Ep 024 - Melody Hahm, Director of Platform & Community at Harlem Capital

This is what you learn from talking to the hyper-elite! 🤯

From interviewing the all-time greats like Stephen Curry, Will Smith, and Ray Dalio to leading brand and content strategy for a top VC firm, Melody has done it all! I sat down with Melody Hahm, the Director of Platform & Community at Harlem Capital to take a walk down memory lane. In this episode, Melody shares many important life lessons and the secrets to building a great brand in venture capital!

Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Don’t be a fangirl/boy. At the end of the day, everyone is a human being. Pedestalizing others doesn’t serve you. In fact, it hinders you from making a real connection with the person you look up to. Find some common ground and be genuine!

2️⃣ The best of the best have an unwavering belief in themselves. Even if they don’t succeed, they will always get back up and maintain a relentless mentality that they can do it! Even if hundreds of people hype you up, what really matters is that you believe in yourself.

3️⃣ High level communication starts with asking good questions. A good question isn’t one that stumps them or forces them to think for a long time. A good question is one that yields a response that is 30% uncomfortable and 70% excitement to tell a story.

4️⃣ Storytelling is such an important skill in venture and beyond. The ability to tell a compelling story about your journey and your mission goes a long way. It gives potential advisors, mentors, and investors a reason to take a shot on you.

5️⃣ Not all VC firms need strong altruistic values. Ultimately, venture capital is a vehicle to drive returns for LPs. It is more disingenuous to virtue signal than to be honest about your firm’s goals and mission. Be okay with what you are!

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introductions

(02:49) - The Unforgettable Gala

(06:04) - Being around extremely successful people

(07:57) - The difference between the greats and the best

(12:21) - Best practices for public speaking

(17:28) - Melody’s most memorable conversations on TV

(23:08) - Similarities between entertainment and VC

(26:11) - Reputation and storytelling

(30:36) - Creating and instilling values

(34:51) - Balancing VC returns and a diversity mission

(39:37) - Ceremonial Final Qs