Carrie Colbert: Developing a Compelling Personal Brand to Build a Successful Business

Coming to this week’s show is Carrie Colbert, Founding and General Partner of Curate Capital, a venture capital fund accelerating the success of female-founded consumer brands. The idea of Curate was born following Carrie’s early “retirement” from the oil and gas industry, where Carrie amassed over 80k online followers and began investing in women-owned businesses she discovered online. 

With their first fund closing in the summer of 2022, Carrie and her team exceeded their goal by over 50% with a $15 million dollar raise. Behind her success is a Prioritization score of 44% and an even split between Leverage and Execute, each at 28%. 

Apollo explores why Carrie made the decision to leave the oil and gas industry, and how to cope with different seasons of life impacting your personal and professional lives. You’ll hear some pretty amazing statistics about the founders Carrie is investing in, and why you should always lead with your authentic self when moving to break barriers. 

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Guest Bio

Growing up in a small town in the Texas panhandle, “venture capitalist” is probably not what Carrie Colbert would have answered if someone had asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Nonetheless the twists and turns of her career and life have led her to her current role as Founder and General Partner of Curate Capital, a fund that invests in businesses by women for women. 

Graduating with her MBA and petroleum engineering degrees from the University of Texas, Carrie quickly rose in the ranks at Hilcorp, the largest privately owned oil and natural gas producer in the U.S. So quickly, in fact, that she was able to “retire” at age 38, right at the dawn of the influencer age, where she amassed an Instagram following of over 80,000 and experienced a flood of female founders in her inbox with brilliant business concepts just needing a savvy investor’s support. 

When she saw 10x returns and more opportunity than she had personal capital, she launched Curate in 2021 and raised $15 million from primarily women, overshooting her goal by 50%. She’s been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, TechCrunch, PaperCity Magazine, and is a sought after speaker and podcast guest.

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Guest PLE Score

• Prioritize - 44%
• Leverage - 28%
• Execute - 28%

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Guest Quote

“I think it's important to remember that different seasons of life can look different. But it's important to remember that nothing is forever, right? We have the ability to morph and change and grow and adjust, as needed and as warranted by different seasons of life.” - Carrie Colbert

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Time Stamps 

*(3:20) Parenting and Investing

*(8:02) Carrie's Achievement Index

*(12:28) How Carrie got to where she is today

*(18:12) Going from engineering to strategic planning

*(22:37) How Carrie first entered VC

*(25:05) Choosing your mission based on the tools you already possess

*(30:11) Carrie's advice for staying authentic

*(35:40) Finding your ecosystem

*(42:40) Apollo’s Takeaways

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Links

• Find out YOUR Achievement Index
• Connect with Carrie Colbert on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Curate Capital
• Connect with Dr. Apollo Emeka on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Apollo Strategy Group