Screw the System: How Alex Batdorf is Exposing and Addressing Entrepreneurial Inequities
Alex Batdorf is the founder & CEO of Get Sh!t Done, an organization that supports women entrepreneurs to grow impactful businesses. They aim to decrease the wealth gap by providing women entrepreneurs with the network, knowledge, and know-how needed to expand their businesses.
Get Sh!t Done recently announced a partnership with New York City, providing an accelerator to help women build businesses in tech, green economy, and life sciences.
This article will be helpful for anyone looking to dismantle outdated systems or for those who are frustrated by inequities. It provides inspiration and effective strategies to combat systemic injustices, stemming from the insights of a bold leader who is paving her own way towards long-term change.
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Alex Batdorf was sick of hearing women weren't getting funded.
What set Alex over the edge was learning that 40% of businesses are women-owned, but those women-owned businesses only generate around 4% of total business revenues.
Instead of choosing the band-aid solution of just getting more funding to women (and assuming funding was the magical fix), Alex got to the root of the problem.
After spending thousands of hours with hundreds of women, she found that when women stated they needed capital, what they really needed were three things: increased revenue, the ability to earn a decent income from their businesses, and a business that could benefit their communities by providing employment. Essentially, women entrepreneurs needed their businesses to grow and scale to support both themselves and their communities.
Alex explained, "what women are up against is a mentality of what society thinks is success in business, and the assumption that the ones that are failing are because of natural selection, which is not true. There are so many incredible entrepreneurs and businesses out there that just didn't get access to the network, knowledge, and 'know-how' they need to grow, because of the inequities of our current system."
The underlying issue that Alex uncovered is that funding is not a business acumen issue, it's an access issue.
Access to the rooms where funding deals are getting made.
Access to the mentors who have scaled companies into the billions of dollars to teach them their ways.
Access to the influential contacts who can make introductions and unlock opportunities that will accelerate their business growth.
To fix the root of the problem, Alex helps women grow their businesses so they don't need funding, or if they do choose to seek funding, will be able to compete for funding on an equal footing.
Enter the 'Fuck 4%' Movement,' Alex's rallying cry 'giving the middle finger to 4%' by helping women grow their businesses through repeatable and scalable traction.
Redefining The System
“What's happening with women entrepreneurs and the outcomes in our businesses are really a byproduct and a reflection of what's happening in the system at large," Alex told me, believing the system is flawed and women entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage as a result.
First, she pointed to the societal expectation that businesses must raise capital to succeed, which for women entrepreneurs often involves seeking approval and financing from people that are predominantly not women or people of color.
Another component is that access to resources or opportunities are often granted to 'up and coming' entrepreneurs who are designated as such through the lens of what our society typically sees as promising: entrepreneurs focused on rapid-growth, capital raising, and with a focus on aggressive maximization of profits. These also happen to be more male-dominated traits.
As I began to see the system as something that was built upon the inequalities of the past, Alex continued to enlighten me and moved on to how privilege plays a factor in entrepreneurship and access to resources.
For example, attending a prestigious college not only provides a top-tier education but also exposes students to cultural norms that can help them connect with the elite, plus alumni networks filled with influential decision makers.
What about those that didn't have access to top-tier education?
Sure they can self-educate via MasterClass or YouTube videos, but Alex argues that "self-education, while valuable, is not enough. You also need the 'know-how' to apply that knowledge and the connections to get ahead."
"It's not survival of the fittest, it's survival of who has the resources," Alex added matter of factly.
With Alex's energy rising, so was my own frustration at the system I was uncovering.
"Working hard is not enough. There's plenty of people working very hard. The most successful people that I see, they work hard, but also a huge contributing factor to their success is what they had access to, which is the network, the knowledge, and the know-how to actually use that knowledge. And often those three things are reliant on each other, so you may get access to a network, but you also need to have the knowledge of how to interact in certain rooms."
People in power often distribute invitations and opportunities to those in their immediate circles, and if more men hold positions of power, the system will favor those within their inner circles.
Consider the phrase 'business gets done on the golf course.' Currently, men predominantly play golf, so if business gets done on the golf course then it's more likely that men will receive access to those deals.
This is not to undermine the efforts of male allies, something Alex readily acknowledges. It is that women face challenges gaining access to the system, and if they're not part of the country club, they're not going to know about the next golf outing, and therefore, aren't likely to receive an invitation.
