Finance and investing early are two things that have come up on The HIM & HER Show a lot lately. From the latest episode with the founder of YNAB to the episode with Katie Song of Domain Money, making your dollars work for you is more important than ever.
Today Nicole Bruno, aka @nobread is here to tell us how she got into Angel Investing through her celiac disease diagnosis. In this post you’ll learn what it takes to be an angel investor, how to invest with Nicole through her angel fund, and how to identify up and coming trends that could be the next big thing.
Let’s welcome Nicole to the blog.
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Hi! I’m so thankful to The Skinny Confidential team for having me. My name is Nicole Bruno and I’m the influencer behind @nobread. I’m a former finance nerd whose Celiac Disease diagnosis opened me up to the wild world of better-for-you food and wellness. When I was 19 and first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, the gluten-free items in a grocery store consisted mainly of rice cakes and potato chips, and gluten-free brands were only a small part of one aisle… if that!
As gluten-free became more prevalent, people started asking me for my recommendations. I thought, “let me do the hard-work for you.” And alas, NOBREAD began.
I caught the influencer wave in 2014 while working at my Equity Sales Job at J.P. Morgan, and left my incredible career to follow my passion project blog full-time. That leap of faith paid off in every way imaginable. My finance passion and wellness passion eventually remarried, and I started my Angel Investment fund in 2020, investing in the next generation of innovative food and wellness companies. Investing has brought me more fulfillment than I could have ever dreamed of.
Today, I’m an investor in the most incredible companies, i.e. Olipop, Three Wishes, De Soi, Partake Cookies, Poppi and over a dozen more.
Out of all of the jobs I have, inspiring women to invest and make their money work for them is the job I’m most passionate about. So today, I want to teach you my ways and help you make your first investment.
Do you want to be an Angel Investor? Here are four tips to set you up for success.
In order to invest you have to be an accredited investor.
There is no “angel investor” or “accredited investor” test you need to take, but you need to meet this criteria:
+ Have an annual income of at least $200,000, or $300,000 if combined with a spouse’s income.
+ Have a net worth of $1 million or more—either individually or together with a spouse.
+ Holds a valid Series 7, 65 or 82 license.
Networking for deal flow.
I’m often asked how I have access to so much deal flow and the answer is that I’m a massive networker. If there is an event, I’m at it. If there is a conference hosted by a prominent investor, I’m there and asking them a question. And if there is a brand or company I love, I DM/Linkedin the team and let them know.
Angel Investing is super entrepreneurial, and building a network of fellow angel investors and passionate entrepreneurs goes a long way, especially in regards to getting deal flow. I view the people in my network as my colleagues, and we are all eager to share opportunities with each other. Build your network, and the deals will come.
Don’t over invest
Angel investing is fun, but super risky. Depending on how early on you invest in a brand, it will be 5-10 years before an exit! That is, if you’re lucky enough to have an exit. You are playing the long game, so it is important to only ever invest an amount you are willing to lose, or willing to not have access to for a long period of time.
Define your ‘why.’
Why do you want to invest in this company? There are a ton of incredible companies out there, but what is it about this one that makes it a good investment? Remember, just because a company is “cool” or “tastes good” isn’t reason enough to invest and put your money on the line. What is the founder like? Is the company profitable or on the path to profitability? What category is the company disrupting? What are the trends of right now?
Speaking of trends. Here are the three trends I have my eye on right now:
The Return of Dairy
Vegan and dairy-free is out, raw dairy and whole foods are back. When the world discovered you could make milk and butter from nuts, the dairy free movement skyrocketed— whether you had to be dairy-free or not. Suddenly, dairy-free anything was deemed the “healthier” alternative. Sadly, many popularized dairy-free products also need a lot of gums and additives to make the product resemble their original.
This brought dairy back into the limelight, and over the course of 2023/2024, the power of dairy — in its purest form— swung back into action. Suddenly, everyone who can is having dairy again! I have to be dairy-free due to allergy, but it’s important as an investor that I recognize where the market is moving, even if I can’t indulge myself.
Fertility
Let’s face it. Couples are getting pregnant later. We aren’t our parents and grandparents generation. But the ability to get pregnant later and the desired age to get pregnant has become inverse. The female fertility space has seen some major action, with the introduction of companies like Perelel, We Natal, and Needed, but the male fertility space isn’t totally there yet. I predict we’ll see a lot more action out of the two categories over the next few years, and it’s a trend that is here to stay.
Seed-Oil Free/Dye Free
Seed Oil free is the buzzy tagline of this decade, but it hasn’t come without some controversy. Ultimately, the one belief all experts seem to agree on is that seed oils are used excessively, and when combined with foods that also have artificial ingredients or preservatives, they should be avoided. My newest investment is in this space and I can’t wait to share it soon.
I hope this post has left you inspired to make your money work for you, and go out and find your first investment. I post all of the latest venture capital and investing news every week on my Substack, and offer opportunities to invest with me through my angel fund, NB VC.
~ Nicole
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Have you invested in an industry that you’re also passionate about? Let us know below. If you want more on investing and finance, be sure to check out:
+ The Do’s and Don’ts of Managing Finance
+ The Benefits of a Financial Plan
+ Michael’s Solo Episode on Finance
x, The Skinny Confidential team.
+ Money saving tips for couples here.
++ How to cultivate lasting fulfillment with Tony Robbins.
