Excited to share this month’s NextStep update!
TL;DR ⚡
- We launched our first podcast episode for Informal Education!
- Our organic growth has increased as friends, family, and other users recommend NextStep (see pic above!).
- We are scoping a career education/internship program with a venture fund that invests in women of color owned companies.
- We applied for two grants: The Black Ambition Grant and FedEx Small Business Grant.
Asks and shout-outs 🙋
- Shout-out to our operations intern, Emiko Stroud, for taking our podcast, Informal Education, from conception to launch!
- We are continuing our formal partnerships initiative. Looking for introductions to (1) HR or DEI representatives at mid to large enterprises, (2) companies/organizations dedicated to improving outcomes for underrepresented communities, or (3) career advisors at colleges and universities.
- We are still looking to raise capital through grants and pitch competitions. If you see any come across for education, career development, or for women-owned or minority-owned, please pass those along!
Highlights 🔥
- Through the grant application process, we officially have copy, a pitch video, and a product demo on hand to quickly apply for future grants.
- We hired Adrienne, a talented project manager to accelerate operational activities, funding sourcing, and many things in between. She’s awesome — can’t wait to see what she brings to the team!
Lowlights 😢
- We encountered a few onboarding bugs that have prevented new users to book sessions with a coach. The bug has been fixed, and we’re reaching out to the impacted users individually to remedy the poor user experience.
- We received feedback that our website doesn’t showcase coach credibility as an A-team. We are meeting with a UX designer and brand strategist to address these gaps.
Spotlight 🙌
- Informal Education: Our first podcast is with Misha Ferguson, marketing operations expert for the tech industry, discussing how she’s gone from minimum wage to a six-figure salary by learning how to negotiate and negotiate well. Check it out here!
’Til the next 10th,
Erin
—
Erin Rowe
NextStep Founder & CEO
www.mynextstep.me
