Jessica Peltz Zatulove: [00:00:00] I was really proactive and I asked for it, nothing was, nothing has ever been handed to me.

David Fano: Hey everyone. Thanks for joining we're with Jessica pelts today that I've had the pleasure of getting to know through some fun, more like hobby type activities for me. But, uh, when I asked for someone that's had a bit of a windy career, but gotten to do some really cool things, Jessica quickly volunteered.

So I'm super, super happy to have her on the show, but more excited to hear about her career and, and what she's done directly from her. So, Jessica, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: Yeah. Um, grew up in Minnesota, which you only really hear when I say I'm from Minnesota, uh, moved to New York after college.

So I've been here, uh, almost about 19 years now, but started my career on the customer side at a global media agency. So I was running the, the media strategy, print digital for brands like Gucci and Puma and 20th century five and H and M and [00:01:00] Verizon. Um, I was really fortunate that I was. Doing Verizon's media strategy from 2009 to 2012, which just, we all remember that moment in time was really a front row seat to seeing how consumer behavior was changing more towards mobile adoption.

I did some of the industries first iPad sponsorships with time Inc. Um, launched the Android device for Verizon terrible campaign called droid does. And we thought, we thought like only do we thought only like, Dudes would buy it. Um, yeah, but it was just, it was a really interesting moment for me in my career because it got me really interested in emerging technology.

So I started really tracking the trends of adoption and, and how consumer's relationship with technology was really changing. And that's what got me really curious and interested in working with startups. And so here in New York, back in 20 10, 20 11, like. The New York tech scene was just starting to bubble up a little bit.

We were kind of trying to figure out what we were good at Boston was really sort of like the main east coast [00:02:00] hub for the taxine. So I started getting involved in the startup community and mentoring different companies, and just really quickly realized that as a non-technical female, working with a lot of founders that were often more or product or engineering focus, like they didn't know how to find their first customers.

They didn't know how to build a brand, how to do content strategy, media strategy, community building, brand positioning. And, and this is how I grew up in the industry. And so leaning into that just really helped me find my niche. So I left corporate in 2012 to go to a startup myself as a second employee of one of the first innovation boutiques.

So we were helping startups find their first customers, um, helping big brands learn how to commercialize emerging technology. So that's when I was working with some brands like craft and Unilever and , and ended up doing some of the industries first influencer marketing campaigns, um, mobile wallet campaigns, connected devices, campaigns.

And then from there [00:03:00] went to corporate venture capital in 2014, uh, which is where I really cut my teeth on venture capital. So, so for six years I was running a corporate BC practice of a global advertising holding company called MDC partners. It's now called stag group. Uh, so there I was investing in all companies really addressing the needs of the modern CML.

So looking at a lot of things around data and analytics and commerce infrastructure and content type businesses left about a year and change ago to start my own firm with my partner, Kate Beardsley, I had a gray, which brings us to today. And so now I have an early stage firm called Hannah Gray. We invest in all precede founders, redefining everyday experiences.

So really leaning it into understanding how these just macro and micro forcing functions are impacting consumer behavior, not just consumers. It's just whether that's the worker, the patient, the caretaker, the consumer, just how is their daily life changing to create areas of opportunity. So that's [00:04:00] what I will say will be my last job, because we just obviously plan could build and scale this for, for the next couple decades.

So that's how we get there.

David Fano: That is awesome. I mean, so much to talk about. Well, let's take it all the way back to the beginning. We like to kick off the show with the same question every time. When was it in your life that you first started to think let's call like more intentionally about your career, um, where you were taking actions that were career oriented might not be what you were doing.

It might have been picking a major, like with intention or sort of, you know, sometimes people just like, I'll take whatever. So like that time we're like, this is gonna affect. What I do.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: Yeah. Gosh. So many points looking back. So I, I sold friendship bracelets in origami in elementary school. Oh, that's so awesome.

David Fano: My daughter just started doing that.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: yeah. Sounds silly. I, I mean, in my parents always say I was, I was a board. [00:05:00] It's just like, my friends would call me football girl, like growing up. And I think that, like, I think some of that just like. Shaped how, um, like if you don't, don't ask, don't get basically, I mean, my mom jokes, the, I mean, this is like kind of the silly thing to say that I'm even like remembering this, but my middle name is Beth and my mom always used to say that.

They, they should have had, my name should have they, they should have had the, the E B and O. So I should have been Jesse both PEs instead of Jesse Beth PEs. Cause when I was little, I they'd be like, do you want this or that? And I'd be like both. And I was always like negotiating my mom. My mom literally pulled out letters.

