Anne Cocquyt didn’t come from a traditional entrepreneurial background. It wasn’t until she got into the world of consulting that she realized she wanted to build ideas. With a failed art business under her belt, Anne moves on to the iPhone case market. With some success and an almost accidental exit, Anne now focuses on helping others to start their businesses. As the founder and CEO of The Guild, Anne helps other female entrepreneurs to get their ideas off the ground. The Land Of Entrepreneurs As the daughter of two teachers in a small town in Germany, Anne didn’t grow up with a lot of entrepreneurial spirit. Most people she knew went off to work for a car manufacturer or as an engineer. Anne got out of there the first chance she got, 15 years ago, and got into consulting. She says that really teed her up to be a cocky entrepreneur. Her first business was in art in Switzerland, and it didn’t go well. Just 10 years ago, Anne decided to come to the US, and for the first time she was meeting like-minded people. Silicon Valley was full of other entrepreneurs that believed in her vision. The Wrong Side Of The Desk Together with her husband, Anne started an iPhone case business. Her husband created a Kickstarter that didn’t go well. That’s when Anne pushed him to invest their own money. Looking back, she says that was her first real step towards entrepreneurship. While that company grew, Anne went to work at Genentech. When Anne found out they had an innovation department, she knew she had to be a part of it, and so she became a corporate partner. This opened up a whole other world of investing to Anne. She learned the ropes quickly and after a few years realized she was on the wrong side of the desk. She wanted to be pitching her ideas and collecting the big checks. That’s when she decided to start a global community of female investors, something she calls The Guild. What started as a more social platform has pivoted into an educational platform. Anne says all of her experience has culminated into helping female entrepreneurs launch big scale companies. Knowing What You Know Now, What Would You Tell Yourself Ten Years Ago? Anne would tell herself to ask for more help, and sooner. She says she would be quicker with her hiring and firing decisions. Most importantly, she would surround herself with exceptional people and learn from them as much as she could. She would tell herself that she’ll get a different energy from people that can relate to what you’re trying to do. What Anne Is Working On Now Anne’s main focus currently is The Guild. She has, however, recently published a book called Dare To Launch. In it, she shares ten years of wisdom around building companies. She calls it inspiring but practical and says it can be found on Amazon. To learn more, visit: Personal website: annecocquyt.com My book on amazon: https://amzn.to/3N1r4f8 The GUILD Academy website: Letsguild.com/academy -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You’ll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/