Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs

By: Nathalie Molina Niño, Sara Grace

Narrated by: Nathalie Molina Niño, Adenrele Ojo

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

For women entrepreneurs (and anyone sick of the status quo), this smart, unapologetic collection delivers 50 proven hacks to leapfrog over obstacles and succeed in business.

Think the most critical factor for becoming a great entrepreneur is grit, risk taking, or technical skills? Think again. Despite what every other business book might say, historical data show the real secret ingredients to getting ahead in business are being rich, white, and male. 

Until now. Leapfrog is the decades-overdue start-up bible for the rest of us. It's filled with uncompromising guidance for winning at business your way. Leapfrog is for entrepreneurs of all stripes who are fed up with status quo advice - the kind that assumes you have rich friends and family and a public relations team.

Refreshingly frank and witty, author Nathalie Molina Niño is a serial tech entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of BRAVA Investments, and a proud daughter of Latinx immigrants. While teaching budding entrepreneurs at Barnard College at Columbia University and searching the globe for investment-worthy start-ups, she has met or advised thousands of entrepreneurs who've gone from zero to scalable business. Here she shares their best secrets in the form of 50 "leapfrogs" - clever loopholes and shortcuts to outsmart, jump over, or straight up annihilate the seemingly intractable hurdles facing entrepreneurs who don't have family money, cultural capital, or connections.

©2018 Nathalie Molina Niño and Sara Grace (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"A must-read for any woman who has a great idea and the nagging thought that doors are closed to her; Molina Niño helps to blow them open." (Publishers Weekly)

“No-nonsense strategies for starting and growing a business, especially if you don’t have deep pockets.” (Darrah Brustein, Forbes) 

“There is hidden money and opportunity in America. Nathalie provides the shortcuts to solve the puzzle and go get it! No excuses - Leapfrog is the how!” (Nely Galán, author of New York Times best-selling Self Made: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way) 

Some great points but...

Good read, but the anti-Trump sentiment gets really old after a while. Just write the damn book and keep your political sentiments to yourself.

wow, not your typical business advice book

I’m an experienced entrepreneur (in biotech/pharma) so I didn’t expect to learn a lot from this book, but I wanted to read it anyway because I know Nathalie Molina Nino is an extraordinarily interesting, engaging person. However, I found Leapfrog enlightening in several areas and I’m already employing some of the hacks! Nathalie has her own compelling voice and ideas which could form a satisfying book on their own, and then she brings into play an amazing network of entrepreneur friends with their unique perspective and earned wisdom. Somehow with all these various voices, it doesn’t feel disjointed at all. Nathalie’s style is at the same time fun and serious - both guilty pleasure and productive homework.

Being a woman entrepreneur has been a constant hurdle for me personally and I’m excited to see building awareness of conscious and unconscious bias in business. Nathalie's mission to accelerate society’s painfully slow movement towards equality by helping us leapfrog our businesses is much appreciated. While some of my favorite hacks are specific and practical, the word ‘hack’ understates the depth of some of the best advice in this book, which speaks to finding your truth, learning how to tell your honest story, and stepping up your generosity. Okay, I’m on it!

Great, until it became painful to listen to

Some people write great stories and some people can tell great stories. For someone who studied theater, Natalie should have known that she was not the best person to read her own book to us.

Don't get me wrong, the book is full of good takeaways, but it really should have been divided in two books, not one.

It was interesting (I love entrepreneurship) until hack #25. By hack#29 it became painful to listen to. I forced myself to finish listening to it because I don't like unfinished things.

I'm not quite sure what it was about this book that made it so tough to listen to. Perhaps it was Natalie's less than enthusiastic monotone voice, or the countless examples of entrepreneurship in the tech world, or the less than authentic cursing. She definitely DID NOT play "her woman card" here (one of her hacks). Instead, she came across as another tech woman who had to grow an imaginary penis in user to make it in the industry. Which she did!

My advice to listeners would be: READ the book, don't listen to it.

My advice to Natalie would be: Great tips! But, play your woman card authentically... and DON'T read us your next book.

I'll definitely try some of the hacks.

Outcomes over Optics

So many good hacks for early-stage entrepreneurs. I'm fond of the DIY Business School method and also, taking advantage of white-label solutions. Was talking about white-labeling the other day and wasn't sure if it was a good idea. I'm glad that was mentioned. The whole book is great and to hear it in the author's voice is key! Now we need a post-Covid follow up.

The little black book for Women in Business

Before you read any other business advice book—read this first. Nathalie covers so many hacks that can be used to move your business forward not only faster but with integrity.

Listening to Nathalie is like having your personal big sister or friend on the journey guiding you. I love this book.

—T.

So good I got the Hard Copy to make notes

This book is a must, is to be studied and practiced. I bought the hard copy to make notes and get better references of names and organizations.

great book!

a great book for all female founders to enjoy the entrepreneurial journey and win in this game.

A good listen for newbies

This book will give you the tools to be brutal in execution, despite some inherent disadvantages.

Essential Resource for Boss Ladies

Thank you Nathalie for an amazing resource full of expert tactics to grow a business. This will be my #1 recommendation to the female entrepreneurs in my network.

The go-to Entrepreneurs guide

Absolutely love it and learnt so many new hacks. Thanks Nathalie for sharing your story

brilliant and powerful for women in business

loved it.

read brilliantly, packed with some great tips and ideas.
would highly recommend this book.