Episode 12: Secrets of a Silicon Valley Angel Investor with Alicia Castillo Holley

“We don't have to be better than anybody else. We just have to be better than ourselves.”

In this interview, explore these 2 key elements of creating habits:
Attention: “Attention is the fascinating part about curiosity and exploration. It is having a real sense of connectivity that can be transformative and practiced by anybody.”
• In entrepreneurship, it’s not about the start, but the process.
• A key to success is not that you're starting a business, but the process and the attention to detail as you imagine yourself going through it.
• Raise your sense of wonder and attention as if tending to the garden. For the garden to flourish, it’s not only about the seed, but the care you give it.

Imagination: “The worst enemy of creativity is a good idea. Once you get a good idea, you stop creating.”
• Imagine finding new ways of seeing yourself coming through the struggle.
• Reach out to others with curiosity and care, seeking understanding.
• Use your imagination: “What would be the ideal here?” Find a way together.
• Sit through discomfort because it doesn't have to go your way.
• Stay in curiosity even in the face of death.

Plus:
Compassion: “Knowing that you're right is one thing that prevents you from growing because in order to grow, you need to sometimes destroy what you knew that got you there.”

• You don't know the end. You don't know what’s next.
• Do know one thing: “Success is not the opposite of failure”.
• Take action, learn from your past. This helps you become a nicer person and a better version of yourself.

“Our growth is NOT being right”
I said, “I've never been right”
She said, “You're right about that”.
We had a big laugh.

And:
Four Stages of Continuous Growth: A sneak preview of Alicia Castillo’s upcoming book, “From Startup to Corporations: How entrepreneurs keep reinventing themselves”
1) Stage of Contentment: You're proud that you achieved something but after a while you get bored.
2) Stage of Questioning: If boredom lasts too long, you start to question , “Am I doing the right thing?”
3) Stage of Exploration: What you've been doing doesn't serve you anymore; you hit a wall. You see this humongous step you need to take and start gathering resources and information that build up your resilience.
4) Stage of Resilience: You go and you start climbing that wall. You might fall down and you know that just because you want to do it doesn't mean that you can – it only means that you need to explore how to get it.

Until soon! Be curious, be inspired, simplify the way…

Alicia Castillo Holley
www.aliciacastilloholley.com
www.wealthing.vc
www.womengetfunded.com