Sarah Dusek: Thinking Bigger

In Thinking Bigger, entrepreneur Sarah Dusek provides an essential guide for women entrepreneurs to get the financing they need to build big businesses and change our world. Read on for a Q&A with the author about the need for a book like this, what readers will get out of it, and more.

At what point in your career did you realize the need for a book like Thinking Bigger?

In 2015, six years into building my company, Under Canvas, a venture capitalist (VC) visited one of our sites and emphasized the urgent need for us to raise capital to grow exponentially. Despite loving the idea of expanding our business, I realized I had no knowledge of how to raise capital. This encounter revealed a significant gap in my understanding and sparked a journey of learning the ins and outs of investment and business growth. It was through my own experiences and the realization that many women entrepreneurs faced similar knowledge gaps that the idea for Thinking Bigger was born. I aimed to close these gaps and empower women entrepreneurs with practical tools and knowledge to scale their businesses.

Would you say Thinking Bigger functions as both an informational guide and professional memoir?

Yes, Thinking Bigger serves both as an informational guide and a professional memoir. It delves into the art and science of creating a winning pitch deck, offering practical, usable tools for women entrepreneurs, alongside real-life examples from other female entrepreneurs and stories from my own journey as both an entrepreneur and an investor. The book aims to bridge the knowledge gap that many women face, providing them with the necessary tools to succeed while also sharing personal experiences that highlight the challenges and victories of my entrepreneurial journey.

How does Thinking Bigger meet the needs of women entrepreneurs?

Thinking Bigger is designed to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs by addressing the knowledge gaps and challenges they often face, particularly in the realms of finance and business growth. It offers practical advice on creating compelling pitch decks, understanding investment and funding, and scaling businesses. The book emphasizes the importance of women-led businesses in creating a more equal and diverse world and provides strategies to overcome barriers to funding. By sharing insights on the value of businesses, key financial metrics, and the power of pitch decks, it empowers women to shift their thinking, embrace larger ambitions, and harness investment opportunities to build significant, scalable businesses.