at first i was excited for this title; however, as time went on I really became disinterested.
i think this may be great for gen z but I did not relate to it.

One thing that stood out to me about It’s About Damn Time was how clearly Arlan’s voice shines through the pages. I’ve watched multiple videos of talks Arlan has given and have listened to nearly all of the podcasts she’s spoken on (check out her podcast, Your First Million). Reading this book felt like I was in those rooms listening to her conversations and at times felt like it was 1-on-1! I've followed Arlan for years now and was very familiar with her story but learning more about her path into VC provided me with much more insight. This book is accessible to readers of all backgrounds and didn't necessarily require a lot of knowledge in venture capital.

From homeless living in San Francisco Airport to breaking all of the stereotypical barriers of VC life in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Arlan isn't just an author, imagine a force of nature changing the paradigm so that Mark Cuban now is an investor. This book tells the story in a unique and compelling way. I couldn't put it down.

This book sounded more of a memoir than a self-help. It was a good thing and I absolutely love how Arlan Hamilton laid out her experiences. It opens her up to her readers and shows that she was and still has vulnerable sides.

It was an entertaining and extremely helpful read.

I really enjoyed listening to It’s About Damn Time by Arlan Hamilton - I would say it’s a mix of memoir, business and self-help all rolled into one. In 2015 Arlan realized that 90% of companies getting funding in Silicon Valley were led by white, heterosexual men - most attending (and possibly dropping out of) Harvard or Stanford. This was a model we had seen played out in some of the great tech successes of the past. But that doesn’t mean those are the only leaders with great ideas.

Arlan decided to build an investment fund that would invest in 100 businesses led by founders who were female, LGBTQ or people of color by 2020 - and hit that goal by 2018. Through the book she gives a lot of advice and insight into her own life and also in ways that we can use our privileges to let someone shorter stand in front of us.

I also really appreciated the discussion about the season of the podcast Startup she was part of. I used to listen to a lot of podcasts on my commute and I had listened to that so found it super interesting to also hear her perspective.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the free ebook, I also got the audiobook from the library. Highly recommend!

A Black, Queer woman who is running shit in Silicon Valley. Tell me more!

The book discusses how Hamilton went from food stamps and sleeping in airports to becoming a force in the venture capital business. Her goal from the start was help people who are often overlooked (people of color, LQBTQ+, and women) get the funding they need to start companies.

Can someone please cue Solange's A Seat at the Table? WE LOVE TO SEE IT! From working in the live music industry to working as a venture capitalist, Hamilton demonstrated that hard work, grit, and tenacity, will win every time.

I was first introduced to Arlan Hamilton through her cover story on Fast Company and was excited to read her memoir. It was refreshing to her full life background and how much she struggled in the beginning, which made her success that much more rewarding.I liked how she weaved in advice that reflected her story. A great American story, proof that the American dream is still alive and well.

Thank you to Random House for access to this title for an honest review.

I went into this book expecting to read a story about a woman of color who has risen to the top and has motivating advice for others and I felt that this book succeeded in that.

I absolutely loved learning about Arlan as I had no prior knowledge of her and her story. The title is a perfect summary of this book being a culmination of her struggle and fight for more diversity in the business world. She is smart and persistent and you really feel as if she is rooting for you to also find success. There were many lines that stuck out to me as inspiring and her genuine personality shone through to me through her wonderful story telling.

It is not necessary to be a business person to appreciate the wisdom that she shares with the reader but I think if you are then you will resonate more closely with her knowledge. I still do not understand venture capitol or trading but most of the book is about persistence and self love. I would recommend this book to anyone thinking about starting a business but also to anyone who has a goal they want to achieve that would love some tips from a mentor.

I thought this was an inspirational and well-written look into the business industry from a perspective that only Arlan could give us. It is so important to look at how underappreciated and underrepresented minorities can offer something special to any industry.

