Show Notes
"When I say it cost everything, it also cost a lot of relationships. People said, 'This is the dumbest thing you can do,' and family and friends stepped away from me." - Robin Dimond, CEO and Founder of Fifth & Cor
Robin built Fifth & Cor fully self-funded. No investors, no safety net.
She leveraged her home and her car to get it off the ground, because loans weren't accessible and private equity meant giving away decision-making before she'd even started.
When people asked how they'd know she'd show up, her answer was simple: she wouldn't have a house if this didn't work.
The early years cost her more than money.
She's been the janitor and the CEO in the same hour.
She's had trusted employees steal from her, one of them someone she'd stood beside at their own wedding.
She still hasn't stopped apologizing for the missed family moments, and says she hopes she never does, because that's what keeps her honest about the cost.
What kept her going wasn't willpower.
It was knowing how many other lives were tied to the decision: employees with mortgages, clients trusting her with their brand, partners counting on the relationship.
On the days she wanted to quit, that ripple effect was the reason she got up anyway.
"I've started over from zero more than once. What's the other option? Sit in bed and cry? You build, and you build better, even when you're scared to lose it all again."
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