The blog

It’s Female Founder Friday and I can’t wait to share the startup story of four-time serial entrepreneur, Liza Rodewald. Liza worked as a software engineer for five years after college. Becoming a mom sparked the desire for a more flexible lifestyle, so she made her first leap into entrepreneurship with LMS Software.

Becoming a military spouse was the flash point in for Liza to launch her fourth company. She is currently the founder of Instant Teams, a business that enables companies to scale and manage a remote workforce through our software while also connecting with untapped talent pools of military-connected professionals. Utilizing software like this as well as other cloud-based computing systems such as Azure Virtual Desktop, can help with application management and any administrative tasks that are required. Being virtually anywhere at any time can streamline operations which Liza is trying to do.

I met Liza when we both spoke on a Founder’s Institute panel about women’s entrepreneurship. Her stories, business acumen, and candid advice as a founder and mom of four were fantastic and I’m delighted to feature her, and her mission today!

So… if you’re a women considering entrepreneurship as a way to spend more time with your children, or if you’re looking for a way to build a business to support a community you’re a part of, don’t miss Liza’s story, struggles, and business hacks for fellow women entrepreneurs below!

What inspired you to create your company?

I married my husband in 2011 and became a military spouse. I already had a company that was 100% distributed. Relocations in the military community happen on average of every 2-3 years. Once I met the military spouse community I found that there were amazing spouses with PhD., Masters, Bachelors degrees and more struggling to maintain their careers. I knew that remote jobs would help spouses maintain a seamless career and I knew they could become a plug and play resource for companies looking to build a remote workforce. Thus Instant Teams was born. I’m super proud of this business because I know that it will help many military spouses to keep their jobs. Being a military spouse can be difficult. The constant relocations and time spent without your partner can be hard to cope with, but it’s something that gets easier with time. In order to help myself cope, I decided to look into getting a residential flag pole installed in my front yard to proudly display an American flag. That way, I would remember what my husband is fighting for. A lot of military spouses do this, so it was a nice way to get involved in the community.

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?

This is my fourth business venture. I’ve sold one, failed at another, and shutdown LMS Software to pursue Instant Teams. The entrepreneurial journey is constantly filled with huge wins and losses and sometimes they can happen within minutes of each other. My biggest obstacle has been learning the ebbs and flows of the entrepreneurial journey and to learn to slow down and not try to rush or force things.

What lessons can you take from your previous businesses to improve this one?

Well, the place that has let me down in my previous business ventures has always been the employment side of it. I have either employed someone who didn’t have the same vision for the company as I did or simply didn’t manage my workforce in the way I should have done. I’m determined to do it right this time and think I’ve started pretty well. One of my friends is a businessman and they recommended using employee feedback questions to find what my employees thought of the business and where they want it to go in the future. We’re looking to implement this so we can truly know how our employees feel because we value their input.

What are you afraid of?

I’ve been on this journey for a while now. While I still get intimated in certain situations I’ve learned to remain grounded in my faith and to not let fear stand in the way of the things I know are meant for me. Plus, I get all the support and advice I need from friends and family. Some of my friends who are entrepreneurs themselves set me a great example to learn and grow. For instance, I wasn’t well aware of the different kinds of obstructions that can affect one’s business operations. But with their help, I got to know about keyman life insurance and similar policies that can guard business against different unforeseeable calamities.

What’s next?

We are hitting a high growth stage at Instant Teams. We just launched our first sales and marketing campaigns which is very exciting, and raised a seed round to help scale the business.

What is a life or business hack that you recommend to help other female founders?

Surround yourself with help and learn to let some things go. I’m a mom of 4 kids and the CEO of a high growth company, there is NO WAY I could do ALL.OF.THE.THINGS., so I get help. School pickups, drop-offs, laundry, cleaning, groceries, meal prep, whatever it is that you need help in don’t let yourself be guilt-tripped into thinking you are failing because you aren’t doing all the things. Let go of the guilt!

If you had a theme song what would it be?

I’ve walked into some very intimidating situations lately so I have the song “You Make Me Brave,” from Bethel music on repeat in this season of my life. It’s been exciting but dealing with venture capitalists and investors, pitching on big stages, etc can be intimidating so I use that song to ground me and remind me that I belong here!

Please share your best piece of advice for aspiring female founders.

Don’t be afraid to go for it! Dream big dreams and surround yourself with others who have walked the path for encouragement and mentorship. Never go it alone, there are so many successful people who want to help. Reach out and build your network and then turn around a give it back to another founder who now stands where you once stood.

What lessons can you take from your previous businesses to improve this one?

Well, the place that has let me down in my previous business ventures has always been the employment side of it. I have either employed someone who didn’t have the same vision for the company as I did or simply didn’t manage my workforce in the way I should have done. I’m determined to do it right this time and think I’ve started pretty well. One of my friends is a businessman and they recommended using employee feedback questions to find what my employees thought of the business and where they want it to go in the future. We’re looking to implement this so we can truly know how our employees feel because we value their input.

What are you afraid of?

I’ve been on this journey for a while now. While I still get intimated in certain situations I’ve learned to remain grounded in my faith and to not let fear stand in the way of the things I know are meant for me. Plus, I get all the support and advice I need from friends and family. Some of my friends who are entrepreneurs themselves set me a great example to learn and grow. For instance, I wasn’t well aware of the different kinds of obstructions that can affect one’s business operations. But with their help, I got to know about keyman life insurance and similar policies that can guard business against different unforeseeable calamities.

What’s next?

We are hitting a high growth stage at Instant Teams. We just launched our first sales and marketing campaigns which is very exciting, and raised a seed round to help scale the business.

What is a life or business hack that you recommend to help other female founders?

Surround yourself with help and learn to let some things go. I’m a mom of 4 kids and the CEO of a high growth company, there is NO WAY I could do ALL.OF.THE.THINGS., so I get help. School pickups, drop-offs, laundry, cleaning, groceries, meal prep, whatever it is that you need help in don’t let yourself be guilt-tripped into thinking you are failing because you aren’t doing all the things. Let go of the guilt!

If you had a theme song what would it be?

I’ve walked into some very intimidating situations lately so I have the song “You Make Me Brave,” from Bethel music on repeat in this season of my life. It’s been exciting but dealing with venture capitalists and investors, pitching on big stages, etc can be intimidating so I use that song to ground me and remind me that I belong here!

Please share your best piece of advice for aspiring female founders.

Don’t be afraid to go for it! Dream big dreams and surround yourself with others who have walked the path for encouragement and mentorship. Never go it alone, there are so many successful people who want to help. Reach out and build your network and then turn around a give it back to another founder who now stands where you once stood.