Stay ConnectedBehind Her Empire is focused on highlighting self-made women leaders & entrepreneurs and how they tackle their career, money, family and life.
Each episode covers their unique journey and what it really takes to build an empire with key lessons learned along the way. The goal of the series is to empower you to see what’s possible & inspire you to create financial freedom in your own life.
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Copyright: © Yasmin Nouri
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes with Alisa Vitti, a pioneer of female biohacking, and a women’s hormone and functional nutrition expert.
Have you heard of the cycle syncing craze? This method uses our menstrual cycle to help us plan our diet, exercise routine, social calendar, and more. This means our cycles can actually be our super power!
Women’s hormones are dynamic and constantly changing throughout the month. How we feel and show up in our bodies and the world shifts with the fluctuations of our hormones. Our guest, Alisa Vitti has come up with a way to use these ebbs and flows to our advantage.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Why cycle syncing matters and how to start today
* Why women need to prioritize self care and what that looks like
* The impact of male-centric research on women’s bodies
* How to live with reverence for our miraculous bodies
* And more…
As a researcher and author, Vitti has published 2 best-selling and beloved books WomanCode and In the FLO. She uncovered the Infradian Rhythm and created The Cycle Syncing Method which has become a viral wellness movement on social with #cyclesyncing used over 125M times. As one of the earliest femmetech entrepreneurs, she has built the next gen hormone care platform for women through her company FLO Living via its programs, supplements and top ranked hormone care app, MyFLO, with its patented technology to help you get to the root causes of your symptoms.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Alisa:
* Website: https://www.floliving.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floliving/
* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/alisa.vitti/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes with Jeanine Lobell, founder of Stila Cosmetics & Neen.
After dropping out of high school and trying to forge her own path in the world, serial entrepreneur and world-renowned celebrity makeup artist Jeanine Lobell fell in love with cosmetics. Thanks to her try-anything attitude and strong work ethic, she quickly moved up the ranks to work on famous faces like Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman for the covers of Vogue and Vanity Fair.
When Jeanine founded Stila in 1994, with its professional-grade colors and ultra-wearable formulas in recyclable packaging, it took the makeup world by storm and earned a cult following almost overnight. She saw unprecedented growth in the first five years and had numerous investors scrambling to buy the company, which she ultimately sold to Estee Lauder in 1999.
Now, she is disrupting the beauty industry all over again with her direct-to-consumer brand, Neen, the first-ever subscription-based card that offers new ways to play with makeup and experience tutorials. In this episode, Jeanine speaks to us about how she discovered her purpose as a high-school dropout and someone who was regularly fired from jobs early in her career.
We discuss how Jeanine finally realized her worth, what her superpowers were as a first-time founder when she launched Stila, and the advice she has for women who are looking to make a similar leap in their careers. We also take a look at the importance of having an abundance mindset, owning who you authentically are, finding your own voice, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jeanine about:
* Breaking free from the “prisons” of others’ opinions. [03:24]
* Why Jeanine went to mime school in Paris. [07:47]
* Lessons in entrepreneurship from a hot dog stand. [11:39]
* Why none of the stops on your journey are a mistake. [13:20]
* Rising through the beauty industry ranks. [15:31]
* Self-compassion as a first-time founder. [17:14]
* The origin story of Stila. [22:12]
* Thoughts on competition, comparison, and abundance. [27:01]
* Being a first-time mom and a first-time founder. [30:02]
* Why we're all works in progress. [39:37]
* Selling her first company to Estee Lauder. [41:02]
* Overcoming hardship as a serial entrepreneur. [44:19]
* Neen’s subscription cards. [48:06]
* Success expectations versus reality. [50:06]
* Common mistakes first-time founders make. [52:41]
* Balancing accountability with self-kindness. [57:52]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Jeanine:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeaninelobell/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareneen/
* Website: https://weareneen.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes with April Gargiulo, the Founder and CEO of Vintner's Daughter, a cult favorite nutrient-powered skincare brand.
Vintner’s Daughter was founded on the principles of unparalleled quality and efficacy, inspired by April’s background in the world of fine winemaking and its uncompromising standards.
Admittedly, she knew very little about the skincare industry when she first founded the brand in 2013, but one thing she knew well was how to extract the finest ingredients from plants. After suffering from cystic acne and hyperpigmentation her whole life, April discovered the products she was using were actually made from cheap synthetics, and it was then that she decided to create her own all-natural, multi-beneficial skincare. She launched the Vitner’s Daughter brand with just one product: the Active Botanical Serum, which famously attracted the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, Hailey Bieber, and others who swear by its skin-clearing benefits.
In our conversation, April offers some insight into the process of starting her business from her living room with absolutely no knowledge of the beauty industry and she explains how throwing out the rulebook allowed her to stand out in a highly saturated market. We also discuss how she grew into a multimillion-dollar business with only one product and zero investors, the power of meditation and staying true to yourself, and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to April about:
* Why April calls herself risk-averse and how she overcame it. [03:18]
* How two entrepreneurial parents shaped April. [04:50]
* Life before Vintner's Daughter: from design to winemaking. [05:56]
* The story of the sabbatical April took, the apothecary she visited, and how it inspired her first product, the Active Botanical Serum. [12:37]
* Other ideas April explored before launching Vintner's Daughter. [15:23]
* The early days of product development and launch. [16:58]
* Moments of doubt and the motivation to keep going. [19:58]
* Growing brand awareness with minimal marketing funds. [23:33]
* Scaling, running a business from her living room, working mom hours, and more! [25:20]
* Committing to a single SKU over trends. [27:13]
* Staying vision-aligned and impact-focused. [29:54]
* Her approach to funding and building without investors. [32:02]
* The value of a supportive advisory community. [35:50]
* The transformative power of meditation and authenticity. [37:18]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow April:
* Website: https://vintnersdaughter.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vintnersdaughter/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine.
Not prioritizing your muscle can have disastrous consequences such as excessive weight gain, insulin resistance, and much more. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is our guest, and she’s talking all about muscle and protein.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Why strength training is important for women
* How much protein we need to build and maintain muscle
* Why being overweight might be a muscle issue, not a fat issue
* And more...
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a Washington University fellowship-trained physician in Nutritional Science and Geriatrics and is board certified in Family Medicine. She completed her undergraduate degree in Human Nutrition, Vitamin, and Mineral Metabolism at the University of Illinois. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine® and has a private practice that services the leaders, innovators, mavericks, Special Operations military, and executives in their respective fields.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Gabrielle:
* Website: https://drgabriellelyon.com/
* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kat Cole is the CEO of AG1 (formerly known as Athletic Greens), the global health company that pioneered Foundational Nutrition support with a comprehensive and convenient daily supplement.
Kat has built an incredible career grounded in resilience, grit, and a passion for leadership. Growing up, Kat witnessed her mother’s strength firsthand when, at just nine years old, her mom left her alcoholic dad and became a single parent to Kat and her two sisters. From an early age, Kat learned the value of hard work and determination. As the first in her family to go to college, she supported herself financially by working at Hooters, and ultimately left school to take on a corporate roles with the company. By the age of 26, she was Vice President, leading global growth through franchising, training, and operations and helped lead Hooters’ sale to a private equity firm in 2010. Kat went on to spend over a decade as President and COO at Focus Brands, where she led a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of global restaurant brands with brands like Cinnabon, McAlister's, and Jamba under her leadership.
In this conversation, Kat dives into her journey from childhood to becoming a powerhouse in business, highlighting how curiosity, a strong work ethic, and embracing change have fueled her growth from the very start. She shares her biggest lessons from running multiple brands at scale, how she gets involved to be the most effective leader, and why she prioritizes quality and constant improvement to keep brands fresh and relevant. We also discuss her experience taking a year off, her insights as an angel investor, what she looks for when investing in brands, and how she got involved with AG1. Kat also talks about the importance of listening to intuition and trusting your gut with every decision, as well as her grounding routines that keep her balanced and focused, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kat about:
* Why we shouldn’t let our past solely define us. [03:34]
* Kat’s childhood and upbringing. [05:37]
* Kat’s career journey, leading her to AG1. [07:58]
* Kat’s drive to achieve success. [10:54]
* The importance of not knowing the truth. [16:25]
* How Kat cultivates comfort in new situations. [20:01]
* Leadership and creating a safe environment. [24:25]
* Taking a year gap to reevaluate her career path. [31:36]
* Leaving Focus Brands and transitioning to AG1. [35:20]
* AG1’s commitment to product quality. [38:33]
* AG1’s product iteration and innovation. [41:41]
* The necessity of evolution in business. [46:06]
* Kat’s grounding routines. [49:41]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kat:
* Website: https://drinkag1.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkag1/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katcoleatl/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kym Gold is a visionary entrepreneur, co-founder of True Religion, the iconic denim brand that redefined premium jeans, and most recently, the founder of dumæ, a homeware line that blends her signature aesthetic with artisanal craftsmanship.
As the co-founder of True Religion Jeans, Kym redefined fashion with her rockstar style, fearless vision and unwavering determination. Her entrepreneurial journey began at 18 on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, where she resold irregular clothing items, eventually leading her to launch several successful brands. Known for her transformative approach to business, Kym later co-founded True Religion, a brand that would become one of the biggest names in denim history. After selling the company for over $800 million, Kym focused on family and pursued new creative paths in filmmaking and interior design. A trailblazer and role model, she’s now channeling decades of business and design expertise into her luxury homeware brand, dumæ.
In this week’s episode, Kym Gold shares her journey from dropping out of college to her early entrepreneurial ventures and the founding of True Religion. She reflects on the pressures of entrepreneurship, her unique upbringing as an identical triplet, and the sacrifices she made to build her brand, including living in debt and staying in hotels with her three children. Kym opens up about prioritizing passion over profit, choosing peace over millions when taking her company public, and her belief in resilience, self-care, and the power of community among women. As she launches dumæ, she discusses timeless business fundamentals, the art of hiring, and teamwork. This episode will leave you inspired to embrace change and pursue your passions, regardless of age or circumstances.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kym about:
* Enjoying the journey and being in the moment. [03:42]
* How self-care alleviates pressure. [05:25]
* Growing up as an identical triplet. [11:48]
* Kym’s unique hustle, defying family expectations. [13:03]
* From real estate license to selling garments and being a college dropout. [15:16]
* Asking questions and not accepting "no" as an answer. [20:27]
* Founding True Religion with $250K in debt and living with three kids in a hotel. [24:21]
* Taking True Religion public. [32:22]
* Leaving the company to prioritize peace of mind. [34:27]
* Why family and legacy are more important than business. [37:46]
* The inspiration behind dumæ. [41:31]
* The challenges of starting dumæ. [44:18]
* Kym’s lessons from hiring her team. [46:12]
* Why organization is essential in life and business. [49:07]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kym:
* Website: https://dumae.co/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dumaeofficial/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kym.gold/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today we have an extra special conversation to share that dives DEEP into seed cycling—What is it? Who is it for? How do you do it? And how does food work to balance hormones?
We answer it all in this EPIC conversation with Dr. Mindy Pelz and our co-founders, Yasmin & Kaya. If you're wondering whether or not to start seed cycling, listen up. And if you've been using seed cycling to support your hormones, you're going to learn so much about why these powerful seeds have so many benefits.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* What seed cycling is
* Yasmin’s post-birth control experience
* Kaya’s postpartum journey with seed cycling
* Research behind the seeds and their nutrients
* Who can benefit from seed cycling
* Who shouldn’t seed cycle
* And more…
Dr. Mindy Pelz is a leading holistic health expert dedicated to revolutionizing women's health. Through her signature “5-Step Approach”, she has empowered hundreds of thousands globally to unlock their body’s healing potential with fasting, food, stress management, and lifestyle changes. Her private coaching group, The Reset Academy, teaches women to align fasting with hormonal health.
Dr. Mindy is passionate about helping people reclaim their health. Her YouTube channel, featuring fasting and holistic health tips, has amassed over 26 million views. She is the bestselling author of The Menopause Reset, The Reset Factor, and The Reset Kitchen. Additionally, her podcast, “The Resetter Podcast,” ranks among Apple’s top 40 U.S. science podcasts, featuring influential guests like Marianne Williamson, Dave Asprey, and Dr. Christiane Northrup.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Mindy:
* Website: https://drmindypelz.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.mindypelz/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jennie Yoon is the founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based direct to consumer jewelry brand, Kinn Studio.
Kinn Studio was born out of loss. In 2015, her family home was robbed and all of her family heirlooms and jewelry were stolen. That’s when Jennie decided she wanted to find a way to replace the antique jewelry her parents lost. After searching for the right jeweler to help her recreate those one of a kind pieces, and getting so many compliments from people, Jennie decided to launch Kinn Studio in 2017 as a side hustle.
In this week’s episode, Jennie shares her key mindset shifts that helped her transition from corporate to the start up world, the challenges she faced growing up as a young woman moving to America from Korea, and how those experiences impacted her life. Jennie also explains how she made the bold decision to stop playing it safe and pursue her dreams with her jewelry business. She describes how her genuine curiosity led her to learn about the industry, how she used her own money to set it up as a side hustle, and how she persevered despite facing many rejections. Jennie also shares her strategic approach to launching the brand, the moment she realized she was onto something big, and how she finally came to the decision to quit her full-time job. She talks to us about the steps she took to build her brand and refine her messaging, and how she's mastered time management, which has helped her succeed not only as a founder & CEO but also as a mother of two.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jennie about:
* Skills and mindset shifts that fueled her entrepreneurial journey. [02:57]
* Jennie’s childhood and early influences. [05:40]
* Her HR role at MySpace and early business interests. [08:33]
* Jennie’s MBA experience: gaining knowledge and building networks. [12:45]
* Meeting the Casetify founder and joining the team. [14:24]
* The importance of time management and self-learning. [18:24]
* Inspiration for Kinn Studio and turning passion into business. [21:02]
* Early product launches and self-funding Kinn Studio. [22:14]
* Building brand awareness from the start. [25:31]
* Initial brand strategies and how she engaged with customers. [32:01]
* Finding a unique angle in the market. [34:44]
* Jennie’s business thought process. [40:20]
* Time optimization tips for entrepreneurs. [46:55]
* How Jennie navigates challenging moments. [51:43]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Jennie:
* Website: https://kinnstudio.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinnstudio/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennieyyoon/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tata Harper is the founder of Tata Harper Skincare, a luxury clean beauty brand known for its non-toxic, high-performance products, handcrafted on an organic farm in Vermont.
When her stepfather was diagnosed with cancer in 2007, Tata began questioning the safety of everyday products and what she was putting on her own body. This inspired her to develop a skincare line that prioritized natural ingredients, sustainability, and effective results without harmful chemicals. What began as a personal mission in her Vermont kitchen has grown into a globally recognized brand, with products formulated on her organic farm using over 300 raw ingredients sourced from around the world. Today, Tata Harper Skincare is available at top retailers like Sephora, Nordstrom, and Saks, as well as in luxury spas across the globe.
In this week’s episode, Tata shares how growing up in Colombia sparked her love for self-care and beauty rituals.Though her mom encouraged her to study industrial engineering, she grew to love it, gaining problem-solving skills that shaped her career. Tata recounts her journey from working in real estate to experimenting on her organic farm, where she created the skincare products she had always imagined.
Tata discusses the years of trial and error that went into building her brand and how planning, routines, and community support helped her stay balanced. She shares how she found confidence without a skincare background and offers advice for entrepreneurs starting outside their expertise.
We dive into the emotional but strategic decision to sell her company in 2022 and her experience navigating that process. As a mom of three, Tata opens up about the challenges of juggling business and family, highlighting the importance of self-care, friendships, and embracing uncertainty along the way—and much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Tata about:
* Tata’s Colombian upbringing and entrepreneurial drive. [03:49]
* Early ventures and key lessons [07:36]
* Learning by doing without formal training. [19:45]
* Inspiration behind Tata Harper Skincare. [22:00]
* Building a manufacturing facility on their farm. [31:27]
* Why making a revolutionary product takes time. [34:28]
* Tata Harper Skincare’s sustainability efforts. [38:23]
* Getting featured in Vogue. [41:40]
* Managing business momentum and motherhood. [42:32]
* Benefits of a business partner. [53:04]
* Balancing business and personal life. [56:01]
* Action as an antidote to fear—why staying busy helps. [59:20]
* Selling Tata Harper Skincare [01:01:31]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Tata:
* Website: https://tataharperskincare.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tataharperskincare/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tataharper/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Weight loss is a nuanced topic that can be especially challenging for women. Much of the information out there feels black and white, impersonal, and disconnected from a holistic view of health, leaving many without clear guidance. That’s why we invited one of our favorite doctors to help us clarify, debunk outdated myths, and provide effective strategies that won’t compromise your health in the long term. The path may be bumpy, but prioritizing your health is always worth it!
In this episode you’ll learn:
* When the scale is and isn’t important
* Labs to look at if you just can’t lose weight
* Top foods and supplements for weight loss
* How hormones impact body composition
* Natural options for GLP-1 agonists
* And more…
Dr. Anjali Dsouza is an integrative and functional medicine doctor specifically interested in helping high-achieving but overscheduled women achieve their best health. She runs a practice in DC called the District Center for Integrative Medicine, and she can be found on Instagram @anjalidsouzamd. Dr. Dsouza also runs a private network, Your Goddess Health Unleashed, for women interested in coming together and learning about maximizing their health outcomes.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Anjali:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anjalidsouzamd/
* Medical Practice: https://dcimedicine.com/dr-anjali-dsouza/
* To Join Her Women's Health Network, Your Goddess Health Unleashed: contact elena@dcimedicine.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Julie Chung is the co-founder of T3, a premium hair tool brand known for its sleek, innovative designs that deliver professional-grade styling results.
Growing up, Julie always knew she wanted to pursue medicine but had a passion for fashion and beauty as well. It wasn’t until she met her then-boyfriend Kent that her love for beauty was reignited. Their journey began in 2003 when they both realized that Julie would apply skincare and makeup—using only premium products that made her skin glow—only to finish with an inexpensive hair dryer that would ruin her hair. Kent saw her frustration and created their first product: the T3 Featherweight hair dryer. The brand quickly became a hit, selling out multiple times and eventually winning over retailers who were initially hesitant to stock it. Today, the company remains 100% privately owned by both Julie and Kent and is ranked as the #3 hair tools brand in the United States.
In this week's episode, we chat with Julie Chung about her journey from medicine to entrepreneurship and how she manages to balance both worlds. Julie shares how embracing uncertainty has been key to thriving as both a physician and co-founder of T3. She opens up about taking a year off from medical school, her parents' concerns, and how that decision ultimately steered her into entrepreneurship. She also reflects on the pivotal moments that led her and her now-husband Kent to launch T3, how they pushed past skeptics who didn’t understand their vision for hair tools, and the challenges of balancing her medical career with building a successful business. Julie discusses her personal journey with infertility, motherhood, and the importance of community among women. She also shares valuable lessons from hiring a CEO, letting go of control, and navigating the ups and downs of running T3 for two decades.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Julie about:
* Life isn’t always black and white. [03:42]
* Julie’s passion for medicine and creativity. [08:13]
* Taking a gap year in med school and moving to New York. [10:44]
* The unconventional journey to entrepreneurship. [11:53]
* How the idea for T3 was born. [13:35]
* The early stages of T3. [22:06]
* Getting into Sephora in 2016 and other retail stores. [24:18]
* The power of word-of-mouth when building a brand. [26:59]
* Being fully self-funded since 2004. [29:03]
* Learning to let go of control. [36:57]
* Julie's relationship with comparison. [41:59]
* Taking a year off and moving to London in 2020. [47:54]
* Misconceptions about starting a business. [56:48]
* Lessons from hiring a new CEO. [59:42]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Julie:
* Website: https://t3micro.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t3micro/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliechung_t3/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ann McFerran is the founder and CEO of Glamnetic, a Los Angeles-based beauty brand that specializes in magnetic lashes, press-on nails, and eyeliners.
Ann immigrated from Thailand to the U.S. when she was 7, joining her mom in a small California town where she was one of the only Asian kids in the area. Although she felt different and self-conscious, she found comfort and a sense of control in wearing false lashes, which helped her feel like she belonged. In 2019, Ann identified a gap in the beauty market for magnetic eyelashes, and with no business experience, she taught herself everything from product development to marketing, and founded Glamnetic from her small LA apartment with just a few thousand dollars. To get her business off the ground, she bootstrapped it, even offering free pizza to anyone willing to help pack and ship products. In July 2019, Glamnetic launched, and by 2021, Ann had sold over 1.5 million sets of nails, generated $50 million in sales, and achieved all of this while remaining completely self-funded.
In this week’s episode, Ann opens up about her tough childhood in Thailand, the challenges of moving to the U.S., and the lessons she learned about stress and resilience. She shares how she went against her family’s expectations and made the bold decision to leave pre-med in college to pursue her passion for art and entrepreneurship. Ann discusses the early days of building her business from her Koreatown apartment, how creativity and visualization helped her manifest her goals, and the exact steps she took to create her first product – from finding suppliers to marketing the product with no money. She also shares how the business grew exponentially since its launch, and the challenges that come with that, how she navigated imposter syndrome along the way, how her definition of success is ever-changing, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Ann about:
* Ann’s childhood and upbringing [03:17]
* Moving to America and witnessing a new life for herself. [09:33]
* Life as a Thai immigrant and family expectations. [10:46]
* Pursuing a career as an artist. [12:35]
* The inspiration behind Glamnetic. [17:11]
* Funding the first order and launching with 100 units. [22:39]
* Early launch strategy & hitting over $1M monthly. [25:30]
* Hiring the right people is crucial for growth. [33:06]
* Approach in handling business challenges. [39:11]
* How Ann met her business partner. [42:42]
* Challenges in scaling the business. [45:59]
* The evolving definition of success. [52:32]
* Visualizing to manifest goals. [57:10]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Ann:
* Website: https://www.glamnetic.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glamnetic/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themodernartista/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feeling overwhelmed and always tired? You’re not alone, and it doesn’t have to be this way. In this episode with Dr. Amy Shah, we explore powerful strategies to combat burnout and boost your energy. Don’t settle for feeling “normal”—watch this to learn how to effectively manage sugar cravings, align your lifestyle with nature's rhythms, and reclaim your vitality with her practical tips.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Hormone basics for all life stages
* The truth about adrenal fatigue
* How to combat sugar cravings
* The role of dopamine in cravings
* When women should and shouldn’t fast
* And more…
Dr. Amy Shah is an MD and nutrition specialist. She works in clinical medicine, allergy/immunology, and over the last 10 years has developed a world-renowned wellness education platform, written bestselling books, and has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Mel Robbins Podcast, and Ed Mylett Podcast. She has worked with companies like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Alo, and more. She works to discover less invasive interventions, promote wellness, and teach others how to impact their health via nutrition and exercise—using medication as a last resort. Her goal is to empower people to “save themselves” through nutrition and lifestyle changes.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Amy:
* Website: https://amymdwellness.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fastingmd/
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Grace Na is the founder and creative director of Pistola, a LA-based premium denim label offering contemporary ready-to-wear collections designed by women for women who are going places.
Grace started her career in fashion as a planner at the department store Mervyn’s and quickly climbed the ranks in the industry, eventually landing an executive role at BCBG. Along the way, she realized there was a big gap in the market for denim designed for women that was stylish, functional, and accessible. She left her corporate career and launched Pistola in 2013 to fill that void. Over a decade later, Pistola is now an eight-figure business with a growing direct-to-consumer channel and has placement in top retailers like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Shopbop.
In this episode, Grace shares her journey growing up with immigrant parents, the valuable lessons she learned, and how early career rejections led her to pursue a job in the fashion industry. We discuss how she ideated the concept for Pistola and the key factors that fueled its year-over-year growth since they launched. Grace also reflects on the brand’s hypergrowth during the pandemic and the many challenges that came with it. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the importance of self-care in sustaining the life of a founder and mother of three, as well as the leadership skills needed to manage a growing team. We also chat about how to build an authentic brand, what people get wrong in entrepreneurship, the importance of community when building your business, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Grace about:
* Grace’s upbringing and early fascination with fashion. [03:07]
* Career path: from finance to fashion. [07:07]
* How early career experiences shaped Grace’s entrepreneurial mindset. [10:52]
* The first steps in building her brand. [17:47]
* Taking the leap and going all-in with Pistola. [21:09]
* Building self-confidence in the early stage of business. [23:42]
* Challenges faced in running a family business. [27:26]
* How to market & create brand authenticity. [32:45]
* Transitioning from wholesale to direct-to-consumer. [35:21]
* Navigating hypergrowth during the pandemic. [37:55]
* The importance of self-care. [42:01]
* Key entrepreneurial lesson: nothing in life is perfect. [49:45]
* Pistola's spotlight: Greta Gerwig wearing the pink jumpsuit on the Barbie set. [52:22]
* Lessons learned in leadership and resilience. [55:05]
* Future plans for Pistola. [59:49]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Grace:
* Website: https://www.pistoladenim.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistoladenim/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grey_slim/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ripley Rader is the founder and CEO of Ripley Rader, a dynamic and innovative apparel company dedicated to creating stylish, high-quality clothing.
Ripley started her career performing on Broadway before moving to Los Angeles, never imagining she would one day start a clothing brand. While working multiple jobs to make ends meet in LA, she continued making her own outfits out of necessity because it was what she could afford. What began as a personal hobby turned into a life-changing opportunity when she wore one of her handmade jumpsuits to a concert, where a buyer from Fred Segal noticed her design. This chance encounter launched her fashion brand, which has since gained a reputation for its inclusive, stylish, and comfortable pieces, especially their viral pants. Her clothing has been embraced by celebrities like Amy Schumer and Gigi Hadid and is proudly made in America, with a focus on using high-quality fabrics that ensure a perfect fit and long-lasting wear.
In this week’s episode, Ripley shares the early challenges of growing her brand, from celebrating small wins like selling 20 units a week to managing the business as it skyrocketed many years later. She emphasizes the importance of separating your identity from your business success, staying true to your mission and authentic self, and avoiding the comparison game in entrepreneurship. Ripley also talks about the freedom that comes with pushing past fears and limiting beliefs, and how she’s stayed true to her brand in the ever-changing world of fashion. She discusses her biggest business challenges, why she doesn’t believe in competition, and the importance of finding personal fulfillment in life and work, versus chasing external markers of success—and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Ripley about:
* The power of not knowing and not being the “expert” when starting a business. [02:54]
* Life before entrepreneurship: Working in Broadway. [11:31]
* How Ripley self-funded the business. [17:45]
* How Ripley deals with “no’s” and rejections. [22:29]
* The biggest challenges faced in the business. [27:05]
* Starting a business and making sacrifices. [29:23]
* Realities of being a founder. [32:07]
* Nine years of building the brand and what went into it. [36:38]
* Pivoting during the pandemic. [38:00]
* Investing in marketing. [39:30]
* The success of the “viral pants”. [42:03]
* The challenge of scaling. [48:45]
* The importance of defining success on your own terms. [54:55]
* How to get clear on what you really want. [56:42]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Ripley:
* Website: https://ripleyrader.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopripleyrader/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ripleyrader/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today, we’re tackling a question that many of us find pretty complicated: “What’s your relationship with food?” To help us unravel the nuances, we sat down with two doctors who share their personal experience and dish out how food can sneakily influence our lives.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to know when food is controlling your life
* What your cravings are trying to tell you
* How thoughts about food can affect its impact
* Strategies for healing your relationship with food
* And more…
Tanda Cook is a naturopathic physician, food expert, published author, international speaker, blogger, health coach and farmer who is wildly passionate about educating and inspiring women to take steps towards health. Dr. Katie Collier is a naturopathic physician with a shared mission. Together, these practitioners work to help people feel their best in both clinical practice and their monthly class, The Soapbox Docs.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Tanda:
* Website: https://drtandacook.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtandacook/
Follow Dr. Katie:
* Website: https://drkatiecollier.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkatiecollier/
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Mari Llewellyn is the founder of Bloom Nutrition, a health supplement company designed to help everyone bloom into their best selves. Although she is now a renowned expert, serial entrepreneur, and influencer in the health and fitness industry, her journey wasn’t always this way.
During her college years, Mari weighed 250 pounds and was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. This marked the lowest point in her life. Realizing that something had to change, she turned to fitness, which became her passion. This journey ultimately planted the seed for what would eventually become her company, Bloom Nutrition. In her early days of getting healthy, she walked into a GNC and noticed that most products were geared toward men. In response, she and her husband launched Bloom in 2019 to fill that gap. Fast forward to today, Bloom ships over 100,000 orders a month and is the top-selling greens powder on Amazon, amassing more than 100 million views on TikTok each month.
In this episode, Mari shares her story from growing up and hitting rock bottom in college to dropping out and completely transforming her life. We dive into how she lost 90 pounds and the critical role nutrition played in improving her mental and physical well-being. Mari also discusses how a single Instagram post, when she had just 900 followers, sparked the growth of her brand and community. Although she didn't plan on becoming an entrepreneur, her passion for sharing her story led her to start a business selling PDF fitness guides, which later expanded to resistance bands from her dad's attic.
Mari gives a behind-the-scenes look at launching Bloom, covering challenges like product pivots, rejections from retailers like Target and Walmart, and how they eventually succeeded. We discuss the power of influencer marketing, building a community, managing multiple businesses, launching a podcast, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Mari about:
* Mari's struggles with mental health. [03:03]
* Her diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. [06:33]
* Mari’s fitness journey of losing 90 pounds. [12:31]
* Posting her before-and-after photos on Instagram. [20:07]
* Organic growth and community building in business. [22:47]
* The success of Bloom’s PDF guide. [24:59]
* Development of Bloom’s popular greens powder. [31:07]
* Securing product placements in Target and Walmart. [33:40]
* The influencer program & how it impacted their growth. [38:25]
* The biggest challenges in scaling the business. [42:13]
* Bringing in a business partner and future plans for Bloom. [49:07]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Mari:
* Website: https://bloomnu.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomsupps/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marillewellyn/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bethany McDaniel is the founder of Primally Pure, a toxin-free and completely natural skincare and wellness brand.
Bethany had no intention of getting into the skincare business. However, after years of battling severe acne and skin irritation caused by harsh chemicals in conventional products, she began experimenting with more natural options in her kitchen. At the same time, her family started an organic livestock farm, where her appreciation for real ingredients grew. With just $250, she bootstrapped the company while living with her in-laws, tirelessly working 12-hour days to handcraft products, manage customer service, and personally fulfill orders. Today, Primally Pure is a high-growth, multi-million-dollar brand with a cult following—and one of my personal favorites.
In this week’s episode, Bethany shares her journey from working 9-5 jobs at places like Trader Joe's and Lululemon, to freelancing as a writer, to then working with the Special Olympics. She explains how each of these different roles played a part in eventually leading her to start her own brand. We discuss the challenges she faced in launching her business with little money, no connections, and no prior experience, emphasizing how her passion and mindset were crucial to her early success. Bethany also talks about the obstacles she overcame, the mistakes that made her a stronger leader, and how she managed conflict and stress during those initial days. We explore the key pillars she focused on while growing her business as a one-person team, her top advice for anyone starting a business, why it's essential to start small and be truly passionate to bring your dreams to life, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Bethany about:
* Graduating college and exploring many different careers in her 20s. [05:08]
* Insights from interviewing other founders. [07:49]
* How not having a “big goal” helped Bethany. [09:48]
* How to not compare yourself to others. [10:48]
* Leaving her 9-5 and moving to a farm with her husband. [12:00]
* Struggles with acne and starting Primally Pure. [16:18]
* Early stages of Primally Pure. [21:22]
* Bethany’s toughest business experience. [25:51]
* Hiring the first team member. [30:29]
* How Bethany educates herself as a business owner. [32:11]
* In-house product creation. [39:14]
* Benefits of growing the business slowly. [43:01]
* Key factors driving Primally Pure’s growth. [50:08]
* Challenges and failures Bethany has experienced over the years. [53:51]
* Bethany’s daily routine and habits. [57:38]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Bethany:
* Website: https://primallypure.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primallypure/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethanyjmcdaniel/
Apple:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Did you know the heart has 40,000 neurons? 🤯 That’s right—it’s not just the brain! By using a simple meditation technique, you can sync your heart and brain for greater clarity, focus, emotional intelligence, stress resilience, immunity, gut health, and happier hormones. Interested? Don’t miss this week’s conversation.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How the mind really impacts the body
* The truth about heart intelligence
* One powerful meditation technique to try
* The truth about affirmations and gratitude lists
* How breathwork can change your body
* And more…
Kimberly Snyder is a 3x New York Times bestselling author, spiritual and meditation teacher, international speaker, nutritionist, and wellness expert. She is the founder of Solluna®, a holistic lifestyle brand that offers supplements, meditations and courses. She is the host of the top-rated Feel Good Podcast on the Podcast One Network. She's also worked with dozens of top celebrities to help them feel their best, including Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington and Channing Tatum, and is regularly featured by numerous national media outlets, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, The New York Times, Ellen, Vogue and The Wall Street Journal.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kimberly:
* Pre-order her NEW BOOK: https://mysolluna.com/fiveheartsbook/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kimberlysnyder/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Melissa Palmer is the CEO and co-founder of OSEA, a heritage skincare brand with nearly 30 years of history, known for its use of seaweed as a signature ingredient in its products.
Melissa grew up surrounded by women who were deeply inspired by the sea, and OSEA is the result of four generations of Palmer women. From a young age, she was taught the importance of wellness and the power of natural foods and beauty. Her mother and co-founder, Jenefer, spent decades perfecting her formulas, often filling their bathtub with seaweed and experimenting with various concoctions in their kitchen. Through these experiences, Melissa learned the value of hard work, passion, and what it takes to become an entrepreneur by watching her mother build these formulas from the ground up. Twenty years later, this mother-daughter duo continues to run a successful business, achieving profitability every year since its inception.
In this week’s episode, we speak with Melissa about the importance of authenticity, storytelling, and staying true to your roots when building a strong, sustainable brand. She reflects on her unique upbringing and the visionary legacy of her great-grandmother, which inspired the creation of OSEA. Melissa discusses the early days of building the business from her home, her evolving relationship with perfectionism, and how failures with another business fueled her determination to elevate OSEA. She delves into the challenges of scaling in the clean beauty industry, the transition from a spa brand to a direct-to-consumer business, and how they built awareness and a loyal customer base before clean beauty became mainstream. Melissa also shares insights on the benefits of growing a business "slowly," why they turned down certain opportunities, their future expansion plans, and much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Melissa about:
* Melissa’s relationship with perfectionism and control. [03:38]
* The impact Melissa’s great-grandmother had on her and the business. [09:41]
* Melissa’s childhood and early entrepreneurial spirit. [12:46]
* OSEA’s early days shipping from their garage. [17:41]
* Lessons learned from hula hoop business. [19:11]
* Melissa’s growing self-confidence. [21:30]
* Being early in the clean beauty space and OSEA’s growth. [23:07]
* What it’s like working in a family business. [34:50]
* The significant role of a family coach and a therapist. [37:24]
* OSEA during the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually bringing an investor on board. [39:14]
* Melissa’s relationship with her business partners. [44:09]
* Melissa’s constant evolution of workflow. [47:50]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Melissa:
* Website: https://oseamalibu.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oseamalibu/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happypalmer/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes from last year with Kat Hantas. Kat is the co-founder of 21 Seeds Tequila, one of the fastest-growing flavored tequilas.
Kat’s had an interesting journey - from thinking she wanted to be a doctor, then pivoting to the entertainment industry, and then being a stay-at-home mom for many years. She never would have thought that she’d launch a business in the liquor industry. It wasn’t until she started noticing that her evening wine wasn’t making her feel good and her doctor recommended that she move away from fermented spirits and into distilled spirits.
In the process of exploring tequila options, Kat came up with the idea to start 21 Seeds Tequila - a fresh natural tequila made with real fruit. She was making this in her kitchen for years, until one day the demand became so much that her friend inspired her to start selling the bottles. This sparked the idea and Kat co-founded the business with her sister and good friend to make it a reality.
The business was acquired by Diageo in just three years in March 2022 and the deal marked one of the largest female-founded liquor acquisitions to-date.
In this podcast episode, Kat opens up about her journey with imposter syndrome and shares tips on overcoming it in her career in the entertainment industry and entrepreneurial ventures. She discusses her transition from being a stay-at-home mom to launching 21 Seeds, highlighting the challenges of finding a distillery, creating product-market fit, and building a supportive network. Kat ends by sharing the playbook she used in marketing and the importance of knowing your customer, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kat about:
* Impostor syndrome and its impact on women's aspirations. [03:44]
* From medical school to the entertainment industry. [07:10]
* Experience at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and starting her production company. [12:14]
* Film "Taking 5," hiatus, and focusing on family. [16:55]
* Kat's journey as a stay-at-home mom, health challenges, and 21 Seeds inspiration. [22:00]
* From a hobby to launching 21 Seeds Tequila after nine years. [25:38]
* Significance of co-founders in 21 Seeds' success. [30:00]
* Challenges in the male-dominated tequila industry without expertise. [35:56]
* Launch process and diligent preparations for 21 Seeds. [42:24]
* Fundraising process and key lessons learned. [44:07]
* Early momentum and unique marketing for 21 Seeds. [49:49]
* Diageo's acquisition: a milestone in female-founded liquor business. [55:25]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kat:
* Website: https://www.21seeds.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/21seeds/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathantas/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Know someone with multiple sclerosis? Dr. Terry Wahls brings hope to nearly 3 million people with MS worldwide. In this inspiring episode, she shares her incredible story of reversing her progressive MS symptoms. From using two walking sticks to eventually riding her bike, her journey highlights the transformative power of food, targeted supplementation and determination. Dr. Wahls' experience illuminates new possibilities for those living with MS.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Who is most likely to get autoimmune conditions
* Top foods to start eating today for less autoimmunity
* Supplements to support multiple sclerosis
* The role of sleep in autoimmunity
* Life changing perspective for staying healthy
* And more…
Dr. Terry Wahls is more than a doctor. She’s an educator, a speaker, an author, and she’s also a patient. In 2000, she was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Dr. Wahls was determined not to let the disease control her life, so she began doing her own research. In December 2007, she began the Wahls Protocol® — a therapeutic diet and lifestyle program that focuses on functional medicine and nutrient-rich foods.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Wahls:
* Website: https://terrywahls.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drterrywahls/?hl=en
* FREE online MS and Neuroimmune Summit from 8/20 to 8/26 https://drtalks.com/multiple-sclerosis-summit-2024/?oid=77&ref=2476&uid=768
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes from last year with Anastasia Soare. Anastasia is an iconic beauty mogul, eyebrow queen, and founder/CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills.
From moving to the US from Romania without speaking any English with minimal financial means to founding one of the fastest-growing brands in the beauty industry, Anastasia’s story is nothing short of incredible. Her brow-shaping technique, known as the Golden Ratio, placed her ahead of the curve, leading to what is now a celebrity favorite, a beloved product line, and billion dollar empire.
Anastasia created a new category for brows in service, pushing through multiple instances of people not believing in her or her vision. Her path has been anything but easy, and today’s conversation is an honest look at what it took to build her empire over the past 25-years.
Anastasia’s work has graced the faces of Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Victoria Beckham, to name a few, and her brand has more than 20 million followers across Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
In this episode, Anastasia shares her story of courage and confidence, leaving the safety of working for other people to pursue her dreams and create a new category for eyebrows. Anastasia believes that failure is a necessary stop on the road to success and gets real about the mistakes she’s made along the way. Her path has not been easy and we get a real behind the scenes look in her journey building her business to the cult-following brand it is today, and how with confidence and self-belief, anyone can realize their biggest passions and dreams.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Anastasia about:
* Anastasia’s upbringing and her female role models. [03:12]
* Leaving Romania in search of a better life for herself and her family. [04:58]
* Her first job in the US before becoming the Eyebrow Queen. [08:12]
* Developing the Golden Ratio for eyebrows based on the fine art principle. [11:12]
* Leaving the the salon to focus on her own endeavors. [18:09]
* Starting a new line of products for herself. [28:37]
* Failures on the road to success. [31:57]
* Flipping houses, stocking Nordstrom, and flying all the time. [34:37]
* Misconceptions around what business is actually like. [35:30]
* Common mistakes made by women in business. [36:06]
* Becoming the first beauty brand to have an online presence. [41:29]
* Challenges of a family business and what she loves about working with her incredible daughter. [44:49]
* Her hard-working and creative daughter, who is a cornerstone of the business. [48:01]
* Self-funding the business and the decision to bring in an investor. [49:00]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Anastasia:
* Website: https://www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiasoare/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiabeverlyhills/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes from last year with Katerina Schneider. Katerina is the Founder and CEO of Ritual, a personal health brand bringing a new level of transparency to the health & wellness industry. While pregnant and in search of a prenatal she could trust, Katerina took matters into her own hands and pioneered a new standard of high-quality multivitamins and supplements that are backed by science. Now as one of the most trusted brands in the category, Ritual has had more than a million customers and has the top-selling online prenatal multivitamin.
In this week's episode, we delve into Katerina's family's immigration journey, arriving in the US with only $50 & a suitcase, and how it has influenced her views on success and money. We explore her transition from finance to a different career path & the role of relationships in her journey. We also touch on the significant pivots Ritual made in terms of product, branding, & marketing very early on, as well as the biggest challenges she faced. Katerina also shares how she incorporates wellness in her life as a mother of three and business owner, highlighting the importance of being a little selfish when it comes to self-care, & so much more.
We talk to Katerina about:
* Migrating to the US with her family with only $50 and a suitcase. [03:27]
* Katerina’s finance career and involvement in a major US bank failure. [06:07]
* Working at Universal Music, rebuilding her confidence, & discovering passions. [12:45]
* Katerina’s transition to a new industry. [14:42]
* Advice on embracing uncertainty and trusting the process. [18:53]
* Ritual's inspiration rooted in Katerina's personal experience during her first pregnancy.[21:51]
* How Katerina thrived being both a mother and entrepreneur. [29:31]
* The original idea of Ritual and how it changed over time. [34:46]
* Taking care of yourself, building habits, and going back to the basics. [41:39]
* Why EVERYONE should start a business, and knowing when to take that leap. [47:47]
Episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you're struggling with hormonal imbalances, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances
* Get $10 off with promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Katerina:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katandkale/
* Website: https://ritual.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Do you believe in the power of your mind? It turns out, one of the most powerful tools for healing happens to be right between your ears. Not only is there science to prove it, but there are endless stories of people restoring their health through these subtle mental shifts—which we got to hear from Kelly Gores, the woman behind the award-winning Heal documentary.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Where to start with mindset work
* How to shift from fear to love for healing
* The real power of visualization
* How words can impact our bodies
* And more…
Kelly Noonan Gores has been working in entertainment since she was seven years old. In 2012, she transitioned from acting and started Elevative Entertainment with the intention to create conscious media that informs, empowers, and inspires. She is the writer, director, and producer of the 2017 award-winning feature-length documentary Heal, and, due to the film's popularity, wrote the companion book. To continue the conversation around healing, consciousness, and personal transformation, she founded and hosts The HEAL Podcast. She is a mother, a seeker, a meditator, and loves to read, write, play sports, travel and spend time in nature. For more information, visit her websites at thehealbook.co and healdocumentary.com.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Follow Kelly:
* Website: https://healwithkelly.co/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithkelly/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes from last year with Denise Woodard. Denise is the founder and CEO of Partake Foods, an allergy-friendly snack company.
Denise's journey began back in 2016, while juggling a day job and the new role of mom to a daughter with multiple food allergies. Frustrated by the lack of tasty options available for her little one, she took the advice of her babysitter and decided to "do something about it." From there, Partake Foods was born.
Denise started creating recipes in her home kitchen and began selling cookies out of her car to get the word out about her business. With no prior experience in the food industry, Denise had a lot to learn and made mistakes along the way. However, she was determined to make it work, and self-funded the business using all of her savings and even selling her engagement ring to make ends meet.
As the business grew, Denise knew she needed more funding to take it to the next level. So, she set out on a fundraising journey and dealt with many rejections that eventually led her to the right partner, Jay-Z's venture fund, Marcy Venture Partners. To date, she has raised up to $19M, making her the first Black woman to raise over $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Denise about:
* What holds people back from their biggest goals and dreams. [03:22]
* How Denise’s parents shaped her identity. [05:10]
* Her parents’ definition of success and its influence on her. [07:18]
* What Denise would have done differently in her corporate career. [08:30]
* Denise's entrepreneurial nature. [10:59]
* The benefits of working on side hustles while employed full time.[12:05]
* What big brands can’t recreate no matter how much money they have. [13:01]
* The 2016 incident that motivated Denise to solve a problem for her daughter. [18:45]
* How Denise’s nanny motivated her to create a business. [20:41]
* The early days of Partake Foods and overcoming challenges. [22:08]
* Barriers to entry in the food allergy consumer market. [29:27]
* How their product list has changed over time. [30:22]
* Raising money beyond bootstrapping. [30:50]
* Managing stress and burnout. [33:48]
* Investors who initially said no but later wanted to participate. [37:48]
* Fundraising advice for other entrepreneurs. [38:30]
* Why it is a mistake to try to grow too quickly. [40:15]
* What’s keeping Denise up at night at this stage of the business. [43:02]
* How Denise involves her daughter in the business as chief taste tester. [45:45]
* Advice for women balancing life at home with running a business. [47:44]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Denise:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partakefoods/
* Website: https://partakefoods.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gabby Reece is a volleyball legend, host of The Gabby Reece Show podcast which ranks No. 1 in the mental health category, New York Times bestselling author, and serial entrepreneur.
Together with her husband, big-wave surf pioneer and entrepreneur Laird Hamilton, they run the plant-based food company Laird Superfood along with many other businesses in the health and wellness category, including Laird Apparel and XPT.
In our episode together, we talk to Gabby about one theme in her life that stands out: being an outsider and how it’s shaped every single life and career move she’s had. She shares her experiences of not fitting into conventional family structures, being a tall athlete in a non-traditional sport, and feeling like an island in her personal and professional life. Gabby emphasizes the importance of embracing who you are and finding the lessons and skills needed to navigate your unique path.
We also talk about her journey building Laird Superfood with her husband and a behind the scenes look into what it takes to create a wellness brand with high-quality products. Gabby shares tips for embracing discomfort and seeing challenges as part of the journey, why we should all trust the universe, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Gabby about:
* Why being an outsider has been a recurring theme in Gabby's life. [02:04]
* Managing the urge to fit in during her teenage years. [05:24]
* Gabby’s strong survival patterns throughout her life. [07:35]
* How Gabby manages motherhood and business. [11:32]
* The unfolding of Gabby's wellness journey. [16:58]
* Mindset similarities between sports and business. [19:07]
* Adaptability and resilience in life. [22:27]
* The origin of the idea for Laird Superfood. [26:01]
* Gabby's other entrepreneurial ventures.[30:33]
* The philosophy behind Laird Superfood. [33:40]
* Gabby's transition from professional athlete to entrepreneur. [34:57]
* The importance of having a clear why and purpose. [27:22]
* What keeps Gabby motivated and inspired. [41:37]
* How Gabby and her husband handle scrutiny. [43:14]
* Managing investors and stocks. [45:32]
* The most important do's and don'ts when starting a business with your partner. [48:07]
* Balancing feminine and masculine perspectives. [51:50]
* Advice on trusting oneself. [55:50]
* Why women shouldn't overcompensate by doing things like men. [58:51]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Gabby:
* Website: https://gabriellereece.com/
* Website: https://lairdsuperfood.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lairdsuperfood/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ever experience constipation or anxiety? Many women can relate… Get ready to dive into the complex connections between the gut-brain axis, mental health, and hormones with returning guest Dr. Mary Pardee, a leading expert in gut health. We debunk myths, highlight the latest research, and provide actionable strategies to nurture both gut health and mental well-being.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* What to implement today for better gut health
* How mental health impacts amenorrhea
* What to do if your digestion gives you anxiety
* If probiotics are really worth it
* How fasting can impact constipation
* And more…
Dr. Mary Pardee became a Functional Medicine specialist focusing on gut-brain health to fill the void left by her own journey, longing for a doctor who would truly listen, empathize and uncover the root causes of her health challenges. From childhood through early adulthood, she battled chronic stomach issues including constipation, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and reflux. Traditional medical treatments provided temporary relief through medications, but failed to address the underlying issues. Driven by her own struggles, Dr. Pardee returned to school with a mission to heal herself and others. Today, she is grateful to have overcome gastrointestinal symptoms and regained her quality of life, no longer constrained by dietary restrictions. Her focus has since shifted to longevity and preventative medicine, where she helps individuals extend both their lifespan and health span.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Mary:
* Website: https://www.modrnmed.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.marypardee/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Katie Rosen Kitchens is the co-founder and editor in chief of FabFitFun, a beauty and lifestyle subscription box company.
Back in 2010, Katie and her co-founders saw a chance to create a brand that felt like your best friend who knew everything about fashion and beauty. They started FabFitFun as an editorial brand, built a cult following, and then launched their subscription boxes. They were one of the first to offer full-sized products at a fraction of the cost. They've sold over 38 million subscriptions and have become the go-to destination for discovering and indulging in the latest trends. Katie has led the company’s evolution from a female-focused media brand to a dynamic force at the intersection of content, community, and commerce.
In this week's episode, Katie shares the importance of chasing dreams over money, the power of storytelling for brands, her biggest learnings from her TV and writing career, and how FabFitFun grew from a side hustle to a full-time business. Katie walks us through their mission to deliver happiness to their customers and build trust every step of the way, which has been crucial to their success. She discusses the transition from running a media company to a subscription consumer goods company, curating the first box despite many rejections, and the many mistakes she faced while scaling the brand. Katie also shares insights on her relationship with her co-founders, how letting go of anxiety and perfection will help achieve goals, why you should always start before you’re ready, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Katie about:
Strategies for confronting the uncertainties in life. [03:29]
Happy accidents that led to the founding of FabFitFun. [04:38]
Katie's upbringing and lessons on freedom and happiness. [08:12]
Blogging and connecting with her co-founders. [11:06]
How the subscription model idea came in the early days. [13:50]
Testing products and learning from failures. [17:06]
Handling rejection and her sources of motivation. [21:13]
Overcoming logistical challenges in shipping subscription boxes. [24:27]
Katie's crisis management strategies. [27:52]
Maintaining an open communication with customers. [31:16]
Qualities of an effective storyteller. [31:58]
Key factors that contributed to the growth of FabFitFun. [35:55]
Balancing the launch of subscription boxes with motherhood. [42:02]
Relationship with her co-founders. [48:03]
Division of responsibilities among Katie and her co-founders. [50:33]
Embracing imperfection and taking the leap. [53:34]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Katie:
* Website: https://fabfitfun.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabfitfun/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieakitchens/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Emily Hikade is the founder and CEO of Petite Plume, a luxury sleepwear brand made with the highest quality fabrics.
For over a decade, Emily worked for the CIA, serving overseas in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. During this time, she was also a mother to four young boys, none of whom knew about her career. Everything changed when she was on a mission and the plane she was in nearly crashed, almost taking her life. The thought of her children growing up without their mother was unbearable, and she knew she had to make a drastic change in her lifestyle. In 2015, while still living and working abroad, she bootstrapped and launched Petite Plume. Since its launch, Emily has grown the business into one of the most well-known luxury pajama brands, with a cult following and celebrity fans like Jimmy Fallon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Hart, and Prince George, to name a few. This self-funded brand has doubled year over year since its inception and has been profitable since its first year.
In this week’s episode, Emily takes us through her journey from growing up in Wisconsin, where her fascination with travel and passion for languages began, to her remarkable career as a CIA officer, navigating war zones and negotiating with affiliates of terrorist organizations. She shares about starting Petite Plume as a side hustle in East Africa and navigating challenges like horrible Wi-Fi on location, self-funding the business, and creating awareness with no connections in the retail space. Emily also talks about her strategic approach to business, emphasizing the importance of slow, organic, year-over-year growth, and how she avoids burnout while leading a growing business and being a mother of four. She discusses the biggest lessons she has learned running Petite Plume for nearly a decade, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Emily about:
* Emily’s childhood and her fascination for travel. [02:54]
* Working in the White House and starting a career with the CIA. [03:05]
* Emily’s pivotal experiences as a CIA Officer. [05:36]
* The origin of the idea for Petite Plume. [15:46]
* Building Petite Plume as a side hustle in a foreign country. [18:42]
* Getting into 200 stores during the first year. [21:13]
* Being self-funded over the past nine years. [23:37]
* Prince Charles wearing their flagship product, the pajamas. [27:44]
* Emily’s transferable skills as a CIA Officer to entrepreneur. [33:48]
* How Emily prevents burnout. [35:70]
* Perspective on stress as a CIA Officer and entrepreneur. [42:10]
* The surprising aspects of building Petite Plume. [47:26]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Emily:
* Website: https://www.petite-plume.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petiteplume/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyhikade/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ever wonder if biohacking is for you? It's not uncommon for women to fall into the trap of keeping up with wellness trends that are tailored to men's bodies, only to end up feeling depleted and even disrupting their hormones. Today's guest went on her own journey into hacking her biology, specifically as a woman, so she can feel like her strongest, most energetic self by working with her body---not against it.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* What women need to know about biohacking
* How to bridge ancient wisdom with modern science
* What actually helps women actually thrive
* The quickest ways to make shifts in your body
* How your period can be your superpower
* And more…
Aggie Lal is a renowned public figure, best-selling author, certified nutrition and health coach, podcast host, TV personality, and TEDx speaker. With more than 1.5 million social media followers and a vast audience across multiple channels, Aggie has become highly influential in the areas of health, biohacking, personal development, entrepreneurship, travel and lifestyle. Her most recent book, Biohack Like a Woman, delves into the world of biohacking from a uniquely female perspective by providing invaluable insights for optimizing health and well-being in routines and practices optimized for women’s bodies. With her dedication to holistic well-being, Aggie is at the forefront of empowering women to optimize their health and thrive in all areas of life.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Aggie:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aggie/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Amanda Chantal Bacon is the CEO and founder of Moon Juice, a wellness company that sells plant-based products, including adaptogenic supplements, skincare, and foods.
Moon Juice was born in 2011 from Amanda's experience when she put her autoimmune condition into remission after being told it wasn’t possible from multiple doctors. Through her healing process, she met with experts and educated herself on diet, lifestyle, spirit, and traditional wisdom. Amanda saw radical changes in her blood and hormone panels and believed that simple daily practices were crucial to her transformation. What began in her kitchen and a small shop in Venice has now grown into a company that’s a leader in the wellness industry and a global source for supplements and skincare.
In this week’s episode, we chat with Amanda about her unique childhood and her winding journey through different countries and careers which eventually lead her to finding her passion and purpose. She shares stories about her past business ventures, why they didn’t work out, and what she learned from them. Amanda talks about why she started Moon Juice without partners and how it grew from a juice shop to a full-fledged brand. She reflects on the challenges of being a founder and CEO for over a decade, her evolving leadership style, and her vision for Moon Juice. Amanda also tells us how she created her first product, built awareness, achieved organic growth, and what keeps her motivated through all the stages of the business, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Amanda about:
* Amanda’s relationship with control over the years. [02:46]
* What Amanda does when she feels out of control. [07:03]
* Amanda’s upbringing: having a businesswoman mom and a musician dad. [11:30]
* Exploring various interests across the world and discovering her passion. [13:12]
* Amanda’s entrepreneurial ventures prior to Moon Juice. [19:03]
* Running Moon Juice without a business partner. [21:21]
* Where Amanda finds support during tough times in business. [22:31]
* The challenges of being a founder and CEO for 13 years. [24:42]
* Amanda’s leadership journey over the years. [31:35]
* Amanda’s vision for Moon Juice and how it’s evolved over the years. [33:15]
* Creating the first product and how Amanda achieved organic growth. [37:44]
* Amanda’s source of inspiration and what keeps her going. [42:28]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Amanda:
* Website: https://moonjuice.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonjuice/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandachantalbacon/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Katlin Smith is the founder and CEO of Simple Mills, a healthy food company that only uses simple whole food ingredients.
Katlin founded Simple Mills after cleaning up her own diet and seeing incredible results. In 2012, Katlin was working as a management consultant, traveling often, and relying on convenient packaged foods to suit her on-the-go lifestyle. She wasn’t feeling her best and decided to switch to a primarily whole foods-based diet to see if her food choices were to blame. After witnessing her own transformation and then feeling restless in her job, she began experimenting in her kitchen with grain-free, paleo-friendly muffin recipes to create healthy alternatives to sugar-packed treats. A buyer at a nearby Whole Foods agreed to sell Katlin's muffin mixes and placed an order for twelve bags. Initially, Katlin hand-mixed ingredients in food-grade barrels due to a lack of funds for a mixer. She demoed her mixes in three Whole Foods stores and, seeing the demand, quit her day job to focus on Simple Mills. Over a decade later, Simple Mills leads in the cracker, cookie, and baking mix categories, selling in over 30,000 stores.
In this week’s episode, Katlin emphasizes the importance of self-belief and shares advice on building the courage needed to take significant leaps. She discusses the challenges of creating her first product without a baking background, perfecting the taste, and getting Simple Mills into retailers while working full-time. Katlin shares her corporate experience and the realities of running her business on the side, including dropping out of business school, early funding strategies, and dealing with difficult conversations with misaligned investors. She also provides insights on avoiding burnout, common misconceptions about starting a business, her evolving leadership style, and more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Katlin about:
* The importance of self-belief in Katlin’s journey. [03:10]
* What helped Katlin during times of uncertainty. [06:06]
* Katlin’s childhood and upbringing. [08:26]
* Katlin’s early entrepreneurial spirit. [11:47]
* Creating the first product in her kitchen despite having no background in baking. [18:16]
* Hurdles in perfecting the food taste. [21:06]
* Getting the product into retailers while having a full-time job. [22:37]
* The origin of the name Simple Mills. [29:40]
* The impact an influencer had early on in her business. [31:39]
* Funding the business and the fall-out of their first potential investor. [34:23]
* Getting $200,000 from her parents and going all in. [40:24]
* How Katlin avoids burnout and stays grounded. [44:22]
* Misconceptions about starting a business. [47:50]
* Lessons learned in the Simple Mills journey. [49:36]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Katlin:
* Website: https://www.simplemills.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplemills/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's true, women need more sleep than men, and hormonal changes throughout our lives can make it challenging to get the deep sleep we need. In today's episode, we dive into sleep and other ways we can optimize our brain health, emotional resilience and overall longevity through our daily habits.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Why women need to pay attention to brain health
* The best sleep aids that benefit the whole body
* How many hours of sleep we actually need
* The truth about alcohol, sleep and brain health
* What to consider before taking melatonin
* How to exercise for better cognition
* And more…
Neurophysiologist and human performance coach, Louisa Nicola is the founder and head performance advisor of Neuro Athletics - a consulting firm that boasts the best athletes in the world. By using science driven data from EEG scans, labs tests and cognitive assessments, Louisa has a first class ticket inside the brain of elite NBA and MLB stars. Louisa graduated from the University of Sydney medical school with a master of medicine in neurophysiology and is currently completing her doctorate under the guidance of Dr. Tommy Wood at UW, studying the effects of resistance exercise on the brain.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Louisa Nicola:
* Website: https://www.neuroathletics.com.au/hybridcoachingprogram
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisanicola_/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Michelle Wahler is the co-founder and former CEO of Beyond Yoga, a company that’s on a mission to give every body the luxury-level comfort they deserve from activewear.
Coming from the fashion world, Michelle realized the need for a body positive brand with pieces that flatter a wide range of women’s bodies. After creating her own line which started as a side hustle, she met and then partnered with Jodi to build Beyond Yoga in 2005. Michelle has built the product and brand from the ground up and served as its CEO for nearly 20 years. What started as a mere concept led to a global wholesale business, ecommerce site and opening of six retail stores, selling tens of millions of units around the world. She also led the negotiations and her team through the brand’s acquisition to Levi Strauss & Co in 2021 for a reported $400 million dollars.
In this week’s episode, we talk to Michelle about how the idea for Beyond Yoga started, the initial challenges and investments involved in getting it off the ground, and the importance of staying profitable and reinvesting in the company for long-term success. Michelle shares insights into the early strategies that led to incredible success, including the introduction of their popular space dye fabric, and the lessons learned from partnerships they pursued. She walks us through how Beyond Yoga lost over six million dollars in revenue in one week and how she navigated the business through such challenging times. Michelle also offers valuable advice on avoiding burnout, how they ended up selling to Levi’s despite never wanting to sell the business, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Michelle about:
* The importance of giving yourself grace. [03:42]
* Sustainable and profitable growth of Beyond Yoga. [05:15]
* Michelle's upbringing and her relationship with her parents. [07:40]
* Initial work experiences and starting her first venture, Unsweetened. [09:50]
* Meeting her business partner, Jodi. [11:05]
* Biggest learnings from Unsweetened. [16:54]
* Funding the business and finding the right contractors locally. [20:14]
* A major inflection point: Introducing space dye fabric. [29:16]
* Hiring her husband as the COO/CFO. [31:31]
* Michelle’s learnings as a leader. [36:19]
* Michelle’s experience of motherhood. [39:15]
* Saving Beyond Yoga during COVID and millions in lost revenue.[46:03]
* Selling Beyond Yoga to Levi Strauss & Co for $400 million. [54:03]
* Re-investing and her first experience with investors. [59:39]
* Advice she would give her younger self. [01:02:26]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Michelle:
* Website: https://beyondyoga.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondyoga/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.wahler/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes from last year with Fawn Weaver. Fawn is a serial entrepreneur and NYTimes bestselling author, and when she learned about the story of Uncle Nearest Green — the slave who taught Jack Daniel how to distill whiskey — she decided to create a company that would bring his legacy to life.
After learning about Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel's interconnected history, Fawn followed the story down to Tennessee, which led her to purchase the 300-acre farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee, where Nearest taught Jack how to distill. She initially thought of honoring Nearest's story with a book or movie, but decided the best way to preserve his legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. With no background in distilling, she threw herself into an industry mostly dominated by white men and a few major corporations. Since they launched, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become the fastest growing whiskey brand in US history, and has over $100+ million in revenue.
In our conversation, Fawn discusses the importance of confidence in leadership and success, and what we can all do today to build more confidence in our lives. She shares her early life challenges, from homelessness to suicidal thoughts, and how she overcame the toughest of times and the biggest learnings she had along the way. Fawn talks about the serendipity around her launching her business and the biggest factors that have helped create the incredible growth they’ve seen, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Fawn about:
* How Fawn has cultivated her confidence in the darkest of times. [03:09]
* Faith's role in Fawn's confidence. [04:58]
* Practical approach to how Fawn overcomes any fear in her life. [06:23]
* Handling bad days; giving herself space and having a pray-first approach in everything. [10:16]
* Fawn's most impactful experience: Leaving home at 15, third homeless shelter [15:55]
* Fawn's perspective on boundaries and outgrowing people. [26:24]
* The pivotal moment when Fawn learned about Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel's interconnected history and how it inspired her journey. [30:46]
* Fawn's whiskey venture epiphany without prior experience. [39:50]
* Having an all-women leadership team in a male-dominated spirits industry. [42:10]
* Early brand awareness tactics and business growth factors. [46:52]
* Fawn’s experience fundraising and how she managed the rejections early on. [50:41]
* Finding the gem inside failure and how it builds confidence and strength. [57:07]
* The importance of knowing your "Why” when it comes to starting a business. [59:07]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Fawn:
* Website: https://unclenearest.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unclenearest/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fawn.weaver/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There’s a lot of attention on rapid weight loss at the moment, but we need to talk about the long term impacts. In today’s episode, we sat down with Michelle Shapiro, a functional registered dietitian who shares her experience of losing over 100 lbs and what she wishes she knew.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose weight
* How rapid weight loss impacts the body in the long term
* The truth about acid reflux and how to overcome it
* What menstruating women need to know about carbs
* The connection between blood sugar and anxiety
Michelle Shapiro is an Integrative/Functional Registered Dietitian from NYC with over 8 years of experience serving more than 1000 clients. She specializes in reversing anxiety, healing longstanding gut issues, and approaching weight loss lovingly and in a body-neutral way. Michelle aims to bridge the gap between functional nutrition and body positivity, working with clients one-on-one in her virtual private practice. Utilizing humor, nuance, and compassion, she helps clients access their liberating self-awareness.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Michelle:
* Website: https://michelleshapirord.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelleshapirord/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sara Happ is the founder of Sara Happ Inc., a beauty company that creates luxury lip products and is best known for launching the first-to-market lip exfoliator called the Lip Scrub.
While lip scrubs are a no-brainer for all the beauty gurus out there, it wasn’t always this way. Sara began experimenting with the "lip scrub" recipe while working for ESPN, where the freezing Connecticut winters left her lips chapped. Seeing that there was a massive hole in the market, Sara drained all $10,000 from her savings account, started formulating her lip scrubs with sugars and edible essential oils bought from Whole Foods, and created the first batches of her new invention in her own kitchen. She was doing all of this as a side hustle until one day in 2006, her products were featured in People Magazine, and she came home to thousands of orders. That’s when Sara realized that she was on to something that would completely change the trajectory of her life.
In this week’s episode, Sara talks to us about how she managed moments of adversity over the past two decades of running her company, how she made a complete pivot from her stable corporate job at ESPN to creating her infamous lip scrub. She dives deeper into the early vision for the brand, how she creatively got it into the hands of celebrities like Reese Witherspoon in the very early days when she was still making it out of her kitchen, and what it was like to have her website crash while getting thousands of orders. Sara also shares how she managed the competitors that came into the space and what she did to build momentum for the brand despite more players entering the market. She also opens up about how she dealt with burnout, the challenges and lessons that COVID brought into her life, the eventual sale of the company in 2023, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sara about:
* Managing low moments and adversity. [03:35]
* Influence of Sara’s upbringing. [07:05]
* Breakthrough moment and ESPN lessons. [08:59]
* Origin of the lip scrub idea. [11:48]
* Sara’s early vision for the brand. [15:05]
* Reese Witherspoon trying the product and gaining attention. [22:40]
* Major inflection point: thousands of orders. [24:04]
* Leaving her job to focus on the brand. [24:58]
* Gender dynamics in the corporate realm. [28:48]
* Creating the next best-selling product, Lip Slip. [32:48]
* Handling competitors in 2012. [41:31]
* Dealing with burnout and advice to her younger self. [48:26]
* Journey through COVID and selling the company in 2023. [51:05]
* Embracing the founder role and controlling her time. [58:26]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Sara:
* Website: https://sarahapp.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahapp/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahappherself/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sabeena Ladha is the founder and CEO of Deux, a better-for-you snack brand that includes vegan and gluten-free donut bites, cookie doughs, and dessert spreads.
Sabeena has a deep relationship with junk food. Some of her earliest memories date back to the time she spent at her father’s gas station and convenience store, which her parents bought after immigrating from India and Pakistan. After graduating from college, Sabeena entered the workforce and started her career working for the giant food conglomerate Frito-Lay at PepsiCo. She credits her knowledge of the industry today to her time spent at the junk food mecca. Despite where she started her career, Sabeena also had a love for wellness and wanted to create products that could satisfy her health-minded sweet tooth.
The concept for Deux began in June 2020 when Sabeena started experimenting with chocolate chip cookie dough in her kitchen. The company has since expanded its offerings from cookie doughs to dessert spreads and donut holes that are vegan, gluten-free, and preservative-free and contain "functional ingredients" like vitamin B12. While Deux first started as an exclusively direct-to-consumer brand, the company has expanded to have a significant retail presence in Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and many other stores nationwide.
