Say Yes First: Confidence Comes Later

Join Molly Baker for a candid conversation on building a career you didn't see coming. From working the greeting table at a beach club to breaking into venture capital through one chance coffee meeting, this guest shares lessons on saying yes to opportunity, hosting standout events, and finding your sweet spot professionally. Together they explore what it's like breaking into venture from a non-traditional background, the highs and lows of the venture ecosystem, and what it takes to leave a city and career you love for the next chapter. The episode also dives into confidence, authenticity, and the importance of staying kind to everyone you meet along the way. Whether you're early in your career or navigating a big transition, this conversation offers a grounded look at building a career on your own terms.

MB (Molly Baker): Without telling us who you are, what's top of mind professionally?

ET (Emlyn Thompson): I'm in the middle of a big transition. I'm moving from LA to New York, leaving venture capital and entering the startup world. For me, I'm trying to be extremely present and take all the changes as positives instead of getting upset about the things I'm leaving behind. It's a bittersweet moment, but I think it's all for the best. I'm just trying to be present and positive, and accept the change.

MB: Brag about yourself. What are you really good at?

ET: I am very authentic. That's who I am as a person, and it's helped me a lot professionally. I'm extremely organized, which has helped me a ton, and I have good taste, which has also shown up in my role. Those three things are kind of me to my core, and they've shown up throughout my career as things that helped me accelerate.

MB: What has been the most pivotal moment in your career?

ET: The most pivotal was my first job in venture capital. The entire reason I pivoted into venture is because I moved to LA during COVID and only knew three people when I got there. A lot of people were coming down from San Francisco, so I was being set up on friend dates, and a lot of the girls I met worked in venture. That's where I first learned what a platform role was within venture. They were doing similar things to me but in what seemed like a much more exciting world. They told me I could do what they did, and I didn't really trust myself at first, but one friend got me to go get coffee with someone who ended up being my manager and got me into venture. So those saying-yes moments were the most pivotal, especially that one coffee meeting.

MB: So did you guys hit it off at that coffee, and then there was an opportunity and you went for it?

ET: Yes. The reason I was connected to him through my friend was that he'd mentioned to her he was hiring and what kind of person he wanted. She said I'd be perfect for it. I told her I wasn't sure I was good enough, but she believed in me. I met him, he was perfect for the team, and I joined the perfect team. That first job in venture was definitely the most pivotal for me. It was my breakthrough, and everything has become a lot better in my career than I ever expected since then.

MB: What was the motivator to move from San Francisco to LA?

ET: Honestly, it was COVID. San Francisco was not a fun place to be at that time, though it's back now. My parents wanted me to come back East, but I wasn't done with California. I always had a bee in my bonnet about LA and knew I couldn't leave the West Coast without trying it out. LA was a great place for me. I was there for five and a half years and loved that city.

MB: What's something surprising about LA that you loved?

ET: The most surprising thing was that LA is where I had my career breakthrough. When I moved there, people assumed I was leaving New York and San Francisco just for the sunshine, but I ended up meeting the best people, who gave me the best opportunities and saw something in me. I didn't know anyone when I moved there and created a big community. Everyone's very collaborative and welcoming. People are just genuinely happy, and so they gave me those opportunities.

MB: What's a small decision you made that had a big impact?

ET: When I took my first job in venture, I started in portfolio and operations, and I mentioned I wanted to do more events. It was a small part of my role, but one holiday dinner came up that no one wanted to host at a restaurant. They wanted it in our office. I raised my hand and asked if I could do it. Everyone was skeptical since there was a lot involved, but they let me. I brought in an omakase chef, bartenders, rented furniture, and made the whole thing feel special. Everyone said it was the best team dinner they'd had, and from there they trusted me to run all our events. That one dinner turned into something major for me. It taught me a lot, and it opened a lot of doors.

MB: Do you like planning those types of things?

ET: I do. Again, I don't like to brag, but I do have good taste. I knew it was going to be special, different, and organized down to the detail.

MB: How do you think about people getting started in their career? You've had a varied journey. What advice would you give to someone who isn't sure yet what their sweet spot is?

ET: I took an interesting journey. I graduated college not really knowing what I wanted to do, so I followed the advice to do what I was passionate about. At the time I liked clothes and had interned in fashion, so I took a job in fashion. It was great, but I didn't know what actually filled my cup role-wise. My first job was at Tommy Hilfiger, and I worked in the handbag closet. I'm very particular, so I ended up alphabetizing the whole thing and adding my own touch to it, but that's not what made me good at the job because that wasn't really the job. It took me a while to understand how to use my personality, my taste, and the things I like about myself in a role to help me succeed. So I think it comes down to tapping into what makes you you, what you're good at, and using that. There's a role for everyone. You just have to figure out what's the role for you.

MB: That's great advice. It's important to consider what you like and are interested in, but ultimately rooting that back to your strengths is where the success happens.

