I made it through the VC fund application process and had a series of interviews and meetings, pitching my plans for the future of the podcast. Ultimately, the VC fund passed because of my current audience numbers and my overly ambitious P&L productions. Once I shrugged off the disappointment and feelings of failure, I saw the positive the experience: I 100% made it through those several rounds of conversation because I pitched my show, my path, and my plans through telling stories. The podcast is also really good. But that's what got me in the door. The rest of the pitch rounds were successful because of storytelling.