In this week’s episode, we talk to Sabeena about her relationship with risk, the importance of learning the rules before breaking them with your own business, and how she has had to unwind her “overachiever” tendencies to go against the grain and start Deux. We discuss why she decided to launch cookie dough as her first product, how she has managed stress during different phases of the company, and steps she took to build momentum on social when they first launched. Sabeena opens up about her Shark Tank experience, how it impacted her and her business, the biggest learnings she’s had along the way, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sabeena about:
* Relationship with risk influenced by parents. [02:42]
* Why money won't bring you happiness. [07:41]
* Managing work and rest in Deux's early stage. [10:38]
* Work experience and health blog beginnings. [16:26]
* Origin of the cookie dough idea and first iteration. [21:24]
* The importance of asking for help. [23:11]
* Creating the first iteration and formula development. [24:22]
* Challenges faced with Deux. [28:50]
* Managing challenges and stress. [32:01]
* Creating brand awareness and joining Shark Tank. [35:13]
* Behind the scenes of Shark Tank experience. [37:04]
* Future plans for Deux. [43:01]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Sabeena:
* Website: https://www.eatdeux.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatdeux/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabeenaladha/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Can you imagine a world in which men go through menopause? There’s a chance we’d have a lot more research to understand these changes. Since women spend ⅓ of their life in menopause and postmenopause, we think we deserve more answers and better care. That’s exactly what today’s guest is here to provide—and women of all ages, whether you’re in your 20s, 30s or 40s, should really listen!
In this episode you’ll learn:
* What women can expect as they age and what they can change
* How to know if you’re in perimenopause or menopause
* Why there is fear around hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
* How menopause impacts our bones, heart, metabolism and libido
* The potential risks of NOT taking hormone replacement
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, CMP, is a board-certified Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and a best-selling author focused on women’s health. After noticing her patients' concerns about menopause-related symptoms, and navigating her own, Dr. Haver extensively researched menopause, aging and inflammation, leading to the creation of The Galveston Diet and her 2023 bestselling book. In 2021, she founded The Mary Claire Wellness Clinic to provide personalized menopause care, integrating medical history, nutrition, exercise, supplements, and hormone therapy. With over 3 million social media followers, Dr. Haver shares advice and learns from her community, aiming to make menopause care accessible and comprehensive through initiatives like The ‘Pause Life and her latest book, “The New Menopause”.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Haver:
* Website: https://maryclairewellness.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Joanna Griffiths is the Founder and President of Knix, the innovative direct-to-consumer intimates and apparel brand.
The idea for Knix started after she had a conversation with her mom about what women’s bodies undergo as they age especially when it came to post-pregnancy leaks. After doing research on her end and speaking to more women, she realized there was a massive gap in the market. So in 2013, she launched a Kickstarter campaign that placed Knix on the map not only for its intimates but for talking openly about the reality of women’s bodies.
A decade later, the womenswear brand has expanded into a variety of categories, including bras, activewear, shapewear, swim, loungewear, and more. Joanna has built Knix into one of the fastest-growing intimate apparel brands globally. In 2022, Joanna decided to sell 80% of her business for $320 million, making it one of the largest exits by a female founder in Canada and one of the most significant sales of a brand by a female founder in US history.
In this week’s episode, Joanna talks to us about her incredible journey building Knix, what she learned in her career in media & entertainment, and how it actually helped her disrupt the intimates industry despite having no background. She shares how she pivoted early on from wholesale even though they were doing incredibly well, how they ended up launching as a direct-to-consumer company, and why it was one of the boldest decisions she made. Joanna also opens up about how she dealt with depression even when she had major success with the brand, and the steps she took to manage this difficult time. We talk about how she dealt with difficult investors who didn’t believe she could run a high-growth company being a mom of three, what she did to prove those naysayers wrong, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Joanna about:
* Being vulnerable and open on social media. [02:55]
* The reality in entrepreneurship. [04:56]
* Joanna’s coping mechanisms as a founder. [08:31]
* Creating momentum in the early stages. [12:59]
* Working in a record label, getting an MBA, and shifting passions. [16:23]
* The genesis of the Knix idea and testing their first product. [18:12]
* The manufacturing processes. [22:48]
* Launching Knix on Kickstarter. [25:16]
* Joanna’s depression despite the business doing well. [32:12]
* Joanna’s fundraising journey. [39:05]
* Building confidence and managing negativity. [45:03]
* Joanna’s behind-the-scenes in managing her business and motherhood. [46:21]
* Selling the company and buying a house for their nanny. [48:11]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Joanna:
* Website: https://knix.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knix/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannaknix/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jamie O’Banion is the founder and CEO of BeautyBio, a clean skincare and tool brand that leads with transparency and efficacy.
Jamie’s passion for science came at a young age as she watched her father, a cosmetic chemist, in his lab developing products and eventually joined him after college. Ten years later, having witnessed brands using minimal concentrations of active ingredients to cut costs and make false clinical claims, Jamie knew she had to address this issue in the industry. That's when the idea for BeautyBio was born. The aim was to provide clients with what they were paying for and help them understand the ingredients behind the products.
She debuted on HSN that same year and sold out on the first day. Five years later, she launched one of the brand's flagship products, GloPRO, an at-home micro-needling device that generated $4 million in sales within its first 24 hours and has since surpassed the $100 million mark. Fast forward to 2023, BeautyBio is available in over 1,700 stores, including Ulta, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and more.
In this week’s episode, Jamie guides us through the various "breadcrumbs" of life and how every individual experience she had before launching her business led her to exactly where she is today. We dive into her upbringing as one of six children, how she stumbled into entrepreneurship, why her initial business idea failed, and how she quickly pivoted to what eventually became BeautyBio. We talk about all the challenging experiences in her over ten year journey running the business, how they ended up selling the business last year, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jamie about:
* The concept of “breadcrumbs” in life and how everything happens for a reason. [02:57]
* Growing up with a family of six has influenced the woman Jamie is today. [06:13]
* Managing the challenges of motherhood. [14:41]
* Jamie’s upbringing and what sparked her interest in science. [21:38]
* The importance of team and how they’ve been integral in her journey. [26:17]
* Dealing with challenging experiences as an entrepreneur. [29:03]
* Co-founding Organicare with her physician father in 2008. [32:44]
* Adapting to consumer demand without compromising business ethos. [37:13]
* Pivoting from selling ingredients to launching BeautyBio. [42:50]
* Future plans for BeautyBio post-acquisition. [48:43]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Jamie:
* Website: https://beautybio.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybio/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieobanion/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Despite spending more on healthcare than ever before, the majority of us are sicker than ever. You might be shocked to learn that 93% of Americans have some form of metabolic disease, which can be linked to practically any symptom or disease including hormone imbalances, PCOS, infertility and more. Knowing this, there is good news. The steps we need to take are the same, and can transform the way that we feel across the board.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The surprising connection between metabolism and health
* Steps to reclaim your power on a cellular level
* How to protect and magnify your energy
* Top foods everyone needs to eat for optimal health today
* How our healthcare system keeps us sick
Casey Means, MD is a Stanford-trained physician, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of metabolic health company Levels. Her mission is to maximize human potential and reverse the epidemic of preventable chronic disease by empowering individuals with tech-enabled tools that can inform smart, personalized, and sustainable dietary and lifestyle choices. Her perspective has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The New Yorker, Men's Health, Women's Health, and shared in her debut book “Good Energy”.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Casey:
* Website: https://www.caseymeans.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sarah Moret is the founder and CEO of Curie, a clean deodorant and body care brand on a mission to change the stigma around clean beauty.
Sarah has been an athlete all of her life and was a very active person, and one thing she could never come across was a clean, aluminum-free deodorant that actually worked and fit her lifestyle. From this frustration, Sarah decided to start Curie as a side hustle in 2019 to solve her own problem.
Sarah then bootstrapped the company and financed it with $12,000 in savings and very early on was hitting six-figures with organic content, word of mouth, and PR. Fast forward to today, the company has scaled to be a $20 million success story and is sold in thousands of stores nationwide, including Walmart, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdales and has sold out dozens of times through live selling on QVC. Sarah also appeared on Season 13 of Shark Tank and landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran and Mark Cuban.
In this week’s episode, Sarah talks about her transition from accounting to becoming an entrepreneur, the steps she took to turn her side hustle into a full-time business, and how she had remarkable growth with very little money. We also talk about the many rejections she faced when it came to finding manufacturers, getting into retailers, and participating in Shark Tank. Sarah also shares her crazy experience on Shark Tank what really happens behind the scenes that we don’t typically see, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:
* Overcoming fears and handling rejections. [03:05]
* The reality of being an entrepreneur. [07:03]
* Building a company from personal challenges. [08:53]
* Graduating from Boston University and Sarah’s initial career path as an accountant. [11:15]
* Starting Curie and Sarah’s risk-taking approach. [16:25]
* Being scrappy during the early stages of Curie. [22:25]
* Committing fully and early awareness-building for Curie. [25:19]
* Leveraging influencers and media outreach. [27:29]
* Pivoting to hand sanitizers during the pandemic which saved their business. [31:51]
* Navigating manufacturer selection. [35:10
* A behind-the-scenes look into Shark Tank. [38:08
* Preparing for the Shark Tank Q&A. [57:52]
* How Curie thought about funding for the business before Shark Tank. [50:06]
* How Sarah overcame scaling challenges with the business. [51:45]
* Managing mental health and avoiding burnout for sustained success. [54:17]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Sarah:
* Website: https://curiebod.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiebod/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjmoret/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Allison Evans is the co-founder of Branch Basics, a brand dedicated to revolutionizing clean living and fostering healthier homes.
Allison's journey began with personal health struggles - she was diagnosed with PCOS at a young age, didn’t get her period for years and was told she could never get pregnant naturally. After another health crisis in college, Allison was desperate to find relief and embraced a toxin-free lifestyle under her Aunt Marilee's guidance, centered on real food, safe products, and a toxin-free environment. The results were nothing short of miraculous— her symptoms completely disappeared, her period came back and she eventually welcomed three daughters into the world naturally. With her best friend Kelly by her side and her aunt, the three of them co-founded Branch Basics in 2012 with the mission to empower others to rid their homes of toxins and embrace a healthier way of life.
In this episode, Allison candidly shares how a few pivotal moments in her life and health journey were the catalyst for launching the business – and she never thought she would ever be an entrepreneur. Allison walks us through the early days of the business, how their first few ideas for non-toxic living didn’t work out, and how they ultimately decided to launch their all-purpose cleaner which eventually took off. She also shares the behind-the-scenes of the business, including how she managed business crises and the process of rebuilding Branch Basics from scratch. Allison reflects on this challenging time when they paused operations, pulled products from shelves, and laid off staff despite the company making millions in revenue. She also shares insights into managing customers, navigating relationships with formulators, balancing career and motherhood, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Allison about:
* Allison’s early health challenges. [03:26]
* The influence of Marilee to Allison’s life [07:42]
* Marilee’s two powerful health stories. [13:19]
* Living with Marilee in 2008 and how they started Branch Basics. [21:15]
* The behind-the-scenes of business crisis management. [27:25]
* Allison’s advice on business problem management. [33:05]
* Getting canceled by an influencer and how Allison’s managed the situation. [36:23]
* Balancing business highs and lows. [39:05]
* Learnings in dealing with difficult customers. [41:47]
* Juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship gracefully. [44:57]
* Collaboration with formulators.[47:53]
* Allison’s business strengths and weaknesses. [50:11]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Allison:
* Website: https://branchbasics.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchbasics/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almevans/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Do you struggle to lose weight, have low energy, poor digestion or sleep troubles? These can all be signs that you're out of sync with your biology, which is designed to work on nature's clock. In this episode, we dive into science-based practices and ancestral wisdom for feeling our best in modern times.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Effective strategies for lasting weight loss
* Alternative ways to energize without caffeine
* How to support your circadian rhythm with light
* Top red light panel recommendations
* Why everyone needs to build muscle
* The best color to eat for better gut health
* And more…
Alexis Cowan, PhD, embarked on her path to health following a childhood marked by recurring illnesses and significant weight struggles. Through her personal battles with an eating disorder and subsequent development of ulcerative colitis, these early experiences sparked her interest in the scientific underpinnings of nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle interventions. Alexis pursued her education fervently, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry and Math from Moravian College, followed by a PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 2021. She now works with individuals in her practice, and educates on metabolism and circadian optimization through her online courses.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Alexis:
* Website: https://dralexisjazmyn.wordpress.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralexisjazmyn/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Breezy Griffith is the founder and CEO of SkinnyDipped, a good-for-you snack company looking to reinvent some of our favorite snacks.
Breezy launched SkinnyDipped in 2016 with her mother after losing their dear friend to cancer. This life-altering event made them take a hard look at their own priorities and how they wanted to make an impact in this world. As a tight-knit family, they wanted to spend more time together and ultimately decided to start a business. They decided to revolutionize the snacking industry and launched with their thinly-dipped chocolate-covered almonds, and now they have expanded to multiple product lines from chocolates to peanut butter cups.
Breezy went from selling nuts out of their backpacks to securing a presence in over 25,000 retail doors, including major outlets like Target, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Starbucks, airports, and more. They also recently closed a Series A round and have investors like David Grutman, Amy Schumer, and Mark Wahlberg to name a few.
In this week’s episode, Breezy talks to us her unconventional career path after college from starting businesses like a sorbet company where she would sell at farmers markets to then creating pastries & hustling to make ends meet living in New York. She shares why those businesses didn’t work but why they were the best experience for her when it came to understanding financials and creating sustainable business models. She then walks us through SkinnyDipped’s origin story, what she was doing to create and produce the product in the early days from her kitchen to then finding manufacturers and why she believes being scrappy helped the company grow brand awareness. She shares what it’s like to have her mom and also two best friends as co-founders, how they were able to fund the business in the early days, how she secured a deal with Target very early on, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Breezy about:
* Breezy’s childhood and upbringing. [03:08]
* Breezy’s post-college ventures. [05:12]
* Learnings from business setbacks. [07:08]
* Iteration of SkinnyDipped’s first product. [14:35]
* What it’s like working with close friends and family. [20:32]
* Managing pressure and emotions as a founder. [27:30]
* Entering Target and securing the opportunity. [31:11]
* How Breezy’s role has shifted as the business grows. [41:36]
* SkinnyDipped’s fundraising journey. [46:10]
* SkinnyDipped's rebranding story and its message. [51:47]
* Breezy's personal and professional plans. [54:50]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Breezy:
* Website: https://skinnydipped.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinnydipped/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinnydippedfounder/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cathryn Lavery is the founder of BestSelf Co., a productivity tool-based business that sells journals, planners and conversation decks to help people achieve their goals and be their best selves.
Cathryn moved to New York City from Ireland with only $758 and after the challenges she faced in her role as an architect and not making a livable wage, she was forced to find other means of income on the side. Despite having 7 years under her belt she realized this line of work was not the path for her. She eventually decided to go off on her own and transformed herself into an 8-figure founder.
Going back to the early days, her side hustle eventually grew into something much bigger and that’s when Cathryn launched her Kickstarter campaign in 2015 to crowdfund her first product. BestSelf Co. sold $45 million in products before getting acquired in 2022, but recently Cathryn repurchased back her company to do things differently.
In this week’s episode, Cathryn walks us through how she was forced into entrepreneurship because of necessity when she received a massive pay cut and the steps she took to figure things out when it was the most challenging for her. Cathryn shares how the idea for BestSelf was born, what she did to build up her confidence to take the leap, the early days of the business, and how she and her team managed to raise over $300,000 on her Kickstarter campaign with the goal only being $15k. We talk about her top productivity tips and lifestyle hacks that can help all of us be our best selves. She tells us about steps in finding the right business partner, why she decided to repurchase her company after 2 years of it being acquired, what it’s like to juggle being a new mom and founder, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Cathryn about:
* "100 Days of Doing Challenge" impact on Cathryn. [02:59]
* Cathryn’s childhood and upbringing. [08:15]
* Where Cathryn got her self-confidence in taking the leap. [11:34]
* From New York to first job journey. [15:27]
* Preparations before entrepreneurship leap. [20:01]
* Cathryn's productivity system shifts. [24:02]
* Importance of structure and managing one’s energy. [29:22]
* Starting BestSelf Co. as a side hustle and how it flourished. [32:31]
* What resonated with BestSelf Co.’s product. [35:00]
* Lessons from having a business partner. [40:02]
* Selling and repurchasing BestSelf Co. [47:04]
* Embracing change in entrepreneurship. [52:25]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Cathryn:
* Blog: https://www.littlemight.com/
* Website: https://bestself.co/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestselfco/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathryn.lavery/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Did you see the Washington Post article about birth control that took women of the internet by storm? The piece, titled “Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion”, discredited the experiences of thousands of women and downplayed the real side effects that can come with taking hormonal birth control. They included an interview with Nicole Bendayan, a holistic women’s health educator, who the writers misled and then misrepresented how she is helping women reclaim their health everyday. Today, we’re getting her side of the story.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How women are gaslit about their health concerns
* Why women are choosing to come off hormonal birth control
* How to choose a birth control method that works for you
* Why we need informed consent before taking birth control pills
* The real potential side effects of taking hormonal birth control
* How we can actually empower women through education
Nicole Bendayan is a hormonal health educator on a mission to empower women to reclaim their cycle and thrive through holistic menstrual health. She supports women looking for natural alternatives to hormonal contraception, as well as how to support the body when coming off and lifestyle shifts to experience less hormone-related symptoms overall.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Nicole:
* Website: https://enroll.thesyncsociety.com/fam-workshop-coming-soon/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicole.bendayan/
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Allison Conrad is the co-founder and CEO of Arey, the first functional beauty brand to target aging hair with a proactive, science-driven approach.
The idea for Arey came shortly after Allison saw her first grey hairs and was shocked that the only way to address grey hair was with hair dye and that there were no preventive solutions. She was using wrinkle cream and SPF to prevent wrinkles, but there was nothing available to manage and prevent grey hair, and that’s when Arey was born.
In 2020, Allison founded the company alongside her beloved hairstylist and friend Jay Small who also saw the demand for such a product. From a daily supplement to topicals, Arey offers a full line of clean, innovative products formulated with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and a clinically efficacious peptide to slow and re-pigment greys. In just a few years, Arey has already been featured on Who What Wear, VOGUE, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health and so many more.
In this week’s episode, we talk to Allison about the power of patience, why we shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves, and how every twist in turn in your career will lead you to where you’re supposed to be. Allison also walks through the challenges she had pioneering a new category in the haircare industry, how she thought through funding her business - from bootstrapping to then fundraising and what she did to create early traction & awareness for the business. Allison also shares how Arey is the 12th company that she has been involved in and the 3rd she has founded, so in this episode, she shares a lot of insights when it comes to entrepreneurship, making pivots in your life and career, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Allison about:
* Importance of patience and self-compassion. [02:53]
* Being the black sheep in the family. [08:01]
* Sewing and selling skirts as her first business venture. [12:23]
* Allison's lessons from her first business. [15:09]
* Studying in Stanford Business School. [16:55]
* What Allison learned about herself. [18:38]
* Lessons from the startup fundraising world. [26:33]
* Allison's pivotal moment in starting Arey. [32:27]
* The concept of hair re-pigmentation. [34:30]
* The importance of networking in finding the right manufacturer. [37:02]
* Allison’s approach in fund-raising for Arey. [38:37]
* How Allison validated the concept early on. [42:17]
* How Allison created education around her brand. [45:09]
* The messy truth in entrepreneurship. [48:48]
* Future plans for Arey. [52:41]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Allison:
* Website: https://areygrey.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/areygrey/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonaconrad/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, we're re-airing one of our top episodes with Mimi Ikonn, a serial entrepreneur known for founding Luxy Hair, a DTC hair extension brand, and Intelligent Change, a lifestyle brand promoting mindfulness and gratitude through consumer products. Her inspiring self-made story began with her immigration from Azerbaijan to Canada as a teenager.
Taking on the responsibility of financially supporting her family from a young age, Mimi dropped out of college, worked in banking, and took significant risks to pursue her passions and achieve financial independence.
Luxy Hair achieved impressive success, reaching 250,000+ customers in 165+ countries before being acquired by Beauty Industry Group. Currently, Mimi is focused on her business, Intelligent Change, selling over 1,700,000+ copies of their flagship product, The Five Minute Journal.
In our interview, Mim shares her captivating life story, from being a college dropout to discovering her passions and starting Luxy Hair with limited resources and industry connections. Her positive energy shines as she discusses overcoming hardships and depression, offering valuable tips for manifesting the life you desire, and promoting meaningful change in both personal and professional spheres.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Mimi about:
* Mimi's humble beginnings in Baku, Azerbaijan. [03:57]
* Mimi's immigration journey to Canada, financially supporting her family at 16. [12:09]
* Not going to college, working in a bank, and meeting her future husband. [17:38]
* The 4-Hour Workweek" impact on Mimi and Alex's life and business vision. [25:59]
* The inspiration behind their first business, Luxy Hair. [27:44]
* "The Body Keeps the Score" influence on Mimi's life and traumas. [35:11]
* Manifesting life and practicing gratitude, Tony Robbins' program. [42:03]
* Selling Luxy Hair and creating the 5-Minute Journal by Intelligent Change. [49:16]
* Mimi's passion projects and her sustainability advocacy. [55:19]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Mimi:
* Website: https://www.intelligentchange.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intelligentchange/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mimiikonn/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What time do you usually go to bed? Be honest… We won’t judge you for late-night TikTok scrolls, but we have to keep it real. If you want happy hormones and better health overall, it’s time to get serious about sleep.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Secrets for the best sleep of your life
* Why sleep matters beyond our own health
* The impact of hormones on sleep
* What shift workers need to know
* How sleep quality can impact weight
* The truth about alcohol and sleep
* And more…
Vice President of Performance Science, Principal Scientist at WHOOP, Kristen drives thought leadership by engaging with industry-leading researchers and partners to better understand individual and team biometric and performance data across high-stakes verticals to drive product innovation, strategy, and coaching.
Kristen blends her academic and applied background in athletics, coaching, performance technology, psychology, and exercise physiology to drive research, partnership, and product development initiatives to strengthen WHOOP as a leader in Human Performance.
Kristen works with hundreds of the best tactical, professional, surgical teams, corporate, and NCAA Athlete Teams in the world, helping them interpret WHOOP data to optimize training, recovery, and sleep behavior. Kristen's research focuses on the temporal organization of circadian influences and their effect on physiological and psychological resilience.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kristen:
* Research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kristen-Holmes-3
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristen_holmes2126/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Courtney Claghorn is the founder of SUGARED + BRONZED, the nation’s largest all natural sugaring and airbrush tanning destination.
Shortly after graduating college, Courtney moved back home without a job and was confused about her next steps. She eventually got a job in Fintech and moved to Santa Monica. Even though she was living and working near the beach, she rarely spent time in the sun since she worked indoors which meant she frequented tanning salons. Courtney was done overpaying for spray tans at underwhelming locations and decided to create a solution that would not only be affordable, but keep people coming back for more, and that’s when SUGARED + BRONZED was born.
In this week’s episode, Courtney shares her journey of starting the business as a side hustle, initially with only $500 from her apartment, to now overseeing 23 locations across the country. She candidly discusses how miserable she was in her FinTech job, the pivotal moment when she decided to take the leap, and how she discovered herself when she was the most confused.
Courtney dives into how she bootstrapped the business in the first nine years, the stress that came with keeping the business afloat during COVID and what she did to overcome such challenging times. Lastly, we chat about about how not having a detailed business plan was key to her success, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Courtney about:
* Courtney’s impactful childhood memories. [3:04]
* Feeling lost in her early 20s and her self-expectations. [07:35]
* Graduating college, moving back home, and landing her first job. [10:28]
* Working in a FinTech company and discovering herself. [13:19]
* How the idea of SUGARED + BRONZED came about. [16:34]
* Courtney’s motivation to start SUGARED + BRONZED. [18:49]
* Courtney's early business journey. [20:28]
* Leaving her full-time job to focus on creating the first retail location. [21:38]
* What propelled the business during its early stages. [23:22]
* Lessons learned from securing their first location. [25:10]
* Advice on having a minimum business plan. [33:6]
* Managing SUGARED + BRONZED’s growth. [36:52]
* Bootstrapping for nine years and finally bringing on an investor. [38:53]
* Being comfortable in the uncomfortable. [40:51]
* SUGARED + BRONZED during the COVID-19 Pandemic. [43:50]
* The business's toughest challenges. [50:18]
* Balancing business and family after having a child. [53:47]
* The concept of first principles thinking. [58:27]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Courtney:
* Website: https://sugaredandbronzed.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugaredandbronzed/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyclaghorn/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Carolyn Aronson is the founder and CEO of It’s a 10 Haircare, a professional hair care line that is dedicated to providing high-quality, luxury hair care products for every hair type.
Carolyn rose from a challenging background of foster homes and adoption to creating one of the most widely recognized and consumed haircare brands worldwide. Despite all this success, she definitely was no overnight success. Carolyn prides herself on working hard and learning from her failed brands and products before striking gold with the Miracle Leave-in Spray that really took off. She owns 100% of her multi-hundred-million dollar brand and the products are sold in more than 25,000 professional salons, thousands of retail locations like Sally Beauty, Ulta, and is now in over 70 countries around the world.
In this week’s episode, Carolyn talks to us about her upbringing as a foster care child and what she believes shaped her approach to entrepreneurship & her relationship with money. She also shares her experience as a hairdresser hustling to make ends meet for many years, how she lost everything when starting her first company, and how she didn't give up even after losing it all. Carolyn also tells us about the challenges she had to overcome in the process of launching her second haircare brand and the biggest learnings she had when it came to partnerships, product development, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Carolyn about:
* Why entrepreneurs should, “crawl, walk, then run”. [02:30]
* Carolyn’s childhood upbringing and influences that shaped her financial literacy. [08:44]
* The mindset of avoiding wasteful spending. [13:35]
* Bootstrapping and managing financial growth.[15:35]
* How Carolyn deals with mental challenges. [18:29]
* Positive impact of foster care and adoption on Carolyn's life. [21:30]
* Transition to product creation alongside salon management. [23:24]
* Lessons from recovering after financial loss in previous business. [25:40]
* Navigating a male-dominated industry. [30:13]
* Graceful handling of challenges with experience. [32:03]
* Fearlessness in male-dominated environments from upbringing. [33:29]
* Insights gained from partnerships and co-founders. [35:21]
* Preference against 50-50 partnerships. [37:03]
* Advice for women starting new ventures. [39:31]
* Strategies for overcoming business challenges. [42:30]
* Carolyn's proudest achievements. [45:22]
* Inspiring women, foster children, and hairdressers through example. [48:47]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Carolyn:
* Website: https://www.itsa10international.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsa10haircare/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsa10ceo/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today’s guest, Dr. Sara Szal Gottfried, is calling for a revolution in women’s health. Our culture is not set up to support female biology and it shows. The rates of depression, insomnia, Alzheimer’s and autoimmunity in women are staggering—it’s beyond time to turn this around. We meet at dawn…
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The leading cause of hormone imbalances
* How our culture is making women sick
* The outsized impacts of trauma on women’s health
* What psychedelics offer for healing on all levels
* How to reclaim your health as a woman
* And more…
Sara Szal Gottfried, MD, is a physician scientist who graduated from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed residency at the University of California at San Francisco. Over the past two decades, Dr. Gottfried has seen more than 25,000 patients, and specializes in identifying the underlying cause of her patients’ conditions to achieve true and lasting health transformations, not just symptom management.
Dr. Gottfried is a global keynote speaker who practices evidence-based integrative, precision, and functional medicine. She is Clinical Assistant Professor in Dept. of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, and Director of Precision Medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health. Dr. Gottfried’s research focus is metabolic phenotyping. Her bestselling books include: The Hormone Cure, The Hormone Reset Diet, Younger, Women Food and Hormones, and her new book, The Autoimmune Cure.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Sara:
* Website: https://www.saragottfriedmd.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saragottfriedmd/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sali Christeson is the CEO and founder of Argent, a brand revolutionizing women’s workwear.
Sali always had aspirations of entrepreneurship but chose to gain more experience before pursuing her own venture. Beginning her career in finance and banking, she later transitioned to the tech industry at CISCO. Frustrated by the lack of functional workwear options for women, she toyed with the idea of starting her own company. However, it wasn't until a few years later when she came across a study highlighting the judgment women face based on their appearance that she decided to take action. With everything aligning, Sali finally leaped and founded Argent.
Since 2016, Sali and Argent have been leading the workwear revolution, offering functional, high-quality, and unique pieces designed to empower women in the workplace. Their mission is to arm working women with confidence through their clothing.
In our episode together, we talk about how Sali pivoted from her corporate career to becoming a fashion entrepreneur with no design experience, the steps she took to fund the idea, and her thoughts on how to approach co-founders & hiring when you’re building a team. She also shares the unconventional approach she took to launch the brand, how networking has been crucial to her success and best practices there, and how she navigated the brand during the pandemic when offices were closed and the brand nearly went to zero (which was a crazy story). We also chat about building your confidence, how to set boundaries at work, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sali about:
* Lessons gained from up in an immigrant entrepreneurial family. [02:53]
* Sali's pursuit of traditional academics and early career journey. [05:12]
* Working at Cisco and gaining confidence. [09:07]
* How Sali learned to navigate workplace politics. [12:13]
* The importance of setting boundaries. [16:02]
* Being mindful of when you need to rest. [19:31]
* How the idea for Argent came about. [22:37]
* Sali's initial steps in leaving her full-time job and taking the leap. [27:07]
* The importance of trusting your gut. [31:24]
* Slowing down the hiring process. [34:07]
* The fundraising process during the early days of Argent. [38:02]
* Advice on building network and authentic relationships. [41:48]
* The societal construct in the corporate industry. [33:57]
* The process of Argent’s launch event. [48:30]
* How Sali navigated during the COVID-19 Pandemic. [51:03]
* Going viral and how they generated a year's worth in just one day. [53:21]
* How the COVID-19 Pandemic accelerated product demand. [54:38]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Sali:
* Website: https://argentwork.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/argent/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salichristeson/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Monica Royer is the founder and CEO of Monica + Andy, an organic baby clothing and essentials brand.
Monica had no intention of becoming an entrepreneur, but after the birth of her daughter, she struggled to find a brand that offered safe, organic clothing and an easy shopping experience for parents. Monica wanted complete confidence that what touched her baby’s skin was the safest fabric available. Inspired by her brother Andy Dunn's success with Bonobos, she saw the potential of direct-to-consumer business models to disrupt and decided to launch her business in 2014. Fast forward to today, Monica has raised millions of VC funding for her company which is now considered one of the country's most celebrated organic children's clothing brands. The company also recently announced a partnership with Walmart and launched M+A by Monica + Andy, which is in 1100+ stores throughout the country.
In this week’s episode, Monica talks about her windy journey leaving her career in pharmaceuticals and starting the business, and how despite having an idea, it took her a few years to bring everything to life. She discusses why managing her psychology was the hardest but most important part of running her business and shares the biggest learnings & takeaways she gained from having a front-row seat to her brother's menswear brand, Bonobos. Monica also delves into why self-awareness is one of the most critical skills you must have as a founder, the importance of resting & resetting for long-term success, her journey in pivoting her business during COVID and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Monica about:
* Managing your psychology in entrepreneurship. [02:38]
* The importance of rest and reset. [05:37]
* Monica’s childhood and upbringing. [09:11]
* Expectations of Monica’s parents as an immigrant family. [13:19]
* Monica's decade in pharmaceutical industry. [15:51]
* How entrepreneurship found Monica. [20:09]
* Launching the first physical store and online store. [24:11]
* Monica’s way of keeping in touch with her customers. [25:37]
* Creating the initial awareness for Monica + Andy. [26:21]
* Monica’s parent’s reaction to her taking the entrepreneurial leap. [28:11]
* Why building self-awareness is a critical skill. [31:12]
* The real responsibility in business. [33:37]
* Difference of a female and male founder. [37:27]
* Monica's parents boosted her confidence with their parenting approach.. [38:03]
* Having that “mom guilt” and how Monica handles it. [40:31]
* Challenges and opportunities faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic. [44:39]
* Getting a partnership with Walmart. [47:07]
* Future plans for Monica + Andy. [52:14]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Monica:
* Website: https://monicaandandy.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicaandandy/
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Have you ever wondered why one week you feel like you’re crushing it in the gym, and the next you just don’t have the energy? Newsflash: women are NOT small men. Our hormones fluctuate throughout the month, which has subtle (and sometimes obvious) impacts on every area of our lives—including exercise.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Exercise myths that need to be busted
* If women really need to cycle sync their workouts
* What women need to know about cold therapy
* How to know if you’re eating enough
* Why creatine isn’t just for gym bros
* And more…
Stacy Sims, MSC, PhD, is a forward-thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance for women. She has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance and pushing the dogma to improve research on all women. Dr. Sims has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers, several books and is a regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences, including those by USOC and USA Cycling.
With the unique opportunities, Silicon Valley has to offer, during her tenure at Stanford, she had the opportunity to translate earlier research into consumer products and a science-based layperson's book, Roar, written to explain sex differences in training and nutrition across the lifespan. Both the consumer products and the book challenged the existing dogma for women in exercise, nutrition, and health. This paradigm shift is the focus of her famous "Women Are Not Small Men” TEDx talk.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Stacy:
* Website: https://www.drstacysims.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstacysims/
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Caron Proschan is the founder and CEO of Simply, a premium confections brand known for its unusually simple and clean products.
In 2013, when Caron was switching a lot of her personal, beauty and cleaning products to more natural options, she realized one thing she used often – which was gum – was a category that was never disrupted. She dove into the research to learn more about what goes into conventional chewing gum and was surprised to find that most gum on the market uses a base that has plastic in it, usually called “gum base” on the labels. She also found that the FDA allows gums to have several artificial ingredients like aspartame, artificial flavors, and colors as well. She made it her mission to do something about it, and her first product, Simply Gum was born.
The gum was a huge success, and after seeing the demand for Simply’s unusually simple ingredients, the brand has evolved to include more premium confections, including mints, Really Real Gummies, and Chocolate Date Bars.
In this week’s episode, Caron talks to us about how she created Simply’s first ever gum from her small NY kitchen experimenting with chicle, a natural alternative to gum base, for over a year. She also shares her experience pivoting from her finance career to running her own business later in life, what it takes to create a strong brand and how she got the product out there through hustle in the early days, which ended up landing her in Whole Foods. We get into the details of how she manufactured the product from her apartment to then expanding to a commercial kitchen and now their own factory, and the biggest learning and mistakes she’s made along the way. Caron tells us how she got into nationwide retailers, the importance of patience, why you shouldn't take rejections personally, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Caron about:
* Building resilience early in entrepreneurship. [03:12]
* Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship. [06:46]
* Conceptualizing and experimenting in her kitchen. [09:26]
* Using Kickstarter and working with deadlines. [11:59]
* Developing a food product with no industry experience. [13:35]
* Establishing brand presence on Amazon. [18:40]
* Getting into Whole Foods and lessons learned. [20:05]
* Raising capital from angel investors. [25:25]
* Lessons from large retailers. [31:32]
* Patience and persistence in entrepreneurship. [33:10]
* How Caron maintains her mental health. [40:01]
* Motherhood and entrepreneurship. [41:54]
* The messy truth in starting a business. [43:30]
* Creating new products amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. [47:19]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Caron:
* Website: https://www.simplygum.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplygum/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caronproschan/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Loren Castle is the founder and CEO of Sweet Loren’s, the better-for-you baking company that makes America’s #1 natural cookie dough brand on the market.
After being diagnosed with cancer in her early twenties, Loren faced many hurdles with treatment, depression, and her life being turned upside down at such a young age. Throughout the six months of chemotherapy, she dedicated her time to changing her diet, cutting out most dairy, artificial, and highly processed ingredients. She started taking cooking classes to learn how to make healthy and delicious food for herself. One thing that stood out to her at the time was that she could not find any delicious, clean baked goods on the market, so she made it her mission to create her own. After experimenting with hundreds of recipes, and sharing with family & friends, she eventually found the winning combination of ingredients to make her irresistible cookie dough and that’s when Sweet Loren’s was born. In 2012, she caught the attention of Whole Foods through a few unexpected events and a few years later gained national distribution at Publix. They’re now in over 25,000+ retail doors across the country.
In this week’s episode, Loren talks about how she found her purpose while battling cancer, how she took her hobby & turned it into a real business, and the steps that helped her validate that she was actually onto something. She also shares the details behind her deal with Whole Foods and the secret sauce that made them say yes, and how she leaned into the customer in the first few years of business to tailor every aspect of her business from the packaging to the recipes. Loren explains her journey in finding the right manufacturer, the highs and lows of running a business over the past decade, and the importance of having solid mentors and a support system. Loren also talks about ways she fills her cup and prioritizes her self-care, advice she has for up-and-coming women founders and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Loren about:
* The difference between a great idea and a great business. [02:59]
* Loren’s upbringing and her parents as role models. [09:05]
* Being diagnosed with cancer at 22. [13:42]
* Early interests and work experiences. [20:21]
* Transitioning baking hobby into a business. [25:41]
* Loren’s relationship with confidence. [33:14]
* Importance of over communication in business. [39:21]
* Pursuing a passion-driven business. [45:53]
* Fundraising strategies as the business expands. [49:47]
* Balancing self-care amidst entrepreneurship. [55:15]
* Sweet Loren’s future plans. [01:03:49]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Loren:
* Website: https://sweetlorens.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetlorens/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenbrill/
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Do you struggle with sugar cravings? Trust us, you’re not alone. We’re sharing our personal stories and getting expert tips that can actually start making a meaningful impact on your blood sugar and metabolic health today.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Top blood sugar hacks from two doctors
* How your cycle impacts insulin sensitivity
* The impact of sleep on cravings
* How your hunger hormones work
* Why we eat more sugar now than ever before
Tanda Cook is a naturopathic physician, food expert, published author, international speaker, blogger, health coach and farmer who is wildly passionate about educating and inspiring women to take steps towards health. Dr. Katie Collier is a naturopathic physician with a shared mission. Together, these practitioners work to help people feel their best in both clinical practice and their monthly class, The Soapbox Docs.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Tanda:
* Website: https://drtandacook.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtandacook/
Follow Dr. Katie:
* Website: https://drkatiecollier.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkatiecollier/
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Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin co-founded theSkimm in 2012, a digital media company dedicated to giving women the information they need to navigate life’s most important decisions. Since hitting send on the first Daily Skimm email over a decade ago, they have cultivated a trusted community that reaches more than 12 million women. As their audience has matured, so has theSkimm, evolving beyond a singular newsletter into an award-winning ecosystem that includes dedicated newsletters in money, wellness, parenting, and shopping, a career podcast, an in-house creative agency, and a commerce arm that performs at 3x the industry standard.
Danielle and Carly both grew up with a love for journalism and storytelling. The two met after a summer spent studying abroad in Rome and reconnected after graduation while working in New York City, where they eventually became roommates trying to make it in the media industry. Both news junkies at heart, they quickly realized there was an opportunity to change the way media was consumed and created an outlet that provided its audience with bite-sized and easily digestible news. With $4,000 between the both of them, they decided to quit their jobs and launch theSkimm.
In this week’s episode, Danielle and Carly share their love for storytelling, what it means to start their digital media company from their couch, and why they thought it was a bigger risk to not pursue theSkimm than it was to pursue it. They share what it’s like to work with a co-founder and the benefits of having one, ways they applied grassroots marketing in the early days of the business when they had zero funds, and how they thought about growth & monetization. We also get the inside scoop on how they fostered an intensely engaged community through their Skimmbassador program, how they balance their relationship as friends and Co-CEOs, and what goes into producing great content. Danielle and Carly also open up about their biggest mistakes during their journey, how they dealt with rejection when fundraising early on, and so much more.
* In this episode, we’ll talk to Danielle and Carly about:
* Their lives as journalists prior to theSkimm. [02:53]
* Transitioning to full-time focus on theSkimm. [11:15]
* No Plan B: Driving force for productivity. [17:33]
* Growth propelled by theSkimm ambassador program. [22:01]
* Finding the right investors amid rejections. [27:06]
* Momentum building and monetization strategies. [29:56]
* Fostering their relationship as co-founders. [33:37]
* Tips for first time entrepreneurs. [38:35]
* Prioritizing self-care basics. [41:39]
* Who shouldn’t be an entrepreneur. [48:55]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Danielle and Carly:
* Website: https://www.theskimm.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskimm/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlyanddanielle/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kori Estrada is the co-founder of RiseWell, a company that is disrupting the oral care industry with an all-natural, sustainable brand that prioritizes safe ingredients and transparency.
The inspiration for starting the company came to Kori when she was undergoing fertility treatments and realized all the toxic chemicals that were prevalent in our personal care items, including toothpaste. Fueled by her experiences with celiac disease and IVF struggles, Kori, joined by her former partner and brother, created dentist-formulated products that didn’t have harmful chemicals like fluoride, sulfates, and synthetic additives.
Since launching in 2016, RiseWell has gone from toothpaste to a full suite of products, including mouthwash, floss, and mints. In addition to running RiseWell, Kori is also the co-CIO and co-CEO at Axon Capitol, a New York-based asset management firm.
In this week’s episode, Kori openly talks about how she struggles with perfectionism in the early days of the business, what she did to move past it and how she deals with the mental and emotional tolls of entrepreurship. We also talk about how have another career in corporate, and starting a business with work experience under her belt, has only helped propel RiseWell’s success.
She also explains the confusion people have about fluoride, why we should be treating toothpaste like food and how she stumbled on the brand’s its key replacement ingredient on a personal trip in Japan. We also dive into the most difficult and impactful lessons she’s learned on her journey, the time & the many iterations it took for her to create their first product and the steps she took to create brand awareness early on with influencers and dentists who became brand ambassadors, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kori about:
* Kori's evolution in dealing with perfectionism over the years. [03:07]
* Influences from Kori's upbringing and childhood. [05:38]
* Impact of New York finance lifestyle on Kori's well-being. [11:21]
* The inspiration behind founding RiseWell. [15:52]
* Initial steps in starting the business. [19:35]
* Challenges faced in manufacturing. [24:09]
* Crucial pillars before launching the business. [26:39]
* Creating market awareness. [28:55]
* Influencer and dentist support for RiseWell. [31:21]
* Early mistakes and lessons learned. [34:32]
* Considerations for toothpaste ingredients. [40:17]
* Balancing career and family by rejecting perfectionism. [44:00]
* Why starting a company is as much emotional as it is mental. [49:01]
* Future plans for RiseWell. [51:30]
* Kori's personal blog as a passion project. [52:54]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kori:
* RiseWell Website: https://risewell.com/
* RiseWell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risewellco/
* Kori’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekokobutter/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We just learned that oral tissue is similar to vaginal tissue, and that a healthy mouth is an integral part of having a healthy body. From puberty to menopause, changes in our hormones actually have an impact on our teeth, gums, saliva and more. Suffice it to say, we’re never brushing our teeth the same way again…
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How you can reverse cavities
* The link between flossing and fertility
* Why pregnant women’s teeth can change
* The truth about root canals
* Best practices for optimal oral health
Dr. Leedia is a biological dentist who is revolutionizing the way we think about oral health. Her approach focuses on overall wellness, long-term disease prevention, and empowerment through education.
In Dr. Leedia's Beverly Hills office, she offers a range of integrative dental therapies, such as integrative dental extractions, responsible cosmetic dentistry, biomimetic fillings, safe mercury removal and detox, ozone therapies, micronutrient testing, an airway centric approach to dental care and so much more.
Dr. Leedia recognizes that over 65% of women suffer from dental disease concurrent with pregnancy, and that inflammation in the mouth is linked to premature labor, low birth weight, heart disease, and more. This realization has prompted her to put a spotlight on the importance of women's dental health and the impact that hormones have on the oral cavity. By educating and empowering women and fostering collaboration between the medical and dental worlds, Dr. Leedia is helping patients achieve optimal whole body health.
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Leedia:
* Website: https://rdentalgroup.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drleedia/
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Sara Cullen is the Founder and CEO of GEM. GEM VItamins are bite-sized vitamin chews made from whole foods that contain over 20 whole plant-derived ingredients, including key vitamins, minerals, herbs, prebiotics, and probiotics.
The inspiration for GEM stemmed from Sara’s health journey. When she got sick in her late 20s, she was shocked to find out that she was nutrient deficient. She was taking all her supplements and eating the rainbow, yet she suffered from inflammation, extreme fatigue, digestion issues, acne, and so much more. With a ton of research and determination, she realized that the answer is in food, not pills or gummies made with synthetic fillers and isolated nutrients. She was experimenting in her kitchen and created the product that she needed to support her own health. Fast forward to today, Sara has raised of $16 million in venture capital and has sold over 20M bites and counting.
In this week’s podcast, we talk to Sara about her entrepreneurial journey from growing up on a farm in Oregon to working with start-ups and building things that mattered. She shares the biggest lessons she had from her first start-up, why it couldn’t scale despite being an innovative idea, and how that business failure was the biggest gift in her journey. Sara walks us through how she proved the concept for GEM before putting too much money behind it, how she built a community on Facebook to test out her prototypes, and the steps she took to find the right investors to back her. We also talked to Sara about how the company has expanded its product line, how she thought about her subscription-based model, and the common practices she implements daily to help her reset and recharge from the day and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sara about:
* Growing up on a farm significantly shaped Sara's upbringing. [02:55]
* Nature's impact on Sara and its integration into her life. [04:31]
* Creating her first business and lessons from "failing”. [09:45]
* Sara's journey in launching her second business after setbacks.[16:43]
* Navigating health challenges and identifying market potential.[20:01]
* Consulting experience and funding journey for her company.[24:25]
* Strategic considerations for building a scalable business. [27:00]
* Significance of word-of-mouth and online communities. [30:09]
* Sara's approach to educating customers about GEM vitamins.[34:16]
* Exploring product taste and challenges faced. [36:51]
* Generating awareness and gaining traction. [39:57]
* Challenges Sara conquered on her entrepreneurial journey. [43:51]
* Sara's daily routine and practices for nurturing her mind. [47:25]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Sara:
* GEM Website: https://dailygem.co/
* GEM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daily_gem/
* Sara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cullensara/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you ever connected how you feel mentally to what you’re eating? Turns out, they are absolutely related, according to a Harvard nutritional psychiatrist. If you’re someone who has dealt with anxiety, depression, panic attacks or other mental health challenges, this episode is for you.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The connection between french fries and depression
* How to know if you have leaky gut
* The impact of blood sugar on anxiety
* How food can contribute to panic attacks
* Foods to help reduce anxiety
* And more…
Dr. Uma Naidoo is a Harvard trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutritional biologist and author of the international bestseller, “This is Your Brain on Food”, and her newest book “Calm Your Mind with Food”. Michelin-starred chef David Bouley described Dr. Uma Naidoo as the world’s first “triple threat” in the food and medicine space as the nexus of her interests have found their niche in Nutritional Psychiatry.
Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first and only hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the USA. She is the Director of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the MGH Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Uma has appeared as a Nutritional Psychiatry expert on Live with Kelly & Ryan, Today Show, 700 Club, ABC, and been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Thrive Global, Harpers, Shape, Parade, Boston Globe, AARP, and more.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Uma:
* Website: https://umanaidoomd.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drumanaidoo/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Adriana Carrig is the founder and CEO of Little Words Project, a jewelry company that’s on a mission to inspire and spread kindness one word at a time.
Adriana was motivated to start her business due to her personal experience with bullying growing up. She started making bracelets that acted as affirmations for her and her sorority sisters in college. While being an entrepreneur was never in her plans, she immediately saw the value of her idea and was quickly affirmed when she saw her sorority sisters continued bracelet-making long after she graduated. Seeing this fueled her to start a business and in 2013 the Little Words Project was born. Adriana has self-funded the brand with $5,000 of her own money and grew it to over $20 million in revenue before they brought on their first investor.
She understood the impact of what these wearable affirmations can do for the rest of the population and the rest is history. The brand has also built a cult following of loyal customers and boasts celebrity fans including Lance Bass, Kourtney Kardashian, Alicia Keys, and more. The company has over 1,000+ retail partners – including Target and Nordstrom – and is set to have 12 retail stores by the end of this year.
In this week’s episode, we talk to Adriana about how she went from beading bracelets and shipping them out herself at her parent’s basement to growing the business into what it is today. We talk about her experience with bullying and how it has inspired her to start her business, what it means to fail forward, and the importance of taking the first step. She opens up about how she dealt with naysayers who thought that she couldn’t build a real business around $25 bracelets, the steps she took from Day 1 on building the most incredible brand and community and the messy truth about entrepreneurship that no one talks about. The interview is all about intuitive entrepreneurship, how listening to your gut can be your biggest superpower, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Adriana about:
* The power of taking the first step. [04:16]
* Burnout and infertility experience. [08:10]
* Adriana’s childhood and upbringing. [14:19]
* Facing bullying and cultivating confidence. [14:17]
* The inspiration behind the Little Words Project. [20:28]
* Facing doubts and criticism in product development. [26:23]
* Developing her initial products. [34:02]
* The rewarding and challenging experiences of growth. [39:40]
* Building a self-funded, sustainable business. [46:39]
* Organic brand growth and community relationships. [50:31]
* The messy truth about entrepreneurship. [52:32]
* Intuitive entrepreneurship: Embrace what feels right. [55:46]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Adriana:
* Adriana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianacarrig/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlewordsproject/
* Website: https://www.littlewordsproject.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode is as intimate as it gets. We sat down with Dr. Rena Malik, a medical doctor who specializes in urological health to get her clinical perspective on women’s shared experiences that are rarely talked about.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The #1 thing that will improve your sex life
* Benefits of hormone replacement therapy
* Why masturbation is good for you
* Steps to take for pelvic floor dysfunction
* How to navigate mismatched desire with your partner
* What causes recurrent UTIs
* And more…
Dr. Rena Malik is a urologist and expert in Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS)/Urogynecology. She focuses on the care of patients with pelvic health issues such as urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control) and pelvic organ prolapse (vaginal bulge due to bladder, uterus, rectum or bowel dropping), neurogenic bladder, and urogenital reconstruction for stricture disease or fistulas of the lower urinary tract. Dr. Malik was named Top Urology and Urogynecology Doctor in Baltimore Magazine in 2019. She also shares her expertise on her YouTube channel where she has garnered a community of over 1.8 million subscribers.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Rena:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renamalikmd/
* Website: https://renamalikmd.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cassandra Thurswell is the founder of KITSCH, a global brand that creates eco-friendly hair care and beauty accessories for women.
Cassandra came from a small town in Wisconsin to Los Angeles with the hopes of creating something meaningful in her life. But before launching her own business, she did whatever it took to make ends meet from working at a cupcake shop to crafting jewelry and babysitting. After seven failed attempts at various businesses, the idea for Kitsch was born. She started by hand-making her first product which was a basic but innovative knotted hair-tie in her tiny LA apartment. She was making cold calls, doing door to door sales, and whatever she could to get the brand out there all without any outside funding. Fast forward to today, the company has evolved into a multi-million dollar brand that’s sold in over 27 countries and across 20,000 retail locations worldwide. You can find them at Ulta, Sephora, Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters, to name a few.
In this week’s episode, Cassandra walks us through how following her gut over the years has truly been the key to her success – from couch-surfing to saving money for her business to working different jobs to learn the industry. She also talks about how every single job she’s had in the past has helped her become a stronger business person and was the "mini MBA" she needed. She then dives into the challenges of the early days of fulfilling orders in her one-bedroom apartment and the creative tactics she used to get into retailers without any connections. We also talk about the biggest learnings she's had over 14 years of running Kitsch, the power of micro-intentions and micro-habits when creating your dream life, & so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Cassandra about:
* Her thoughts on manifestation and its role in creating success. [05:05]
* The power of visualization. [13:06]
* Moving to Los Angeles, being broke, living on people’s couches & hustling in life. [17:12]
* Kitsch creation journey and inspiration. [29:28]
* Having various jobs to make ends meet and how she self-funded Kitsch. [33:17]
* Retailer entry without connections. [37:07]
* Getting her first large purchase order. [39:30]
* The power of vision boards and future journaling. [43:30]
* Her unique partnership approach [51:04]
* Experiencing postpartum anxiety. [58:35]
* Establishing boundaries and leaning into change & personal growth. [01:00:58]
* Definition of success and how it changed over the years. [01:04:00]
* Daily routine and micro intentions. [01:08:37]
* The messy truth in launching a business. [01:13:50]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Cassandra:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassandrathurswell/
* KITSCH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mykitsch/
* KITSCH Website: https://www.mykitsch.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’ve ever been on birth control, this episode is a MUST listen. We dive deep into how taking a hormonal contraceptive impacts the brain, and how our options may be evolving in the future… with help from a self-experimenting researcher (in the name of science, of course).
In this episode you’ll learn:
* What happens to your brain on birth control
* How hormonal birth control impacts attraction
* The link between cortisol and the immune system
* Why we need balanced progesterone and estrogen
* The best alternatives to hormonal birth control
Born and raised in southeastern Wisconsin, Sarah Hill earned her undergraduate degree in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. It was at UWM that she was first exposed to research in human behavioral ecology and evolutionary psychology. She later earned her Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin working with Dr. David Buss. She has an almost endless number of research interests, but tends to gravitate toward questions about relationships and health which she explored in her book “This is Your Brain on Birth Control”.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Sarah:
* Website: https://www.sarahehill.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahehillphd/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rebecca Hessel Cohen is the Founder and CEO of LoveShackFancy, a fashion and lifestyle brand know for its unique floral prints and bohemian dresses.
LoveShackFancy was born out of necessity when Rebecca was in search of the perfect bridesmaid dresses and was out of luck. After creating her own designs, she garnered lots of support from family and friends and began selling dresses from the trunk of her car and the rest was history. Born and raised in New York, Rebecca was surrounded by fashion starting at the age of 4 and her story is nothing short of spectacular. Today, LoveShackFancy has gained mass appeal from her vintage-inspired details, flattering silhouettes and playful dresses and ultimately catering to all age groups.
The ultra feminine super-maximalist clothing and lifestyle business now has 17 retail locations in the U.S. and is continuing to expand. What started out as a dress company in 2013 has evolved into an all-encompassing lifestyle brand selling fragrances at Sephora to kid’s clothing and a home collection that is set to launch later this month.
In this week’s episode we chat about her upbringing surrounded by fashion, her early career as a fashion editor and why she felt like it was time to do something different in her life despite her incredible career. We talk about how her interest making a few pieces of clothing turned into a successful side hustle and eventually years later, her full time gig. Rebecca opens up about how many people told her that the feminine prints and vibe would never sell, and that her brand’s name was horrible - and why she didn’t let that stop her. We also chat about the unglamorous days of building the brand, overcoming fears in business, and using social media for success. She stresses setting boundaries, LoveShackFancy's mission, and shares dos and don'ts for running a business for over a decade.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jesse about:
* Rebecca's upbringing influenced her early fashion and confidence. [04:03]
* Impact of Rebecca's mom on her upbringing. [06:31]
* Rebecca’s fashion ideation process. [08:32]
* The concept of LoveShackFancy. [10:25]
* Starting LoveShackFancy as a side hustle and career pivot. [13:49]
* Dealing with the fear of change. [21:14]
* Confidence in LoveShackFancy’s vision. [23:36]
* LoveShackFancy’s first store and Rebecca’s key learning. [27:14]
* Juggling high in-store demands and early social media presence. [31:13]
* Balancing business with motherhood. [33:37]
* Launching fragrance and partnering with Sephora. [40:30]
* Going viral on TikTok and its business impact. [47:04]
* Maintaining her creative momentum. [52:26]
* Discoveries during a decade with LoveShackFancy. [55:30]
* Rebecca's belief in operating without a business plan. [58:33]
* Upcoming plans for LoveShackFancy. [01:03:13]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Rebecca:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becknyc
* LoveShackFancy Website: https://www.loveshackfancy.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are you struggling with your hormones after trying everything?! Today’s episode might be the missing piece for you. Our guest, a board-certified toxicologist, struggled with fertility—and finally got pregnant when she started embracing a low-toxin lifestyle. Join us for an empowering conversation where we discuss the truth about toxins, plus a realistic approach to removing them from your life and body.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The #1 most toxic ingredient in personal care products
* How toxin exposure can impact fertility and what to do
* The truth about conventional pads and tampons
* What to keep in mind when choosing natural deodorant
* The easiest ways to reduce toxins in your everyday life
* And more…
Dr. Yvonne Burkart, PhD, DABT is a Board-Certified Toxicologist, Coach, and Corporate Consultant. She is a 22-year veteran of Toxicology with expertise in reproductive toxicity, particularly endocrine disruption, infertility, cancer, and glutathione homeostasis. She has also served as a Senior Toxicologist in the flavor and fragrance chemical industry where she helped to ensure the safety of flavor ingredients.
After witnessing firsthand the power of a low tox lifestyle, Dr. Yvonne began a mission to help consumers slash their toxic exposure with confidence and ease.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Yvonne:
* Website: https://dryvonneburkart.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dryvonneburkart/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jesse Draper is the Founding Partner of Halogen Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investing in consumer tech companies led by female and co-ed teams.
With women making up to 80 percent of household purchasing decisions, Jesse and her team are betting big on early-stage, female-founded companies with billion-dollar potential. Jesse is a fourth generation venture capitalist as well as the creator and host of the Emmy-nominated television series, The Valley Girl Show.
She is a fierce advocate for investing in women and the opportunity for using technology and innovation to solve some of the biggest issues facing women and families today. After creating Halogen Ventures in 2015, she now has more than 70 companies in her portfolio, including theSkimm, Babylist, ThirdLove, and The Flex Company.
Jesse was listed by Marie Claire Magazine as one of the ‘50 Most Connected Women in America’ and she is also a regular investor and tech personality on Cheddar, CNBC, and CNN.
In this episode, we have a candid conversation about why Jesse didn’t think she could be a venture capitalist and how she overcame her own fears and beliefs about imposter syndrome, and she shares her advice for anyone looking to manage burnout: delegate and make time for rest. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at what investors are looking for, from founder traits to the biggest mistakes that founders make, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jesse about:
* Starting on the topic of rejection; why a ‘no’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing. [3:40]
* How Jesse’s upbringing shaped her as a fourth generation venture capitalist. [7:52]
* Her perception of success in her 20s and how it evolved with entrepreneurship. [12:33]
* Find out why Jesse believes more women should prioritize networking. [20:04]
* Overcoming her fears and beliefs about imposter syndrome; just try it! [24:27]
* Jesse’s advice for managing burnout: delegate and make time to rest and plan. [28:30]
* Learn more about her experience of fundraising while pregnant and during COVID. [35:50]
* Three mistakes women are making when raising money: not showing confidence, overcomplicating the pitch, and underselling themselves. [38:30]
* What investors look for, from a willingness to pivot to an ability to problem solve. [41:33]
* Some of the red flags Jesse cautions founders against, including the tendency to overpromise and underdeliver. [45:50]
* Jesse’s suggestions for women to feel more empowered when it comes to money. [50:10]
* Two simple ways to take control: do it yourself and put your money to work. [53:47]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Jesse:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessecdraper/
* Halogen Ventures Website: https://halogenvc.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re sharing a conversation with our friend Amanda Hendy who interviewed us for her new podcast, The Hendy Show. We’re talking all things beeya, seed cycling, hormones and how they impact everything from our metabolism to how we sleep at night.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Why balanced hormones are key for feeling good
* What led Yasmin to seed cycling
* The biggest factors impacting hormones
* Why women should rethink daily alcohol use
* How to build a plate for balanced blood sugar
* Why you wake up around 3am every night
* And more…
Amanda Hendy is an entrepreneur, venture investor, advisor, and attorney with an endless curiosity and a passion for bringing ideas to life. Amanda advises many early-stage companies and venture-funds, serves on multiple company boards, is an active angel investor, and is always open to new adventures.
Amanda created The Hendy Show to showcase the incredible work of her guests as well as the motivations driving each of them. But more than that, The Hendy Show, is a manifestation of Amanda’s own purpose that is rooted in the belief that with access to information and inspiration, anything is possible. Amanda’s aim is to inform and inspire listeners to envision and pursue the greatest possibilities for themselves and each other.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Amanda Hendy:
* Website: https://www.thehendyshow.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandahendy/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Melanie Strong is a founding partner of Next Ventures, a VC firm she co-founded with Lance Armstrong that focuses on building the next generation of sports, health and wellness brands.
Melanie has spent her entire life in the sports industry. She’s a lifelong runner and started her career as a journalist at Runner's World magazine. She then applied for a position at Nike despite not having the “right” pedigree, college background, and experience.
Good thing she did because she ended up having an incredibly successful career at Nike, spending most of her time at Nike building high-performing teams all over the world and holding positions from the VP of Global Brand Marketing for Nike Women to the GM of Nike Skateboarding.
After 18 years at Nike, Melanie had the opportunity to break into the world of venture capital. She left her very stable career to start from scratch and become a first-time investor AND fund founder. In our conversation, Melanie opens up about how she faced her fears when reinventing herself later in her career and overcoming the imposter syndrome she felt when breaking into a male-dominated industry.✨
You'll also hear some honest reflections on the founder-investor relationship and who is the right fit for VC funding, along with some empowering advice for founders seeking funding. We also discuss the importance of authentic relationships in life & business, how to build a unique brand in the environment we’re in today, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Melanie about:
* Learning from others' success and embracing self-confidence. [3:18]
* Melanie's upbringing and her positive mindset. [7:33]
* Melanie's diverse jobs before Nike. [9:26]
* Inspiration and starting at Nike. [12:02]
* Networking and mentorship's impact. [16:30]
* The power of people and true relationships. [17:45]
* What she looks for in a founder. [19:08]
* Melanie reflects on being an angel investor and why it took her so long to do. [23:23]
* Taking the leap to leave Nike and steps to overcome imposter syndrome. [27:18]
* Changes in feedback processes and trusted companies. [31:37]
* Some top advice for thinking about your company as a brand. [36:15]
* Melanie and Yasmin each share the hacks that keep them anchored into their purpose. [41:50]
* Diving into greater detail on traits she looks for in a founder and what a founder-investor relationship needs. [45:02]
* Impact of exit-focused founders. [47:30]
* Suitability for VC funding and fundraising insights. [50:50]
* Melanie's comments on due diligence plus some great advice to founders. [54:45]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Melanie:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniestrong/
* Website: https://nextventures.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Yasmin and Kaya here, co-founders of beeya! Join us for a roundup of things we’re loving right now—including all things health, hormones and life as we’re setting ourselves up for the new year.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* One hack that will transform your workday
* Kaya’s favorite planner (she’s tried them all)
* The clean skincare products we’re loving
* Yasmin’s go-to practice for overwhelm
* What goals we’re setting for the new year
* And more…
Here are the products and brands we mentioned:
* MATE (organic clothing): https://matethelabel.com/
* PACT (organic clothing): https://wearpact.com/
* Walking treadmill: https://rb.gy/op0vt9
* Hatch alarm clock: https://www.hatch.co/
* beeyavibe magnesium: https://beeyawellness.com/products/beeya-vibe
* High performance planner: https://www.highperformanceplanner.com/
* Peach & Lily (clean skincare): https://www.peachandlily.com/
* The tapping solution: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kaya:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayapurohit/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Neha Kumar is a serial entrepreneur and investor. She’s the co-founder of Full Glass Wine, a DTC wine consolidation business, and co-founder of New Money Ventures, a consumer fund and brand studio focused on empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Beyond her reputable banking career, Neha has worked at several startups over the years and, most recently, served as the COO and CFO of Create & Cultivate which sold to Corridor Capital in 2020.
Neha shares her unique perspective when it comes to building a successful company as both an operator and investor. In this episode, we learn about how she serendipitously landed in banking, why she chose to leave to start her own business, and how she prepared to do so. She also fills us in on the greatest challenges she faced transitioning from corporate to launching her first business, why it didn’t work out, and what she wishes she knew before going into it.
We also chat about why it’s never too late to re-create yourself and your life, what people get wrong with the concept of work-life balance, why you shouldn’t start a business around your passion, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Neha about:
* Why Neha believes you have to constantly find yourself to be resilient. [2:49]
* How to find yourself without being influenced by others’ expectations. [5:09]
* Impact of Neha's parents' values on her life. [7:11]
* Advantages of achieving financial independence. [9:57]
* What prompted Neha’s banking career. [11:10]
* Transition from banking to startups - preparation and motivation. [14:59]
* Inspiration behind Neha's entrepreneurship journey. [16:56]
* Her greatest challenge transitioning into the startup space. [17:25]
* The importance of embracing your wholeness. [20:41]
* Insights Neha wished she knew before her first business. [22:00]
* Neha's decision to let go of her business. [24:21]
* Neha's definition of entrepreneurship. [27:09]
* The difference between self-interest and selfishness. [30:03]
* Importance of separating business ideas from hobbies. [31:05]
* Misconceptions about work-life balance. [37:25]
* How Neha balances her priorities. [41:07]
* Motherhood in the professional world. [45:32]
* Support from Neha's job after childbirth and its impact on motherhood. [46:56]
* Qualities Neha seeks in founders as an investor. [54:08]
* Evaluating resilience in a founder. [55:44]
* Advantages of passion in business. [59:34]
* Significance of team building and individual empowerment. [1:03:41]
* Lessons from motherhood: letting go and having faith. [1:07:24]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Neha:
* New Money Ventures Website: https://newmoneyventures.co/
* Maie Wines Website: https://drinkmaie.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nehatkumar/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As we navigate the complexities of modern living, achieving and maintaining hormonal balance can feel like an uphill battle. Functional medicine goes beyond conventional methods, focusing on root causes rather than merely alleviating symptoms—an empowering approach that’s slowly becoming the norm, and we're diving deep in today's episode!
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Easy functional tips anyone can implement
* The most important labs to run for hormones
* When in your cycle to run hormones labs
* Top contributors to hormone imbalances
* Why conventional medicine can fall short
Dr. Soyona Rafatjah is a board-certified Family Medicine physician and Co-Founder and Medical Director of PrimeHealth. Dr. Rafatjah is passionate about helping her patients reach their health goals. She helps them address the root cause of their issues and focuses on disease prevention in addition to treatment. Her patients feel in control of their health with the knowledge and tools she gives them.
Through an intimate, patient-physician partnership, and a whole-body approach, she and her patients develop a personalized treatment plan which adjusts to their needs and environment over time.
Labs we talk about in the episode:
Go to UltaLabs.com/PrimeHealth and scroll to the bottom to find the "PrimeHealth - Women's Health" panel for a full thyroid panel, reproductive hormones (E, P, T, LH, and FSH), adrenal hormone (DHEA-S), nutrient markers (Vit D, B12, homocysteine), iron studies (iron, TIBC, ferritin), metabolic markers (glucose, insulin, hba1c), anemia markers (Hb & Hct), and inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, ferritin, and reverse T3).
2) Inside Tracker - click this link or use code PrimeHealthPro25 for 25% off your entire order. We recommend the Ultimate Panel, which includes a ton of digestible information but keep in mind that this does not include a full thyroid panel (only TSH).
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Soyona:
* Website: https://primehealthdenver.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primehealthdenver/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Halle Tecco is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and podcast host passionate about fixing our healthcare system. She is the founder of Natalist, a women’s health company focused on evidence-backed fertility and pregnancy essentials, which was acquired by Everly Health in October 2021. She also founded and ran Rock Health, an early-stage digital health venture fund. And most recently, she’s the co-founder and Chair of Cofertility, a human-first fertility ecosystem rewriting the egg freezing and egg donation experience.