Authors #Arlan Hamilton & #Rachel L. Nelson have put out quite the motivational book for success.How to to turn being underestimated into your greatest advantage.This is part memoir and
part self help.They write that those that are different can rule the business world and try to guide the reader on what terms to use.
Thank you,
#Netgalley,#Arlan Hamilton,#Rachel L. Nelson, and #Crown Publishing

It's About Damn Time tells Arlan Hamilton's story. She has broken all the rules and has broken down all the walls in her way. In her book she proves that she has found her voice and knows how to use it.

Everyone can learn something from Arlan Hamilton.


Thank you to the publisher for making this book available via Netgalley. This is my honest review.

A very good read for anyone wanting to have their own business, and those that already do and are feeling discouraged. The author gives multiple personal accounts of successes and failures. It speaks especially to minorities, Women, African Americans and members of the LGBTQ communities. It takes you on an interesting story of all the ups and downs and makes for a very interesting and well written read.

I knew I had to read this book and this isn't a how-to about entrepreneurship or VC's. (There is an informative FAQs section at the end.) To me it is a love letter to the underestimated as they are called in the book. It is for those who know what it is like to walk into a room you've worked to be in, but instantly realize you are the only person like yourself represented.  Arlan speaks of experiences that the underestimated can relate to. Why? She's a queer Black woman doing the work to get woman like her funding for their businesses.

In the book, she uses those life experiences to uplift and give advice on how to keep pursuing your dream. You don't need a degree in business to read this book. This is more of a go-to for when you need someone to say keep going, you got this.  There is even a playlist to help you through those moments like stage fright when your fear is louder than your confidence. Also, who doesn't love a curated playlist?

Arlan's story is a true example of understanding the importance of gaining knowledge, having expertise in an area that is specific to your experience, building relationships, and knowing your value can get you even beyond the dream headline you want written about you years from now. And don't forget to bring people along the journey with you because no one is really self-made. It is a quick read, full of insight that will have you highlighting page after page.

Arlan Hamilton is a name I didn't recognize and I didn't know much about the kind of work she does, so I was drawn to this book. I learned that Arlan had been homeless and determined, and wealthy and determined. She gives lessons on determination and persistence in her book. She is well-connected and well-known, according to what I read. I still don't know what she does to make money, but it's important that she has a seat at some important business tables. It's about damn time! I'm a fan of inclusion of "otherness" at all tables. It's about damn time for that, too.
This book is easy to read and it presents plenty of food for thought. Readers will get insights and ideas for how they can manage themselves and their relationships at work and elsewhere. I hope middle school and high school libraries make this available for students who need to see what Arlan has achieved.
As I'm sure Arlan knows from being in the music business, (that's where she started), once you've been backstage a few times you see things differently from the audience. Since I'm a book editor I kept stumbling over fixable issues with book structure and book interior design, even some punctuation. I suspect most readers Arlan wants to attract to this book, so they can be inspired and motivated, won't notice. I also suspect that people who are curious to know more about Arlan because they know her work, will notice.
I would rate this book higher if it had important backstage fixes.

Some years ago, I was invited to present at an event in Philadelphia, where I heard Arlan in a stage for the first time. I was impressed because she was authentic, proud of herself, with a clear vision and a plan to impact and create a legacy. I should confess that I wasn't able to approach because of my impostor syndrome!
When I heard about the book, I was curious because that authenticity and passion for her dream I felt in the stage was difficult to accomplish in a book. Nevertheless, when I started the reading, I saw Arlan talking to me, sharing her story in the same tone and style, and in the case of her book, that is very important!
As a Latina, I loved the invitation to assume our challenge! To define our headlines, to take care of others, to give our disagreement when we mean it, to stay curious, to be authentic, to be empathic, to feed what inspires us, and accept for our place in the first row!!
We have enough to say, and we should be the first giving our selves permission to believe!
Now with the book read, I must say I regret not saying "congratulations" and ask for a selfie that day in Philadelphia. Arlan is building the road for many not just to pursue our dreams, but also to keep ourselves authentic and keep working and preparing ourselves for more!
I regret not asking for a selfie because that could be a picture to show when talking about the space we deserve!