I wrote to the tooth fair when eight years old asking for more money and like why I should get $5 per tooth instead of $4 per tooth. And so I think that like, just that. Business strategy and creativity around business negotiations is something I've always kind of thought about. But I would also say that some formative, more formative [00:06:00] experiences that, that I had growing up is, is like I worked at olive garden.

Like you kind of learned to work with different people in that capacity. And, and I was a camp counselor at a, at an overnight camp. And I actually think that. Being a camp counselor just teaches you to be a business leader in so many ways that you don't even recognize that you just take for granted, like you are responsible for 10 tiny human beings lives.

You have to learn how to public speak. You have to learn to problem solve. You have to learn to think on your feet. And so I, I think that like, I was fortunate if we, if we do like a major throwback dissecting my childhood, that like, I guess there's a few of these different points. Um, but then in terms of my being really intentional about my career moves, so I had an internship at a, at a media agency in Chicago, somewhere before my senior year of, of college.

Uh, I went to Indiana university, if there's any there's, any Hoosiers that are listening, very fond memories of Hoosier basketball. Um, but so I had an internship at a media agency [00:07:00] there and. You know, I, I just assumed that that's where I would land after college. I had a great internship. I knew that I was gonna, where I was gonna live in Lincoln park and I was gonna have these roommates.

And I was interviewing with dark com, which was one of the top media agencies for after school. And I was like, of course, I'm gonna get this job. How am I not gonna get this job? I like, I did really well in school. I had this great internship and I made it all the way to final round interviews and I didn't get the job.

And I was devastated. I was like, this is ridiculous. And at that point in time in my career, this was summer 2003, just to like time out snap. So like shortly after nine 11, I was like, I'm not going to Chicago. I movie to New York. And I knew nobody here except for my brother who, who is like a rabbi. So clearly like we're running in different social circles.

and my parents are like, oh my God. She's like, my parents never thought I, I would do it. But at that moment in time, this is preLink in days just to like date myself. [00:08:00] I started to go down warm holes to think through how I'm gonna a land, a job in media, in New York, with no connections or anything. And I started to obsessively.

Read the business trades at, at my college at university. And I would highlight different business leaders that were quoted in articles and started to follow when different agencies, creative agencies and media agencies would win an account. And I would email them my resume and say, Hey, I saw you just one, like a craft foods account.

You're probably gonna need to staff up with assistance. Like I'm a senior at engineering university. I'm gonna be ready to like, Work come this summer. And that ended up landing me a few job offers, um, in New York. So I would say like, that was, that was probably a moment in my career when I was like, I'm just gonna figure this out and do it.

And I'm just gonna like, will this into existence. And I still keep the like notebook that I kept. Cause I had like a page of every [00:09:00] single agency I would reach out to and like what press I read and who I reached out. And, and I think that like, That intentionality about your career and what you wanted to do and having like a process and, and like operationalizing.

It is something that I carried with me through every major career move that I've made over the last 18 years.

David Fano: Oh, well, that's awesome. Well, I'm gonna have to like go back and dissect that for teal. Cause that's essentially what we're trying to appify for or every professional. So awesome. That's awesome.

And it works. I think you're living proof that if people do it, you can be successful. All right. So that's awesome. We're gonna have to jump into some of the times that you use that. So you, that works this sort of proactive approach. You got, you set a goal, you achieved it. What was that first job? What was it like?

You know, coming into that.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: Yeah. So my first job actually didn't really work out. So I ended, I ended up at a media agency called initiative. Uh, I was working the AOL accounts. We were, we were trying to make it the HBO of the internet doing different campaigns at the [00:10:00] running man. I was a, I was an assistant media planner.

Yeah. I was there like a year to the day where it was like first day, something like August 14th last day, like August 13th or so thing like that, where it was like my first job outta school. And I was just like, Uh, this is not what I thought I signed up for. Like, I didn't really gel with the team. Um, I asked a lot of questions and I don't know if that's really like what they wanted.

of somebody in my position. Uh, and from there, when I went to Zenni, that's where I really found my footing and climbed the ranks pretty quickly. I was there for. About eight years. So I, when I started there, I was an assistant. When I left, I was, I was a vice president. I was one of the youngest vice presidents at the agency at the time, and then went over to evolution, which is this, the startup that I referenced.

David Fano: And I think there's a lot of learning there. You know, I think people take jobs and they're like, there's a lot of angst around like, oh, I gotta, I gotta be successful in it. Even talk us through that. Like one year mark was that. You know, what was the learnings in that transition? Was it something you initiated, they initiated?

What was it [00:11:00] like? Yeah, obviously it's a little different now. Now like one year is pretty standard, you know? Yeah.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: Yeah. I know. Right. But like circuit four, it was like a big deal. I mean, it was like 23, 23. Yeah. It was probably 23 years old. And just like crushed that, like, do I leave New York? Like, why did this work out?