In this week’s episode, we talk to Halle about overcoming perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and the realities of entrepreneurship. On the hunt for the next big investment, Halle searched high and low to find a company to back that was approaching fertility in a way that she had envisioned. When she couldn’t find the perfect company to invest in she decided to create it herself. Natalist was the first company to create a more evidence-based approach to reproductive care. We chat about her journey in corporate, to then investor, and finally start-up founder and the biggest surprises and lessons she’s learned along the way.
In this episode, we'll talk to Halle about:
* How Halle’s upbringing and family business impacted the way Halle thinks about entrepreneurship. [07:27]
* The biggest takeaway Halle had from business school. [13:08]
* Establishing the VC firm, Rock Health, during business school. [19:55]
* How Halle secured partnerships for Rock Health. [24:07]
* A hurtful experience when a reporter wrote negative and unfavorable articles about Halle. [26:39]
* Experiencing impostor syndrome. [28:29]
* Overcoming insecurities and being a people pleaser. [30:15]
* Recognizing when people-pleasing hinders success and the strategies to address it. [34:32]
* The idea behind Halle's company, Natalist. [40:04]
* Identifying the suitable operator and selling the company. [42:24]
* Why Halle prefers engaging in work rather than managing people. [45:58]
* Serving as a CEO during the first 18 months and the importance of people management. [48:04]
* Promoting work-life balance and creating a healthy work culture. [49:32]
* Selling Natalist in 2021 at its peak. [52:03]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Halle:
* Website: https://www.halletecco.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halletecco/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Did you know that, on average, the peak age for body confidence is 60? It’s surprising but true! The good news is we don’t have to fear changes in our body as we age, and there is SO much we can do to support ourselves as we transition through perimenopause, menopause and beyond—which is what we dive into in today’s episode!
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Early signs of perimenopause
* How to use food as medicine in the transition
* Why you might be gaining weight in this stage
* How hormones impact brain health
* How to get your libido back
* And more…
Dr. Harper has an understanding of the symptoms and concerns that women face as she herself is one of six sisters and has a grown up daughter. Her areas of expertise include Perimenopause and Menopause, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Premenstrual Stress disorder, Healthy Aging and Weight Management. She believes in the early management of symptoms to stay youthful and healthy.
She has given educational lectures to GPs on: Menopause, Mood and Sex; Menopause Myths and HRT- Putting the Risks of HRT into Perspective; Mood Disorder during the Menopause Transition; Breast cancer and HRT. She has acted as an Advisor on best practice for women going through the menopause transition in the workplace to companies—such as Coutts bank and Mylan pharmaceuticals, Channel 4 and filmed a webinar for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Shahzadi:
* Website: https://theharperclinic.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drshahzadiharper/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Monique Rodriguez is the founder and CEO of Mielle Organics, an all natural hair care and beauty brand.
Monique created Mielle Organics’ first product in her kitchen. Now, the brand has products in over 85 countries – and still pursues the same vision it did from when it operated out of Monique’s kitchen, with the same values.
Monique worked as a registered nurse for almost a decade. She pursued nursing initially to please her mother and secure a financially stable career. As a wife and mother of two girls, it was a big risk to leave her stable career path to pursue her passion. Yet she always had a love of beauty and haircare, and once she saw the engagement of her online community with the products she was creating in the kitchen, she decided to bet on herself and launch her own product, and that’s when Mielle Organics was born.
In 2021, Monique became the first Black woman to raise a non-controlling nine-figure investment, over $100M, in a deal with Berkshire Partners. In 2023, Monique made history again when Mielle Organics was acquired by Procter & Gamble in an unprecedented acquisition, the largest exit ever for a Black Female beauty founder, in which she will continue to serve as CEO of the company. As part of her deal with P&G, she also established Mielle Cares, the non-profit arm of her company, with a $10M donation that was matched by P&G.
In this week’s episode we discuss the many business ventures Monique tried that didn’t work out, why she decided to pursue her nursing career and the biggest skills she learned there that have propelled her when starting her own business. We also chat about her process of building a passionate community through social media, how that helped her create product market fit for her product, and the steps she took to find a chemist to work on her first batch that ended up selling out. Monique also ends on sharing insights on manifesting success, the exact steps she took to bring her ideas to life, her advice on navigating challenging situations both personally and professionally, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Monique about:
* Confronting fears and building self-belief. [03:33]
* Strong women in Monique's upbringing. [06:54]
* Leaving her comfort zone. [19:36]
* High-risk pregnancy experience in 2013. [22:16]
* Funding Mielle's early stages. [31:02]
* Starting Mielle at home and the initial orders. [34:51]
* Driving Mielle Organics' launch success.[36:08]
* Leaving nursing job to focus on Mielle. [37:21]
* Manifestation steps and vision importance. [40:08]
* Bringing in private equity, alignment with Berkshire. [54:58]
* Timeline of P&G acquisition. [57:32]
* Journaling and gratitude cultivation. [59:53]
* Business sale impact on Monique's life. [01:02:00]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Monique:
* Mielle Organics Website: https://mielleorganics.com/
* Mielle Organics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetappingsolution/
* Monique’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exquisitemo/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you heard of tapping? It’s a practice that combines psychology with physically tapping on acupressure points, relaxing the body so you can upgrade your thoughts. While it sounds complicated, it’s actually really easy to do—and you can feel a shift in as little as 60 seconds!
In today’s Hormone Happy Hour, Jessica Ortner of The Tapping Solution guides us through a quick practice to release stress. We all tried it and we’re never going back!
* How tapping can help reprogram the mind
* The nine meridian points you need to know
* How to reduce stress and anxiety by 42%
* The research behind this life changing tool
* Powerful stories supporting the benefits of tapping
* And more…
Founded in 2007 by siblings Nick, Jessica, and Alex Ortner, The Tapping Solution was created to provide people with the opportunity to release stress and find balance in their lives, all at their own fingertips.
During the next 15 years, The Tapping Solution became a worldwide favorite for everything EFT Tapping related, namely because of the New York Times Best-Selling books, programs, masterclasses, and annual Tapping World Summits that have reached millions of people worldwide.
In 2018, The Tapping Solution App made its debut and now has more than 19 Million sessions played in over 130 countries. The Ortners have guided millions of people across the globe to lower stress and anxiety in the body, and build a happier and healthier life.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Jessica:
* The Tapping Solution Website: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/
* The Tapping Solution Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetappingsolution/
* Jessica’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaortner/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jing Gao is the founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer startup and Asian food brand.
Her first product, the Sichuan Chili Crisp, took the food world by storm in 2018, propelling Fly By Jing into the mainstream and spotlighting Jing as a leading expert in Sichuan flavors. Fly By Jing has since sold over 2 million jars of Chili Crisp to date, making it one of the fastest-growing condiments on the market and a household staple for many. Today, Chili Crisp can be found in thousands of grocery stores across the United States, coming a long way from the Kickstarter campaign that first led to its fame, and Fly By Jing has expanded into a multi-million dollar business.
In this week’s episode, we discuss Jing’s upbringing, the many countries she’s lived in growing up and how those experiences impacted her life. She talks about how she left her stable tech job to pursue a career in food full time, the way she evaluated her risks when becoming an entrepreneur and how she decided to move to the US without knowing anyone to start her product business. We also talk about the early days of the business when Jing first launched on Kickstarter, the multiple challenges she had when creating & shipping the product to customers, and how she created such an incredible, high growth brand from the power of word of mouth and community.
In this episode, we'll talk to Jing about:
* Jing’s childhood upbringing and relationship with risk. [2:32]
* What helped Jing overcome change and push herself outside her comfort zone. [9:45]
* What motivated Jing to quit her tech job and move to Shanghai for a new opportunity. [11:43]
* The relationship between food and Jing's personal identity and cultural heritage. [16:09]
* The significance of seizing opportunities and staying open to chances. [19:13]
* Jing's parents' viewpoint regarding her career journey. [21:07]
* Establishing a restaurant and the lessons Jing gained from this experience. [22:21]
* Choosing the right business partner. [27:15]
* The financial struggles encountered, and lessons learned while operating a restaurant. [28:54]
* Jing's shift towards creating her own products. [36:09]
* Why entrepreneurship is self-work. [42:34]
* The key stages in the launch of Fly by Jing. [45:12]
* Jing's latest cookbook and what's next for her and the business. [53:50]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Jing:
* Fly By Jing Website: https://flybyjing.com/
* Fly By Jing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flybyjing/
* Jing’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jingtheory/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Did you know that optimists are physically healthier?! That’s what the research shows. It turns out, a change in mindset makes us more resilient to life’s stressors and can literally change all aspects of our life for the better—including our health.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The transformative power of optimism
* How to upgrade your mental and behavioral habits
* A new mindset around prioritizing rest
* The varying ways people are impacted by trauma
* How we can grow our inner resilience
* And more…
Dr. Sue Varma, MD, PC, DFAPA, is a distinguished psychiatrist and cognitive behavioral therapist based in New York City. With over two decades of private practice experience, Dr. Varma has made significant contributions to the field of mental health. Notably, she served as the pioneering medical director and psychiatrist for the esteemed 9/11 mental health program at NYU. Alongside her clinical work, Dr. Varma holds the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University (NYU) Langone Health. Her accomplishments have been recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), where she was honored as a Distinguished Fellow, the highest honor bestowed upon its members.
Dr. Varma has garnered national acclaim as a sought-after medical commentator, appearing on major news programs and networks. Her expertise has been instrumental in guiding the public through various mental health challenges, from trauma and resilience to stress management and relationship issues. Dr. Varma can frequently be seen discussing breaking news on the morning shows including the Today Show, CBS Mornings and GMA, as well as prime time specials and news documentaries. An accomplished author, Dr. Varma’s highly anticipated book, “Practical Optimism, The Art, Science and Practice of Exceptional Wellbeing” (Penguin Random House, 2/2024), offers valuable insights into promoting optimal mental health and wellness.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Sue:
* Pre-order her upcoming book: https://www.doctorsuevarma.com/book/
* Website: https://www.doctorsuevarma.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorsuevarma/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, I’m taking your top questions and giving you a behind-the-scenes look at my journey building my empire and business, beeya wellness! I have my incredible husband, Dhru Purohit, taking the mic today and acting as the host.
As always, I hope this episode brings a lot of value to you and a few of topics we'll be covering include:
I’d love to get your thoughts on the episode, and hear your feedback! DM me on instagram @yasminknouri or email me at yasmin@behindherempire.com - I’m always looking for ways to add value and help inspire you!
In this episode, we'll talk to about:
* Facing tough experiences and giving it your best shot. [01:20]
* Crying is an emotional release and a self-soothing process. [05:16]
* What’s something that somebody did for you? [08:32]
* What’s something you did for someone else? [12:33]
* Finding product validation and achieving product-market fit. [15:12]
* Understanding retention and identifying its contributing factors. [19:24]
* The reality in self-funding your business. [21:57]
* The most important part of company culture. [34:41]
* Importance of kind candor with your team. [38:23]
* Dealing with constructive criticism. [39:33]
* Early childhood wounds and overcoming feelings of unworthiness. [42:24]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’ve been around wellness spaces, you’ve likely heard of this week’s guest, The Food Babe. Or you may have seen her protein powder flying off the shelves at your health food store—does Truvani ring a bell? Today, we are joined by Vani Hari, a leader in the movement away from processed foods keeping major food companies accountable.
Raised by immigrants and desperate to fit in with her peers, Vani Hari begged her parents to assimilate into American food culture, which ultimately landed her in the hospital and on 9 prescription drugs when she should have been in the prime of her life. She eventually connected the dots between what she was eating and how she was feeling, which led to her work today.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Shocking ingredients to avoid at the supermarket
* How processed food drives skin and hormone issues
* The truth about how our food is regulated in the US
* Batch cooking advice for busy women
* How to get kids to eat their vegetables
* And more…
Vani Hari is a revolutionary food activist, a New York Times best selling author, and was named one of the “Most Influential People On The Internet” by Time Magazine in 2015. Hari started FoodBabe.com to spread information about what is really in the American food supply. She teaches people how to make the right purchasing decisions at the grocery store, how to live an organic lifestyle, and how to travel healthfully around the world. The success of her writing and investigative work can be seen in the way food companies react to her uncanny ability to find and expose the truth.
Hari has influenced how major food giants like Kraft, General Mills, Subway, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks create their products, steering them towards more healthful policies. Hari’s activism has brought in worldwide attention as she has been profiled in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and more. Hari has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS News, NBC News, Fox News, The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors Show and CNN. She lives in North Carolina and is the founder of Truvani, a start-up offering real food without added chemicals, products without toxins and labels without lies.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Vani:
* Website: https://foodbabe.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoodbabe/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Carly Stein Kremer is the founder of Beekeeper’s Naturals, a company that focuses on products made from natural honey, bee propolis, royal jelly, and other byproducts of bee raising.
The idea for Beekeeper’s Naturals came after Carly was on a college abroad trip in Europe and experienced a terrible flare up. She suffered from chronic tonsillitis, an illness that dominated a majority of her life. So she went to a local pharmacy to find some relief, and stumbled upon a compound called propolis, a combination of tree and plant resin created by bees to protect the hive that also has over 300 compounds that are beneficial for human immunity. She quickly realized the power of this natural ingredient herself and that’s when the passion and idea for the company was born.
Fast forward to today, Carly and Beekeeper's Naturals have sold over 2M units of their hero product, Propolis Throat Spray, which sells one unit every 30 seconds. Beekeeper's Naturals is also currently ranked as Amazon's #1 brand in the Cold and Flu category. The company has quickly expanded from 5,000 retail locations to over 18,000 across major North American banners, including Target, CVS, and Walgreens, doubling revenue year-over-year.
In this week’s episode, we sat down with Carly to talk about her very windy journey starting the business – even though she had the idea in college, she ended up pursuing a job in finance and years later left her comfortable and reputable job at Goldman Sachs to start the company. We discuss the importance of securing your finances before taking the leap to start your business, why resilience was key to her own entrepreneurial journey, and how we can all cultivate it in our lives today. We talk about how she created her first products from her kitchen, the steps she took to create awareness in the early days when she was selling at farmer’s markets, and how she thought about fundraising throughout her journey. We also chat about how she tackles her anxiety and calms her nervous system, how she sets up her day to succeed, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Carly about:
* Resilience for business success. [03:35]
* Early challenges & health impact. [08:47]
* Propolis discovery during exchange program. [11:28]
* Career opportunities and creating first products. [17:16]
* Finance career, unhappiness, and coping with anxiety. [22:08]
* Goldman Sachs timeline & transition to entrepreneurship. [ 31:02]
* The early business traction. [36:32]
* Carly’s quote, “The individual with the calmest nervous system will win”. [53:58]
* Carly's commitment to "One-hour-to-react" principle. [59:26]
* Letting go of a false sense of urgency. [01:01:29]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Carly:
* Beekeeper’s Naturals’ Website: https://www.beekeepersnaturals.com/
* Beekeeper’s Naturals’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beekeepers_naturals/
* Carly’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carly.kremer/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learning that our hormones fluctuate throughout the month—impacting our energy, metabolism and so much more—kind of changed our lives. In today’s conversation, we’re talking all about cycle syncing, and how you can practice it to support your body’s natural rhythm through food, exercise and all the other factors that contribute to how you feel in your body and life.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Why you feel different throughout the month
* The #1 thing contributing to hormone imbalances
* How you can support your body through the phases
* The best way to exercise in each phase
* Which supplements make the biggest difference
Tanda Cook is a naturopathic physician, food expert, published author, international speaker, blogger, health coach and farmer who is wildly passionate about educating and inspiring women to take steps towards health. Dr. Katie Collier is a naturopathic physician with a shared mission. Together, these practitioners work to help people feel their best in both clinical practice and their monthly class, The Soapbox Docs.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Tanda:
* Website: https://drtandacook.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtandacook/
Follow Dr. Katie:
* Website: https://drkatiecollier.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkatiecollier/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wende Zomnir is the co-founder of the legendary beauty brand, Urban Decay, and most recently the co-founder of Caliray, a beauty and wellness brand.
When Wende co-founded Urban Decay in 1996, there was no social media, and Sephora was still two years out from entering the U.S. She was a pioneer who broke the beauty industry with its “makeup as empowerment” attitude, eventually elevating it to the #1 brand spot at both Sephora and Ulta for years running – and is still one of the most successful beauty brands to date. After selling to L’Oreal in 2012 and spending her time leading the brand there, Wende eventually left and launched Caliray, a California-inspired brand focused on clean formulas, dirty minds and sexy sustainability.
In this week's episode, we discuss Wende's journey from her marketing career to launching Urban Decay, including her meeting with co-founder Sandy Lerner, who co-founded Cisco Systems. Wende reflects on the early, less glamorous days of Urban Decay, her resourcefulness, and how the brand became such a success. We also talk about her new brand Caliray, and the differences in starting a brand today compared to when Urban Decay launched and the biggest surprises & learnings so far. Wende shares her advice on why you need more than just passion to build a successful business, why having a strong self-worth is crucial in business, the biggest skills that entrepreneurs need for any brand and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Wende about:
* The quote "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity". [02:34]
* Wende's early years in Texas and her relationship with makeup. [04:45]
* Wende's life prior to Urban Decay. [10:31]
* Connecting with the iconic Sandy Lerner. [12:09]
* Pitching the concept and securing orders.[14:44]
* Getting into Nordstrom and the crucial trait of resourcefulness. [19:13]
* Wende's response to imitators of the Naked Palette and advice for female entrepreneurs facing similar challenges. [25:00]
* Urban Decay's L'Oréal acquisition and transition. [28:31]
* Maintaining healthy boundaries: separating self-worth from business. [32:25]
* The inspiration for Wende’s new beauty brand, Caliray. [34:48]
* Challenge’s Wende had to navigate while building Caliray. [40:11]
* Essential skill during Urban Decay's early days. [43:10]
* Advice for entrepreneurs who are scared to put their idea out. [44:42]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Wende:
* Caliray Website: https://caliraybeauty.com/
* Caliray Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caliray/
* Urban Decay Website: https://www.urbandecay.com/
* Urban Decay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbandecaycosmetics/
* Wende’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendezomnir/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Buckle up ladies, we get to do puberty AGAIN! Perimenopause, often referred to as the "second puberty," is characterized by shifts in our hormones and metabolism. In today's episode, we explore how to navigate this life phase with less symptoms such as weight gain, sleep issues and brain fog so you can have more energy and confidence.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The truth about weight loss resistance
* What leads to sleep issues in perimenopause
* How to support healthy testosterone levels
* What to do when coming off birth control
* How hormones can be partners for a great life
Dr. Mariza Snyder is a functional practitioner, women’s hormone expert and the author of eight books. For the past twelve years, she has lectured at wellness centers, conferences, and corporations on hormone health, essential oils, nutrition, and detoxification. She has been featured on Dr. Oz, Oprah Magazine, Fox News Health, MindBodyGreen and many publications. Dr. Mariza is also the host of the top rated Essentially You Podcast, (with over 3 million downloads) designed to empower women to become the CEO of their health. Check out her website, drmariza.com, for women’s hormone tips, including recipes and remedies.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Mariza:
* Website: https://drmariza.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmariza/
* Check out her hormones and metabolism reset program here: https://go.drmariza.com/lp/metabolism-reset-course/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re re-airing one of our top episodes from last year with the lovely Anjula Acharia. She has been visualizing her success from an early age, without even realizing she was doing so. If anyone knows how to tune in to the opportunities around her, it’s Anjula.
She is the founder and CEO of A-Series Management and Investments and works as a talent strategist and strategic investor and advisor to many consumer tech and CPG startups, including two notable early-stage investments, ClassPass and Bumble, which have grown into billion-dollar unicorns. Not only is she an early investor and advocate, but she also happens to be international superstar Priyanka Chopra’s manager and business partner and has played a critical role in launching Priyanka’s career in the US.
In this episode, Anjula imparts her wisdom about how opportunities present themselves in the absence of desperation and explains why she chooses not to live by a plan. We hear her visualization tips and insights and discover how she applied the “power of the pivot” to Priyanka Chopra’s career. Anjula recounts how she connected with a legendary record executive, how she came to work with Priyanka, and the sheer hustle that was required for her to “break” into the industry.
Tune in to hear Anjula’s remarkable story and gain insight into what she looks for in startup founders, how she chooses investments, and the top mistakes she sees entrepreneurs making today.
In this episode, we'll talk to Anjula about:
* The challenges of Anjula’s upbringing and how she discovered the power of visualization. [2:43]
* The life-changing impact The Secret had on her, in terms of visualization and manifestation. [5:05]
* Why she refers to herself as an “accidental entrepreneur” and what catalyzed her investment journey. [7:57]
* Why Anjula doesn’t believe in living according to a plan. [10:04]
* About Beeya Wellness! [11:05]
* Anjula’s intrinsic confidence and belief in the abundance of opportunities in the world. [14:15]
* Anjula recounts her meeting with legendary record executive, Jimmy Iovine. [17:20]
* The power of the elimination of desperation. [19:45]
* Anjula humorously recalls Jimmy Iovine telling her her company was going to fail in front of Jay Z! [21:00]
* The series of events that led her to meet and work with Priyanka Chopra as her manager and business partner. [22:07]
* The hustle of launching Priyanka’s career in the US. [25:53]
* How ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia taught Anjula the power of the pivot, and how she applied it to Priyanka’s career. [27:26]
* Anjula’s two deciding factors when considering whether to back a founder. [29:09]
* The importance of knowing your metrics, as a founder. [30:00]
* The top mistakes Anjula sees entrepreneurs making today. [31:11]
* Why it’s so important for women to think big! [32:06]
* Why Anjula tends to invest in entrepreneurs outside of the industry. [34:07]
* What other exciting things she has on the go! [35:35]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Anjula:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anjula_acharia/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We are thrilled to share our conversation with renowned author and psychologist, Dr. Nicole LePera, popularly known as The Holistic Psychologist. In addition to her new book, “How to Be the Love You Seek”, we talk all things nervous system, relationships and how both are the missing pieces to creating hormonal health.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to build a relationship with your body
* What happens when we live from old mental patterns
* Signs of nervous system dysregulation
* The best strategies to combat stress
* How to create safety in your body
* The best approach to repair in relationships
Dr. Nicole LePera is a Holistic Psychologist and Founder of the virtual healing platform, SelfHealers Circle. She is the creator behind the popular Instagram account @the.holistic.psychologist. Every day she releases free content to make healing and trauma education accessible, globally. She's the author of The New York Times Bestselling book: "How To Do The Work", "How to Meet Your Self" and her latest book “How to Be the Love You Seek”. Dr. LePera also hosts SelfHealers Soundboard, a weekly ad-free podcast.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Nicole:
* Website: https://theholisticpsychologist.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.psychologist/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hema Persad is the Founder of Sagrada Studio, a full service interior design studio that designs and decorates residential and commercial spaces around the country.
Before taking over the world of interior design, Hema was a practicing attorney for several years before following her heart and pursuing a career in fashion. In 2014, she decided to take the leap and move across the country to Los Angeles with her family to chase her dreams. She spent the following 7 years dressing A-list celebrities, styling ad campaigns and editorials, and working with some of the top fashion talent in the world.
Despite the sacrifices made to establish her career in fashion, Hema felt unfulfilled and uncertain about her next steps. Embracing opportunities as they came her way, Hema ventured into interior design in 2021 when one of her styling clients sought her help in decorating their home. Because of her eye for design and ability to execute her creative vision, that first project snowballed into several more and propelled her interior design career. Today, Hema designs spaces for both residential and commercial clients across the country, even becoming the lead designer on the popular TV show, Property Brothers.
In this episode, we delve into Hema's remarkable journey. She left a secure legal career to chase her passions and succeed in unfamiliar fields like fashion and interior design. We explore her daring career pivot and the profound impact of having no "Plan B" in her journey, offering insights on how we can all make bold moves and how to overcome self-doubt and fear. We also discuss the pivotal role of networking and cultivating authentic relationships in her career, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Hema about:
* Lawyer to fashion stylist transition. [05:00]
* Marriage, divorce, and money's impact on her career. [09:01]
* The power of a strong support system. [11:57]
* Finding a missing piece after a successful legal career. [14:52]
* Late-life career change and self-confidence building. [20:28]
* Why everyone needs to: stop planning and start acting. [22:22]
* Venturing into the fashion industry and discovering it's not her true calling. [26:57]
* Don’t let money be your number one motivation in your career. [32:52]
* Defining purpose and happiness. [34:58]
* Stylist to interior designer during the pandemic. [37:18]
* Overcoming hustle culture for real success. [40:42]
* A big ego can hold you back in entrepreneurship. [47:36]
* Hema's major fear to overcome. [50:57]
* Aspiring to mend the relationship with money. [52:58]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Hema:
* Website: https://www.sagradastudio.com/
* Sagrada Studio’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagradastudio/
* Hema’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hemaapersad/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Can psychedelics help you heal your hormones? Potentially… and that’s really just the beginning of how plant medicine can support our health in all areas of our lives, from the mental and physical, to the emotional and spiritual—all of which we explore in today’s episode.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How plant medicine can rewire the brain
* The role of the body in releasing stress and tension
* How trauma impacts us on a cellular level
* Plants we all engage with everyday
* How to be in right relationship with plants
Maya Shetreat, MD is a neurologist, herbalist, urban farmer, and author of The Dirt Cure and The Master Plant Experience: The Science, Safety and Sacred Ceremony of Psychedelics. She has been featured in the New York Times, The Telegraph, NPR, Sky News, The Dr. Oz Show and more. Dr. Maya is the founder of the Terrain Institute, where she teaches earth-based programs for transformational healing, including professional training programs for psychedelic-assisted approaches. She works and studies with indigenous communities and healers from around the world, and is a lifelong student of ethnobotany, plant healing, and the sacred.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Maya:
* Website: https://drmaya.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmayashetreat/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kimmy Scotti is the Co-founder and CEO of the skincare company, Fig. 1, and also the Founder & Managing Partner of the early stage VC firm, Neon.
Kimmy’s been an entrepreneur since she was just 15 years old, turning a jewelry side hustle into a legitimate money-making business that landed her a trunk show at Bloomingdale’s and featured in Project Runway. Over the next 15 years, she built up countless companies in healthcare and fashion while also becoming a venture capitalist at 8VC early in her career.
Most recently, she launched Fig. 1, a skincare brand that delivers science-backed, refillable and priced right skincare products with clinically proven results. She wanted to change the landscape for consumers to have beautiful skin with great product formulation without breaking the bank. They’ve grown their line from direct to consumer to over 3,000 retail, spa and dermatologist locations.
Kimmy is a wealth of knowledge! We get all the insights on her experience with building multiple businesses from the age of 15 to now – and the biggest learnings and takeaways she’s had along the way.
We talk about how she thinks through metrics and unit economics when building brands and investing in companies. She also shares how she built brand awareness for Fig 1 when they launched and the impact partnerships have had on the business. We end on the common mistakes founders make, why perfectionism is only holding you back in life and business, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kimmy about:
* Kimmy's upbringing and the origins of the concept of 'hustle'. [02:42]
* Kimmy displayed a young entrepreneurial spirit by building her jewelry business at the age of 15. [06:17]
* Kimmy's life lessons and early rejections. [09:41]
* How Kimmy developed confidence at a young age. [12:55]
* The importance of starting now: start with one idea and one customer at a time. [16:33]
* College at FIT and family office work. [19:26]
* Evolution of the investment business. [24:01]
* Kimmy identifies situations where someone shouldn’t raise capital. [26:33]
* The skincare brand, Fig.1, and the story of how Kimmy connected with her co-founders. [29:35]
* Fig.1's mission: accessible, sustainable skincare. [32:26]
* Product launch and brand awareness.[36:09]
* Successful partnerships with Fig.1. [37:30]
* How Kimmy and her team strategically manage the capital they've raised. [40:02]
* Kimmy's OCD traits and how she manages them in her business life. [41:34]
* Kimmy's daily life structure: focus versus balance. [46:04]
* Learning when to pause, not when to quit. [51:02]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kimmy:
* Website: https://fig-1.co/
* Fig. 1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fig1co/?hl=en
* Kimmy’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmyscotti/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After struggling with narcolepsy and 20-30 mini seizures per day, today’s guest became a patient of functional medicine. Her parents forced her to see an integrative doctor and change her diet, which turned out to be life changing. She now teaches thousands of people how they can transform using food as medicine and a functional approach to healing.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How food can transform your hormones
* What’s stopping you from healing
* How to boost progesterone naturally
* Top food sources of magnesium
* Advice for dealing with mystery symptoms
* The power of functional medicine
* And more…
Brigid Titgemeier, MS, RDN, LD, IFNCP is a Functional Medicine Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and health advocate, on a mission to transform your health and change your life through personalized nutrition. With a Masters degree in Public Health Nutrition and Board Certification in Integrative and Functional Nutrition, Brigid was a founding dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, under Dr. Mark Hyman.
Throughout her career she has worked with 4,000 clients. She founded the functional nutrition and health consulting business, BeingBrigid Nutrition in 2018 to offer consistent health outcomes for her executive clients by leveraging a data driven personalized nutrition approach, advanced lab testing, education and coaching. She created a graduate course in integrative and functional nutrition with Dr. Stephanie Harris at Case Western Reserve University and co-teaches this course to educate future healthcare practitioners in functional nutrition.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Brigid:
* Website: https://beingbrigid.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingbrigid/
* Get on Brigid’s blood sugar program waitlist here: https://beingbrigid.ck.page/bsrnov23waitlistbeeya
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The twists and turns in our lives can oftentimes help us to find renewed meaning and purpose, and our guest today, Sarah Jones Simmer, is a shining example of this.
Sarah is currently the CEO of Found, and formerly the COO of Bumble, which she joined when it was a tiny company working out of a two-bedroom apartment. Throughout her career, Sarah has focused on working with mission-driven brands and has allowed her curiosity to lead her explorations.
While working at Bumble, Sarah was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and made the brave decision to continue to work, which felt like a healthy and needed distraction from the aggressive treatment regime she was going through. At the time, Sarah’s role shifted to Chief Strategy Officer and was laser focused on “quarterbacking” Bumble’s IPO – which valued the company at a multi-billion dollar valuation and was quite iconic as the founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, was the youngest female founder to take a US company public.
Now cancer-free, Sarah's health journey has had a massive impact on the way she thinks about her life and work, and we are so lucky to hear all about this evolution in our conversation with her today. She also talks about the benefits of a non-linear career, what it means to find your personal purpose, why waiting for the perfect moment is a myth, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:
* Looking back at Sarah's role in taking Bumble public. [3:31]
* The shift in perspective that Sarah experienced around the idea of timing. [4:54]
* Reflections on the winding journey leading up to Sarah's work at Bumble. [6:67]
* What initially drew Sarah to take up a position at Bumble when it was a small startup. [11:33]
* Stepping into a new role, learning, and using best judgment as your compass. [16:49]
* Lessons from mentors and leaders; how Sarah has absorbed wisdom from great women around her. [18:55]
* Sarah's experiences of breast cancer and how her life changed during 2020. [22:45]
* Putting together the IPO deal team and how much energy Sarah drew from its amazing members. [28:48]
* The decision to take on the role of CEO at Found and what inspired it. [32:02]
* Surprises and lessons since Sarah took up her latest leadership position. [37:44]
* Systems for collaboration during this remote work revolution. [40:54]
* Sarah's advice for finding meaning in work and personal life; a reminder about joy. [43:24]
* How walking has helped Sarah and the benefits of letting the mind wander. [47:32]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Sarah:
* Website: https://joinfound.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinfound
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions, but magnesium comes pretty close! It’s a powerful mineral that supports countless facets of our health—especially hormones. Most of us don’t get enough from diet alone, which is why we’re proud to have just launched our very own highly absorbable, professional-grade magnesium blend: beeyavibe ✨
With today’s expert, we unravel the seemingly infinite benefits of magnesium!
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Why magnesium is crucial for hormone health
* The role of magnesium in estrogen dominance
* How it impacts blood sugar and insulin
* The impact of magnesium on skin and aging
* Why we need it for heart health
* How magnesium can help with ADHD
* And more…
Dr. Barb Woegerer is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Barb is passionate about empowering individuals to take control of their own health. Her primary focus is to explore the underlying root cause and provide individualized patient centered care. She utilizes evidence based therapies and provides patients with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed. Her clinical focus is in women’s health, stress management, and inflammatory conditions. Dr. Barb spends a great deal of time educating individuals on the importance of magnesium and why we all need to add this mineral to our health toolbox. When she’s not seeing patients she loves spending time in nature, reading and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.
Learn more about out NEWEST product: beeyavibe Magnesium Superblend: https://beeyawellness.com/products/beeya-vibe
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Barb:
* Website: https://www.barbwoegerer.com/
* Shani's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbarbwoegerer/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Shani Darden is a celebrity esthetician and Founder of Shani Darden Skin Care, a line of high-performing, effective skin care products.
Shani trained as an esthetician under a leading dermatologist and eventually went out on her own years later. She developed a passion for creating products she could not find, sending clients home with custom-made formulas between visits. Shani built her Studio and her reputation as one of the most in-demand estheticians in the world and is the go-to skin pro for celebrities like Kelly Rowland and Jessica Alba.
In this week’s episode, we talk about Shani’s non-linear path. After relocating to LA with dreams of pursuing a modeling career, she quickly discovered that the glitzy world of fashion and modeling didn't align with her true aspirations. It was through a series of many twists and turns that she found her calling to become an aesthetician.
During our conversation, Shani offers a glimpse into the intricacies of her products and shares insights from her time as a receptionist - a job she was in for years while going to school and learning invaluable lessons along the way. She opens up about the humble beginnings when launching her widely successful Retinol Reform serum from her living groom and how she eventually paved her way into the shelves of Sephora. We talk about all things entrepreneurship, how she built her brand, and of course - we end on all her biggest skincare tips and tricks, especially when it comes to acne.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Shani about:
* Staying true to her beliefs and not allowing people to lead her astray. [02:44]
* Shani’s upbringing and how it impacted the woman she is today. [04:00]
* Shani's modeling and music video journey. [06:43]
* Shani's growing interest in skincare and her path to entering the industry. [7:51]
* Lessons from her time as a spa receptionist. [09:22]
* Getting fired, getting out of school, and working with a dermatologist. [10:46]
* Meeting her celebrity client, Jessica Alba, and the story of their friendship. [14:08]
* Launching her first skincare product and Shani’s love for retinol. [17:19]
* Challenges in building her brand. [19:26]
* The relationship with Sephora and its evolution over the years. [23:05]
* Highlights of having her own studio and space. [26:33]
* The positive impact of the COVID Pandemic to her business. [27:48]
* Shani's social media guidance for people. [29:12]
* Shani’s tips for people with acne-prone skin. [30:19]
* The different kinds of skin types. [33:03]
* Shani's product recommendations for scarring and acne. [34:05]
* Initiating a women's mentorship program. [37:50]
* Dealing with impostor syndrome as the brand's face. [40:14]
* The evolution of Shani's online presence. [41:52]
* Shani’s greatest achievements in her life. [43:25]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Shani:
* Website: https://www.shanidarden.com/
* Shani's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanidarden/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Can you relate to feeling wired but tired? How about feeling anxious, or like you can’t focus on anything? It turns out, your hormones could have something to do with all of the above! In this conversation, we dive into the underlying imbalances that can leave us feeling, well… bleh… and even dig into some of our co-founder Yasmin’s recent lab tests!
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The power of progesterone for sleep, mood + more
* Why women can have more inflammation in perimenopause
* How to support your body coming off birth control
* When to take bioidentical hormones
* How seed cycling can help boost progesterone
* The best time of your cycle to take lab tests
* And more…
Dr. Elena is on a quest to empower women to be their best health advocates, while dispelling myths about hormones and women's wellness. An esteemed naturopathic doctor, her expertise spans endocrinology, longevity, anti-aging medicine, metabolic health, gut health, nutrition and exercise science over 20 dynamic years.
Focused on guiding women through every life stage, including perimenopause and beyond, Dr. Elena shatters conventional hormone beliefs and offers insights into the common symptoms many women experience. Having faced her own battles with the conventional model of healthcare, she unveils medicine's hidden truths about women's hormones.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Durana:
* Website: https://www.drelenazinkov.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drelenazinkov/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Durana Elmi is the Co-founder and COO of Cymbiotika, a high growth health and wellness company offering a range of products, including probiotics, vitamins, minerals, and more.
Durana’s inspiring journey began when she moved from Afghanistan to the US and defied all traditional expectations imposed on her being a woman. Determined to write her own narrative, Durana pursued higher education instead of marrying young, forging a successful corporate career in defiance of her father's wishes.
In our conversation, we explore the pivotal moment when Durana left her stable corporate job to embark on her first entrepreneurial venture. She candidly discusses the challenges and how she and her husband navigated this decision while raising a young daughter. Durana also walks through the valuable lessons she learned in her first business, which was in an entirely different industry, and how she applied these lessons to Cymbiotika.
We talk about the early days of Cymbiotika when it was just one product, the pivotal moments that helped propel the incredible growth, and the steps they’ve taken over the past few years to get the company to over $40 million in revenue. We also chat about the importance of self-love, the role positive affirmations have had on her life, and steps we can all take to truly manifest the life we want, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Durana about:
* Durana’s childhood and upbringing as an immigrant from Afghanistan. [02:43]
* Importance of self-love and how Durana cultivated it in her own life early on. [04:12]
* Durana's relationship with her father and how she defied all traditional expectations for her. [09:00]
* The book 'Obstacles Welcome' by Ralph de la Vega and how Durana embodies its principles in her life. [14:00]
* Durana's turning point: leaving corporate America alongside her husband to start their first business. [17:24]
* The importance of creating your own story and having full control of your life. [20:15]
* The challenges of transitioning from corporate to starting her own business. [23:15]
* Durana's career journey and her evolving definition of success. [27:00]
* The transformation of Cymbiotika: from a supplement into a lifestyle brand. [31:27]
* How Cymbiotika went all in during the COVID pandemic. [39:33]
* The early stages of Cymbiotika and its journey toward Cymbiotika 2.0. [41:08]
* The significance of recruiting the right individuals and placing trust in their abilities. [45:49]
* It's all about the journey and having faith in the process. [47:55]
* Durana's daily routine and mindset for maintaining her mental health. [48:56]
* Manifesting life and practicing gratitude shape the ecosystem of your personal karma. [54:44]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Durana:
* Cymbiotika Website: https://www.cymbiotika.com
* Durana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duranaelmi
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you ever tried meditating but couldn’t make it past 5 minutes without thinking about your dog or what’s for dinner? We have good news from today’s guest, Megan Monahan, who says meditation doesn’t have to look one way—and ANYONE can create an impactful practice that works just for them.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to actually redirect your thoughts
* Secrets to creating a consistent practice
* How to find your style of meditation
* Practical ways to bring mindfulness into your life
* How to transform stress and anxiety
* And more….
Meditation expert, mindset coach and best-selling author Megan Monahan is passionate about making meditation accessible and relatable. Her goal is to infuse a modern-day “realness” into the all too often esoteric landscape of meditation. Since learning to meditate in 2009 with Deepak Chopra and becoming a Chopra-certified instructor, she has taught thousands to meditate through her platform.
As a mindset coach and meditation guide, Megan is a senior educator at Unplug Meditation, works with brands like Asics, Goop, Chopra, Lululemon, Wix, Sweetgreen, Netflix and Facebook, and with clients internationally, always bringing her spiritual real talk. Her first book, Don’t Hate, Meditate was published in 2019 by TenSpeed Press.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Megan:
* Website: https://www.meganmonahan.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megmonahan/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Fawn Weaver is a serial entrepreneur and NYTimes bestselling author, and when she learned about the story of Uncle Nearest Green — the slave who taught Jack Daniel how to distill whiskey — she decided to create a company that would bring his legacy to life.
After learning about Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel's interconnected history, Fawn followed the story down to Tennessee, which led her to purchase the 300-acre farm in Lynchburg, Tennessee, where Nearest taught Jack how to distill. She initially thought of honoring Nearest's story with a book or movie, but decided the best way to preserve his legacy was with a bottle of the best Tennessee whiskey she could make. With no background in distilling, she threw herself into an industry mostly dominated by white men and a few major corporations. Since they launched, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has become the fastest growing whiskey brand in US history, and has over $100+ million in revenue.
In our conversation, Fawn discusses the importance of confidence in leadership and success, and what we can all do today to build more confidence in our lives. She shares her early life challenges, from homelessness to suicidal thoughts, and how she overcame the toughest of times and the biggest learnings she had along the way. Fawn talks about the serendipity around her launching her business and the biggest factors that have helped create the incredible growth they’ve seen, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Fawn about:
* How Fawn has cultivated her confidence in the darkest of times. [02:51]
* Faith's role in Fawn's confidence. [04:40]
* Practical approach to how Fawn overcomes any fear in her life. [06:05]
* Handling bad days; giving herself space and having a pray-first approach in everything. [09:58]
* Fawn's most impactful experience: Leaving home at 15, third homeless shelter. [15:37]
* Fawn's perspective on boundaries and outgrowing people. [26:06]
* The pivotal moment when Fawn learned about Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel's interconnected history and how it inspired her journey. [30:28]
* Fawn's whiskey venture epiphany without prior experience. [39:32]
* Having an all-women leadership team in a male-dominated spirits industry. [41:51]
* Early brand awareness tactics and business growth factors. [46:34]
* Fawn’s experience fundraising and how she managed the rejections early on. [50:23]
* Finding the gem inside failure and how it builds confidence and strength. [56:49]
* The importance of knowing your "Why” when it comes to starting a business. [58:49]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Fawn:
* Uncle Nearest Website: https://unclenearest.com/
* Uncle Nearest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unclenearest/
* Fawn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fawn.weaver/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’re thinking about conceiving, have a diagnosis of PCOS or endometriosis, have experienced miscarriages or are anxious about pregnancy, this episode is for you. We sat down with our medical advisor and fertility expert, Dr. Corina Dunlap, to discuss the who, what, when and how as it relates to preparing the body for a baby.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to optimize your health before conceiving
* When you should start preparing your body
* Why fertility doesn’t just fall on women
* What to eat during preconception
* How men can support their sperm health
Dr. Corina Dunlap is a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) and women’s health and hormone specialist. She is the creator of Health by Design, a deeply personalized women’s healthcare program, and The Healthy Hormones Method, a transformational framework for women. Specializing in the treatment of conditions that range from irregular periods to PMS, thyroid imbalances, endometriosis, pelvic pain, and menopause, she is an internationally recognized expert in natural fertility optimization and women’s health at all stages of life. Dr. Dunlap is a clinician, researcher, educator, and speaker.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Corina:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcorinadunlap/
* Website: https://drcorinadunlap.com/
Get Dr. Dunlap’s NEW Preconception by Design course: https://www.healthbydesignnaturopathicllc.com/preconceptionbydesign
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we're re-airing one of our top episodes with Sarah Gibson Tuttle, the CEO and founder of Olive & June, an innovative at-home nail-care brand that's disrupting the industry.
Risking everything you have to pursue a dream can be the scariest but most rewarding thing a person can do in their life. Today’s guest has done just that.
Sarah spent a decade in equity sales trading at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan. She never thought she'd become an entrepreneur until her love for Drybar inspired her to create the same thing, but for nails. Although everybody thought her idea was crazy, Sarah was confident it would work and put all her savings into the first flagship store. Olive & June is now successfully democratizing nail care with their full suite of at-home mani and pedi products.
In today's episode, we talk about how life's curveballs can be the biggest gift to sending you on a new path to rediscover your purpose and Sarah explains what it was like for her to ditch her safe corporate job to follow her passions, what kept her in her previous job for so long, and how her divorce added to her motivation to shake things up. She also shares the fears and imposter syndrome she overcame on the journey and the importance of therapy in her personal and professional life.
Tuning in, you’ll hear how Sarah got funding, how she built a strong community around her brand, and how she has successfully pivoted over the years (especially during COVID). She also shares the importance of delegating and how, as a wife, mother, and entrepreneur, she manages it all. For a very vulnerable real conversation on what it takes to build a multimillion-dollar company from scratch, tune in today!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:
* Overcoming career leap obstacles. [03:27]
* Sarah's enduring passion through entrepreneurial challenges. [05:31]
* Sarah's lengthy tenure as an equity sales trader. [08:52]
* How divorce spurred her to shake things up. [12:25]
* Building connections, embracing resistance. [17:38]
* Therapy, empathy, and the impact of divorce. [22:50]
* Overcoming fear and investing life savings. [26:03]
* Creating a brand community. [29:02]
* Balancing vision and adaptability. [37:05]
* Olive & June's pandemic pivot and community support. [38:09]
* Sarah's fundraising approach and investor relations. [40:32]
* Valuable investment advice appreciated in hindsight. [44:18]
* Juggling different life aspects. [48:22]
* Team-building, delegation, and relinquishing control. [52:39]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Sarah:
* Sarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gibsontuttle/
* Olive & June Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliveandjune/
* Olive & June website: https://oliveandjune.com/
* Get 20% off your first nail system - use code: BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are you always fighting cravings? Or in a never ending battle with your weight? In today’s episode, we sat down with a Registered Dietitian to get to the bottom of weight loss woes, popular advice, Ozempic, hunger cues and everything you need to know if your goal is to lose and maintain your weight—without depriving yourself.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to take back your relationship with food
* Most common weight loss MISTAKES
* How to maintain weight in perimenopause
* The truth about taking Ozempic
* How to STOP sugar cravings fast
* Why your hunger cues are off
Kim Shapira M.S., R.D. is a celebrity dietitian (Kaley CuoCo, Brittney Snow, Marla Sokoloff and many more), nutritional therapist, and author of This is What You're Really Hungry For releasing July 25th, 2023. With a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Tulane University and a Master’s degree in Human Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition from Boston University. Kim has spent over 25 years helping people lose weight and keep it off (with a giant emphasis on keeping it off), both in her private Los Angeles practice as well as in hospitals, sports clinics, addiction centers and universities around the States.
Kim Shapira has been at the forefront of nutrition therapy since the early 2000s, helping clients to truly understand their relationship with their bodies and correcting life long negative behaviors. Kim has been featured in Yahoo! News, Vanity Fair, Pop Sugar, Sky News, Just Jenny, Dr. Drew and many more.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kim:
* Website: https://www.kimshapiramethod.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimshapiramethod/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we're re-airing one of our top episodes with Nicole Gibbons, the founder of Clare, the only Black-owned paint brand in the US, and is a favorite of Jessica Alba, Maria Sharapova, and Nate Berkus to name a few.
Before pursuing interior design, Nicole spent nearly a decade managing PR for one of the world’s largest retail brands, Victoria's Secret. Although she was excelling in her career, Nicole felt uninspired and was looking for a new outlet for her creativity. She started working on a decorating blog on the side that ultimately gained serious traction and led her into the path of interior design.
After working as a designer and establishing herself as a voice in the industry, Nicole decided to do another career pivot and had a yearning to build something that would be a household name. When working with clients, she always noticed the hassle around picking paints and saw an opportunity to disrupt the outdated paint industry and create a direct-to-consumer business that makes the entire process a way better experience.
Nicole has been featured in top media outlets such as HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, Good Morning America, and Oprah Winfrey’s OWN. She's also raised venture capital from the backers of Warby Parker, Casper, Peloton, and more.
We talk to Nicole today about the power of patience when it comes to building your business, how to think about your finance before you take the leap, how she raised money and built a tech business with zero connections to start, and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to Nicole about:
* Nicole's thoughts on confidence and the nature of risk and reward in entrepreneurship. [3:09]
* The familial links that Nicole has to entrepreneurship and her early corporate career. [4:30]
* Nicole's side hustle journey: pursuing passion while employed. [6:06]
* How the blog organically evolved from a passion project into a business. [8:12]
* Patience and consistency fueled Nicole's transition to full-time interior design. [10:01]
* Foregoing the safety of paychecks and betting on yourself. [13:16]
* Nicole's second pivot; executing on her research and ideas. [20:48]
* How networking has played into Nicole's strategy throughout. [24:45]
* Entering the world of venture capital; Nicole's philosophy towards funding. [27:13]
* Advice for approaching investors; asking questions and due diligence. [34:57]
* Sharing the story of your brand and creating a common thread through everything you do. [37:31)
* Nicole's key resources: community, questions, and more. [41:29]
* Nicole's thoughts on the idea of work-life balance and welcoming different seasons. [46:18]
* Lessons from the early days of hiring for a new company. [49:28]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Nicole:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolegibbonsstyle
* Clare's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarepaint
* Clare Website: https://www.clare.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Can you imagine never taking painkillers on your period again?! We’re here to tell you that it’s possible. In today’s episode of Hormone Happy Hour, Dr. Saru Bala shares time-tested secrets to hormone health and having happy periods every month.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* PMS hacks if you don’t want to use painkillers
* How to know if your period is heavy
* What can lead to estrogen dominance
* The impact of stress on gut health
* How to dial in sleep for healthy hormones
Dr. Bala is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor with a degree from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Prior to attending medical school, she received her Bachelor's degree in Neurobiology from the University of Texas at Austin. She has done extra training in the areas of women’s health and naturopathic endocrinology. Her primary focus is on managing chronic hormonal issues such as PMS, period pain, heavy bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, Hashimoto's, fertility, and other women's hormonal health concerns.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Saru:
* Website: https://www.drsarubala.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarubala
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we're re-airing one of our top episodes with Amy Liu, the founder and CEO of Tower 28, a beauty company inclusive of all skin tones, skin types, budgets, and beauty philosophies.
For over 15 years, Amy Liu worked as a beauty executive at some of the fastest-growing prestige companies, including Smashbox, Kate Somerville and Josie Maran Cosmetics. But as a longtime eczema sufferer, she couldn’t even enjoy the best part of working in the beauty industry: trying out all the products! Even the clean alternatives were super expensive or too clinical, like they were coming straight from the doctor’s office. Amy saw this white space as an opportunity, and set out to create Tower 28. Tower 28 is the first beauty brand that’s 100 percent clean, vegan, and free of every known skin irritant.
We talk to Amy about how she thought about the risk she was talking in starting her career with a successful corporate career under her belt, three kids and a mortgage. Amy also shares her perspective on why there's never a “right time” to get started, why we should never fall into the trap of comparison, the power of fostering real relationships in life and in business, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Amy about:
* Where Amy’s aversion to risk originated. [3:26]
* Why Amy chose to become an entrepreneur in the beauty space. [7:59]
* An overview of Amy’s career prior to founding Tower 28. [8:50]
* How working for other companies before starting her own has benefitted Amy. [16:08]
* Amy shares her motivation for quitting her full-time job and offers advice to mothers with similar concerns. [18:33]
* The conversation that changed the course of Amy’s life. [22:50]
* Value that lies in talking openly about what you want to achieve. [25:36]
* The importance of reputation. [29:02]
* Amy's unique approach to founding Tower 28 compared to her previous three ventures. [30:01]
* What differentiates Tower 28 from other brands. [32:56]
* Amy’s thoughts on overcoming fears around entering a saturated market. [34:02]
* The ultimate goal that Amy had when she founded Tower 28. [37:30]
* How Amy incorporates her values into her brand. [38:36]
* Amy explains the approach that she took to growing Tower 28. [46:40]
* How her experience of building Tower 28 has changed the way Amy looks at life. [50:03]
* Exploring business challenges and rewards. [51:30]
* Amy's wisdom for fulfilling life as a female founder. [56:15]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Amy:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyliu_t28/
* Tower 28 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tower28beauty/
* Website: https://www.tower28beauty.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Did you know that only 12% of Americans are considered metabolically healthy?! That’s 1 in 8 people. Blood sugar has implications for our energy, focus, weight, mental health—and yes, hormone balance. So basically, blood sugar is relevant to all of us. We sat down with one of the foremost experts on this very topic and co-founder of metabolic health company Levels, Dr. Casey Means, to ask questions submitted by YOU, our beeya community.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The top 5 foods to eat for metabolic health
* How blood sugar shifts during women’s cycles
* The best way to optimize blood sugar throughout your cycle
* What waking up at night could mean about your health
* Blood sugar hacks you need to know for everyday life
* And more…
Casey Means, MD is a Stanford-trained physician, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of metabolic health company Levels. Her mission is to maximize human potential and reverse the epidemic of preventable chronic disease by empowering individuals with tech-enabled tools that can inform smart, personalized, and sustainable dietary and lifestyle choices. Dr. Means’ perspective has been recently featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The New Yorker, Men's Health, Women's Health, and more.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Casey:
* Website: https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/author/caseymeans
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen/
Head over to levels.link/BEHINDHEREMPIRE to get a special Levels offer!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kat Hantas is the co-founder of 21 Seeds Tequila, one of the fastest-growing flavored tequilas.
Kat’s had an interesting journey - from thinking she wanted to be a doctor, then pivoting to the entertainment industry, and then being a stay-at-home mom for many years. She never would have thought that she’d launch a business in the liquor industry. It wasn’t until she started noticing that her evening wine wasn’t making her feel good and her doctor recommended that she move away from fermented spirits and into distilled spirits.
In the process of exploring tequila options, Kat came up with the idea to start 21 Seeds Tequila - a fresh natural tequila made with real fruit. She was making this in her kitchen for years, until one day the demand became so much that her friend inspired her to start selling the bottles. This sparked the idea and Kat co-founded the business with her sister and good friend to make it a reality.
The business was acquired by Diageo in just three years in March 2022 and the deal marked one of the largest female-founded liquor acquisitions to-date.
In this podcast episode, Kat opens up about her journey with imposter syndrome and shares tips on overcoming it in her career in the entertainment industry and entrepreneurial ventures. She discusses her transition from being a stay-at-home mom to launching 21 Seeds, highlighting the challenges of finding a distillery, creating product-market fit, and building a supportive network. Kat ends by sharing the playbook she used in marketing and the importance of knowing your customer, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kat about:
* Impostor syndrome and its impact on women's aspirations. [03:07]
* Kat's shift from medical school to the entertainment industry. [06:33]
* Experience at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and starting her production company. [11:37]
* Film "Taking 5," hiatus, and focusing on family. [16:18]
* Kat's journey as a stay-at-home mom, health challenges, and 21 Seeds inspiration. [21:23]
* Transition from a hobby to launching 21 Seeds Tequila after nine years. [25:01]
* Significance of co-founders in 21 Seeds' success. [29:23]
* Challenges in the male-dominated tequila industry without expertise. [35:19]
* Launch process and diligent preparations for 21 Seeds. [41:47]
* Fundraising process and key lessons learned. [43:30]
* Early momentum and unique marketing for 21 Seeds. [49:12]
* Diageo's acquisition of 21 Seeds, a milestone in female-founded liquor business. [54:48]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kat:
* 21 Seeds Website: https://www.21seeds.com/
* 21 Seeds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/21seeds/
* Kat's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathantas/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you ever struggled with acne? While often thought of as a mere sign of puberty, acne can continue into or begin during adulthood—and it’s especially common when hormonal birth control enters the picture. Skin challenges after coming off the pill is actually what led our co-founder, Yasmin, to try seed cycling—which today’s Hormone Happy Hour guest mentions as a way to help address acne!
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Why you could be getting acne later in life
* The top root causes of acne
* Where to start on your healing journey
* How some animal products can help nourish skin
* The truth about topical-only approaches
* Foods that could be triggering flare ups
* How seed cycling can support clear skin
Kristin Cunningham is a board certified nurse practitioner who specializes in root cause treatment of complex acne cases. She earned her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and her master's degree from Georgetown University.
While she was working as a nurse practitioner in family medicine she started struggling with adult acne. She soon became disillusioned with the ineffective, expensive skin care cluttering her vanity and the harsh medications that characterized traditional acne management.
After spending months studying the root causes of acne and applying a holistic approach she was able to heal her acne. She saw the need for more awareness of this holistic model and started @The_Acne_NP on Instagram. She soon drew attention from thousands of followers who wanted to understand the root causes of acne for themselves.
Kristin currently works full time teaching people how to clear their skin through a comprehensive, holistic approach. She lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband and 3 school-age children.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Check out Kristin’s programs and use code BEEYA150 for $150 off here:
* Teen Acne Academy - www.bemetahealth.com/teenacneacademy
* Clear Skin Code (Adult program) - www.bemetahealth.com/clearskincode
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Kristin:
* Website: https://www.bemetahealth.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_acne_np/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Carolyn Childers is the CEO and co-founder of Chief, a revolutionary private membership network designed to uplift, empower and connect women executives. Chief has since achieved unicorn status, holding members in over 77% of Fortune 100 companies with a $1.1 billion valuation.
Although Carolyn never originally set out to become an entrepreneur, her journey from investment banking to strategic and business development positions at companies like Victoria's Secret, Avon Products, and eventually her role as SVP of Operations at Handy led her to a problem she wanted to solve: supporting women executives. She teamed up with her co-founder Lindsay and together they were committed to building a private platform with community groups, member meetups, flagship clubhouse access, and most importantly, a powerful, vetted community.
It’s said best by Carolyn herself, “It gets lonely at the top,” but for women, it gets lonely a lot earlier.” Today, Chief holds a wait list of tens of thousands of women and continues to empower women at all stages through its educational blog, podcast, and annual impact fund for female-focused causes. It’s clear investing in women pays off.
In our episode, Carolyn shares her unique journey to entrepreneurship, how she evaluated the risks when leaving her stable job that she was doing well in, and the many myths we all have around entrepreneurship. She also shares how she built momentum early in the business, how she dealt with rejections from many investors, and the importance of having a laser focus on community and building the best experiences. Carolyn also provides her insights on finding co-founders and important aspects to consider, how she's tackled perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Carolyn about:
* Myths about women in entrepreneurship. [03:26]
* Journey from investment banking to entrepreneurship. [06:72]
* Running operations at Handy, and how the idea for Chief came about. [18:27]
* Carolyn's financial planning for startup risk. [25:03]
* Carolyn's alignment with co-founder Lindsey. [28:00]
* Building the early momentum and raising capital. [32:50]
* Pushing Chief through word of mouth and organic channels. [36:30]
* Prioritizing essentials and community engagement. [41:52]
* Navigating entrepreneurship pressure. [41:52]
* Chief's focus and beneficiaries. [55:15]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Carolyn:
* CHIEF Website: https://chief.com/
* CHIEF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiefamongstus/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you ever wondered if your bedroom experience is normal? We sat down with naturopathic endocrinologist and clinical sexologist, Dr. Jolene Brighten. She helps us not only get the facts straight, but also bust through shame so many of us have around this topic. She’s basically the sex-ed teacher we wish we had when we were younger, so get your notepad ready…
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to leverage your hormones for better sex
* The truth about orgasms for women
* Why you might have pain during sex
* If you can get pregnant while on your period
* What to consider before taking birth control
* The best ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy
* And more…
Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board certified naturopathic endocrinologist, clinical sexologist, and the founder of Rubus Health, a women’s medical clinic with emphasis in endocrine health (hormones). She is recognized as a leading expert in women's health. Dr. Brighten is the best-selling author of Beyond the Pill and Healing Your Body Naturally After Childbirth: The New Mom’s Guide to Navigating the Fourth Trimester. She is also an international speaker and a member of the MindBodyGreen Collective. Her work has been featured in the New York Post, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, Bustle, The Guardian and ABC News. When she’s not educating the world on female reproductive health, she can be found cooking, hiking, gardening, or snorkeling with her family.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Jolene:
* Website: https://drbrighten.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sasha Plavsic is the founder of ILIA Beauty, a natural skin-centric makeup and skincare brand that paved the way for the “clean-beauty” space as we know it today.
Throughout her life, Sasha noticed that some of her beauty products irritated her skin. Her mother, who was also dealing with her own health challenges, encouraged Sasha to look into the ingredients behind her favorite makeup, leading her to notice a real gap in the industry for efficacious makeup that supports healthy skin. This motivated Sasha to build from the ground up out of her parent’s garage and bootstrapping the venture herself. ILIA has now expanded to many different product lines & has award-winning skincare products, mascara, lipsticks, and more. The company has seen incredible growth and last year, was sold to the private investment fund of the Courtin-Clarins family.
In our episode, Sasha shares how she went from dreaming of becoming an architect to diving into graphic design, even dropping out of college, crossing borders, and finally discovering her true path. She candidly shares her 'aha' moment in her 30s – the catalyst that pushed her to leave behind her old life, get out of a long-term relationship, travel, and create the space for freedom that she always wanted. Sasha shares how she got ILIA off the ground with no background in makeup and the importance of sharing ideas to bring them to life. She also talks about how she started the business with very little money, the exact steps she took to take ILIA to the next level and the importance of listening to her gut and not growing too fast.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sasha about:
* Sasha's dream of becoming an architect and college decisions. [09:01]
* Parents' reaction to Sasha's education and exploration. [16:36]
* Ending a relationship, leaving town, and traveling the world. [23:03]
* Honoring life's biggest value, freedom.[25:51]
* Supporting her mother's health, and starting ILIA. [30:29]
* Sasha's side hustles and entrepreneurial ideas. [32:37]
* Working at Saje, self-funding, and dad's support/advice.[40:03]
* How Sasha launched the first product with very little money. [43:10]
* Managing and overcoming big transitions in her life: Getting married, getting pregnant, and losing her dad to cancer. [47:02]
* Turning down Sephora and potential business partnership. [54:12]
* Being present with her kids, valuing her own time, and setting boundaries in life. [01:00:52]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Sasha:
* ILIA Beauty's Website: https://iliabeauty.com/
* Sasha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashaplavsic/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you ever wished you could age in reverse? Turns out, you actually can—and today’s guest has the science to back it up. Join us as we dive into the world of epigenetics (meaning, “above” genetics) and discover lifestyle practices to reverse biological age.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to influence your gene expression
* The power of food and epinutrients
* How stress impacts the aging process
* The impact of exercise and how to move more
* How seed cycling can support healthy aging
* Considerations if you’re planning to conceive
Kara Fitzgerald, ND, IFMCP, is engaged in ongoing clinical research on DNA methylation using diet and lifestyle interventions. She is the author of Younger You: Reduce Your Bio Age and Live Longer, Better, a ground-breaking work detailing her original 8-week study that resulted in a 3-year reversal of biological aging, and the step-by-step program that can help others achieve those results. Her follow up research has yielded even better outcomes: a 4.6-year average biological age reversal. She also has a Younger You companion cookbook, Better Broths and Healing Tonics.
Dr. Fitzgerald is on faculty at the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), and is an IFM Certified Practitioner. She regularly lectures internationally and hosts the podcast New Frontiers in Functional Medicine. She received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine in Oregon and is in private practice in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Kara:
* Website: https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkarafitzgerald/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mimi Ikonn is a serial entrepreneur known for founding Luxy Hair, a DTC hair extension brand, and Intelligent Change, a lifestyle brand promoting mindfulness and gratitude through consumer products. Her inspiring self-made story began with her immigration from Azerbaijan to Canada as a teenager.
Taking on the responsibility of financially supporting her family from a young age, Mimi dropped out of college, worked in banking, and took significant risks to pursue her passions and achieve financial independence, with her husband and business partner, Alex Ikonn, by her side.
Luxy Hair achieved impressive success, reaching 250,000+ customers in 165+ countries before being acquired by Beauty Industry Group. Currently, Mimi and Alex focus on Intelligent Change, selling over 1,700,000+ copies of their flagship product, The Five Minute Journal.
In our interview, Mim shares her captivating life story, from being a college dropout to discovering her passions and starting Luxy Hair with limited resources and industry connections. Her positive energy shines as she discusses overcoming hardships and depression, offering valuable tips for manifesting the life you desire, and promoting meaningful change in both personal and professional spheres.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Mimi about:
* Mimi's humble beginnings in Baku, Azerbaijan. [03:20]
* Mimi's immigration journey to Canada, financially supporting her family at 16. [11:39]
* Not going to college, working in a bank, and meeting her future husband. [17:08]
* The 4-Hour Workweek" impact on Mimi and Alex's life and business vision. [25:29]
* The inspiration behind their first business, Luxy Hair. [27:18]
* "The Body Keeps the Score" influence on Mimi's life and traumas [34:35]
* Manifesting life and practicing gratitude, Tony Robbins' program. [41:35]
* Selling Luxy Hair and creating the 5-Minute Journal by Intelligent Change. [48:39]
* Mimi's passion projects and her sustainability advocacy. [54:49]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Mimi:
* Intelligent Change Website: https://www.intelligentchange.com/
* Intelligent Change Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intelligentchange/?hl=en
* Mimi's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mimiikonn/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Anyone who menstruates will navigate a range of hormonal shifts throughout their life. Today, we’re focusing on the transition between our reproductive years and menopause–otherwise known as perimenopause. If you don’t think this applies to you yet, we urge you to reconsider as we’ve learned how nourishment in our early years can be hugely supportive as our bodies shift throughout our entire lives.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* What leads to early perimenopause
* How to deal with HOT FLASHES when you’ve tried everything
* What women need to know about ALCOHOL and CAFFEINE
* How and why to get more diversity in your diet
* The best COLOR to eat for hormone health
* The truth about supplementing with melatonin
* And more…
Deanna Minich, MS, PhD, CNS, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (IFMCP), is a nutrition scientist, international lecturer, teacher, and author, with over twenty years of experience in academia and in the food and dietary supplement industries.
Throughout the years, she has been active as a functional medicine clinician in clinical trials and in her own practice (Food & Spirit™), which has now become oriented towards groups, workshops, and retreats. She is the author of six consumer books on wellness topics, four book chapters, and fifty scientific publications. Her academic background is in nutrition science, including a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1995) and a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Medical Sciences (nutrition focus) from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands (1999). For a decade, she was part of the research team led by the “father of Functional Medicine,” Dr. Jeffrey Bland, and has served on the Nutrition Advisory Board for The Institute of Functional Medicine, as well as on the Board of Directors for the American Nutrition Association.
She is Chief Science Officer at Symphony Natural Health, where she leads the medical advisory team, oversees scientific communication, and provides educational leadership for the company’s plant-derived nutraceuticals. She is passionate about helping others to live well using therapeutic lifestyle changes that impact their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Deanna:
* Website: https://deannaminich.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannaminich/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Annie Lawless is a serial entrepreneur known for co-founding Suja Juice and, more recently, Lawless Beauty, a clean beauty brand. Throughout her ventures, Annie has consistently prioritized natural, clean ingredients stemming from her personal experience with autoimmune diseases.
Driven by her passion for nutrition and overall health, Annie co-founded Suja Juice, which grew into one of the largest organic cold-pressed juice companies. Eventually, they sold a minority stake to Coca-Cola and, in 2021, the company was acquired by a private equity firm.
After leaving Suja Juice, Annie's health conditions led her to search for clean beauty products only to find that what was available simply did not provide the full-pigmentation, long-lasting performance she was looking for. Inspired by this gap in the market and the community feedback on her beauty blog BLAWNDE, Annie created Lawless Beauty—a makeup brand that is both high-performing and cruelty-free.
In the episode, Annie discusses pivotal moments in her journey, leaving law school, teaching yoga, and starting her first business. She shares insights into Suja Juice's growth and emphasizes the importance of following passions aligned with purpose. Annie reminds us to focus on joy, nurture our passions, and stay true to our unique paths.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Annie about:
* Self-understanding, philosophy, and finding purpose. [05:57]
* Overcoming anxiety, leaving law school. [15:13]
* From yoga teaching to first business venture. [17:24]
* Suja Juice: Fun passion project turned business. [22:58]
* Pivotal moments for Suja Juice's success. [26:58]
* Key learnings from building Suja Juice. [30:55]
* Life after leaving the first business. [37:16]
* Lawless Beauty: Passion project turned success. [41:13]
* Embracing the unknown and creating a better life. [58:36]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Annie:
* Website: https://lawlessbeauty.com/
* Lawless Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawless/
* Annie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annielawless/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Did you know that only 5% of our cognition is conscious? That means that 95% of our behaviors, emotions and decisions are beyond our conscious awareness. This is why it’s often challenging for people to create change and why we repeat the same patterns over and over in our lives.
