I’m going to show you our transition
“I’m going to show you our transition”
Founder resourceLeader $5m+
We Grew To 200+ Enterprise Customers & $20,000,000 Raise
How Living Security created a niche in enterprise security, raised $25M, and shifted from growth at all costs to efficiency
Ashley Rose · Living Security
Published September 6, 2023About this resource
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What you’ll learn
Ashley Rose describes Living Security’s path to 200 enterprise customers and a $25 million raise, then explains how the company shifted toward sustainable growth. The deck covers category creation, cash and expense discipline, focused investment, transparent leadership, and using data to guide team and operating decisions.
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ARR, Customer, and Brand Growth
“ARR, Customer, and Brand Growth”
Our Net Operating Cash
“Our Net Operating Cash”
Transparency + Empathy + Consistency
“Transparency + Empathy + Consistency”
Change is the Only Constant in Life
“Change is the Only Constant in Life Startups”
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Ashely Saastr slide deck
As the CEO of Living Security, Ashley has been the driving force behind the company’s rapid growth. Since its founding in 2017, Living Security has raised more than $25 million for growth and product development and accelerated revenue growth for three consecutive years. Ashley is also continually working to build a diverse and inclusive organization around the belief that the team should reflect the community at large. An adaptable problem solver, Ashley is thoughtful and transparent in her approach to running the company and working with clients toward a singular goal: reduce risk by making people a security asset instead of a liability.
- Company revenue
- $5.4M
- Team size
- 71
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Each slide with a short explanation of what it shows. Open the slide text for its exact wording.
17 passages
Introduction
Slide text
We Grew To 200+ Enterprise Customers and raised $25M. Here’s How We’re Sustainable Today. Ashley Rose CEO and Founder, Living Security
I’m going to show you our transition
A shift toward sustainable growth
The talk traces a move from growth at all costs through cash discipline to sustainable growth. It previews enterprise positioning, fundraising, category creation, prioritization, leadership, and data informed decisions.
Slide text
Over the next 20 minutes I’m going to show you our transition Creating a niche in the enterprise sector Raising $25M and being named an industry leader Harnessing early adopters to drive market transformation and create a category Executing a sustainable strategy to control our own destiny Prioritizing when everything is important One of my toughest moments as CEO Leading by example building trust and a culture of growth AND efficiency A Talented Team + Core Values + Focus = Efficient Growth Using data (rather than a hiring plan) to decide when to lean in To Cash is King Now Growing Sustainably From Growth at All Costs
Three stages shape the growth story
The path moves from creating an enterprise niche to raising capital and then creating a category. Early adopters and industry leadership are presented as links between those stages.
Slide text
Raise, Spend, Grow, Repeat... How we created a niche in the enterprise sector Leveraging our industry leadership status to raise Harnessing early adopters to drive market transformation and create a category Niche Creation Raising $25m Category Creation
Customer value supports growth
The company’s average ARR rises across the three year-end bars from Dec-20 to Dec-22. A customer escape-room image and a market-position chart pair product value with brand visibility.
Slide text
Add Value and Growth Will Follow
ARR, Customer, and Brand Growth
Customer growth accompanies market recognition
The customer count line climbs from 50 to 225 between Q1 2019 and Q4 2022, with Seed, Series A, and Series B markers along the way. A separate market map places Living Security among security awareness vendors, with stronger performers toward the upper right.
Slide text
ARR, Customer, and Brand Growth 50 Customers 100 Customers 225 Customers 175 Customers
Evidence spans product and industry coverage
A collage pairs industry articles and event coverage with a Living Security dashboard. The dashboard presents a human-risk index, a time trend, and ranked insights, illustrating how the product surfaces organizational risk.
Cash discipline guides hard choices
The section frames cash preservation as a response to uncertainty, then groups the work around sustainable strategy, investment priorities, and a difficult leadership decision. A cited headline introduces the shift away from growth at all costs.
Slide text
“Growth at all Costs? Not Anymore!” Fast Company 2022 Executing a sustainable strategy in an uncertain environment Make a decision to “control your own destiny” Prioritizing investment when everything is important Who, What, and When “Cash is King” Prioritizing Toughest Moment as CEO
Operating cash improved unevenly
Quarterly operating cash bars remain below the baseline from Q1 2021 through Q2 2023, with the deepest drawdown around Q4 2021. The deficit narrows around Q3 2022 before widening again.
Slide text
Our Net Operating Cash
Our Net Operating Cash
Expense reduction narrows the cash gap
The chart highlights a 36% expense reduction as quarterly operating cash moves from losses toward positive territory in the 2023 forecast. Its vertical scale is labeled from -$4M to $2M.
Slide text
Our Net Operating Cash 36% Expense Reduction $2M -$2M -$4M
Prioritization starts with leadership
The proposed approach is to rally the leadership team, narrow priorities, challenge assumptions, build models, and use the Keeper Test. A Helen Keller quote reinforces the need to adapt when circumstances change.
Slide text
“A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.” Helen Keller How to prioritize Rally the leadership team Narrow strategic priorities, challenge assumptions and build models The “Keeper Test”
The team behind the work
A team photograph shifts the focus from operating strategy to the people carrying it out, dated April 2023.
Slide text
The Living Security Team April 2023
Lead for growth and efficiency
The framework combines leading by example and building trust through transparency with a talented team, shared values, and focus. It recommends using data to decide when to invest in hiring.
Slide text
Leading For Growth & Efficiency I’m going to show you Leading by Example Building Trust through Transparency in Difficult Circumstances A Talented Team + Core Values + Focus = Efficient Growth Rather than a hiring plan, use data to decide when to lean in How to Lead Efficient Growth Use Data
Transparency + Empathy + Consistency
Trust rests on three leadership practices
The slide presents transparency, empathy, and consistency as the ingredients of trust in leadership.
Slide text
Transparency + Empathy + Consistency Trust Is The Future of Leadership
Efficiency comes from team alignment
The recipe combines a talented team, shared core values, and intense focus. A rowing team image reinforces coordination toward a common goal.
Slide text
The Recipe for Efficiency A talented team Sharing core values Intense focus
Use operating metrics to guide decisions
The proposed measures span unit economics, growth efficiency, funnel conversion, service speed, and engineering effort. Together they connect financial outcomes with customer, product, and delivery work.
Slide text
Data that drives decisions LTV / CAC GEI - Growth Efficiency Index “Dollar In, Dollar Out” Marketing and Sales Conversion Rates Support Ticket/Service Ticket Close Time % Engineering time spent on Revenue/Customers, Productivity, and Innovation
Change is the Only Constant in Life
The talk recaps its operating transition
The recap revisits niche creation, fundraising, category development, cash discipline, and leadership for efficient growth. It closes the arc with the idea that startups must adapt as conditions change.
Slide text
Change is the Only Constant in Life Startups I showed you Creating a niche in the enterprise sector Raising $25M and named an industry leader Harnessing early adopters to drive market transformation and create a category Executing a sustainable strategy & control your own destiny Prioritizing when everything is important One of my toughest moments as CEO Leading by example building trust and a culture of growth AND efficiency A Talented Team + Core Values + Focus = Efficient Growth Using data (rather than a hiring plan) to decide when to lean in Growth At All Costs Cash is King Leading for Growth
The speaker invites follow-up
Ashley Rose closes with a thank-you and identifies herself as Living Security’s CEO and founder. The slide includes contact details for the audience to use.
Slide text
Ashley Rose CEO and Founder Living Security