Katrina Jo Launches “How To Create A Successful Pitch Deck” to Help Entrepreneurs Secure Funding
Serial Entrepreneur Katrina Jo just launched “How To Create A Successful Pitch Deck.” The passion project gears towards helping BIPOC entrepreneurs enter the first crucial steps in starting their business; securing funding and pitching their ideas. Throughout her career, Katrina has secured upwards of $10M in funding through sponsorships across her various projects, clients and business endeavors – and these dollars are essential to keeping small businesses in business. Carrying more than 10+ years, Katrina Jo has approved and denied millions in funding for commercial brands. With a resume adorned with high-profile brands from Hennessy to Reebok and many others, it’s safe to say that Ms. Jo is no stranger to securing the bag! Katrina had a chance to chat with us here at GIRLMUCH to discuss her latest business venture and how she plans on helping BIPOC business owners WIN in 2021 and beyond!
Q: How did you get your start in the entertainment industry?
A: I am first and foremost a dancer. I’ve been dancing since the age of 3 so that was my first start into the entertainment industry. I grew up in competitive dance, then moved on to NFL and NBA Pro Dance Teams, signed with BLOC Dance Agency in LA and so on… My dance career is what sparked me to start my first business in 2010 – GlamGirlsLA – which was my first venture into entrepreneurship, event production and marketing.
Q: What inspired you to help businesses secure funds?
A: With my 11+ years in the Entertainment Industry, I’ve gone through thousands of pitch decks and I’ve secured upwards of $10M in funding through sponsorships across my various projects, clients and business endeavors — and these dollars are essential to keeping small businesses in business. Approximately 20% of businesses fail within their first two years and Black entrepreneurs are almost 3x as likely as whites to have profitability hurt by lack of access to capital. This is what inspired me to help and I felt that coming out with this platform and these tools was a way to use some of the knowledge I’ve learned in my career to help people, brands, and small businesses secure funds. Every time I had to decline someone due to their pitch deck being sent in too late, not having enough information, or just needing edits in general – I just knew there had to be a better way. Then I asked my peers if they knew what a pitch deck was or if they knew how to create a successful pitch deck and the main response I got was “no”. This had to change.
Q: Did you always have plans to pursue this business venture or were there certain events that led up to that decision?
A: It clicked about 2 years ago while prepping for Grammy Week in Los Angeles. I was going through numerous pitch decks and I had to request so many revisions, ask multiple questions in response to decks I was reviewing, review multiple revision of pitch decks that ended up cutting it too close to the actual event date. That’s when I had a moment and I went on IG and asked a general question – “Who knows what a pitch deck is and who knows how to create a successful pitch deck?” The response and feedback I received was overwhelming and since then, I received messages asking for help, tools and resources. This is when I knew I wanted to create this new business venture.
Q: At what point did you realize that you wanted to venture out on your own as an entrepreneur?
A: I vividly remember this moment. I’ve been a dancer since I was 3 years old and while I was in college dancing in San Diego, I went to nursing school and worked as a Pediatrics Nurse for a year. As much as I absolutely loved the medical field, children and caring for people, I felt a strong pull towards the entertainment industry. I was working at a private practice at the time and one day it just hit me… I was in the middle of clinic and I just knew that I had a different calling and that I had to follow my passion which was – entrepreneurship and the Entertainment Industry. From that moment, I put in my two weeks notice, moved to LA, booked a tour that same weekend, and started my first company a year later. I took all of that as a sign I was moving in the right direction.
Q: What can small business owners expect from your digital platform?
A: What small business owners can expect from my new platform are the tools they need to learn how to create a successful pitch deck. It’s important to have a pitch deck when trying to educate someone on your brand or your idea and it’s extremely important when trying to gain a new partnership and secure funding.
Q: What’s one thing you would suggest business owners have in order before looking to secure funding from brand partnerships? Is having a large social media presence a requirement?
A: Having a large social media presence is not a requirement when trying to secure funding. Brands actually love “being the first” to partner with a brand or business so don’t let a small social media presence shy you away from going after funding.
One thing I would suggest having in order when looking to secure funding from brand partnerships is a pitch deck! If you’re not familiar with what a pitch deck is, you can head over to my website: katrinajo.com for some background on what it is and the option for you to purchase the tools, resources and a consultation with me to help you create a successful pitch deck.
Q: What all goes into your decision to ultimately approve or deny funding to a particular brand?
A: This varies depending on what kind of brand it is, if it’s an event, who’s involved, what the cause is, etc. There is some baseline information that needs to be clear in your pitch deck – the what, when, where and why but check out more tips on katrinajo.com 😉