In today’s episode with Dr. Afrouz Demeri, we explore the mind-body connection and how it could be the missing piece in your healing journey.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The #1 thing that blocks women from thriving
* How the subconscious mind impacts our health
* The importance of feeling our emotions
* What can happen when we identify with labels
* How to understand your triggers for healing
* What EMDR therapy is and who it can help
* How your greatest challenges can be your strength
Over 14+ years, Dr. Demeri has helped women get to the root cause of their health concerns so they can live healthier, more fulfilling lives. As a licensed, board-certified Naturopathic Medical Doctor, her specialty is bringing together traditional medicine and western science to help women feel empowered by the right information. She works to find the root cause for hormonal imbalances, infertility, thyroid disorders, stress, weight issues, digestive issues, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. While studying for her medical boards, she felt frustrated and defeated by a long list of symptoms. Endless painkillers, antibiotics, and specialists later, nothing was working… until she met a naturopathic doctor who changed her life. That doctor made her feel like a whole person instead of the sum of her symptoms, and inspired her life’s mission to help other women feel the same.
Dr. Afrouz has been featured in publications such as Women’s Health, Now Magazine, Weight Wise Expo, and Vitality. When she’s not helping patients find their own lifelong wellness, you can find her studying yoga, cooking for her family of four, or teaching (and dancing) at the local Zumba studio.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Afrouz:
* Website: https://drdemeri.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdemeri/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Amy Errett founded Madison Reed with 30+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and social-mission visionary. She's the CEO of Madison Reed, an omnichannel beauty brand challenging industry titans in hair color. Amy is also a Partner at True Ventures, focusing on consumer and ecommerce investments.
Before Madison Reed, Amy was a general partner at Maveron, a VC firm co-founded by Howard Schultz. She served as Chief Asset Gathering Officer at E*TRADE and has been featured on Fast Company's Queer 50 and Inc. Magazine's Female Founders 100 lists.
Amy noticed the need for at-home hair color with salon-quality results using clean ingredients. Inspired by her daughter, she created Madison Reed, empowering colorists to earn more. Amy believes in empowering women in their lives, not just their hair color.
In our episode, Amy shares her journey to Madison Reed, validating the idea, and what she looks for in entrepreneurs as a Venture Capitalist. She discusses finding your superpower, balancing head and heart, managing fear and anxiety when starting a business, and more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Amy about:
* Amy's advice on finding passion. [02:52]
* Amy's pivotal moment shaping her into a businesswoman.[05:57]
* Escaping the victim mindset.[10:20]
* Amy's career journey and decision to leave finance. [15:12]
* Amy's "Aha!" moment leading to leaving finance. [21:28]
* Reflecting on regrettable decisions. [28:34]
* Traits Amy looks for in founders. [33:40]
* Acknowledging anger and fear. [38:52]
* Why Amy didn't invest in Dollar Shave Club. [40:35]
* Testing the idea before launching Madison Reed. [47:48]
* Understanding customer values. [51:32]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Amy:
* Website: https://www.madison-reed.com/
* Madison Reed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisonreed/
* Amy’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyerrett/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Juice cleanses, colonics, and detox teas — oh my! Many of us are aware that toxins are ubiquitous in our modern world, but there’s a lot of confusion around what to do about it. What is the true impact of these toxins? And how can we actually support our bodies? That’s exactly what we cover in today’s episode of Hormone Happy Hour with Dr. Judy Hinojosa.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How toxins can impact your hormones
* Signs that you might have a high toxic load
* Practical tips for reducing toxic burden
* How alcohol impacts women specifically
* The best way to drink alcohol if you choose
* And more…
Dr. Judy Hinojosa is a well established naturopathic medical doctor and the visionary founder behind the eco-conscious Vitality Wellness Clinic. Nestled in Arizona, this state-of-the-art wellness center has served as a testament to her dedication to holistic medicine over the past 15 years.
With an optimal blend of functional and naturopathic medicine, Dr. Judy Hinojosa is renowned for her patient-focused approach, expertly blending various holistic and integrative therapies. She applies her skills in bio-identical hormones, peptide therapy, nutritional counseling, and vitamin infusion therapy to optimize patient wellness. Further, she incorporates botanical medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, ozone therapy, and mainstream medicine to deliver a comprehensive and well-rounded healthcare experience
Beyond her busy schedule at the clinic, Dr. Judy is an ardent educator at heart. She generously imparts her knowledge through public speaking engagements addressing vital topics on environmental medicine, detoxification, hormone balancing, energy healing, and spiritual health.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Dr. Judy Hinojosa:
* Website: https://vitalitywellnessclinic.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjudyhinojosa/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing one of our top episodes from this year with Gala Darling, a bestselling author, speaker, professional optimist, and self-proclaimed tapping queen.
For over a decade, Gala has been a leader in promoting radical self-love. She offers a powerful collection of tools and techniques that have empowered millions of women to discover their voice, overcome fear, and fall in love with life.
Gala is also an expert in EFT tapping, an energy psychology technique that she has utilized to manifest her own dream life and conquer limiting beliefs. Her work has been featured in major publications such as Vogue, The New York Times, and Cosmopolitan, among others.
Gala shares her journey of using tapping to heal from an eating disorder and depression. She explores manifestation techniques that can transform your life. She’s so real, relatable and gives such great tactical advice on how to manifest the dream life, relationship, and career you want.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Gala about:
* Women's success-limiting beliefs. [02:40]
* Gala's lessons on radical uniqueness from her "spiritual grandparents." [04:53]
* Gala's challenges growing up and her liberation through EFT tapping. [15:04]
* Understanding tapping, its workings, and changing beliefs. [19:09]
* Gala's career journey and brand evolution. [25:16]
* Gala's three-part Magical Morning Practice for manifestation. [35:16]
* Tips to help you expand your own boundaries and think bigger. [47:18]
* Why it’s so important to have contrast and feel pain. [58:06]
* Limited time but never too late for a change. [01:01:50]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Gala:
* Website: https://galadarling.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galadarling/
* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT84ANHs5N3eGWPAX2Sg8ZA
* Radical Self-Love: A Guide to Loving Yourself and Living Your Dreams: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Self-Love-Gala-Darling-ebook/dp/B0170HFG90
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we sat down with one of our favorite people to follow on Instagram, the registered dietitian behind @nourishedbynutrition, Jess Bippen. With her community of over 150k people, she shares delicious inspiration for balanced meals and practical hormone tips — two of our most favorite things! Join us as we chat all things balance as it relates to nutrition, motherhood and healthy living.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to build a plate for blood sugar and satiety
* The mindset shifts that support long-term change
* How to stay balanced as a mom
* The impact of cortisol on hormones
* Best hacks to feel good when drinking coffee
* And more…
Jess is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Masters in Nutrition Therapy. She specializes in women's hormone health, blood sugar balance and helping women optimize their wellness through every season of life — without obsession for perfection. She's a mom of two boys and content creator for her brand Nourished by Nutrition.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Jess:
* Website: https://nourishedbynutrition.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nourishedbynutrition/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Julia Haart is a self-made businesswoman, designer, bestselling author and most recently, the star of the Netflix show My Unorthodox Life. Raised in an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, she made a daring escape at age 42, rebranded herself, and embarked on a career in fashion. Within a week, she founded her own shoe brand and quickly made her mark at Paris Fashion Week. Later, she became creative director of La Perla and eventually co-owner and CEO of Elite World Group. Julia recently launched her vibrant and innovative shapewear brand, +Body by Julia Haart.
In our episode, she shares her transformative eight-year journey leaving the Ultra-Orthodox community, shedding light on the challenges she faced growing up in a restrictive environment. Julia's inspiring story, from fashion novice to building a billion-dollar shoe brand, encourages us to discover our own freedom, purpose, and voice.
* Julia's upbringing within the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. [03:08]
* Julia’s identity within her community as a woman and a human being. [06:23]
* The eight-year process leaving the community and getting a divorce. [10:33]
* Leaving the Ultra-Orthodox community, and the vital roles of her motherhood and relationships. [16:51]
* Advice to women on achieving financial freedom. [17:27]
* Knowing when and when NOT to have a Plan B. [21:27]
* Advice on taking that leap and facing the unknown. [28:05]
* Julia’s first ever business, the shoe brand. [33:56]
* Julia's divorce, legal battles, and being the CEO at Elite World Group. [37:26]
* Overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome. [41:55]
* Relaunching +Body by Julia Haart, her shapewear brand. [46:50]
* Challenges of Julia's entire life on Netflix. [52:11]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle. * Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Julia:
* Julia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliahaart/
* Julia's Book, Brazen: https://www.amazon.com/Brazen-Unorthodox-Journey-Sleeves-Lingerie/dp/0593239164
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Cynthia Li had it all — a thriving medical career, a loving marriage, and children. But everything came crashing down when she was hit with a disabling autoimmune thyroid condition. Strange symptoms took over her life and, despite numerous tests, the results always came back "normal". It was a puzzle that left both Dr. Li and her doctors scratching their heads, which led her to embark on an unconventional journey of self-discovery and healing.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How fear makes autoimmunity worse
* A journaling exercise for deep self inquiry
* What your dreams can reveal about your subconscious
* The healing potential of qigong
Cynthia Li, MD, is a medical doctor and author whose personal journey through a complex autoimmune condition took her from public health in underserved communities to integrative medicine and intuitive healing. She has studied with functional medicine experts, environmental health scientists, alternative healers, and qigong masters. She has served as faculty for Dr. Rachel Remen's Healer's Art program at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, and written a bestselling memoir called Brave New Medicine: A Doctor's Unconventional Journey to Healing Her Autoimmune Illness. What is most alive for her right now is coaching groups, where she integrates the powerful energy healing modality of qigong with clinical medicine. She also serves as co-anchor for Awakin Calls, a project of ServiceSpace.
Episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you're struggling with hormonal imbalances, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances
* Get $10 off with promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Cynthia:
* Website: https://cynthialimd.com/
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.cynthia.li/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Katerina Schneider is the Founder and CEO of Ritual, a personal health brand bringing a new level of transparency to the health & wellness industry. While pregnant and in search of a prenatal she could trust, Katerina took matters into her own hands and pioneered a new standard of high-quality multivitamins and supplements that are backed by science. Now as one of the most trusted brands in the category, Ritual has had more than a million customers and has the top-selling online prenatal multivitamin.
In this week's episode, we delve into Katerina's family's immigration journey, arriving in the US with only $50 & a suitcase, and how it has influenced her views on success and money. We explore her transition from finance to a different career path & the role of relationships in her journey. We also touch on the significant pivots Ritual made in terms of product, branding, & marketing very early on, as well as the biggest challenges she faced. Katerina also shares how she incorporates wellness in her life as a mother of three and business owner, highlighting the importance of being a little selfish when it comes to self-care, & so much more.
We talk to Katerina about:
* Migrating to the US with her family with only $50 and a suitcase. [02:49]
* Katerina’s finance career and involvement in a major US bank failure. [05:30]
* Working at Universal Music, rebuilding her confidence, & discovering passions. [12:08]
* Katerina’s transition to a new industry. [14:05]
* Advice on embracing uncertainty and trusting the process. [18:16]
* Ritual's inspiration rooted in Katerina's personal experience during her first pregnancy.[21:14]
* How Katerina thrived being both a mother and entrepreneur. [28:54]
* The original idea of Ritual and how it changed over time. [34:09]
* Taking care of yourself, building habits, and going back to the basics. [41:02]
* Why EVERYONE should start a business, and knowing when to take that leap. [47:10]
Episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you're struggling with hormonal imbalances, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances
* Get $10 off with promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Katerina:
* Website: https://ritual.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katandkale/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we’re reminded just how amazing our intricate system of hormones really is. We sat down with expert Ashe Milkovic, founder of the International Association of Functional Hormone Health, to talk about all things related to women’s health — from how to transition off of birth control to reclaiming our natural rhythm in a world structured against it.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How societal structures influence women’s hormones
* What cyclical living is and how to do it realistically
* Why ovulation matters even if you’re not trying to get pregnant
* What to consider when coming off birth control
* How to let go of perfectionism on your healing journey
Ashe Milkovic is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Functional Hormone Health Expert. As the founder and CEO of The International Association for Functional Hormone Health, Ashe strives to make advancements in women's health accessible by teaching tools and strategies to health professionals to expand their knowledge, skill sets, and practices in functional hormone health. Through her association, Ashe is on a mission to educate, collaborate, and create a thriving community of skilled practitioners that are passionate about helping to transform the lives of women all over the globe.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Ashe:
* IAFHH Website: https://iafhh.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/functionalhormonehealth/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Janna Ronert is the Founder and Chairwoman at IMAGE Skincare, a clean, clinical skincare brand powered by proven ingredients and smart botanicals.
Janna's journey began growing up on a farm where she learned the value of hard work and determination. Despite having an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, Janna ended up working for Fortune 100 companies and found great success in different sales & marketing roles. Later in her career, she came to terms that she was not happy and realized her passion was always in skincare. She took a leap of faith, left her secure job, went back to school to become an esthetician, and started working at a doctor's office for minimum wage, immersing herself in the industry and eventually creating her own product line. Today, IMAGE Skincare is a global brand with over 25,000 customers across 60 countries and is the #1 spa and salon professional skincare brand in the US.
She emphasizes the importance of following one's intuition and instincts when making career changes, as well as being aware of personal strengths and weaknesses. Janna candidly discusses her own experience of overcoming imposter syndrome, starting her product line with zero money, and the challenges and lessons she learned during the early days of her business. Janna talks about the power of visualization and how we can all think even bigger about our goals & dreams. Janna also shares insights into her most recent business venture, Hush & Hush, and highlights the differences between launching a business in the present day versus twenty years ago.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Janna about:
* Why fear holds people back from taking that first step. [02:49]
* Janna's upbringing and the foundation of her confidence. [04:12]
* Her early relationship with money and hard work. [06:55]
* Understanding what you want, and what you don’t want. [09:22]
* What triggered Janna to leave her secured 9-5 job. [12:03]
* Entering the beauty industry and experiencing impostor syndrome. [13:18]
* Janna’s BIG vision in building her own beauty company. [18:54]
* Funding her business and building connections. [28:03]
* Instilling a strong work ethic in her children. [32:19]
* Choosing the right business partner. [37:06]
* The significance of having a big vision. [47:03]
* Janna’s role as a mother and entrepreneur. [48:52]
* The difference between starting a business now vs. 20 years ago. [50:33]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Janna:
* IMAGE Skincare Website: https://imageskincare.com/
* IMAGE Skincare Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imageskincare/
* Janna Ronert's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jannaronert/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You’ve probably seen her all over your feed — Jessie Inchauspé, the brains behind the wildly popular Glucose Goddess Method. Join us as we dive into the world of blood sugar and how to keep yours stable for balanced hormones, radiant complexion, lasting energy, better focus, stable mood and so much more!
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to know if your blood sugar is balanced
* The BEST breakfast for all-day energy
* How glucose spikes drive aging
* One easy HACK to change how carbs impact you
* The connection between insulin and PCOS
Jessie Inchauspé is on a mission to translate cutting-edge science into easy tips to help people improve their physical and mental health. She’s the founder of the wildly popular Instagram account @glucosegoddess, where she teaches life-changing food habits to hundreds of thousands of people. Jessie holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from King’s College London and a master’s degree in biochemistry from Georgetown University. Her work at a genetic analysis start-up in Silicon Valley made her realize that, as the key to good health, food habits beat genetics. In her first book, Glucose Revolution, Jessie shares her startling discovery about the essential role of blood sugar in every aspect of our lives, from cravings to fertility, and the surprising hacks to optimize it while still eating the foods we love.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Jessie:
* Website: https://www.glucosegoddess.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lilit Caradanian is the founder and CEO of Elcie Cosmetics, an award-winning cosmetics brand, and Elcientials, a simplified, clean skincare brand.
Lilit had regular 9-to-5 jobs, but she secretly pursued her love for makeup on the side and never thought it could be a real career option. Everything changed when Lilit got laid off from her "dream job" at Disney. It was a wake-up call for her, and she finally decided to follow her passion and open her own makeup studio. Surprisingly, within just a year, her studio became the top makeup school in Los Angeles.
Feeling empowered by her success, Lilit took a big financial risk, self-funded and launched her own cosmetics line called Elcie Cosmetics. It didn't take off right away, but things changed when one of her foundation products went viral. She won the Cosmopolitan Foundation of the Year Award in 2016, and that completely changed the game for her brand, turning it into a multi-million dollar business. From the success of Elicie Cosmetics, Lilit recently decided to launch her own skincare line called Elcientials last year.
In our conversation with Lilit, she reveals the key role social media played in raising awareness for her brand over the years. She also opens up about her relationship with social media, why she decided to delete her Instagram with over 1 million followers and how it directly impacted her business. We also talk about how she’s thought about risk throughout her journey when it came to side hustles and starting her business, especially as the primary breadwinner in her family, and so much more.
* Growing up with limited economic resources and how it’s shaped Lilit's character. [04:20]
* What sparked Lilit’s interest in makeup. [09:17]
* Getting her “dream job” in Disney as the procurement finance role. [14:23]
* Lilit's perspective on being laid off from her job. [15:33]
* Supporting her family while facing the loss of her full-time job. [18:40]
* The parent’s initial reaction on her passion. [25:28]
* Lilit's relationship with social media in the past and how it has evolved over the course of 10 years. [27:22]
* Becoming consumed by social media and reassessing the meaning of influence. [29:11]
* Deleting her Instagram account despite having millions of followers. [30:30]
* The journey of launching a skincare brand. [39:13]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Lilit:
* Elcie Cosmetics Website: https://elciecosmetics.com/
* Elcie Cosmetics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elciecosmetics/
* Elcientials Website: https://elcientials.com/
* Elcientials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elcientials/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’ve spent any time in the health-focused spaces of Los Angeles, you’ve likely heard of Elissa Goodman. From Cafe Gratitude to Erewhon, in addition to her signature cleanses, she delivers nourishment all over the city. We sat down to talk about the health challenges she’s overcome, including cancer and Hashimoto’s, and how she supports her clients today through plant-focused nutrition and mindful living.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* The truth about most green juice
* How to break sugar cravings
* The role of self love in cancer treatment
* Why women have more illness than men
* How to optimize your digestion
Elissa was diagnosed with cancer in her early 30’s and took the alternative route to heal herself. After having her two girls, she was then diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, which she was able to put into remission too. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer at 43 and lost his battle a year and a half later. Elissa decided it was time to take her health more seriously and became an Integrative Holistic Nutritionist.
Fast forward several years, and she has helped thousands of clients manage their health issues. Elissa has created several successful cleanses with Cafe Gratitude and M cafe, including her own delivered EG Kitchen Cleanse in Los Angeles and her digital 7-Day RESET cleanse. Her Super Seed Bars from the Cleanse are sold online nationwide. Elissa published a best-selling book called Cancer Hacks, and she is currently working on her second book about pronging and how to physically, emotionally, and spiritually cleanse to live a vibrant and thriving life. Her mission is to educate and encourage healthy, mindful living and helping others embrace the concept that we are products of what we eat and how we treat ourselves!
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Follow Elissa:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elissagoodman/
* Website: https://elissagoodman.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alicia Yoon is the Founder and CEO of the leading Korean skincare brand, Peach & Lily. She joins us to share how her own skincare journey led her to study K-beauty alongside chemists in Korea and make innovative, gentle, and effective Korean-inspired beauty solutions available to all. Today, Peach & Lily is on track to become the number five skincare brand at Ulta Beauty, but it wasn’t always that way. Alicia gets candid about the highs and lows along the way, including a moment when she had $7 in her bank account due to self-funding the business’s growing needs.
In our episode together, she offers an honest insight into her experience of starting a self-funded business with no plan from her apartment. She also opens up about the first business she started in the fashion industry and the biggest mistakes and lessons she learned there. Alicia also talks about common myths about starting a business, including the characteristics you need to truly succeed as a business owner, and reveals what motivated her to take the leap from a full-time role in finance to starting Peach & Lily in 2012.
We talk about some of the things she needed to unlearn from her corporate background to thrive as an entrepreneur, and Alicia equips listeners with some dos and don'ts for starting a business. We touch on cultural hurdles she has faced and how she turned them into her biggest advantage in the business world, along with the emotional journey behind the scenes. Alicia also touches on how becoming a parent has made her into a better entrepreneur and an expert at prioritizing what matters most in life and business.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Alicia about:
* The qualities Alicia believes are necessary to successfully start a business. [03:00]
* Why it’s necessary to build an effective business model before taking the leap into entrepreneurship. [05:03]
* Two moments of culture shock that Alicia experienced growing up. [07:56]
* Cultural hurdles Alicia faced in the working world. [11:01]
* What she needed to unlearn from corporate finance to succeed as an entrepreneur. [15:22]
* Alicia’s journey of caring for her own skin with severe eczema. [19:03]
* The moment she first became passionate about helping others to take control of their skin. [23:03]
* What pushed her to take the plunge and start her business. [26:30]
* How Alicia approached planning for her business financially. [33:35]
* Alicia’s emotional journey with the business. [39:21]
* Hacks for building momentum. [44:30]
* How having kids has impacted Alicia’s life. [52:27]
* Advice Alicia would give to her younger self. [56:38]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Alicia:
* Alicia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliciayoon212/
* Peach Slices on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peach_slices/
* Peach & Lily: https://www.peachandlily.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ever wonder if your bloating is normal? Or how much gas is TOO much?! Today, we have answers. Join us in this lively discussion as we dive into the realm of bodily functions with Dr. Mary Pardee, who specializes in gut health and longevity.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How to know if your bloating is normal
* TOP foods to feed your microbiome
* What to do when you’re constipated
* The impact of STRESS on our digestion
* Good news for coffee lovers
* Things a gut doctor would NEVER do
* And more…
Dr. Mary Pardee is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor and a Certified Functional Medicine Doctor who specializes in integrative approaches to gut health and longevity in Los Angeles, California. She is the founder of modrn med, a telemedicine company that provides medical and health services to patients from the comfort of their homes. For those who can not work one-on-one with a modrn med practitioner, Dr. Mary also created a gut-health course that dives into the most common gut related complaints and natural solutions to start healing.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Dr. Pardee:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.marypardee/
* Modrn Med Website: https://www.modrnmed.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Colleen Wachob is the co-founder and co-CEO of mindbodygreen, a digital media and lifestyle brand at the forefront of the wellness movement. Mindbodygreen garners more than 15 million monthly unique users today, and Colleen and her husband pioneered the concept before wellness was even a “thing”. She describes herself as an unlikely entrepreneur and shares her approach to how we can prioritize wellness in the busy world we live in.
In this episode, Colleen shares her near-catastrophic event that made her realize she had to get in tune with her body, and her unlikely introduction into the world of entrepreneurship after spending a decade at Fortune 500 companies like Gap, Walmart and Amazon. Colleen shares her perspective on managing stress and navigating self-worth as an entrepreneur after working in the corporate world. She is deeply motivated by her own experience and process of healing and discovery, and she has recently co-authored a book, The Joy of Wellbeing, with her husband to pass along the tools she has learned along the way.
If you’re seeking direction, looking to avoid burnout, or interested in a different approach to cultivating self-worth, joy, health, and happiness, this episode is perfect for you!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Colleen about:
* Colleen’s complicated relationship with risk and why she is the least likely entrepreneur. [02:56]
* How Colleen approaches stress management in her life. [07:12]
* The inflection point in Colleen’s early 30s that changed everything for her. [10:20]
* What it took to tune in to her body and start to listen to its signals. [16:43]
* The next steps she took in her career following the incident. [18:52]
* What it was like to start in the wellness industry before it launched. [21:26]
* Staying grounded and excited while the goalposts in your business move. [26:24]
* Navigating self-worth as an entrepreneur. [28:12]
* Raising children as an entrepreneur. [31:33]
* The book she has recently published with her husband, The Joy of Wellbeing. [34:15]
* How Colleen learned to leverage the power of breath and how you can too. [37:40]
* Sleep and anxiety and how the book explores this. [38:55]
* Chapters of the book that excited Colleen and her husband most. [40:44]
* Dr. Lisa Miller’s work around spirituality and the parent. [42:45]
* Advice for mouth taping. [47:10]
* The one thing Colleen and her husband want people to be flexible about. [48:00]
* Integrating wellness after becoming a mom. [49:21]
* Advice for people who are feeling overwhelmed by their wellness journey. [50:48]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Colleen:
* Colleen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenwachob/
* Mindbodygreen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindbodygreen/
* Mindbodygreen website: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In our fast-paced world, it's easy to overlook the importance of finding stillness amidst the chaos. Yet, by exploring the depths of meditation and truly being with ourselves, we unlock a treasure trove of benefits that extend far beyond the realms of calmness and serenity. Our guest expert, Kimberly Snyder shares how it wasn't until she found presence within herself that she finally healed her chronic digestive issues, acne and anxiety.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How meditation and stillness can help balance hormones
* The TRUTH about lasting confidence and how to create it
* What deep self-love looks like and its impact on health
* The MISSING PIECE to manifestation that makes you magnetic
* What ancient texts teach us about true well-being
Kimberly Snyder is a multiple time New York Times bestselling author, spiritual and meditation teacher, international speaker, nutritionist, and wellness expert. She has authored 6 books, including Radical Beauty, which she co-authored with Deepak Chopra. Her highly anticipated 6th book, You Are More Than You Think You Are: Practical Enlightenment for Everyday Life, (Hay House) recently published in paperback (January 2023).
She is also the founder of Solluna®, a holistic lifestyle brand that offers supplements, meditations and courses, Practical Enlightenment Meditation,™ and the host of the top-rated Feel Good Podcast on the Podcast One Network.
She has worked with dozens of top celebrities to feel their best, including Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington and Channing Tatum, and is regularly featured by numerous national media outlets, including Good Morning America, The Today Show, The New York Times, Ellen, Vogue and The Wall Street Journal. Kimberly resides in Los Angeles and Hawaii with her husband and children.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Kimberly:
* Website: https://mysolluna.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kimberlysnyder/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Julian Addo is the Founder and CEO of Adwoa Beauty, an award-winning textured hair-care brand.
Originally from Monrovia, Liberia, Julian and her family relocated to New York in 1982. She began her career as a stylist during her teenage years, working hard to support her family and make ends meet. Eventually, she became a successful salon owner but made the unexpected decision to venture into the banking industry, leaving her salon behind.
In 2012, Julian launched her own beauty blog, Bella Kinks, as a passion project. While maintaining her full-time corporate job, she built relationships within the beauty industry and established partnerships with key companies. However, it was when Julian faced a layoff from her banking career that she saw an opportunity for change.
Inspired by disruptive direct-to-consumer companies like Glossier and Warby Parker, Julian noticed a significant lack of innovation in the natural and textured hair sector. Never in a million years did Julian think she’d start her own brand but after many rejections on the idea, she felt strongly to get the concept out there. In 2017, her natural hair care line Adwoa Beauty was born.
In our interview with Julian, she reveals how she reignited her passion for beauty after years in the corporate world, sharing the step-by-step process of launching her brand without outside funding and the realities of starting a business from her living room. Julian how she acquired her first customers, built brand awareness, and secured a game-changing partnership with Sephora. We also talk about her fundraising experience, what she learned about raising money, her plans for the next phase in her business, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Julia about:
* Tracing the roots of Julian's self-belief and her advice to others for pursuing their dreams. [03:01]
* Julian talks about her family's arrival in New York, and her reflections on this period. [08:22]
* The first job that Julian had at a salon and the lessons she learned at a young age. [15:47]
* Work in the corporate sector and some of the benefits of working in banking. [21:59]
* How Julian pivoted back into the beauty industry and focused on the natural hair space. [27:27]
* Julian's natural curiosity and tendency to always ask questions. [38:10]
* The product development and testing processes for Adwoa Beauty. [45:53]
* Launching and distributing Adwoa Beauty products early on. [49:50]
* How Julian aligned and partnered with Sephora. [52:29]
* Finding the right people to work with and the support that is accessible to new brands. [56:48]
* The evolution of Julian's fundraising process. [1:02:20]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Julian:
* Website: https://www.adwoabeauty.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adwoabeauty/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What do anxiety, brain fog and low libido have in common? It turns out, the food we eat can impact all of the above. In this week’s Hormone Happy Hour, we sat down with Harvard Nutritional Psychiatrist AND trained chef, Dr. Uma Naidoo. We discuss the connection between our gut and brain + the many levels at which we are impacted by what’s on our plates.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* How what we eat impacts our mental health
* The TOP foods to eat for better brain function
* How culture impacts the mental health conversation
* One type of food Dr. Uma ALWAYS travels with
* Advice for parents to help kids eat more whole foods
* How NOT to stress yourself out over food
And more…
Dr. Uma Naidoo is a Harvard trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, and nutritional biologist & author of the national & international bestseller: “This is Your Brain on Food.” Michelin-starred chef David Bouley described Dr. Uma Naidoo as the world’s first “triple threat” in the food and medicine space as the nexus of her interests have found their niche in Nutritional Psychiatry.
Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first and only hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the USA. She is the Director of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the MGH Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
She serves as a regular media contributor at CNBC and is on the Harvard Health Publishing Editorial Advisory Board. She is currently developing the first and only CME based educational program at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard to educate other clinicians globally about nutrition for brain health. Dr. Uma has appeared as a Nutritional Psychiatry expert on Live with Kelly & Ryan, Today Show, 700 Club, ABC, and been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Thrive Global, Harpers, Shape, Parade, Boston Globe, AARP, and more.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Dr. Uma:
* Website: https://umanaidoomd.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drumanaidoo/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Heela Yang is the co-founder and CEO of Sol de Janeiro, an award-winning body care line that aims to capture the beautiful and vibrant energy of Brazilian culture.
The path to running a successful business and a life in entrepreneurship can look many different ways, and today's story is a particularly unique one. Heela had a picture-book corporate career, a great life in New York, and a bright future that seemed quite clear. It took falling in love, moving to Brazil, and some major moments of inspiration and epiphany to completely upend this!
Heela was in awe of the empowered ethos of the women in Brazil, who seemed so celebratory and confident in their own skin; it was this that Heela wanted to bring to the beauty industry, and that is exactly what she did with Sol de Janeiro.
The brand launched in 2016 with the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and became Sephora’s best-selling skin care cream a few months after its launch. They have now expanded to include fragrance and haircare, and are bringing in over $100 million in revenue.
In our chat today, we get to hear it all from Heela, as she talks about falling pregnant immediately after moving to Brazil, her early years in South Korea before her family moved to the US, what self-belief means to her, and the importance of finding the right partners and support system on your journey. We also get into some interesting thoughts on meditation, mental health, the importance of staying true to your gut when building an authentic & unique brand, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Heela about:
Overcoming hurdles in order to truly believe in yourself; Heela's advice. [2:50]
The impact of Heela's upbringing and early years in South Korea. [7:13]
Reflections on the important period when Heela's life changed, and she met her husband. [11:16]
How Brazilian culture began to rub off on Heela and her self-confidence. [14:15]
The first steps in starting a company and Heela's mindset at the time. [18:52]
Why developing a mission for a brand is central to its success! [20:23]
Creating the first product and building everything from the bottom up. [23:13]
The timeline for launching the brand and getting involved with Sephora. [26:34]
The connection between business and pregnancy, and advice from Heela for managing both. [31:56]
Heela's meditation practice and how it has helped her in multiple ways. [36:17]
Sol de Janeiro's partnership with L'Occitane, and how this has leveled up the business. [37:53]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Heela:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soldejaneiro/
* Website: https://soldejaneiro.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When it comes to our hormones, there’s a lot to consider — we covered a wide breadth of those topics in our conversation with Dr. Paria Vaziri. From mold exposure to thyroid function and gut health, we explore root causes to common symptoms and what you can do about it today.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Dr. Paria Vaziri is a licensed naturopathic doctor practicing in the state of California. Her main passion revolves around women's health. After years of struggling with her own menstrual cycles, gut health, and anxiety, without any relief, she found the power of natural medicine and it changed her life and career.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Dr. Paria:
* Website: https://www.doctorparia.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctor.paria/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Olivia Landau is the Founder and CEO of The Clear Clut, a digitally native natural diamond brand that's revolutionizing the diamond industry.
Although growing up in a family of jewelers, Olivia never thought she’d be in the business and if anything, her family discouraged her to get a job in the industry. After a few years of being lost and confused about her life, she decided to go to the Gemological Institute of America and from there, her path took a turn. She worked for other companies from Tiffany & Co to the Real Real, but realized there was an opportunity to connect with consumers in a different way. The Clear Cut empowers the next generation to design and create perfect hand-crafted diamond e-rings.
In our episode today, we talk about the step-by-step approach she took to turning her educational blog into a business and how she developed the confidence to quit her job & income to go all in. We also talk about how to build your business by being scrappy and doing things that are unscalable, which is so important when starting out, and how she’s created organic awareness & built a strong brand through social media. Olivia also opens up about going against her family's wishes of starting her business with her husband and the pushback they had along the way, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Olivia about:
* How waiting until everything is perfect can hold you back from taking the first step. [03:16]
* Her relationship to content creation and the surprises it brings. [04:47]
* Her unexpected path to the diamond business as a fourth-generation jeweler. [06:18]
* What she needed in order to leave her job and commit full-time to her side hustle. [12:57]
* Pursuing the business despite discouragement from the family. [18:03]
* Her experience at the Tech Stars accelerator. [18:54]
* Unscalable beginnings of the company and why they still implement new features unscalably. [22:13]
* A year-by-year overview of the company’s growth [24:13]
* Creating awareness and community in the early days. [25:11]
* Key takeaways for creating content on different platforms. [28:40]
* Common social media mistakes that Olivia observes others making. [33:40]
* Challenges Olivia has experienced as a leader of a larger business. [35:27]
* The company’s relationship with investment following their initial seed round. [36:45]
* The whirlwind story of Olivia’s 2020 experience. [44:21]
* What keeps Olivia sane amidst the challenge of building a business. [46:45]
* Advisory and peer relationships that they have maintained since the business began. [48:58]
* What’s next for The Clear Cut and what Olivia is most excited about. [50:34]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Olivia:
* Olivia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivialandau/
* The Clear Cut Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearcut/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If there’s anyone who knows about menopause, it’s triple-board certified OBGYN, Dr. Anna Cabeca – she went through it TWICE! We sat down to talk about how we can use food, adaptogens and even our thoughts to reduce symptoms that women in perimenopause and menopause suffer with every day.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Dr. Anna Cabeca, DO, OBGYN, FACOG, is triple-board certified and a fellow of gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. She has special certifications in functional medicine, sexual health, & bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
For the past 20 years, she’s served 10,000+ women in her private practice — and millions more through her books, online videos and articles. When her own health took a troubling turn during menopause, she sought out the wisdom of healers around the world. She learned that modern medicine and time-tested natural remedies are not at odds. Working together, they create indisputable results and true well being.
Fueled by her belief that every woman deserves to be empowered and in control of their health & life, she developed the Keto-Green lifestyle, which has helped thousands of women opt out of menopause misery and experience a joyful transition to the next stage of their lives.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Dr. Anna:
* Website: https://drannacabeca.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlfrienddoctor/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kim Malek is the Co-Founder & CEO of Salt & Straw, an ice cream company that produces and offers unique ice cream flavors made by hand with local ingredients.
Kim had always wanted to open an ice cream shop, and in 2011 after years in corporate jobs at companies like Starbucks, took a major leap of faith — Kim cashed out her 401(k), sold her house, maxed out her credit cards, and organized a garage sale, all to fund their first location of Salt & Straw, where she would imagine flavors rarely seen in ice cream at that time.
Their opening values were centered around connecting with their community, and working with local farmers, artisans, and craftsmen to source the best ingredients. More than a decade later, Kim has grown Salt & Straw to a hugely successful business with incredible celebrity investors like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and many famous chef collaborators.
In our interview together, Kim shares how she pursued her dreams despite living most of her life in fear, and how her first job out of college at a small company called “Starbucks” played a significant role in shaping her career path along with key learnings she had working alongside Howard Schultz, the former CEO. We also talk about how Kim overcame her fears and insecurities of launching her “dream business” despite knowing nothing about ice cream, how she funded her business in its early days, how she dealt with criticism from the many investors who said she had a horrible idea, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kim about:
* How Kim has managed to pursue her dreams without letting fear hold her back. [03:00]
* How Kim let go of perfectionism to make space for more important things. [08:07]
* Kim’s first job at Starbucks and what she learned from Howard Schultz. [10:09]
* The common threads amongst all the jobs she’s had in multiple industries. [13:59]
* Kim tells us about the business plan she created in 1996 and how fear stopped her. [18:56]
* How working for someone builds confidence and skills to start your own business. [23:08]
* Kim shares some advice for women who feel too intimidated to ask for help. [25:13]
* The catalyst for taking a leap and starting her business, Salt and Straw. [29:45]
* Kim tells us about her business partner and his knowledge of ice cream. [32:59]
* Trying to get the business off the ground and the finances involved. [35:52]
* The importance of defending your idea as an entrepreneur. [40:06]
* Kim’s intention to make her store an experience and earn every cent she makes. [43:00]
* How they continue to harness a sense of community and their values as they grow. [45:09]
* When Kim realized she had to raise money and how she got celebrities behind her. [47:20]
* The importance of having good relationships with your investors. [50:27]
* The mistakes Kim thinks some people make when starting/running their businesses. [53:31]
* What innovation is to Kim and what she’s currently working on. [56:50]
Follow Kim:
* Website: https://saltandstraw.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltandstraw/
Follow Yasmin:
* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We sat down with our medical advisor at beeya, Dr. Corina Dunlap, to discuss the foundations of balancing our hormones and bodies as women. She reminded us how healing really does start with the basics and left us eager to build healthy lifestyles with our natural fluctuations in mind.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Dr. Corina Dunlap is a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) and women’s health and hormone specialist. She is the creator of Health by Design, a deeply personalized women’s healthcare program, and The Healthy Hormones Method, a transformational framework for women. Specializing in the treatment of conditions that range from irregular periods to PMS, thyroid imbalances, endometriosis, pelvic pain, and menopause, she is an internationally recognized expert in natural fertility optimization and women’s health at all stages of life. Dr. Dunlap is a clinician, researcher, educator, and speaker.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Corina:
* Website: https://drcorinadunlap.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcorinadunlap/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mandana Dayani is the Creator and Co-founder of I am a voter., a national, nonpartisan voting organization, and was most recently President of Archewell, the production, audio, and philanthropic company founded by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
In 2018, immediately upon witnessing the child separation policy at the border, Mandana brought together 20 incredible women around a table to launch I am a voter. Since launching, the organization has generated billions of media impressions and has partnered with hundreds of brands shaping culture across entertainment, fashion, beauty, tech, and sports, including the NBA, Disney, Bumble, Starbucks, NFL, H&M, and so much more.
Mandana began her career as a corporate attorney at Paul Hastings. She then worked as a commercial talent agent before joining Rachel Zoe, Inc., where she led and launched the company’s consumer products, media, and strategic investment businesses. After six years, Mandana switched her career again and joined Everything But The House as Chief Brand Officer, raising $84 million in venture capital.
In our episode, Mandana shares how she’s been able to have multiple career pivots and reinvent herself, moving from law to fashion and then to tech. We also talk about her childhood in Iran during a time of war and her drive to make a meaningful impact on the world. We also talk about the importance of setting boundaries, overcoming people-pleasing tendencies, trusting your intuition & how to build that muscle, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Mandana about:
* The advice Mandana received from her mentor, Shannon Watts, and how it impacted her. [02:31]
* How her outsider’s perspective has aided her in her career. [04:44]
* Mandana’s early childhood memories of Iran during the war and moving to the US. [05:41]
* How her experience inspired her to start I am a voter. [07:08]
* What sparked her mission to change the world. [09:35]
* How she managed the expectations of fulfilling the American dream. [11:38]
* Mandana’s first big leap: moving from law to fashion. [17:58]
* How she changed her story to facilitate her pivot. [22:47]
* Mandana shares insight into her time working with Rachel Zoe [26:03]
* The importance of using your voice and leaning into your passion. [28:42]
* Overcoming people-pleasing tendencies and stepping into vulnerability. [29:09]
* What led to the creation of I am a voter and how it was developed. [31:52]
* Mandana’s vision for the movement. [35:55]
* What Mandana found to be so deeply rewarding about the project. [36:42]
* Her fears in the early stages of creating I am a voter and how she overcame them. [37:35]
* How she has ensured that I am a voter is an inclusive space. [40:02]
* What she considers to be the proudest moments of her life. [43:59]
* Mandana’s advice for building the muscle of trusting your intuition. [46:54]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Mandana:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandanadayani
* I am a voter. Website: https://iamavoter.com/
* I am a voter. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamavoter
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Want to go from surviving to THRIVING? You’re in the right place. In this week’s conversation with thyroid and adrenal specialist Dr. Izabella Wentz, we cover all things stress and how to create safety in the body so your system can truly relax, which is when healing and repair can take place.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Dr. Izabella Wentz is an internationally acclaimed thyroid specialist and a licensed clinical pharmacist who has dedicated her career to addressing the root causes of autoimmune thyroid disease after being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009. She is the author of three books on Hashimoto’s: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology, and the New York Times bestseller, Hashimoto’s Protocol. Her newest book, Adrenal Transformation Protocol: A 4-Week Plan to Release Stress Symptoms and Go from Surviving to Thriving, which JUST launched on April 18, 2023.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
Follow Izabella:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Anastasia Soare is an iconic beauty mogul, eyebrow queen, and founder/CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills.
From moving to the US from Romania without speaking any English with minimal financial means to founding one of the fastest-growing brands in the beauty industry, Anastasia’s story is nothing short of incredible. Her brow-shaping technique, known as the Golden Ratio, placed her ahead of the curve, leading to what is now a celebrity favorite, a beloved product line, and billion dollar empire.
Anastasia created a new category for brows in service, pushing through multiple instances of people not believing in her or her vision. Her path has been anything but easy, and today’s conversation is an honest look at what it took to build her empire over the past 25-years.
Anastasia’s work has graced the faces of Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Victoria Beckham, to name a few, and her brand has more than 20 million followers across Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
In this episode, Anastasia shares her story of courage and confidence, leaving the safety of working for other people to pursue her dreams and create a new category for eyebrows. Anastasia believes that failure is a necessary stop on the road to success and gets real about the mistakes she’s made along the way. Her path has not been easy and we get a real behind the scenes look in her journey building her business to the cult-following brand it is today, and how with confidence and self-belief, anyone can realize their biggest passions and dreams.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Anastasia about:
* The early days of Anastasia’s life and the female role models she had growing up. [0:02:39]
* Leaving Romania in search of a better life for herself and her family. [0:04:33]
* The first job that Anastasia had in the US before becoming the Eyebrow Queen. [0:07:41]
* Developing the Golden Ratio for eyebrows based on the fine art principle. [0:10:56]
* Finding the courage to leave the salon to focus on her own endeavors. [0:17:13]
* Leaving the salon to pursue her dream. [0:23:10]
* Starting a new line of products for herself. [0:28:04]
* Failures on the road to success. [0:31:30]
* Flipping houses, stocking Nordstrom, and flying all the time. [0:34:12]
* Misconceptions around what business is actually like. [0:35:30]
* Common mistakes made by women in business. [0:38:45]
* Becoming the first beauty brand to have an online presence. [0:41:04]
* Challenges of a family business and what she loves about working with her incredible daughter. [0:44:01]
* The pride she feels in her hard-working, creative daughter, who is a cornerstone of the business. [0:47:25]
* Self-funding the business and the decision to bring in an investor. [0:48:28]
* What Anastasia loves about sharing her journey: if she can do it, you can too! [0:52:14]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Anastasia:
* Website: https://www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiasoare/
* Anastasia Beverly Hills Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiabeverlyhills/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hormone imbalances are a growing epidemic amongst women of ALL ages — and there's a huge lack of education around how our bodies function optimally, a gap that Dr. Mindy Pelz seeks to fill. In this eye-opening discussion, we explore the various factors that contribute to women's suffering, from environmental toxins to our modern culture, and how we can actually partner with our biology through practices such as time-restricted eating so we can feel our best.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Dr. Mindy Pelz is a renowned holistic health expert and one of the leading voices in educating women about their bodies. She is on a mission to start a women’s health revolution!
Teaching her signature “5-Step Approach,” Dr. Mindy has empowered hundreds of thousands of people around the world to harness their body’s own healing abilities through fasting, diet variation, detoxing chemicals from the body, stress management, and lifestyle changes – as keys to achieving optimum health and slowing down the aging process. Her private coaching group, The Reset Academy, teaches women how to sync a fasting lifestyle with their hormones.
There is nothing that Dr. Mindy loves more than empowering people to take back control of their health. Her Youtube channel featuring fasting and alternative health tips have garnered over 26 million lifetime views. She is the author of three bestselling books The Menopause Reset, The Reset Factor, and The Reset Kitchen, and her members-only Facebook group, The Resetter Collaborative, includes over 50,000 active members who regularly participate in Dr. Mindy’s exclusive monthly “Fast Training Week” programs. Dr. Mindy’s podcast, “The Resetter Podcast,” is ranked within Apple’s top 40 category of U.S. science podcasts. Guests of the podcast have included game-changing thought leaders the likes of Marianne Williamson, Dave Asprey, Dr. Will Cole, Rhonda Byrne, Michael Beckwith, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Tony Horton, and Drew Manning.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Midny:
* Website: https://drmindypelz.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.mindypelz/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Daria Burke is a recognized leader in the field of fashion & technology marketing and most recently served as the Chief Marketing Officer for JustFab, a fashion-subscription eCommerce site, and lifestyle fashion brand.
She is a visionary leader and storyteller and has held many leadership positions across a variety of industries. After moving to New York, she took a risk, left a reputable company, took a pay cut, and became one of the first employees of Rent the Runway. She has also worked for esteemed brands like Estee Lauder, Lancôme, and Yves Saint Laurent. She then served as the Head of Beauty Strategy, Growth, and Innovation at CVS, and transitioned to working at Facebook where she led their beauty, fashion, and retail partnerships.
Daria was named as a 2020 “Woman to Watch” by AdAge, and has been recognized by Women’s Wear Daily, the CFDA, Vogue, and Forbes. She’s also an active angel investor and is a member of the Fast Company executive board.
In today's episode, Daria shares the benefits of reinventing yourself and switching careers. We discuss the things that commonly hold us back from taking leaps like this, the challenges of putting your ego aside to become a beginner, and some of the lessons she has learned throughout her many career moves. We also discuss how to discover your strengths and double down on them, the importance of listening to your gut, and how to stop being a perfectionist & start living an inspired life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Daria about:
* Three things that may be holding someone back from switching careers. [3:35]
* How Daria views the challenge of putting your ego aside to be a beginner. [6:25]
* Daria’s childhood and the influence of her grandmother on her life and ambitions. [8:54]
* How she realized she could have a life beyond the challenging circumstances of her childhood. [13:04]
* What it took to leave a reputable job to go work for Rent the Runway in its infancy. [20:10]
* What she learned from working at Rent the Runway. [23:01]
* Insight into CliftonStrengths and why it’s so beneficial to play into your strengths. [26:56]
* Daria’s fascination with internal transformation and insight into her process of reinvention. [32:41]
* Daria’s advice on how to get your mind to listen to your gut instinct. [38:01]
* The benefits of not forcing things but working from a place of inspiration and receptivity. [43:19]
* How Daria overcame being a perfectionist. [46:13]
* An example of a situation where Daria surrendered instead of being a perfectionist. [49:43]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Daria:
* Daria Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariaburke/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, Dr. Roxanne Pero shares her inspiring journey with pregnancy later in life, as well as insight from both her conventional and functional background on the most common questions she hears from OB/GYN patients.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Dr. Roxanne Pero is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, with over 15 years experience in women’s health. She obtained her medical degree from Louisiana State Health Sciences Center in New Orleans in 2007. She has been a board certified Lifestyle Medicine practitioner through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine since 2018 and is board eligible for certification through the renowned Institute of Functional Medicine. She currently practices in Dallas, TX, specializing in Lifestyle and Functional Medicine approaches to fertility, pregnancy, hormone imbalances, menopause and beyond. She is an avid patient advocate for self empowerment and body education, herself being told at age 35 that she might never be able to have children. She and her husband now have 4 beautiful children through the miracle of adoption and access to both holistic and conventional fertility interventions.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Dr. Roxanne:
* Website: https://linktr.ee/roxanneperomd
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drroxannepero/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sarah Davis is the Founder and President of FASHIONPHILE, the leading resale platform for pre-owned, ultra-luxury accessories
Back in 1999, Sarah realized that luxury handbags and accessories maintained their value on the secondary market better than just about any other category, so she started selling handbags on eBay to make some extra cash.
From what began as a startup operation in Sarah’s house, grew into a 30,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Carlsbad, California, and brick-and-mortar showrooms across the country. Under Sarah’s innovative leadership, Fashionphile is paving the path to revolutionize not just re-commerce, but the entire retail industry with a 2019 investment and minority stake in Fashionphile from global retailer Neiman Marcus Group. The strategic partnership makes Neiman Marcus the first major luxury retailer to expand into the pre-owned market, a move that includes the opening of physical Fashionphile Selling Studios inside Neiman Marcus locations nationwide.
In our episode, Sarah discusses the significance of taking action, regardless of how small it is, in order to start a business. She also shares a step-by-step approach to how you can stop overthinking and start taking action to see results.
Sarah walks us through how she decided to go all into her business despite being a recent law school grad and getting a lot of pushback from her family and friends. Sarah's journey is incredibly impressive, she talks about how she self-funded the business for many years, how she structured her partnership with her brother-in-law, and how focusing on each customer was really the marketing engine for her business and helped them grow to multi-million dollars in revenue. We also talk about how to find your passion and your edge, and how that could be your biggest competitive advantage when starting a business, and so much more.
* Businesses grow through iteration; you don’t have to create something perfect the first time around! [03:44]
* Experiences from Sarah’s childhood that helped to cultivate her entrepreneurial spirit. [05:26]
* The career path that Sarah was pursuing prior to founding Fashionphile. [08:00]
* Where the initial inspiration for Fashionphile came from. [11:24]
* The interaction that catalyzed the growth of Sarah’s small eBay business into the leading luxury resale platform it is today. [19:24]
* Backlash that Sarah received for her decision to not become a lawyer. [24:34]
* What made Sarah stand strong in her decision to follow her dreams with Fashionphile despite what the people around her were telling her. [26:00]
* An overview of the evolution of Fashionphile over the past 20 years. [30:51]
* How Sarah’s business partnership with her brother-in-law, Ben, came about and why it has been such a success. [38:11]
* The funding strategy that Sarah and Ben chose for Fashionphile. [48:47]
* What Sarah has loved about being an entrepreneur. [56:00]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Sarah:
* Website: https://www.fashionphile.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fashionphile/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Debilitating cramps, bloating, acne and breast tenderness – all are symptoms that something could be up with your hormones. The good news is there’s so much we can do to guide our bodies back to balance. And if you’re struggling, THIS is the episode for you as we chatted with THE foremost expert on women’s health and hormones, Dr. Carrie Jones.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Hormone basics (we literally asked, “What are hormones?”)
* The root cause of acne and how to address it
* What causes cramps and what they’re telling you
* How alcohol impacts our hormones
* And so much more!
Today’s guest Carrie Jones, ND, FABNE, MPH is an internationally recognized speaker, consultant, and educator on the topic of women's health and hormones with over 20 years in the industry. Dr. Jones graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon where she also completed a 2-year residency in women's health, hormones, and endocrinology. Later, she graduated from Grand Canyon University's Master of Public Health program. Dr. Jones was one of the first to become board certified through the American Board of Naturopathic Endocrinology and currently serves on the board. She was the Medical Director for the DUTCH Test for several years and is a Clinical Expert for the Lifestyle Matrix Resource Center and Under Armour. Currently, she is the Head of Medical Education at Rupa Health and host of the Root Cause Medicine Podcast.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Dr. Carrie:
* Website: http://www.drcarriejones.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.carriejones/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Margaret Wishingrad is the founder and CEO of Three Wishes, a company that produces a line of healthy breakfast cereals made from high-quality ingredients.
Before starting Three Wishes, Margaret was working in advertising and noticed a gap in the market for breakfast cereals that were both healthy and delicious when she was looking for some options for her son as a first-time mom. Fueled by her passion for healthy eating and entrepreneurship, she set out to create a cereal that would meet this need. Margaret spent two years developing Three Wishes, working with a range of taste testers to ensure that it met her criteria for being high in protein, low in sugar, and gluten and grain-free.
In this interview, Margaret talks about the challenges and setbacks they faced when launching Three Wishes, from validating the idea to getting co-packers to produce the first batch of cereal. She also shares how to get retailers invested in your product, run a successful omnichannel business, and create awareness with the brand while being super scrappy. Despite the challenges, Margaret achieved significant growth even during the pandemic, growing it to be a multi-million dollar brand while also being a mom to two young kids. Margaret also shares what some of her proudest moments have been as a mother and business owner, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Margaret about:
* Margaret tells us what she thinks the key attributes are for someone wanting to start a successful brand. [02:25]
* Why a positive and calm attitude is imperative to business building. [04:26]
* How meeting her husband made Margaret realize that she wants to be an entrepreneur. [06:56]
* How Margaret built her confidence; the importance of positioning yourself correctly. [08:20]
* The biggest learnings Margaret and her husband had from working in advertising. [10:54]
* Why starting your own brand is so much better than working for an agency. [12:48]
* Where the idea for Three Wishes Cereal came from and how Margaret started her brand. [14:06]
* Margaret walks us through her research and development process for Three Wishes Cereal. [20:58]
* The importance of focusing on your product launch, creating a good plan of attack, and how they got an audience with retailers. [24:12]
* Why you have to include your retailers in the creation process so they invest in your success. [27:37]
* How Margaret and her husband handled growing their audience during COVID and what their supply chain looked like. [29:15]
* Margaret shares some interesting things her company has done to promote their brand. [35:18]
* Margaret defines her and her husband's roles in their business for us. [38:41]
* Why Margaret doesn’t like fundraising and has stopped seeking capital. [40:34]
* Margaret shares some words of wisdom about how she juggles being a CEO and mother: ask for help! [45:18]
* Our guest tells us about the proudest moments in her life. [49:58]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Mia:
* Website: https://threewishescereal.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbwish/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ever wonder how people eat healthy and actually stick to it? That’s what we chatted about with board certified nutritionist and classically trained chef, Mia Rigden — healthy eating when you have little time (and yes, it can taste good!).
In this episode you’ll learn:
Mia Rigden is a board certified nutritionist, trained chef, and the author of The Well Journal (2020) and Foodwise, a comprehensive, encouraging guide to healthy eating with 100 original, nutritionally-balanced and flavor-enriching recipes.
Mia holds a Masters of Nutrition and Integrative Health from the Maryland University of Integrative Health, along with a Holistic Health Coaching license from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, a Grand Diplome in Culinary Arts from the International Culinary Institute (formerly the French Culinary Institute) and a BA in English Literature from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Mia:
* Website: https://miarigden.com/
* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mia_rigden/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nothing worth having in life ever comes easy and today’s guest, Shiloh Johnson, knows this firsthand. The youngest of seven siblings and a single mother at 17, Shiloh Johnson is no stranger to hard times. But, as she explains in this episode, the hard times are what mold us into better and better versions of ourselves.
Shiloh is the founder of ComplYant, a tech platform that provides small business owners with all the information they need to properly manage their business taxes. While working in corporate, Shiloh came to the realization that she was never going to get paid what she was worth, so she set herself a six-month financial target and ventured out into the world of entrepreneurship.
After seeing the pain points the small business owners had, Shiloh ultimately launched ComplYant, a tech company that has raised over $12M in funding and become one of the few Black women to raise $10M+.
Shiloh shares her experience of bringing an idea to life, testing it before going all-in, and the importance of putting yourself out there, asking for help, and pivoting along the way. We also talk about how to overcome self-imposed limits and the importance of managing your mental health as a founder, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Shiloh about:
* Why, as a business owner, it is essential that you address your self-imposed limiting beliefs. [02:44]
* Lessons that Shiloh learned growing up as the youngest of seven children. [05:05]
* Shiloh’s experience of becoming a parent at 17. [07:26]
* Where the foundations of excellence lie. [08:09]
* How Shiloh’s family pushed her in the right direction. [10:28]
* Why Shiloh decided to major in accounting rather than pursuing her original goal of being a lawyer. [13:48]
* Shiloh’s motivation for founding her tech company, ComplYant. [19:11]
* The self-set target that Shiloh exceeded in her first month as a business owner. [20:46]
* What the early days of Shiloh’s entrepreneurial journey consisted of. [21:57]
* Benefits of getting industry expertise prior to starting your own business. [24:33]
* The invaluable service that ComplYant offers to small business owners. [25:00]
* Why Shiloh doesn’t waste any time turning her ideas into reality. [27:32]
* When Shiloh decided to join an accelerator and how it changed her life. [31:30]
* Challenges that Shiloh ran into while fundraising for ComplYant. [36:55]
* The book to read if you are thinking about raising capital. [38:11]
* The shift that occurred when Shiloh stopped trying to pitch to investors (and the approach she opted for instead). [40:01]
* Some of Shiloh’s proudest moments. [44:10]
* An overview of ComplYant’s offerings. [046:02]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Shiloh:
* ComplYant Website: https://complyant.co/
* ComplYant on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complyantapp/
* Shiloh's Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/shilohajohnson/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ever wonder if intermittent fasting is worth the hype? Or how it affects women specifically?
There is mounting evidence supporting the health benefits of intermittent fasting – but when women in their reproductive years strictly apply it, it could do more harm than good.
Today’s guest, Cynthia Thurlow, walks us through ALL the details so women can feel empowered to use this transformational tool at every stage of life.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Cynthia Thurlow is a globally recognized expert in nutrition & intermittent fasting, highly sought after speaker, CEO and founder of Everyday Wellness Project. She’s been a nurse practitioner for 20+ years, is a 2x TEDx speaker: her 2nd talk on intermittent fasting has been viewed over 7 million times. She has been featured on ABC, FOX5, KTLA, CW and in Medium and Entrepreneur. She is the host of Everyday Wellness podcast, which was listed as “20 podcasts that will help you grow in 2020” by Entrepreneur magazine, and in Business Insider “21 podcasts to expand your mind in 2021.”
As an advocate for living a fulfilled, healthy and well-balanced lifestyle, Cynthia has committed her career to serving women in their thirties and beyond. She is countering the notion that “this is just how we age, now settle and accept it” and is leading the way for change. As part of that endeavor, Cynthia brings over 20 years of medical experience, combined with current and progressive nutritional perspectives/approaches to truly serve women frustrated with the status quo.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Cynthia:
* Website: https://cynthiathurlow.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthia_thurlow_/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's mini-episode features two incredible women, MaryRuth Ghiyam, founder of MaryRuth Organics, a wellness brand offering over 130 high-quality, vitamins and supplements, and Loren Ridinger, the co-founder of internet retailing giants, Shop.Com and Market America.
They share their insights and step-by-step approach on how they think about their schedule and design their calendar for success. MaryRuth discusses the power of time blocking to create more freedom and confidence, while Loren emphasizes the importance of tackling the hardest tasks first, thinking in weeks instead of days, and setting specific dates for your goals.
Make sure to check out their full episodes for even more inspiring gems:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We sat down with celebrity Nutritionist Mona Sharma, who shares how she overcame two heart surgeries and debilitating anxiety. We left feeling so empowered and inspired to honor our bodies through daily rituals and rhythms. If you’re looking for a nourishing listen, you don’t want to miss this one!
In this episode you’ll learn:
Mona Sharma is a dynamic leader and entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry who works with high-profile clients worldwide. As a Nutritionist and NLP Practitioner, Mona approaches healing by looking at all pillars of health, combining modern science with the power of ancient rituals rooted in one's nature for optimal health for life.
As Will Smith, Julianne Hough, Jay Shetty, and Hrithik Roshan's nutritionist, Mona has also been seen on The Today Show, The Doctor's Television, and The Red Table Talk sharing her expertise. Having grown up living in an Ashram, Mona has seen first-hand the healing power of food and mindfulness. Her approach is rooted in this philosophy - food as medicine, movement as therapy, and mindfulness as the journey to optimize health. Mona's philosophy led to her recovery from two heart surgeries, miscarriages, and debilitating anxiety and ultimately changed her career path from a high-profile corporate job.
Mona is also the founder of Xicama™, an innovative line of food and functional beverage products that deliver gut health and immune boosting benefits of the superfood jicama, and broke sales records as an official beverage of Coachella 2019.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Mona:
* Websites: https://xicamalife.com/ & https://www.monasharma.com/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monasharma/
* Xicama Instagram: https://xicamalife.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ooshma Garg is the Founder and CEO of Gobble, the weekly dinner kit service that helps busy professionals make dinner in just 15 minutes thanks to their ready-to-cook ingredients.
In 2022, her company was acquired by Intelligent Foods for nine figures, making her the CEO of both Gobble and the health-focused meal delivery brand Sunbasket.
Ooshma's success is not just about starting and building an incredible multi-million-dollar brand, but it’s also about the resilience and perseverance that she demonstrated during the early days of the business. Ooshma’s non-linear trajectory has been filled with highs, lows, failures, and wins that will inspire anyone listening!
During this interview, Ooshma shares how it took years for Gobble to finally hit product-market fit and how she managed her resilience and mental health when she barely had any money, and investors were telling her to sell and get rid of her company.
We delve into Ooshma's experience of raising over $30M in venture capital from the “who's who” of Silicon Valley. We get a real and authentic view of raising money and who shouldn’t be going down the venture capital path, and the different options that are available to you. Ooshma discusses why cash is king but profitability is freedom and why it’s so important to know your numbers.
We also chat about Ooshma’s experience achieving “success” as an entrepreneur when selling a business, why it’s important to embrace the journey rather than solely focusing on reaching certain milestones and destinations, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Ooshma about:
* Ooshma’s stance on comparison and how to break free from limited thinking. [02:50]
* How facing rejection from a young age prepared her for entrepreneurship. [05:00]
* Challenges and lessons from Ooshma’s early entrepreneurial journey. [07:10]
* Food as nourishment, not just fuel, and a first step to managing mental health. [11:15]
* Ways that the Gobble business model evolved on the journey to product-market fit. [16:03]
* Why technology and innovation aren’t one and the same. [19:40]
* Owned core competencies versus those you outsource or rely on your user for. [21:06]
* Tips for avoiding “popularized Silicon Valley benchmarks” as you build your brand. [22:30]
* How to follow your personal North star when the path to success is non-linear. [25:42]
* Unpacking Ooshma’s belief that cash is king, but profitability is freedom. [28:08]
* Why venture capital isn’t the only option when you’re raising money. [30:34]
* Insight into Gobble’s nine-figure acquisition and why you shouldn’t “build to sell.” [37:46]
* Ooshma’s transition from one-company CEO to multi-venture CEO. [39:22]
* Advice for navigating burnout by pursuing the things that energize you. [42:45]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
Follow Ooshma:
* Website: https://www.gobble.com/
* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ooshma/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you’re looking to extend your healthspan and your lifespan, this is the episode for you.
Today we’re talking about the organ of longevity – your muscle!
Not prioritizing your muscle can have disastrous consequences such as excessive weight gain, insulin resistance, and much more.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is our guest today, and she’s talking all about muscle and protein.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN...
* Why strength training is important for women
* How much protein we need to build and maintain muscle
* Why being overweight might be a muscle issue, not a fat issue
* And more...
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a Washington University fellowship-trained physician in Nutritional Science and Geriatrics and is board certified in Family Medicine. She completed her undergraduate degree in Human Nutrition, Vitamin, and Mineral Metabolism at the University of Illinois. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine® and has a private practice that services the leaders, innovators, mavericks, Special Operations military, and executives in their respective fields.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Dr. Gabrielle:
* Website: https://drgabriellelyon.com/
* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re mixing things up again! We're doing another behind-the-scenes podcast on my journey as an entrepreneur and podcast host!
So this week, just like I’ve done before, I’ve handed over the mic to my husband, Dhru Purohit, who’s graciously stepping into the role of host.
Our behind-the-scenes episode series has been one of the most listened-to of all time so I'm hoping today's topic brings a lot of value to you!
Here are just a few of the topics we’ll be covering:
As always, I’d love to get your thoughts on the episode, and hear your feedback! DM me or email me at yasmin@behindherempire.com - I’m always looking for ways to add value and help inspire you!
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://beeyawellness.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you ever had a health goal in mind but you can’t seem to take the steps to get there? This episode is for you. Dr. Anjali Dsouza is our guest today, and in this episode we dive into ways for busy women to set up healthy habits and much much more.
In this episode you’ll learn….
* The connection between the gut microbiome and your hormones
* How to build a healthy gut microbiome
* Why your schedule matters and how to set yourself up for success
* How to eat a hormone healthy diet
* And more….
Dr. Anjali Dsouza is an integrative and functional medicine doctor specifically interested in helping high-achieving but overscheduled women achieve their best health. She runs a practice in DC called the District Center for Integrative Medicine, and she can be found on Instagram @anjalidsouzamd.
Dr. Dsouza also runs a private network, Your Goddess Health Unleashed, for women interested in coming together and learning about maximizing their health outcomes.
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Dr. Dsouza:
* Website: https://dcimedicine.com/dr-anjali-dsouza/
* Dr. Dzousa's Your Goddess Health Unleashed Program: https://members.yourgoddesshealthunleashed.com/
* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dranjalidsouza/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hard work, a good heart, and good intentions will get you everywhere. This week’s guest, Eilyn Jiminez believes that authenticity should always rule, and it shows. She’s the star of the hit Netflix show, Designing Miami, and the Founder and Director of Sire Design, an all-woman luxury interior design studio based in Miami.
Eilyn’s journey to success has been anything but straightforward, starting out in the legal field before finding her true passion in the world of architecture and interior design. While you may have heard the highlights of her story on CNN, NBC, or E!, she joins us today to give us an authentic look at her story.
Eilyn shares her insights on how to garner the courage to go after your dreams, despite any setbacks you may face. She’s big on patience, hard work, and kindness, and shares how her parents’ immigrant mentality has influenced her mindset. You’ll hear what she does to push through insecurity and fear, and what motivates her to forge ahead even when it’s hard.
We also get a behind-the-scenes look into her Netflix show, her thoughts around family planning, and the importance of really doubling down on your authentic self & tips on how to do that, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Eilyn about:
* What differentiates those who have the courage to go after their goals and dreams. [03:15]
* The secret weapon of hard work. [05:22]
* How Eilyn’s parents’ immigrant mindset has influenced her thinking. [09:15]
* How her interests shifted from law to creative pursuits as she grew older. [12:24]
* The role of Eilyn’s community in embracing her desire to live differently. [19:59]
* The importance of having a ‘why’ beyond just getting rich. [23:00]
* How Eilyn experienced the period of her life where she was working for other people. [26:22]
* What the early phases of Eilyn’s business looked like. [30:53]
* Self-validation and acknowledging your achievements. [34:37]
* Eilyn’s advice for the days when you aren’t operating at 100%. [37:41]
* The unexpected events that led to Eilyn and her husband starring in a Netflix show. [42:05]
* Working in a similar industry to your spouse. [48:43]
* Navigating family pressure to start a family while building a business. [52:12]
* What’s next for Eilyn. [55:15]
Follow Eilyn:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have you heard of the cycle syncing craze?
This method uses our menstrual cycle to help us plan our diet, exercise routine, social calendar, and more. This means our cycles can actually be our super power!
