ve proven your business model, validated product-market fit with customers and built the infrastructure to support growth.

So, hold off as long as you can to get VC funding.

As for me, I get at least one offer a month from investors and each time I politely refuse. Though I am flattered, I want to remain the CEO of my firm and continue to choose who I work with and the legacy I leave behind.

Many startups are not successful, and some are very successful. From your experience or perspective, what are the main factors that distinguish successful startups from unsuccessful ones? What are your “Five Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Startup”?

1. Solve a Real Problem: A report from CB Insights found that 42% of startups failed because they tackled problems that were interesting to solve rather than those that served a real market need.

Earlier in my career, a CTO at one of the companies I worked with advised the team to focus on building a product first and worry about the market later. That approach led to a beautifully designed solution that no one wanted. The company eventually went under.

My advice is: identify the problem, validate market needs and then build. Make sure you’re solving something your customers are actively struggling with.

2 Invest in Experts: As entrepreneurs, we’re wired to save money wherever possible. Relying on free or low-cost resources may be tempting, but cutting corners on expertise could lead to costly mistakes.

I’ve seen companies bring in friends or students without the right experience, only to end up with products that didn’t work — or worse, run into legal issues.

Invest in experts and advisors who bring deep domain knowledge — from legal to positioning. Whether you’re growing from seed to $3 million or scaling from $5 million to $50 million, surround yourself with talented people who share your vision and complement your strengths.

I often work with companies after they’ve already spent thousands on tactics that didn’t work — because they skipped the business or go-to-market strategy. Start with a clear strategy and defined outcomes, then bring in the right people to execute.

3. Communicate Benefits, Not Just Features: Founders often get caught up in the excitement of building something innovative and spend too much time explaining features instead of the impact.

But customers aren’t buying features. They’re buying outcomes. They want to know: Will this improve lives? Increase revenue? Save the planet?

For instance, a robot that safely and respectfully moves patients from a gurney to a hospital bed would be a game-changer. It frees up nurses to focus on care and reduces their risk of injury. That’s the pitch focus.

Saying you’ve built a “first-of-its-kind platform” means nothing unless people understand what it does and why it matters. Look at your product through a customer’s eyes — and clearly communicate its value.

4. Maintain Focus: Founders are constantly bombarded with advice. It’s easy to start second-guessing your product or trying to serve multiple industries at once. I see this often — at pitch contests, mentoring sessions and founder conversations.

My advice is to start narrow. Focus on one target audience in a single industry. Validate product-market fit. Prove traction. Don’t over-extend yourself and your team.

Once you’ve got at least three paying customers and market traction, then think about expanding or entering into new verticals and you’ll be in a much stronger position to approach investors.

5. Always Be Acquisition or Scale-Ready: Successful startups don’t just plan for the next round. They operate with the endgame in mind. Whether that’s scaling or positioning for acquisition, you need to think two or three moves ahead.

As one of my Beyond $1 Million podcast guests shared, many companies miss out because they haven’t built internal readiness. That means having clean, auditable financials, operational discipline and a business that doesn’t depend on a single person. Buyers and investors are looking for sustainable systems, not just potential.

You also need a brand that signals credibility and spotlights customer adoption. Because when opportunity knocks — whether it’s a partner, acquirer or investor, you want to say yes. Not scramble to catch up.

What are the most common mistakes you have seen CEOs & founders make when they start a business? What can be done to avoid those errors?

Funny you should ask. I recently wrote an article on this topic.

Anyway, here are two mistakes that can be avoided.

1. Not raising enough capital.One of the most common mistakes I see is founders not raising enough capital to get to their next milestone, or raising too early, without a clear use of funds. Underestimating how much it costs to build (especially hardware), market and scale a product often leads to stalled momentum, missed opportunities and bridge rounds under pressure.

On the flip side, raising too early can lock founders into investor expectations before they’ve figured out their model or market. Overall, capital should be strategic. Know what each round is meant to achieve. Raise with a clear plan, aligned with outcomes, not just survival.

2. Not Building a Scalable Infrastructure Early
   Many founders build for the short term — hacking together tools, hiring reactively and creating processes that break under pressure. It works in the early days, but it doesn’t scale. As the company grows, these band-aid solutions slow down execution, confuse teams and erode customer experience.

Startups need to think beyond MVP. That means investing early in foundational systems, whether it’s a customer onboarding process, data tracking or invoicing — systems that can grow with the business. Scaling isn’t just about more sales. It’s about being able to handle growth when it comes.

Startup founders often work extremely long hours and it’s easy to burn the candle at both ends. What would you recommend to founders about how to best take care of their physical and mental wellness when starting a company?

A burned-out founder makes fuzzy decisions. And in the early stages, every decision matters. Founders must protect their most important asset — themselves. I always tell the founders I work with to make time for themselves, even if it’s just one hour a day. That hour will look different for everyone. For some, it’s a workout. For others, it’s a walk with their kids, reading or unplugging completely.

Personally, my reset is the gym. I go to the gym 4–5 times a week. That’s my time to clear my head, decompress and come back sharper.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I recently launched the Beyond $1M podcast, with the goal of helping startup founders get over the hump of scaling beyond a million to $3 — $5 million. Having been deeply involved in the startup ecosystem, I’ve found that this group of founders is often underserved and hoping that this series will be a small step towards sharing real-world insights from those who’ve done it. This is the movement. Please feel free to help amplify the series.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

You can follow me on LinkedIn

Tune in to Beyond $1M podcast

Contact me at info@brandandbuzzconsulting.com.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!