Like soul searching? Am I like a failure? And. And then I just do what I always do, which is like, okay, let's go back to basis. Like, who did I, who do I know? And I ended up reaching out to, um, some mentors of mine at that agency that really had kind of taken me under their wing. Um, and they were really generous with their network and ended up connecting me with who, what then a gentleman that ended up being my new boss set at the agency who just like, I think you just have to find your people that you really connect with.

And I think that like, that's the most important thing is. You know, if there's a lesson that I, that I learned kind of looking back, I was deciding between three job offers. At that time, I, I was fortunate that I, I had a few different options [00:12:00] and I went with the one where that was the most money . And, and for context again, 2003, like I was making 30 grand a year, like this is, and in New York, like every dollar, every dollar count.

And I went with, I went with the job that paid the most, as opposed to. The team and the managers that I felt I connected with the most. And I went into that, that first job being like, I'll figure it out. Like, it'll be fine. And I, and I think that, like, that experience really taught me to trust my intuition more in terms of just you're a talent that they're hiring.

And so it's also do want to make you successful and do you wanna make me successful? And I think that. That's often overlooked by a lot of candidates that just want a job mm-hmm . And for me, like, I don't want jobs. I want careers. And part of that learning was, was I think, like surrounding myself with people that I felt I had great chemistry with [00:13:00] and felt wanted to invest in me and my talent at that young age to help me grow and reach the potential that I knew I had, but I wanted to work with people that would allow me to achieve that.

And I think that a lot of people that are looking for their first jobs just need to. Realize that you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you. And so it, it shouldn't always be about, I mean, obviously like dudes, you gotta deal with like, if you need to take a job for the money, like you take a job for the money.

But I, I think that, like, if you're trying to be thoughtful about your career and future moves, like I always kind of looked at my career as two steps ahead and I always kind of look, looked at it as like, okay, what. What am I gonna be able to put on my resume? Who am I gonna meet? What experiences am I gonna talk to?

What case studies am I gonna be able to point to? That is gonna help me achieve my next goal. And so if I look at kind of these like three major pivots is the wrong word, but like jump leaps, like [00:14:00] date points in time and career, it was like going from the media agency in corporate to then going to a startup to get operating experience as an early employee.

To then going to corporate BC to now having my own firm. Like, I was very intentional in knowing that like, I always wanted to eventually do my own thing, but I, I knew there was like skill sets and apprenticeship and networks and things that I wanted to learn to help give me the confidence to make me successful in this new venture that I have now.

And I think that's just like a really personal journey for people, but. I always looked at it through the lines of like, if I go, it's like a, choose your own adventure, right? Like if I go here, what could happen if I stay here? What could happen? And, and like, just being really thoughtful about like, it's like something that we tell founders all the time.

It's like, okay, if I'm leading your seed round, what do we want the first slide of your deck of your series a to say, like, what are those milestones? Those KP, yes. You wanna hit. And I, and I feel like I kind of. Internalize that for myself of like, okay, [00:15:00] what, how do I want to level myself up in my career, up with these experiences?

And like, let me make sure I'm getting those and like creating those opportunities for myself.

David Fano: Did you think about your time at Zeth that way, you know, to go from, you know, essentially one year of experience to VP in eight years, that feels like that was, you know, you had to do some deliberate things. I don't think that happens by accident.

Yeah. So I'd be curious. What were some of the things. That benefited your ability to, to sort of ascend at that pace. Yeah.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: I was really proactive and I asked for it, nothing was, nothing has ever been handed to me. There's there's never been a single raise, a single promotion where they're like, you're doing a great job.

It's like, oh no, this and this is maybe where the hu girl comes into play. I would go into my bus. I'd be like, hi. This is what I've accomplished. This is my milestones. This is how I've contributed. This is where I wanna be in three months, six months. Like what's the path that you wanna see to help me get there.[00:16:00]

And I think that like, they appreciated that directness, but I was also really proactive in that I knew I wanted to get, uh, a pretty wide aperture of experience. So I, on fashion brands, I worked on retail brands. I worked on CPG. I worked on telecom. You know, I worked on liquor. I like, I, I really like. Every time we got a new account, we were pitching a new business.

Like I would have my hands in a lot of different things. And that also went to things that like around research that we were doing. Mm-hmm . So when I was working on Verizon, you know, I started the mobile task force, which like, again, today seems like silly, but right. You know, this was, this was circa 2010 ish, probably where our, maybe in 2009, we're like, okay, this is what's happening with the at and T and the iPhone, like, this is what we're doing with.