Women’s hormones are dynamic and constantly changing throughout the month. How we feel and show up in our bodies and the world shifts with the fluctuations of our hormones. Our guest, Alisa Vitti has come up with a way to use these ebbs and flows to our advantage.
Alisa Vitti is a pioneer of female biohacking, and a women’s hormone and functional nutrition expert. As a researcher and author, Vitti has published 2 best-selling and beloved books WomanCode and In the FLO. She uncovered the Infradian Rhythm and created The Cycle Syncing Method which has become a viral wellness movement on social with 125M #cyclesyncing. As one of the earliest femmetech entrepreneurs, she has built the next gen hormone care platform for women through her company FLO Living via its programs, supplements and top ranked hormone care app – MyFLO with its patented technology to help you get to the root causes of your symptoms.
In this episode you’ll learn:
* Why cycle syncing matters and how to start today
* Why women need to prioritize self care and what that looks like
* How most research in diet and exercise is done on men and why that matters
* Why we need to have reverence for our miraculous bodies
* And more
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
Follow Alisa:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Shilpa Shah is the Co-Founder of Cuyana, a fashion brand that marries luxury-level branding with premium quality apparel and accessories, offering "fewer, better things" to women at accessible price points.
Shilpa spent the first part of her career designing web and mobile interfaces for Fortune 500 companies. Although she was passionate about design, it wasn't until she was pregnant with her first son that she felt empowered to do more in her life. Unsure what the right next step was, Shilpa decided to apply to business school at 32 while having a 2½-year-old at home. Good thing she did because through the process, she met her co-founder Karla and they were inspired to create an affordable luxury direct-to-consumer brand - which might sound like the norm now but they were true pioneers in this space in 2011.
Today, they’ve grown their SF based company profitably despite taking funding of more than $30million dollars. Cuyana has been recognized as one of the most innovative companies in America and continues to have a loyal base of customers and a strong celebrity-following.
We’ll talk to Shilpa about building a strong brand that is largely driven by word of mouth, why the concept of work life balance is BS, and how they’ve navigated multiple challenges from raising money from investors to restructuring their business in the pandemic environment that we're in.
In this episode, we'll talk to Shilpa about:
* How Shilpa has intertwined the creative and analytical sides of her personality. [5:47]
* What prompted Shilpa to go to business school at age 32 was a desire to do more. [8:09]
* Balancing being the primary caretaker and the primary breadwinner. [11:52]
* One of the mistakes co-founders make in selecting one another is looking for someone similar to them. [15:49]
* How the direct-to-consumer concept arose from a desire to build a fashion brand. [17:37]
* The value of setting clear boundaries for what you can and cannot compromise on in business. [19:59]
* Focusing on supply chain and the business model in the first two years of Cuyana. [20:36]
* What makes building businesses difficult is taking the time to figure out what works. [23:52]
* How Shilpa came to understand the right messaging for her customers which was critical in the brand’s growth. [24:4013]
* Educating their customers on Cuyana's “fewer, better things” concept. [28:00]
* Why staying close to your customer and seeing how they interact with your product is key. [29:54]
* Fundraising in the early days and why understanding the business is the true first step. [31:27]
* Hear Shilpa’s analogy for sustainability in a tech company and why Cuyana’s focus was always on profitability. [33:46]
* Getting male investors to understand their concept during the fundraising process. [35:44]
* Despite all the challenges, Shilpa and Carla never gave themselves the option of quitting. [40:39]
* How Shilpa and Carla’s entrepreneurship was received by their immigrant parents. [42:12]
* Why it is essential – as an entrepreneur – to become comfortable with failure. [45:27]
* Discover Shilpa’s perspective on work-life balance – and why she thinks balance is BS. [46:33]
* Shilpa’s advice for female founders with families: Make sure you’re solving the right problem. [50:33]
* Some challenges Cuyana has faced and how Shilpa and Carla overcame them. [53:06]
* Some of the key takeaways that helped propel Cuyana forward, like thinking quickly. [55:20]
Follow Shilpa:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shilparshah/
* Cuyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuyana/
* Cuyana Website: https://www.cuyana.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Starting this week I’m launching a brand new health series called Hormone Happy Hour with Kaya Purohit, my co-host on this series and my co-founder in Beeya Wellness.
Every Wednesday Hormone Happy Hour will feature an in-depth interview with a leading women’s health expert.
Each expert will teach you, step by step, how to eat, think, and move in a way that is designed to help you feel great and create an abundance of energy in your life so you can build your own empire.
In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Stephanie Estima, Founder of Hello Betty – a community centered around female empowerment through health and business coaching. She is a doctor of chiropractic with a special interest in metabolism, body composition, functional neurology, and female physiology.
She is the Host of the Better! Podcast With Dr. Stephanie, featuring the world’s leading voices on health and wellness. As the creator of her signature, female-centric ketogenic protocol, The Estima Diet™, Dr. Stephanie has helped over 10,000 women worldwide regulate hormones, reduce adiposity, and get off medications in the perimenopause stage and beyond.
Following the success of The Estima Diet™, Dr. Stephanie released a best-selling book, “The Betty Body,” where she shares her proven strategies to help women jumpstart and calibrate their metabolism, revive their libidos, rest guilt-free, and elevate their emotional wellbeing.
In this episode you’ll learn:
• How to make gains during your fitness routine throughout your menstrual cycle
• The difference between the male and female brain and why women need sex more than men
• What to expect during perimenopause and how to make it more manageable
• The role of estrogen in our bodies
• And so much more
Follow beeya:
Follow Dr. Stephanie:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gala Darling is a bestselling author, speaker, professional optimist, and self-proclaimed tapping queen.
For over a decade, Gala has been a leader in promoting radical self-love. She offers a powerful collection of tools and techniques that have empowered millions of women to discover their voice, overcome fear, and fall in love with life.
Gala is also an expert in EFT tapping, an energy psychology technique that she has utilized to manifest her own dream life and conquer limiting beliefs. Her work has been recognized and featured in major publications such as Vogue, The New York Times, and Cosmopolitan, among others.
In this interview, Gala shares her inspiring journey of using tapping to heal from an eating disorder and depression. She also walks us through different techniques around manifestation and how it can help change your perspective, conquer obstacles, and transform your life.
Gala’s energy is infectious – she’s so real, relatable and gives such great tactical advice on how to manifest the dream life, relationship, and career you want – I know you’re going to leave this interview feeling so inspired.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Gala about:
* Some of the top limiting beliefs that get in the way of women’s success. [02:08]
* What Gala’s “spiritual grandparents” taught her about being radically unique. [04:32]
* Why you can never please everyone all the time. [06:44]
* How your socialization impacts your beliefs about what is possible. [09:03]
* Challenges Gala faced growing up and how she used EFT tapping to set herself free. [14:42]
* A look at what tapping is, how it works, and how to use it to change your beliefs. [18:38]
* How Gala discovered that the more fun she had, the more successful she was. [22:56]
* Insight into Gala’s career journey and how she evolved with her brand. [24:40]
* How she overcame her own insecurities and fears of failure. [32:26]
* The power of manifestation using Gala’s three-part Magical Morning Practice! [34:46]
* Priming yourself for your dream relationship versus forcing it to happen. [41:30]
* Tips to help you expand your own boundaries and think bigger. [47:08]
* What Gala means when she says that “feeling good is her job.” [50:00]
* Why it’s so important to have contrast and feel pain. [57:41]
* A reminder that your time is limited, but it’s never too late to change how you feel! [1:01:30]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Gala:
* Gala Darling: https://galadarling.com/
* Gala Darling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galadarling/
* Gala Darling YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT84ANHs5N3eGWPAX2Sg8ZA
* Radical Self-Love: A Guide to Loving Yourself and Living Your Dreams: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Self-Love-Gala-Darling-ebook/dp/B0170HFG90
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lisa Sequino is the co-founder and CEO of JLo Beauty & Lifestyle, a brand she founded alongside Jennifer Lopez that is focused on making self-care more simple with high-performance products that deliver incredible results for an inner and outer glow - at any age.
Although Lisa is a beauty veteran, her path was anything but straightforward. She always had a love for beauty but never realized how to make it a career. She had plans to be an attorney, ended up dropping out of law school, and found a sales job that introduced her to the world of business. She spent eight years at Proctor & Gable, then ultimately got her dream job at Estee Lauder as an executive at Tom Ford Beauty. After spending nearly a decade at Estee Lauder, and running the Estee Lauder Brands in North America, Lisa started questioning everything in life and was feeling unfulfilled despite having an incredible career.
We talk to Lisa about how she garnered the courage to leave her corporate career, the questions she asked herself along the way, and how turning 40 was a huge wake-up call for her both personally and professionally. We also discuss what nobody tells you about the transition from leaving corporate to starting your own business, and what skills you should hold onto and let go of.
Lisa also shares a behind-the-scenes look at her serendipitous meeting with JLo, their relationship as co-founders, and how they came together to create a business that makes women feel confident, empowered, and beautiful both inside and out, and so much more.
* A warm welcome and introduction to today’s guest, Lisa Sequino. [00:48]
* Lisa’s childhood desire for making money and setting her own path. [03:50]
* How Lisa teaches her son the value of hard work. [05:13]
* Why Lisa started and dropped out of law school. [07:12]
* Lisa’s ‘lightbulb’ beauty moment. [10:42]
* Why beauty is a more difficult industry than the media portrays. [11:50]
* Lisa’s experiences working in healthcare, specifically with digestible products. [13:25]
* Why hard work is a necessity in a successful career. [20:56]
* The questions Lisa started asking after she turned 40. [22:40]
* What Lisa wanted after quitting her job: creating a space for women over 40 in beauty. [28:05]
* How, when, and why Lisa and J-Lo connected so well. [29:15]
* Ways J-Lo is pushing and challenging Lisa in her career. [34:35]
* The entrepreneurial mindset shifts and changes Lisa experiences. [36:23]
* Examples of how Lisa and J-Lo work together as co-founders. [37:54]
* The reality and challenges of partnering with J-Lo. [41:00]
* How JLo Beauty and Lifestyle has been mindful of broader economic changes. [43:49]
* Why understanding your customer is the most important aspect of your business. [46:50]
* What Lisa let go of while transitioning from the corporate to entrepreneurial world. [52:59]
* It is time to incorporate fun into your life! [57:30]
* How Lisa manages her time and finds joy. [1:01:53]
* Lisa’s closing words of wisdom. [1:05:10]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Lisa:
* Instagram: https://www.jlobeauty.com/
* Website: https://www.instagram.com/jlobeauty/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Denise Woodard is the founder and CEO of Partake Foods, an allergy-friendly snack company.
Denise's journey began back in 2016, while juggling a day job and the new role of mom to a daughter with multiple food allergies. Frustrated by the lack of tasty options available for her little one, she took the advice of her babysitter and decided to "do something about it." From there, Partake Foods was born.
Denise started creating recipes in her home kitchen and began selling cookies out of her car to get the word out about her business. With no prior experience in the food industry, Denise had a lot to learn and made mistakes along the way. However, she was determined to make it work, and self-funded the business using all of her savings and even selling her engagement ring to make ends meet.
As the business grew, Denise knew she needed more funding to take it to the next level. So, she set out on a fundraising journey and dealt with many rejections that eventually led her to the right partner, Jay-Z's venture fund, Marcy Venture Partners. To date, she has raised up to $19M, making her the first Black woman to raise over $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Denise about:
* Denise shares what she thinks is holding people back from pursuing their biggest goals and dreams. [02:47]
* How Denise’s parents shaped her identity and who she is today. [04:39]
* Her parents’ definitions of success and how they have influenced her perspective. [06:40]
* What Denise would have done differently during her time working for corporate companies including Coca-Cola. [08:01]
* How her entrepreneurial nature expressed itself at different points in her career. [0:10:22]
* The benefits of working on side hustles while employed by Coca-Cola. [11:28]
* What big brands can’t recreate no matter how much money they have. [12:30]
* The scary incident in 2016 that motivated Denise to solve a problem for her daughter. [18:08]
* How Denise’s nanny, Martha, motivated her to take the plunge and create a business. [20:04]
* The early days of Partake Foods and overcoming challenges. [21:32]
* Barriers to entry in the food allergy consumer market. [28:51]
* How their product list has changed over time. [29:48]
* Raising money beyond bootstrapping. [30:13]
* The panic attack that led to a different approach to managing stress and burnout. [33:11]
* Investors that initially said no and later came back wanting to participate. [37:11]
* Fundraising advice for other entrepreneurs. [37:55]
* The power of a warm intro. [38:53]
* Why it is a mistake to try to grow too quickly. [39:40]
* How she learned to appreciate and savor the journey. [40:20]
* What’s keeping Denise up at night at this stage of the business. [42:26]
* How Denise involves her daughter in the business as chief taste tester. [45:12]
* Advice for women balancing life at home with running a business. [47:25]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Denise:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partakefoods/
* Website: https://partakefoods.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lele Sadoughi is the founder of her namesake accessories brand, Lele Sadoughi.
Lele had over a decade of experience in the fashion industry before beginning her entrepreneurial journey, allowing her to give us meaningful insight into how she has built her own successful brand. Breaking into the industry with few connections (well before the world of emailing CVs), Lele has had endless opportunities to discover her strengths and weaknesses, and build her skills in operations and sales: the revenue drivers in any business.
Lele explains where her confidence comes from, how she has found the inspiration to jump into new opportunities, and the impact of having faith in herself and her abilities. Looking at typical entrepreneurial traits, we see how Lele’s non-perfectionist personality has allowed her to be nothing other than successful.
Lele shares personal stories of her marriage, motherhood, and juggling it all while building a brand she was passionate about. You’ll hear about the changes in challenges throughout the last 10 years, the worth-it successes, and the different methods Lele uses to stay organized. Lele describes the sacrifices and triumphs, discusses managing realistic expectations, and tells stories of all her experiences in between!
"In this episode, we’ll talk to Lele about:
* Why there is never a right time to go after your dreams and goals. [02:25]
* How Lele managed to have two children while starting her business [03:58]
* The early days of Lele’s jewelry brand. [05:00]
* How Lele jugglers her entrepreneurial, managerial, and designer duties [05:51]
* Lele’s upbringing as a creative, art-loving individual. [07:20]
* Lele’s early years after college, breaking into the fashion industry. [09:57]
* The transition from fashion into jewelry. [12:38]
* Lele’s insecurities while starting her career. [15:00]
* How to continually and successfully foster your creativity. [19:43]
* What Lele learned from working at companies like J.Crew. [21:38]
* When Lele decided to transition into owning her own jewelry brand. [24:00]
* Lele’s advice for women who struggle to balance their business and personal lives. [25:32]
* How Lele has managed her non-perfectionist personality. [27:40]
* Headbands: the standout moments of growth for Lele’s brand. [29:47]
* Factors that helped Lele’s business grow. [31:00]
* How to think about future innovation and growth. [32:47]
* Lele’s zone of genius: where her inspiration comes from. [33:50]
* Lele’s opinions on funding, wholesale, and business size. [34:41]
* Who (and how many people) to hire when starting your business. [37:21]
* Three skills Lele would have learned earlier in life. [39:17]
* The greatest lessons for an entrepreneur. [40:40]
* Lele’s closing thoughts and advice. [43:00]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Lele:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lele_sadoughi/
* Website: https://www.lelesadoughi.com/es/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hillary Peterson is the founder of True Botanicals, a clean skincare brand on a mission to deliver nontoxic and sustainable products.
After giving birth to beautiful twins, Hillary was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. A life-changing moment that got her invested in her health in every possible way.
After extensive research, she soon discovered that the beauty care products she used were full of toxins, and no strict regulations around the chemicals existed. Hilary began searching for products free of toxins and chemicals but was unsuccessful. This, along with her diagnosis, motivated her to create the products she wanted. Hillary subsequently founded True Botanicals, a clean skincare brand disrupting the beauty industry by proving that toxins are unnecessary to achieve great results.
In this episode, we talk about Hilary’s diverse career background and what motivated her to follow an entrepreneurial path after many years of working for others. We learn about how the experience gained from past jobs empowered her to start her own business, how she funded the startup, what it was like running a business from her living room, and her approach to marketing her brand. We also unpack scaling and building the company over the last nine years, and a life-changing moment that defined her perspective.
Hear about her opinion on success, why enjoying the journey is so essential, the benefits of a growth mindset, the many lessons she has learned along the way, what it takes to stick to a company’s values, and much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Hillary about:
* How to feel empowered without feeling like you need to prove yourself. [02:40]
* Whether her success in business is rooted in her mindset. [05:57]
* The influence of her parents on her mindset and approach to life. [07:26]
* Find out if Hilary had any hesitation about starting her own business. [09:15]
* What motivated her to accept her first job working in the banking sector. [11:12]
* Why she decided to leave banking and go work for Levi. [12:56]
* A quick message about the Beeya Seed Cycling method. [14:10]
* Hilary shares what she learned while working for iconic brands like Levi. [17:40]
* How her life circumstances changed and led her to the wellness sector. [19:32]
* She describes the transition from Levi to the wellness and skin care sector. [22:02]
* We learn how she was able to manage to start a business. [25:24]
* Learn about the early days of True Botanicals and the initial challenges. [26:42]
* The moment Hilary realized the success and potential of the business. [30:42]
* Whether the influence of celebrities helped propel True Botanicals. [33:18]
* An outline of the biggest fundraising lessons she has learned along the way. [35:24]
* The steps that were involved in raising sufficient capital. [37:35]
* Discover what Hilary leverages to maintain growth year after year. [39:02]
* Find out if there were any challenges when hiring people. [41:27]
* Her experience as a founder and building a brand from scratch. [45:32]
* Hilary tells us about the biggest challenges the business has faced. [48:10]
* A takeaway piece of advice that Hilary has for listeners. [53:26]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After dropping out of high school and trying to forge her own path in the world, serial entrepreneur and world-renowned celebrity makeup artist Jeanine Lobell fell in love with cosmetics. Thanks to her try-anything attitude and strong work ethic, she quickly moved up the ranks to work on famous faces like Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman for the covers of Vogue and Vanity Fair.
When Jeanine founded Stila in 1994, with its professional-grade colors and ultra-wearable formulas in recyclable packaging, it took the makeup world by storm and earned a cult following almost overnight. She saw unprecedented growth in the first five years and had numerous investors scrambling to buy the company, which she ultimately sold to Estee Lauder in 1999.
Now, she is disrupting the beauty industry all over again with her direct-to-consumer brand, Neen, the first-ever subscription-based card that offers new ways to play with makeup and experience tutorials. In this episode, Jeanine speaks to us about how she discovered her purpose as a high-school dropout and someone who was regularly fired from jobs early in her career.
We discuss how Jeanine finally realized her worth, what her superpowers were as a first-time founder when she launched Stila, and the advice she has for women who are looking to make a similar leap in their careers. We also take a look at the importance of having an abundance mindset, owning who you authentically are, finding your own voice, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jeanine about:
* What Jeanine means by the “prisons” we build out of the opinions of others. [03:00]
* Some of the ways Jeanine has stayed true to herself throughout her career. [04:14]
* The dichotomy between her inner wild child and her strong work ethic. [05:35]
* Why Jeanine decided to go to mime school in Paris (and what it taught her). [07:23]
* A look at her first forays into the world of makeup. [10:06]
* What a hot dog stand taught Jeanine about entrepreneurship! [11:15]
* Why she believes that none of the stops on your journey are a mistake. [12:55]
* How Jeanine stood out and moved up the beauty ranks quickly. [17:23]
* Advice for having compassion for yourself as a first-time founder. [18:50]
* Innovations (and happy accidents) in the Stila origin story. [23:48]
* How Jeanine thinks about competition, comparison, and abundance. [28:07]
* The perspective that came with being a first-time mom and a first-time founder. [31:40]
* The conflict that can come from projecting your values and ideas onto others. [34:45]
* A tip for dealing with intrusive thoughts: tell yourself “that’s not true!” [39:50]
* Jeanine reminds us that we are all works in progress. [40:30]
* Insight into the experience of selling her first company to Estee Lauder. [42:45]
* Seasons of hardship in Jeanine’s journey as a serial entrepreneur. [45:27]
* Finding new ways to play with makeup and experience tutorials with Neen. [46:53]
* The unique magic of Neen’s subscription cards. [49:45]
* Expectations of success versus the truth of what you’re doing. [51:15]
* Top mistakes that first-time founders make in their businesses. [54:00]
* How Jeanine holds herself accountable without putting pressure on herself. [59:32]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jesse Draper is the Founding Partner of Halogen Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investing in consumer tech companies led by female and co-ed teams.
With women making up to 80 percent of household purchasing decisions, Jesse and her team are betting big on early-stage, female-founded companies with billion-dollar potential. Jesse is a fourth generation venture capitalist as well as the creator and host of the Emmy-nominated television series, The Valley Girl Show.
She is a fierce advocate for investing in women and the opportunity for using technology and innovation to solve some of the biggest issues facing women and families today. After creating Halogen Ventures in 2015, she now has more than 70 companies in her portfolio, including theSkimm, Babylist, ThirdLove, and The Flex Company.
Jesse was listed by Marie Claire Magazine as one of the ‘50 Most Connected Women in America’ and she is also a regular investor and tech personality on Cheddar, CNBC, and CNN.
In this episode, we have a candid conversation about why Jesse didn’t think she could be a venture capitalist and how she overcame her own fears and beliefs about imposter syndrome, and she shares her advice for anyone looking to manage burnout: delegate and make time for rest. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at what investors are looking for, from founder traits to the biggest mistakes that founders make, and so much more.
In this episode, we talk to Jesse about:
* Starting on the topic of rejection; why a ‘no’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing. [3:37]
* How Jesse’s upbringing shaped her as a fourth generation venture capitalist. [8:02]
* Her perception of success in her 20s and how it evolved with entrepreneurship. [14:45]
* Find out why Jesse believes more women should prioritize networking. [22:15]
* Overcoming her fears and beliefs about imposter syndrome; just try it! [26:48]
* Jesse’s advice for managing burnout: delegate and make time to rest and plan. [30:37]
* Learn more about her experience of fundraising while pregnant and during COVID. [37:34]
* Three mistakes women are making when raising money: not showing confidence, overcomplicating the pitch, and underselling themselves. [40:43]
* What investors look for, from a willingness to pivot to an ability to problem solve. [43:47]
* Some of the red flags Jesse cautions founders against, including the tendency to overpromise and underdeliver. [48:04]
* Jesse’s suggestions for women to feel more empowered when it comes to money. [52:23]
* Two simple ways to take control: do it yourself and put your money to work. [55:34]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Jesse:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessecdraper/
* Website: https://halogenvc.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Suneera Madhani is the co-founder and CEO of Stax, an innovative tech company that radically simplifies the payment ecosystem.
After graduating from college, Suneera decided to work at a consumer goods company and after three years she realized that the corporate world wasn’t for her. She was later recruited by a payment-processing company, and it was then she realized she wanted to do someone on her own.
At age 26, without money, an MBA or any corporate leadership experience…and after being laughed out of her then boss’s office, Suneera began building her now billion-dollar company inside her parents’ Orlando home.
In 8 years, Suneera raised $245M in venture capital and now leads a team of 300+ employees and is committed to helping fellow women and minorities achieve similar accomplishments in business. She also is also the founder of CEO School, which is a podcast and an 8-week program that helps women become entrepreneurs & CEOs – and is on the mission to change the fact that less than 2% of female founders hit $1 million in revenue… and less than 18% ever hit 6 figures. This needs to change!
Suneera gives us the scoop on what it was like to take the leap from a stable corporate job into the uncertainties of entrepreneurship and shares how she manages the ever-looming imposter syndrome to show up as her best self every day.
We explore time management and Suneera’s approach to finding work-life integration, rather than balance, and how she manages running her billion-dollar business while still spending quality time with her two young kids. We also talk about what is missing in the business world: practical advocacy for women’s success, and what she believes is required to change that. Join us to hear a wealth of practical advice and wisdom from Suneera’s story of unlikely success and breaking free of the expectations of others to find fulfillment in living a life that's true to you.
In this episode, we'll talk to Suneera about:
* Breaking free of the expectations of others and living according to who we are instead. [4:03]
* How Suneera’s experience as the child of immigrants shaped her approach to business. [6:58]
* What led her to use her analytical and creative skills to start Stax at the age of 24. [11:00]
* How Stax grew from 5 million in payments the first year to 23 billion in payments per year. [17:36]
* Dealing with imposter syndrome in the early days of launching a business. [22:20]
* Working to keep your psyche in check and show up as your best self as a CEO. [25:33]
* Building habits by repeating activities, and improving with experience. [27:29]
* Combatting perfectionism with the philosophy that ‘done is better than perfect’. [30:33]
* Suneera’s belief in work life integration when managing family life and her company. [37:08]
* How she manages her time, starting with what she calls Sunday Zoom Out. [42:18]
* The statistic that changed the game for Suneera: only 2% of female founders are breaking a million-dollar revenue. [47:45]
* What is missing in the business world: action in advocating for women. [49:40]
* Calling listeners to support the female business owners in their lives. [53:38]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Suneera:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani
* Stax Website: https://staxpayments.com/
* CEO School Website: https://theceoschool.co/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re mixing things up again! We’re doing a brand new behind-the-scenes podcast on my journey as an entrepreneur and podcast host!
So this week, just like I’ve done before, I’ve handed over the mic to my husband, Dhru Purohit, who’s graciously stepping into the role of host.
Our first behind-the-scenes episode was one of my most listened-to episodes of all time so I’m hoping today’s vulnerable episode brings a lot of value to you!
Here are just a few of the topics we’ll be covering:
As always, I’d love to get your thoughts on the episode, and hear your feedback! DM me or email me at yasmin@behindherempire.com - I’m always looking for ways to add value and help inspire you!
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Website: https://beeyawellness.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Logan Hollowell is the designer, founder and CEO of Logan Hollowell Jewelry. Logan started with little more than a dream board, some affirmations, and the right mindset and manifested her way to a jewelry empire. Her jewelry is a cult favorite and has been spotted on the likes of Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence, Meghan Markle, and Jessica Alba, among others.
Today she joins us to share her inspiring story with us. She tells us about her early fascination with gemstones, crystals, and spirituality and how this led her to her dream of becoming a jewelry designer. Being raised on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, she explains how the hurricanes she experienced as a child helped her to become comfortable with uncertainty, grow into a risk-taker, and move to LA at the age of 17 to pursue a career in fashion.
We’ll chat about when Logan first discovered the law of attraction and how she used dream boards, mindset, self-love, affirmations, and rituals to create the life she wanted. We also talk about how Logan thinks about fundraising for her business, the role of mentorship in creating a high-growth brand, the challenges she’s overcome, and why she believes that in order to receive, you first have to give.
In this podcast we talk to Logan about:
* How the uncertainty Logan experienced as a child impacted the woman she is today. [3:35]
* The quote that Logan lives by ‘Faith is loyalty to an unseen reality’. [5:11]
* How she always found herself drawn to crystals and spirituality from a young age. [6:58]
* What motivated Logan to leave home and follow her dreams to LA at the age of 17. [8:07]
* The struggles she overcame when she first moved to LA. [9:17]
* How she first discovered the law of attraction. [10:26]
* How reading other people’s stories helped her get into the right mindset. [11:37]
* A quick story from Jasmine about how she overcame debilitating periods. [12:56]
* How self-love and affirmations helped Logan create the life she wanted. [16:12]
* The full moon and new moon rituals she practiced. [19:37]
* The story of how Logan met a jeweler who changed her life and the importance of persistence. [20:50]
* How Logan began designing and creating her own jewelry. [26:14]
* How she got exposure through influencers even before she had a website. [28:43]
* Logan’s belief that in life, in order to receive you have to first give. [29:41]
* How she managed to fund and create her early orders. [30:42]
* Logan’s advice for anyone who has a similar dream but no funding. [32:19
* The importance of following your bliss and how this leads to opportunities and miracles. [32:50]
* Some of the biggest challenges that Logan has overcome as an entrepreneur. [34:57]
* How Logan is funding her business. [37:26]
* The role of mentorship in Logan’s business. [38:42]
* How Logan’s most proud of the alchemy of creating her destiny. [40:09]
* Why Logan believes that wealth means more choices. [41:38]
* The story of Logan’s trip to India and why she believes that the best way to get out of a rut is to help people who are worse off than you. [42:18]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Logan:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loganhollowell/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lisa Odenweller is the Founder and CEO of Kroma Wellness, a functional superfood nutrition company.
Lisa entered the wellness space in 2011 upon founding Beaming Wellness, an organic superfood café concept with locations throughout Southern California. The brand quickly attracted a cult following and was a leader in the healthy grab-&-go food category. After exiting Beaming in 2018, Lisa had a bigger vision with a more ambitious reach: a direct-to-consumer brand that could simplify people’s lives by offering a wide variety of delicious on-the-go functional foods and beverages that easily fit into your everyday life. Out of this vision, Kroma Wellness was born.
However, despite all the success that Lisa has seen with her businesses, it definitely didn’t come easy.
We talk to Lisa about how she launched her first business, Beaming while going through a divorce and being a single mom to three young kids, how she used her scrappiness to get the business off the ground with very little money, and why leaving Beaming was one of the hardest decisions she’s ever made in her life. We unpack the handful of lessons she learned with her first business venture and the work she did to rebuild herself and gain the courage to create her newest business, Kroma.
Lisa shares her multi-year journey of testing different products in her kitchen, the steps she took to launch her second business, and the massive pivot she did that changed the entire trajectory of the company. We also discuss how she went from getting many rejections when it came to fundraising during the pandemic to ultimately raising $5.5 million from well-known founders and A-list celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Amy Schumer, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Lisa about:
* Introducing today’s guest, the founder of Kroma Wellness, Lisa Odenweller. [00:48]
* The challenges of entrepreneurship and Lisa’s advice on how to get through the tough times. [03:34]
* Positive and negative impacts of Lisa’s upbringing. [06:07]
* The personal growth journey that Lisa embarked upon when her life began to fall apart. [10:45]
* Lisa’s first job out of college and the origins of her entrepreneurial journey. [19:48]
* Factors that drew Lisa to the health and wellness space. [23:54]
* The founding story and evolution of Beaming Wellness (Lisa’s previous business). [32:45]
* On-the-go learning that Lisa did during her journey with Beaming Wellness. [37:12]
* Mistakes that Lisa made that ended up costing her company. [39:36]
* The difference between running a business with an abundance mindset and a scarcity mindset. [41:45]
* The importance of carefully considering who sits on the board of your company (if you need to have a board). [44:15]
* Realizations that Lisa came to as a result of the devastating process of losing Beaming Wellness. [46:34]
* The motivation behind the founding of Kroma Wellness. [50:23]
* Why Lisa recreated Kroma Wellness after its initial launch. [52:37]
* The value of test marketing. [56:17]
* A story that highlights the importance of trusting your instincts and not giving up when things don’t go to plan. [59:32]
* Factors that have contributed to the success of Kroma Wellness. [1:04:34]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Get 20% of your first Kroma order with promocode: EMPIRE20
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Karen Young is the Founder and CEO of Oui the People, a body care brand designed to make you feel great in your own skin.
Karen has always been a problem solver, but one problem plagued her for years - debilitating razor burn which held her back from wearing many of her favorite skirts or shorts that showed her legs. In 2014, while working as an executive for Estee Lauder, Keren suffered a particularly bad case of razor burn and decided enough was enough.
With $1,500 in her savings, Karen launched Oui the People from her apartment in Brooklyn and turned the shaving industry on its head by developing the world’s first safety razor designed especially for women. The company is now the fastest growing Black-owned beauty brand in the US and has been featured in many publications like Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and O Magazine.
Most recently, after self-funding for many years which we’ll talk about, Karen closed an oversubscribed round and raised $3 million dollars for the brand allowing her to continue to push her mission of empowerment and inclusivity - something that she didn’t always see in the beauty industry growing up.
In this week’s episode, we talk to Karen about her very windy journey in entrepreneurship from having a successful corporate career while trying different side hustles with the goal of always starting her own business, the biggest lessons she learned from her first business that ended up closing down, and how therapy has been her biggest tool when it comes to overcoming the darkest of times. We also chat about her unique upbringing as a child of immigrants and what they taught her about self-worth, resilience, and perseverance – all key factors that have helped her in both her personal & professional life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Karen about:
* Lessons in perseverance that Karen was taught by her grandmother. [03:20]
* The culture that Karen was immersed in while growing up and how it has influenced her. [08:17]
* An overview of Karen’s educational and early career journey. [13:22]
* The founding story of Karen’s first business, Hammocks and High Tea. [21:40]
* Karen shares the biggest lesson she learned through her first entrepreneurial venture. [25:57]
* The motivation behind the closing of Hammocks and High Tea. [29:15]
* How Karen dealt with the emotional and financial stress that came with closing down her business. [32:49]
* The importance of separating your sense of worth from your business. [36:00]
* Pressure that is commonly felt by children of immigrants. [36:37]
* Karen’s experience working at Estee Lauder. [40:00]
* The problem that Karen saw as an opportunity for her next business, Oui the People. [41:41]
* What the early days looked like at Oui the People. [42:33]
* The moment Karen realized Oui the People was much more than just a side hustle. [44:28]
* Karen’s approach to product development and how it benefited her business in the long run. [46:06]
* How Karen’s mindset around funding has changed with her evolving journey as an entrepreneur. [52:25]
* Why Karen is a strong proponent of therapy. [55:24]
* Karen’s advice for dealing with overwhelm. [56:46]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mona Vand is a wellness expert and pharmacist turned entrepreneur who is passionate about making the world a healthier place.
After six years of studying, and only a short few weeks of work as a pharmacist, Mona quickly realized that she was in the completely wrong career. While medication and supplements can be part of the equation for leading a healthy life, Mona believes that food is the key for taking a holistic approach to wellness.
Since then, Mona has spent countless hours building a side hustle that would ultimately become her main focus. And while Mona has managed to build a highly successful wellness brand with millions of followers, the journey has not been without its challenges.
In our conversation, Mona shares what it was like building her personal brand from the ground up and how her passion fueled her through difficult times. We talk about the biggest business mistakes she made early in her career as a wellness expert and her advice to anyone looking to build a personal brand around their passions.
Lastly, we take a moment to reflect on the current situation in Iran and to express our solidarity and support for the men and women who are risking their lives for their right to live freely.
If you’re looking for ways to help create awareness and get involved, the Iranian Diaspora Collective (https://www.iraniandiasporacollective.com/) has gathered resources for you to review and use in a not-for-profit capacity to amplify and support Iranian voices. #betheirvoice
In this episode, we’ll talk to Mona about:
* The current protests in Iran and how Mona is using her platform to support them. [00:51]
* Insight into Mona’s Persian culture and how it has shaped her identity. [03:57]
* The dissatisfaction and unhappiness Mona felt with her career as a pharmacist. [08:36]
* How Mona first recognized that shifting her career was a viable option. [11:11]
* How Mona was introduced to Marki Costello and learned how to build a personal brand. [12:28]
* Mona shares how she entered the wrong business partnership early in her career and how she recovered from it. [19:22]
* How Mona realized she needed to pivot into social media. [23:25]
* The disappointment Mona felt when she had to return to her work as a pharmacist. [24:130]
* How Mona was able to work as a pharmacist while also growing her social media following. [25:14]
* How creating an online course and joining an agency helped Mona’s brand thrive and allowed her to comfortably quit her job. [30:05]
* Mona’s struggle with perfectionism and the work she has done to overcome it. [36:22]
* The huge amount of behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating content for social media and being an influencer. [41:38]
* Why Mona decided to take a break from social media for one year. [47:50]
* How Mona is setting boundaries to avoid burnout. [0:50:57]
* The power of sleep and how the COVID-19 pandemic helped Mona learn to prioritize it. [54:30]
* Mona’s final thoughts on the expectations that are placed on women and her advice to other female entrepreneurs. [56:42]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.
Follow Mona:
* Mona's Website: https://www.monavand.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monavand/?hl=en
* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@monavand?lang=en
* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0GkEyks1Nnzhsi9bCZTIjA
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Candace Nelson is a serial entrepreneur and a New York Times bestselling author.
Candace is well-known for co-founding Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world’s first cupcake bakery and ATM, and most recently, Pizzana, a fast-growing chain of award-winning pizzerias. She is also an expert in turning one’s passion into a profitable business and has a book launching on November 8th called Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn Your Passion into Profit.
Today’s conversation is jampacked with actionable advice from Candace, including tips on how to mobilize yourself when you are feeling stuck, questions to ask yourself when you’re looking to find your purpose, and more. Listening in, you will hear the ups and downs of her incredible story of starting Sprinklesand why she describes the process as ‘launching nimbly’.
We also touch on how to combat imposter syndrome, the power of building your personal brand, how to approach competition in your space, the importance of building a network & community while building your empire, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Candace about:
* Candace’s relationship with rebellion growing up and how that translates to her work today. [02:21]
* How moving around a lot as a child taught her independence and confidence in new environments. [03:35]
* The story of how Candace overcame one of the lowest moments of her life. [04:42]
* Questions to ask yourself when you are looking to transition to a different career. [07:15]
* Why Candace decided to test the waters before diving into a career in pastry. [08:37]
* What she wanted to perfect before she took her product to launch. [09:51]
* Her husband’s role as co-founder. [10:37]
* What ‘launching nimbly’ looked like for Candace in the early days of Sprinkles. [13:52]
* The benefits of testing the waters with a single product to find your target market. [17:57]
* How she navigated the chapter of her life where every moment was dedicated to Sprinkles. [22:21]
* Bringing a startup mentality to a bakery and finding like-minded people. [23:33]
* Why it’s not constructive to get too focused on your competition. [25:40]
* The role of Candace’s father-in-law in mapping out the business plan. [27:25]
* Why mentorship is important and how Candace includes it in her life. [30:04]
* What she would have done differently to keep her finger in the world of startups. [34:05]
* The problem of lack of confidence and imposter syndrome across industries. [35:10]
* Why Candace is committed to never resting on her laurels. [37:53]
* Why it is important to be aware of your skills and hire for your weaknesses. [39:54]
* How the experience of starting Pizzana has differed from starting Sprinkles. [40:20]
* Why building your personal brand can be a competitive advantage. [42:18]
* Candace reminds listeners that they have exactly what it takes to build their own empire. [44:38]
Follow Candace:
* Candace Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candacenelson/
* Sprinkles cupcakes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprinklescupcakes/
* Website: https://sprinkles.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kaisa Keranen (also known as KaisaFit) is the founder of Just Move, a company dedicated to changing people’s lives by showing them that movement isn’t always about weight loss and appearance but rather overall health. Having suffered from depression since the age of 13, Kaisa found movement to be a tool for survival and when she injured herself in college, she knew she needed to figure out how to move her body her own way.
In this episode, we discover how Kaisa’s depression and alter-ego helped her become her true self and how she discovered her purpose to change lives through movement. Kaisa fills us in on the problematic fitness industry standards, the steps she took to find her new career path, and how she built a massive social media following with millions of followers. We also talk about the importance of therapy and how it’s impacted both her personal and professional life.
Having a north star is essential when running a business and today, Kaisa shares with us her tips when it comes to coping with stress, busy seasons, and how she continues to sustain her energy. We also talk about why leaders need to delegate and have a good sense of self in order to know where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Tune in to hear Kaisa’s story and find out why we need to prioritize doing something for ourselves each day.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kaisa about:
* Why Kaisa Fit is her alter ego and how therapy and Kaisa Fit has helped her become more of her true self. [03:01]
* Kaisa tells us about her dark depression days and how they helped her become who she is now. [06:28]
* How Kaisa’s intense injury affected her life, sense of purpose, and her coping mechanism; movement. [10:00]
* How Kaisa shifted away from being a social worker to becoming a trainer. [16:40]
* The problems with the misconceptions created by the fitness industry and why Kaisa called her program Just Move. [21:28]
* Why Kaisa decided to run her own business and use social media and what made her feel like she needed more. [24:00]
* What made it clear to Kaisa that she needed to stand out in social media with regards to movement and fitness. [26:03]
* Kaisa tells us about the first business she created and why she needed to find a partner. [27:50]
* Kaisa’s bad experience with partnerships and how she overcame that to make Just Move a success. [31:17]
* The importance of staying consistent with what your north star is when running a business. [35:29]
* How Kaisa sustains her energy, stays healthy, and handles hitting burnout during busy seasons. [38:03]
* Kaisa shares some of her coping mechanisms for dealing with stress. [40:37]
* How Kaisa handles letting go and delegating as a control freak and how she suggests people who don’t have a team plan their time. [42:32]
* How Kaisa has figured out where her strengths and weaknesses lie in her business. [44:35]
* How to handle the judgment surrounding not hitting your goals for the day. [49:19]
This episode is brought to you by Beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Kaisa:
* Kaisa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaisafit/
* Just move Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justmove/
* Website: https://kaisafit.com/shop/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, we're re-airing one of our top episodes with the lovely Noura Sakkijha, co-founder and CEO of Mejuri, a fine jewelry brand that introduces handcrafted, everyday jewelry without the traditional retail markups.
Looking from the outside in, entering the jewelry market can seem like a daunting endeavor. Not only is it seemingly saturated, but it’s also exceptionally expensive. Growing up in Jordan as a third-generation jeweler, Noura noticed that traditional high-end jewelry brands always targeted men, encouraging them to buy luxe jewelry for women. In 2015, Noura started Mejuri to change this narrative: A woman doesn't need a man to buy jewelry for her. She can buy it yourself.
Noura was able to successfully raise over $40 million for her jewelry brand and shine in a competitive market. Noura’s products have been worn by A-list celebrities like Selena Gomez, Lizzo, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Oprah, and more.
We’ll talk to Noura about the difficult lessons she learned early in the business, why self-care and therapy have been game-changing for her in both her personal and professional life, and what it takes to build a high-growth brand & sell over 1.8 million pieces of jewelry since inception.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Noura about:
* How Noura's upbringing in Jordan impacted the woman she is today. [3:29]
* Noura recounts a very busy time in her life when she moved to Canada to be a consultant while simultaneously earning an MBA. [5:30]
* How Noura started Mejuri with her husband and what prompted her to pursue it [6:45]
* What gave Nourra the confidence to enter a market like fine jewelry production. [08:33]
* Noura's decision to join FounderFuel and 500 Startups, two top accelerators, and what she learned from the experience. [10:33]
* How Noura changed her mindset around failure and learned from the tech world’s view on failure as a data point. [15:41]
* How Noura gained traction during the early days of her company. [17:33]
* Attracting in-house creatives without the resources of a larger, more established company. [20:21]
* How she managed her mental health during a burnout period while building Mejuri. [21:44]
* Advice Noura's mother gave her that has helped her honor self-care. [23:35]
* Noura's experience with the demands that come with motherhood [24:31]
* How she raised funds for her business while in the later stages of pregnancy. [27:29]
* Managing her optimism and resilience during the difficult, early days of fundraising. [30:00]
* Insights into ensuring the foundation of your business in the early stages. [31:10]
* The time it took to find product fit and transition to the PR stage of their business. [32:45]
* How Noura's family reacted to her starting Mejuri. [33:57]
* One of the surprising things that Nourra is most proud of. [35:14]
* What wealth means to Nourra at this point in her life. [37:07]
* What it’s been like for her and her husband to be co-founders and business partners. [37:45]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Noura:
* Mejuri Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mejuri/
* Mejuri Empowerment Fund: https://mejuri.com/info/ourcommitment
* Website: https://mejuri.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, the jewelry company making luxury accessible to the masses.
It was Nicole’s own engagement journey that opened her eyes to the void in the market for a more affordable, personal engagement ring shopping experience. At that time, she couldn’t find any brand or company that she connected with. Despite never having worked in the jewelry industry, Nicole has single-handedly built a multi-million-dollar diamond ring-centric business in less than ten years, with absolutely no outside funding.
In this episode, we talk to Nicole about how she managed to double her profits annually with her slow and steady, self-funded approach. She fills us in on how she used the power of relationship-building to break into the jewelry industry and how she created brand awareness in the early days of launching her business when she was a one-woman show. We discuss brand humanization as a content strategy, the steps she took to shift her initial business idea, the importance of delegating and knowing your weaknesses, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Nicole about:
*The most common fear preventing people from starting their own business. [2:43]
*The main characteristic required to be a successful entrepreneur. [3:19]
*What Nicole attributes her resilience to. [4:16]
*Nicole’s background: how her life view and expectations shifted in college. [5:51]
*The savvy route she took with her fashion major. [7:39]
*What she learned from her experience working in the corporate space. [8:56]
*Why she chose to leave the corporate space. [10:59]
*How her engagement journey inspired her to create her own jewelry company. [11:40]
*Nicole’s early days of starting the business. [13:13]
*Why Nicole chose not to raise capital and how the business grew organically. [18:03]
*How she broke into a largely male and family-run business-dominated industry. [19:58]
*The value of relationship building and how Nicole approached it. [21:37]
*How she used Instagram to create brand awareness. [23:24]
*What inspired the humanization of the brand as a content strategy, and what makes it so effective. [25:22]
*How Nicole balances content creation with running the business. [29:08]
*What inspired her to hire senior-level team members and the risks and advantages thereof. [30:30]
*The only way to grow your business without outside capital. [33:24]
*Why, in retrospect, Nicole would have started the senior hiring process sooner. [35:59]
*Why she chose to be solely self-funded. [38:40]
*The most significant thing she’s learned about herself on her startup journey. [42:01]
*The importance of identifying your weaknesses and delegating accordingly. [45:02]
*Nicole’s relationship with burnout and how she learned to stave it off. [50:16]
*How motherhood has shifted her at-home focus. [53:00]
*Nicole’s advice for remaining centered while building a business. [57:06]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
*Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
*Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Nicole:
*Website: https://ringconcierge.com/
*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ringconcierge/
Follow Yasmin:
*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Neha Kumar is a serial entrepreneur and investor. She’s the co-founder of Maie Wines, a California-made wine company focused on single-serve wine, and co-founder of New Money Ventures, a consumer fund and brand studio focused on empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Beyond her reputable banking career, Neha has worked at several startups over the years and, most recently, served as the COO and CFO of Create & Cultivate which sold to Corridor Capital in 2020.
Neha shares her unique perspective when it comes to building a successful company as both an operator and investor. In this episode, we learn about how she serendipitously landed in banking, why she chose to leave to start her own business, and how she prepared to do so. She also fills us in on the greatest challenges she faced transitioning from corporate to launching her first business, why it didn’t work out, and what she wishes she knew before going into it.
We also chat about why it’s never too late to re-create yourself and your life, what people get wrong with the concept of work-life balance, why you shouldn’t start a business around your passion, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Neha about:
* Why Neha believes you have to constantly find yourself to be resilient. [2:29]
* How to find yourself without being influenced by others’ expectations. [5:01]
* How the values Neha’s parents instilled in her have impacted her life. [6:51]
* The benefits of financial independence. [9:38]
* What prompted Neha’s banking career. [10:24]
* How and why Neha prepared to leave her banking career for the startup space. [16:33]
* What inspired her to start her own business. [18:42]
* Her greatest challenge transitioning into the startup space. [19:14]
* The importance of embracing your wholeness. [22:04]
* What Neha wishes she knew before starting her first business. [23:50]
* How Neha decided to let the business go and move on. [26:00]
* How her banking background prepared her to help other businesses scale. [27:14]
* Neha defines entrepreneurship. [29:04]
* The difference between self-interest and selfishness. [31:38]
* Why it’s important to separate your business ideas from your hobbies. [32:48]
* What people tend to get wrong about work-life balance. [38:58]
* How Neha balances her priorities. [042:52]
* Motherhood in the professional world. [47:16]
* How Neha’s job supported her, post-partum, and allows her to be a better mother. [48:40]
* What she looks for in founders, as an investor. [55:42]
* How to gauge resilience in a founder. [57:27]
* The advantage of being passionate about your business. [1:01:17]
* The importance of building a great team, and empowering each individual. [1:05:26]
* How having kids taught Neha to relinquish control and have faith. [1:09:08]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Neha:
* New Money Ventures Website: https://newmoneyventures.co/
* Maie Wines Website: https://drinkmaie.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nehatkumar/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rooshy Roy is the co-founder and CEO of Aavrani, a premium skincare company inspired by India's ancient beauty rituals.
As a first generation Indian-American, Rooshy would often make her own skincare with her mom, who showed her how to harness the power of raw ingredients—like turmeric & raw honey—to maintain beautiful skin. As an adult searching for an easier way to access those transformative rituals, Rooshy was inspired to create her own Ayurvedic brand.
In this wide-ranging interview, we talk with Rooshy about how she left her credible finance career to launch a business (when she least expected it), why you’ll never be 100% ready when taking the leap, and the importance of letting go of perfectionism to build anything amazing in life. We also chat about why your own personal growth is so critical to the business, how Rooshy overcame depression and some tough moments when starting out, a step-by-step approach to building a skincare business in a saturated/competitive market, and so much more.
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Rooshy:
* Website: https://aavrani.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rooshyroy/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Samia Gore is the founder and CEO of Body Complete Rx, a plant-based health and wellness nutritional supplement brand.
After giving birth to her fourth child, Samia was on a weight loss journey and was looking for natural, organic alternatives to help jumpstart her healthier lifestyle. She was sharing all her personal routines and tips online, and after building a large community of like-minded people on her social, she decided to create her own supplements that would cater to women like her.
After building and self-funding the brand for years, Samia was able to leave her day job and take her $5,000 investment and build a company that has generated over $10 million in sales - all within four years! Samia is the first Black female founder to break significant ground in the nutritional supplement industry.
We'll talk to Samia about what it's like to self-fund her business before seeing it grow, how she draws on self-trust to navigate fear & anxiety, and how having faith has helped her stay centered as an entrepreneur. She also shares her experience of overcoming imposter syndrome with education, her wisdom around dealing with naysayers, the realities of scaling a business that started as a one-person operation, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Samia about:
* Addressing imposter syndrome with education. [3:05]
* The roadblock that a lack of finances can create to pursuing a business. [3:20]
* What to do about naysayers. [4:16]
* The influence that Samia’s powerhouse mom has had on her life and career. [5:05]
* Why an index card with a few wellness goals written on it was so significant to Samia. [6:26]
* The main message she wants to communicate: try to be your best self! [9:01]
* How Samia’s interest in wellness transformed into a business. [9:59]
* The early, self-funded, DIY days of Samia’s supplement business as a full-time employee and mother. [15:41]
* How Samia built awareness about her brand before a celebrity picked up on it. [17:05]
* The role of Samia’s existing community in boosting growth. [19:47]
* Why Samia recommends that everyone starts out by doing everything required to run their business. [20:27]
* The bootstrapping process of funding her business with no loans or support. [22:37]
* Marketing an unknown product on Vitamin Shoppe. [24:28]
* Samia’s initial approach to managing a full-time job alongside her business. [26:31]
* The success that followed taking the plunge and working on her business full-time. [28:01]
* How Samia approached naysayers with a simple philosophy. [28:50]
* Navigating fear with self-trust. [30:47]
* The role of ritual, prayer, and meditation in recentering faith and trust in her life. [32:57]
* Why Samia keeps a tight schedule with an early bedtime. [34:40]
* The inner work Samia is doing on the theme of self-worth. [35:48]
* Remaining mindful that there are seasons for everything and it’s not all pretty. [37:57]
* What she wishes someone would have told her at the start of her career. [39:30]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Samia:
* Website: https://bodycompleterx.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samiagore/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we’re mixing things up! In this behind-the-scenes Behind Her Empire episode, we take a look at our very own Yasmin Nouri’s journey as a podcast host and first-time entrepreneur. Yasmin’s husband, Dhru Purohit, graciously steps into the role of host to talk to her about the origin story of Behind Her Empire and why she decided to start the podcast.
You’ll gain some insight into the ups and downs that Yasmin experienced along the way as we dive into what motivated her to start her company, Beeya, and how hearing the vulnerable stories of other entrepreneurs helped her overcome her own hurdles of self-doubt.
You’ll also hear Yasmin’s advice for anyone looking to start their own business, plus so much more. We’re always looking for ways to add value and inspire you on your journey, so be sure to tune in today for some relatable examples and actionable lessons from the host of this very podcast, Yasmin Nouri!
In this episode, we'll talk to Natalie about:
* Where Yasmin’s passion for women in business comes from. [2:06]
* Examples of some of the incredible women that inspired Yasmin. [5:36]
* The book that she wanted to write and how it evolved into this podcast. [7:51]
* The importance of leaning into your natural abilities as an entrepreneur. [12:53]
* Unexpected struggles and successes that came with starting a podcast. [14:12]
* How you can benefit from pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone. [19:23]
* Overcoming old narratives, insecurities, and limiting beliefs to start a business. [20:49]
* The value of focusing on the impact you’re making, not the numbers. [24:58]
* How this podcast has led to immense personal growth for Yasmin. [28:10]
* A look at Yasmin’s entrepreneurial journey and her evolution as a leader. [33:22]
* The steps that took her in the direction of starting a wellness company. [37:04]
* How long it took to get Beeya off the ground, from concept to launch. [42:48]
* Finding a complementary partner to leverage both your strengths and weaknesses. [48:50]
* Challenges Yasmin encountered when it came to product development. [49:42]
* The value of asking dumb questions! [53:35]
* Actionable lessons about marketing and branding from the Beeya story. [54:24]
* Why Yasmin and her business partner decided to self-fund their business. [58:00]
* A candid look at how it’s going and what keeps Yasmin motivated. [1:02:28]
* We close this special episode with an understanding of Yasmin’s ‘why.’ [1:07:40]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Website: https://beeyawellness.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Starting a business is always a risk, particularly if you’re forfeiting a stable career trajectory to do so. Our guest today is living proof that pursuing your passions pays off. Natalie Mackey is the founder and CEO of clean makeup and skincare brand, Winky Lux. Natalie took the bold leap of leaving her career in finance to start her own business (which came from a “failed” idea) and Winky Lux has now grown to over $100 million in sales, both online and in Target and Ulta Beauty stores nationwide.
In our conversation with Natalie, we find out all about her entrepreneurship journey, from raising funds to choosing and building relationships with suppliers and creating brand awareness and virality with your product. Natalie shares Winky Lux’s commitment to its customers and how the brand is differentiated in such a saturated, competitive market. In life and in business, women, in particular, feel like they have to do it all, and today, we hear Natalie’s advice for letting go of the pressure of perfectionism, as well as how having a kid helped her become a better entrepreneur and a stronger leader, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Natalie about:
* What it takes to be great, according to Natalie. [2:13]
* What motivated her to leave her finance career and start her own business. [4:23]
* Her first foray into the world of business. [8:03]
* Why she chose to pivot to the beauty products industry. [9:28]
* The fascinating genesis story of Winky Lux. [13:59]
* How Natalie differentiated Winky Lux in such a saturated market. [18:18]
* Winky Lux’s first products. [20:22]
* The process of choosing suppliers and building supplier relationships. [22:04]
* How Natalie and co. built awareness around the brand early on. [29:35]
* An example of the surprising success of an experimental product. [32:30]
* Examples of failed ideas and investments. [34:41]
* Natalie shares the story of Winky Lux inventory catching alight and how they handled it. [35:57]
* Winky Lux’s commitment to pleasing and communicating with its customers. [37:44]
* Winky Lux’s fundraising journey. [39:18]
* How having a kid helped her become a better entrepreneur and a stronger leader. [48:11]
* Natalie’s advice for letting go of perfectionism and feeling like you have to do it all. [52:55]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Natalie:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natmack1/
* Winky Lux Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winky_lux/
* Website: https://www.winkylux.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re back to new episodes starting this week (yay!) and we’re beyond excited to have the lovely Cayli Cavaco Reck, skincare entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Knockout Beauty, a full-service beauty business that is focused on conscious beauty for the modern-minded.
Cayli has always been always dealing with some kind of skin issue throughout her life. As a teenager, Cayli struggled with acne and the medication that she was put on to resolve her skin issues sent her into a state of emotional turmoil. Then in her 30s, she was battling melasma after a laser procedure went awry. After years of battling and overcoming her skin issues, she wanted to share her personal skincare journey and everything she learned with women everywhere.
As a side project, she started an IG account called “Knocking on Forty”. She immediately struck a chord with followers and garnered a large community of women who were looking for a more holistic approach to skincare. A year later, Cayli completely switched careers and launched her first brick-and-mortar store... and the rest was history. She now has a successful direct-to-consumer business as well as retail locations in both NY and LA.
In today’s episode, Cayli talks about the connection between mindset and success, her approach to cultivating an abundance mindset, the value in being disciplined as an entrepreneur, the power of small changes, and some of the foundational wisdom that she has drawn from various mentors over the years (including her powerhouse parents!).
In this episode, we'll talk to Cayli about:
* Exploring the link between mindset and success. [3:05]
* Cayli’s approach to fostering an abundance mindset and “handling hard better.” [7:04]
* Some of the key lessons that Cayli learned from her powerhouse parents. [15:17]
* Cayli shares the story of her personal skincare journey. [20:07]
* The study that Cayli did that inspired her to change her career. [25:36]
* What Cayli discovered to be the key to turning followers into customers. [26:37]
* Advice for fostering community. [28:12]
* Why discipline is such an important trait for entrepreneurs to cultivate. [28:54]
* The value in being led, as well as leading. [31:07]
* Cayli’s initial idea for Knockout Beauty. [32:56]
* When Cayli realized that Knockout Beauty was going to be much more than a side hustle. [33:37]
* The inevitable challenges of being an entrepreneur, and a tip for how to deal with them. [36:12]
* Examples of the different types of capital that exist. [39:29]
* Cayli’s approach to funding and growing her business. [40:35]
* Don’t underestimate the power of small, incremental changes. [43:54]
* Balancing work and family as an entrepreneur. [45:58]
* Cayli’s greatest dream and greatest fear. [46:35]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Cayli:
* Knockout Beauty Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knockoutbeauty/
* Website: https://knockoutbeauty.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MaryRuth Ghiyam is the founder & CEO of MaryRuth Organics, a family-friendly wellness brand offering over 130 high-quality, vegan, non-GMO vitamins and supplements.
MaryRuth began her personal journey into the health and wellness space after the unexpected passing of her brother and her father, as well as her mother’s diagnosis of two benign brain tumors.
While working as a health coach in 2013, MaryRuth struggled to find supplements to recommend to her clients that were easy-to-take and didn’t make them nauseous on an empty stomach. She made a small batch of a sugar-free Raspberry Liquid Morning Multivitamin and the rest is history.
MaryRuth went from $700,000 in debt to creating a $100+ million wellness company – before taking on any investors – and is on a bold mission to show how micro-actions can give you the momentum to move forward every day.
We talk to MaryRuth about her biggest tips for overcoming adversity and how she got herself out of debt & gained financial freedom. We also touch on the power of time blocking to organize your life and how MaryRuth built a highly profitable wellness empire without any prior connections in the industry, plus so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to MaryRuth about:
* Advice for women feeling constrained by their circumstances: keep moving forward! [2:38]
* Insight into MaryRuth’s childhood and the losses that informed her wellness journey. [4:50]
* The experience that shifted her perspective on the value of financial independence. [6:37]
* Some of the realizations that MaryRuth had about debt management. [11:22]
* The importance of building confidence in yourself and proper time management. [16:46]
* How MaryRuth's clients inspired the idea for her first liquid vitamin product. [19:23]
* How the decision to marry her husband impacted her life (and her business!) [22:31]
* Structure creates freedom; how time blocking keeps MaryRuth anchored. [29:10]
* Time blocking tips: be realistic about what you can achieve in a day. [38:18]
* The early stages of how MaryRuth cultivated awareness about her products. [42:32]
* Internal matches external: why she chose to focus on developing the best product and customer service she could before investing in marketing. [45:17]
* How MaryRuth built a financially healthy business with no outside investments. [46:31]
* Learn about the negative cashflow conversion cycle that MaryRuth Organics uses. [50:44]
* Some of the biggest mistakes that MaryRuth sees entrepreneurs make. [53:17]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow MaryRuth:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryruthorganics/
* Website: https://www.maryruthorganics.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Payal Kadakia is the founder of ClassPass, the revolutionary fitness and wellness platform which provides people access to the best boutique fitness classes, gyms, and wellness experiences around the world.
Prior to its acquisition by MindBody in October 2021, ClassPass was valued at over a billion dollars, with members logging more than 100 million workouts across 30,000 partner studios in over 30 countries. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Payal is also the founder and artistic director of the Sa Dance Company, which she founded in 2009 to increase awareness of Indian dance in the mainstream.
Payal has been listed as one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People and was named in Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list. She is also the author of the new book, LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential, which hits shelves on Feb 15.
In today’s episode, we touch on the ways that Payal’s Indian heritage has impacted the woman & entrepreneur she is today, why you have to ask yourself the hard questions in life, the importance of not getting wrapped up in what Payal calls the ‘false signals’ of success, as well as the benefits of choosing impact over perfection. We also candidly talk about the early days of building ClassPass, how it took over three years to gain any traction, the many lessons she learned along the way, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Payal about:
* How her Indian heritage has informed the woman that Payal is today. [4:30]
* Practical tips for taking a leap of faith: allow your vision to be your motivator! [11:30]
* The value of asking the hard questions and pursuing the goals you truly want. [13:55]
* How Payal approached the topic of risk-taking with her risk-averse parents. [19:40]
* When she realized that she had to follow her passions and start her own business. [22:27]
* Find out why she believes that it’s important to set boundaries with some people. [24:00]
* How to cultivate the right mindset while you are building your business. [26:57]
* Why Payal suggests starting with a problem you personally need solved as an entrepreneur. [28:17]
* The importance of not getting caught up in the “false signals of success.” [30:05]
* The crucial role that failure played in Payal’s journey as an entrepreneur. [31:33]
* How Payal overcame perfectionism and her suggestions for other entrepreneurs. [34:20]
* Hear the story of when Payal first knew that ClassPass was a success. [37:12]
* Why she believes that the universe opened doors for her when she started doing the work that aligned with her spirit. [39:02]
* Advice for women who have lost sight of their passions [40:26]
* How Payal juggles motherhood, dance, and business by letting her priorities guide her time. [42:22]
* Payal’s philosophy on guilt; when you love what you do, there’s no place for guilt. [43:34]
* How her dual identity has served her throughout her life and in her business. [45:12]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Payal:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payal/
* Payal's Book: LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential - https://www.amazon.com/LifePass-Develop-Mindset-Techniques-Optimize/dp/179720694X
* ClassPass: https://classpass.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jane Wurwand is the Founder and Chief Visionary of Dermalogica, the number one professional skincare brand in the world.
At the young age of 24, Jane immigrated to California and saw a distinct lack of continuing education with skin therapists in the US. Without a college degree or network, she set out to launch her own skin therapy education with only $14,000 in a small classroom in Los Angeles. This led her to also develop a line of skincare products and a system of teaching salon owners how to use them which is now a multi-million dollar international brand with a cult-like following.
Under Jane’s leadership, Dermalogica has grown to be the leading professional skincare brand, used by more than 100,000 skin therapists in more than 100 countries. Dermalogica sold to Unilever in 2015 and the brand continues to be the most respected and requested professional skincare line in the world.
In 2018, Jane launched FOUND/LA, a nonprofit initiative offering funding, mentorship, unique incubator programs, and educational resources for entrepreneurs who have been underserved. She also recently published her book, “Skin in the Game”, which Harvard Business Review called ‘brilliant’, and is the go-to guide for readers looking for their true purpose and the opportunity to live their biggest life.
We’ll talk to Jane about how to turn your pain into the key to your success, find a deeper significance in life by connecting the dots, and use your authenticity as a tool for materializing your dreams.
In this episode, we talk to Jane about:
* Advice for women who feel that their baggage is holding them back. [3:34]
* The five important words Jane’s mother spoke to her as a child. [7:23]
* How Jane moved to South Africa in the '70s and the lessons she learned. [9:29]
* Advice for building up a sense of trust in yourself by taking small steps of bravery. [17:14]
* The lesson about the value of human connection Jane learned from an early client. [22:05]
* Connecting the dots to find a deeper significance: How Jane moved to the US. [26:48]
* The paucity of skills in LA and how Jane got the idea to start her company. [33:19]
* How Jane built up a network of clients and secured a space to work in LA. [42:35]
* The 20 percent rule and the story of how Jane developed Dermalogica. [46:28]
* Relentless industriousness; how Jane found manufacturers for her products. [51:10]
* The value of being authentic and how this helped Jane pitch her ideas. [59:11]
* Getting into debt with her chemist and how Jane paid it back. [1:01:25]
* Raising money versus self-funding and why Jane took the latter route. [1:06:46]
* How tiny the amount of funding women receive is and how Jane is addressing this. [1:10:01]
* The thought process leading to Jane selling Dermalogica to Unilever. [1:15:15]
* Advice from Jane for women who around believing in their inner power. [1:19:51]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Jane:
* Jane Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janewurwand/
* Website: https://www.dermalogica.com/
* Jane's Book: Skin in the Game: Everything You Need is Already Inside You: https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Game-Everything-Already-Inside/dp/1400224306
* Found/LA: https://www.foundla.org/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Loren Ridinger is the Co-Founder of internet retailing giants, Shop.Com and Market America.
Although Loren is now recognized as an internet mogul who has changed the face of the beauty and e-commerce industries over the past two decades, her life started with very humble beginnings. She moved to Greensboro, NC at a young age, worked in retail when she was sixteen, and at eighteen, Loren and her husband, JR, took a chance on their dream to make it easy for people to shop online at a time when most people didn’t even have computers in their home.
Twenty-nine years later, their companies Market America and Shop.com generate over a billion dollars in annual sales and serve more than 10 million customers. The company is still headquartered in Greensboro, NC, and is quite global with offices in nine other countries.
Loren also founded the award-winning cosmetics line Motives and is recognized for her work in publications like Forbes, Elle, and Vogue, where she was included in their 100 Most Influential Women issue.
In today’s episode, we dig into the top five themes that will allow anyone to be successful with their dreams: 1) importance of belief & visualization, 2) being your true, authentic self, 3) having the right people around you, 4) goal setting the 'right' way, and 5) always doing the hard things first.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Loren about:
* The importance of women sticking together and supporting each other. [2:40]
* How Loren’s mother profoundly influenced her life. [3:48]
* Building a business with a baby; challenges and how Loren dealt with them. [6:22]
* What Loren learned from her mom and dad’s different styles of parenting. [8:46]
* Why Loren did the training to become a flight attendant. [10:26]
* The importance of deciding what you want to do with your life and not letting anyone else decide that for you. [12:15]
* Where the inspiration for Loren and her husband’s businesses, SHOP.com and Market America, came from. [14:00]
* Barriers that Loren and JR faced when starting to build their businesses. [15:52]
* The process that Loren went through to make sure that she was surrounded by the right people, and her “mental vacation” philosophy. [19:02]
* Traits that are essential in people who Loren allows into her tribe. [23:17]
* Why Loren doesn’t make New Year's resolutions. [24:26]
* How Loren manages her time and ensures that she is sticking to her goals. [26:30]
* Loren’s drive to be constantly learning, and ways she does this. [30:21]
* Assign dates to your goals, and why Loren thinks about her weeks in goals, not days. [31:23]
* Stepping out of your comfort zone is essential to success; it’s actually more uncomfortable inside the box than outside of it. [35:58]
* A major issue that Loren experienced with her health and how she dealt with it; faith over fear [42:19]
* Ways that Loren balances her work life and her family life; although she is adamant about the fact that everyone is different and there is no magic formula. [50:27]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Loren:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenridinger/
* Market America: https://www.marketamerica.com/
* SHOP.com: https://www.shop.com/
* Motives Cosmetics: https://www.motivescosmetics.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Sara Gottfried is a World-Renowned Physician, Hormone Expert, Speaker, and 4x New York Times Best Selling Author.
