OpalAi’s Post

🚀 As my three-year MBA journey at the UCLA Anderson School of Management comes to an end, I couldn't be happier with the last milestone achieved. Together with my classmate (and close friend) Michael Marsalla, Leadoff.ai clinched 2nd place in two major pitch competitions—the Knapp Venture Competition and the Easton Innovation Challenge! Leadoff.ai is an AI-powered sales coaching platform designed to provide on-demand, personalized guidance to B2B SaaS reps, removing their reliance on time-strapped managers. 🌟 A huge thanks to The Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, UCLA Anderson School of Management, and the Easton Technology Management Center for such a fantastic opportunity. Appreciating all the expert judges (Ahmed A. Mirza, Sanjay Reddy, Kristen Sager, MBA, Howard Ko, Will Weisman, Annirudh Duddala, Bayard Saunders, Sumeet Rana, Carolina G.) and preparation mentors (Terry Kramer, Vinnie Shahzad, Brad Null, Sergio Gonzales, Kevin Takashi Cohen, Matt Christopher, Nicole Toussaint, David Schwab, Matthew Schwab, Ian Lituchy, Sam Maliska) for their invaluable feedback. In the spirit of transparency, I've had mixed feelings over the last week while reflecting on the results of the competition. On one hand, I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to compete alongside amazing companies and in front of such a high-caliber panel of judges. It’s an experience for which I'm deeply grateful. On the other hand, I'm a competitor at heart—I wake up every day with the drive to win. The reality, however, is that you can't win them all. Each competition, win or lose, is a chance to learn and grow. It's these experiences that refine our strategies and strengthen our resolve to achieve greater heights next time. #ForRepsByReps #UCLAMBA #innovation #entrepreneurship #AI #SalesTech

Whether you're trying to double your sales every year or every two years, my quarterly training will teach you the math and principles you need to follow to Ride the Ramp. Dive deeper than the book. Next Friday. Two hours, including 30 minutes of open Q&A with only founders in the room. Seats are limited. #business #entrepreneurship #startups

Sneap peek at Friday's new PGS webinar on the New Rules for Scaling a Consumer Brand: 1. Seed money, seed money, seed money 2. High product margin enables channel flexibility ... And six more rules...sign up link below... #business #startups #entrepreneurship

Why We Decided to Share the CEO Role at CoFound Yesterday, Lina Indarto and I spent time refining our accountability chart and organizational structure. We found ourselves debating the traditional C-suite titles like CEO and COO, and how they fit into the CoFound culture. Given that Lina and I both thrive in the visionary role, which is typically linked to the CEO position, we thought: why not embrace our complementary strengths in true CoFound fashion? So, we decided to take a unique approach – we are now Co-CEOs! Because what’s more CoFound than leading together, combining our visions, and breaking the mold? #Entrepreneurship #CoFound #VisionaryLeadership

Founder, Founding Team Member, Consultant, Mentor -> Full Circle. Last night I had the privilege of starting my journey as a startup mentor at The Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Furman University's #GVLStarts accelerator program. A big thank you to Eric Cooperman + Bryan Davis for seeing the value my experience brings, and allowing me to translate my professional results into leading the GTM session (Sales + Marketing) for the cohort. Four key takeaways from my presentation: - Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome (understand WHERE your customers are) - Clearly define your ICP and UVP - Align Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, + Product - Start small, measure everything, and refine your approach based on data to build scalable, repeatable sales and marketing motions. I must admit, this presentation was one of the most rewarding presentations I've pitched in my life. Seeing founders taking notes, 'light bulbs' illuminating, and the stress of the unknown melt away was absolutely the highlight of my year. I'm excited to work with these amazing founders as their GTM Mentor over the next few weeks, helping them master early stage customer acquisition through sales and marketing. I look forward to what this journey becomes for these founders, and can't wait to share more of our journey together!

🌱 "The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." - Harvey S. Firestone 🚀💼 At Market Rising, we believe in empowering businesses at every stage. Whether you're a startup, a growing enterprise, or an industry veteran, if you're serious about growth, we're here for you! 🌐✨ 💡 Ready to amplify your success? Visit https://zurl.co/2SnY and discover why Market Rising is the partner every business needs for transformative growth! 🌟📈 #MarketRising #BusinessGrowth #EmpowerSuccess #SeriousAboutGrowth #StrategicPartnership 👉 https://zurl.co/2SnY 👈 Your growth journey, our commitment! 🚀

Keep driving forward with determination and confidence. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow and make an impact. Let’s hit those goals straight and true! #businesscoaching #smallbusinesscoach #smallbusinessowners #smallbusinessstrategy #mindfulbusiness #coachingforsuccess #smallbusiness #supportsmallbusiness #businessowner #blackownedbusiness #mentorcoaching #startingabusiness #businessagility #coachingmatters #womeninbusiness #startingabusiness #startupsuccess #leadershipcoaching #culturalcompetence

When was the last time you received real feedback on your startup or business pitch? Often, the only feedback you get is not landing that customer, investor or partner. Phil Ore, Chief Mentor at 25eight has helped thousands of business leaders and founders through his work with 25eight, The Startup Network and SXSW Sydney to name just a few!  Get 1:1 feedback and insights you need to fine-tune your pitch, pitch deck and approach to win over your audience with 25eight's Six Pillars of Pitching program. The fastest way to perfect your pitch. #BusinessGrowth, #BusinessMentorship, #BusinessEducation, #BusinessTips #StrategyTips #HighPerformingBusiness #BusinessProgram, #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessLeaders #StrategyHacks #BusinessStrategy #BuildingCapabilities #NextStageOfGrowth #BusinessCoach

What an amazing experience we had in #Berlin for our entrepreurship immersion week with Esade Executive Education . Each day we visited different entrepreneurs. It was a learning and emotional rollercoaster. It was intriguing to see that we experienced similar challenges - at the core of it all - and as long as you are directionally moving towards your goals, all is good.😊 This trip has re-ignited my fire, the lessons and connections giving me the support to chart through this #entreprenurship journey and make this happen. It doesn’t get easier, you just get better. #ESADE #ExecutiveMBA #entrepreurship #development

We’re officially SOLD OUT! Here’s what we learned: 1. Demand Projection • We didn’t get it right this time. 2. Inventory Management • Needs serious work. (Maybe that MBA that I was supposed to do would have covered these lessons!) But there’s a bright side: • We’re creating demand and earning respect for our product. • Feedback from our consumers and partners has been really positive. • We’re building a culture from scratch and keeping it sustainable. To sum it up: We have proof of concept, but there’s no clear market fit yet. Now, it’s all about survival and scaling up. The road ahead will have challenges, but with the right adjustments and focus, we’re confident we can make it. And if anyone has any insights, please feel free to share them with me. #StartupJourney #LessonsLearned #ProofOfConcept #BusinessGrowth #CustomerFeedback #ScalingUp #EntrepreneurLife