There’s a saying about the third time being the charm.
But Danielle Lindsey will tell you it’s the second.
“I crashed and burned so hard that first time; I was so nervous,” she recalled. “It was an experience.”
Lindsey’s sweaty-palms moment happened in 2023 when she delivered a funding pitch for Prepped Places, LLC, her company providing eco-friendly residential and commercial cleaning solutions. Lindsey’s presentation came at the end of an 11-week entrepreneurship program conducted by nonprofit The DEC Network. Regions Bank is a community partner of The DEC Network, contributing $30,000 since 2022.
After growing the company yet narrowing her business focus, Lindsey decided to give the program another try in late 2025.
“Last time, I was still transitioning from owner-operator to getting into full CEO mode,” she explained. “To get to that side of your business, you have the idea you can do everything. I was in the grind; I was in the mud every day.”
The Regions Foundation, a nonprofit primarily funded by Regions Bank, supported the second cohort Lindsey was part of in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as The DEC’s Dallas class, through a $100,000 grant.
Nearly 20 entrepreneurs participated in the latest CreateFW cohort, with 23 small-business owners enrolled in Dallas.
Long before making their funding pitches, students gain insights on topics ranging from goal setting to cash flow, customer retention and expansion to marketing, human resources and more.
“We literally touch on all aspects of business,” said Lindsey. “It’s easy to be in your entrepreneurial niche related to your specific business. This program expands your mind to look at things differently. It really opens your eyes.”
The cohort also helps small-business owners build time management skills as they juggle running their companies, taking classes and meeting with program mentors for coaching.
“It’s a rigorous course schedule,” Lindsey said. “We had to be present and complete homework. It was about showing effort and showing buy-in with this opportunity.”
It’s easy to be in your entrepreneurial niche related to your specific business. This program expands your mind to look at things differently. It really opens your eyes.
Amanda Garrett, who worked with Lindsey the second time, observed that buy-in and dedication from day one.
“Danielle was very open about her previous pitch experience and used that honesty as fuel rather than discouragement,” said The DEC and Create FW’s program coordinator. “She showed up more disciplined, more receptive to feedback and more confident.”
Lindsey credits Garrett’s support for helping instill that resolve and confidence her second time.
“If accountability was a person, it would be Amanda,” she said. “Amanda’s key takeaway is, ‘Think positive and show up. Just put it out there and leave everything on the floor.’”
In addition to the bond she forged with Garrett, Lindsey is also grateful for the relationships she and her CreateFW peers built over their shared passion for entrepreneurial ideas.
“The people are what matter most from this entire thing,” she said. “We really care about each other.”
Something Brian Happel saw firsthand while serving as a CreateFW “THRIVE” pitch competition judge.
“The camaraderie between the competitors was amazing,” said the Commercial Banking leader and Fort Worth market executive with Regions Bank. “They filmed each other. They cheered for each other. And there were other business owners present who did not pitch and simply came to learn.”
And speaking of learning, before Lindsey’s big moment arrived (gulp), she called on what she learned from her first attempt and throughout the second cohort.
“Last time, I just didn’t take enough time to prepare myself for the vision of that pitch,” she said. “This time, I knew to prepare, prepare, prepare.”
Garrett proudly watched Lindsey leave everything on the floor, just as she’d encouraged her to do.
“By pitch night, Danielle wasn’t just trying again, she was prepared, composed and ready,” Garrett said.
And she won.
Lindsey was awarded $6,000 for her first-place finish. She’s applying the funds toward securing a patent.
The money is nice, but Garrett notes it’s about something far bigger.
Programs like THRIVE, supported by community partners like the Regions Foundation, don’t just produce winners for one night; they help build founders for the long run.
“Danielle’s win was a powerful example of what happens when opportunity meets perseverance,” she said. “Her journey also highlights the value of allowing entrepreneurs space to fail, learn, and return stronger. Programs like THRIVE, supported by community partners like the Regions Foundation, don’t just produce winners for one night; they help build founders for the long run.”
And Lindsey’s perspective?
“This is the opportunity to see a dream manifest,” she said. “I sat on this for two years. The things this has sparked – relationships and the opportunity to dream bigger – are priceless. I just wanted to try again. This was my redemption tour.”
About Regions Foundation
Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $160 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,250 banking offices and more than 1,750 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.