SnapCrackleProp

Most of my career has been spent in male-dominated industries.  Although women dominate residential real estate, guys rule in commercial real estate.  I love CRE, but it can be challenging.  So when I ventured into the world of tech startups where -- once again -- the majority of founders are male, I knew I was looking at yet another challenge.  And add in that most startups are led by men under the age of 30, and it gets to be even more of a contest for funding or inclusion into startup incubators. 

To my delight, I’ve found no shortage of people willing to give freely of their time to help me and my partner build our company.  I have never experienced such a plethora of support and encouragement.  And it’s not just women helping women; men have been equally as helpful.  Everywhere we turn there is someone who has done this before who is willing to donate his or her knowledge, experience and suggestions.  It’s like having my own cheerleading section.   

There are women angel funds, women VC funds, women incubators and women advisors.  And lots of men helping to encourage more women to start businesses. 

Here are a few organizations that I got from 37 Angels http://37angels.com/women-resources/ : 

500 Women:  Funding Flawless Female Founders
Astia:  Network that offers access to capital and training/support for women entrepreneurs
FastTrac NewVenture:  Workshop that helps women turn their business idea into reality
Golden Seeds:  Angel investor network and fund investing in women entrepreneurs
In Good Company:  Co-working space for women entrepreneurs
Lioness:  Digital magazine for female entrepreneurs
Own It Ventures:  Meet and market to Angel Investors, the Media, Retailers and Consumers
Pipeline Fellowship:  Women investors investing in women led social enterprises
Springboard Enterprises:  Accelerator for women-led growth companies
The 85-Percent:  Strategic branding & marketing consultancy, targeting women consumers 
Women 2.0:  Content, community and conferences for women innovators in tech
Women Innovate Mobile:  Accelerator for women entrepreneurs leading mobile companies
Women’s Venture Fund:  Helps entrepreneurs through courses, counseling, credit and more 

The more I research, the more groups I find.  If you’re a woman entrepreneur, please share which organizations, people or lessons you have found to be helpful. If you’re a guy, tell us how you’ve coached entrepreneurs and if you’ve felt the need to coach differently to male or female business builders.   

Even as a little girl, I never felt constrained by my gender.  I had my collection of Barbies, but I also played baseball and could out skateboard any boy in my neighborhood.  I had the best Farrah Fawcett feathered hair and the worst skinned knees.  My father built racecars for a living, and as a teenager I was the only girl in the pits.  I would be completely greasy helping fix a car to get it back on the track and then run to the bathroom, get cleaned up, change clothes and help hand out trophies at the end of the race.  

It didn’t occur to me when I chose a career in the male-dominated commercial real estate (CRE) industry that I would be anything other than successful.  Broken arms, bruises and scabs became 16-hour days, seven days a week.  The outcome was the same:  I excelled.  While some male brokers smirked, I busied myself learning everything I could about the industry.  I built relationships.  I provided added value to my clients.  I worked hard. 

I remember that in my first year in the industry, everybody assumed I would gravitate toward office leasing because that’s what the few women in CRE did.  So I went after industrial and not just small industrial -- big.  After all, it’s the same process, just more square footage.  My very first deal sold for $7.6 million.  

Now I’m co-founder in a startup.  Groups like Catalyst inspire me http://www.catalyst.org/ and all they’re trying to do to help women advance in business.  Catalyst monitors many topics of interest, including the percentage of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies that are led by women. Less than 5%. Sigh. http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/women-ceos-fortune-1000    

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a dad like mine.  He taught me that in order to see change, you have to be the change.  How great it would be if we could each help “parent” those around us to likewise feel the power inside them and reach for whatever future they want.  I’ve chosen the commercial real estate industry, and one day, I hope to  earn a place on that Catalyst list.

This is a great article about Women in Tech Startups.

http://www.inc.com/ss/christina-desmarais/15-women-watch-tech-startups.html#0

Being an entrepreneur has given me countless opportunities to network.  I have been a member the Chamber of Commerce, industry-affiliated associations and numerous civic organizations.  I enjoy attending events and meeting people but I’ve found that within the industries that I have worked, people tend to keep things close to the vest.  There’s a “what’s in it for me” mentality to sharing information, contacts or advice. 

I honestly hadn’t given it much thought before, but as we’ve started networking within the startup community there has been such as stark difference that it has made me take note.  

I posted our first blog three days ago.  In that time I’ve received advice on writing style, content focus, CTO referrals, technical advice and general hints on how to gain traction and interest in our startup.  All unsolicited with no expectations other than wishing us well or rooting for us.  

Some of the constructive criticism stung a little, but it was honest, helpful, and much needed.  Everyone who responded to us aided in our growth.  In three days, I have found a mentor, a strong CTO candidate, invaluable advice and referrals to vendors.  I created a landing page at www.SnapProp.com   (more great advice).  

I’m not naïve enough to realize that this community can’t be cut-throat, probably more so than other industries, but the pay-it-forward mentality helps to give it some balance.  

So take a moment and go to www.SnapProp.com and see what you all helped build in just a few short days.  Sign up for updates on our launch.  Thanks!

I read somewhere the average age of candidates funded at Y Combinator -– a leading incubator for start-ups --  is 26.  I watched a YouTube video last night with one of the founders and someone asked if they accepted older applicants.  "Yes, we've actually had people in their 30's."  I had to laugh.  We just applied for YC – me at 45 and my co-founder, Marlene, at 61.   We are building what we believe to be a solid foundation for our startup, and we really want to be part of YC.  Being mentored by the best would accelerate our learning curve significantly.  

The funny story yesterday was in "the making of the video," an important part of the YC application process.  Marlene lives in the Bay Area, and I live in SoCal, so we had to coordinate making a video, merging it, etc.  We talked about what we were going to wear, how we were going to be positioned, lighting, backdrop, verbiage, etc.  Marlene sent me a picture of a singer from her mother’s era -- Perry Como (may need to Google if you are under 50) where he's half sitting on a bar stool, leaning forward.  On the wardrobe question, I say, "I don't want to wear anything too stuffy, …I want to look like I'm going to meet for tea."  We make decisions and end the call.

I check YouTube to see sample videos posted by others who have applied to YC.  Oh, my. Young, young, young people.  The most amusing one included pictures of half-naked women on a refrigerator in the background.  And my partner and I are talking about Perry Como and tea.  I could not stop laughing. We might well be distinguished as the oldest applicants ever to apply to YC, but I’ll argue that our combined 64 years of experience give us some wisdom, mature judgment and thick skin. And maybe a little edge on success.

Here’s hoping we’re one of the lucky ones to be chosen for the YC incubator. If we are, we will have a great time, do our utmost and significantly raise the average age.  

I am one highly frustrated commercial real estate broker.  Instead of just stewing about paying too much for poor service, fragmented data, and outdated technology, I decided to do something about it.  I’m on an exciting journey researching startups, learning about technology and working to refine my plan into doable phases.  I have to force myself to go to bed before 3 am.  I’m now building my team, hiring people who are ambitious, have strong work ethics and thick skins……And we're having a blast!