Secrets to a Successful Fundraise with Andrea Ippolito of SimpliFed

After struggling to feed her daughter by breastfeeding, Andrea was lost and didn’t know what to do. This is unfortunately a story that is common amongst new moms. But for Andrea, she decided to change the narrative by making it her mission to educate new moms and help them meet their feeding goals. Today, we sit down with Andrea Ippolito, CEO and founder of SimpliFed, a company that provides virtual support for breastfeeding and baby feeding. She shares why SimpliFed’s mission is personal for her, tips for other healthcare businesses, the power of a ‘fast no’, and so much more. “​​My daughter continued to lose weight, she was down to four pounds. I'm a pretty Type A person, and I have never felt so broken and just uncomfortable and just didn't know what to do and lost. And I also felt bad at the time that I couldn't breastfeed. Now, I know that I shouldn't have been so hard on myself. And we talked about this with families all the time. But I also learned that, you know, formula is a great, healthy option. But I felt just very lost. And I didn't really understand what to do next. And that's what caused me to really start SimpliFed.” - Andrea Ippolito If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey! This week's takeaways from Entreprenista: Andrea shares how her background shaped her (2:56) Andrea discusses her personal reason behind starting SimpliFed (6:01) Andrea shares SimpliFed’s mission (8:11) Andrea details the early challenges and mistakes she made (9:51) Andrea gives tips to other healthcare businesses about cutting through the red tape (16:05) Andrea discusses what she has learned about fundraising and why a ‘fast no’ is a good thing (20:55) Andrea goes over how she’s spent the capital SimpliFed has received (26:43) Andrea tells us about the marketing strategies she’s used to reach her target audience (31:53) Andrea shares what the starting process is like for her clients (34:53) Rapid fire questions (37:33) Andrea shares her thoughts on ‘work-life balance’ (39:41) What being an Entreprenista means to Andrea (46:07) Resources Mentioned: DocSend Entreprenista Discount Link Text ‘Connect’ to 888-458-1364 TikTok Slack Our Favorite Quotes: “So I honestly didn't have an entrepreneurial spirit. But I tell folks that I'm the granddaughter of a gambler. So I do think that was in my blood a little bit.” - Andrea Ippolito “It takes so much time, and I don't come from generational wealth, so I wasn't able to, you know, just quit my job and, and work on this. And so I think that's another important part of this story.” - Andrea Ippolito “The first thing is getting people to invest. But the second best thing is a ‘fast no.’” - Andrea Ippolito Connect with Andrea Ippolito: Andrea on LinkedIn Andrea on Twitter SimpliFed on TikTok SimpliFed.com SimpliFed on Instagram If you’re looking to take your business to the next level: Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE! Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch. Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!