Embracing Opportunity
Back in my dating years I used to pray to God to help me find the perfect girl to marry. I would say:
"God, put the perfect girl within 100 feet of me, and I promise I'll do the rest!"
Luckily for me, He did His part! And although it was a little terrifying, I did the work on my end too. Me and my wife have been happily married for several years.
I was LUCKY... but I was also deliberate.
Hang with me here... because there are similarities between this story and raising money.
I know people that grew up with me saying:
"Bridger. How do you meet all these investors? We don't have the same resources as you so we don't know enough people to start a fund."
These people have the same neighbors, went to school with the same people, and were apart of the same community!
However, because it isn't a focus, disheartened capital-raisers don't see any potential investors anywhere.
My antennas are always up. In every social situation, I intend to find the wealthiest people around me to see if there is a possibility for potential investors.
Angel groups, VC groups, Entrepreneurship Pitches...go to these events!
If there is a billionaire within a hundred feet of you, be prepared to do your part.
Be intentional about the people you meet, and increase the amount people you know. All it takes is a little bit of productive networking!
Capital-raising hack: Most of the time I meet people who are interested in investing in my funds at barbeques, through mutual friends, or at community events. It comes down to being focused on your goal despite circumstances.
Make every situation into an opportunity.
There is a widespread network of brain regions creating an attentional system in your brain.
This is the part of your brain that keeps out the billion things around you that you could be seeing, hearing, or feeling, in order to help you focus on what's most important and keep you safe.
Think about it: When you start looking to buy a new car, you start to notice the kinds of cars you pass and the number of dealerships you see on your way to work.
All of a sudden you see 7 silver F-150s in one day!
Is really because there are more F-150s on the road that day?
NO. You just started PAYING ATTENTION to them.
When we focus on what we want, we work harder. It becomes intentional. A lot of people out there are hoping to get lucky, but aren't willing to work for it.
One of my favorite quotes is
"The more you sweat, the more lucky you get."
How long are you in the game? How hard you willing to work for the success you want?
The more focused, productive, and hard working you are the more you increase your surface area of luck.
Especially when starting funds and raising capital. Put your head down, focus on the goal, and work hard and you will dramatically increase the rate of your success.
Happy funding!
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DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not to be taken as tax, financial, or legal advice. You should always consult a legal professional before taking action. Furthermore, this is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. The content is solely just the opinion of the authors.