What do you wish you had more time to do?

Long-distance ocean swimming. I used to swim about four times a week, and it was my favorite time for quiet, relaxation and collecting my thoughts. I have a hard time meditating and sitting still, so a fluid, repetitive motion I don’t have to think about allows me to get deep into thought.

What do the most successful people you know have in common?

A strong determination throughout life’s ups and downs. They are avid learners and have a deep curiosity for life.

What’s something you wish more entrepreneurs knew?

Starting Mana Up, I was so surprised how many entrepreneurs don’t know the startup community exists or how to plug in to it. Entrepreneurship can be a long and lonely journey, and I think it’s important to plug in to that community, no matter at what level. I really believe in the concept of creative collision. When you get smart and like-minded people in a room together, magic happens and you can never tell what might come of it.

You previously founded a top-rated wine app. Name your most memorable glass of wine and where you were when you had it.

I had my most memorable glass of wine a couple days ago with family in Calistoga in Napa Valley, where we were comparing a 2007 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes against a Mojave Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2015. The Burgundy was the clear winner. Some of my favorite wine experiences are back-to-back tastings and continuing to learn more about the nuances of flavor profiles and grape varietals.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Success is never final. I’ve had many ups and downs in my career, and I’m learning to enjoy the process and not just focus on the destination. Starting my next company, I’m not solely focused on success. If you only concentrate on the destination, you miss out on the many joys and lessons of the journey.

What’s something not many people know about you?

That my first job out of college when I moved to San Francisco was working for a private detective, or that I trekked 120 miles through the Himalayas for three weeks before I started my most recent company, Mana Up.

If you had to mentor your younger self, where would you start?

I would start by developing a better relationship with my gut. I often look back to bad decisions I’ve made in my career and personal life and realize there was something that didn’t feel right, but I either pushed it down or convinced myself otherwise. I listened to my head as opposed to my heart or gut. Sometimes your gut feelings make no logical sense, but it’s important to consider them heavily when making life decisions. I think it’s one of the strongest skills you can have.

What’s the secret to a good elevator pitch?

Keep it simple and relevant to the audience. At the end of the pitch, the listener should clearly know “why you, why now and why this product or service.” Pitches aren’t a book report, and you shouldn’t be trying to squeeze as much information as possible into a short period of time. Your pitch is more of a story—why should anyone care? What’s in it for them?