Building a $25M Tech Company Without VC, Gender Barriers, Social Media Fame, and Writing “Scaling With Soul” With Sharon Gillenwater

It Gets Late Early: Career Tips for Tech Employees in Midlife and Beyond

Ever wonder what it takes to build and sell a tech company for millions without venture capital? Well, we've got the inside story straight from the source!

Today I'm chatting with Sharon Gillenwater, a trailblazing entrepreneur who did just that - she built and sold her tech company (Boardroom Insiders) for a cool $25 million, all without relying on VC funding! She is the author of Scaling with Soul, which chronicles how she built, scaled, and sold her company.

Sharon's not your typical tech founder - in fact, she didn't even have a technical background when she started her company. But she proved that you don't need to be a coder to succeed in the startup world.

Sharon shares her unconventional entrepreneurial journey, the challenges she faced as a woman in tech, and the surprising advantage of being an "older" entrepreneur.

We'll also get the scoop on Sharon's viral TikTok fame, the truth about VC funding (hint: you don't always need it!), and her mission to democratize entrepreneurship and create more respectful workplaces.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or just curious about the wild world of tech startups, you don't want to miss this episode. Sharon's story is proof that you can absolutely make it big in this industry, even if you don't fit the mold, so tune in!

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"You don't have to be a Mark Zuckerberg to be an entrepreneur. Or a Sarah Blakely. You can be a Sharon Gillenwater and make all your retirement money and have a great retirement. And you don't have to take venture capital."

- Sharon Gillenwater

In This Episode:

-How Sharon built and sold a $25m tech company without venture capital

-How to overcome self-doubt and insecurity as an entrepreneur

-Women’s experience in entrepreneurship in the 80s

-The downside of venture capital funding for founders

-How to identify business opportunities

-Employee care strategies and the importance of a positive work culture

-Employment challenges in the tech industry

-Sharon's TikTok fame and content creation journey

-Navigating business exits after venture capital funding

And much more!

Resources:

-Scaling With Soul: How I Built & Sold a $25 Million Tech Company Without Being an A**hole - https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Soul-Million-Company-Without/dp/1964377013

Connect with Sharon Gillenwater:

-Website: https://www.sharonkgillenwater.com/

-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonkgillenwater/

-TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sharonkgillenwater

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkgillenwater/

Connect with Maureen Clough:

-Instagram: @itgetslateearly - https://www.instagram.com/itgetslateearly/

-YouTube: @itgetslateearly - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGrHwk-y7ERaq7bCSjZYf1A?sub_confirmation=1

-Website: itgetslateearly.com - https://www.itgetslateearly.com/

-LinkedIn: @maureenwclough - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenwclough/

-Facebook: It Gets Late Early - https://www.facebook.com/people/It-gets-late-early/100088694515585/

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy