How do ambitious businesses land investor backing? Daina Spedding joins Ian on the Wild Side to help answer this fundamental question. As an Investor at BGF passionate about bringing more diversity and inclusion to the whole industry, Daina tells us how picking companies to back can sometimes be like speed-dating. She shares that ‘gut-feel’ has such an important part to play along with her four measures of business success. Beyond investor ‘red flags’, Daina has very clear ideas on the traits of successful entrepreneurs. She shares which traits she and BGF look for most, as they are most needed to navigate the pressure and uncertainty of today - especially in a world where almost half of founders are considering leaving to try something less stressful. She also shares the insight that entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed if they’re not from the country where their business is and potentially how you’re at your best when everything’s on the line. Daina and Ian then discuss the importance of purpose, the entrepreneurial spirit and ensuring you hold on to it as your business scales. They have a shared belief that openness to risk is a good thing and it’s only when you step outside of your comfort zone that you really learn what you’re made of as an entrepreneur. When it comes to female representation in the investment arena, Daina doesn’t hold back. She gives us the real numbers and current industry issues, along with the things that need to happen to make it a level, more inclusive playing field for female founders. Finally, we’re reminded of the importance of just keeping going. Never losing that ambition and surrounding yourself with people who will help you thrive is so important - and is sometimes the difference between success and failure. Daina Spedding LI:https://www.linkedin.com/in/daina-spedding-a763592/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurs_inthewild/  TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@entrepreneursinthewild  X: https://twitter.com/EitW_podcast    Executive Producer Addi: https://addi.london/  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/addi-merrill/    Iris Worldwide: https://www.iris-worldwide.com/  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iris/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/irisworldwide/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.