EP123: What I learnt about business from being a stripper, with tech entrepreneur and angel investor Paulina Tenner
“Being a stripper taught me more lessons than I could possibly imagine, a lot of which I’ve been able to apply to my business life..”
For the penultimate episode of The Nicole Bremner Podcast, I’m joined by former stripper Paulina Tenner. Paulina is the founder of GrantTree, where she leads a team of 50 people in helping businesses secure government funding. To date, the company has raised over £200m for tech start-ups and larger companies.
Originally from Poland, Paulina is a true trailblazer, challenging the status quo of how companies are set up and scaled and proposes a truly radical alternative of financial transparency and self-set pay.
“[Self-Set pay] is a very courageous and responsible process but it’s hugely empowering for people and I think that anything that you implement in your company that is empowering to your people has long-term advantages.”
Like many business people, Paulina has had times where she has faced burnout and it was during one of these periods that a chance encounter ignited a passion for burlesque dancing, which led her to become a showgirl.
She writes about her experiences of being a stripper and leading a double life in her book, Laid Bare: What the business leader learnt from the stripper.
“It was the biggest, most badass adventure of my life,” she says. “I think our sexual energy is a life-force, a life-force that can be manifested in a sexual way but also a creative way. When you awaken that, the entirety of your being and your leadership style changes.”
We also talk about:
Embracing your wild side to build confidence in business
Workplaces of the future and the importance financial transparency
How to identify and use feminine and masculine paradigms in business
Paulina's book is available to buy from January 7, 2022 and can be ordered from paulinatenner.com. Follow @Paulinatenner on Twitter and Instagram for updates.
