I’m a disabled founder building a financial wellness startup with $0, and this week a company that said yes to piloting my product told me no.

I’m Ruby “SunShine” Taylor, founder of Financial Joy School®, and in Episode 9 of Building Financial Joy I share the highs and lows of a startup week, sometimes in the same hour. The low: a verbal yes from a pilot partner turned into a no, and it stung. The high: an amazing meeting with my AWS Social Impact team, who are supporting our back-end build and love the product. You’ll hear how I’m finding a new pilot partner for the Financial Joy Index™, a 15-week pilot built to generate real data for HR and employee benefits teams. You’ll also hear why I rested without apology when my body said stop.

I also talk about why I won’t give up: nearly 4 in 10 Maryland households are working and still can’t afford basic needs, according to United Way’s ALICE research. They’re above the poverty line and still hurting, and I know that feeling. That’s why I’m building a shame-free financial wellness tool for employers and their teams.

This is startup building, entrepreneurship, rejection, resilience, fintech, HR, employee financial wellness, and disability advocacy with nothing smoothed over. Wins, setbacks, and faith, told as they happen.

Work in HR or total rewards, or know someone who does? Get a demo at https://Grean.US

A note before you listen: I’m a stutterer and a traumatic brain injury survivor and thriver, and I’m proud of it. You’ll hear me stumble, and I’ll keep going. Yes, yes, and yes.

New episodes every Tuesday.

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I’m a disabled founder building a financial wellness startup with $0, my pilot launches December 7th, and this week AWS Social Impact asked if I’d like their support beyond it.

I’m Ruby “SunShine” Taylor, founder of Financial Joy School®, and in Episode 8 of Building Financial Joy I share where the Financial Joy Index™ stands: the prototype is built, the demo video is done, and our pilot for HR and employee benefits teams is seven weeks away. You’ll hear who has said yes without any funding behind it: the National Disability Institute, 2Gether-International, AWS Social Impact through the Halcyon Fellowship, and MUI.com. I’m also sharing my acceptance into SeedSpot DC Launch Camp, where I’ll sharpen my pitch and pitch deck.

I also take you to DC Startup Week, which I attended in person and left early because it was overwhelming for my brain. I’ll tell you why I think you have to be a little delusional to start a company, how to find the thin line between delusion and practicality, and a reminder from a Johns Hopkins professor and serial founder that when people don’t see you, you are still seen by God.

This is startup building, entrepreneurship, fintech, HR, employee financial wellness, social impact, and disability advocacy with nothing smoothed over. Wins, setbacks, and faith, told as they happen.

Work in HR or total rewards at a corporation or a large nonprofit? Sign up for a demo at https://Grean.US

A note before you listen: I’m a stutterer and a traumatic brain injury survivor and thriver, so you’ll hear me stumble a time or two. This is my journey building a startup with zero money. Yes, yes, and yes.

New episodes every Tuesday.

Support the show

I’m a disabled founder building a financial wellness startup with $0, and a customer discovery meeting just changed who I’m building for.

I’m Ruby “SunShine” Taylor, founder of Financial Joy School®, and in Episode 7 of Building Financial Joy I share a mid-build pivot for the Financial Joy Index™. I started with banks and credit unions because I’d worked with several and knew the industry.

But asking a bank to skip the upsell is a hard sell, and every conversation drifted away from piloting my software. Then someone in HR said, “This is perfect for us to pilot for our employees.” That was real enthusiasm, and it made me rethink my whole go-to-market strategy.

I also share the apple tree advice that changed how I think about early customers: pick the low-hanging fruit. You’ll hear why employee benefits and total rewards teams may be the first market for an employee financial wellness program, what it takes to land a pilot (it’s as hard as a sale), what a pivot costs a founder in time and energy, and why I’m aiming for a December pilot launch. We’re also moving the build onto AWS with the AWS Social Impact team.

This is startup building, customer discovery, entrepreneurship, fintech, HR, employee benefits, financial wellness, and disability advocacy with nothing smoothed over. Wins, setbacks, and faith, told as they happen.

A note before you listen: I’m a stutterer and a traumatic brain injury survivor and thriver, so you’ll hear me stumble a time or two. This is my journey building a startup with zero money. Yes, yes, and yes.

New episodes every Tuesday. Learn more at Grean.US

Support the show