Confidence Boosting Advice from Ari Palmer Salafia
Today, I’m excited to talk
to Ari Palmer Salafia, who’s the Co-Founder & CEO of TaxTaker, a female-founded tax and technology savings company focused on helping put money back into growing companies pockets.
Over the course of her career, Ari has helped hundreds of companies save tens of millions of dollars on taxes through R&D tax credits and other specialty government programs.
Originally from California, Ari graduated and holds a bachelor degree in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Ari moved to Austin, Texas in 2016 and is steadfast in providing support to the incredible companies being built in the United States.
In her free time, Ari enjoys running the trails with her husband and fur babies and finding any waterway she can get to in Texas.
Welcome Ari!
In this episode…
Ari starts with the speed round and answering Stephanie’s questions including her favorite junk food, vacation spots, and music.
After the speed round, the conversation begins with Ari sharing her biggest ask, which happened a mere year and a half ago when she began to raise capital for TaxTaker. She approached this as if she were in sales, but asking for money was very foreign to her. You will hear how she gained confidence to continue on.
As she grew the number of conversations held with investors, so did her confidence level, and she became more secure with each. She had a healthy mix amongst the investors she met with and realized there is no perfect recipe.
Ari’s whole story and messaging held true over time, and the numbers were growing, interest in her product was growing and trending upward. Even when the pandemic hit, they were running lean, getting more customer accounts, and building traction.
When it came to mindset, Ari admits that the Imposter Syndrome is very real and big headlines with huge raises do not help. It was not reality and the fact is, there are so many out there grinding to make something a reality. Those people are the ones who get overlooked. Self doubts do creep in, and you have to fake it while you make it. Truthfully speaking, comparison is the thief of joy, so avoiding comparing oneself to others is helpful.
Ari is a big believer in abundance, but you have to set your own path. The power of storytelling can get people hooked by sharing what the end of the book may look like.
She has this very important piece of advice to share, “Remember exactly what you tell an investor. They share deals. Make sure your messaging is consistent.”
Having financial literacy, or not having it, can break a company. One can’t only focus on customers, they also need to focus on where their money is going and how much is left. When an individual is disorganized, there is a good chance the company is as well.
Although it pains her to say “no” to people asking for her time, she is getting better at saying “yes” when she feels it will be beneficial to both sides.
For those who are listening, please visit her website and see if you qualify to work with her. There are tax incentives and dollars on the table.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
Sponsor for this episode...
Finance-Ability is a boutique consulting firm dedicated to helping business owners and startups find their best options for growth funding. Founded by financial strategist and transaction expert Stephanie Sims, Finance-Ability can help any business owner identify the right funding partners and get through fundraising as painlessly as possible.
Visit their website to take their online assessment test to help you find out which kind of funding is the best fit for your business right now. They also have a ton of resources to help you understand business processes and financial decision-making that can help you start and build your own empire so be sure to check them out.
Stephanie has over 20 years of experience having worked with companies like Goldman Sachs and CSFB. If there’s anyone with their heart in the right place when it comes to championing the dreams of small business owners and startup companies, Stephanie is that person. Let Finance-Ability help you get the funding you need and deserve to get your dreams soaring high towards your own brand of success.