Dr. Gottfried’s interview marks the start of our first podcast in the world of health and wellness. One of the biggest myths that women have on their path to building their empire is that they have to sacrifice their health in order to be successful. This couldn't be further from the truth!
Starting this week, in addition to my interviews with incredible founders, I’m going to be bringing on the top experts in women’s health to help you better understand your biology and how to personalize your health to achieve the success you deserve. In today’s episode, Dr. Gottfried helps us understand how hormonal imbalances are impacting every area of our life, including energy levels, weight gain, and debilitating PMS. She also discusses how addressing the root causes can radically change your life for the better.
Dr. Gottfried is a global keynote speaker who practices evidence-based integrative, functional, and precision medicine. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University and Director of Precision Medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health where she focuses on career longevity for female CEOs.
In this episode, we'll talk to Dr. Sara about:
* The key role that hormones play in our bodies as a whole. [2:43]
* Why it is important for us to make sure our hormones are in balance. [3:35]
* How hormones show up in our lives, with a focus on estrogen and progesterone. [4:26]
* Why testosterone is particularly important for female entrepreneurs. [6:36]
* The role of insulin in making you crave carbs and sugar. [8:40]
* Lifestyle factors that lead to modern women having hormonal imbalances. [12:22]
* Dr. Gottfried tells the story of her journey to finding hormonal balance and health. [17:15]
* The stress gap and how women tend to experience more stress than men. [22:05]
* Why 88% of Americans are in a state of metabolic dysfunction. [30:29]
* An explanation for why cutting out carbs is more effective for men than women. [35:32]
* Her goal: for women to have the best metabolic health throughout their lives. [37:05]
* Two methods to help you manage blood glucose in the body. [40:10]
* The misinformation around carbs and why we actually need them as women. [43:26]
* Emotional eating and why it isn’t constructive. [48:00]
* Why food timing is important with a 14 hour overnight fast being ideal. [49:00]
* Alcohol and its role in metabolic health, and overall health. [51:00]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Dr. Gottfried:
* Website: https://www.saragottfriedmd.com/
* Her Book: Women, Food, and Hormones: A 4-Week Plan to Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight, and Feel Like Yourself Again: https://amzn.to/3lopln5
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dubbed by the New York Times as ‘the woman who dresses America’, Jenna Lyons, is a fashion icon and the co-founder/CEO of the beauty brand, LoveSeen.
Having kicked off her career as an intern at Donna Karan, Jenna went on to join the design team at J.Crew, eventually becoming its President. She is recognized as the main driver behind its incredible rise to success, and is a regular feature in print and online media, including having been recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.
After 27 years at J.Crew, Jenna was finally ready to start her own empire. She launched her company LoveSeen, a direct-to-consumer beauty brand that is reinventing fake lashes, which was largely inspired by her genetic condition that impacts her lash growth. And she was most recently, the Executive Director and main star of her reality competition show, Stylish with Jenna Lyons on HBO Max.
In this episode, you'll learn how Jenna's challenging childhood influenced her attitude toward finances and her love of fashion today. Living in New York in the 1980s, she discovered a new standard of beauty that was in stark contrast to what she had known as a child. Jenna reflects on working with Mickey Drexler, former CEO and Chairman of J.Crew Group, managing people, and navigating the public eye.
You'll also hear why Jenna decided to reinvent herself later in her career, how she coped with leaving J.Crew, and what she loves about working in beauty over fashion.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jenna about:
* The impact of Jenna’s mother’s attitude towards financial independence on how she approaches money today. [3:10]
* How knowing you can take care of yourself affects fear and trust in relationships. [4:30]
* What it was like to grow up with a genetic disorder and how sewing a skirt led to a popular girl in school asking Jenna to make one for her too. [6:40]
* What it was like to live in New York in the late 1980s. [9:04]
* How Jenna didn’t meet the standard of beauty in the beach town she grew up in. [10:30]
* The discovery of Antonio Lopez as a pivotal point in discovering her own beauty. [11:38]
* How she came to intern at Donna Karan and study at Parsons University in the 90s. [12:35]
* The listing that led Jenna to take a job at J.Crew without asking about the salary. [13:35]
* The dramatic change at J.Crew that completely turned things around [17:20]
* What it was like working with Mickey Drexler (CEO of JCrew); his alchemy skills, attunement, and insight. [18:18]
* How she needed to develop skills to manage people she worked with. [21:20]
* Entering the public eye starting with Domino Magazine, then Vogue with Annie Leibovitz, and the internal struggle Jenna experienced. [25:01]
* Find out how Jenna navigated different transition periods in her life. [28:29]
* The nine-month period of silence that helped her regroup and see what’s important. [29:10]
* What Jenna loves about the beauty scene: she doesn’t have to think about size. [36:05]
* How Jenna realized the significance of eyelashes and decided to start her business. [37:00]
* How admitting that you don’t know things can open you up to learn new things. [42:00]
Follow Jenna:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennalyonsnyc/
* Website: https://loveseen.com/
* LoveSeen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveseen/
* Stylist by Jenna HBO Max: https://www.stylishwithjennalyons.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Amy Liu is the founder and CEO of Tower 28, a beauty company inclusive of all skin tones, skin types, budgets, and beauty philosophies.
For over 15 years, Amy Liu worked as a beauty executive at some of the fastest-growing prestige companies, including Smashbox, Kate Somerville and Josie Maran Cosmetics. But as a longtime eczema sufferer, she couldn’t even enjoy the best part of working in the beauty industry: trying out all the products! Even the clean alternatives were super expensive or too clinical, like they were coming straight from the doctor’s office. Amy saw this white space as an opportunity, and set out to create Tower 28. Tower 28 is the first beauty brand that’s 100 percent clean, vegan, and free of every known skin irritant.
We talk to Amy about how she thought about the risk she was talking in starting her career with a successful corporate career under her belt, three kids and a mortgage. Amy also shares her perspective on why there's never a “right time” to get started, why we should never fall into the trap of comparison, the power of fostering real relationships in life and in business, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Amy about:
* Where Amy’s aversion to risk originated. [3:11]
* Why Amy chose to become an entrepreneur in the beauty space. [7:44]
* An overview of Amy’s career prior to founding Tower 28. [8:35]
* The danger of comparing ourselves to others. [9:53]
* How working for other companies before starting her own has benefitted Amy. [15:53]
* Amy explains what motivated her decision to quit her full-time job and shares advice for other mothers who may have the same worries about this move as she did. [18:18]
* The conversation that changed the course of Amy’s life. [22:35]
* Value that lies in talking openly about what you want to achieve. [25:21]
* The importance of reputation. [28:47]
* How Amy’s approach to founding Tower 28 was different from the three businesses she founded before it. [29:46]
* What differentiates Tower 28 from other brands. [32:41]
* Amy’s thoughts on overcoming fears around entering a saturated market. [33:47]
* The ultimate goal that Amy had when she founded Tower 28. [37:14]
* How Amy incorporates her values into her brand. [38:21]
* A story which highlights the value of being open minded. [40:04]
* Amy explains the approach that she took to growing Tower 28. [46:25]
* How her experience of building Tower 28 has changed the way Amy looks at life. [49:48]
* Delving into the (very) challenging side of building a business, and the things that make it worth it. [51:15]
* Words of wisdom from Amy on living your most fulfilling life as a female founder. [56:00]
Follow Amy:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyliu_t28/
* Tower 28 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/tower28beauty/
* Website: https://www.tower28beauty.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our guest today has been visualizing her success from an early age, without even realizing she was doing so. If anyone knows how to tune in to the opportunities around her, it’s Anjula Acharia.
She is the founder and CEO of A-Series Management and Investments and works as a talent strategist and strategic investor and advisor to many consumer tech and CPG startups, including two notable early-stage investments, ClassPass and Bumble, which have grown into billion-dollar unicorns. Not only is she an early investor and advocate, but she also happens to be international superstar Priyanka Chopra’s manager and business partner and has played a critical role in launching Priyanka’s career in the US.
In this episode, Anjula imparts her wisdom about how opportunities present themselves in the absence of desperation and explains why she chooses not to live by a plan. We hear her visualization tips and insights and discover how she applied the “power of the pivot” to Priyanka Chopra’s career. Anjula recounts how she connected with a legendary record executive, how she came to work with Priyanka, and the sheer hustle that was required for her to “break” into the industry.
Tune in to hear Anjula’s remarkable story and gain insight into what she looks for in startup founders, how she chooses investments, and the top mistakes she sees entrepreneurs making today.
In this episode, we'll talk to Anjula about:
* The challenges of Anjula’s upbringing and how she discovered the power of visualization. [2:43]
* The life-changing impact The Secret had on her, in terms of visualization and manifestation. [5:05]
* Why she refers to herself as an “accidental entrepreneur” and what catalyzed her investment journey. [7:57]
* Why Anjula doesn’t believe in living according to a plan. [10:04]
* About Beeya Wellness! [11:05]
* Anjula’s intrinsic confidence and belief in the abundance of opportunities in the world. [14:15]
* Anjula recounts her meeting with legendary record executive, Jimmy Iovine. [17:20]
* The power of the elimination of desperation. [19:45]
* Anjula humorously recalls Jimmy Iovine telling her her company was going to fail in front of Jay Z! [21:00]
* The series of events that led her to meet and work with Priyanka Chopra as her manager and business partner. [22:07]
* The hustle of launching Priyanka’s career in the US. [25:53]
* How ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia taught Anjula the power of the pivot, and how she applied it to Priyanka’s career. [27:26]
* Anjula’s two deciding factors when considering whether to back a founder. [29:09]
* The importance of knowing your metrics, as a founder. [30:00]
* The top mistakes Anjula sees entrepreneurs making today. [31:11]
* Why it’s so important for women to think big! [32:06]
* Why Anjula tends to invest in entrepreneurs outside of the industry. [34:07]
* What other exciting things she has on the go! [35:35]
Follow Anjula:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anjula_acharia/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Melissa Hibbért is a beauty icon and the Founder of SHYFT Beauty Consulting, a contemporary multi-cultural marketing agency for women-founded beauty brands.
Melissa’s love affair with all things glam began at an early age when she started experimenting with makeup on friends and family while she was in high school. However, it wasn’t until after a successful 14-year stint in corporate marketing that Melissa decided to pursue her love for beauty, becoming a celebrity makeup artist and, ultimately, a serial entrepreneur with multiple brand launches under her belt. Melissa is a champion for women-led brands and a beacon of light for brands seeking fresh and innovative ideas.
In today’s episode, we sit down with the beauty mogul to talk about how she shifted from her successful corporate marketing career to entrepreneurship and her step-by-step approach to leaving a stable income to pursue her passions despite friends and family not being supportive.
We also chat about the power of visualization & keeping your “mind right”, the biggest learnings she had from her prior businesses, and why it’s all about prioritization and not balance especially when you’re running your own business alongside your family.
In this episode, we'll talk to Melissa about:
* What Melissa believes is preventing people from pursuing their passions. [2:56]
* How her upbringing helped shaped her mindset as an entrepreneur. [4:25]
* Where her love affair with beauty came from and how she carried it with her throughout her time in corporate America. [6:17]
* An understanding of why Melissa chose a more “traditional path” in marketing. [11:45]
* The lightbulb moment that made her realize she had to follow her dreams. [13:13]
* A candid account of leaving a stable income to turn her love for beauty into a career. [15:17]
* How Melissa unpacked her calling, paid attention to the signs, and then took action. [19:35]
* Advice for setting yourself apart in a world full of entrepreneurs: be a brand early on! [23:18]
* How Melissa gave herself one year to replace her six-figure corporate income. [26:33]
* Seeing life beyond the physical; daily habits Melissa implements to visualize the life she wants for herself, both personally and professionally. [30:35]
* What her initial business goals and aspirations were and how they have evolved. [33:16]
* Melissa’s key learnings when it comes to product curation, income, and more. [35:49]
* Insight into where Melissa is today and why she chooses to prioritize, not balance. [40:57]
* How she has restructured her business to prioritize flexibility over profit. [44:12]
* What Melissa is most proud of: she stumbled, but she didn’t crumble! [45:51]
Follow Melissa:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahibbert
* Website: https://shyftbeauty.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Noora Raj Brown always had a passion for all things creative, but as a child of immigrant parents who were fully immersed in the technology and medical fields, she didn’t know where her creativity would take her. After a wide range of experiences and a very non-linear career path, Noora is now one of the key women behind Gwyneth Paltrow’s booming modern lifestyle brand, Goop, and serves as the company's EVP of Brand.
Goop has grown steadily into a multinational powerhouse that’s valued over $250 million dollars and is a web destination for advice, guides, and features about beauty, style, and wellness. Outside of their website, they have a podcast, a docu-series on Netflix, brick-and-mortar locations, and also reach millions of followers daily on their social platforms.
In today’s episode, Noora shares valuable advice on jumpstarting your career when you feel lost, dealing with insecurities, and how to avoid burnout. Part of Goop’s mission is to normalize uncomfortable conversations in order to improve people’s lives, and they don’t let any of the backlash they have received over the years deter them. This episode serves as a reminder that just because other people don’t agree with you doesn't mean you shouldn’t follow your passions; you never know what kind of impact you could have and where the journey will take you!
In this episode, we'll talk to Noora about:
* Why Noora recommends focusing less on benchmarks and more on what makes you feel fulfilled. [2:34]
* Noora shares what her upbringing was like. [4:44]
* When Noora realized that a creative career path was possible for her. [7:33]
* A trip back in time to Noora’s first few years working in New York post-graduation. [8:25]
* Valuable lessons that Noora learned while working in PR. [14:40]
* Noora shares what led her to Goop. [16:15]
* The months-long interview process that Noora went through for a job prior to Goop. [18:18]
* Circumstances at Goop when Noora began working there, and the trust that was placed in her to figure things out. [20:30]
* Goop’s approach to bringing uncomfortable conversations into the mainstream and how the company has maintained its ethos as it has grown. [21:57]
* An example which highlights the impact that Goop is having on the greater societal ecosystem. [25:37]
* The biggest challenge that Noora faces at work. [27:26]
* Noora shares what she feels is the most rewarding part of her job. [29:13]
* The role that alternative wellness practices have played in Noora’s life from a young age. [30:44]
* Strategies that Noora has implemented in her life to avoid burnout. [33:31]
* How slowing down changed Noora’s life. [35:22]
* Noora’s favorite wellness products and rituals. [38:26]
* London, Paris, and Provence; why these are Noora’s three favorite cities. [40:49]
* The value of giving generously. [43:30]
Follow Noora:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noorarajbrown/
* Goop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goop/
* Website: https://goop.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our guest today didn’t intend for her blog to blow up into a successful business that would still be thriving 12 years down the line, but through consistency and authenticity, Camille Styles has solidified her empire.
Camille is the founder of Camille Styles, the leading digital lifestyle publication that garners over 50 million impressions a month. This OG lifestyle blog was born of Camille’s simple desire for a new creative outlet, long before blogs were even a thing, and has since become her full-time focus.
Camille joins us today to share her inspiring story and demonstrate that pursuing the things that light you up truly does pay off in the long run. In this episode, we talk about the viability of turning side hobbies and hustles into real businesses, and how to combat the fear of dreaming too big. We talk about the danger of confusing vanity metrics with real measures of success, and how to approach social media with authenticity.
Tune in to hear Camille’s journey of leaving her career and going all-in with the Camille Styles lifestyle blog, and hear her tips on easing overwhelm and managing burnout, as well as being intentional with your time. Camille’s story is proof that you, too, can keep your fire alight and live a purposeful life both in family and in business.
In this episode, we'll talk to Camille about:
* The limiting beliefs that prevent people from stepping into the growth mindset. [2:39]
* How Camille’s upbringing shaped her. [4:24]
* Her post-college life and aspirations, and her journey to starting her own business. [6:59]
* How a casual blog became Camille’s full-time focus. [10:11]
* How to foster the courage to make the leap to follow your dreams. [10:59]
* A brief aside: How the Beeya seed cycling bundle supports hormonal imbalances! [12:42]
* Vanity metrics versus real measures of success in the age of social media. [16:40]
* How Camille recognized the potential to monetize her blog. [17:03]
* Camille’s mindset while growing her blog before it was a widely understood format. [18:44]
* How to avoid burnout while consistently creating content. [20:43]
* The necessity of dedicating seasons to ‘the grind’ and knowing when to slow down. [24:52]
* Camille’s self-care and goal-setting tips and rituals. [26:42]
* The benefits of being intentional with your time. [34:59]
* The importance of owning your own opinions and sticking to your guns! [38:17]
* How to combat the fear of showing up online. [42:16]
* How to approach social media and ease the overwhelm of the myriad of social media platforms. [44:24]
* Camille’s inspiring pivot to launch a new business in a completely different industry. [50:18]
Follow Camille:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camillestyles/
* Website: https://camillestyles.com/
* Vision Workbook: https://mailchi.mp/camillestyles/vision-workbook
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Suneera Madhani is the co-founder and CEO of Stax, an innovative tech company that radically simplifies the payment ecosystem.
After graduating from college, Suneera decided to work at a consumer goods company and after three years she realized that the corporate world wasn’t for her. She was later recruited by a payment-processing company, and it was then she realized she wanted to do someone on her own.
At age 26, without money, an MBA or any corporate leadership experience…and after being laughed out of her then boss’s office, Suneera began building her now billion-dollar company inside her parents’ Orlando home.
In 8 years, Suneera raised $245M in venture capital and now leads a team of 300+ employees and is committed to helping fellow women and minorities achieve similar accomplishments in business. She also is also the founder of CEO School, which is a podcast and an 8-week program that helps women become entrepreneurs & CEOs – and is on the mission to change the fact that less than 2% of female founders hit $1 million in revenue… and less than 18% ever hit 6 figures. This needs to change!
Suneera gives us the scoop on what it was like to take the leap from a stable corporate job into the uncertainties of entrepreneurship and shares how she manages the ever-looming imposter syndrome to show up as her best self every day.
We explore time management and Suneera’s approach to finding work-life integration, rather than balance, and how she manages running her billion-dollar business while still spending quality time with her two young kids. We also talk about what is missing in the business world: practical advocacy for women’s success, and what she believes is required to change that. Join us to hear a wealth of practical advice and wisdom from Suneera’s story of unlikely success and breaking free of the expectations of others to find fulfillment in living a life that's true to you.
In this episode, we'll talk to Suneera about:
* Breaking free of the expectations of others and living according to who we are instead. [3:35]
* How Suneera’s experience as the child of immigrants shaped her approach to business. [6:30]
* What led her to use her analytical and creative skills to start Stax at the age of 24. [10:32]
* How Stax grew from 5 million in payments the first year to 23 billion in payments per year. [17:08]
* Dealing with imposter syndrome in the early days of launching a business. [21:52]
* Working to keep your psyche in check and show up as your best self as a CEO. [25:05]
* Building habits by repeating activities, and improving with experience. [27:01]
* Combatting perfectionism with the philosophy that ‘done is better than perfect’. [30:05]
* Suneera’s belief in work life integration when managing family life and her company. [36:40]
* The three areas she spends her time on: what she loves, her family, and making an impact. [40:04]
* How she manages her time, starting with what she calls Sunday Zoom Out. [41:50]
* What sparked Suneera’s idea to start CEO School during the pandemic. [45:10]
* The statistic that changed the game for Suneera: only 2% of female founders are breaking a million-dollar revenue. [47:17]
* What is missing in the business world: action in advocating for women. [49:12]
* Why you should subscribe to the CEO School podcast. [51:10]
* Calling listeners to support the female business owners in their lives. [53:10]
Follow Suneera:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani
* Stax Website: https://staxpayments.com/
* CEO School Website: https://theceoschool.co/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jessica Rolph is the co-founder and CEO of Lovevery, a company that offers products and information which help create developmental experiences in the lives of new babies and families.
Jessica is passionate about giving babies the best and healthiest beginning in life. She was a founding partner in her first business, Happy Family, which she helped grow into being one of the top organic baby food companies - which eventually sold to Group Danone. Although she was confident that she was giving her babies the best nutrition, she started to become curious about what each of her three children’s brains was craving.
After reading a doctoral thesis on child development, and years of her learning with her own children, Jessica decided to start her second baby company - but this time focused on brain development. Today, Lovevery has over 220,000 active subscribers to their flagship Play Kits program and has shipped well over 1 million Play Kits in the past 12 months, and continues to grow more than 100% year over year.
In our interview together, Jessica opens up about how she never thought of herself as an “idea person” when it came to starting a business nor did she think she’d ever be a founder. She shares her journey on how she found purpose in life and landed on creating mission-driven companies with no prior "entrepreneurial" experience. We also talk about her biggest mistakes & lessons she made from her first business and a step-by-step approach to how you should think about fundraising, bringing on co-founders, creating product-market-fit, and so much more.
Follow Lovevery:
* Website: https://lovevery.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovevery/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As an industry veteran, Gail Federici was the co-founder and CEO of the iconic brand John Frieda and has leveraged her experience to build her latest venture, Color Wow, a professional hair-care line geared towards color-treated hair.
Gail has always put “absolute breakthrough” at the top of her product-creation To-Do list and while the beauty industry is notorious for knockoffs, she has literally zero interest in ever following a path paved by another creator.
At John Frieda, Gail was truly the first to design products that were combating frizz, a word that wasn’t even discussed at the time. They eventually sold the business for over $450 million - long before beauty acquisitions were even a common thing.
After a few years, bound by a non-compete, Gail eventually launched Color Wow. She another capsule collection of problem-solving products, but this time, specifically or colored hair.
In our wide-ranging interview together, we talk about life before her incredible success as an entrepreneur and how she never thought, in a million years, that she’d launch a business on her own. As someone who was always jumping around different jobs and didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life, Gail shares how having twins in her late 30s was the biggest perspective shift for her and what drove a lot of her future success.
For anyone lost or looking to find their path, this interview is for you - Gail is so inspiring and graciously shares so many gems for building a meaningful and successful business. We hope you enjoy this one!
In this episode, we'll talk to Gail about:
* Gail’s story of being a late bloomer and her advice to listeners not to put too much pressure on themselves. [3:11]
* Growing up as the oldest, being an avid reader with a love of travel. [6:18]
* How becoming a mother of twins in her late 30s changed her perspective on life. [7:33]
* The story of how Gail got involved with John Frieda at a hair show. [13:01]
* What motivated Yasmin to start her business facilitating a wholefoods approach to period management. [15:23]
* How Gail’s search for products for her own hair motivated her to start Frizz-Ease. [18:59]
* Why entrepreneurship came as a surprise to Gail. [18:59]
* Gail’s experience, never having felt that being a woman was a deterrent to success. [27:36]
* The importance of being firm, but not mean, and not to take things personally. [32:04]
* Her belief that when you work to make a difference, you end up making money. [37:58]
* Collaborating with celebrity stylist Chris Appleton. [44:34]
* The big break that happened when Hoda talked about the products on her show. [45:26]
* Why her content has fared so well: you can really demonstrate the change it makes. [54:13]
* Why it is beneficial to run your company like a small business even if it is a big corporation. [56:02]
* Being flexible with your ideas and open to necessary feedback and change. [1:01:12]
* Product testing, methods of feedback, and making mistakes in order to progress. [1:06:35]
Follow Gail:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colorwowhair/
* Website: https://colorwowhair.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kirin Sinha is the Founder and CEO of Illumix, an AR technology and media platform.
Kirin started Illumix in 2017 with the mission to push boundaries and elevate the quality of augmented reality in the fields of fashion, game design, and film. Today, Illumix powers some of the world’s most popular mobile games and is helping companies and brands bridge the 2D & 3D world so consumers can interact with products & experiences in a more personalized way.
With a degree in electrical engineering, computer science, and mathematics from MIT and advanced degrees in mathematics, statistics, and business from the University of Cambridge, LSE, and Stanford, Kirin is one of Silicon Valley's few minority leaders with a technical background. She’s also raised $13 million from top-tier investors like Lightspeed and Maveron ventures.
However, Kirin never envisioned herself as an entrepreneur as her initial aspirations were to become a professor. It wasn’t until she had her first foray into building something from scratch with her nonprofit SHINE for Girls, which empowered middle school girls to learn math, that she realized she wanted to build a business and make an even larger impact.
In this episode, we talk to Kirin about what it takes to rediscover your purpose after a major life pivot, how to work on your self-belief when you’re feeling like you’re not good enough, and why it’s so important to have boundaries when it comes to protecting your energy & going after big dreams in life. We also cover how Kirin’s time management, mindset, and self-care rituals have been a huge part of her success, both personally and professionally, and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to Kirin about:
* Kirin’s advice for building confidence by leaning into failure. [2:20]
* How her mother and her grandmother have influenced who she is today. [4:18]
* Hear how Kirin incorporates positive affirmations into her daily life. [6:38]
* Lessons and skills that came from her exposure to both math and dance. [10:27]
* What led her to pursue a career in entrepreneurship after studying math at MIT. [18:44]
* Learn more about Shine for Girls and what it taught Kirin about entrepreneurship and the impact she could have through business. [22:10]
* Insight into the early days of Illumix and the value of building a strong team. [29:40]
* Kirin’s experience of participating in the Disney Accelerator Program. [32:03]
* Practical ways that brands and consumers can incorporate AR into the real world. [33:54]
* Kirin’s approach to fundraising and her advice for woman entrepreneurs: think big! [36:37]
* The kinds of questions Kirin asks herself while she is on her daily walk. [42:23]
* Where Kirin draws inspiration from, from newsletters and podcasts to books. [44:36]
* Self-care rituals (including time management) that help her combat overwhelm. [47:55]
* The benefits of building a strong network of mentors, advisors, and supporters. [53:39]
* Tips for cold emailing and connecting with those who have the expertise you need. [55:33]
Follow Kirin:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirinsinha/
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illumixofficial/
* Website: http://illumix.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Michelle Ranavat is the Founder and CEO of Ranavat, a global skincare line inspired by Indian beauty rituals.
It was after the birth of her two sons that Michelle made the leap into starting her own business, and part of this was inspired by her own desire for products that she could not find. Michelle talks about her postpartum journey, the challenges she faced with hair loss, and how her awareness of Ayurveda along with the ethos instilled in her by her parents was the inspiration to bring Ranavat to life.
Michelle and RANAVAT have been consistently featured in publications including Allure, Glamour, and VOGUE, where Michelle was named one of the "Top 50 Influential Global Indians." Ranavat is also the first South Asian-Founded Ayurvedic Skin-Care Brand to be at Sephora.
We talk to Michelle about her career before entrepreneurship and how getting suddenly laid off from her reputable finance job was one of the hardest, but ultimately best moments in her life. We also chat about how certain setbacks taught her about resilience, and why that’s now one of her superpowers in running her business.
Michelle also shares how she self-funded Ranavat and supported the growth with zero outside funding, how she created awareness in the early days when she had no experience in skincare, and why patience is so important when building a well-run, successful company.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Michelle about:
* Michelle comments on things that hold women back from following their dreams. [2:34]
* The limiting beliefs that Michelle encountered at the time of the birth of her company. [3:33]
* Looking back at the lessons that Michelle internalized from her parents. [5:26]
* Michelle's career in finance prior to her work as an entrepreneur. [8:31]
* The challenging period that Michelle encountered before her professional shift. [10:55]
* Working with her father and the itch that drove Michelle to start her business. [14:43]
* Taking the time to focus, reflect, and create space for what is really important. [20:30]
* The early days of Ranavat and the first product that Michelle launched! [24:07]
* The growth of the business and Michelle's philosophy towards scaling. [30:04]
* Escaping the comparison trap; how Michelle focused on contentment and gratitude. [31:47]
* Developing a resonant message and gaining brand awareness. [34:24]
* Michelle reflects on some of the most pivotal moments for her business over the last few years. [36:55]
* The continual work that goes into building a brand and budgeting for advertising. [39:37]
* Decisions around Michelle's role in the brand image and how this has evolved. [42:24]
* Unpacking Michelle's morning routine and how she has accepted her own disposition. [45:22]
* Dealing with dips in energy and periods of burnout and stress. [50:41]
* A different perspective and making and learning from mistakes! [53:43]
* Important lessons from customers and understanding how feedback actually works. [55:12]
Follow Michelle:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranavat/
* Website: https://www.ranavat.com/
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Joan Rosenberg is an expert psychologist, best-selling author, and founder of Emotional Mastery & Emotional Mastery Training.
After three decades, tens of thousands of hours of clinical practice, and ten years of neuroscience research, Dr. Rosenberg is recognized for her thought leadership and approach that radically changes people’s lives.
In our conversation together, we unpack how our inability to move through and handle unpleasant feelings, such as sadness, shame, helplessness, anger, embarrassment, disappointment, frustration, and vulnerability, is a massive component of what blocks people from success. Once we learn how to deal with our overwhelming or uncomfortable feelings, we begin to build the self-confidence, emotional strength, and resilience we need to lead a highly successful and fulfilling life.
Dr. Rosenberg is a professor of graduate psychology at Pepperdine University and is a two-time TEDx speaker with her videos garnering over millions of views. She’s also been seen on CNN’s American Morning, the OWN network, and PBS, as well as appearances and radio interviews in all of the major metropolitan markets. Her latest book, 90 Seconds to a Life You Love: How to Master Your Difficult Feelings to Cultivate Lasting Confidence, Resilience and Authenticity, was released last year.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Dr. Rosenberg about:
* After 30 years of experience, Dr. Rosenberg talks about how to work through your unpleasant feelings and why it’s critical to live the life of your dreams [2:43]
* How we should identify our emotions and never associate a “bad” or “negative” feeling around them [4:28]
* Why it’s so important to feel and experience our emotions [6:50]
* Dr. Rosenberg walks through her 90-second formula anyone can use to honor and move through their unpleasant feelings [9:46]
* Dr. Rosenberg explains why she thinks we don’t have “anxiety” or “fear” and how we can better manage those feelings when they arise [19:14]
* The importance of labeling your feelings [22:46]
* Why speaking up is one of the most important things you can do to cultivate confidence, authenticity, and resilience. [26:01]
* How Dr. Rosenberg defines confidence and how to develop it. [28:44]
* Dr. Rosenberg discusses why accepting compliments is crucial to our self-confidence and why self-criticism is one of the most destructive things we can do to ourselves. [33:10]
* Dr. Rosenberg shares her perspective on how women speak in relation to men and why we need to make more statements on what we truly want & feel. [41:10]
* Understanding the root cause of perfectionism and how we need to overcome our idealistic views. [47:04]
Follow Dr. Rosenberg:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjoanrosenberg/
* Website: https://drjoanrosenberg.com/
* TED Talk: Grief: A Pathway to Forgiveness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UacbvBcbP34
* TED Talk: Emotional Mastery: The Gifted Wisdom of Unpleasant Feelings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKy19WzkPxE
* Dr. Rosenberg’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Seconds-Life-You-Love-Authenticity/dp/031641431X
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Christina Stembel is the Founder and CEO of Farmgirl Flowers, a national floral delivery that offers high-quality and beautiful arrangements.
11 years ago, Christina set out to transform the way we shop for flowers by providing fewer, better options. Today, her beloved brand, which started out of her tiny apartment using $49,000 in savings, has scaled to tens of millions of dollars in revenue – without a single cent from investors. To this day, Farmgirl Flowers remains completely bootstrapped and is recognized for its signature whimsical and eco-conscious designs.
In our conversation, Christina shares what it was like growing up on a soybean farm in rural Indiana, how it shaped her perceptions of gender roles, and why she didn’t end up going to college. We also spend some time discussing the early days of Farmgirl Flowers, some of the biggest challenges she faced (like getting over 100 rejections from investors), and how she built her company into a multimillion-dollar business with no network, no support, and very little money.
Christina’s business journey has required a tremendous amount of resilience and growth. She also shares how she saved Farmgirl Flowers from almost going out of business in COVID, the steps she took to accelerate the growth shortly after & have the most profitable year in the business, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Christina about:
* Christina’s upbringing on a farm in Indiana and how their view of gender roles meant she could not pursue a college degree. [3:01]
* Christina’s move to San Francisco, why she’s grateful to have worked her way from the bottom to the top, and why college isn’t the right path for everyone. [5:16]
* Why we need to challenge the narrative that women are lucky to turn their hobbies into businesses, while men start businesses based on research. [7:39]
* Common biases among funders and how Christina’s pedigree posed an insurmountable barrier to attracting funding. [8:38]
* The years Christina spent researching different industries, and how she chose to start her company and disrupt the flower delivery industry. [13:59]
* Why Christina’s company needed to be bootstrapped. [16:03]
* How Christina decided to leave her stable job and use 49,000 dollars in savings to build her company. [16:57]
* An early instance where Christina almost had to close down her business, and how she built it back up. [19:49]
* How Christina gained traction and built momentum through word of mouth and very little money. [22:12]
* What sets Farmgirl Flowers apart from other flower delivery companies. [25:44]
* The highly perishable nature of flowers, and the stressful nature of Christina’s supply chain. [27:53]
* How Christina has built resilience and deals with the stress of running her business [29:57]
* Why learning to compartmentalize and create distance from your business takes practice [31:57]
* How COVID forced them to pivot in multiple ways and become a more profitable company. [35:14]
* Why funding doesn’t equal success and the freedom that comes from that. [43:24]
* Christina shares three pieces of top advice for women entrepreneurs. [50:05]
* Some of the exciting plans that Christina has for Farmgirl Flowers. [53:46]
* The importance of paying yourself as an owner and CEO. [55:15]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Christina:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmgirlflowers/
* Christina's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinastembel/
* Website: https://www.farmgirlflowers.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April Gargiulo is the Founder and CEO of Vintner's Daughter, a cult favorite nutrient-powered skincare brand. Vintner’s Daughter was founded on the principles of unparalleled quality and efficacy, inspired by April’s background in the world of fine winemaking and its uncompromising standards.
Admittedly, she knew very little about the skincare industry when she first founded the brand in 2013, but one thing she knew well was how to extract the finest ingredients from plants. After suffering from cystic acne and hyperpigmentation her whole life, April discovered the products she was using were actually made from cheap synthetics, and it was then that she decided to create her own all-natural, multi-beneficial skincare. She launched the Vitner’s Daughter brand with just one product: the Active Botanical Serum, which famously attracted the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, Hailey Bieber, and others who swear by its skin-clearing benefits.
In today’s conversation, April offers some insight into the process of starting her business from her living room with absolutely no knowledge of the beauty industry and she explains how throwing out the rulebook allowed her to stand out in a highly saturated market. We also discuss how she grew into a multimillion-dollar business with only one product and zero investors, the power of meditation and staying true to yourself, and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to April about:
* Why April describes herself as risk-averse and how she overcame that tendency. [3:05]
* How growing up with two entrepreneurial parents influenced who April is today. [4:38]
* Life before the business: from interior design to winemaking. [5:44]
* The story of the sabbatical April took, the apothecary she visited, and how it inspired her first product, the Active Botanical Serum. [14:35]
* Some of the other business ideas she had before settling on Vintner's Daughter. [17:15]
* What the early days of the company were like as she developed her first product. [18:50]
* Times when April questioned herself and what motivated her to persevere. [21:50]
* Building brand awareness with very few marketing dollars through word of mouth. [25:25]
* Scaling, running a business from her living room, working mom hours, and more! [27:13]
* Focusing on a single SKU versus participating in a ‘new-and-next’ mentality. [29:05]
* How April stays aligned with her vision by focusing on impact. [31:46]
* Insight into her fundraising philosophy, building a multimillion-dollar business with zero investors, and her retail strategy. [33:45]
* The importance of having a community of advisors when building a business. [0:37:42]
* April shares the powerful impact of meditation and staying true to herself. [39:10]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow April:
* Website: https://vintnersdaughter.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vintnersdaughter/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Heela Yang is the co-founder and CEO of Sol de Janeiro, an award-winning body care line that aims to capture the beautiful and vibrant energy of Brazilian culture.
The path to running a successful business and a life in entrepreneurship can look many different ways, and today's story is a particularly unique one. Heela had a picture-book corporate career, a great life in New York, and a bright future that seemed quite clear. It took falling in love, moving to Brazil, and some major moments of inspiration and epiphany to completely upend this!
Heela was in awe of the empowered ethos of the women in Brazil, who seemed so celebratory and confident in their own skin; it was this that Heela wanted to bring to the beauty industry, and that is exactly what she did with Sol de Janeiro.
The brand launched in 2016 with the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and became Sephora’s best-selling skin care cream a few months after its launch. They have now expanded to include fragrance and haircare, and are bringing in over $100 million in revenue.
In our chat today, we get to hear it all from Heela, as she talks about falling pregnant immediately after moving to Brazil, her early years in South Korea before her family moved to the US, what self-belief means to her, and the importance of finding the right partners and support system on your journey. We also get into some interesting thoughts on meditation, mental health, the importance of staying true to your gut when building an authentic & unique brand, and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to Heela about:
* Overcoming hurdles in order to truly believe in yourself; Heela's advice. [2:37]
* The impact of Heela's upbringing and early years in South Korea. [7:00]
* Reflections on the important period when Heela's life changed, and she met her husband. [11:03]
* How Brazilian culture began to rub off on Heela and her self-confidence. [14:02]
* The first steps in starting a company and Heela's mindset at the time. [18:39]
* Why developing a mission for a brand is central to its success! [20:10]
* Creating the first product and building everything from the bottom up. [23:00]
* The timeline for launching the brand and getting involved with Sephora. [26:21]
* The connection between business and pregnancy, and advice from Heela for managing both. [31:43]
* Heela's meditation practice and how it has helped her in multiple ways. [36:04]
* Sol de Janeiro's partnership with L'Occitane, and how this has leveled up the business. [37:40]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Heela:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soldejaneiro/
* Website: https://soldejaneiro.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Lauren Wang, the Founder & CEO of The Flex Co., a top-selling sustainable period care brand known for creating a more comfortable period for everyone
After suffering from chronic yeast infections for 15 years related to tampon use, it dawned on Lauren that it was time to change the status-quo--not just for herself, but for menstruators everywhere. She set out to create period products that were more innovative, sustainable, and made for the 21st century.
Launched in 2016, The Flex Co. has now become the leading brand in sustainable period care, holding a whopping 43% share of the market, and more than doubling its revenue annually throughout the pandemic. While the products offered are clearly in-demand, most of The Flex Co’s success can be attributed to Lauren’s marketing expertise and her genuine desire to understand her client’s needs.
Tune in today as we discuss why it took five years for Lauren to commit to launching The Flex Co., and why she didn’t want to be her own company’s CEO starting out. We dive into how her upbringing helped her build the resilience and financial savvy to make a success of her company, and how she moved into an industry she knew very little about after a career in marketing.
Lauren gives some great advice to fellow female founders, including why listening to customers is more important than listening to investors, why it’s key to understand the areas that you are most passionate about, how to think about growth & marketing, and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to Lauren about:
* Welcome to Lauren Wang, CEO, and Founder at The Flex Company. [00:49]
* Lauren's upbringing, and how it affected the way she thinks about finances. [03:29]
* Why the jump from a stable marketing job to being an entrepreneur was not something Lauren expected to make! [05:19]
* How Lauren’s personal health journey inspired her to found The Flex Co., and how she grew into the role of CEO. [06:58]
* Where the idea for the Flex Disc came from, and the design aspects Lauren had to consider when developing her products. [10:31]
* The catalyst that motivated Lauren to move into product design [17:11]
* Why Lauren finally gave up her full-time job to work on The Flex Co. and the process of fundraising. [20:58]
* How the focus on customers gave Lauren the confidence to pursue her idea, and why it’s core to The Flex Co’s success. [23:21]
* The role Amplify and Y Combinator had on the birth of The Flex Co., and Lauren’s advice on where to find resources. [26:56]
* Going viral: how Lauren’s marketing expertise gained her 10 000 pre-orders before launch! [30:25]
* The challenges Lauren faced, and how she maintains her resilience. [32:53]
* Why women don’t back themselves as entrepreneurs, and how Lauren overcame this. [35:11]
* How being honest with yourself about what you’re passionate about will help you succeed. [38:13]
* The common mistakes Lauren sees female entrepreneurs make. [39:53]
* Some of the early indicators that hinted at the success The Flex Co. was heading for. [43:49]
* Balancing the investors and values alignment. [46:31]
* How Lauren educated her potential customers about a novel product: humor! [48:09]
* What’s next for Flex: the release of plant-based, and reusable discs, and something totally new. [49:35]
Follow Lauren:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenschultewang/
* Flex Website: https://flexfits.com/
* Flex Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flex/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bassima Mroue is the CEO and co-founder of SkinTē, the first-ever collagen sparkling tea at the intersection of beauty, food, and wellness.
Passionate about developing purpose-driven brands, inspiring women, and destigmatizing self-care, Bassima calls on her diverse professional experience to revolutionize the way we approach beauty and wellness from the inside out. She has over a decade’s worth of experience working with big brands like Nike and Spanx and, as a board member of the Sara Blakely Foundation, she is also an active supporter of female empowerment.
While at the height of her career, Bassima’s body started shutting down, and she was diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis. She also had to undergo impromptu back surgery to correct her painful sciatica and was encouraged by her surgeon to take collagen every day to assist her in her post-op recovery. After seeing how quickly she bounced back, Bassima realized the power of collagen but she knew there must be a better-tasting way to consume it, and the idea for SkinTē was born.
In this episode, Bassima speaks candidly about her health journey and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing self-care. Tuning in, you’ll find out how she does that as the CEO of a rapidly growing business and hear the story of how she partnered with two other women founders to create an easy, effective, and more delicious way to get your daily collagen intake.
We also touch on what the early days of building SkinTē looked like, the scrappiness it takes to get a beverage product to market, the power of your intuition in business, and some of the biggest lessons she’s learned from the corporate world to now building her purpose-driven brand.
In this episode, we'll talk to Bassima about:
* The power of believing in yourself and why Bassima thinks women find it difficult. [2:59]
* Insight into her upbringing and how it informed the businesswoman she is today. [5:09]
* Understanding Bassima’s health journey and the role her hormones have played. [7:51]
* How her unconventional approach served her when she became an entrepreneur. [15:16]
* What her experience of working with Sara Blakely was like. [16:33]
* Tips for tapping into your intuition using what Bassima calls micro self-care. [18:45]
* Where the inspiration for SkinTē came from; to serve a personal need. [22:21]
* Insight into the early stages of SkinTē and the research and development that went into their first product. [25:51]
* The importance of gratitude, nourishing relationships and seeking mentorship. [31:50]
* Breaking through the fear of asking for money by borrowing from how men think. [34:21]
* Bassima’s perspective on postponing stress; you only have so much energy! [39:02]
* The advantages of being a woman in business and leveraging your feminine energy. [43:52]
* Tips for building your brand: keep it rooted in purpose. [47:12]
* Challenges Bassima had to overcome as she grew her brand, including fundraising. [50:34]
* The value of trusting your intuition when vetting investors and doing due diligence. [53:36]
* Common mistakes that Bassima sees women in business making, including the belief that their advisors always know best. [54:59]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Bassima:
* Website: https://skinte.com/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bassimamroue/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MaryRuth Ghiyam is the founder & CEO of MaryRuth Organics, a family-friendly wellness brand offering over 130 high-quality, vegan, non-GMO vitamins and supplements.
MaryRuth began her personal journey into the health and wellness space after the unexpected passing of her brother and her father, as well as her mother’s diagnosis of two benign brain tumors.
While working as a health coach in 2013, MaryRuth struggled to find supplements to recommend to her clients that were easy-to-take and didn’t make them nauseous on an empty stomach. She made a small batch of a sugar-free Raspberry Liquid Morning Multivitamin and the rest is history.
MaryRuth went from $700,000 in debt to creating a $100+ million wellness company – before taking on any investors – and is on a bold mission to show how micro-actions can give you the momentum to move forward every day.
We talk to MaryRuth about her biggest tips for overcoming adversity and how she got herself out of debt & gained financial freedom. We also touch on the power of time blocking to organize your life and how MaryRuth built a highly profitable wellness empire without any prior connections in the industry, plus so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to MaryRuth about:
* Advice for women feeling constrained by their circumstances: keep moving forward! [2:38]
* Insight into MaryRuth’s childhood and the losses that informed her wellness journey. [4:50]
* The experience that shifted her perspective on the value of financial independence. [6:37]
* Some of the realizations that MaryRuth had about debt management. [11:22]
* The importance of building confidence in yourself and proper time management. [16:46]
* How MaryRuth's clients inspired the idea for her first liquid vitamin product. [19:23]
* How the decision to marry her husband impacted her life (and her business!) [22:31]
* Structure creates freedom; how time blocking keeps MaryRuth anchored. [29:10]
* Time blocking tips: be realistic about what you can achieve in a day. [38:18]
* The early stages of how MaryRuth cultivated awareness about her products. [42:32]
* Internal matches external: why she chose to focus on developing the best product and customer service she could before investing in marketing. [45:17]
* How MaryRuth built a financially healthy business with no outside investments. [46:31]
* Learn about the negative cashflow conversion cycle that MaryRuth Organics uses. [50:44]
* Some of the biggest mistakes that MaryRuth sees entrepreneurs make. [53:17]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow MaryRuth:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryruthorganics/
* Website: https://www.maryruthorganics.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Alli Webb, serial entrepreneur, NYT best-selling author, and the co-founder of Drybar.
Everything that Alli does, she does with wholehearted passion. From beauty school to the PR industry to stay-at-home mom to founder, Alli has successfully held many roles throughout her life and has learned countless valuable lessons along the way, many of which she shares with us in today’s episode.
Alli’s mobile blow-out business, which she started in 2009 after being a stay-at-home mom for almost 5 years, catalyzed the idea for Drybar. In 2010, Alli opened the first Drybar in Brentwood, CA. 10 years later and over 150+ locations across the U.S., Drybar exploded into a nationally recognized and highly sought-after brand.
Alli also diversified the Drybar business, creating a line of products and tools, which she sold to Helen of Troy for $255 million.
Alli has been on the cover of Inc Magazine’s “How I Did This” issue, named the “100 Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company, featured on Fortune magazine’s “40 Under 40” list, and recently Inc. magazine recognized her as one of “The 100 Women Building America’s Most Innovative and Ambitious Businesses.”
We speak with Alli about the many transitions in her life from dropping out of college to going to beauty school despite what others thought, to being a stay-at-home mom to then building her massive empire at Dryar. Despite all the success Alli’s had in her life, we talk about the tough times in her life, how she’s tackled depression and heartbreak, and the new chapter she’s in today both personally and professionally.
In this episode, we'll talk to Alli about:
* Alli’s upbringing, and when her desire to become an entrepreneur began to form. [2:37]
* The focus and drive with which Alli approaches all endeavors. [6:48]
* Why Alli chose to go to beauty school, and the different career that she pursued afterwards. [9:00]
* Highs and lows that Alli experienced as a stay-at-home-mom. [15:56]
* The mobile blow-out business that Alli built when her children were young. [17:14]
* The motivation behind Alli’s decision to found Drybar, and what differentiates this salon from the rest. [19:16]
* Economic conditions at the time of the founding of Drybar. [22:16]
* Fear and optimism that Alli felt prior to starting Drybar, and the [23:07]
* Some of the challenges that Alli overcame during the early days of Drybar. [25:06]
* The continuous learning process that Alli’s experience with Drybar has been. [28:10]
* What the last few years have looked like for Alli, since taking a step back from Drybar. [29:05]
* Alli candidly shares the various reasons that led to her divorce after 16 years of marriage, and the depression that she experienced afterwards. [29:55]
* Factors that helped Alli get through her depression, and the headspace she is currently in. [32:45]
* Traits that Alli adopted when she was running Drybar, and how she has changed since. [37:43]
* Canopy; the company that Alli is currently working for, and how they are reimagining humidifiers [42:32]
* Where the idea for Canopy originated, and how Alli got involved. [45:19]
* Advice for anyone who is struggling to find their purpose in life. [47:30]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Alli:
* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/alliwebb/
* Drybar: https://www.drybar.com/
* Canopy: https://getcanopy.co/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sallie Krawcheck is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, a digital-first investment platform working to help close the gender wealth gap by “redefining investing for women.”
Sallie’s professional mission is to help women reach their financial and professional goals… or as she says to get more money in the hands of women. She’s definitely on her way as Ellevest recently announced they have $1Bn under management. Before launching Ellevest in 2016, Sallie was one of the highest-ranked women ever to have worked on Wall Street: She was the CEO of Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, US Trust, Citi Private Bank, and Sanford C. Bernstein. She was also CFO for Citigroup. Prior to that, Sallie was a top-ranked research analyst covering the securities industry.
Sallie is widely recognized as one of the most influential women in business. She has been recognized by Inc. as a "Top Female Founder", called "The Last Honest Analyst" by Fortune magazine, and was named the seventh most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. We’ll chat with Sallie about her journey leaving her small hometown to high-powered positions in Wall Street, how she dealt with two public firings and the many career pivots that led her to start Ellevest. We'll also discuss why women need to talk more about money and start investing in order to close the gender wealth gap.
In this episode, we'll talk to Sallie about:
* Sallie’s experience of school, difficulties she faced, and how this made her resilient. [6:22]
* The impact that being bullied had on Sallie’s will to succeed in life. [7:19]
* How Sallie landed in investment banking after going to school for journalism. [8:13]
* The shame and guilt Sallie felt around hating a career she thought she wanted. [10:37]
* How Sallie carved out time to find out what she truly wanted to do with her life. [11:41]
* Dealing with rejection and the power of a growth mindset to keep pushing. [15:22]
* Sallie’s take on why being a woman on Wall Street helped her in many ways. [16:47]
* What happens when women are seen to be looking for power and attention. [18:14]
* Sallie’s two public firings and the lessons she learned from both of them. [20:25]
* How Sallie, whose identity was attached to her career, dealt with being fired. [23:42]
* Women have been socialized into believing men are better at money. [29:00]
* The stress that comes with running your own business and the loneliness you face. [30:14]
* Sallie’s experience raising funds for Ellevest and why it differed from other startups. [36:21]
* What Sallie wishes they had done differently in her company. [39:32]
* The value of networking and why women need to do a better job of it. [40:38]
* Some first steps women who have not invested can take to get started. [43:30]
* If you feel nervous about investing, start small and watch what happens. [48:40]
* Why Sallie does not like the idea that women have to strive for work-life balance. [49:35]
* We need to normalize failures because striving to be perfect puts extra pressure on women. [55:11]
* The reason that men are better at taking risks, according to Sallie. [56.39]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Ellevest:
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellevest/
* Website: https://www.ellevest.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Risking everything you have to pursue a dream can be the scariest but most rewarding thing a person can do in their life. Today’s guest has done just that. Sarah Gibson Tuttle is the CEO and founder of Olive & June, an innovative at-home nail-care brand that's disrupting the industry.
Sarah spent a decade in equity sales trading at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan. She never thought she'd become an entrepreneur until her love for Drybar inspired her to create the same thing, but for nails. Although everybody thought her idea was crazy, Sarah was confident it would work and put all her savings into the first flagship store. Olive & June is now successfully democratizing nail care with their full suite of at-home mani and pedi products.
In today's episode, we talk about how life's curveballs can be the biggest gift to sending you on a new path to rediscover your purpose and Sarah explains what it was like for her to ditch her safe corporate job to follow her passions, what kept her in her previous job for so long, and how her divorce added to her motivation to shake things up. She also shares the fears and imposter syndrome she overcame on the journey and the importance of therapy in her personal and professional life.
Tuning in, you’ll hear how Sarah got funding, how she built a strong community around her brand, and how she has successfully pivoted over the years (especially during COVID). She also shares the importance of delegating and how, as a wife, mother, and entrepreneur, she manages it all. For a very vulnerable real conversation on what it takes to build a multimillion-dollar company from scratch, tune in today!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:
* What inspired Sarah to leave her job and found Olive & June. [00:50]
* What holds people back from making the same type of career leap. [03:20]
* How passion keeps Sarah in this entrepreneurial journey despite its hardships. [05:21]
* What kept her in her job as an equity sales trader for so long. [08:52]
* How her divorce added to her motivation to shake things up. [14:34]
* How she built connections to get interviews in talent management and the benefits of resistance. [19:36]
* The importance of therapy in Sarah’s personal and professional journey and how her divorce made her more empathetic. [24:50]
* The fear and imposter syndrome she felt when she put her life savings into her first store. [28:03]
* Sarah’s thoughts on the value of community and how she built one for her brand. [31:02]
* The importance of having a vision but also being flexible. [39:05]
* How Olive & June pivoted during the pandemic and supported their community. [40:09]
* Sarah’s approach to fundraising and what her relationship with her investors looks like. [42:32]
* The best investment advice Sarah received but didn’t appreciate at the time. [46:18]
* How she balances all the different aspects of her life. [50:22]
* What it was like for her to build a team, delegate responsibilities, and give up control. [54:39]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Sarah:
* Sarah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gibsontuttle/
* Olive & June Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliveandjune/
* Olive & June website: https://oliveandjune.com/
* Get 20% off your first nail system - use code: BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today we discuss all things related to women’s health with someone who not only has incredible clinical experience, but also is an expert in the fields of nutrition, modern science, and spirituality.
Dr. Deanna Minich is an internationally recognized health expert, scientist, researcher, and author with more than 20 years of experience in nutrition, mind-body health, and functional medicine. She is on the board of directors for the American Nutrition Association and has authored six books and over 40 scientific publications.
In this episode, Dr. Deanna shares her personal story of her own hormonal struggles and how she overcame PMS, endometriosis, anxiety, depression, and IBS. She also explains how this led her to realize how nutrition, mind, body, and spirit are all interconnected.
We also talk about how our thoughts can directly impact our health, what foods can be used to enhance your mood, why flow is so vital for women, the importance of having variety in your diet and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to Dr. Deanna about:
* The most underrated pillars of women’s health according to Dr. Deanna Minich. [2:28]
* Dr. Deanna’s personal hormonal struggles and how they have influenced her views on health. [3:40]
* How painting and color helped Dr. Deanna on her healing journey. [7:55]
* How our thoughts can directly impact our health. [12:50]
* An example of one of Dr. Deanna’s patients whose health was greatly impacted by her thoughts. [19:04]
* The impact of purpose and meaning on our health. [21:43]
* How Dr. Deanna utilizes the chakra system in her work. [24:48]
* What is important for women to understand when it comes to food and your mood. [28:35]
* An example from Dr. Deanna’s life about the benefits of going with the flow and not being too rigid. [32:39]
* What Dr. Deanna means when she talks about flow and why it’s so important for women. [36:46]
* Some of Dr. Deanna’s favorite foods for positively impacting your mood. [39:47]
* How the color orange is linked to the reproductive cycle of a woman’s body. [43:35]
* The importance of having variety in your diet. [47:25]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Dr. Deanna:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannaminich/
* Website: https://deannaminich.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The twists and turns in our lives can oftentimes help us to find renewed meaning and purpose, and our guest today, Sarah Jones Simmer, is a shining example of this.
Sarah is currently the CEO of Found, and formerly the COO of Bumble, which she joined when it was a tiny company working out of a two-bedroom apartment. Throughout her career, Sarah has focused on working with mission-driven brands and has allowed her curiosity to lead her explorations.
While working at Bumble, Sarah was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and made the brave decision to continue to work, which felt like a healthy and needed distraction from the aggressive treatment regime she was going through. At the time, Sarah’s role shifted to Chief Strategy Officer and was laser focused on “quarterbacking” Bumble’s IPO – which valued the company at a multi-billion dollar valuation and was quite iconic as the founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, was the youngest female founder to take a US company public.
Now cancer-free, Sarah's health journey has had a massive impact on the way she thinks about her life and work, and we are so lucky to hear all about this evolution in our conversation with her today. She also talks about the benefits of a non-linear career, what it means to find your personal purpose, why waiting for the perfect moment is a myth, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:
* Looking back at Sarah's role in taking Bumble public. [3:19]
* The shift in perspective that Sarah experienced around the idea of timing. [4:28]
* Reflections on the winding journey leading up to Sarah's work at Bumble. [6:45]
* What initially drew Sarah to take up a position at Bumble when it was a small startup. [11:19]
* Stepping into a new role, learning, and using best judgment as your compass. [18:40]
* Lessons from mentors and leaders; how Sarah has absorbed wisdom from great women around her. [20:42]
* Sarah's experiences of breast cancer and how her life changed during 2020. [24:37]
* Putting together the IPO deal team and how much energy Sarah drew from its amazing members. [30:29]
* The decision to take on the role of CEO at Found and what inspired it. [33:52]
* Surprises and lessons since Sarah took up her latest leadership position. [39:30]
* Systems for collaboration during this remote work revolution. [42:38]
* Sarah's advice for finding meaning in work and personal life; a reminder about joy. [45:12]
* How walking has helped Sarah and the benefits of letting the mind wander. [49:25]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Sarah:
* Website: https://joinfound.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinfound
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Payal Kadakia is the founder of ClassPass, the revolutionary fitness and wellness platform which provides people access to the best boutique fitness classes, gyms, and wellness experiences around the world.
Prior to its acquisition by MindBody in October 2021, ClassPass was valued at over a billion dollars, with members logging more than 100 million workouts across 30,000 partner studios in over 30 countries. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Payal is also the founder and artistic director of the Sa Dance Company, which she founded in 2009 to increase awareness of Indian dance in the mainstream.
Payal has been listed as one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People and was named in Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list. She is also the author of the new book, LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential, which hits shelves on Feb 15.
In today’s episode, we touch on the ways that Payal’s Indian heritage has impacted the woman & entrepreneur she is today, why you have to ask yourself the hard questions in life, the importance of not getting wrapped up in what Payal calls the ‘false signals’ of success, as well as the benefits of choosing impact over perfection. We also candidly talk about the early days of building ClassPass, how it took over three years to gain any traction, the many lessons she learned along the way, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Payal about:
* How her Indian heritage has informed the woman that Payal is today. [4:30]
* Practical tips for taking a leap of faith: allow your vision to be your motivator! [11:30]
* The value of asking the hard questions and pursuing the goals you truly want. [13:55]
* How Payal approached the topic of risk-taking with her risk-averse parents. [19:40]
* When she realized that she had to follow her passions and start her own business. [22:27]
* Find out why she believes that it’s important to set boundaries with some people. [24:00]
* How to cultivate the right mindset while you are building your business. [26:57]
* Why Payal suggests starting with a problem you personally need solved as an entrepreneur. [28:17]
* The importance of not getting caught up in the “false signals of success.” [30:05]
* The crucial role that failure played in Payal’s journey as an entrepreneur. [31:33]
* How Payal overcame perfectionism and her suggestions for other entrepreneurs. [34:20]
* Hear the story of when Payal first knew that ClassPass was a success. [37:12]
* Why she believes that the universe opened doors for her when she started doing the work that aligned with her spirit. [39:02]
* Advice for women who have lost sight of their passions [40:26]
* How Payal juggles motherhood, dance, and business by letting her priorities guide her time. [42:22]
* Payal’s philosophy on guilt; when you love what you do, there’s no place for guilt. [43:34]
* How her dual identity has served her throughout her life and in her business. [45:12]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Payal:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payal/
* Payal's Book: LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential - https://www.amazon.com/LifePass-Develop-Mindset-Techniques-Optimize/dp/179720694X
* ClassPass: https://classpass.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Daria Burke is a recognized leader in the field of fashion & technology marketing and most recently served as the Chief Marketing Officer for JustFab, a fashion-subscription eCommerce site, and lifestyle fashion brand.
She is a visionary leader and storyteller and has held many leadership positions across a variety of industries. After moving to New York, she took a risk, left a reputable company, took a pay cut, and became one of the first employees of Rent the Runway. She has also worked for esteemed brands like Estee Lauder, Lancôme, and Yves Saint Laurent. She then served as the Head of Beauty Strategy, Growth, and Innovation at CVS, and transitioned to working at Facebook where she led their beauty, fashion, and retail partnerships.
Daria was named as a 2020 “Woman to Watch” by AdAge, and has been recognized by Women’s Wear Daily, the CFDA, Vogue, and Forbes. She’s also an active angel investor and is a member of the Fast Company executive board.
In today's episode, Daria shares the benefits of reinventing yourself and switching careers. We discuss the things that commonly hold us back from taking leaps like this, the challenges of putting your ego aside to become a beginner, and some of the lessons she has learned throughout her many career moves.
We also discuss how to discover your strengths and double down on them, the importance of listening to your gut, and how to stop being a perfectionist & start living an inspired life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Daria about:
* Three things that may be holding someone back from switching careers. [3:15]
* How Daria views the challenge of putting your ego aside to be a beginner. [6:05]
* Daria’s childhood and the influence of her grandmother on her life and ambitions. [8:34]
* How she realized she could have a life beyond the challenging circumstances of her childhood. [12:44]
* What it took to leave a reputable job to go work for Rent the Runway in its infancy. [19:50]
* What she learned from working at Rent the Runway. [22:41]
* Insight into CliftonStrengths and why it’s so beneficial to play into your strengths. [25:36]
* Daria’s fascination with internal transformation and insight into her process of reinvention. [31:21]
* Daria’s advice on how to get your mind to listen to your gut instinct. [37:41]
* The benefits of not forcing things but working from a place of inspiration and receptivity. [42:59]
* How Daria overcame being a perfectionist. [45:53]
* An example of a situation where Daria surrendered instead of being a perfectionist. [49:23]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Daria:
* Daria Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariaburke/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Melanie Strong is a founding partner of Next Ventures, a VC firm she co-founded with Lance Armstrong that focuses on building the next generation of sports, health and wellness brands.
Melanie has spent her entire life in the sports industry. She’s a lifelong runner and started her career as a journalist at Runner's World magazine. She then applied for a position at Nike despite not having the “right” pedigree, college background, and experience.
Good thing she did because she ended up having an incredibly successful career at Nike, spending most of her time at Nike building high-performing teams all over the world and holding positions from the VP of Global Brand Marketing for Nike Women to the GM of Nike Skateboarding.
After 18 years at Nike, Melanie had the opportunity to break into the world of venture capital. She left her very stable career to start from scratch and become a first-time investor AND fund founder. In our conversation, Melanie opens up about how she faced her fears when reinventing herself later in her career and overcoming the imposter syndrome she felt when breaking into a male-dominated industry.✨
You'll also hear some honest reflections on the founder-investor relationship and who is the right fit for VC funding, along with some empowering advice for founders seeking funding. We also discuss the importance of authentic relationships in life & business, how to build a unique brand in the environment we’re in today, and so much more!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Melanie about:
* Modeling other people's versions of success, and tips for being more comfortable in your own skin. [3:09]
* Melanie shares about how her upbringing created her positive mindset. [7:10]
* Hear about her various interesting jobs leading up to Nike. [9:10]
* The story of who inspired her and how she got her starting role at Nike. [11:42]
* Speaking about the power of networking and mentorship. [18:23]
* The power of people and true relationships. [19:34]
* What she looks for in a founder. [20:53]
* The importance of the right advisors and some of her mentors. [22:46]
* Melanie reflects on being an angel investor and why it took her so long to do. [25:15]
* Taking the leap to leave Nike and steps to overcome imposter syndrome. [29:11]
* How the feedback processes have changed and some companies that she feels confident in. [33:40]
* Some top advice for thinking about your company as a brand. [0:38:14]
* Melanie and Yasmin each share the hacks that keep them anchored into their purpose. [44:27]
* Diving into greater detail on traits she looks for in a founder and what a founder-investor relationship needs. [47:02]
* Talking about founders who are focussed on the exit and the impact of that. [49:30]
* Who she thinks is and isn't the right fit for VC funding, and comments on fundraising [52:51]
* Melanie's comments on due diligence plus some great advice to founders. [56:45]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Melanie:
* Melanie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniestrong/
* Website: https://nextventures.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Eve Rodsky is a Harvard-grad lawyer, Activist, and New York Times Best Selling Author.
In Eve’s first book Fair Play, Eve uses her background in organizational management to ask the simple yet profound question: What would happen if we treated our homes as our most important organization?
She created a step-by-step approach to help partners rebalance the work of running a home and reimagine their relationship, time, and purpose. She has been called the “Marie Kondo of Relationships” and her book has sparked a national conversation around how couples can more equitably share the work of running their lives.
In her most recent book, Find Your Unicorn Space, Eve goes into much greater detail about one of the subjects from Fair Play which is our pursuit of joy… especially because so many are still missing this in their lives. Eve will teach you how to create time in your already-busy life to tap into your unique expression of creativity and find purpose that will allow you to live a happier, more fulfilled life.
Eve’s work is backed by Hello Sunshine—Reese Witherspoon’s media company whose mission is to change the narrative for women through storytelling.
In this episode, we cover everything from how to balance all the tasks that we as women shoulder in our homes and relationships to how to take back our time to thrive creatively. We also discuss in detail how you can reclaim your permission to have fun, manifest your own Unicorn Space in an already too-busy life, and unleash your special gifts and undiscovered talents into the world.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Eve about:
* Insight into Eve’s upbringing and what her mom taught her about decisions and feminism. [3:12]
* Eve’s desire for an equal partner and the seminal moment that inspired her latest book. [6:23]
* The value of time and how gender assumptions rob women of it. [10:08]
* The toxic time messages we tell ourselves that make us complicit in our own oppression. [11:21]
* Why the second most important question Eve has ever asked is “How did mustard get in your refrigerator?” [14:15]
* The surprising responses from men to her book Fair Play and what’s in it for them. [20:16]
* How LGBT+ couples relate to Eve’s concept of fair play in the home. [21:04]
* Eve’s formula to broach conversations about fair play with your partner. [22:18].
* The three ways people generally respond when they become resentful of the fact that things are unfair. [23:05]
* The three things Eve did to protect her relationship with her partner: boundaries, systems, and communication. [24:10]
* Why communication is the most important practice of our lives. [26:30]
* What Eve means by ‘unicorn space’ and how it is a secret formula for thriving. [28:05]
* The three elements of a unicorn space: curiosity, connection, completion. [29:16]
* Advice for women struggling to rediscover their curiosity. [34:55]
* Eve’s advice on how to maintain your unicorn space or build it into your life. [40:58]
* The life-changing magic of long-term thinking to shape the values of those around you and avoid gender assumptions. [44:04]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Eve:
* Website: https://www.everodsky.com/
* Find Your Unicorn Space Book: https://www.everodsky.com/unicorn-space
* Fair Play Book: https://www.everodsky.com/fair-play
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nicole Gibbons is the Founder of Clare, the only Black-owned paint brand in the US, and is a favorite of Jessica Alba, Maria Sharapova, and Nate Berkus to name a few.
Before pursuing interior design, Nicole spent nearly a decade managing PR for one of the world’s largest retail brands, Victoria's Secret. Although she was excelling in her career, Nicole felt uninspired and was looking for a new outlet for her creativity. She started working on a decorating blog on the side that ultimately gained serious traction and led her into the path of interior design.
After working as a designer and establishing herself as a voice in the industry, Nicole decided to do another career pivot and had a yearning to build something that would be a household name. When working with clients, she always noticed the hassle around picking paints and saw an opportunity to disrupt the outdated paint industry and create a direct-to-consumer business that makes the entire process a way better experience.
Nicole has been featured in top media outlets such as HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, Good Morning America, and Oprah Winfrey’s OWN. She's also raised venture capital from the backers of Warby Parker, Casper, Peloton, and more.
