Top Woman Profile – Alexa von Tobel, CEO, LearnVest

Zig When Everyone Zags

Do you know many 28 year-old female CEO’s whose tech startups are valued at $100 million?

We don’t either.

Here’s a welcome exception – a woman who became famous in finance and technology. Meet Alexa von Tobel. Her money management website, LearnVest, brings personal finance to the masses.

(Click here to read her exclusive profile!)

It takes guts to drop out of Harvard Business School during a recession. But von Tobel’s decision to launch her website in 2009 was worth it. She passionately believes financial literacy is a necessity, not a luxury. It’s what made her once women-centric website draw 800,000 (female and male) unique visitors, last month.

How did swimming against the tide pay off? Why did tapping middle-market women, usually ignored by the industry, became her trump card? Here’s the answer.

Little PINK Book: What’s your secret to success?

Alexa Von Tobel: When everyone zigs, you have to zag. When everyone is being safe, it’s time for you to be bold. When everyone’s being bold, it’s time for you to be thoughtful. I dropped out of Harvard Business School in the heart of the worst recession. Everyone was worried and being more conservative. At those times, it’s important to do something bold. It taught me the best discipline on how to start a company during the recession. And now times are getting better, the company is able to take advantage of that. You have to plan timing as much as you can.

LPB: You have a team of 60. How do you hire?

AvT: Obviously they need to be smart. Obviously they need to be good people. But the real skill I always look for is people [who are] ‘outsized.’ I mean, they have a greater amount – an outsized amount – of perseverance and belief. Because people who are going to change the world, move the meter, are people who believe. They say: “We will find a way to make it work.” People who will not take ‘no’ for an answer. Because doing something different is not looking at something someone did, yesterday. That’s finding the easy way out. It’s about changing the game. That requires belief and perseverance.

Read more…

By Ruchika Tulshyan

“If you’re not nervous everyday, a little bit, then you’re not pushing yourself.”
Alexa von Tobel