Ep#71: Launching at 21 With No Money and No Plan. Now 4 companies & 2 exits. With Taryn Williams.

Taryn Williams started her first business at 21 with no experience and no capital. Twenty years later, she’d built four companies and exited twice. Taryn Williams doesn’t talk about the dream. She talks about what it actually costs.Andy Walsh sat down with Taryn Williams — serial founder and multi-exit operator — to trace the full arc of building from scratch. From cold emailing at midnight to navigating a multi-continent exit process she’d been quietly preparing for years, this is a conversation about the real mechanics of building: cash flow, culture, capital, and the decisions nobody prepares you for.Taryn was 21, still modeling, cold emailing production companies at midnight. She made one promise she couldn’t afford: models get paid in seven days. Industry standard was 90. She didn’t pay herself for two years to keep it. That decision built loyalty that became referrals that became a 20-year business. Then she spotted a bigger problem, built a marketplace, accidentally walked into a VC term sheet, scaled across APAC, and exited in 2023. Now she’s building again.Presented by Deel: If you’re making your first or fiftieth hire — and doing it across borders — Deel is worth knowing. They’re supporting Startups Decoded this season for good reason. LEARN MORE.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeSubscribe nowWho Should ListenFounders in the early chaos. Anyone approaching a first raise or first exit. People who need to hear that the dream version and the real version of building can both be true — just not at the same time.Taryn WilliamsTaryn Williams is an entrepreneur at the intersection of talent, media, and technology. She is the founder of WINK Models and theright.fit, a talent-brand marketplace that was successfully acquired. Today she is the co-founder of #Gifted, a board director, investor, and frequent speaker on startups.Andy Walsh2× exited founder and host of Startups Decoded (500,000 downloads + Top 2% globally).Access All Areas.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeSubscribe: SubstackConnect: LinkedInWeb: startupsdecoded.comSocials: TikTok || Instagram || XThe Studio ​Filmed on location at 28th&Park. A content & production studio for New York’s visionary Builders, Investors, Artists, Musicians, & Creators to amplify their voice & share bold stories. Use the code “Decoded” for 25% off your first booking.Music Credit“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)