Want To Launch A Business In 3 Days?

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

Welcome to a special series on the show! With everything that’s gone on in 2020, we wanted to be a source of hope, inspiration, and motivation to get out there and help you get an idea off the ground and launch a business. In fact, our goal is to help you launch a business in 3 days! All you need is an idea or solution that you’ve been chewing on. Maybe you haven’t known what the next steps are. Or maybe you’re someone who needs external accountability. Either way, we’re here to bring out the entrepreneur in you! Buckle up, because it’s going to be a busy 3 days.

And don’t forget to enter the challenge! We’re beyond excited to see how many businesses get started through this and want to help provide an extra boost to those participating. Rules of the contest are as follows:

Between OCTOBER 26 AND NOVEMBER 29 we will be receiving submissions. Submissions must include your website link, your social media handles, a business email and a screenshot of your receipt for your LLC (make sure to capture the date on the receipt). Challenge winners will be announced DECEMBER 11. Simply go to weaveconnected.com/challenge/ to submit your business.

TOPICS

Making a Business Plan with Jake
Go To Market with Maria
Brand Definition with Gianni
Web presence with Kent
Social Media with Audrey
Finances with Jordan

ABOUT OUR PANELISTS

Jake Goekeritz

Jake Goeckeritz has been in marketing for the last 10 years. With a degree in Psychology and a minor in Marketing, he felt that was a great combination to take into the marketing field. He got his start as an SEO specialist and has slowly broadened his knowledge of the complete marketing journey through the years. While at The Pedowitz Group he had the opportunity to work with some amazing fortune 500 companies like Amex, HBO and GE in consulting and guiding their demand generation efforts. He since moved into the technology space and has been there for the last five years. Jake loves being outdoors, spending time with his two boys and wife, playing sports, watching sports and doing anything outside. His dad was an entrepreneur for 45 years and that has driven him to help those on the same path to be successful.

Maria Kontgis

Maria Kontgis has launched over 600 websites, digital marketing campaigns, apps, and products amounting to over $20 million dollars in revenue. Currently a Sr. Product Marketing Manager at Weave, she has over 8 years experience and specializes in GTM strategies. Prior to Weave, Maria worked closely with Medical Practitioners, Data Scientists, and Engineers to create clinically defensible and proprietary methodologies for data analysis and delivered them to new markets. She loves indoor cycling and flying planes (though not a licensed pilot).

Kent Gigger

Kent Gigger is a front-end developer at Weave with experience in Javascript, PHP, HTML, CSS, and web design. He’s passionate about eCommerce, crafting quality code, and creating accessible experiences regardless of device. Kent is a constant evangelist for efficiency and creativity in workflow and development. When not at work, Kent can usually be found hanging out with his wife and son, camping outdoors, or somewhere on a hike.

Gianni Calfa

Gianni Calfa is a graphic designer and creative director who has worked on brand identities, books, magazines, websites, and exhibitions, for cultural institutions, publishers, corporations, and higher education clients for the past seven years. He is currently a Senior Designer at Weave. Gianni has been fortunate to work for clients such as MHTN Architects, O.C. Tanner, Canon and Kickstarter, among others throughout his career. Outside of work he keeps his calendar full, collaborating on self-initiated projects with friends and spending time with his dog Rizzo and family. He enjoys all things Italian, libraries, and horror movies.

Audrey West

Audrey is an artistic, marketing minded gal full of personality and purpose! When it comes to social media and content creation, Audrey has mastered each piece of the puzzle by building and creating her own social media presence and branded content for companies such as Victoria Secret PINK, Coca-Cola, Sephora, and more. She has also started and branded her own small business and worked as Weave’s social media marketing manager for over a year — developing new content strategies, planning organic social marketing campaigns, and managing every platform from Instagram to LinkedIn! She’s just about as obsessed with building a brand’s social presence as she is with Dr. Pepper, traveling, DIY projects and house plants!

Jordan Thompson

Jordan is Weave’s Director of Financial Reporting and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Utah. He has been with Weave since 2015, but before Weave he spent 8 years public accounting, performing audit and other assurance services for large corporations as well as controller/CFO consultant services for smaller local businesses. When he needs a break from all the debits and credits, you’ll find him hangin with his wife and new baby daughter or swingin’ the sticks out on the golf course.

THE ASSUMPTIONS (WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE STARTING)

LANDING ON YOUR PROBLEM — your idea and solution

We invite everyone to participate, no matter where they are in the development process. If you have not already conducted a heavy amount of research regarding your business idea, we will walk you through the basics right at the beginning.

But seeing as we’re structuring this in such a way that you can do everything in 3 days AND the time window for entering the challenge is much longer, we hope you take this opportunity to conduct a bit more research. Many of the episodes of the podcast preceding this challenge revolved around research– checking for a product market fit, identifying your target buyers and users, etc.