The Android device, like we're starting to sunset talking about the Blackberry and stealing customers between carriers and starting to talk about people upgraded to their data plan and just being really proactive about like, okay, well let's zoom out. And what does this mean for the industry [00:17:00] as a whole?

Like, how are we gonna track user behavior? How are we gonna track metrics? How are we gonna track like the via ability of these business models as like. Magazine X tries to sell me an iPad app. Like, are your, are your readers even using an iPad at this point? Like what's the utility and just like kind of creating that opportunity for myself to be able to be the mouthpiece for some of these new emerging platforms, just like number one, got me really just like passionate and energized and inspired about like, what would wanna do in the long term to help me feel like I'm finding my own product market fit, so to speak.

But also, um, just gave me the exposure internally for management to be like, oh, like this kid is, is like taking initiative and adding value in the process. Cuz they're making me smarter cuz like, I don't know these things either. So I, I think that like, it's just really important to be thoughtful about creating opportunities for yourself that you wanna be to talk about and

David Fano: [00:18:00] learn about.

Yeah. I think it's really great advice and I think it's, it's very, um, unfortunately. Unobvious or unnatural. Right. I think a lot of people approach it with like, just work hard and it'll work things out and that's, that's not true. And that, and the thing is, that's not, it's not personal. Right. I think that's the thing is like people it's like, why don't they value me?

It's like, no, they do. They're just like tending to the people that asked. And there's a lot of things going on and you gotta do you like products don't sell themselves, you've gotta sell. And it's a really tricky thing cuz people like want it to happen. And they, they really have like a lot of internal turmoil over it.

It's like, you've gotta be your best

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: advocate. A hundred percent, a hundred percent. And, and you know, when I was younger, it, it was like uncom. It was uncomfortable, right? Like it's uncomfortable to talk about money. It's uncomfortable as a young woman to talk about money mm-hmm and, and a lot of these environments.

And some advice that I got from, from one of my mentors [00:19:00] was, was just like, take the emotion out of it. This is an of money coming outta your boss's pocket. They don't care. They wanna retain you as a talent. And, and I feel like once. Once I was able to reframe my mindset around that. It just, it helped me speak more confidently and be more assertive.

When I, when I was asking for something, whether that was like getting promoted from senior buyer to supervisor or like supervisor to associate director, like it, it just like helped me talk more about where I wanted to go. And it was also, I never approached it as like, A threatening. Like, I was never like promote me or I'm gonna leave.

Like, I just think that's bad that I just think that's a bad personally. I think that's a bad way to approach it. Like I never did. Yeah. I, I never did the like pay me or, or else I, I approached it as like, this is where I wanna be. Tell me let's col let's collaborate on like what you need to see from me to, to [00:20:00] get there.

And like what, let's make sure we're on the same page of these milestones and these accomplishments, and then like you better believe I hit them and then some, and then followed up . And so then it put them in a little bit of like a, a place where they had to make good in, or they knew that me as a talent that they wanted to retain would, would, would not be where they wanted to be.

So I think that as like that alignment and then that accountability of speaking up for yourself is. Is really important. Yeah. Cuz I, I don't, I don't think you can just be like, I deserve a race it's like, right. Do you? Why it's like, yeah,

David Fano: exactly. And I that's and especially in today's day and age, I think there's a kind of just like this belief that you're gonna be recognized.

And, you know, it's just gonna happen. And then that creates this resentment and, and it becomes very personal and it's, it's really not. That's why it's, it's a commercial relationship. It's not a personal relationship and people that doesn't mean you can't have a personal relationship with your manager.

You guys can be friends outside of work, but like in the context of work, [00:21:00] it's a commercial relationship. So eight years come. I'm gonna assume, like there's some level of like growth plateau, maybe not, not even in terms of competence, like you wanted to be learning more things experientially, but that was probably a tricky decision, like good growth trajectory companies, like really rewarded your growth.

You're like, like loyalty, all this stuff. Like how'd you make that leap.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: Yeah, so fast. So fast forward to 2012 when I was leaving, um, I was leaving Santa, went to evolution naturally in true farm. I was starting to, you know, get down a warm hole of startups and entrepreneurs and I came across evolution. Um, and I just emailed the founders like, hi, this is what I do.

You should hire me. and we had breakfast and we're just very in sync on the vision and how brands really need to Futureproof themselves by learning about emerging technology and startups needed help bridging the language. And bridging like these commercial agreements with big brands and doing pilot tests.

So I was just very in sync with the founder. [00:22:00] At that point, I was also, I was, I was in my early thirties, you know, I was in a life place where I could take risks. I, I wasn't married. I didn't have kids at the, at that time. And. I made a weighted spreadsheet because of course I made a weighted spreadsheet of like, if I stay at, at Ze where like, I, I was happy, like I was happy.

