Diane Tarshis
Founder & Principal
Chicago, IL
My Role
My primary role is to help entrepreneurs distill their ideas into growing businesses. How do I do that? By helping make “the hard parts” easy. Part of the fun (and also one of the challenges) of building a business is that there’s no one to give you a handy list of steps that tell you exactly what to do and when. That’s where I come in. At https://startupdistillery.com/services you can learn how working with me is like having your own personal Startup Bootcamp where we work together to develop a roadmap and solid foundation for turning your dream into a reality.
What I love most about my role
I love what I do! Specifically, I love helping people turn their dreams into reality. I love collaborating. I love working with people who have wide-ranging interests and experience from all over the world. It crushes me to hear about people who start businesses that struggle or succeed only after costly, preventable mistakes. I’m here to help! Even if you’ve got a tight budget, I’ve created an affordable solution that helps founders get it right the first time using my all-in-one business plan kit Distilling Your Dream: The Step-By-Step Kit for Business Plans.
How I define success
I define success as balance. Not necessarily 50/50, but a nice, healthy balance between our personal and professional lives. For me, that means being financially independent while also having time for the things I love outside of work, like family, friends, activities, travel, and leaving room for discovery. I may love what I do for a living, but it’s not the only thing that defines me.
The best piece of business advice I ever received was
You don’t ask, you don’t get.
What would I tell my younger self
Two heads are better than one. Also... Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
What 2B Bolder mean to me
2B Bolder means pursuing your passion while not letting fear rule you — whether that means dreaming big or doing something you’ve never done before. I love how 2B Bolder gives women the resources to be bold successfully, sharing the knowledge and resources we all need to bring our dreams to life. When I was a girl I never imagined building my own business, and too often I hear women say they wish they could… but fear stops them in their tracks. 2B Bolder shows that you’re not alone — there are other women here to help you.
Years of Experience
20+ years running my startup consultancy + a decade’s-worth of years working directly in finance (Wall Street), retail, operations and manufacturing.
I recommend you focus on developing these 3 skills to succeed in a role like mine
Creative Problem Solving
Financial Planning
Strategy Development