ET: Totally. I still like fashion, but I'm not very good at it anymore, honestly. I just wear monochromatic clothes all the time. It's a lot easier that way.

MB: What relationship has been most impactful on you professionally?

ET: It's hard to name just one. I've had people from every job who've stood out, but overall the person I look up to the most professionally, and in life, is my dad. He's extremely authentic and has been successful, but he's never been a different person in the work world than he was at home. I always liked how he interacted with his coworkers, how we became family friends with everyone he worked with. He's done everything so authentically and honestly, and he's always pushed me to do the same. I've also had a lot of great managers and people who've helped me along the way, but he's who I look up to the most professionally.

MB: Okay, so tell us who you are.

ET: I'm Emlyn Thompson. You can find me on LinkedIn.

MB: And you're currently transitioning to a new role in New York?

ET: Correct. I just made the jump, even though I just defended LA. I do also love New York, and I'm here now. I'm wrapping up my current role and taking a month off, which is exciting.

MB: What are you going to do?

ET: Not check Slack, look for an apartment, and hopefully enjoy some summer. I'm probably going to hit up a sample sale or two.

MB: What are you most excited about for this new chapter?

ET: I'm really excited to be back with a lot of my friends I've had for most of my life. Many of them live out here in LA, and I have great friends there too, but I felt like I was constantly saying bye to people over the last year or two. It's a city a lot of people come to for a few years, and I stayed longer and loved it. I'm excited to be back with friends I've had for most of my life and to be much closer to my family.

MB: It sounds like in all the places you've lived, you've been able to build community and maintain those relationships. How do you approach that?

ET: I moved a lot as a kid, so I tried to keep two to three really close friends from every place I lived and keep them with me for life. In more recent places, I keep up with more than that. I'm lucky that a lot of those people move around too. I do a lot of walks and phone calls, and when I'm in town I try to meet up with everyone. I run myself a little ragged sometimes, but it's worth it because I love everyone. And it's fun having people all over the country and the world. When you're traveling for business and land in a random city, you almost always have a friend there, and that little bit of community anywhere you go is really nice.

MB: What was the best and worst part about working in venture?

ET: The best part is everyone I met. Venture is a very collaborative community, in LA and in New York. We just wrapped up New York Tech Week, and the ecosystem is so kind and welcoming. Everyone shares deals, shares knowledge, and helps each other, which I love. The worst part is probably some of the phoniness that can come with people. You have to use your brain to figure out if someone's being real or not, and that happens in every industry, but I've definitely seen my fair share of it.

MB: What was it like breaking into venture from a non-traditional background?

ET: I lucked out. I joined a VC where the general partners had creative backgrounds, so nobody really came in with a traditional venture background, and that was seen as a positive. It actually helped the firm, since everyone brings a different dynamic to the table. The fact that I didn't have that traditional background was part of why I got hired, and it's also why I was able to shape the traditional platform role into what I wanted it to be. My background in fashion, retail, and real estate marketing ended up being helpful in getting that first role in venture.

MB: What would a traditional pipeline path into venture look like?

ET: A lot of finance backgrounds, consulting, working at startups, ex-founders. A lot of people come from those roles into venture and then leave venture for those roles. It's kind of incestuous in that way.

MB: What's one thing you wish you knew earlier in your career?

ET: I wish I was just more confident earlier. I'm brutally honest, so if I'm in a room and people are talking about something super technical, I'll just say I don't really know what they're talking about. Now that's appreciated, since more people will raise their hand and say the same. Back in the day I would just nod along and stay confused. I'm glad I learned how to be confident, but it took some time. I never saw myself being where I am today, so I've been very pleasantly surprised.

MB: It's good when you start to feel like you can just stop and ask what something means, since usually other people in the room are thinking the same thing.

ET: For sure. I've been in so many meetings, especially earlier in my career, where I'd just nod, write it down, and look it up later.

MB: So now you're moving into the tech startup world?

ET: Yes, exciting, another chapter. I'll still be very involved in the venture ecosystem, just on the other side. It's nice because it's not totally out of my realm. I'll be utilizing the venture community I've been part of in this new world too.

MB: At 21, you probably didn't think you'd be doing what you're doing. What did you think you'd be doing?

ET: I don't know. When you're younger and in interviews and they ask what you want to do in five years, I always made something up. I don't know what I actually pictured, but I'm really happy I'm where I am. I just didn't see the potential in myself until later on.

MB: Any words of wisdom to leave us with?

ET: Keep pushing through. Everyone you meet in your life is going to be helpful to you somehow. Just always be kind to people, and try not to overlook people who aren't in your world yet. When I lived in San Francisco, I wasn't in tech or venture, and when I'd go out and people were talking about that world, I felt insecure since I wasn't in it. Some people overlooked me and some didn't, and it's interesting who comes back around later. I don't hold a grudge, but I think you should be kind to everyone, since everyone takes a minute to get where they're supposed to be. Every connection you make along the way is important.

Find Emlyn on Linkedin!

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