We talk to Nicole today about the power of patience when it comes to building your business, how to think about your finance before you take the leap, how she raised money and built a tech business with zero connections to start, and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to Nicole about:
* Nicole's thoughts on confidence and the nature of risk and reward in entrepreneurship. [3:09]
* The familial links that Nicole has to entrepreneurship and her early corporate career. [4:44]
* Starting a side hustle and how Nicole began working on her passion while still employed. [6:20]
* How the blog organically evolved from a passion project into a business. [8:12]
* Patience and consistency; how Nicole managed to take the leap into her interior design work full-time. [10:01]
* Foregoing the safety of paychecks and betting on yourself. [13:16]
* Signs from the universe and trusting a gut feeling; Nicole's experience of listening. [17:52]
* Nicole's second pivot; executing on her research and ideas. [20:48]
* The important meetings that helped build Nicole's confidence and send her on her way. [24:11]
* How networking has played into Nicole's strategy throughout. [26:57]
* Entering the world of venture capital; Nicole's philosophy towards funding. [29:32]
* Nicole's advice for approaching investors; asking questions and due diligence. [37:15]
* Sharing the story of your brand and creating a common thread through everything you do. [39:11]
* The resources that Nicole draws on; the power of community, the right questions, and more! [43:33]
* Nicole's thoughts on the idea of work-life balance and welcoming different seasons. [48:30]
* Lessons from the early days of hiring for a new company. [51:07]
* The next phase of growth with Clare; looking to the future with Nicole! [53:06]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Nicole:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolegibbonsstyle
* Clare's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarepaint
* Clare Website: https://www.clare.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Desi Perkins is a digital content creator and Founder/CEO of her eyewear brand, Dezi, and skincare line, Dezi Skin.
Before becoming a mega beauty influencer with over 4 million Instagram followers and over 3 million Youtube subscribers, Desi was working as a cocktail waitress looking to make a change in her life but wasn’t sure which step she was going to take.
It all started with a last-minute Halloween costume that went viral in 2012. She used her background in art and what she learned on YouTube with special effects make-up to help make her husband’s skeleton costume come to life. This costume served as publicity for her skills and little did she know, would jumpstart her career in beauty and lead her to become the serial entrepreneur she is today.
In this episode, we talk about taking chances and why you should always, even if only in a small way, do what lights your heart up because you never know where it could lead you. Desi also shares her biggest mistakes and lessons she’s learned in business, advice on dealing with negative comments online, how she’s balancing new motherhood with running her company, and even starting a second one, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Desi about:
* What Desi’s upbringing was like and the massive influence her mom had on her. [2:39]
* The biggest lessons Desi gained from her time in the service industry and working as a cocktail waitress. [4:51]
* When Desi decided to transition out of the service industry and pursue something more aligned with what she wanted to do. [6:18]
* How Desi capitalized on the attention she got from doing Steven’s Halloween makeup in 2012. [7:55]
* The power of taking chances, even when you don’t know how things will work out. [8:47]
* The first YouTube video Desi made and how she overcame her nerves around putting herself out there. [10:20]
* There is so much room to grow with your audiences on social media platforms. [11:12]
* All you have to do sometimes is start because there’s no harm trying something. [11:48]
* How Desi deals with negative comments online. [12:50]
* There are double standards in the way men and women who succeed are treated. [13:49]
* You have to let yourself feel what you are feeling. [15:39]
* Desi’s top tips for women who are looking to create content and community online. [15:41]
* The biggest lessons Desi learned from starting her own business. [17:14]
* Fears Desi had around starting her business and how she managed to move past them. [20:42]
* Why Desi, who has a range of interests, decided to start an eyewear business. [23:45]
* The change Desi has experienced in her identity becoming a mother. [29:11]
* Desi’s decision to share her fertility journey online and how it was received. [30:48]
* The gratitude Desi feels getting to spend so much time with her family while also doing her dream work. [32:59]
* How Desi manages to stay creative as a content creator. [34:26]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Desi:
* Dezi Skin Website: https://deziskin.com/
* Dezi Website: https://dezi.co/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desiperkins/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Keren Eldad is an acclaimed motivational speaker, leadership psychology expert, and founder of With Enthusiasm, where she provides world-class personal and professional coaching.
Before becoming an internationally-recognized coach, Keren had an illustrious business career. After spending years in the world of publishing, she then founded her own marketing company, Digiluxe. Despite all of this, Keren never felt fulfilled and aligned with her purpose. It wasn’t until she hit rock bottom after a divorce, running out of money, and losing her job that she learned how to cultivate self-worth and step into her true essence and power. She believes that we should all be welcoming adversity because of the rich lessons it brings if we are simply willing to look.
Keren has worked with notable clients like LVMH, Richemont, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and Global Fashion Group, as well as several high-profile private clients.
We’ll talk to Keren about why it’s in all of our destinies to achieve greatness, the power of self-love and compassion, and what we can do to get over our blindspots. As Keren highlights, if we keep limiting ourselves, we do not get to participate in the beauty of life and it’s up to us to view life through a lens of scarcity and fear or abundance and openness.
In this episode, we'll talk to Keren about:
* Keren’s childhood as the daughter of a diplomat and the experience of getting to live in different countries. [2:50]
* How Keren believes we should view our childhoods. [5:12]
* You cannot underestimate the influence that societal expectations and standards have on you. [6:35]
* Keren’s early career and the exhaustion of chasing a dream she thought she should have. [7:53]
* The Instagram-worthy life Keren was living in her early 30s that left her miserable. [10:37]
* When Keren started to realize that all of her hardships were happening for her. [12:46]
* The story of how Keren’s world collapsed; divorce, having no money, and losing her job. [15:07]
* Why reaching rock bottom was the best thing that ever happened to Keren. [17:22]
* The one thing that stands between you and living a beautiful life. [19:08]
* Impatience is a lack of faith; you need to surrender and trust in the universe. [21:12]
* The story of how Oprah came to star in The Color Purple and what it teaches us. [22:13]
* Keren’s insights into manifesting and the importance of focusing and gratitude. [24:48]
* Loving yourself is the precondition to having a great life. [27:58]
* How we can reframe getting our businesses off the ground when it feels like we are behind. [28:53]
* Changing our perspective on how we view dating & money and the importance of being open to receive. [29:29]
* Careers are about more than a paycheck; they’re about fulfillment and self-actualization. [32:08]
* Women should not be afraid to talk about making money and their desire to be financially abundant. [33:00]
* How Keren’s mindset about money has changed. [0:34:40]
* Why overachievers are more likely to suffer from imposter syndrome. [39:51]
* Two strategies to help you overcome imposter syndrome. [44:23]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Keren:
* Keren’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkeren/
* Keren’s Website: https://www.kereneldad.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode, we're rebroadcasting one of our top interviews with Beatrice Dixon, the Founder of The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based feminine hygiene line created to provide women with healthy alternatives to feminine care.
The Honey Pot Company began with a dream - literally. In 2014, Beatrice was struggling with an ongoing case of bacterial vaginosis. She visited her doctor and tried everything they recommended, but nothing worked.
One early morning she was visited by her grandmother in a dream. She gave Beatrice a list of ingredients and told her what to do. When Beatrice woke up, she immediately went to whole foods, where she was working at the time, and got the ingredients. Within a few days, the infection was gone. It was at this stage Beatrice started working on Honey Pot and giving away the product to friends and seeing their results.
Today The Honey Pot Company sells feminine care products nationwide at Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, Walgreens, and retailers across the US. We’ll hear from Beatrice about starting the world’s first plant-based feminine care company, scaling the business from her kitchen to mass production, advice she has about getting your product into retail outlets, candid thoughts around fundraising, and more.
*Disclaimer: There is a bit of explicit language in our conversation, so be sure to put in headphones if you’re around kids :)
In this episode, we'll talk to Beatrice about:
* Beatrice’s life before Honey Pot, from pharmacy technician to Whole Foods. [2:36]
* More on her struggle with BV and how the idea for Honey Pot came about. [7:08]
* Why Beatrice doesn’t discount her dreams and takes dream interpretation seriously. [9:20]
* How she engages with her intuition and her gut when making business decisions. [10:45]
* The importance of being engaged in your business without micromanaging. [12:10]
* The value of understanding that every first time founder is “winging it” at first. [13:34]
* Advice for first time founders: be willing to ask questions and do whatever it takes. [16:21]
* When Beatrice realized that she had a viable business idea: from day one! [17:27]
* How she gained traction and brand awareness through the trade show circuit. [21:04]
* How an email from Target changed the trajectory of the brand. [22:40]
* Beatrice shares the process behind pitching to a major market retailer like Target. [24:15]
* Learn Beatrice’s hack for getting into retail: how to build a foundational relationship with your first major retailer. [29:50]
* The positive trend in access to capital for women of color entrepreneurs in the US. [33:13]
* Lessons Beatrice learned from the fundraising process, including the power of authenticity. [35:30]
* Why it is important to not only focus on where your business is, but where it’s going. [38:48]
* You can’t raise money until you know what you will do with it; how to know when you’re ready to start fundraising. [39:27]
* Begin with the end in mind; why it’s crucial that you think about your exit strategy. [40:57]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Beatrice:
* Website: https://thehoneypot.co/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehoneypotco/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambeadixon/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alexandra (Alex) Carter is a world-renowned negotiation expert, bestselling author of the book, Ask for More, and Columbia Law School Professor.
The image that most of us have in our heads when we think about negotiation is people speaking over one another, fighting for the prize. But this is not what it takes to be a masterful negotiator. In fact, quite the opposite.
As Alex explains in our conversation today, it’s about asking skillful questions, listening, and understanding how you can fulfill someone’s needs.
We’ll chat with Alex about her journey, and some of the formative negotiating experiences she has had along the way to help us understand why we need to all ask for more. While we might believe we are taking something away from someone when we negotiate, we are actually contributing to the upliftment of all of those around us when we get what we are worth.
We talk about ways of turning a no into a yes, why negotiation is not only about money, and the value of taking time when you make decisions. Alex’s actionable, simple tactics are easy to implement, and you will undoubtedly achieve the results you are looking for if you follow her advice!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Alex about:
* Even in the most turbulent times, you can always ask for more. [2:35]
* Hear what Alex was like growing up, the social struggles she felt she had, and how she discovered her passion for teaching and leading. [4:28]
* When Alex unearthed her love of negotiation and how she applied it to her own life. [6:48]
* The story of how Alex negotiated her first salary and what she learned from this. [8:09]
* Why negotiation is more about asking great questions than anything else, according to Alex. [10:22]
* Stories of clients Alex worked with who negotiated their salaries and improved their standing in their companies. [13:16]
* No does not have to be the end of the line; it’s an opportunity to ask about the other person’s concerns. [14:51]
* How Alex thinks about questions and the role they play in negotiation. [17:19]
* What Alex sees in her work with women and their thoughts of negotiation. [20:41]
* Alex’s take on why negotiations are opportunities to steer relationships. [23:20]
* How Alex, as a speaker, has turned no's into yes’s when negotiating speaking fees, and what other entrepreneurs can learn from this. [26:40]
* Negotiating does not always have to be about money; you can find other ways to get value. [30:49]
* The top three biggest mistakes people make when they negotiate. [33:50]
* You are already enough, so go out there and ask for what you want. [38:32]
* Unless you are working in an emergency room, you don’t have to make a decision on the spot. [39:42]
* Alex’s struggles with imposter syndrome and what we can learn if we have this challenge. [42:38]
* When you use your voice, you are inspiring others to do the same. [44:44]
* Why Alex always knew she would be where she is today. [47:01]
* Everyone, even those you look up to, struggle with imposter syndrome. [49:24]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Alex:
* Website: https://alexcarterasks.com/
* Alex’s Book: Ask For More - 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything: https://alexcarterasks.com/book/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrabcarter/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As we gear up for the holidays & get ready for more incredible interviews in the new year, we’re taking the opportunity to highlight our top 5 most popular episodes from 2021. Even if you are an avid listener of the podcast, chances are you may have missed one of these game-changing interviews.
Marcus Lemonis is known for helping struggling businesses get back on their feet through investing his own money on the hit TV show, The Profit. Despite being a household name and TV personality, Marcus’ influence is far beyond television. He is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in America, serving as chairman and CEO of the multi-billion dollar company Camping World.
He also is one of the biggest champions out there when it comes to small business entrepreneurs, and specifically women entrepreneurs. He’s created The Lemon-AID Foundation and seeded it with $50 million of his and his wife’s own capital to focus on backing talented founders, especially women and minorities who haven’t had equal access to resources and guidance in their careers.
Marcus is unapologetically vulnerable, open to sharing all parts of himself, and truly generous in wanting to help others succeed. In today’s wide-ranging interview, we talk about how to work through fear of failure & embarrassment, the realities of burnout in entrepreneurship, why Marcus believes women are better business leaders, the importance of embracing your strengths & your flaws to be truly comfortable in your own skin, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Marcus about:
* How the fear of embarrassment holds us back and what we can do to move past these feelings. [4:00]
* Acknowledging that privilege plays a role in taking chances. [6:01]
* It is okay that you feel embarrassed; it is something we all experience. [8:50]
* How Marcus uses clothes to make himself feel comfortable in his skin. [9:59]
* The freedom that comes when you lean into what makes you unique. [12:45]
* It is important not to make money the ultimate benchmark of success. [14:09]
* The influence that Marcus's mother and grandfather had on him. [16:39]
* Marcus's ultimate mission with the work that he does. [18:48]
* Some of the reasons that Marcus thinks women are better businesspeople. [19:26]
* You do not have to care what other people think; it is the way you think about yourself. [20:59]
* Why Marcus believes the principles of running a coffee shop or a large corporation are the same. [23:17]
* How entrepreneurs can develop a consumer point of view. [26:30]
* Who Marcus believes should not be entrepreneurs. [28:21]
* Why Marcus prefers the term business owner rather than entrepreneurship. [30:07]
* Marcus's experience of burnout and why he believes business owners can’t have work-life balance. [31:11]
* You have to curate your own mental, physical, and emotional health regimen. [33:13]
* Marcus's advice for those of us who feel like we are not enough. [36:23]
* What wealth means to Marcus at this stage in his life. [38:47]
* Hear the two questions that Marcus asks Yasmin. [39:58]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Marcus:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcuslemonis/
* Website: https://www.marcuslemonis.com/
* One Hundred Percent with Marcus Lemonis Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1572332094
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jesse Draper is the Founding Partner of Halogen Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investing in consumer tech companies led by female and co-ed teams.
With women making up to 80 percent of household purchasing decisions, Jesse and her team are betting big on early-stage, female-founded companies with billion-dollar potential. Jesse is a fourth generation venture capitalist as well as the creator and host of the Emmy-nominated television series, The Valley Girl Show.
She is a fierce advocate for investing in women and the opportunity for using technology and innovation to solve some of the biggest issues facing women and families today. After creating Halogen Ventures in 2015, she now has more than 70 companies in her portfolio, including theSkimm, Babylist, ThirdLove, and The Flex Company.
Jesse was listed by Marie Claire Magazine as one of the ‘50 Most Connected Women in America’ and she is also a regular investor and tech personality on Cheddar, CNBC, and CNN.
In this episode, we have a candid conversation about why Jesse didn’t think she could be a venture capitalist and how she overcame her own fears and beliefs about imposter syndrome, and she shares her advice for anyone looking to manage burnout: delegate and make time for rest. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at what investors are looking for, from founder traits to the biggest mistakes that founders make, and so much more.
In this episode, we talk to Jesse about:
* Starting on the topic of rejection; why a ‘no’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing. [3:10]
* How Jesse’s upbringing shaped her as a fourth generation venture capitalist. [7:35]
* Her perception of success in her 20s and how it evolved with entrepreneurship. [14:18]
* Find out why Jesse believes more women should prioritize networking. [21:48]
* Overcoming her fears and beliefs about imposter syndrome; just try it! [26:21]
* Jesse’s advice for managing burnout: delegate and make time to rest and plan. [30:10]
* Learn more about her experience of fundraising while pregnant and during COVID. [37:07]
* Three mistakes women are making when raising money: not showing confidence, overcomplicating the pitch, and underselling themselves. [40:16]
* What investors look for, from a willingness to pivot to an ability to problem solve. [43:20]
* Some of the red flags Jesse cautions founders against, including the tendency to overpromise and underdeliver. [47:37]
* Jesse’s suggestions for women to feel more empowered when it comes to money. [51:56]
* Two simple ways to take control: do it yourself and put your money to work. [55:17]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Jesse:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessecdraper/
* Website: https://halogenvc.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Mary Pardee is a functional medicine practitioner and naturopathic medical doctor who specializes in integrative gastroenterology, hormones, and gut-brain health. She is also the Founder of Modrn Med, a telemedicine and virtual wellness company.
We’ll talk to Dr. Pardee about what the heck gut health is and why it plays such a big role in your happiness, energy, confidence, and overall well-being. 74% of people live every day with embarrassing and uncomfortable issues such as bloating, constipation, reflux, or irregular stools. It doesn’t have to be this way!
We’ll dive deep into the impact that your gut health has on your hormones, mental health, and physical health and the importance of prioritizing self-care. Dr. Pardee shares how the majority of our immune system is tied to the gut, and the role stress and emotion have on our microbiome. We also discuss details on your menstrual cycle and steps you can take today to get your body back in balance and thrive both inside and out.
In this episode, we talk to Dr. Pardee about:
* Things that are negatively impacting your gut health and what you can change. [02:09]
* What Dr. Pardee means by “gut” and why it’s called the second brain. [4:24]
* How Dr. Pardee ended up in naturopathic medicine: becoming the doctor that she didn’t have. [6:34]
* The link between childhood trauma and stress-related conditions, and gut disorders. [12:45]
* How gut health can affect your mental health, and vice-versa. [13:37]
* Dealing with acute stress: the type of stress that humans have evolved to cope with. [14:24]
* How holding tension in different areas can cause headaches and stomach issues. [17:11]
* Constipation in women: what the frequency and size of a bowel movement should be. [18:32]
* How gut health is tied to hormonal health and methods you can use to manage this. [20:18]
* Why tracking your cycle can be helpful for women and couples. [24:33]
* Dr. Pardee's perspective on under-eating: what it is, why it happens and how it affects your physical health. [26:38]
* Understanding why you might not want to eat in the morning. [29:26]
* Why Dr. Pardee tells women to try things and the importance of following your intuition. [32:24]
* Dr. Pardee's three recommendations to improve gut health: movement, a morning routine, eating real foods. [33:00]
* How the elimination diet works and why Dr. Pardee uses it for her patients. [36:43]
* What some of the rituals and tools are that Dr. Pardee uses to improve her mental health. [40:08]
* Why women in business need to feel their feelings. [44:02]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Dr. Pardee:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.marypardee/
* Modrn Med Website: https://www.modrnmed.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Natalie Gordon is the CEO and Founder of Babylist, the fastest-growing universal baby registry in the U.S.
In 2011, after she closed down her first business and did some consulting projects to make ends meet, Natalie came up with the idea for Babylist after becoming frustrated with the options available for baby registries at the time. What started as a side-project that launched two weeks before her first son was born, has become a multimillion-dollar empire that just keeps growing.
Over the past 10 years with relatively little VC funding, Natalie has grown Babylist into the third largest baby registry service online. More than half of US parents registered with Babylist in 2020, creating 1.2 million registries last year alone. The company has doubled its revenue each year for the past three years and is on track to make $250 million in revenue this year.
We’ll talk to Natalie about how her “failure” with her first business set her up for success with Babylist, how she balanced new motherhood with growing a new company, why you shouldn’t compare yourself to others, steps she took to scale her company without significant VC funding, and so much more.
In this episode, we talk to Natalie about:
* Why being scared is no reason to wait: the tips and tools Natalie uses to overcome her fear. [2:55]
* What it was like growing up in Canada as a math geek and how Natalie moved into the world of computer science. [6:17]
* How Natalie made the leap from a secure job to chasing her dreams. [7:55]
* Why Natalie’s first startup failed and the lessons learned. [10:01]
* The product-market fit and why this is crucial to every business. [14:02]
* Why Natalie chose to found Babylist: filling a niche she identified. [15:51]
* The yardsticks Natalie selected to define whether or not she continued to grow Babylist, or move on. [26:06]
* Creating brand awareness: the different phases Babylist went through. [27:09]
* What drove Natalie to join the accelerator program, 500 startups. [29:35]
* How to tell when it’s time to hire a team. [31:29]
* The lesson Natalie has had to learn over and over throughout her career. [34:04]
* Why raising money is less important than an investor who aligns with the company values. [35:28]
* Facing the COVID-19 pandemic: how Babylist thrived rather than just survived. [38:38]
* Handling external stressors and how Natalie guided her company through the pandemic with transparency. [43:19]
* Why an uncomfortable level of focus helped Natalie steer Babylist in the right direction. [44:59]
* Saying “not yet” to every great idea: the importance of focus and good company culture in attracting the right kind of employee. [46:09]
* Advice from Natalie to her audience: don’t compare yourself to others. [50:15]
* How Natalie handles rejection. [52:12]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Natalie:
* Babylist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babylist/
* Babylist Website: https://www.babylist.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Stephanie Estima is a chiropractor with a special interest in metabolism, functional neurology, and body composition who has devoted her time to analyzing hormones and creating a system to help women naturally overcome painful periods.
She's the creator of the Estima Diet, host of the Better! podcast, and author of the best-selling book, The Betty Body. She's had over 3.5 million article reads with her content on Medium and has helped thousands of women lose weight, regulate hormones, and get off medications with her signature program.
In this episode, you’ll hear Dr. Estima break down what may be contributing to your own hormonal imbalances and PMS as well as what is “common” vs “normal”. Dr. Estima shares why you don’t need to live with painful periods and how it can be corrected through stress management, movement, and nutrition. We also chat about how your cycle can be incredibly empowering and ways to balance your hormones so you can achieve better health, a better mind, and a more fulfilling and successful life.
In this episode, we talk to Stephanie about:
* Why we shouldn’t consider painful periods as normal. [2:31]
* How Dr. Stephanie sees your menstrual cycle as a hormone report card. [3:56]
* How women may be contributing to their hormonal imbalances starting with stress. [5:28]
* The need for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, for reducing stress [7:49]
* The role of nutrition in balancing your hormones. [9:18]
* Dr. Stephanie’s personal experience of painful periods. [10:19]
* Why we shouldn’t follow male-led protocols for how we treat our bodies. [15:20]
* The different phases of a woman’s hormonal cycle. [19:25]
* The role of estrogen and testosterone in a woman’s body during week two. [23:05]
* How luteinizing hormone affects your body in the second week of your cycle. [26:06]
* The role that progesterone plays in week three of your cycle. [27:23]
* What happens in week four of our cycles when our hormones drop. [29:21]
* How patriarchal society is based on male circadian rhythms. [30:29]
* What the negativity bias is and how to use it to propel you forward. [32:39]
* Tips to be more in tune with your body to be empowered by your natural cycle. [35:08]
* Why we need to be gentle with ourselves and how we can make nutrition easy. [46:50]
* What Dr. Stephanie likes about Beeya and seed-cycling. [48:41]
* How your exercise plan should change with your cycle. [50:16]
* Dr. Stephanie’s encouragement for any women who have given up hope. [56:51]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Stephanie:
* Stephanie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.stephanie.estima
* Hello Betty with Dr. Estima: https://hellobetty.club
* Dr. Estima's book: The Betty Body: A Geeky Goddess' Guide to Intuitive Eating, Balanced Hormones, and Transformative Sex: https://www.amazon.com/Betty-Body-Intuitive-Balanced-Transformative/dp/1544519095
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jane Wurwand is the Founder and Chief Visionary of Dermalogica, the number one professional skincare brand in the world.
At the young age of 24, Jane immigrated to California and saw a distinct lack of continuing education with skin therapists in the US. Without a college degree or network, she set out to launch her own skin therapy education with only $14,000 in a small classroom in Los Angeles. This led her to also develop a line of skincare products and a system of teaching salon owners how to use them which is now a multi-million dollar international brand with a cult-like following.
Under Jane’s leadership, Dermalogica has grown to be the leading professional skincare brand, used by more than 100,000 skin therapists in more than 100 countries. Dermalogica sold to Unilever in 2015 and the brand continues to be the most respected and requested professional skincare line in the world.
In 2018, Jane launched FOUND/LA, a nonprofit initiative offering funding, mentorship, unique incubator programs, and educational resources for entrepreneurs who have been underserved. She also recently published her book, “Skin in the Game”, which Harvard Business Review called ‘brilliant’, and is the go-to guide for readers looking for their true purpose and the opportunity to live their biggest life.
We’ll talk to Jane about how to turn your pain into the key to your success, find a deeper significance in life by connecting the dots, and use your authenticity as a tool for materializing your dreams.
In this episode, we talk to Jane about:
* Advice for women who feel that their baggage is holding them back. [3:34]
* The five important words Jane’s mother spoke to her as a child. [7:23]
* How Jane moved to South Africa in the '70s and the lessons she learned. [9:29]
* Advice for building up a sense of trust in yourself by taking small steps of bravery. [17:14]
* The lesson about the value of human connection Jane learned from an early client. [22:05]
* Connecting the dots to find a deeper significance: How Jane moved to the US. [26:48]
* The paucity of skills in LA and how Jane got the idea to start her company. [33:19]
* How Jane built up a network of clients and secured a space to work in LA. [42:35]
* The 20 percent rule and the story of how Jane developed Dermalogica. [46:28]
* Relentless industriousness; how Jane found manufacturers for her products. [51:10]
* The value of being authentic and how this helped Jane pitch her ideas. [59:11]
* Getting into debt with her chemist and how Jane paid it back. [1:01:25]
* Raising money versus self-funding and why Jane took the latter route. [1:06:46]
* How tiny the amount of funding women receive is and how Jane is addressing this. [1:10:01]
* The thought process leading to Jane selling Dermalogica to Unilever. [1:15:15]
* Advice from Jane for women who around believing in their inner power. [1:19:51]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Jane:
* Jane Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janewurwand/
* Website: https://www.dermalogica.com/
* Jane's Book: Skin in the Game: Everything You Need is Already Inside You: https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Game-Everything-Already-Inside/dp/1400224306
* Found/LA: https://www.foundla.org/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Sara Gottfried is a World-Renowned Physician, Hormone Expert, Speaker, and 4x New York Times Best Selling Author.
Dr. Gottfried’s interview marks the start of our first podcast in the world of health and wellness. One of the biggest myths that women have on their path to building their empire is that they have to sacrifice their health in order to be successful. This couldn't be further from the truth!
Starting this week, in addition to my interviews with incredible founders, I’m going to be bringing on the top experts in women’s health to help you better understand your biology and how to personalize your health to achieve the success you deserve. In today’s episode, Dr. Gottfried helps us understand how hormonal imbalances are impacting every area of our life, including energy levels, weight gain, and debilitating PMS. She also discusses how addressing the root causes can radically change your life for the better.
Dr. Gottfried is a global keynote speaker who practices evidence-based integrative, functional, and precision medicine. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University and Director of Precision Medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health where she focuses on career longevity for female CEOs.
In this episode, we'll talk to Dr. Sara about:
* The key role that hormones play in our bodies as a whole. [2:43]
* Why it is important for us to make sure our hormones are in balance. [3:35]
* How hormones show up in our lives, with a focus on estrogen and progesterone. [4:26]
* Why testosterone is particularly important for female entrepreneurs. [6:36]
* The role of insulin in making you crave carbs and sugar. [8:40]
* Lifestyle factors that lead to modern women having hormonal imbalances. [12:22]
* Dr. Gottfried tells the story of her journey to finding hormonal balance and health. [17:15]
* The stress gap and how women tend to experience more stress than men. [22:05]
* Why 88% of Americans are in a state of metabolic dysfunction. [30:29]
* An explanation for why cutting out carbs is more effective for men than women. [35:32]
* Her goal: for women to have the best metabolic health throughout their lives. [37:05]
* Two methods to help you manage blood glucose in the body. [40:10]
* The misinformation around carbs and why we actually need them as women. [43:26]
* Emotional eating and why it isn’t constructive. [48:00]
* Why food timing is important with a 14 hour overnight fast being ideal. [49:00]
* Alcohol and its role in metabolic health, and overall health. [51:00]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10
Follow Dr. Gottfried:
* Website: https://www.saragottfriedmd.com/
* Her Book: Women, Food, and Hormones: A 4-Week Plan to Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight, and Feel Like Yourself Again: https://amzn.to/3lopln5
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sandra Campos is an internationally recognized retail technology CEO, entrepreneur, and retail executive.
A child of entrepreneurial, immigrant parents, Sandra’s upbringing was characterized by a focus on education, helping out in her family’s tortilla business from a young age, and experimenting with her own entrepreneurial ventures in fashion. Sandra’s love for fashion and buying led her to New York City, where she was thrown completely in the deep end. Over the years, Sandra worked multiple jobs, paid off debt, and ate potatoes for lunch; all of which taught her resilience, grit, and never giving up.
Sandra has been instrumental in launching brands like DKNY, Polo Jeans as well as her own venture with Selena Gomez which grew to over $100M in annual sales turnover per year over the course of six years. She then became president of Global Brands Group, which owned brands like Bebe, BCBG, and Juicy Couture. She most recently was the CEO of the iconic brand, Diane Von Furstenberg.
Now, she’s the CEO of retail tech start-up Project Verte and the founder of Fashion Launchpad, an online education platform. Sandra advises various startups, is part of the advisory group for Athena Technology Acquisition Corp (a SPAC on the NYSE), and is on the Board of Directors for Big Lots.
We talk to Sandra about changing careers from a small town in Texas to the runways of New York, making a major life pivot after getting divorced and raising her three children as a single mom, setting goals (and the magic number), listening to your inner voice and so much more!
In this episode, we talk to Sandra about:
* Sandra’s family history, the environment that she grew up in, and the role that her upbringing has played in her success. [3:20]
* What Sandra has learned from her mother about financial management. [11:50]
* Exposure to entrepreneurship that Sandra’s children have had from a young age. [16:27]
* Push and pull factors that drove Sandra into the business world. [24:08]
* Milestones that Sandra has set for herself throughout her life, and the value she sees in this practice. [30:17]
* Three: the magic number when it comes to goal setting. [33:10]
* Why, as an entrepreneur, you need to learn to say no. [34:32]
* Challenges that Sandra was faced with after she made the decision to get divorced. [38:58]
* Sandra’s involvement in her entrepreneurial venture with Selena Gomez. [40:19]
* Something Sandra wishes she had done differently when she left the corporate world. [45:54]
* Advice from Sandra about figuring out what balance means to you personally. [50:50]
* Sandra shares what she learned about leadership from working alongside Diane von Furstenberg. [52:48]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances.
* Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Sandra:
* Sandra Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandracamposnyc/
* Fashion Launchpad: https://fashionlaunchpad.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
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Hitha Palepu is a serial entrepreneur, investor, activist, and author.
Currently, Hitha is the CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals and author of her latest book, We're Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris: How to Use Your Voice, Be Assertive, and Own Your Story. She also runs #5SmartReads, a social series that compiles five must-read articles every day to keep her community informed.
As a multi-hyphenate, Hitha is used to things not working out, but this has never stopped her from trying. She has always been able to see the lesson where most others have not, and this trait has helped her succeed.
In this wide-ranging conversation, we hear about Hitha’s incredibly inspiring family, the impact they had on her, and some of the values that were instilled in her early on. We talk to Hitha about her time in the corporate world, why she ultimately decided to go out on her own, and the many lessons she learned from her first “failure” in the start-up world.
Hitha also shares how she became an angel investor focused on women-founded businesses, the inspiration around her latest book, why we should all “eat no for breakfast” and so much more.
In this episode, we talk to Hitha about:
* What holds most people back from getting started on something. [2:54]
* The impact that Hitha’s immigrant parents had on her. [4:29]
* How being treated like an adult at a young age influenced Hitha. [8:12]
* The path Hitha thought she would go on when she went to college and where she needed up. [10:42]
* Hitha’s time in the corporate world and what this taught her. [14:00]
* What led Hitha to start her blog, which has morphed into other things and the value of having a side project. [16:28]
* All of the lessons that Hitha learned from running her blog. [17:18]
* You should do things that make you light up, even if you don’t have an end game in mind. [18:20]
* The reflective period and subsequent pivot that happened when Hitha was pregnant. [22:50]
* How Hitha came to be a serious investor. [26:32]
* What Hitha typically looks for in companies she invests in. [29:55]
* Why women founders and CEOs aren't allowed to "fail" in the media. [31:58]
* There is so little room for women to fail and make a comeback. [34:00]
* The need to have a flexible culture for parents. [35:45]
* How Hitha divides her time and where her priorities lie. [37:42]
* Insights into Hitha’s upcoming book. [42:34]
* The influence that Kamala Harris had on Hitha. [44:04]
* What surprised Hitha the most when she was writing the book. [46:30]
* How motherhood has changed Hitha’s life. [49:35]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Hitha:
* Hitha Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hithapalepu/
* Hitha's Book: We're SpeakingThe Life Lessons of Kamala Harris: How to Use Your Voice, Be Assertive, and Own Your Story: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/hitha-palepu/were-speaking/9780316283052/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Angela Sutherland is the Co-Founder and CEO of Yumi, a fresh, organic, and nutritious baby food delivery service.
After many years working in private equity, Angela never imagined she’d one day be an entrepreneur and start a baby food company. When she became pregnant with her first child, she became hyper-aware of the importance of nutrition in a child's first 1,000 days of life. She realized most baby food offerings in grocery stores are low in nutrition and incredibly high in sugar.
So, this made her think: what options do new working parents have to ensure their child gets proper nutrition without the hassle and clean-up of making every meal? The opportunity was clear. This led Angela to dive deep into research and discuss the problem with her longtime friend, Evelyn Rusli - and within weeks, they both decided to quit their jobs and create Yumi.
It only took one and a half months to launch Yumi's first beta which was a massive success. They’ve raised over $30 million to date and are available nationally while also having a cult following with celebrities like Jessica Alba, Gabrielle Union, and Molly Sims to name a few.
We’ll talk to Angela about the importance of taking a leap of faith when it comes to entrepreneurship, overcoming doubt, the power of community and brand when building your business, lessons learned when it comes to fundraising, and so much more.
In this episode, we talk to Angela about:
* Angela’s advice for anybody who is dealing with imposter syndrome. [3:04]
* The inspiration that Angela has drawn from her mom throughout her life. [4:50]
* How Angela became an entrepreneur. [6:10]
* What Angela realized when she started researching baby food. [7:30]
* Why Angela recommends taking the leap before doing too much planning. [10:23]
* The value of community. [11:50]
* How Angela and her long-time friend and Co-Founder, Evelyn Rusli, formed their business relationship [13:26]
* Angela and Evelyn’s approach to raising funding initially. [19:30]
* What the beta phase of Yumi looked like, and the response that they received. [22:02]
* Learnings that Angela and Evelyn had when they started Yumi. [24:23]
* How long Yumi’s beta phase lasted. [27:50]
* Challenges of fundraising as a woman of color. [29:08]
* Doubts that come with starting a company, and how to overcome them. [32:23]
* What Angela sees as a key to the success of Yumi. [35:35]
* Yumi’s approach to building community. [36:58]
* More important learnings that Angela had as a first time founder. [38:10]
* Meaning behind the name, Yumi. [40:14]
* How Angela’s relationship with recovery has evolved over time. [42:30]
* What wealth means to Angela. [43:33]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Angela:
* Yumi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yumi/
* Website: https://helloyumi.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Helene Godin is the founder and CEO of By The Way Bakery, a unique, old-fashioned bakery where each treat is handmade, gluten-free, dairy-free, and certified kosher.
Helene hasn't always been a baker. She spent over two decades as a successful lawyer when she decided that she was ready for a change, and took the bold step of starting her business.
Although she was not an experienced baker, Helene leveraged her skill and passion as a researcher, along with her determination to exceed expectations, to learn and develop delicious gluten-free foods. Through her tenacity, she was able to create a unique gluten-free flour mix that now forms the cornerstone of her exceptional baked goods.
Today her bakery has four locations and can be found in over 80 Whole Foods stores nationwide. Over the past 10 years, her brand has developed a cult following and is beloved by many celebrities.
In our conversation with Helene, we discuss her transition from being a full-time lawyer to entrepreneurship and how this step changed her lifestyle and identity. We delve into how Helene prepared herself for the challenges that lay ahead as well as how she became comfortable with failure and taking risks after her very stable career.
In this episode, we'll talk to Helene about:
* Helene’s long, successful career as a lawyer and how she made the leap to pursue entrepreneurship and open up a bakery. [3:12]
* What it meant for Helene’s sense of identity to no longer be a lawyer. [5:04]
* The long and thorough process of preparation that Helene went through to open her bakery and why she felt confident about this transition period. [6:54]
* The entrepreneurial traits that Helene’s husband recognized in her and the role he has played in her journey. [12:06]
* How Helene identified and developed her passion after a long career as a lawyer. [14:18]
* How Helene took a chance in entrepreneurship by pursuing a field she had virtually no experience in. [16:18]
* Helene breaks down her process for making her business viable in the early stages and how she engineered her gluten-free flour mix. [18:18]
* How Helene conducted market research for her gluten-free products and decided not to be entirely vegan, but still dairy-free. [22:10]
* Some of the major pivots that Helene has had to make in life and business, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [24:56]
* Helene’s transition into wholesale during the earlier days of her business and how she got into her first Whole Foods through tenacity and patience. [28:45]
* How the bakery had to adapt to a much larger new order from Whole Foods in a short period, why they couldn’t say no, and how the company has grown since. [32:01]
* The devastating impact of the COVID pandemic, how it affected the demand for baked goods, and the steps Helene took to keep her bakers on staff. [37:47]
* Helene’s self-care ritual and how it’s developed since the start of the COVID pandemic. [40:33]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Helene:
* By The Way Bakery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bythewaybakery/
* https://www.btwbakery.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kaylin Marcotte is the founder and CEO of JIGGY, a brand that supports emerging female artists by turning their art into exciting jigsaw puzzles that are worth framing.
Kaylin’s fondness for jigsaw puzzles started when she was looking for a way to unwind after a long day at work. She was the first employee at the well-known digital media company, theSkimm, and was managing everything from their brand ambassador program, community building, to grassroots marketing. As one might expect with early-stage start-ups work can be all encompassing and exhausting, and Kaylin discovered that completing jigsaw puzzles helped to reduce her stress and the perfect nightly meditation for her.
After discovering her newfound love of puzzling, Kaylin realized that many of the puzzle designs were outdated and there was an opportunity to make something more beautiful.
Kaylin launched JIGGY in November 2019 and was able to navigate the pandemic challenges that hit her a few months in and grow the business to $1.6 million in sales within the first 9 months. Kaylin was also featured on Shark Tank and secured $500K from billionaire Mark Cuban.
We’ll chat with Kaylin about how she built the confidence to turn her hobby into a real business, how she navigated the pandemic and manufacturing challenges, what thoughtful growth means to her, and the many lessons she’s learned building a company as a one woman show.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Kaylin about:
* The early stages of Kaylin's career, years after college, and getting a job at theSkimm. [02:46]
* Kaylin's inspiring approach to getting in front of the founders of theSkimm [5:02]
* Getting into the startup world; challenges coming from a more corporate space. [8:08]
* Lessons in learning on the job: how Kaylin drew inspiration from the young founders she worked for. [11:43]
* Bringing the idea of Jiggy to life and how Kaylin picked up the hobby of making puzzles. [16:55]
* How Kaylin supported herself through consulting work while getting the business off the ground. [21:29]
* The foundations and relationships that Kaylin built in the early days of Jiggy. [23:11]
* Jiggy's first nine months and Kaylin's approach to the bootstrap philosophy. [29:28]
* The important connection that Kaylin developed with Anthropologie. [33:40]
* Kaylin's experiences appearing on Shark Tank and her thinking going into it. [36:46]
* Nervous feelings and preparation; how Kaylin managed to nail her appearance on the show. [39:20]
* The funding that Kaylin received from Mark Cuban and the fruits of this important relationship so far. [40:56]
* The team structure at Jiggy and why Kaylin has chosen to keep the company relatively small. [43:09]
* The surprising elements of the business that have brought Kaylin the most satisfaction and joy! [45:38]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Kaylin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylinmarcotte/
* Jiggy Puzzles Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jiggypuzzles/
* Website: https://jiggypuzzles.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Noura Sakkijha is the co-founder and CEO of Mejuri, a fine jewelry brand that introduces handcrafted, everyday jewelry without the traditional retail markups.
Looking from the outside in, entering the jewelry market can seem like a daunting endeavor. Not only is it seemingly saturated, but it’s also exceptionally expensive. Growing up in Jordan as a third-generation jeweler, Noura noticed that traditional high-end jewelry brands always targeted men, encouraging them to buy luxe jewelry for women. In 2015, Noura started Mejuri to change this narrative: A woman doesn't need a man to buy jewelry for her. She can buy it yourself.
Noura was able to successfully raise over $40 million for her jewelry brand and shine in a competitive market. Noura’s products have been worn by A-list celebrities like Selena Gomez, Lizzo, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Oprah, and more.
We’ll talk to Noura about the difficult lessons she learned early in the business, why self-care and therapy have been game-changing for her in both her personal and professional life, and what it takes to build a high-growth brand & sell over 1.8 million pieces of jewelry since inception.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Noura about:
* How Noura's upbringing in Jordan impacted the woman she is today. [3:29]
* Noura recounts a very busy time in her life when she moved to Canada to be a consultant while simultaneously earning an MBA. [5:30]
* How Noura started Mejuri with her husband and what prompted her to pursue it [6:45]
* What gave Nourra the confidence to enter a market like fine jewelry production. [08:33]
* Noura's decision to join FounderFuel and 500 Startups, two top accelerators, and what she learned from the experience. [10:33]
* How Noura changed her mindset around failure and learned from the tech world’s view on failure as a data point. [15:41]
* How Noura gained traction during the early days of her company. [17:33]
* Attracting in-house creatives without the resources of a larger, more established company. [20:21]
* How she managed her mental health during a burnout period while building Mejuri. [21:44]
* Advice Noura's mother gave her that has helped her honor self-care. [23:35]
* Noura's experience with the demands that come with motherhood [24:31]
* How she raised funds for her business while in the later stages of pregnancy. [27:29]
* Managing her optimism and resilience during the difficult, early days of fundraising. [30:00]
* Insights into ensuring the foundation of your business in the early stages. [31:10]
* The time it took to find product fit and transition to the PR stage of their business. [32:45]
* How Noura's family reacted to her starting Mejuri. [33:57]
* One of the surprising things that Nourra is most proud of. [35:14]
* What wealth means to Nourra at this point in her life. [37:07]
* What it’s been like for her and her husband to be co-founders and business partners. [37:45]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Noura:
* Mejuri Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mejuri/
* Mejuri Empowerment Fund: https://mejuri.com/info/ourcommitment
* Website: https://mejuri.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Logan Hollowell is the designer, founder and CEO of Logan Hollowell Jewelry. Logan started with little more than a dream board, some affirmations, and the right mindset and manifested her way to a jewelry empire. Her jewelry is a cult favorite and has been spotted on the likes of Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence, Meghan Markle, and Jessica Alba, among others.
Today she joins us to share her inspiring story with us. She tells us about her early fascination with gemstones, crystals, and spirituality and how this led her to her dream of becoming a jewelry designer. Being raised on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, she explains how the hurricanes she experienced as a child helped her to become comfortable with uncertainty, grow into a risk-taker, and move to LA at the age of 17 to pursue a career in fashion.
We’ll chat about when Logan first discovered the law of attraction and how she used dream boards, mindset, self-love, affirmations, and rituals to create the life she wanted. We also talk about how Logan thinks about fundraising for her business, the role of mentorship in creating a high-growth brand, the challenges she’s overcome, and why she believes that in order to receive, you first have to give.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Logan about:
* How the uncertainty Logan experienced as a child impacted the woman she is today. [3:00]
* The quote that Logan lives by ‘Faith is loyalty to an unseen reality’. [4:36]
* How she always found herself drawn to crystals and spirituality from a young age. [6:23]
* What motivated Logan to leave home and follow her dreams to LA at the age of 17. [7:32]
* The struggles she overcame when she first moved to LA. [8:42]
* How she first discovered the law of attraction. [09:51]
* How reading other people’s stories helped her get into the right mindset. [11:02]
* A quick story from Jasmine about how she overcame debilitating periods. [12:21]
* How self-love and affirmations helped Logan create the life she wanted. [15:37]
* The full moon and new moon rituals she practiced. [19:02]
* The story of how Logan met a jeweler who changed her life and the importance of persistence. [20:15]
* How Logan began designing and creating her own jewelry. [25:39]
* How she got exposure through influencers even before she had a website. [27:48]
* Logan’s belief that in life, in order to receive you have to first give. [29:06]
* How she managed to fund and create her early orders. [30:07]
* Logan’s advice for anyone who has a similar dream but no funding. [31:44]
* The importance of following your bliss and how this leads to opportunities and miracles. [32:15]
* Some of the biggest challenges that Logan has overcome as an entrepreneur. [34:22]
* How Logan is funding her business. [36:51]
* The role of mentorship in Logan’s business. [38:07]
* How Logan’s most proud of the alchemy of creating her destiny. [39:34]
* Why Logan believes that wealth means more choices. [41:03]
* The story of Logan’s trip to India and why she believes that the best way to get out of a rut is to help people who are worse off than you. [41:43]
This episode is brought to you by beeya:
* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about beeya’s seed cycling bundle.
* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Follow Logan:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loganhollowell/
* Website: https://www.loganhollowell.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dubbed by the New York Times as ‘the woman who dresses America’, Jenna Lyons, is a fashion icon and the co-founder/CEO of the beauty brand, LoveSeen.
Having kicked off her career as an intern at Donna Karan, Jenna went on to join the design team at J.Crew, eventually becoming its President. She is recognized as the main driver behind its incredible rise to success, and is a regular feature in print and online media, including having been recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.
After 27 years at J.Crew, Jenna was finally ready to start her own empire. She launched her company LoveSeen, a direct-to-consumer beauty brand that is reinventing fake lashes, which was largely inspired by her genetic condition that impacts her lash growth. And she was most recently, the Executive Director and main star of her reality competition show, Stylish with Jenna Lyons on HBO Max.
On today’s episode, you’ll hear how Jenna’s challenging childhood experiences shaped who she is and how she experiences the world today, including her attitude to finances and her love for fashion. She tells us what it was like to live in New York in the 1980s and discover a new standard of beauty which was largely different from the beach town she grew up in. Jenna reveals what it was like to work with Mickey Drexler, former CEO and Chairman of J.Crew Group, the skills she needed to develop to manage the people she worked with, and what it was like to enter the public eye.
You’ll also hear why Jenna decided to reinvent herself later in her career, how she overcame the most difficult transition in her life when she left J.Crew, what she loves about working in beauty when compared with fashion, and the biggest lessons she’s learned on running her entrepreneurial ventures.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jenna about:
* The impact of Jenna’s mother’s attitude towards financial independence on how she approaches money today. [3:10]
* How knowing you can take care of yourself affects fear and trust in relationships. [4:30]
* The poignant experience of interest in her work and style when she began to make clothes after growing up feeling unattractive. [5:20]
* What it was like to grow up with a genetic disorder and how sewing a skirt led to a popular girl in school asking Jenna to make one for her too. [6:40]
* What it was like to live in New York in the late 1980s. [9:04]
* How Jenna didn’t meet the standard of beauty in the beach town she grew up in. [10:30]
* The discovery of Antonio Lopez as a pivotal point in discovering her own beauty. [11:38]
* How she came to intern at Donna Karan and study at Parsons University in the 90s. [12:35]
* The listing that led Jenna to take a job at J.Crew without asking about the salary. [13:35]
* Why she was so unhappy at the start of her career at J.Crew. [15:48]
* The dramatic change at J.Crew that completely turned things around [17:20]
* What it was like working with Mickey Drexler (CEO of JCrew); his alchemy skills, attunement, and insight. [18:18]
* Jenna’s lifelong drive to make beautiful things that she could be proud of. [18:43]
* How she needed to develop skills to manage people she worked with. [21:20]
* What she learned from Mickey’s desire to hear from everyone. [22:18]
* Entering the public eye starting with Domino Magazine, then Vogue with Annie Leibovitz, and the internal struggle Jenna experienced. [25:01]
* Find out how Jenna navigated different transition periods in her life. [28:29]
* The nine-month period of silence that helped her regroup and see what’s important. [29:10]
* Being approached to do television and what it was like to shoot the reality show. [31:43]
* What Jenna loves about the beauty scene: she doesn’t have to think about size. [36:05]
* How Jenna realized the significance of eyelashes and decided to start her business. [37:00]
* The areas of running her own business that are new to her and how she is learning new things along the way. [40:50]
* How admitting that you don’t know things can open you up to learn new things. [42:00]
Follow Jenna:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennalyonsnyc/
* Website: https://loveseen.com/
* LoveSeen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveseen/
* Stylist by Jenna HBO Max: https://www.stylishwithjennalyons.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reham Fagiri is the Founder and CEO of AptDeco, an online marketplace that eliminates the hassle of buying and selling furniture.
Reham always knew she wanted to build something but never knew exactly what it would be. The idea for AptDeco came to Reham after she finished business school at Wharton and was preparing to move to New York. Desperate to sell her furniture, she used Craigslist, and was met with strangers coming to her house, heavy negotiations, cancellations, and even moments that compromised her safety. When speaking to her colleagues, she realized so many of her classmates were dealing with the same frustrations.
Although she accepted a job with another start-up, Reham became obsessed with the idea of creating a better platform to buy and sell furniture. Fast forward to today, AptDeco has morphed from a scrappy team poaching furniture sales from Craigslist to now being a leading marketplace that provides a seamless experience from buying to selling to delivery of furniture.
We talk to Reham about how she got the idea off the ground with very little money, some of the hurdles she hit when it came to scaling the business, how to really engage with your customers and create a trusted brand that people truly want, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Reham about:
* Reham shares about her life growing up in Sudan and the exposure she had to entrepreneurship [2:46]
* Why Reham decided to leave her reputable job at Goldman Sachs to pursue business school [4:22]
* The importance of having exposure to different opportunities and people when thinking about career changes [7:47]
* How the idea of AptDeco came to life and how she decided to test the concept before spending more time and resources towards it [8:42]
* Reham discusses why she felt comfortable taking the risk to build the business despite the massive amount of school debt she has [22:30]
* The motivations around starting Y Combinator and the biggest lesson she learned: meet your customers [27:14]
* Reham shares her best advice when it comes to connecting with your customer & some of the mistakes she made in the process [30:20]
* How Reham created awareness in the early days & brought in her first few hundred customers [39:22]
* The power of word of mouth and referrals in your business vs. paying for your customers [41:47]
* Reham discusses the difficulty she faced raising money in the early stages of the business & why that was one of the best things that she experienced [43:04]
* How she dealt with the rejections when it came to fundraising & how she deals with the highs and lows of entrepreneurship [48:19]
Follow Reham:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aptdeco/
* Website: https://www.aptdeco.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ariel Kaye is the Founder and CEO of Parachute, a direct-to-consumer home essentials brand.
After spending a decade in advertising and brand development, Ariel was yearning to do something more. She always considered herself a home and interior design enthusiast, describing herself as a super consumer of home goods, but she struggled to find a single brand that was affordable, high quality, and easy to shop. That’s when she saw a gap in the market and knew she had the perfect skills to create the company she was looking for.
She took some money out of her savings and booked a one-way ticket to Europe in search of a factory. After bombarding 15 factories, she learned about craftsmanship when it came to bedding and sheets, got pricing, and came back home, ready to disrupt the industry. She spent around a year developing the brand, raising small amounts from friends and family, and then launched Parachute in January 2014.
In our conversation, we talk about Ariel’s “aha” moment when she realized she had to leave her successful career to start her company, the benefits that come with being a first-time entrepreneur in an industry where you have zero experience, how she built a strong foundation with her customers and brand from day 1, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Ariel about:
* How her parents supported Ariel to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams. [2:40]
* The common thread of storytelling and connection in her advertising career that carried over into Parachute. [3:58]
* The moment Ariel realized that she had to leave her job in order to start a company. [5:25]
* Hear more about the early days of Parachute and what Ariel’s initial steps were. [7:37]
* What her experience of finding a factory and learning about supply chains was like. [10:23]
* How she funded the first year of her business using loans from friends and family. [14:01]
* Ariel shares some of the tools and resources that helped her as a solo founder. [16:25]
* The benefits of finding a community of entrepreneurs that are still connected to the stage of the journey that you are currently in. [17:49]
* Where Ariel believes her resilience comes from; using challenges as fuel for the fire. [18:54]
* Ariel’s advice for entrepreneurs raising capital: take every opportunity to pitch your business and receive feedback. [20:58]
* Find out how her passion and conviction as a founder helped her get her first yes. [23:36]
* What Ariel wishes she knew about capital when she started her fundraising process. [25:07]
* How she created brand awareness by leaning on public relations for the launch. [27:18]
* What self-care looks like for Ariel and why she promotes the value of taking breaks. [29:07]
* Why Ariel says that there is no such thing as perfection; it’s all about momentum. [32:13]
* Some of the biggest growth inflection and hiring challenges Ariel has encountered along the way and how she overcame them. [35:44]
* Which superpower she is most proud of: trusting her gut and her intuition. [37:19]
* Ariel’s definition of wealth: health and happiness. [38:20]
Follow Ariel:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arielkaye/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parachutehome/
* Website: https://www.parachutehome.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Vicky Tsai, founder of Japanese beauty brand Tatcha, had a nontraditional path to eventually founding one of the top skincare companies today. About 10 years ago, Vicky decided to leave her thriving career and travel the world in search of happiness and meaning in her life.
In her travels, when visiting Kyoto, Japan, Vicky had a life-changing meeting with a Geisha. She learned some of their natural skincare secrets which healed her skin & soul in the truest sense and she wanted to bring the same experience back with her to the US.
However, Vicky’s success did not come easy. She struggled for years to get the brand off the ground and was over $600,000 in debt at the time. When she started the company, there weren’t many direct-to-consumer brands, Asian beauty and skincare wasn’t a thing and no one was interested in clean formulas for their skin. Fast forward to today, Tatcha is available in Sephora & QVC and is the second fastest growing women-led company on the Inc 5000 list. And last year, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million dollars.
Vicky is passionate about giving back. Since inception, they have partnered with Room to Read in their mission to educate girls globally and have sponsored over 3 million days of school.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Vicky about:
* How 9/11 impacted Vicky’s perspective on life’s meaning and purpose [4:26]
* Vicky shares how she used business school to do introspective work on herself [6:54]
* Vicky discusses her career trajectory and why Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks, played a big role in her leaving her corporate career [11:23]
* Vicky shares how she thinks about social entrepreneurship and using business as a vehicle for social change [16:18]
* Vicky describes why Kyoto, Japan made such a big impact in her life & truly healed her from the inside out [18:28]
* How Vicky thinks about money, risk & success and key tips she shares with entrepreneurs when starting a business [20:54]
* How Vicky sold her engagement ring to buy 10,000 blotting papers and bring Tatcha to life [24:58]
* Why Vicky decided to not raise money from investors early-on & the personal sacrifices she made to keep the business afloat [27:20]
* What Tatcha looked like in the early days and how she eventually got the product in Sephora & QVC [34:11]
* Vicky shares her advice on raising money with institutional investors [45:03]
* Vicky describes how she felt when stepping down as CEO and the immense growth the Company saw when she stopped caring about what others think [46:14]
* Vicky shares what it was like to sell her company for $500 million dollars and the legacy she wants to leave behind [53:46]
Follow Tatcha:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatcha
* Website: https://www.tatcha.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Beatrice Dixon is the Founder of The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based feminine hygiene line created to provide women with healthy alternatives to feminine care.
The Honey Pot Company began with a dream - literally. In 2014, Beatrice was struggling with an ongoing case of bacterial vaginosis. She visited her doctor and tried everything they recommended, but nothing worked.
One early morning she was visited by her grandmother in a dream. She gave Beatrice a list of ingredients and told her what to do. When Beatrice woke up, she immediately went to whole foods, where she was working at the time, and got the ingredients. Within a few days, the infection was gone. It was at this stage Beatrice started working on Honey Pot and giving away the product to friends and seeing their results.
Today The Honey Pot Company sells feminine care products nationwide at Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, Walgreens, and retailers across the US. Beatrice has been featured on many media outlets including, Today Show, The New York Times, Entrepreneur, ELLE, ESSENCE, and Forbes.
We’ll hear from Beatrice about starting the world’s first plant-based feminine care company, scaling the business from her kitchen to mass production, advice she has about getting your product into retail outlets, candid thoughts around fundraising, and more.
*Disclaimer: There is a bit of explicit language in our conversation, so be sure to put in headphones if you’re around kids :)
In this episode, we'll talk to Beatrice about:
* Beatrice’s life before Honey Pot, from pharmacy technician to Whole Foods. [2:36]
* More on her struggle with BV and how the idea for Honey Pot came about. [7:08]
* Why Beatrice doesn’t discount her dreams and takes dream interpretation seriously. [9:20]
* How she engages with her intuition and her gut when making business decisions. [10:45]
* The importance of being engaged in your business without micromanaging. [12:10]
* The value of understanding that every first time founder is “winging it” at first. [13:34]
* Advice for first time founders: be willing to ask questions and do whatever it takes. [16:21]
* When Beatrice realized that she had a viable business idea: from day one! [17:27]
* How she gained traction and brand awareness through the trade show circuit. [21:04]
* How an email from Target changed the trajectory of the brand. [22:40]
* Beatrice shares the process behind pitching to a major market retailer like Target. [24:15]
* Why she recommends presenting a buyer with physical products, not 3D renders. [28:46]
* Learn Beatrice’s hack for getting into retail: how to build a foundational relationship with your first major retailer. [29:50]
* The positive trend in access to capital for women of color entrepreneurs in the US. [33:13]
* Lessons Beatrice learned from the fundraising process, including the power of authenticity. [35:30]
* Why it is important to not only focus on where your business is, but where it’s going. [38:48]
* You can’t raise money until you know what you will do with it; how to know when you’re ready to start fundraising. [39:27]
* Begin with the end in mind; why it’s crucial that you think about your exit strategy. [40:57]
* What wealth means to Beatrice at this stage in her life: simply, happiness. [46:06]
Follow Beatrice:
* Website: https://thehoneypot.co/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehoneypotco/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambeadixon/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lindsay McCormick is the Founder and CEO of Bite, a brand of sustainable oral care products.
Back in 2016, Lindsay was working as a TV producer on HGTV’s “House Hunters.” She was traveling the country, living out of her carry-on, and relying heavily on travel-size toiletries. While she was staying at hotels, she noticed how many of those tiny tubes of toothpaste she was using and throwing away every month.
As a passion project, Lindsay was spending her nights and weekends learning how to make alternative toothpaste that was more sustainable. She invested $6,000 of her own money to start the business and has now turned it into an 8-figure company without any outside funding.
We’ll talk to Lindsay about switching careers and diving into an industry she had zero experience in, her appearance on Shark Tank and what it felt like to decline Mark Cuban’s offer, and how she went from creating a product in her living room to building a multi-million dollar business.
Our conversation also touches on how big and small brands can work together to shift consumer behavior, how niche businesses can compete in crowded markets, and the importance of being ok with being uncomfortable as a founder.
In this episode, we'll talk to Lindsay about:
* Hear about Lindsay’s life in her early 20s and what her main goals at that time were. [2:21]
* Lindsay’s decision to buy a one-way ticket to Alaska and the year of travel that followed. [5:15]
* How Lindsay got her job at House Hunters and how it sparked the idea for Bite. [6:05]
* Lindsay’s learning journey and what she discovered when she started exploring oral health products. [7:44]
* How Lindsay created awareness for her products in the early days. [9:29]
* An important lesson in serving an under-served audience, even in a crowded market. [10:29]
* What Bite looked like before their viral video and how the company exploded after. [11:27]
* How Lindsay found a co-packer that aligned with Bite’s ethos. [14:25]
* How Bite has considered their higher price point and how customers have responded. [17:22]
* Big and small brands are not competitors; they can have a symbiotic relationship. [19:18]
* Why being an online company has helped Bite carve a niche for itself. [20:01]
* Lindsay’s take on fundraising and her decision to bootstrap the business. [21:43]
* The inspiration behind appearing on Shark Tank and what Bite was looking for. [23:19]
* How going viral prepared Bite for potentially finding a partner. [28:55]
* Why Bite’s biggest challenge is also their biggest opportunity. [29:29]
* Getting comfortable with the constant discomfort as a founder. [30:33]
* Different ways that Lindsay takes care of herself as a woman entrepreneur. [31:57]
* How Lindsay cultivates her ability to be proactive rather than reactive. [34:24]
* Something Lindsay is proud of that most people don’t know. [35:42]
* What it has been like building a company as a couple for Lindsay and her boyfriend. [37:40]
* What wealth means to Lindsay at this point in her life. [39:48]
Follow Lindsay:
* Website: https://bitetoothpastebits.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bite/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heylindsaymc/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alexandra (Alex) Friedman is the Co-Founder and CEO of LOLA, the first lifelong brand for a woman’s body.
The idea came about when Alex met her partner, Jordana Kier, and they started asking questions about what tampons are made from. In attempting to research this seemingly simple fact, they realized that next to nothing was disclosed online and they could hardly find anything about the chemicals they were unknowingly putting in their bodies.
At this point, they realized that something needed to change and started a company with complete product transparency at its core, creating their first product line of organic tampons. LOLA has now expanded well beyond tampons and provides feminine care products that address every stage of a woman’s reproductive life.
Alex and Jordana are on a mission to reshape the conversation around reproductive health and set a higher standard for ingredient transparency in our personal care products. The company has raised over $35 million from top-tier investors such as Spark Capital, BoxGroup, and Serena Williams, to name a few.
On today’s episode, we talk to Alex about what it’s like to raise money pitching tampons to a room full of predominantly male investors as well as key advice on what it takes to disrupt an established industry. Alex also touches on grassroots brand awareness, solving a problem rather than starting a company, and what new motherhood looked like as she was scaling a high-growth business, plus so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to Alex about:
* Learn about Alex’s childhood and how it has influenced her entrepreneurial journey. [2:35]
* Find out how her career path prior to LOLA led her into the startup world. [3:44]
* Hear the story of how she met her cofounder and had the idea for LOLA. [6:15]
* The early stages of the company and what inspired her to “go all in.” [7:47]
* Alex reflects on the capital raising process and why she found it so uncomfortable. [9:40]
* The role that the education gap played in how Alex structured her pitches to predominantly male investors. [12:04]
* How the idea for LOLA was received by her family, particularly by her sister. [14:00]
* Why mentorship and feedback are critical for the growth of a business. [16:55]
* How to create authentic brand awareness using focus groups and word of mouth. [18:41]
* The value of creating a movement to motivate your community to spread the word. [20:48]
* How LOLA met demand with a small and nimble team by buying a lot of inventory. [22:30]
* Alex’s advice for women wanting to innovate in an industry they are passionate about: don’t just start a business, solve a problem. [23:06]
* Challenges Alex faced with LOLA and how she overcame them, including stigma. [25:35]
* LOLA’s transition from direct-to-consumer to omni-channel brand during COVID. [27:09]
* What maternity leave looked like while scaling a high growth business. [29:30]
* What motherhood taught Alex about leadership, including clear communication. [31:39]
* Alex shares what she is most proud of: developing an extroverted side to engage investors and lead a team. [33:43]
* What wealth means to Alex: having everything she needs and wants. [36:39]
Follow Alex:
* Website: https://mylola.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lola/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today we’re mixing things up in a big way! After a year of interviewing the top women in business and entrepreneurship, we’re officially inviting our first male guest on the Behind Her Empire podcast, Marcus Lemonis. If you tune into today's interview, you’ll immediately understand why.
Marcus is known for helping struggling businesses get back on their feet by investing his own money on the hit TV show, The Profit. Despite being a household name and TV personality, Marcus’ influence is far beyond television. He is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in America, serving as chairman and CEO of the multi-billion dollar company Camping World.
Marcus is also one of the biggest champions out there when it comes to small business entrepreneurs, and specifically women entrepreneurs. He’s created The Lemon-AID Foundation and seeded it with $50 million of his and his wife’s own capital to focus on backing talented founders, especially women and minorities who haven’t had equal access to resources and guidance in their careers.
Marcus is unapologetically vulnerable, open to sharing all parts of himself, and truly generous in wanting to help others succeed. In today’s wide-ranging interview, we talk about how to work through fear of failure & embarrassment, the realities of burnout in entrepreneurship, why he believes women are better business leaders, the importance of embracing your strengths & your flaws to be truly comfortable in your own skin, and so much more.
In this episode, we'll talk to Marcus about:
* How the fear of embarrassment holds us back and what we can do to move past these feelings. [4:00]
* Acknowledging that privilege plays a role in taking chances. [6:01]
* It is okay that you feel embarrassed; it is something we all experience. [8:50]
* How Marcus uses clothes to make himself feel comfortable in his skin. [9:59]
* The freedom that comes when you lean into what makes you unique. [12:45]
* It is important not to make money the ultimate benchmark of success. [14:09]
* The influence that Marcus's mother and grandfather had on him. [16:39]
* Marcus's ultimate mission with the work that he does. [18:48]
* Some of the reasons that Marcus thinks women are better businesspeople. [19:26]
* You do not have to care what other people think; it is the way you think about yourself. [20:59]
* Why Marcus believes the principles of running a coffee shop or a large corporation are the same. [23:17]
* How entrepreneurs can develop a consumer point of view. [26:30]
* Who Marcus believes should not be entrepreneurs. [28:21]
* Why Marcus prefers the term business owner rather than entrepreneurship. [30:07]
* Marcus's experience of burnout and why he believes business owners can’t have work-life balance. [31:11]
* You have to curate your own mental, physical, and emotional health regimen. [33:13]
* Marcus's advice for those of us who feel like we are not enough. [36:23]
* What wealth means to Marcus at this stage in his life. [38:47]
* Hear the two questions that Marcus asks Yasmin. [39:58]
Follow Marcus:
* Website: https://www.marcuslemonis.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcuslemonis/
* One Hundred Percent with Marcus Lemonis Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1572332094
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Afton Vechery is the Co-Founder and CEO of Modern Fertility, a women's health company focused on making fertility information more accessible for women everywhere.
In 2016, Afton embarked on a journey to understand her own fertility, and her realizations from this time laid the foundation for the company. She saw that women were not able to get the information that they needed to plan ahead at a reasonable price, and she understood that her mission had to be to change that. The company has not only built a powerful community but also has raised over $22 million from top-tier investors, and recently sold to Ro for more than $225 million.
In this episode, Afton shares how a high school science project ignited an entrepreneurial flame in her and led her to pursue a career at the intersection of business and science. We hear about the extensive research she and her co-founder did before founding the company, and how this has benefited them over time.
Afton also shares her refreshing view on rejection and how she views being turned down. Our conversation also touches on some of the biggest misconceptions around fertility, the empowerment that comes with knowing about your health, and Modern Fertility’s acquisition by Ro.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Afton about:
* The high school science project that exposed Afton to entrepreneurship early on. [2:43]
* Expectations that Afton’s parents had for her after she graduated from high school. [06:28]
* Afton’s first job after college and what she learned in this position. [9:44]
* What Afton discovered about the world of fertility when she was working at 23andMe. [1:19]
* Afton’s ‘aha moment’ when she realized the need for Modern Fertility. [12:51]
* The impact that accelerators have in the beginning stages of your business. [14:42]
* The reasoning behind the extensive surveying and validation that was done before launching the company. [18:03]
* How Modern Fertility built community very early on, and the incredible momentum they garnered. [21:17]
* Why Afton and her co-founder, Carly, decided to go with VC money and what they learned from this decision. [23:47]
* There is no right way to start a company; you have to do what makes sense. [25:26]
* Afton's view of rejection and why she sees it in a positive light. [25:45]
* All aspects of business have their own ups and downs. [28:00]
* Afton’s self-care rituals and her passion for road biking. [30:19]
* Debunking some of the biggest fertility myths. [33:12]
* The power of having open conversations around women’s fertility to normalize the topic. [36:16]
* Insights into Modern Fertility’s recent acquisition by Ro and the reason behind this decision. [38:03]
* What wealth means to Afton at this stage in her life. [41:15]
Follow Afton:
* Website: https://modernfertility.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernfertility/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aftonvechery
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alexandra (Alex) Carter is a world-renowned negotiation expert, bestselling author of the book, Ask for More, and Columbia Law School Professor.