To combat these barriers, Alex launched Get Sh!t Done, a collaborative platform designed to "support women entrepreneurs in growing game-changing companies that scale generational impact." Translation: Instead of fighting to use the current system which is stacked against women, Alex and her community are carving their own way AND changing the financial outcomes for generations of women to come.
At Get Sh!t Done, Alex focuses on three key areas to ensure her founders are setup for success: instilling the necessary knowledge for business growth, teaching them how to activate that knowledge, and making introductions for founders to gain vital connections and opportunities.
Once her founders are equipped with the knowledge, know-how, and connections they need, only then does Alex march them to seek funding, and only if seeking funding is the right option for their business.
How Alex Built Momentum
Alex knows how to rally people. Her energy is contagious, but building momentum for a cause takes more than charisma - it takes strategy. As an expert in this area, I was excited to profile her as a momentum builder.
Alex has strategically leveraged community building, mutuality in relationship building, authenticity, and visibility - with a dash of audacity, to build momentum for her mission and for the founders she serves.
Primarily, she has hosted ten accelerator programs involving hundreds of founders, mentors, and supporters whom she refers to as 'growth allies.'
However, even after the accelerators end, many participants remain actively engaged in her community. This is because Alex instills a 'mutuality mindset' that keeps them committed to the mission long after their cohort concludes.
Alex's use of mutuality is about building relationships based on shared interests and a genuine desire to help each other, with no strings attached. This means being fully engaged in interactions and offering help without expecting anything in return. Sometimes these relationships can result in reciprocity, but other times they might not. Alex says that's okay and that we shouldn't worry about whether we'll get something in return - we should help without consideration.
When it comes to authenticity, take a look at any of Alex's posts, videos, or keynote speeches and you'll see what I mean. Alex is bold, energetic, and not afraid to speak her mind. Her personality is a brand. Not many of us can tout a personality that holds its own to any MC, but because she has it, she leverages it.
Play to your strengths, and what makes you uniquely you.
As for visibility, Alex explained, "The way I remain relevant is speaking up about challenges harming the communities I serve without bending my message to appease the status quo. This has enabled me to build trust with the communities I serve.”
Leveraging her visibility, Alex then taps into her engagement to attract support and build momentum: “I am specific about where I need support, but also how I can support other people. This has enabled me to build a flywheel of support around me."
The Power of Networks and Introductions
Alex is known for having a large network. What makes her stand out is how many people she’s helped, and how many people she's connected to opportunities or to new contacts. As a result, people not only pick up when she calls, they are eager to support her work.
When I asked Alex one of my standard questions "What is your 'secret sauce' for building influential relationships that have significantly advanced your objectives?" She chose the option of 'Making introductions to your network,' a characteristic that defines her.
Have a conversation with Alex and you'll likely hear her recommend someone's work to look into, or relate your interests to another person who has done something similar. You'll also hear her suggest a potential introduction that could be mutually beneficial.
Alex acknowledges that making introductions can be risky, but it's a risk she has repeatedly taken and won. “I will put my name out there and on the line to make sure that our community gets the next door opened for them.”
When asked how relationships have helped advance her initiatives, Alex was quick to respond, "Relationships are EVERYTHING! And not just in business. There is no way I could be where I am without the relationships I've had in my life influencing my path."
Change Takes Collective Action
Alex talks a lot about legacy, but not her own. She's focused on systemic change to make entrepreneurship accessible for women, and is utilizing the power of networks and collective action. She believes if it's just one person or a small group doing the work, it's unlikely to have significant impact. She referenced the civil rights movements and pointed out that systemic change required large amounts of people and collective action.
While Alex is building an army of successful women in business, she's wise enough to admit that to make big changes, she needs to work with big companies and government offices. To do that, she need introductions to influential people.
By talking regularly with her advisors, sharing her plans, and asking their advice, Alex's advisors often help her meet the right people and find the right resources (a perfect example of the benefits of access to mentorship).
Recently, Get Sh!t Done announced a partnership with New York City's Economic Development office. This represents a significant advancement for her organization, bringing Alex closer to achieving systemic change by collaborating directly with a government agency that shapes many of the system's rules she aims to overturn.
Alex Batdorf is a force, but it's her commitment to providing value to others, building community around a compelling mission, and intentionally nurturing influential relationships that will ensure she achieves her long-term vision of creating a new system where women entrepreneurs begin on an equal footing with all entrepreneurs.