ππΌ About the Guest:
Arlan Hamilton is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, a seed investment fund that backs overachieving, underrepresented startup founders, breaking barriers in VC and championing diversity and inclusivity. She is also a tour manager with world-renowned artists, an author, a podcast host, and one of 2018's Fortune 40 Under 40. With Rachel L. Nelson, she authored the book It's About Damn Time - an empowering guide to finding your voice, working your way into any room you want to be in, and achieving your own dreams. Her second book, Your First Million, came out recently and is available now.
ππΌ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product
Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called
GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called
YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.
ππΌ Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyβre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
ππΌ Description:
In this podcast episode, host Sharath interviews Arlan Hamilton, as they discuss her mission to empower underrepresented millionaires and her belief in the power of empowerment and being an underrepresented founder.
ππΌ Timestamps:
- 00:00: Episode Highlight
- 00:40: Shoutout to Acquire.com
- 03:06: Mission to empower underrepresented millionaires
- 08:00: How to reach your first $1M
- 12:37: How to find belief in yourself
- 16:36: Learnings from building Backstage Capital
- 20:11: What makes an underestimated founder an overachiever?
- 23:11: How to pick founders to invest in as a VC
- 26:30: How to pick ideas to invest in
- 27:21: How Arlan's investing philosophy has changed over time
- 27:48: Advice to people going through tough times
- 30:02: Outro
ππΌ Resources:
- It's About Damn Time book: https://www.amazon.com/Its-About-Damn-Time-Underestimated/dp/0593136411
- Your First Million book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-First-Million-Business_and-Generational/dp/0316507962
- Your First Million Event: yourfirstmillion.live
- Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-first-million/id1467515562
- Lisa Nichols: https://motivatingthemasses.com/home-new/
- Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
ππΌ Where to find Arlan:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlanWasHere
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arlanwashere/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlanhamilton
- Backstage Capital: https://backstagecapital.com/crew/
- Hire Runner: https://www.hirerunner.co/
- Your First Million Event: yourfirstmillion.live
- Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-first-million/id1467515562
- Your First Million Book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-First-Million-Business_and-Generational/dp/0316507962
- It's About Damn Time Book: https://www.amazon.com/Its-About-Damn-Time-Underestimated/dp/0593442709/
ππΌ Where to find Sharath:
What is The Undefeated Underdogs?
The Undefeated Underdogs is a podcast unpacking the underdog stories you never heard of!
It highlights the underdog mentality and brings authentic conversations with people who play the long game, take action with a chip on their shoulders, and convert obstacles into opportunities!
Buckle up, as I will be bringing some authentic founders, VCs, community builders, and content creators who got underestimated their whole life, and yet they beat the odds and became insanely successful!