There is a frequently misguided perception within the business world that individuals can be entrepreneurs or investors. Binary boundaries often underline the different day-to-day activities of each class of people. But in the age of remote working, digital nomads, and accessible entrepreneurship, this old distinction is no longer accurate in all places.
Business people are permitted to drive the success of their own companies and others simultaneously. The CEO of Guestio, Travis Chappell, has recently revealed that entrepreneurs make up a significant proportion of his business’ investors, naming a few of the most notable stakeholders.
Prior to the announcement, one of the critical decisions facing Chappell was whether to attempt to build Guestio, a podcast guest marketplace, with existing capital or to raise money. As the project required software development, he opted for the latter, which likely explains the interest of established business people as well as public figures.
“The problem was I had never raised capital before,” Chappell said. “But, thanks to the extensive network I was able to build through my podcasts (Build Your Network and Figuring It Out), I had more than a few experts I could call. Within about eight months, we closed up a $1.3 million pre-seed round of funding for the company.”
Contributors to the figure include the entrepreneur and author Joel Marion, who specializes in weight loss. In his business career, Marion is the co-founder of the entrepreneurial gathering 100 Million Mastermind. His most notable milestone of late is exiting the supplement company BioTrust for a reported nine-figure sum.
“Joel is well-known for being a top affiliate marketer,” Chappell commented. “He has a combined email list of over 20 million total recipients, so he helps to advise on our affiliate strategy and offer creation.”
Guestio’s strategy appears to be a balance of expertise-driven and awareness-oriented investors. A key example is Matt Barnes, a former NBA champion who now hosts a podcast on iHeartRadio. As it aims to appeal to podcasters and make a case for a guest booking marketplace, Chappell’s company seems likely to continue to push for funding and growth potential in equal measure.
On the business end of Guestio’s announced investor list is Ross Paquette. Paquette is the founder and CEO of Maropost, a competitor to Salesforce, pushing on a nine-figure revenue in 2022. In addition to his funding, he is a key software advisor on the venture. The remaining names, not all of which have been announced, evoke a similar mix of strategy and capital.
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