Ep 123 | Neha Kumar

Written By Yasmin Nouri

How to Reinvent Yourself & Start Your Own Thing

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Neha Kumar is a serial entrepreneur and investor. She’s the co-founder of Maie Wines, a California-made wine company focused on single-serve wine, and co-founder of New Money Ventures, a consumer fund and brand studio focused on empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Beyond her reputable banking career, Neha has worked at several startups over the years and, most recently, served as the COO and CFO of Create & Cultivate which sold to Corridor Capital in 2020.

Neha shares her unique perspective when it comes to building a successful company as both an operator and investor. In this episode, we learn about how she serendipitously landed in banking, why she chose to leave to start her own business, and how she prepared to do so. She also fills us in on the greatest challenges she faced transitioning from corporate to launching her first business, why it didn’t work out, and what she wishes she knew before going into it.

We also chat about why it’s never too late to re-create yourself and your life, what people get wrong with the concept of work-life balance, why you shouldn’t start a business around your passion, and so much more.

Show Notes:

  • Why Neha believes you have to constantly find yourself to be resilient. [2:29]

  • How to find yourself without being influenced by others’ expectations. [5:01]

  • How the values Neha’s parents instilled in her have impacted her life. [6:51]

  • The benefits of financial independence. [9:38]

  • What prompted Neha’s banking career. [10:24]

  • How and why Neha prepared to leave her banking career for the startup space. [16:33]

  • What inspired her to start her own business. [18:42]

  • Her greatest challenge transitioning into the startup space. [19:14]

  • The importance of embracing your wholeness. [22:04]

  • What Neha wishes she knew before starting her first business. [23:50]

  • How Neha decided to let the business go and move on. [26:00]

  • How her banking background prepared her to help other businesses scale. [27:14]

  • Neha defines entrepreneurship. [29:04]

  • The difference between self-interest and selfishness. [31:38]

  • Why it’s important to separate your business ideas from your hobbies. [32:48]

  • What people tend to get wrong about work-life balance. [38:58]

  • How Neha balances her priorities. [042:52]

  • Motherhood in the professional world. [47:16]

  • How Neha’s job supported her, post-partum, and allows her to be a better mother. [48:40]

  • What she looks for in founders, as an investor. [55:42]

  • How to gauge resilience in a founder. [57:27]

  • The advantage of being passionate about your business. [1:01:17]

  • The importance of building a great team, and empowering each individual. [1:05:26]

  • How having kids taught Neha to relinquish control and have faith. [1:09:08]

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Yasmin Nouri
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Ep 122 | Rooshy Roy