This was an inspiring book! Arlan Hamilton breaks down her life experiences and learnings in a way that makes the reader feel like they can be successful in their own right. She shares her challenges without making the reader feel like we should pity her. Her resilience and persistence will encourage you to dust yourself off and move on. It's also wonderful the way she has redefined herself repeatedly throughout her life and the glimpse into her process is incredibly insightful. I would recommend this book to any person who wants to expand their life.

I knew that I would enjoy this book by the description! I pushed aside all of my quarantine books to dig in and I'm so glad that I did. Wow! Arlan has such an amazing story and I'm so glad that she decided to share. I really don't read a lot of business/technology books but I love memoirs and reading the trials that people have had to overcome in order to get to where they are now. Arlan is a BADASS. I mean that in every way possible. Her thirst for knowledge led her to securing a career in venture capitalism. It was super inspiring. I love that she was open about her experience. As a Black woman, I related a ton to the things she was saying.

Definitely will be recommending and possibly giving away copies on @WellReadandFed (Instagram).

99% of business/self-help books are bad! The decent ones about management will generally all boil down to "build a good team and don't be an asshole." Boring. And despite fun and wild misadventures, most "How I Did It" business success books are also bad because hindsight is 20/20. Once you're successful, it looks better and sells more books to act like you had a deliberate, replicable, plan the whole time; people won't buy a "How I Did It" book if they don't think it contains some semblance of a realistic roadmap for becoming more like the the author. Unfortunately, this aforementioned 20/20 hindsight typically doesn't include being able to see one's own privileges re: familial safety nets or repeatedly being given the benefit of the doubt despite being kind of an asshole because of race or social status, or relinquishing ownership over success by admitting that though you may have worked very hard, many of your differentiating opportunities were still blundered into by pure dumb luck (*cough* Phil Knight).

Anyway, Arlan's book is refreshing because she frames her advice in humanness, vulnerability, and care. The humanness aims to make her world feel accessible, since VC can often feel too homogenous and exclusionary. Her vulnerability is important because fear is too often a thing underestimated people allow to get in the way, and if we don't name it we can't tackle it. And the care (community care, self-care) feels kinda radical given how central capitalism is to her thesis. There's a whole lot of focus on lifting others up and bringing people through doors with you. In a moment where it feels more and more like capitalism has failed society on too many fronts, it's a bit heartening to read about someone who is dealing in it with some structural considerations in mind. This wasn't much of a poetic or philosophical book and it definitely doesn't grapple with some of the bigger political questions re: capitalism and inequity that are deeply buggin' me lately. But if you're looking for some cut and dry relatable leveling about how tf to maneuver into and within the system we've got, this is good.

Big takeaway here is that we need to ask for shit. We don't ask for shit enough. Sucking up fears and asking for what you know you deserve repeatedly and determinedly and being unfazed by rejection produces results. We (non cis het white men) should do a whole lot more of this.

Have you ever been underestimated? Ever wondered what would happen if you took a chance and if you showed people who you truly are? Do you know just how powerful making a connection can be?

I came across Arlan Hamilton a few years ago when she was featured on the cover of Fast Company and then again in 2019 as part of Forbes 30 Under 30. As I learned more about her, I became more intrigued about her journey and how she became one of the top leading Women of Color Venture Capitalist. I was so excited to learn that she was writing a book and I couldn't wait to read first hand about her experiences.

It's About Damn Time takes you not only thru Arlan's journey but it gives you an insiders glimpse into the world of business all while learning why its important to be authentically you.

I absolutely loved Arlan Hamilton's new book, in which she shares the roots of forming Backstage Capital, as well as her incredible, inspiring journey from outsider to insider. According to research cited by Hamilton, only one-fifth of 1 percent of all venture capital in the United States goes to Black women. Hamilton shares critical advice from the trenches for underrepresented founders and leaders, plus how the startup world can and must improve in order to be more inclusive. We're all familiar with "boys club" of tech and entrepreneurship, but Hamilton's wisdom is aimed at all folks, not just an elite who fit a stereotypical (outdated) idea of who should and can build amazing companies. I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended reading.