Meet Liz Pearce | Co-founder & CEO of Fresh Chalk

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liz Pearce and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, how do you think about risk?

I’ve taken many so-called risks throughout my career and in my personal life. In my own narrative, though, I prefer to think of them as “big leaps.” These are life decisions based on gut instincts, eagerness to learn and try different things, and fear of regrets. Here are a couple big leaps I’ve taken along the way, and how they panned out:

The day I finished school, I flew across the country to move in with someone I had dated (long distance) for three months. I had no job lined up, no social safety net in the new place, and no certainty that the relationship would work out. Eventually I did find a job, the relationship worked out (for a long time, anyway!) and eventually I made new friends and connections.

I’ve called it quits on multiple stable, well-paying positions for considerably less stable roles (and sometimes no role at all). Each time, I’ve suffered feelings of being untethered and of lacking direction. It turns out that feelings (both good and bad) always pass. And to quote Richard Branson, “business opportunities are like buses—there’s always another one coming.”

Most recently, I joined Fresh Chalk as co-founder and CEO with no direct experience in the industry and only having met my three new cofounders a couple of times. (See decision rationale above.) More than two years later, we’re still building something we’re proud of and enjoying the journey along the way.

Over time, I’ve come to recognize the role that privilege played in these decisions, making them less risky in actuality than they might appear on the surface. I’m fortunate to have a safety net. But regardless of the specific situation, following your gut, aiming to experience life fully, and considering future regrets can be useful lenses through which to view decisions.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Liz Pearce is the co-founder and CEO of Fresh Chalk, a site for sharing recommendations for products and professionals with people you know. Prior to Fresh Chalk, Liz was CEO of LiquidPlanner, a project management software company, and Chief Revenue Officer at Streem, a Portland-based augmented reality startup. Liz serves on the board of the UW Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship for three years and is an active mentor and speaker in the Seattle entrepreneur community. When not working, she’s hanging with her kids and pup, cooking, or practicing yoga.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

Shoutout to the Female Founders Alliance and community, who provide unwavering support to female and non-binary founders all over the US.

Website: http://www.freshchalk.com

Instagram: @Fresh.Chalk

Twitter: @FreshChalk