I had a lot of autonomy. Like I was, I was working a lot of different, interesting pieces of business, great perks when you're at the media agency at that moment in time. And, but I just to like ask myself, the tough question is I was like, if I stay in this role for another year, What am I gonna learn? Who am I gonna meet?

What new experience am I gonna have? Do I need to be buying more homepage takeovers? Like, let's just keep, let's just keep it real. And I was like, but if I go to this startup, which keep in mind, like we didn't have an office, it didn't get paid for a while. I had no, there was no insurance. Like we're to talking, like we're talking [00:23:00] like three people in an idea, but I was like, If I go here, what could I learn?

Who could I meet? What new experience could I have? It's kind of this, like, choose your own adventure path. And I was like, you know what? There's clearly this like creativity bubbling under the surface right now in New York in 20 11, 20 12. Like you could feel it. You could feel like that more moment in time.

We were also coming out of a crisis vintage after the recession, where there was just like so many incredible companies being created. That I, I basically said to myself, like, if this is an epic flame out, I can always go back. Like I can always get another job here and they're probably gonna pay me more.

if I, if I come back. So let me, let me try this for like six months to a year. Like I also having kind of gotten the startup book, working with founders. Like I knew way I wanted to get my hands dirty and really good operating experience. And. I knew that I wanted to be able to connect with founders [00:24:00] authentically, like who were in the trenches and building.

And I wanted to be able to really understand what that process was like when like we're waiting for an invoice to come in and I'm not getting a paycheck until that happens. And I think there's just like, there's just a lot of life skillsets that you learn. And so I like, all right, we're we're doing this

And so that was, so that was June, 2012 and that was. And that was just like, I mean, I'm still really close with one of the founders. Um, and one of our other early employees there, there ended up being a crew of about six of us and it was a blast and it was, it was fast paced and we built together and we were creative and we were scrappy and we were definitely dysfunctional, like a wide.

Range of things as every good startup is. Um, but it, it taught me so much around just putting a pause on the bureaucracy and the politics, and just like giving yourself the creative license to build. [00:25:00] And also just like what it means to be an entrepreneur and creative freedom that I just felt so inspir aired by.

You know, when you're in an agency in a corporate, like, I, I was just starting to feel really suffocated and really handcuffed in terms of what I wanted to do and what I wanted to build. And, and it started to also create some friction for, for me in terms of like I saw the direction was going over here and I would start to get pushback on some of the managers, some of the management when it's like, Jess, why are you like spending your time tinkering on this like free pilot test?

Like. I need you to focus on the 26 million contract with Conde NAS. And I'm like, that just isn't interesting anymore. Like, this is where the action is. And so, I mean, maybe friction is the wrong word, but like, I, I just like my heart was being pulled in a different direction based on like what I knew I wanted to do and where I, where I knew there was gonna be like meaningful change to be had.

Mm-hmm and then when I, so we built that consultancy to [00:26:00] a few million in revenue. Um, it's not around anymore, but I just like. I, as I was getting to know more people in the ecosystem, like I knew I wanted to get into venture capital and I knew I kind of wanted that to be my, my end game, but I also knew like no top firm is gonna hire like a, a, a marketing female in 2014, like that was not happening.

And so when I had the opportunity and, and was recruited into corporate VC, it was. It was a really natural progression for me. Um, partially because a lot of the work I was doing, the media agency side around vetting different partners is like one approach to evaluating businesses and opportunities. Um, but VC is also just a perfect fit for me personally.

Cause I just believe like there's skills and character traits of VC. Like I, you can, you can learn to be a BC. It is high school math. It is not that difficult. It, but. The character traits that make a good VC. In my opinion, [00:27:00] as an early stage investors, like you have to genuinely enjoy helping other people build their business.

You have to be intensely curious about behavior and macro trends and hypothesizing about what's gonna happen in the future. And there's a strategic component to it around on the portfolio construction and how that's gonna make sense to deliver the returns you want. And. Frankly, like you have to be a connector and you have to think about your, your network holistically and say like, well, this person makes sense with this person.

Like, I might not know the answer, but like you're seven people that are smarter than me that do. And I just love that. Like, that's, that's like what I always do. And so it was just, it was a really nice fit for me. So like I said, I, I ran that corporate BC practice for about six years and I mean, my partner, Kate and I she's just the best, like nobody's better than Kate.

We we've known each other for our. Gosh for, for about eight years now. And you know, she, when we first met, when I first transitioned to corporate BC, she started layer hippo. And so when I was kind of dropped into the deep [00:28:00] end of capital, it was like, Okay. Read a blog, listen to a podcast or call Kate who was just very generous with her time in acumen.

