As a founder, you're going to get lost in the sauce. We get about 500 pitches every month.

We do about one deal, if not a little less, every month. So the bar is high. I just knew I love building things and I didn't understand the concept that there was even an ecosystem for that. It's going to look very different the next decade. VCs get 50 decks with the same idea. How are you going to be the one that they bet on? Did that stop you from investing in them? course i. I've always been a little impulsive. I get an idea and just go with it. But that's the thing about life and business. You're always growing, learning, and figuring it out as you go. Welcome to Just Grow With It, the podcast where I share lessons I've learned as a founder and creator, the mistakes, the pivots, and the wins, and how staying consistent

can change everything. So if you're ready to grow with me, let's get into it. Hello, Erica.

Thanks for coming on Just Grow With It. I'm excited to be here. I'm really excited because this is my

first interview in over a year. I had a podcast prior to Just Grow with it. And I interviewed

founders, entrepreneurs, creators. There was a lot of virtual podcasts. I didn't have a clear vision or through line with all of my guests. It felt a bit random. And now I would just grow with it. I'm really interested in doing founders, VCs, people in tech. I had to reach out to you because we have a mutual friend a mutual friend Scott yeah I'm glad he connected us I know

I'm so excited I think podcast game is so interesting I'm in it as well and I think I also kind of had different faces with my podcast where it was virtual for a bit I didn't have a clear guest profile and then as time goes on and as you build your own brand you realize I kind of just want to have my friends on or my friends of friends on because we're all in the same world and you sort of niche down.

I've had a similar journey as well. I think the IRL thing really changes the game. The virtual podcast, it can work if you're just trying to network build, but if you actually want to build a podcast people tune into, I think IRL is really huge. I actually watch more podcasts than I listen to. Yeah. And so the visual is so important

because I don't want to watch a Zoom. We are already always on Zoom that I really don't want to watch another one. 100%. Yeah. And I think also from a connection standpoint, it's the same reason why I try to do IRL coffees versus Zooms with people that I want to build a deep relationship with. Just you can't even compare.

I'm sure the data is there, but in person really helps.

How did you get into venture capital? with people that I want to build a deep relationship with. You can't even compare. I'm sure the data

is there, but in person really helps. How did you get into venture capital? Because you have

your own fund right now, but I want to know the backstory of how you decided to create your own

fund and where you started. Yeah. So I was working at another venture firm at the time.

We were, it was what was the year? It was 2022-ish when market was hot. Yeah, that's when we fundraised. So it was 2020. Okay, so it was a good time.

Chacheebiz launched in the fall. We were kind of coming off a crazy crypto bowl in 21. And it was a

really crazy time. I felt there was a very clear thesis I was developing on my own,

sort of separate from the firm that I was excited to invest in. And often when you work for

venture firms, you're not allowed to be an angel or you're not allowed to be an LP and other

funds. And so it can be so valuable a lot of ways, but it can also be quite restrictive if you

have your own point of view. I realized this idea that I had was, I think, going to make a lot of money, something that

I had to bet on. I'd been a founder previously and was just excited to build my own thing. So that's how

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