I left Capital One! So what's next?
Okay, it’s been a while…
Last time I wrote to y’all was in June of last year, right after Tiago was born. Since then I’ve:
Finished the first year at UVA’s Darden School of Business. I’m a total nerd for school and would be a student forever if that were possible: I’m having the absolute best time.
Managed an integration PMO for Capital One’s acquisition of Velocity Black. Got to work on some unprecedented challenges for Capital One – lots to figure out when acquiring an international, net-new product like Velocity!
Celebrated so much love! Reveling in the wedding and bachelorette weekend energy.
Traveled to Costa Rica, London, Marrakech, Casablanca, Marbella… and many many times to Rehoboth Beach. Next on the list: Jerusalem!
But the biggie is that I left Capital One…
I have way too much to say about how amazing my experience there was: I met some wonderful, amazing humans and learned a ton. But after four years, I’m really excited about doing something a bit different.
And now I’m starting my next adventure…
The tldr is that I’m doing some consulting. I’m really fortunate to have my first six clients and some wonderful folks who are helping me execute on the work. At this point, I’m focusing in on a few types of work:
CEO advisory. I love working with CEOs to get them unstuck or to figure out how to best operationalize their vision. In some cases, that’s purely advisory. In others, I jump into what can be best described as a fractional Chief of Staff role, blocking and tackling for busy executives.
Strategic growth advisory. Our expertise shines when evaluating current funnels, pinpointing improvement areas, and crafting a path to the envisioned future. I have wonderful designers, developers, and performance marketers working alongside me operationalize marketing strategy, build websites/collateral, and evaluate performance.
Storytelling. Our visionary clients are building groundbreaking technologies - and we relish in the opportunity to help them communicate their company’s value. I’m especially enjoying work around building investor- and partner-facing decks; developing print and digital materials (including websites); and auditing data rooms, financial models, and cap tables to ensure that our clients are best positioned to negotiate a deal.
Here’s my work-in-progress website. As you’ll see, I’m positioning myself to do federal work: The long contracts from federal feel aligned with my risk-profile (I gravitate toward lower risk businesses, esp while my husband pursues his second venture-backed biz) and, for those of you who know the lingo, I’m eligible for 8(a) and EDWOSB. But getting into federal will take a year and change, and I hope to keep a commercial biz if/when my first federal contract lands - I just love it too much to say goodbye.
So far the work has been fascinating. My clients are in nuclear, gaming, healthcare, traditional SaaS industries… all building totally different, absolutely industry-transforming products. I’m also having way too much fun reconnecting with old friends and re-engaging with the DC tech community: So much has changed in a short 4 years!
Awesome reads from friends...
For those of us who are into edtech, Matt Tower’s ETCH Weekend Reading newsletter never disappoints. Great coverage on fundraises, M&A, and people moves.
For those of us who are troubled by the public health crisis of loneliness, Vox published this interview with Sam Pressler talking through some of the less-obvious contributing factors. More recently, he kicked off a newsletter exploring this “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” that I’m really looking forward to following.
For those of us who are interested in the LatAm innovation scene, Kate Kiewel’s Musings from Mexico City covers tech, startups, and innovation in Mexico City and throughout LatAm.
Other cool reads from folks I wish I were friends with…
For those of you who get wonky when it comes to finance, my husband recently turned me on to Money Stuff by Matt Levine. I read it in full every day - so much fascinating content on the nitty gritty of leading financial stories. You can subscribe for free here.
Brilliant stuff my friends are building…
For those of us who are always writing grant proposals, GovPro AI leverages generative AI to take past proposals to draft future ones, cutting down costs by 50% and time spent by 70%.
For those of us looking to hire internationally, Localized’s platform for career coaching, events, and more sources talent from around the world (basically has partnerships with every hyper-selective global university program and fellowship) to help customers like Google, Meta, PayPal (and maybe you?) build their talent pipeline.
A few ways to help…
Intros to folks who have built consulting businesses, agencies, or federal contractors. I’m really enjoying meeting folks and learning about their journeys.
Great freelancer intros! I’m particularly enthusiastic about hiring great writers (can even be juniors/seniors in college), freelance frontend developers, and freelance designers. I’m not quite ready to make the commitment to my first full-time hire… but I could be convinced for the right person!
Intros to a great part-time admin! If anyone has a virtual admin they love that’s looking for another client, let me know: I’m looking for some scheduling, but mostly managing my CRM / helping keep my head on straight (quite the tall order).
Feedback on my website. For real - don’t hold back!
And finally, let me know if you think it might make sense to work together! Most of my clients are old friends from the startup world – loving this excuse to work alongside some of my favorite people.
Sending love and gratitude…
To my wonderful, fabulous clients who have made this transition possible (so grateful that you invited me to be a part of your businesses!); to my beyond-talented team – y’all are unbelievable; to my husband, my parents, and Laura who have encouraged me to make this jump and love & care for our kiddos so well; to Neeraj, Alison, Fareed, Kari and Kristen who helped me navigate rough waters; to Sam, Alan, Travis, Jim, Anna, Steve, Elena, MTB, Charlie, Kate, Ali, Liz, Amy, Yael, Erika, Khai, Hillary, Nicole, Maggie, and Joe for the advice and connections as I kick off this next stage of my career; and to my kids for keeping me grounded and forcing me to take weekends off - mostly.
And a reminder…
I truly value your friendship, mentorship, and advice: I’d love to hear from any of you who are on this list – please call/text/email me anytime! (Including if you're curious about any of the deets above.)
Thanks for skimming this email and being a part of my journey!
🚀Onward and upward,
Amelia
