Weekly show where my featured guests and I explore the financial and business challenges women face on the entrepreneurial journey to success. You'll hear them talk about the money side of their businesses in ways you've always wanted to know about, but wouldn't dare ask. They openly share their disappointments, failures, successes, and everything in-between as they grew sales ranging from 6 to 9 figures. Knowing where your business stands financially helps you make critical decisions with confidence. It's simply the best way to be sure you grow a business that fuels the life you want to live.
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episode 76: Turn Your Community Into Investors With Equity Crowdfunding - The Journey of Kara Sam (Crowdfunding)
How do you set your business up for fast, sustainable growth?
It comes down to having enough resources.
One of those resources is financing. You can scale quickly when you have multiple different types of financing to pull from.
Think of equity crowdfunding, convertible notes, and friends and family fundraising.
That was part of what led entrepreneur Kara Sam to succeed with her company, Bucha Brew.
Today, I chat with Kara to learn about the benefits of equity crowdfunding and what it’s like to run a company in consumer packaged goods with no prior experience.
You’ll learn about the power of word-of-mouth marketing, why it’s important to build a community around your product, and how to run a company with radical transparency.
About my guest:
Kara Sam is the CEO and founder of Bucha Brew, a company that makes craft kombucha. Kara stumbled into entrepreneurship when she began making her own kombucha after falling in love with the beverage on a trip to Hawaii. After landing a deal with Whole Foods, Kara began promoting her kombucha at farmers’ markets and online through equity crowdfunding. Today, Bucha Brew has over 1,500 accounts across Western Canada and is starting to expand into other countries as well.
In this episode we talk about:
➤ How Kara learned about kombucha (5:06)
➤ The biggest challenges Kara faced early in her business (9:08)
➤ How Kara financed the business in the beginning (13:03)
➤ Using a convertible note for financing (15:31)
➤ Tips for handling fast growth (23:04)
➤ How equity crowdfunding works (27:52)
➤ The challenges Kara faced raising money during a pandemic (34:02)
➤ How to run a successful equity crowdfunding campaign (40:11)
➤ The non-monetary benefit of equity crowdfunding (42:59)
➤ Building a regenerative sustainable business (45:22)
➤ Running a business with radical transparency (47:38)
Keep Listening
Curious to learn more about financing your growing business?
Check out my conversation about Invoice Factoring from both the lender and borrowers perspective: Rachel Hersh, Sales Director of Prestige Capital, Lauren Picasso, Founder, and CEO of Cure Hydration and Ceata and Garrett Lash, Owners of PuffCuff LLC.
Contact Me
Ready to transform your purpose to an impactful business financial story, profit, and joy? Schedule a chat with me at any time.
Connect with Kara:
➤ Website
➤ Instagram
➤ Facebook
➤ LinkedIn