Terri talks to Amy Chang about how at the age of 35 she had checked all life’s boxes but wasn’t completely fulfilled. She found religion to fill the void and was able to redefine success for herself. Amy talks about how this changed the way she operates in the world and how she wants to see more women angel investing.
Who is Amy Chang?
Amy C. Chang is the CEO of Delta Nutrassentials, a consumer health supplement company. Previously, she was VP of Strategy & Investor Relations for AMN Healthcare and prior to joining AMN, she held various leadership roles with other companies in operations, customer service and finance after beginning her career with KPMG.
Amy is an advisor, board member, and investor of various start-ups in San Diego, as well as a board member of Hera Angels and member of the Keiretsu Forum, Wharton Angel Network, and SheEO. She served as a board member of the National Investor Relations Institute - San Diego Chapter and has been a member of the San Diego YMCA Overnight Camps Board of Advisors. She is Chair-Elect of the San Diego YMCA Board of Governors and has been involved in homeless ministries and has served as a foster youth mentor and foster parent.
Show Highlights
- Amy talks about being the driver’s seat of your life (similar to Terri talking about being the pilot in your own life) and not just letting life happen.
- Amy talks about being driven and the importance of checking the boxes to achieve ‘success’ in her life and still being unfulfilled. She realized that she might have had the wrong measure of success in her life.
- Despite checking all of the boxes, she realized she wasn’t happy enough. She became a born-again Christian at the age of 35 which has made the biggest difference in her life and has changed the way she looks at her life and the rewards she wants to get out of life.
- Her definition of success has changed, and she worries about far fewer things as a result. She thinks that people are happier when they are living something beyond themselves.
- Amy talks about what she looks for as an angel investor and some of the startups she’s invested in.
- Three years ago, Amy didn’t know that angel investing was an option but has since invested in quite a few companies directly. She joined the Keiretsu Forum, the Wharton Angel Network and she is now on the board of Hera Ventures.
- Amy likes to invest directly into a startup to help them fuel their growth which helps to create innovation and helps the local economy. She does caution that angel investing is not for everyone.
- Amy talks about the importance of diversifying your portfolio and how networking has contributed to her deal flow. She has learned the most from other angel investors.
- Terri talks about her experience in Sand Hill Angels being a great training ground.
- Amy and Terri would like to see more female angel investors, and both shared the importance of being supported by other female angel investors.
- Based on what she wishes she knew when she started investing, Amy recommends that women start with small checks and get to know the founders as much as you can.
- If Amy could wave a magic wand, she would encourage people to get to know each other on an individual basis.
Terri’s Key Takeaway
Founder integrity is critical when investing in a startup.
References in the Podcast
- Venture Deals: https://www.feld.com/archives/2016/10/venture-deals-third-edition.html
- JDoe: https://jdoe.io/
- Delta Nutrassentials: https://www.deltanutra.com/
- Keiretsu Forum: http://www.keiretsuforum.com/
- Wharton Angel Network: http://www.whartonangelnetwork.co/
- Hera Angels: https://www.heraangels.com/
- Tech Coast Angels: https://www.techcoastangels.com/
Contact
Amy can be reached via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amychang8/ or her company’s website, www.deltanutra.com.
You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium: https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.
Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com.
To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife.