"Building a business requires blind optimism and a lot of blind faith. You have to believe in yourself and your idea, even when no one else does." says Nicole Gibbons, Founder and CEO of Clare.

Today we're joined by the incredible Nicole Gibbons, founder and CEO of Clare. Nicole's journey is nothing short of inspiring. From working in PR at Victoria's Secret, to becoming a renowned interior designer, she saw a need for a better way to buy paint and turned the industry upside down. With her expertise and passion for design, Nicole built a brand that challenges the status quo and offers a transparent and modern paint shopping experience. Her story is a testament to the power of following your passion and never giving up. Get ready to be inspired by Nicole's journey and learn how she built a groundbreaking business from the ground up.

Top takeaways:

• Building a community around your passion project can lead to valuable connections and opportunities.
• Timing is crucial in entrepreneurship, and success often depends on being in the right place at the right time.
• Starting a business to solve pain points in an industry can be a powerful motivator and a unique selling point.
• Building a business from the ground up requires a willingness to learn, network, and take risks, even in areas where you have little expertise.

Quotes:

• "I pretty much taught myself a masterclass in how to break into the VC world, how to figure out who the right investors are, how to target them, how to pitch them, how to create a pitch deck, and how to build a financial model." (23:45 | Nicole Gibbons)
• "No one talks about how hard it is to start a business. No one talks about all the sacrifices that you end up making." (35:01 | Nicole Gibbons) 
• “Really think about your long term plan. I think a lot of startups fly by the seat of their pants, and they're taking things one day at a time. But think about the outcome that you want to achieve. And make sure that all the steps that you have in your journey are optimizing toward that outcome.” (45:31 | Nicole Gibbons)

Connect with Nicole Gibbons:

Instagram for Nicole: @nicolegibbonsstyle

Instagram for Clare: http://www.instagram.com/clarepaint

If you like what you're hearing, please leave a rating or review at https://ratethispodcast.com/dearfoundher.

You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build and monetize your community through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.

Make sure you sign up for Lindsay's newsletter and have all of the takeaways from every podcast episode sent straight to your inbox. PLUS, you'll get a tip every week to help you grow and scale your own business.

Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.