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The Next Brief: Catch Up With Us May Edition
Insights, strategies, and events for founders and business leaders.
Alejandra Santos Alejandra Santos
June 02, 2025
MAY BRIEF
Alejandra from Into The NextLast month was super busy! We are excited to say we are operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in addition to Los Angeles-Santa Monica. We are here to provide founders and business owners with bold strategy, value-building insights, and real support in the heat of Texas. If you are in Texas, we would love to meet you! |  |
We’re honored to be featured in BizWeekly, where Into The Next shares insights on exit planning, building real business value, and creating optionality for business owners. This is a must-read if you’re thinking ahead to your next move, scaling, selling, or simply leading smarter.
From the Podcast: Scale to Exit
YOUR MONTHLY CONVERSATION EDIT
 EDIE GOLDBERGIs your workforce strategy setting your business up for a successful exit, or silently killing its value? In this episode of Scale to Exit, we sit down with Edie Goldberg, Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert in talent strategy and the future of work. Edie shares powerful insights from her books The Inside Gig and Scenario Planning, revealing how business owners can use agile talent planning to scale smarter, build resilient leadership teams, and create a company ready to sell, even if they’re not planning to exit tomorrow. |  JULINA GARAIZARJuliana Garaizar, Founding Partner of Energy Tech Nexus and a trailblazing force in inclusive investing, will explore the shifting landscape of startup funding. From breaking down the flaws in the traditional VC model to championing underrepresented founders and climate innovation, Juliana offers real talk on what needs to change and who’s leading that charge. |
Visionary Voices
A CONVERSATION WITH
Product-market fit is just the beginning. In this episode, I’m joined by Peter Cohan, author, investor, and creator of the Value Pyramid, to explore what it takes to grow a business built to last. We explore the layers of the Value Pyramid and how founders can climb from basic survival to sustained strategic advantage.
Peter explains the difference between visionary and reckless leadership, why empathy is essential in crisis, and how to avoid the mental traps of cognitive lock-in. We also explore the founder’s dual identity as both sprinter and marathoner, and share real cautionary tales from startups that got growth wrong. If you're serious about scaling with intention, not just speed, this episode is your roadmap.
From the Podcast: Scale to Exit
ONE ON ONE WITH ALEJANDRA SANTOS
Raising your first round with zero revenue? This episode is your roadmap. Alejandra Santos breaks down what investors care about at the seed stage, how to justify your valuation without numbers, and the one mistake that could ruin your next round before it starts. Raising capital before you’ve made your first dollar? You're not alone, but you do need a smart strategy.
Want to become a guest at Scale to Exit?
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Carla Garces is the Scale to Exit podcast manager and supports marketing and partnership development. Email her with your podcast pitch.
Into The Next Insights
ON THE SITE NOW
 From Founder to Fortune: What Spanx Teaches Us About Value Creation and Strategic Exits |  A New VC Model: What it Means if you are Fundraising or Planning for an Exit |
A Final Note
FROM ALEJANDRA’S DESK
“Failure exists when you give up, anything besides that is just a fun learning experience.”
Until next time,
Scale with Purpose. Exit with Power.