She Lost Everything, Then Pitched Terribly—9 Months Later, $3 Million

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-11-05

Inge Geerdens has 156,000 followers on LinkedIn—the most of any Belgian woman on the platform. But behind that impressive number is a gritty entrepreneurial story that doesn't gloss over the failures. She was fired from her job and decided then and there: never again would she work for a boss. She built Executive Research, sold it, and used the proceeds to buy out her shareholders in CV Warehouse. Shortly after, the financial crisis hit. Suddenly she was running a software company burning tens of thousands of dollars a month and facing a hole of $200,000 to $300,000. In this episode, Inge opens up about how she clawed her way out on her own terms—and the hard lessons she learned about cash, investors, staff, and growth. ### The $3 Million Pitch That Almost Didn't Happen One story stands out. After a truly terrible pitch, she was offered three times $1 million just nine months later. It's a reminder that a bad pitch isn't the end—it's just a step. Inge explains why raising capital should never be the goal, why a good product alone isn't enough, and how she turned things around. > "My children I will never sell. Everything else is for sale." — Inge Geerdens That quote captures her no-nonsense approach. She's built and sold two companies, and she's learned why she'd never sell a business herself again. The process, she says, is brutal and often undervalued by founders. ### From LinkedIn Pioneer to Chess with Garry Kasparov Her 156,000 LinkedIn followers didn't happen overnight. Inge was there in the early days of content on the platform, long before it became a marketing machine. She shares how she built her audience authentically—and why it still matters. Today she shares her experience with other entrepreneurs through Founders Hub and is building something entirely different with Your Next Move: getting as many children as possible into chess, together with Garry Kasparov. ### Lessons Learned the Hard Way Inge's advice is refreshingly honest. She doesn't pretend the success stories were always pretty. - **Cash is king.** Burning tens of thousands a month teaches you fast. - **Raising money isn't an achievement.** It's a tool, not a goal. - **A great product won't save you.** You need distribution, sales, and a team. - **Pitching is a skill.** Bombing one pitch doesn't mean you're out. This episode is about winning, falling flat on your face, getting back up, and the lessons you only understand afterward. It's a must-listen for any entrepreneur who's ever stared into the abyss and wondered how to climb out.