The San Diego Angel Conference finale was last week. Out of over 100 applicants, two companies got funding. Congratulations to the winner, EcoDrive and 2nd place, Achieve Clinics! That is a huge accomplishment to be proud of. This will open so many doors for you.

Congratulations to all who participated. It was not an easy process, and you stuck with it. For the six finalists – after making it through several pitch competitions, the hard work began-filling a data room full of documents revealing every aspect of the business.

Investors dug in, evaluated, reported their key findings and voted after hearing pitches at the finale. The winner and 2nd place companies were funded a total of $400,000.  

As an investor a rewarding moment for me came from talking with a semi-finalist in last year’s conference. He approached and thanked me for my candid and tough-to-hear feedback, saying that I told him the changes needed could take a year to implement, and they did, but he stuck with it and got  it done. It was a difficult accomplishment that will have a lasting impact on his company. It was heartwarming to hear that I made a difference.

The ability to listen, absorb, and implement feedback takes resilience, and is a good indicator of coachability, something investors are looking for. 

To get over disappointment, move on quickly, and be open to feedback are key skills for an entrepreneur and any leader.

Getting to Yes is foundational for SDAC, yet for 98% of founders in the competition, the answer was no, at least for funding, at the moment. There are other many other Yesses to take away:

• Say Yes to all you learned
• Say Yes to the feedback received
• Say Yes to nurturing the relationships started with founders and investors (it often leads to follow on investment)
• Say Yes to receiving feedback and making changes
• Say Yes to what’s next

No matter what setbacks there are, don’t let disappointment or frustration hold you back. Practice resilience. What can you say yes to today?