And, you know, that turned into us doing co investments together and sharing deal flow. She's just incredible. And so we, we kind of started plotting that we were gonna do a firm together. It was kind of a matter of when, not if, and so when the time was right for a lot of different reasons, both personally and professionally, like it's, it's like we've never looked back and it's the best decision I've ever

David Fano: made.

That's awesome. Which is, I think that. Something I've seen from the conversation that I'm hearing is. You were kind of planning a couple steps ahead and yeah, but you know, I sort of, in these conversations, I'd categorize you as like a career investor. Right. You're you were making these investment decisions in yourself.

And the thing is we don't really like sure. We can like buy education and we should, and things like that, but yeah, I'd say really are. Most valuable form of currency when it comes to our careers time. Um, and what, what I've seen some people do [00:29:00] is they really over index to like the short term return. I E like, what's gonna get me the most salary versus what's gonna gimme all these intangibles that are quite hard to quantify.

And are much more like belief based, right? Mm-hmm like, I have a belief that this will pay off in the future. I don't exactly know how to compute the ROI on it. Yeah. But I feel like I'm hearing you talk that you've kind of operated that way. So now, like in retrospect, , you know, what kind of advice would you have for folks?

You know, assuming you can, like you said, right. Not everyone can, but sometimes you can choose to sacrifice some things to maybe make. Some of these long term, longer term investments. Yes. And what advice would you have for people that are sort of maybe over prioritizing the short term? And, and I also think, you know, a little bit of a reaction.

I, I think the conversation right now is very much like a transaction or like there's so much conversation around compensation, get your dollars worth, which again, I think people should, I, and I think equal pay is important, super important, but I do think it's getting to the point of [00:30:00] a little bit of like myopia.

On like some of that longer term benefit.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And, and I think that like, So number one, I, I really believe in just digging into your intuition and your gut of what you wanna do. And everybody is so accessible these days. Like you can DM them on Twitter, you can post them on LinkedIn. You can find their email online.

Like there are just ways to get connected to anybody. Like it's, I joke, it's like my face game to play. It's like name a person. I'm gonna figure out how to get to them. I don't know how, but like, I'll figure it out. And I just think that like, People should have, should think about number one, journaling.

Like sometimes it's just a brain dump about doing audit of your professional life. Like, what do you like that you, that you're like getting energy from and that you really are feeling inspired and are excited to work from. And then like, what do you, what do you not like? Like that was another exercise that I did when I was leaving corporate to go to a startup is it's like, [00:31:00] Okay.

What about this job? Do I like, what about this job? Do I don't like, and then that just helps me have more clarity on like, where I wanted to go. And so I, I think that, like, if there's something just really tactical that you can do, it's just like do an audit of your job. What, what parts of it do you really like?

And how can we figure out how to do more of that? Maybe it's in this role, maybe another role. And then what are the parts that suck and how can you shed that? Or maybe you can't shed that and like, let's figure out another path, but. I think just having that awareness is really important for your own like professional accountability.

The other thing that I did is in 2015. So I'd been in venture for, I don't know, a few months at that point, I, I went in there on fall 2014 is I was like, I've only met a few women in venture so like, I've been in this, I've been in this gig for like four or five months. I think I've met like three women.

And when I met CTN, Don, I was like, is there like a group or. Something for women adventure. And she was like, yeah, [00:32:00] it's a Google group. It's like pretty dead. And so I was like, well, I selfishly want to know everyone. And I like planning parties. So like, we should just, we should do this. And cuz at that point I, I really recognize that venture venture is a game of chess and venture.

Is a puzzle to put together because there's thousands of firms and you have to understand who invests in what, at what stage at what sector do people lead. What's their check size. Like you gotta kind of put the community together. And so that's when we started women in VC, which, um, today has grown into the world's largest community for women investors.

We're now 4,000 women across 65 countries, 200 cities and 40 us states. And so one of the reasons that I've meticulously been building that for over seven years now is like, I now have relationships with over 4,000 women globally, as I think about how can we be thoughtful about [00:33:00] pulling different investors into our companies?

How can we be thoughtful about downstream capital? How can we be, maybe I wanna learn more about. What's going on in Seattle. Great. I have my entire network organized of people that are investing in that. If I have a FinTech company that wants to scale to Europe and is raising their series a like it's just organizing your network with intention is really important.

And so I also think this goes again to like, how can you create your own opportunities? I like what is a problem that you wanna solve that, you know, of course it's a huge service to the community. We get like the most. Wonderful. Wonderful emails and DMS from people around the world. Their slack group has over a hundred active channels.

