Raising investment isn’t about chasing money... it’s about winning time from investors. In this episode of The Brand Builders Podcast, bestselling author and co-founder of Robot Mascot, James Church, breaks down the psychology behind successful fundraising, and how founders can turn their pitch decks into powerful sales assets that convert investors.Whether you’re a startup founder, eCommerce brand, or SaaS operator, you’ll learn how to:- Build a credible investment story that investors actually want to hear- Create pitch decks that hook attention and drive follow-up meetings- Understand what investors really care about — proof, traction, and risk- Avoid the #1 mistake that destroys founder credibility- Value your business and structure your deal without giving up too much equity- Turn fundraising into a repeatable B2B sales and marketing campaign- Choose the right investors and advisers to scale faster- Decide when to raise vs. bootstrap your businessStick around as James also shares frameworks from his book “Investable Entrepreneur”, revealing the six principles of the perfect pitch, and why storytelling psychology drives investor engagement.Chapters:00:00 — The #1 Mistake Founders Make When Pitching Investors00:52 — Meet James Church: The Man Behind 400+ Funded Startups02:28 — Inside Robot Mascot: The Agency That Makes Startups “Investable”03:00 — What Kind of Founders Do They Work With? (Hint: Not Just Tech)04:10 — From Brand Agency to Investment Consultancy — The Unexpected Pivot07:25 — The Moment James Knew He Had to Reinvent His Business09:48 — Why Letting Go of Design Was the Best Move He Ever Made12:38 — The Secret Process That Turns Ideas Into Investor Magnets15:00 — The Psychology Behind Investor-Ready Pitch Decks19:12 — How Raising Money Forces Founders to Fix Their Business21:17 — The Team Structure Behind a Multi-Million-Dollar Pitch Machine22:46 — What It’s Actually Like Working With Robot Mascot24:20 — Why You Should Pitch for Time, Not Money27:49 — Treating Fundraising Like a B2B Sales Funnel30:07 — Turning Your Pitch Deck Into a Marketing Campaign30:57 — Why James Wrote Investable Entrepreneur (and What It Teaches)33:06 — The Harsh Truth: Most Founders Aren’t Ready to Raise35:09 — Raise Capital or Bootstrap? Here’s How to Decide37:54 — Lifestyle vs Performance Businesses — Which One Are You?41:38 — Can a Lifestyle Business Ever Truly Scale?44:52 — The Right Time to Start Raising Investment47:58 — Equity, Dilution & Keeping Control — James’s Advice53:22 — How to Value Your Startup Without Guessing57:48 — Picking the Right Investors (and Avoiding the Wrong Ones)01:03:13 — Angels, VCs, and Beyond — Understanding Investor Types01:07:18 — How to Find and Leverage Great Advisers01:10:22 — Paying Advisers: Cash or Equity?01:12:54 — What Really Happens After You Raise Investment01:15:11 — What Investors Look for Beyond the Money01:18:20 — Why eCommerce Brands Are Suddenly Hot for Investors01:21:18 — The State of Fundraising in Today’s Market01:25:43 — Where to Find James + Get His Book “Investable Entrepreneur”