The unexpected journey of building a profitable business without external funding.

"How much have you raised for your company New Founder School?"

This question came from a venture capitalist on the first day of SXSW. My answer surprised him:

None.

I've bootstrapped New Founder School into a fully profitable company with 50% year-over-year growth. In just 3.5 years—including time when I was pregnant and on maternity leave—we've reached over 1,000 aspiring entrepreneurs and supported hundreds in building their businesses.

The VC's surprise was echoed months earlier by another investor who had passed on my previous Silicon Valley AI startup. He invited me to a private event in Austin and confessed that he wished he had invested in me as a founder. Even though my previous venture didn't succeed, he could now see that I was capable of building something meaningful, scalable, and BIG.

Now, don’t get me wrong - Will I raise money for this someday? Maybe. Do I have a big vision for New Founder School? Damn yes. And now I know that the possibilities are endless.

An Accidental Business

The irony? I never intended to build New Founder School into a business.

It emerged from my personal frustrations as an unconventional, immigrant founder who didn't know the next steps in building a company. I was disillusioned by business schools that charge premium fees yet fail to help people do what they're supposed to: actually build businesses.

Over these past few years, I've broken down each element of building a business, creating lessons and frameworks that develop lifelong entrepreneurial skills. New Founder School is designed for people with a "build first" mentality, not those who just want to learn theory.

These recent conversations have crystallized some important lessons about entrepreneurship that I want to share:

1. Building a Business on the Side is Absolutely OK!

I started NFS after my startup failed. I never imagined it would become full-time or remain part-time. Yet this business has brought me stability, consistency, and financial independence to live anywhere in the world.

The key is unwavering discipline and commitment:

• Do it even when you're tired
• Do it even when you're out of steam
• Do it even when no one is clapping
• JUST DO IT!

2. Building in Public is a Superpower

I share everything—my launches, epic fails, non-viral videos, viral content, new ideas, and latest growth-stage business problems. You see me doing sales, which I have absolutely no shame in doing! I'm an entrepreneur, and selling is part of the job.

Building in public has given me confidence that customers will find me and get the support they need. And my product works! I have the receipts to prove it.

3. Rejection is Redirection

Rejection from investors, potential partners, or people ghosting you—all of it leads to the next big opportunity. Had my startup not failed, I would never have built NFS. Had I not experienced a major loss in 2023, I wouldn't have had the bandwidth to move to Austin, build a family, and launch a wellness business.

4. Entrepreneurship Skills are LIFE SKILLS!

If you know how to build and how to sell, you'll launch something someday—even if you don't have the right idea yet. In a world of unstable employment, entrepreneurship—even with just five paying users—can bring stability.

5. You Don't Need a Scale-Worthy Vision at the Start!

Not everyone will build a unicorn, and that's perfectly fine. Startups represent less than 1% of businesses globally. Local shops, educators, small agencies, creators, online/offline stores. These are all worthy businesses.

I didn't know NFS had the potential to become such a significant business. But here we are today. Scale comes eventually. Launch first, build first, sell first.

6. Small Businesses Can Be Worth Serious Money

The businesses I've helped launch and grow include one that has reached 7 figures, another at half a million, and others that enable founders to leave their jobs because their business now earns more than their salary. And they own 100% of it!

This proves we have enough market share for everyone. How brilliant is that?

What started as a side project born from frustration has evolved into a profitable, growing business that's helping entrepreneurs worldwide. No venture capital needed—just persistence, authenticity, and a commitment to helping others build their dreams.

Will I raise money for this someday? Maybe. Do I have a big vision for New Founder School? Damn yes. And now I know that the possibilities are endless.

Ready to Build Your Own Business?

If you're sitting on an idea but struggling to get started, I've created something special for you.

Introducing: The AI-Powered Idea Incubator by New Founder School

Transform your idea into a real business in just 5 days with:

• AI tools that cut down weeks of work into hours
• Live coaching from two successful startup founders (including me!)
• A step-by-step process to validate, build, and launch your idea

In just 5 action-packed days, you'll walk away with:

• A validated business idea
• A complete launch plan
• A prototype of your product

We're only accepting 20 entrepreneurs in our next cohort starting on March 24th.

Interested? Be the first to know when enrollment opens!

Simply drop your email in the comments below or DM me directly to express interest. I'll personally reach out when enrollments open.

Stop waiting. Start building. Let's turn your idea into reality together.