57. Lessons from 30 Years of Bootstrapped Success: Nancy Duarte Talks Silicon Valley, Leadership, and the Future

Time stamped show notes:

[0:27] She has a firm that will help you write and produce a great talk.

[0:43] Started this niche in 2000 when Jim Collins' book came out but have 30 years in business.

[1:14] Wrote first book in 2008.

[3:19] She had someone come in and write job descriptions, and she separated from that role and hired someone to do it.   

[3:48] She brought in a president.

[6:29] She realized that there are people who can do some things better than her, which helped her separate from the roles.  

[8:04] She makes business models for fun.

[10:12] What does she see coming that will change her industry?

[13:34] Her venture is bootstrapped, which people don’t find "sexy."

[13:46] Raising money is a business model in the Valley.

[14:45] What she would like entrepreneurs to know: resilience.

[15:00] You have to be a lifelong learner and be constantly investing in yourself -- be well-read.

[15:19] What a lot of entrepreneurs are missing: empathy and storytelling.

[17:54] “Pride cometh before a fall.”

[19:06] Empathy has been her life-long journey on a personal level.  

[27:56] “Female entrepreneurs are the most underutilized resource on the planet.”

[29:16] Her husband started the business, and he let her take over.

[29:27] She’s very future focused; her husband is past focused

[32:25] Her son builds small trains.

[36:36] She and her husband give away 10% of all their increase and 1% of the company’s profit.

[38:52] Story is the way to bond, connect, and persuade. When we’re part of a story, we’re transformed.

Three key points:

1. She had someone come in and write job descriptions, and she separated from that role and hired someone to do it.
2. What she would like entrepreneurs to know: resilience. You have to be a lifelong learner and be constantly investing in yourself -- be well-read
3. Story is the way to bond, connect, and persuade. When we’re part of a story, we’re transformed.

Resources mentioned:

Ownership Thinking - Book

Geography of Thought - Book

The Power of Habit - Book

Monetizing Innovation - Book

Never Split the Difference - Book

Payoff - Book

Reid Hoffman’s Podcast

Last question:

She loves to hear ideas. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

If anyone has ideas of what kinds of stories the world needs to hear right now. She’s working on communicating stories through the data. If anyone has any data points, she’s trying to find struggles people have had and suss out the story.

How to contact her:

Website: www.Duarte.com

Social Media: She’s on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.