Like hundreds of women have gotten jobs through that. They've gotten deals through that. They've gotten mentors. Like it's just, it's an incredible, it's an incredible force, but. For me also as a fund manager and our competitive edge is again, it's a Trojan horse into self-reported data on over 2,500 venture firms around the world.

And it allows us to have [00:34:00] a personal touchpoint with people globally in a way that most managers don't because they're not the admin on the community, they haven't taken the time to onboard everyone. So that's why, I mean, where it's like. In 2015. Did I have any idea where I would be? No, but I knew I wanted to invest in these relationships that I could carry with me throughout the duration of my career.

And so I think thinking about like some of those initiatives that you could maybe do for yourself or for your industry or for your network and, and really. I mean, I just, I can't stress enough, like how important it is to have a data driven community and like a data driven network and CRM, like so, so important.

Yeah.

David Fano: Um, completely agree. Part, part of the reason we're building that. So a hundred percent agree. Shout out

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: to,

David Fano: yeah. So as someone who I'd say is always looking at what's next and, and the audiences, folks who are thinking about their career, which is inherently what's next, if you were starting. Your your [00:35:00] career today, like where, you know, also given your, your expertise and things, but like what, where would you encourage people to go?

Like, like what are the, the next big things that you think you're gonna create? Tons of career opportunities.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: Oh my gosh. So many different things. It's, it's hard to pick one. I mean, we're spending a lot of time in web three. I feel like that's kind of the most obvious answers. And I say web three, because.

I look at it through two different lenses is number one. Like I haven't seen this level of creativity and imagination and energy since the early days of mobile mm-hmm . And when you just start to see builders coming together in a new way, like, I think it's so powerful. And I also think that, you know, we're just starting to see the early days of the gen Z worker and the way gen Z wants to earn their income.

And so that's why I think that this decoupling of income from traditional institutions in web three is really fascinating. So I would say we're definitely actively investing. Um, in web three, we, we have four investments in the space [00:36:00] right now. Um, we'll be announcing a fifth soon. Um, so that's an area where we're really bullish on is just what does that virtual work opportunity look like in terms of not just how are you compensated differently, but just how can you collaborate with new and different people decentralized way?

Which I think is just like a fascinating area of, of growth. We see a lot of really interesting things in healthcare, in mental health and, and again, it's. I don't wanna say, like, if I were starting my career, do this, it's it's really, if I was starting my career today, I would really think about what, what, what projects and what problems do I wanna work on?

I would say, like, I don't think that me coming from the side of a venture capitalist can be like, go to web three. That's where all the action is because like, I'm biased, like, of course some bias. But I, I think if I'm just like an everyday person thinking about how am I starting my career, I. I think it's, I think it's doing a lot of like, self-reflection of being like, what problems do I want to solve?

What [00:37:00] industries or sectors am I interested in? What do I like doing? What do I not like doing? And then how can I get educated about the opportunities in the space, whether that's following people on Twitter, whether that's looking on crunch base, whether that's reading different research about it. Um, there's a lot of different ways to figure it out.

But I, I, I think it's something that like, You kind of get to the point, like I eventually did with Hannah Gray, my firm. I don't even think I said that, but like my firm is Hannah Gray is like, I can't not do this. And I just feel like you sometimes get to that point as a worker where like you're so drawn to a problem or you're so drawn, which like, I'm sure you feel a teal too, is like, you just, you, can't not be attached to building that, that thing.

And I think that when you find that it's just. It's really special and really just like an energizing, inspiring experience, but it's a journey to get there. Right. I mean, it's not like I [00:38:00] decided overnight. It's not that I even like knew I wanted to do this overnight. And so I think it's just really being honest with yourself about what's working and what's not working in your career and in your personal life.

And, and what do you need financially? Maybe you need more, that's totally fine. Maybe you can do with less of the short term, but you know, like we didn't take a salary for months. And part of the reason that we started Hannah Gray when we did is because like we took the time to financially plan, to be in a position to do that.

And so again, it's like a very, it's a very personal thing, but I, I think, think it's being honest with yourself about like, okay, How do I budget? What am I comfortable with? If I do wanna start something on my own, maybe that's for you. Maybe that's not either way. It's fine, but it's, it's doing an audit of yourself, profess, professionally and personally, to figure out what is that best path forward that is gonna make you happy and make you excited to get out of bed and, and make you want to grow and to help [00:39:00] build that organization.

David Fano: I think that's awesome advice. And I think you're a great example of. Like patience, deliberate patience. Right? Cause I don't think that there was like a lack of urgency. Maybe that's not the best word, but I think like you weren't sitting around waiting, right? You were like taking action. You were, I was planning.

