Sometimes founders must lose to win again, and this week, Ruby "SunShine" Taylor did. Zero votes at a real pitch competition. A bruised ego, no spin on it. In Episode 3 of Building Financial Joy, this disabled founder building a fintech startup gets honest about the loss, and what came right alongside it: a blessing from a VC's mother, learning to code for the first time, and the best compliment she's received yet from a potential customer, "I need this now, I wish my bank had it."

This episode also covers real pushback from a leader in the social impact space who challenged Ruby hard on her competitive landscape and her value proposition, pushback that, two hours later, prepared her for a customer meeting that's now turning into a second one. Plus: a $25 win from doing laundry, a productive product-build session with her Technical Advisor, and an honest moment about building a fintech startup while living with a traumatic brain injury.

This is entrepreneurship, disability advocacy, and financial wellness with nothing smoothed over, the losses and the wins, in the same week, told as they happened.

A note before you listen: Ruby is a stutterer and Traumatic Brain Injury thriver. At times you'll hear her stumble, and she keeps going, because she's a thriver, not a complainer. That's not a flaw in this show. It's the show.

Support the show