Yeah. It's still like, you know where you are now in terms of like high career fulfillment, is it, it took some iteration and I think, I think, you know, this idea that we're gonna to know what we want to do. I think for two reasons it's fundamentally flawed. Like one, we haven't had enough exposure and two, the world's changing.

So like even the exposure that we've had, there's new things to be exposed to, right? Like web three is exciting and it's new and that's gonna create all sorts of new things. So it's also, I think, engaging in this like natural curiosity and not, it it's just not gonna end. Right. So like enjoying the process, there is no conclusion to like career fulfillment.

It's like, you gotta just totally enjoy being curious and learn

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: well, and I also think that we're, we're at a moment in time where like [00:40:00] the job you want might not have even been created yet. Right. Or the job or the job that you want, you might not even know exists yet. I mean, I remember when I got into media, you know, as an everyday consumer, like, I don't think about how that ad got on TV.

I don't think about like, How that, how that advertisement got in Vogue magazine. Like, I don't know. I just think, Ugh, advertisements, but once I got on the media agency side of things, I was like, oh, that's why this ad is across from this editorial and is buying this like there. And I never even thought about a media buyer or planner as like a viable career.

And so you, you also just have to go on kind of this like listening exploration tour. Where it not might, might not just be things that you don't know exist yet. Like I said, when I was in growing up, like I had you, you'd never think about like the science behind, why something got, where in terms of like the media buying persona.

[00:41:00] But now, if we look at web three, like there are jobs that, that are being newly created and jobs that don't even exist yet. I mean, mm-hmm, , there are people that make a living as like a stable hand on Z run. like, it's like, it's crazy. Which for those of you that don't know, it's, it's like a play to earn game where you, you know, can buy and sell virtual horses.

And it's like, that job didn't exist a year ago. And so that's what I'm kind of mean by doing a listening tour and being a student of. Just cultural change, um, to see where you're drawn to and finding things that you just find professionally fulfilling, cuz there's nothing worse than like waking up and being like, like, Hey,

David Fano: no interest in what a perfect way to end this episode.

Cause that's, that's exactly what we're after. Right? We're trying to expose people to different things that people can and do, you know, there's a lot of people that are gonna listen to this that didn't know what a media planner was. Uh, and they do now, you know, they didn't know that these progressions you can take and that careers.

You know, I'm, I'm convinced that a hundred percent of careers are nonlinear, whether it be context or, [00:42:00] uh, the occupation itself. So this was awesome. So much to learn. Thank you. How can folks follow along with what you're doing? Any startups that wanna reach out, like what's the best way for, for people to get in touch or follow along with what you guys are up

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: to?

Yeah, I would say follow me on Twitter. Uh, at pelt, my DMS are open, um, or ping me on LinkedIn. If you're a startup, you can go to our website. Can.com H a N N a H G R E Y. Uh, dot com even though I think I own every URL that redirects you there of every single filling for mutation, but we review and respond to every single thing that comes through our pipeline.

So we're, we're pretty open and accessible that way. But I would just say like parting words, a bit vice, uh, I think words that I always lived by is just like, if you don't try someone less qualified, will. And I think that's just something that always drove me when I was like, who am I to start a venture capital fund?

Like, that sounds terrifying, [00:43:00] but like, you know what, I did it and we're crushing it and you earn your place, but there are just, there are plenty of people that don't have your skill set. Don't have your network, don't have your insights that will try. And so you might as well give yourself a shot because if you can't bet on yourself, like who can you Ben on?

And so I think it's always just. Good to give yourself that reminder

David Fano: could not agree more. I think, uh, you know, with imposter syndrome and just like all the things we see out there and people getting roasted and criticized for taking a shot. But if you don't try, you know, totally the answer's definitely gonna be no, and it's definitely not gonna happen.

So you gotta try. Well, this was awesome. Thank you so, so much Jessica, so much to learn. Yeah, this is great. And also just like, we may need to do another one. Cause how many people wanna get into VC now that there's like a better, what it is a practice. It's super cool. So thank you so much for the time.

Jessica Peltz Zatulove: No, thank you for having me.

This is fun. Appreciate what you're doing.

David Fano: And that's it for this episode of nonlinear. If [00:44:00] you enjoyed today's conversation, make sure to subscribe, share, and rate us wherever you're listening to the show, you can learn more about teal on our website, teal hq.com. That's teal like the color T E a L hq.com or follow us on social media.

At teal underscore HQ. Thank you so much for joining us. And please tune back in to keep hearing about how we make the decisions that shape our career. The teal career paths podcast is produced by rainbow creative with senior producer, Matthew Jones and editor and associate producer, drew MCP Powell. You can find more information on them at rainbow creative dot C.

Thanks again. We'll see you next time.