The image that most of us have in our heads when we think about negotiation is people speaking over one another, fighting for the prize. But this is not what it takes to be a masterful negotiator. In fact, quite the opposite.
As Alex explains in our conversation today, it’s about asking skillful questions, listening, and understanding how you can fulfill someone’s needs.
We’ll chat with Alex about her journey, and some of the formative negotiating experiences she has had along the way to help us understand why we need to all ask for more. While we might believe we are taking something away from someone when we negotiate, we are actually contributing to the upliftment of all of those around us when we get what we are worth.
We talk about ways of turning a no into a yes, why negotiation is not only about money, and the value of taking time when you make decisions. Alex’s actionable, simple tactics are easy to implement, and you will undoubtedly achieve the results you are looking for if you follow her advice!
In this episode, we’ll talk to Alex about:
* Even in the most turbulent times, you can always ask for more. [2:35]
* Hear what Alex was like growing up, the social struggles she felt she had, and how she discovered her passion for teaching and leading. [4:28]
* When Alex unearthed her love of negotiation and how she applied it to her own life. [6:48]
* The story of how Alex negotiated her first salary and what she learned from this. [8:09]
* Why negotiation is more about asking great questions than anything else, according to Alex. [10:22]
* Stories of clients Alex worked with who negotiated their salaries and improved their standing in their companies. [13:16]
* No does not have to be the end of the line; it’s an opportunity to ask about the other person’s concerns. [14:51]
* How Alex thinks about questions, and the role they play in negotiation. [17:19]
* What Alex sees in her work with women and their thoughts of negotiation. [20:41]
* Alex’s take on why negotiations are opportunities to steer relationships. [23:20]
* How Alex, as a speaker, has turned no's into yes’s when negotiating speaking fees, and what other entrepreneurs can learn from this. [26:40]
* Negotiating does not always have to be about money; you can find other ways to get value. [30:49]
* The top three biggest mistakes people make when they negotiate. [33:50]
* You are already enough, so go out there and ask for what you want. [38:32]
* Unless you are working in an emergency room, you don’t have to make a decision on the spot. [39:42]
* Alex’s struggles with imposter syndrome and what we can learn if we have this challenge. [42:38]
* When you use your voice, you are inspiring others to do the same. [44:44]
* Why Alex always knew she would be where she is today. [47:01]
* Everyone, even those you look up to, struggle with imposter syndrome. [49:24]
Follow Alex:
* Website: https://alexcarterasks.com/
* Alex’s Book: Ask For More - 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything: https://alexcarterasks.com/book/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrabcarter/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cate Luzio is the founder and CEO of Luminary, a membership-based career and personal growth platform and collaboration hub.
Walking away from your career when you're at the top of your game might sound like a huge gamble, but one that has certainly paid off for today’s guest. In 2018, Cate left an incredibly successful banking career to found Luminary to help women see a path toward advancement by arming them with the tools, resources, and community to propel them to the top.
Although Cate was highly respected in the financial services world, having led multi-billion dollar businesses, she was acutely aware of the imbalance in the number of women who were rising to corporate leadership positions. Giving back has always been a foundational aspect of Cate’s life, and it is this spirit that led her to create a platform to help women on a path toward advancement.
In today’s episode, Cate shares tips on how women can succeed in the corporate world and the importance of networking & community especially when looking for a career change.
We also hear about the pivots Luminary has made during the pandemic, how to overcome the loneliness synonymous with entrepreneurship, and the value of truly reciprocal relationships in life & business.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Cate about:
* Insights into Cate’s childhood and a story that highlights the lessons her parents instilled in her. [2:51]
* Cate’s path after college and the conversation that changed her career trajectory. [5:25]
* How Cate landed in the world of banking, a sector she had never considered working in. [8:28]
* Advice Cate has for women who want to succeed in the corporate world. [11:09]
* What happened when Cate left her banking job and felt caught between two worlds. [15:12]
* How not working gave Cate space to come up with the plan for Luminary. [16:44]
* Cate’s tips for writing business plans. [17:37]
* The value of going all-in on your dreams; you can always go back to your job later. [20:30]
* How Luminary managed to pivot during COVID and how Cate managed this stressful time. [22:01]
* How Cate’s corporate skills helped her navigate the pandemic crisis. [24:18]
* The pivots Luminary has made were never a part of the business plan. [24:58]
* Why it was so important for Cate to self-fund her business. [27:20]
* There is so much value in being able to put your own money into your business. [29:47]
* How Cate reached out to fellow entrepreneurs and the network she has created. [30:58]
* The most common mistakes Cate sees early-stage entrepreneurs making. [33:02]
* You need to cultivate reciprocal relationships, not just transactional ones. [35:13]
Follow Cate:
* Luminary Website: http://www.luminary-nyc.com/
* Luminary Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bealuminary/
* Cate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cateluzio/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Desi Perkins is a digital content creator and Founder/CEO of her eyewear brand, Dezi, and skincare line, Dezi Skin.
Before becoming a mega beauty influencer with over 4 million Instagram followers and over 3 million Youtube subscribers, Desi was working as a cocktail waitress looking to make a change in her life but wasn’t sure which step she was going to take.
It all started with a last-minute Halloween costume that went viral in 2012. She used her background in art and what she learned on YouTube with special effects make-up to help make her husband’s skeleton costume come to life. This costume served as publicity for her skills and little did she know, would jumpstart her career in beauty and lead her to become the serial entrepreneur she is today.
In this episode, we talk about taking chances and why you should always, even if only in a small way, do what lights your heart up because you never know where it could lead you. Desi also shares her biggest mistakes and lessons she’s learned in business, advice on dealing with negative comments online, how she’s balancing new motherhood with running her company, and even starting a second one, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Desi about:
* What Desi’s upbringing was like and the massive influence her mom had on her. [2:39]
* The biggest lessons Desi gained from her time in the service industry and working as a cocktail waitress. [4:51]
* When Desi decided to transition out of the service industry and pursue something more aligned with what she wanted to do. [6:18]
* How Desi capitalized on the attention she got from doing Steven’s Halloween makeup in 2012. [7:55]
* The power of taking chances, even when you don’t know how things will work out. [8:47]
* The first YouTube video Desi made and how she overcame her nerves around putting herself out there. [10:20]
* There is so much room to grow with your audiences on social media platforms. [11:12]
* All you have to do sometimes is start because there’s no harm trying something. [11:48]
* How Desi deals with negative comments online. [12:50]
* There are double standards in the way men and women who succeed are treated. [13:49]
* You have to let yourself feel what you are feeling. [15:39]
* Desi’s top tips for women who are looking to create content and community online. [15:41]
* The biggest lessons Desi learned from starting her own business. [17:14]
* Fears Desi had around starting her business and how she managed to move past them. [20:42]
* Why Desi, who has a range of interests, decided to start an eyewear business. [23:45]
* How Desi handled becoming a new mother while starting a new business. [0:25:39]
* The change Desi has experienced in her identity becoming a mother. [29:11]
* Desi’s decision to share her fertility journey online and how it was received. [30:48]
* The gratitude Desi feels getting to spend so much time with her family while also doing her dream work. [32:59]
* How Desi manages to stay creative as a content creator. [34:26]
Follow Desi:
* Dezi Skin Website: https://deziskin.com/
* Dezi Website: https://dezi.co/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desiperkins/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aishwarya Iyer is the founder and CEO of Brightland, a modern olive oil company that champions authenticity in the olive oil industry and celebrates good design & California living.
Aishwarya was living in New York City for years, enjoying all the restaurants the city had to offer before she started cooking at home. She started to make more meals at home but, instead of feeling better, she realized she was feeling worse, and ultimately ended up having chronic stomach issues.
To her surprise, she learned that the olive oil that she was using in her cooking was the main issue, discovering that 70% of the olive oil Americans consume is either rotten, rancid, or has been adulterated. After years of research into the olive oil industry, Aishwarya decided to change the game and started Brightland in 2018 with a mission to transform the relationship we have with our food.
We talk to Aishwarya about her path to finding her calling after years of feeling unfulfilled, the steps she took to build the courage to launch her business, how she overcame the inner critic that so many of us struggle with, and what it takes to disrupt an industry & launch a product with little experience.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Aishwarya about:
* An introduction to Aishwarya, her childhood, and how it influenced her. [2:15]
* How Aishwarya knew that going to NYU was the right step to take at the time. [4:57]
* Marrying creativity and entrepreneurship, even in a corporate space like L'Oréal. [6:32]
* The value of startup experience in learning what it means to move quickly. [8:04]
* How Aishwarya’s fascination with olive oil started with personal interest. [9:15]
* What her thought process was at the time and how she built the confidence to bring her entrepreneurial vision to life. [11:23]
* Find out how Aishwarya overcame her inner critic using various methods. [12:54]
* The infinite value of knowing what you want, and how a vision board can help. [14:13]
* What support Aishwarya had during the transition into launching her own business. [14:37]
* The early stages of Brightland and why Aishwarya says product is everything. [15:34]
* Her rationale for launching direct-to-consumer and the relationships it enabled. [17:35]
* Creating awareness about her product as a first-time entrepreneur; from building a following prior to launch to securing media placement. [18:48]
* What didn’t work in the early days and what Aishwarya learned from those issues. [20:22]
* Why dwelling on mistakes is pointless. [21:29]
* Why Aishwarya’s experience in venture capital discouraged her during fundraising. [21:55]
* Navigating which investors are the right fit for your business; having support is key. [23:30]
* Some of the challenges Aishwarya has encountered, including the labor placed on female founders to become influencers. [23:58]
* How to hone in on your authenticity without getting caught up in comparisons. [25:28]
* Managing and avoiding burnout as the founder of a rapidly growing business. [27:39]
* The most common mistakes that Aishwarya sees young entrepreneurs making. [29:48]
* A little-known fact about her that she is proud of: she is a classical Indian dancer. [31:35]
* Aishwarya’s definition of wealth: health and waking up feeling optimistic. [32:13]
Follow Aishwarya:
* Website: https://www.instagram.com/wearebrightland/
* Instagram: https://brightland.co/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
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Rebecca Minkoff is the co-founder and creative director of her namesake company Rebecca Minkoff, a global lifestyle brand that spans apparel, handbags, accessories, footwear, and jewelry. She has also created a community of superwomen through her platform, Female Founder Collective, and is dedicated to devoting resources and time to promote and uplift other women-owned businesses.
Despite being a household name and global fashion powerhouse, Rebecca opens up about the many obstacles she’s faced to build her iconic brand and multi-million dollar business.
We’ll dive deep into the early days when Rebecca was a young aspiring designer in NY, the lessons she’s learned in the highest highs and lowest lows, mistakes founders are making when raising capital & building a sustainable brand, and her candid thoughts on work-life balance.
Rebecca’s journey and unspoken rules will show you that having faith, working hard, and staying committed to your dreams will allow you to make success happen on your own terms.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Rebecca about:
* How Rebecca fared during the pandemic and decisions she took to look after her mental health. [3:07]
* The role that Rebecca’s mom played in her life and how she instilled independence in her early on. [5:19]
* Why Rebecca chose not to pursue dancing and decided to go with design instead. [7:21]
* The decision Rebecca made to move to New York at 18 to pursue design. [8:55]
* It took Rebecca many, many years to pay herself a six figure salary. [10:23]
* Rebecca shares her experience during 9/11 and how it changed her life. [11:24]
* How Rebecca’s I Love NYC t-shirt became a viral fashion item. [13:00]
* Why being fired turned out to be a blessing in disguise. [13:41]
* The money-related fears Rebecca had when she was starting out. [14:42]
* The story of Rebecca’s famous Morning After Bag and how it grew in popularity. [15:48]
* When Rebecca’s brother officially joined the business. [0:20:03]
* Rebecca’s advice for owners who are looking to raise capital for their businesses. [20:45]
* There are specific conditions that come with taking external capital. [22:41]
* How Rebecca thought about profitability and how it has changed over time. [23:43]
* The confidence Rebecca had around being on social media early on, despite the backlash. [26:49]
* A tough time the business faced and how they overcame it. [28:27]
* There will always be problems and you have to build resilience to get through them. [30:16]
* How Rebecca gains perspective during the tough times she has been through. [31:20]
* Why Rebecca chose to title her book Fearless and what the word means to her. [33:16]
* The value of networking and the role it has played in Rebecca’s success. [35:15]
* The unique way Rebecca views mentors in her life. [38:11]
* Why Rebecca thinks that balance is a dirty word and why we should have boundaries instead. [39:47]
* The struggles Rebecca has had around comparison and how she views it now. [42:08]
* The value that being a mother added to Rebecca’s life. [44:35]
Follow Rebecca:
* Website: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaminkoff
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liavalenciakey
* Rebecca’s Book - The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success: https://www.rebeccaminkoff.com/products/fearless-the-new-rules-for-unlocking-creativity-courage-and-success
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
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Lia Valencia Key is the founder of Valencia Key, a jewelry line with beautiful, unique pieces that feature inspirational messages designed to empower women.
Raised in an impoverished Philadelphia neighborhood, Lia lived in a homeless shelter with her mother, sister, and brother. Even in the darkest of times, her mom told her, "your predicament does not determine your destiny." She encouraged Lia to never leave the house without wearing her sparkling earrings because they would serve as reminders of the light within and the potential she had in her life.
Lia went on to rise above her challenges and honored her mom’s legacy by believing in herself, defying all odds, and going after her dreams. She received her master’s degree and then became a world-renowned cosmetologist and stylist. Lia is now focused on inspiring others to believe in their dreams through her jewelry line.
We’ll chat with Lia about how she broke many barriers in her life and followed her passions as an entrepreneur, the power we all have within us to create the life we want, and tips we can use in our lives today on overcoming fear and living a brave life.
All BHE Listeners: Enjoy 25% Off & Access to Lia’s 5 Strategies to Handling Fear on Your Joy Journey to Success here: https://www.valenciakey.com/behind-her-empire
In this episode, we’ll talk to Lia about:
* The question Lia’s mother asked her which had a profound impact on her life. [3:05]
* Lia’s poverty-stricken upbringing in Philadelphia, and the tragedy that struck her family when she was young. 3:44]
* How Lia’s time in a homeless shelter had begun to impact her, before she decided she was going to lead rather than follow. [7:20]
* Completion as one of the key guiding principles in Lia’s life. [10:44]
* Choices that Lia made to help her change her circumstances. [11:02]
* The undergraduate and Master's degrees which Lia received. [11:15]
* How Lia’s creativity has guided her decisions, and how her experience at a * Creative and Performing Arts High School changed her life. [11:37]
* The three female pillars in Lia’s life. [13:02]
* Why Lia ended up sweeping floors for a while even though she had a Master's degree, and why it didn’t bother her. [16:43]
* What Lia loves about cosmetics. [18:02]
* When Lia first learned about QVC, and the determination with which she tried to get a job there. [18:20]
* The importance of speaking your dreams to the world. [19:12]
* A chance encounter which finally connected Lia with QVC. [21:56]
* Earrings and a message that Lia’s mother gave her before she died, which later sparked the idea for Valencia Key. [26:05]
* Lia shares why she believes it is so important to carefully choose the people you surround yourself with. [28:23]
* Gifting something to the world is Lia’s purpose, and she explains how she does this through her business. [33:12]
* Advice from Lia about how to handle fear, and the power of embracing who you are. [38:49]
* One of the things that Lia is most proud of. [42:33]
* Valencia Key’s first collection, Prosperity, and the meaning behind it. [43:56]
* True wealth; as defined by Lia. [44:50]
Follow Lia:
* Website: https://www.valenciakey.com/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liavalenciakey
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valenciakeydesign/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
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Eva Yazhari is the seasoned investor, entrepreneur, author, and CEO of Beyond Capital, an early-stage impact investment fund that is dedicated to improving lives and helping create access to basic goods and services.
Eva started her career going up the ranks in Wall Street and working alongside top hedge fund managers in NY. Although she was thriving in her position and enjoyed investing, Eva felt like she wasn’t making a big impact in her life and was yearning to find meaning & purpose. This led her into the world of impact investing and becoming more aware of living, both personal and professional, in a way that aligns with her values.
In the broad-ranging interview, we’ll talk to Eva about how to find meaning in the work you do, steps to find your purpose, what impact investing is, and how you can incorporate it in your day to day life. Eva shares her business insights with us as well; what she looks for in the people and businesses she invests in. We also touch on steps to getting over perfectionism, the importance of having an abundance mindset, and how we can carry these values forth with us in the world.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Eva about:
* How Eva’s upbringing and the values she learned when she was younger impact her today. [2:02]
* The role that Eva’s grandfather, an adventure-loving doctor, played in her life. [5:12]
* The core attributes that underpin the work that Eva currently does. [8:15]
* Eva’s experience on Wall Street; what she loved and some of the challenges. [9:06]
* The first steps Eva took towards a more fulfilling professional path. [12:31]
* Work Eva has had to do around prioritizing and distilling her values. [14:04]
* What having an abundance mindset means to Eva, and how she lives it. [16:43]
* Some of the mistakes that are occurring in mainstream investing. [20:06]
* How to get conventional investors on board with social investing ideas. [22:02]
* What inspired Eva to write her book, The Good Your Money Can Do. [23:10]
* Key things that stand out to Eva when looking to invest in a business. [28:25]
* The traits that Eva believes make businesses sustainable. [32:04]
* Standout characteristics that Eva looks for in leaders she’s investing in. [34:44]
* How Eva approaches self-care with everything she has on her plate. [36:22]
* What toxic mother culture is and how Eva avoids it. [38:15]
* There is so much shame around women getting help behind the scenes. [40:29]
* Work should feel good and it’s fine to enjoy what you do. [42:50]
* How Eva has managed to overcome perfectionism in her life and career. [44:26]
Follow Eva:
* Website: https://www.evayazhari.com/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consciousinvestor/
* The Good Your Money Can Do: https://w
ww.amazon.com/Good-Your-Money-Can-Conscious/dp/154450991X
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Additional Resources:
* Dare to Lead: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/
* The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/15-Commitments-Conscious-Leadership-Sustainable-ebook/dp/B00R3MHWUE
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Jamila Souffrant is the founder and CEO of the popular financial blog and podcast, Journey to Launch, where she shares her journey to reach financial independence while helping others do the same.
Is this really what you want to do for the rest of your life? This was the question that Jamila asked herself a few years ago on a four-hour commute from Brooklyn to New Jersey for work while she was pregnant with her first child. This sparked an “Aha!" moment for her that led her down the path of learning how to gain financial independence with the goal of retiring early on her own terms.
Jamila has now become a go-to financial thought leader in the personal finance space and is passionate about helping others reach financial freedom in an easy and attainable way. She has been featured in notable media outlets such as Money Magazine, CNBC, CBS, Business Insider, and more.
In this episode, Jamila talks about her Jamaican heritage and how being raised by a young single parent shaped her view on finances. She shares the story of how she went from an unfulfilling job in corporate America to finding the courage she needed to step out on her own, explains her original goal of reaching financial independence by 40, and how this has evolved over the years, as well as what financial freedom really means to her. She also reflects on some of the common mistakes people make with their money, the importance of having a good money mindset, and how anyone can start taking steps in their life to achieve financial freedom.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jamila about:
* Hear about Jamila’s upbringing and how being raised by a single parent shaped her view of finances. [2:20]
* Jamila shares her journey: how she switched careers and took ownership of her finances. [4:42]
* What Jamila learned from the side hustles she had along the way. [7:33]
* How binging on financial podcasts helped her shift her mindset and enabled her to change careers. [9:02]
* Her initial goal to reach financial independence by 40 and how she defines financial independence now. [10:35]
* How her goal shifted from being about money to being about freedom and flexibility. [11:31]
* The importance of having the right money mindset. [14:07]
* When Jamila realized that Journey to Launch could be a successful business. [17:29]
* The importance of networking with others in the space. [19:11]
* The importance of consistency and perseverance. [21:06]
* Why you should focus on your own journey and not compare it with anyone else’s. [21:45]
* How she knew she had something to offer: find something that’s missing and create it. [24:37]
* How Jamila grew her business through consistency, collaborations, community, and media, as well as sharing her own journey. [26:27]
* The greatest challenge she faced in the early days and how she overcame it: watching the money depleting faster than her income was growing. [29:56]
* Some of the common mistakes people make with their money. [33:39]
* How Jamila defines success now and what the next steps are for her business. [37:31]
* How she juggles her high-growth business and being a mom of three. [38:50]
* Jamila’s self-care rituals and how she supports her mental health. [40:29]
* What she’s proud of that people may not know: her Jamaican heritage and showing Jamaican girls, Black girls, and women in general what is possible. [41:43]
Follow Jamila:
* Journey to Launch: https://journeytolaunch.com/
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamilasouffrant
* Journey to Launch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journeytolaunch/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
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Loren Ridinger is the Co-Founder of internet retailing giants, Shop.Com and Market America.
Although Loren is now recognized as an internet mogul who has changed the face of the beauty and e-commerce industries over the past two decades, her life started with very humble beginnings. She moved to Greensboro, NC at a young age, worked in retail when she was sixteen, and at eighteen, Loren and her husband, JR, took a chance on their dream to make it easy for people to shop online at a time when most people didn’t even have computers in their home.
Twenty-nine years later, their companies Market America and Shop.com generate over a billion dollars in annual sales and serve more than 10 million customers. The company is still headquartered in Greensboro, NC, and is quite global with offices in nine other countries.
Loren also founded the award-winning cosmetics line Motives and is recognized for her work in publications like Forbes, Elle, and Vogue, where she was included in their 100 Most Influential Women issue.
In today’s episode, we dig into the top five themes that will allow anyone to be successful with their dreams: 1) importance of belief & visualization, 2) being your true, authentic self, 3) having the right people around you, 4) goal setting the 'right' way, and 5) always doing the hard things first.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Loren about:
* The importance of women sticking together and supporting each other. [2:40]
* How Loren’s mother profoundly influenced her life. [3:48]
* Building a business with a baby; challenges and how Loren dealt with them. [6:22]
* What Loren learned from her mom and dad’s different styles of parenting. [8:46]
* Why Loren did the training to become a flight attendant. [10:26]
* The importance of deciding what you want to do with your life and not letting anyone else decide that for you. [12:15]
* Where the inspiration for Loren and her husband’s businesses, SHOP.com and Market America, came from. [14:00]
* Barriers that Loren and JR faced when starting to build their businesses. [15:52]
* The process that Loren went through to make sure that she was surrounded by the right people, and her “mental vacation” philosophy. [19:02]
* Traits that are essential in people who Loren allows into her tribe. [23:17]
* Why Loren doesn’t make New Year's resolutions. [24:26]
* How Loren manages her time and ensures that she is sticking to her goals. [26:30]
* Loren’s drive to be constantly learning, and ways she does this. [30:21]
* Assign dates to your goals, and why Loren thinks about her weeks in goals, not days. [31:23]
* Stepping out of your comfort zone is essential to success; it’s actually more uncomfortable inside the box than outside of it. [35:58]
* A major issue that Loren experienced with her health and how she dealt with it; faith over fear [42:19]
* Ways that Loren balances her work life and her family life; although she is adamant about the fact that everyone is different and there is no magic formula. [50:27]
Follow Loren:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenridinger/
* Market America: https://www.marketamerica.com/
* SHOP.com: https://www.shop.com/
* Motives Cosmetics: https://www.motivescosmetics.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Divya Gugnani is the CEO and Co-Founder of Wander Beauty, a clean, cruelty-free beauty brand that creates multitasking, beauty essentials
Divya began her career in the world of finance and has extensive experience in investment banking, private equity, and venture capital. She calls herself an “accidental entrepreneur” and eventually left finance to pursue her newfound passion as an entrepreneur. After co-founding multiple businesses with two successful exits, and having two children, Divya found her former beauty rituals tossed to the wayside as she became more time-starved than ever.
Balancing a thriving career and motherhood, Divya realized there were no beauty brands speaking directly to her - a woman who loves beauty and maintains a fast-paced lifestyle. That’s when Divya’s fourth business, Wander Beauty, was born. With 30+ beauty awards in six years, including Allure Best of Beauty Awards, Wander Beauty has become a favorite of editors, influencers, and customers alike. Celebrity devotees include Heidi Klum, Emma Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker, Molly Sims, and more.
We’ll chat with Divya about the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur, common mistakes that she sees other entrepreneurs making, her biggest learnings over the years (both personal and professional), and why relationships are the most important element in business and life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Divya about:
* The event which led to Divya’s dad becoming an entrepreneur and why her dad’s experiences put her off entrepreneurship. [3:12]
* Why Divya’s mother took her to a yogi clinic in India when she was little, and how meditation changed her life. [6:12]
* What Divya learned in her first job that she has carried with her throughout her life. [08:12]
* Why Divya decided to go back to business school and self fund an MBA, and what she gained from the experience. [9:53]
* The curiosity that led Divya into the world of entrepreneurship, even though she loved her finance job. [11:37]
* Challenges that Divya experienced during her first entrepreneurial stint and why she now doesn’t mix her personal and business relationships. [13:50]
* Reasons that Divya’s first solo business was not able to scale, and why she believes it would be a success today. [15:23]
* Driving forces behind Divya’s second venture; intelligent shopping recommendation technology. [16:58]
* The realization Divya had just after giving birth to her second child in the space of two years. [22:03]
* Upsides and downsides of working from home while starting Wander Beauty. [23:07]
* Personal experiences that inspired the creation of Wander Beauty, and what the brand provides to the people who use it. [23:38]
* Divya’s relationship with her business partner, Lindsey, and how their skill sets complement one another. [24:43]
* How Wander Beauty differentiates itself from other beauty brands. [26:22]
* Early days of hustling for the small Wander Beauty team, and how this paid off. [28:34]
* Advice on fundraising; raise what you need plus a little bit more. [30:03]
* Constant difficulties that CEOs face, and the number one way to alleviate them. [31:45]
* Divya’s mindset when it comes to balancing her work life, family life, and personal life. [33:40]
* A common mistake that Divya often sees entrepreneurs make, and her suggestion for a better way to do things. [35:32]
Follow Divya:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dgugnani/
* Wander Beauty Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wander_beauty/
* Wander Beauty Website: https://www.wanderbeauty.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Behind Her Empire Featured Entrepreneur:
* Lia Lee, founder of UNLIT, a plant-based adaptogen recovery drink that helps to relieve your hangover symptoms.
* Learn more about UNLIT: https://unlit.co/
* Follow UNLIT on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getunlit/
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Catherine McCord is the co-founder/CEO of One Potato, an organic family-friendly meal delivery service, and founder of Weelicious, a website dedicated to helping parents expose their children to wholesome, delicious homemade food.
Throughout the 90s, Catherine was considered one of the world’s top supermodels, posing for the cover of Vogue, walking the runway for Donna Karen and Calvin Klein, and appearing in movies that included Matt Damon, The Rock, and Jennifer Anniston. But then, 9/11 happened. Catherine was living in New York City and her perspective on life changed instantly. Although her career was soaring, she realized life was too short and wanted to follow her passion for food.
After graduating from culinary school, Catherine had her first son, who experienced health issues from a sensitive stomach. Although she could cook a four-star meal, she had no idea how to cook for her child and realized that this was a common occurrence for mothers. She began playing around with different recipes and decided to start her blog, Weelicious, to document her journey, build community as a new mother, and share her recipe ideas.
Fast forward to today, Weelicious has grown into a widely popular health and lifestyle brand, three cookbooks, and her most recent venture, One Potato, the first organic home meal delivery kit, which has grown over 200% in the past year.
We’ll chat with Catherine about how she pivoted her career, from model to serial entrepreneur, the importance of building a community when launching your brand, and how she manages to build her empire while also being a mother to three young kids.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Catherine about:
* Hear about Catherine’s upbringing and how it influenced her perspective on food. [2:42]
* What it was like being both an international model and an ordinary high school student. [4:30]
* How her understanding of money has evolved; how she learned the gift of saving. [7:37]
* How the tragedy of 9/11 helped Catherine realize her passion for food. [9:35]
* Catherine’s experience of being a woman in the male-dominated restaurant industry. [11:51]
* Her next steps towards starting a blog (and a family). [12:53]
* Advice for entrepreneurs that are just starting out: don’t be afraid to ask for advice! [14:52]
* When Catherine realized that she had a marketable idea and built a business. [16:15]
* She outlines the process of writing her first cookbook, starting with leaning into the expertise of other authors. [17:24]
* Learn how Catherine lets her children lead through her companies. [20:12]
* Find out where it was in her journey with Weelicious that One Potato came to life. [21:31]
* The value of finding the right partner, aligning your values, and creating a community around the launch of your brand. [24:16]
* Using word of mouth to market One Potato when they didn’t have any funding. [25:28]
* Advice for entrepreneurs looking to build a community: be authentic, start with just two social media platforms, and share your passion. [27:19]
* Approach fundraising as a definite strategy and a learned skill that takes practice. [34:15]
* Catherine cautions against taking it personally when investors don’t “get” your product. [40:38]
* Her advice for dealing with rejection, starting with knowing your audience. [0:41:39]
* The biggest mistake Catherine sees entrepreneurs making: thinking they will be wildly successful in two years or less. [48:17]
Follow Catherine:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weelicious/
* Weelicious Website: https://www.weelicious.com/
* One Potato Website: https://onepotato.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Behind Her Empire Featured Entrepreneur:
* Niloofar Mirani, founder of Niloofar, a snack company with a mission to introduce Persian cuisine and culture.
* Learn more about Niloofar: https://www.niloofarmix.com/
* Follow Niloofar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niloofarmix/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Iman Abuzeid is the CEO and co-founder of Incredible Health, a digital platform that helps streamline the hiring process for nurses and recruiting hospitals.
Iman was heavily influenced to take risks from a young age, as she saw both of her grandfathers make an impact through their businesses in Sudan. However, entrepreneurship seemed to skip a generation and, when her father became an ENT surgeon, she and her brothers followed in his footsteps.
Halfway through med school, Iman realized that she didn’t want to be a practitioner. She wanted to take the skills she had learned into the corporate world. After receiving her MBA and getting some consulting experience under her belt, she decided to leave Silicon Valley and make her own mark on the world. After a failed venture with her first startup, she pivoted quickly and that’s when Incredible Health was born.
Today, Incredible Health is used by hundreds of hospitals across the US and has raised $17 million from top-tier firms like Andreessen Horowitz to fuel its mission.
In today’s episode, Iman shares how she navigated multiple career pivots, from originally wanting to become a medical doctor to coming up with a new business idea after her first didn’t succeed, how she approached the fundraising process and brought in reputable investors, and the key advice she gives all founders when they’re looking to pivot from their corporate job to follow their passion.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Iman about:
* Hear more about Iman’s childhood, from Sudan to Saudi Arabia to the US. [2:35]
* When the entrepreneurial itch started and the greater impact Iman wanted to make. [3:30]
* Why she decided to pursue an MBA and go the Silicon Valley route once she graduated from medical school. [4:27]
* How this decision to completely change careers was received by her family. [6:30]
* The different perceptions of risk that might motivate you to make a career pivot. [7:35]
* Iman’s advice for those considering a pivot: think about where you want to end up. [8:09]
* Some of the benefits of business school, including the credibility it lends you. [10:16]
* Find out why having a broad, reliable network is key as an entrepreneur. [12:38]
* What joining an early stage startup taught Iman about technology and launching a product. [13:40]
* Hear more about her first entrepreneurial venture and what she learned from failing. [15:13]
* Why Iman believes that founders should invest heavily in ideation before execution. [17:23]
* Iman describes what the process of ideating Incredible Health looked like. [20:42]
* How they convinced hospitals to come on board using unique insight and hustle. [21:51]
* Why fundraising is a skill to be built and improved; the value of narrative. [26:22]
* Rejection is something entrepreneurs need to get accustomed to; the importance of creating tactics to deal with it. [28:44]
* Iman also emphasizes the importance of really selling your vision; be ambitious! [30:57]
* A framework for pivoting to your passion: start with the end game in mind and optimize cash, lifestyle, or skills and learning. [33:48]
* The challenges COVID presented for her business and how she overcame them. [37:13]
* Iman reflects on the need for rapid adjustment at the beginning of the pandemic. [40:20]
Follow Incredible Health:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/incrediblehealth/
* Website: https://www.incrediblehealth.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Behind Her Empire Featured Entrepreneur:
* Amira Polack, founder of Struct Club, a mobile app that provides instructors with software that simplifies planning and coaching a class.
* Learn more about Struct Club: https://www.structclub.com/
* Follow Amira on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amirapolack/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Joan Rosenberg is an expert psychologist, best-selling author, and founder of Emotional Mastery & Emotional Mastery Training.
After three decades, tens of thousands of hours of clinical practice, and ten years of neuroscience research, Dr. Rosenberg is recognized for her thought leadership and approach that radically changes people’s lives.
In our conversation together, we unpack how our inability to move through and handle unpleasant feelings, such as sadness, shame, helplessness, anger, embarrassment, disappointment, frustration, and vulnerability, is a massive component of what blocks people from success. Once we learn how to deal with our overwhelming or uncomfortable feelings, we begin to build the self-confidence, emotional strength, and resilience we need to lead a highly successful and fulfilling life.
Dr. Rosenberg is a professor of graduate psychology at Pepperdine University and is a two-time TEDx speaker with her videos garnering over millions of views. She’s also been seen on CNN’s American Morning, the OWN network, and PBS, as well as appearances and radio interviews in all of the major metropolitan markets. Her latest book, 90 Seconds to a Life You Love: How to Master Your Difficult Feelings to Cultivate Lasting Confidence, Resilience and Authenticity, was released last year.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Dr. Rosenberg about:
* After 30 years of experience, how to work through your unpleasant feelings and why it’s critical to live the life of your dreams [2:43]
* How we should identify our emotions and never associate a “bad” or “negative” feeling around them [4:28]
* Why it’s so important to feel and experience our emotions [6:50]
* Dr. Rosenberg walks through her 90-second formula anyone can use to honor and move through their unpleasant feelings [9:46]
* Dr. Rosenberg explains why she thinks we don’t have “anxiety” or “fear” and how we can better manage those feelings when they arise [19:14]
* The importance of labeling your feelings [22:46]
* Why speaking up is one of the most important things you can do to cultivate confidence, authenticity, and resilience. [25:31]
* How Dr. Rosenberg defines confidence and how you can develop it. [28:44]
* Dr. Rosenberg discusses why accepting compliments is crucial to our self-confidence and why self-criticism is one of the most destructive things we can do to ourselves. [33:10]
* Dr. Rosenberg shares her perspective on how women speak in relation to men and why we need to make more statements on what we truly want & feel. [41:10]
* Understanding the root cause of perfectionism and how we need to overcome our idealistic views. [47:04]
Follow Dr. Rosenberg:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjoanrosenberg/
* Website: https://drjoanrosenberg.com/
* TED Talk: Grief: A Pathway to Forgiveness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UacbvBcbP34
* TED Talk: Emotional Mastery: The Gifted Wisdom of Unpleasant Feelings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKy19WzkPxE
* Dr. Rosenberg’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Seconds-Life-You-Love-Authenticity/dp/031641431X
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Behind Her Empire Featured Entrepreneur:
* Alexis Gamliel, founder of Gamliel Law, an elite litigation firm focused on personal injury, wrongful death, and employment matters.
* Learn more about Alexis at https://gamliellaw.com and also follow her on instagram @gamliellaw
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sallie Krawcheck, is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, a digital-first investment platform working to help close the gender wealth gap by “redefining investing for women.”
Sallie’s professional mission is to help women reach their financial and professional goals… or as she says to get more money in the hands of women. She’s definitely on her way as Ellevest recently announced they have $1Bn under management.
Before launching Ellevest in 2016, Sallie was one of the highest-ranked women ever to have worked on Wall Street: She was the CEO of Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, US Trust, the Citi Private Bank, and Sanford C. Bernstein. She was also CFO for Citigroup. Prior to that, Sallie was a top-ranked research analyst covering the securities industry.
Sallie is widely recognized as one of the most influential women in business. She has been recognized by Inc. as a "Top Female Founder", called "The Last Honest Analyst" by Fortune magazine, and was named the seventh most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.
We’ll chat with Sallie about her journey leaving her small hometown to high-powered positions in Wall Street, how she dealt with two public firings and the many career pivots that led her to start Ellevest. We'll also discuss why women need to talk more about money and start investing in order to close the gender wealth gap.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sallie about:
* What Sallie’s childhood, growing up in a small town in the South, was like. [2:31]
* Sallie’s experience of school, difficulties she faced, and how this made her resilient. [3:50]
* The impact that being bullied had on Sallie’s will to succeed in life. [4:47]
* How Sallie landed in investment banking after going to school for journalism. [5:41]
* The shame and guilt Sallie felt around hating a career she thought she wanted. [8:05]
* How Sallie carved out time to find out what she truly wanted to do with her life. [9:09]
* Why a research analyst position was a catalytic moment in Sallie’s career. [11:10]
* Dealing with rejection and the power of a growth mindset to keep pushing. [12:50]
* Sallie’s take on why being a woman on Wall Street helped her in many ways. [14:15]
* What happens when women are seen to be looking for power and attention. [15:42]
* Sallie’s two public firings and the lessons she learned from both of them. [17:53]
* How Sallie, whose identity was attached to her career, dealt with being fired. [21:10]
* The realization that Sallie came to before she founded Ellevest. [22:30]
* Women have been socialized into believing men are better at money. [26:28]
* The stress that comes with running your own business and the loneliness you face. [27:42]
* How Sallie led her team, many of whom have never been in a recession, through the pandemic. [29:05]
* Sallie’s experience raising funds for Ellevest and why it differed from other startups. [33:49]
* What Sallie wishes they had done differently in her company. [37:00]
* The value of networking and why women need to do a better job of it. [38:06]
* Some first steps women who have not invested can take to get started. [40:58]
* If you feel nervous about investing, start small and watch what happens. [46:08]
* Why Sallie does not like the idea that women have to strive for work-life balance. [47:03]
* We need to normalize failures because striving to be perfect puts extra pressure on women. [52:39]
* The reason that men are better at taking risks, according to Sallie. [54:07]
* What wealth means to Sallie at this point in her life. [55:36]
Follow Sallie:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallie.krawcheck
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellevest/
* Website: https://www.ellevest.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Michelle Cordeiro Grant is the founder & CEO of LIVELY, a community and brand that inspires women to live passionately and purposefully through experiences and products like bras, bralettes, undies, and so much more.
Michelle grew up with immigrant parents, thinking she wanted to become a doctor or a lawyer, but her true passion lay in working with products and building brands. At the end of a long and extremely successful career at brands like Victoria’s Secret, Michelle came to the realization that the $13 billion lingerie category was being dominated by a single brand and had a very narrow point of view.
This led her to go out on her own and create LIVELY with the goal of being a brand that strived to reflect real, authentic, everyday women like herself, who craved the feeling of being confident and comfortable. Michelle launched LIVELY in 2016 and has since opened four stores and fostered a network of over 140,000 brand ambassadors. She grew the business from its concept stage to a recent $100 million acquisition in just three years, beating the odds that many female-founded companies face.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Michelle as she describes the tactical steps she took to leave her career and build a company that she was passionate about, what it takes to build a brand from concept to acquisition, and how she built a community of 140,000 ambassadors.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Michelle about:
* Learn more about Michelle’s childhood in an immigrant family in rural Pennsylvania. [3:11]
* Why Michelle says that being unique is a superpower and it should be celebrated. [5:14]
* How her early days in corporate America informed her decision to create her own brand. [6:57]
* Hear about her ‘aha’ moment; not wanting to choose between a family or a career. [8:38]
* The resistance she encountered during that transition and what it taught her about applying the fundamentals she had learned in corporate. [10:48]
* What Michelle’s turning point was before starting a brand in the ‘Leisurée' category. [12:10]
* The driving force behind pursuing this passion: building something totally different. [13:52]
* Find out when Michelle decided to leave her career and go all in on building LIVELY. [14:09]
* Michelle talks about the list she created of all the things she didn’t know and her advice for other entrepreneurs facing uncertainty. [16:08]
* What it looked like to create a community by building a brand and not a corporation. [18:00]
* How an email marketing strategy inspired by Harry’s launched the company. [20:36]
* Learn why Michelle thinks the email referral program was so successful; the emotional hook that drew women to the brand. [23:27]
* The strategy behind building a community of 140,000 ambassadors; finding women that demonstrated the same values as the brand. [25:43]
* Michelle shares her experience of fundraising for LIVELY while pregnant with her son. [30:12]
* Pushing through anxiety as a first-time founder and defying the odds by doing it differently. [33:58]
* Find out about LIVELY’s growth trajectory; when they started to focus on retention. [36:23]
* Engaging with the community to dictate product pipeline; launching a swimwear line. [37:40]
* Building a business from concept to acquisition wasn’t about the exit; it was about building a strong, long-lasting, and viable brand. [39:30]
* Michelle tells the story of Wacoal, the Japanese company that acquired LIVELY. [43:00]
* Her advice for living in beta; the more risks you take, the better you’ll be at taking risks. [44:29]
Follow Michelle:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_michellegrant
* LIVELY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearlively/
* LIVELY Website: https://www.wearlively.com
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sadie Lincoln is the co-founder and CEO of barre3, a fitness company focused on teaching people to be balanced in body and empowered from within.
Sadie was climbing up the ranks, working alongside the founder of 24-hour fitness for over a decade, and realized she was in a crisis when she got pregnant with her first daughter. Despite being financially successful, happily married, and living in the dream house she always wanted, both Sadie and her husband felt broken & empty inside and were longing for a sense of fulfillment and happiness.
The couple decided to sell everything they had and move to Portland, with their two young kids, to pursue their dreams of launching their own business. They opened their first barre3 flagship studio in 2008, and 13 years later, the company has grown to include more than 175 franchise studios powered by female entrepreneurs, plus an online-workout subscriber base in over 98 countries. What started as a workout has blossomed into a full-blown movement made up of millions of people focused on body positivity, being empowered, and redefining what success in fitness means.
We’ll chat with Sadie about how she managed to start her business with kids (and why childcare is part of their business model), how embracing her unconventional upbringing allowed her to dream big and be a risk-taker, and why she’s committed to empowering women to feel good in their bodies and live a truly authentic & fulfilling life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sadie about:
* Sadie opens up about her unconventional childhood and upbringing. [3:24]
* How Sadie’s upbringing and being around empowered women helped her thrive as an entrepreneur. [7:02]
* Sadie’s relationship with money and how it’s impacted her today. [7:44]
* Sadie opens up about her education and what it felt like to not be “conventionally” smart at school [9:06]
* Sadie’s decision to move to L.A. and the one job that changed the trajectory of her life. [10:43]
* Why Sadie ultimately chose to pursue a path of education; learning is empowering. [12:22]
* Sadie’s experience at 24 Hour Fitness and her big takeaway from her time at the company. [14:20]
* The importance of advocating for what you are worth. [17:12]
* Sadie’s silent struggle with chronic pain and body image during her time at 24 Hour Fitness. [17:24]
* How being pregnant helped Sadie become attuned with her body and the ‘aha moment’ that laid the foundation for barre3. [18:40]
* What prompted Sadie and her husband, who was also struggling emotionally, to leave their stable jobs. [0:21:32]
* How much money Chris and Sadie put into the business and the sacrifices they made as a family. [24:10]
* The early days of barre3, starting out giving free classes above a natural food shop. [25:03]
* The inspiration and fulfillment Sadie felt once they set up the first studio. [26:50]
* How Sadie dealt with almost reaching burnout in the early days when she was doing everything to get the business off the ground. [29:21]
* What happened when Sadie’s brand exploded and why this led to her feeling empty again. [33:37]
* People were drawn to varre3 because it was authentic and the community pushed back when they became more “mainstream”. [36:27]
* How Sadie views the company’s success and why she didn’t build it to sell. [38:40]
* The rituals that Sadie relies on to keep her grounded and empowered. [45:17]
* Advice for women entrepreneurs who might feel afraid to take the leap. [47:02]
* We do not have to be afraid to ask for help as women. [48:35]
Follow Sadie:
* Sadie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadielincoln
* barre3 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barre3/
* barre3 Website: https://barre3.com/
References:
* Modernist Financial: https://modernistfinancial.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In today’s mini-episode, we’re talking about the realities of managing both motherhood and your career.
The fundamental question that many women uniquely ask themselves is: Can I still be successful and pursue my desires of being a mother & building a family? The short answer is yes, but there is so much to dig into on this.
I’ve specifically picked two incredible entrepreneurs to expand on the topic of why balance is BS especially when it comes to women, motherhood, and their careers.
Today’s mini-episode features Shilpa Shah, the founder of the direct-to-consumer luxury fashion brand, Cuyana, and Daina Trout, the founder of the popular kombucha brand, Health-Ade Kombucha.
Both Shilpa and Daina share their top advice they would give their younger self or any woman who is thinking about building both their family and empire.
* Shilpa Shah’s full episode: https://www.behindherempire.com/episode/shilpa-shah
* Daina Trout’s full episode: https://www.behindherempire.com/episode/daina-trout
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Laureen Asseo is the Founder and CEO of Fresh n' Lean, the largest organic prepared meal delivery service in the US.
She was only 18 years old in 2010 when she founded the company out of her one-bedroom apartment, all while attending the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. She had always dreamed of being an entrepreneur, and actually had goals for establishing her own sustainable fashion brand, but her journey took a turn when her father faced serious health problems after years of poor eating habits and inactivity.
Desperate to help him reverse the damage, she started cooking for him and formulated a business plan in the process: make eating well a no-brainer for people who lack the time or desire to prepare healthy meals. She started creating recipes and cooking & delivering meals herself.
The business grew rapidly and over the past three years, Fresh n’ Lean has recorded revenue growth of more than 500%, has a team of 400+ employees, and is generating over $100 million in revenue without any outside funding.
We’ll talk to Laureen about what it takes to build a business as a young woman in an industry largely dominated by men, how she dealt with the many naysayers who thought her idea was absolutely impossible, and the biggest lessons she’s learned over the past decade running her company.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Laureen about:
* Hear about Laureen’s childhood and how it influenced her love for food and culture. [02:27]
* Find out how it was always her childhood dream to have her own business. [4:47]
* Laureen shares the story of when her journey pivoted as her father’s health declined. [7:25]
* What the early days of meal prepping for her father looked like for Laureen. [9:35]
* How Laureen felt when she graduated without a fashion brand and why she doesn’t regret the choices she made. [10:49]
* What motivated her to forge on with building a company without any outside capital. [13:47]
* Educating her customers on this disruptive idea of buying prepared meals online. [16:35]
* Some of the tactics that helped Laureen grow demand for her product, including word of mouth and demos. [18:54]
* Supporting the development of her self-funded business by focusing on scalability. [21:32]
* Hear Laureen’s perspective of being a young, woman CEO in manufacturing; how she overcame certain challenges. [26:34]
* How doubt and criticism for her business impacted her when she was younger versus now. [32:31]
* Laureen speaks candidly about her own health and how she prioritizes a work-life balance. [35:47]
* Mistakes and challenges she learned from in the past decade of Fresh n’ Lean. [40:16]
* You have to do it in order to know it won’t work; don’t be afraid of making mistakes! [40:47]
* Some of the horrible advice Laureen received during her entrepreneurial journey. [43:35]
* Laureen’s advice for entrepreneurs: don’t always listen to what big executives have to say about your business. [40:47]
Follow Laureen:
Laureen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laureenasseo/
Fresh n’ Lean’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshnlean/
Fresh n’ Lean Website: https://www.freshnlean.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In today’s mini-episode, we’re talking about imposter syndrome - something we all deal with, including many of the successful, self-made women I’ve interviewed on the podcast. I’m excited to share some advice from three of our most popular interviews to help you overcome imposter syndrome and stop feeling like a fraud.
* Lee Mayer’s full episode: https://www.behindherempire.com/episode/lee-mayer
* Suzy Batiz’s full episode: https://www.behindherempire.com/episode/suzy-batiz
* Keren Eldad’s full episode: https://www.behindherempire.com/episode/keren-eldad
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jordan Salcito is an award-winning sommelier and founder of RAMONA, a delicious organic wine spritzer made with high-quality standards.
Jordan began her career in New York as a hostess before becoming a prep cook, sommelier, manager, and eventually, the Wine & Beverage Director at David Chang’s Momofuku restaurants. She is also a 5-time James Beard Award semi-finalist and was named “Most Creative in the World” by World of Fine Wine magazine.
The idea for RAMONA came to life when Jordan became unexpectedly pregnant with her first son and realized she wanted to take control of her own life. She always had dreams of creating an organic wine beverage that everyone could enjoy at a good price point.
Her wine spritzers have been spotted in the hands of many celebrities from Kanye West, Alicia Keys to P Diddy and are also loved by critics and consumers for it’s beautifully packaged design and commitment to high-quality organic ingredients. RAMONA is distributed nationwide at Whole Foods, directly on their website, along with independent retail chains and restaurants across the U.S.
We’ll talk to Jordan about how she pivoted her career from wanting to be a writer to then a wine expert, why she walked away from certain business ventures to follow her instincts and taking advantage of opportunities even when the odds are against you.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jordan about:
* Jordan discusses how her parents instilled a strong value system and work ethic for herself and her siblings [2:57]
* Aspiring to be a writer, Jordan moves to NYC and takes a job as a hostess to make ends meet - a moment she was “mentally unprepared for” [6:32]
* Why Jordan decided to go to culinary school and how her externship at NYC’s iconic French restaurants, Daniel, changed the trajectory of her career [12:20]
* What it was like to be one of the only women in the kitchen & how she proved herself and went against everyone’s expectations [17:14]
* Jordan discusses how she fell into the world of wine and developed a deep passion [19:58]
* Why Jordan decided to become a Master Sommelier (one of the most difficult and prestigious titles you can receive in the wine world) [28:30]
* After years of studying and preparing for the Master Sommelier exams, Jordan shares her thoughts and frustrations with not passing [31:43]
* How she dealt with the failure of not passing the exam & why a few words from Beyonce shifted her mindset on how she thought about her goals and next steps. [37:14]
* Why failing her exam and getting unexpectedly pregnant was the experience she needed to take the risk and start her business, RAMONA [42:27]
* Why Jordan walked away from business ventures with discriminatory practices against women and legal lessons she learned along the way [46:07]
* When Jordan decided to fundraise for her business and the importance of knowing your numbers and having an authentic story when meeting with investors [51:26]
Follow Jordan:
* Jordan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordansalcito/
* RAMONA’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkramona/
* Website: https://www.drinkramona.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Keren Eldad is an acclaimed motivational speaker, leadership psychology expert, and founder of With Enthusiasm, where she provides world-class personal and professional coaching.
Before becoming an internationally-recognized coach, Keren had an illustrious business career. After spending years in the world of publishing, she then founded her own marketing company, Digiluxe. Despite all of this, Keren never felt fulfilled and aligned with her purpose. It wasn’t until she hit rock bottom after a divorce, running out of money, and losing her job that she learned how to cultivate self-worth and step into her true essence and power. She believes that we should all be welcoming adversity because of the rich lessons it brings if we are simply willing to look.
Keren has worked with notable clients like LVMH, Richemont, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and Global Fashion Group, as well as several high-profile private clients.
We’ll talk to Keren about why it’s in all of our destinies to achieve greatness, the power of self-love and compassion, and what we can do to get over our blindspots. As Keren highlights, if we keep limiting ourselves, we do not get to participate in the beauty of life and it’s up to us to view life through a lens of scarcity and fear or abundance and openness.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Keren about:
* Keren’s childhood as the daughter of a diplomat and the experience of getting to live in different countries. [2:50]
* How Keren believes we should view our childhoods. [5:12]
* You cannot underestimate the influence that societal expectations and standards have on you. [6:35]
* Keren’s early career and the exhaustion of chasing a dream she thought she should have. [7:53]
* The Instagram-worthy life Keren was living in her early 30s that left her miserable. [10:37]
* When Keren started to realize that all of her hardships were happening for her. [12:46]
* We have all known the Dark Night of the Soul and it is our choice what we want to do with it. [14:14]
* The story of how Keren’s world collapsed; divorce, having no money, and losing her job. [15:07]
* Why reaching rock bottom was the best thing that ever happened to Keren. [17:22]
* The one thing that stands between you and living a beautiful life. [19:08]
* Impatience is a lack of faith; you need to surrender and trust in the universe. [21:12]
* The story of how Oprah came to star in The Color Purple and what it teaches us. [22:13]
* Keren’s insights into manifesting and the importance of focusing and gratitude. [24:48]
* Loving yourself is the precondition to having a great life. [27:58]
* How we can reframe getting our businesses off the ground when it feels like we are behind. [28:53]
* Changing our perspective on how we view dating & money and the importance of being open to receiving. [29:29]
* Careers are about more than a paycheck; they’re about fulfillment and self-actualization. [32:08]
* Women should not be afraid to talk about making money and their desire to be financially abundant. [33:00]
* How Keren’s mindset about money has changed. [34:40]
* Why overachievers are more likely to suffer from imposter syndrome. [39:51]
* Two strategies to help you overcome imposter syndrome. [44:23]
Follow Keren:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkeren/
* Website: https://www.kereneldad.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Books Mentioned:
* The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles
* Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
* You Are A Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
* The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Minnie Ingersoll is an investor, co-founder, and former COO of Shift, an online marketplace for used cars. After 12 years at Google, working as a product manager and later principal with Google.org, she co-founded Shift in 2013 while she was on maternity leave. Minnie shares that she never thought she’d be a founder and in the used car industry, but the opportunity to build a business from scratch was exciting to her.
Minnie took Shift from an idea to over $100 million dollars in revenue and has seen continued success with the company going public last year. After 5 years at Shift, Minnie decided to change her career once again and empower entrepreneurs as an early-stage investor at TenOneTen Ventures.
We’ll chat with Minnie about how she built her emotional resilience in tough times, why communication & people are your biggest assets at work, and what truly makes a good founder when it comes to starting your own company.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Minnie about:
* What it was like growing up in an academic family & why she was always considered the black sheep [2:30]
* Why Minnie decided to drop out of college after her first semester [4:59]
* What drove Minnie to go to business school after the dot.com burst & what helped her gain confidence [8:02]
* Minnie discusses her experience as an early Google employee & key learnings [11:16]
* What prompted Minnie to leave her stable job during maternity leave & become a cofounder at Shift [13:58]
* What motivated Minnie to start a used car business despite not being particularly interested in the industry [16:56]
* Minnie talks about the early days of raising money and the initial steps the business took to prove their concept [20:46]
* Why business needs to be more friendly & inclusive and how the Zoom culture we’re right now can benefit us [26:03]
* Advice when it comes to interviewing based on Minnie’s experience taking Shift from 0 to 200 employees in only two years [28:15]
* How to deal with difficult and uncomfortable conversations in business [34:02]
* Minnie shares why burn out happens when you’re not fulfilled in your job [39:15]
* The advice Minnie would give to her younger self: just chill out [41:12]
* Why Minnie decided to leave Shift, move to LA, and change her career once again [43:01]
* As a partner at the venture capital firm, TenOneTen, Minnie shares her advice on what makes a good founder & how to think through your pitch to investors [48:15]
Follow Minnie:
* Shift Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/driveshiftcars/
* TenOneTen Ventures: https://www.instagram.com/ten.one.ten/
* Shift Website: https://shift.com/
* TenOneTen Ventures: https://www.tenoneten.net/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Holly Thaggard is the founder of Supergoop!, the first and only skincare brand that is 100% dedicated to UV protection. In 2005, Holly’s life and career path completely changed when a good friend of hers was diagnosed with skin cancer. It was at this point, she realized that people weren’t taking sunscreen seriously. Holly realized that it was important for someone to make sunscreen “cool” in order to stop the epidemic of skin cancer.
Leaving her career as an elementary school teacher, Holly decided to jump into the very unfamiliar world of SPF. After having a tough start by trying to sell her sunscreen into elementary schools (since that was a market she knew), Holly pivoted to retail and eventually got her product into big retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom after years of building her brand and perfecting her product. Fast forward to today, Supergoop! Is a must-have product by skincare gurus everywhere and is over $40 million in revenue.
We’ll chat with Holly about what it takes to disrupt an entire category, how her musical talents helped fund her business when she had very little money, finding the right partners to support your mission, and the lessons she learned as a first-time entrepreneur.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Holly about:
* How growing up in an entrepreneurial family impacted Holly as an entrepreneur. [2:23]
* Why Holly entered education and her experience as an elementary school teacher. [4:58]
* How education is still at the core of what Holly does with Supergoop! [7:56]
* How Holly’s career took a turn when her teaching contract wasn’t renewed [10:02]
* Hear how the idea for Supergoop! came about, when a good friend of Holly’s was diagnosed with skin cancer. [12:14]
* Learn about Holly’s love for solving problems using creativity and innovation. [14:38]
* When Holly saw this opportunity to educate about sunscreen, she explains the next steps in developing her product. [16:19]
* Even with no expertise in this category, Holly started asking the right questions. [18:06]
* What Holly’s distribution strategy was for Supergoop!, starting with private schools. [19:41]
* Learning about the business of scaling and going from trade shows to big retail. [24:54]
* From meeting Roxanne Quimby of Burt’s Bees to getting product on the shelves at Sephora. [30:50]
* Holly knew she was onto something when she was contacted by Elon Musk’s team. [37:26]
* Holly talks about her fundraising techniques and supporting the growth of her brand. [39:25]
* How Holly’s relationships with both Sephora and Nordstrom started with an impromptu trip to San Francisco. [43:19]
* Holly emphasizes that it took 16 years to build the reputation Supergoop! has today. [53:09]
* The importance of finding the “right” retail partners that will embrace your vision. [54:25]
* Holly’s tip for entrepreneurs looking to disrupt an industry: have something unique. [55:55]
* Advice for those trying to juggle family life and entrepreneurship: relish the everyday moments with your family. [58:03]
Follow Holly:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollythaggard/
* Supergoop! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supergoop/
* Supergoop! Website: https://supergoop.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Prerna Gupta is a serial entrepreneur and investor. After being at the helm of many successful startups, Prerna is now the CEO and Founder of Hooked, a company that is redefining fiction for the Snapchat generation. Hooked has over 100 million viewers across social media, a short form video streaming app called Hooked TV, and has received funding from Ashton Kutcher, Mariah Carey, LeBron James, and Jamie Foxx to name a few.
As the child of Indian immigrants growing up in a conservative town in Oklahoma, Prerna spent much of her life pretending to be someone she was not. Through soul-searching and digging deep within herself, she grew to understand that her differences made her special and that if she stayed true to herself, she would always be happy. Prerna has carried this lesson with her throughout her life: the courage to be herself has made her a risk-taking, brave entrepreneur, even when others have doubted her.
We chat with Prerna about her start-up lessons and failures, the importance of failing and iterating in business, the downfalls of being solely goal-driven, and why you should constantly seek fulfillment in life versus deferring your happiness to some time in the future. Prerna also shares more about her and her husband’s decision to buy a one way ticket to Costa Rica, thoughts on staying balanced, and why love will always be more important than wealth.
In this episode, we'll talk to Prerna about:
* The impact that growing up in a small town in Oklahoma had on Prerna. [2:52]
* Prerna’s career after college, before she decided to strike out on her own. [6:35]
* Prerna’s feelings about going down a different path to most of her friends who were in the corporate world. [10:30]
* Details about Prerna’s first startup, Yaari, the pivot it made, and why it closed. [12:39]
* Moving onto a music creation app, Songify, after Yaari closed and the inspiration behind it. [15:45]
* The double-edged sword of achieving your goals and creating success that you never dreamed of. [19:29]
* Getting acquired by Smule and the big decision to sell everything & move to Costa Rica. [21:35]
* How Prerna applied The Lean Startup methodology to a book concept she was working on [27:19]
* When Prerna reached her ‘aha moment’ on the journey to creating HOOKED. [30:54]
* Prerna shares 3 lessons on what makes certain businesses go viral. [34:00]
* How Prerna thinks about balance in her life and what makes her feel most balanced. [37:10]
* Advice for those looking to go down the fundraising route. [40:20]
* Why venture capital is not for everyone and it is not the only way your business will succeed. [41:32]
* Hear some of Prerna’s rituals that keep her motivated and inspired. [44:07]
Follow Prerna:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prernagupta/
* Hooked Website: https://hooked.co/
* Personal Website: https://www.prernagupta.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Shilpa Shah is the Co-Founder of Cuyana, a fashion brand that marries luxury-level branding with premium quality apparel and accessories, offering "fewer, better things" to women at accessible price points.
Shilpa spent the first part of her career designing web and mobile interfaces for Fortune 500 companies. Although she was passionate about design, it wasn't until she was pregnant with her first son that she felt empowered to do more in her life. Unsure what the right next step was, Shilpa decided to apply to business school at 32 while having a 2½-year-old at home. Good thing she did because through the process, she met her co-founder Karla and they were inspired to create an affordable luxury direct to consumer brand - which might sound like the norm now but they were true pioneers in this space in 2011.
Today, they’ve grown their SF based company profitably despite taking funding of more than $30million dollars. Cuyana has been recognized as one of the most innovative companies in America and continues to have a loyal base of customers and a strong celebrity-following.
We’ll talk to Shilpa about building a strong brand that is largely driven by word of mouth, why the concept of work life balance is BS, and how they’ve navigated multiple challenges from raising money from investors to restructuring their business in the pandemic environment that we're in.
In this episode, we'll talk to Shilpa about:
* How Shilpa has intertwined the creative and analytical sides of her personality. [5:00]
* What prompted Shilpa to go to business school at age 32 was a desire to do more. [7:22]
* Balancing being the primary caretaker and the primary breadwinner. [11:05]
* One of the mistakes co-founders make in selecting one another is looking for someone similar to them. [15:02]
* How the direct-to-consumer concept arose from a desire to build a fashion brand. [16:50]
* The value of setting clear boundaries for what you can and cannot compromise on in business. [19:12]
* Focusing on supply chain and the business model in the first two years of Cuyana. [19:51]
* What makes building businesses difficult is taking the time to figure out what works. [23:05]
* How Shilpa came to understand the right messaging for her customers which was critical in the brand’s growth. [23:53]
* Educating their customers on Cuyana's “fewer, better things” concept. [27:13]
* Why staying close to your customer and seeing how they interact with your product is key. [29:07]
* Fundraising in the early days and why understanding the business is the true first step. [30:40]
* Hear Shilpa’s analogy for sustainability in a tech company and why Cuyana’s focus was always on profitability. [32:59]
* Getting male investors to understand their concept during the fundraising process. [34:57]
* Despite all the challenges, Shilpa and Carla never gave themselves the option of quitting. [39:52]
* How Shilpa and Carla’s entrepreneurship was received by their immigrant parents. [41:25]
* Why it is essential – as an entrepreneur – to become comfortable with failure. [44:40]
* Discover Shilpa’s perspective on work-life balance – and why she thinks balance is BS. [45:46]
* Shilpa’s advice for female founders with families: Make sure you’re solving the right problem. [49:46]
* Some challenges Cuyana has faced and how Shilpa and Carla overcame them. [52:19]
* Why Cuyana’s biggest success during COVID is simply surviving the pandemic. [54:33]
* Some of the key takeaways that helped propel Cuyana forward, like thinking quickly. [55:33]
Follow Shilpa:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shilparshah/
* Cuyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuyana/
* Cuyana Website: https://www.cuyana.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Liz Elting is a self-made businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She co-founded and was the co-CEO of TransPerfect, the world’s largest provider of language and business solutions valued at over a billion dollars.
As someone with a passion for languages and business, Liz wasn’t always sure about the path she was going to take. When she decided to follow her interests and study languages, Liz was stimulated but knew that it didn’t make practical sense for her career. After her first job at a translation company and a stint in Wall Street, Liz realized that if she was going to live up to her potential, she had to strike out on her own. This led her to build TransPerfect out of her business school dorm room at the age of 26.
After 25 years at the helm, Liz helped build TransPerfect into an organization with more than $700 million in revenue, 5,000 employees, and 11,000 clients - all without any outside funding. In 2018, Liz left the company to pursue philanthropy work through the Elizabeth Elting Foundation, which advances economic, social, and political equality for women and marginalized people.
Liz has appeared on Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Women for five years in a row and has been recognized for her efforts and achievements by the National Organization of Women, Forbes, American Express, Entrepreneur, and more.
In this episode, you’ll hear Liz’s insights into all the hard work and sacrifice it took to build her company, the power of setting goals and taking action, and the role that partnerships play in your success.
In this episode, we'll talk to Liz about:
* The story of Liz’s youth and the experience of living in five countries by the time she was 21. [3:01]
* Liz’s early interest in business and what she attributes her work ethic to. [4:02]
* How Liz decided what to study at college and the tension between passion and pragmatism. [6:19]
* Details about Liz’s first job after graduation which merged her love of languages and business. [8:17]
* What motivated Liz to leave her job and go back to school to do her MBA. [10:53]
* How Liz overcame guilt and found the confidence to leave her job in Finance. [14:27]
* Hear Liz’s approach to goal-setting and why she believes it is so important. [17:45]
* Key takeaways for starting, building, and scaling an entirely self-funded business. [20:34]
* How Liz and her partner thought about business profitability. [23:41]
* Some advantages of not getting outside funding, according to Liz. [24:27]
* Challenging times in the early days of starting TransPerfect and the lessons Liz learned. [25:24]
* Liz’s advice on handling partnerships and the story of her relationship with her partner. [27:57]
* How Liz views 50/50 partnerships and why she recommends avoiding this structure. [30:35]
* Liz’s experience being a working mother and the benefits of compartmentalization. [32:05]
* Why Liz believes becoming a mother made her a better boss. [35:03]
* Transitioning out of the company: What life is like for Liz since leaving TransPerfect. [36:20]
* The common mistakes Liz sees entrepreneurs making. [38:01]
Follow Liz:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizelting/
* Website: https://www.lizelting.com/
* Elizabeth Elting Foundation Website: https://www.elizabetheltingfoundation.org/
* TransPerfect Website: https://www.transperfect.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Seema Bansal is the co-founder of Venus ET Fleur, the company behind Eternity Roses, which are real roses that stay fresh for a full year, an invention that has permanently transformed the billion-dollar floral industry.
Seema never set out to start a company in the floral business. In 2015, Seema was in a long-distance relationship with her now husband and business partner, Sunny. He sent her flowers on Valentine's Day and they looked horrible despite the large price tag he paid. This sparked their idea of creating a better experience and luxury flowers that actually looked great for a longer period of time. As their relationship began to bloom, so did their idea of transforming the online floral industry and that’s when their business was born.
At the time, both Seema and Sunny were working for their family businesses and decided to leave to embark on a new journey together despite having no experience in the floral industry. Good thing they did, very early into their launch - their signature Eternity Roses became Instagram's most coveted bouquet after the Kardashians posted about the brand in 2016. Their multi-million dollar business has developed a loyal customer base which includes celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Oprah, Drake, Cardi B, and many more.
We’ll chat with Seema about the skills she learned in her family plumbing business that have helped her as an entrepreneur, how social media was a game-changer when launching their brand, and the importance of prioritizing your mental health when being a leader of a high growth business.
In this episode, we'll talk to Seema about:
* Seema discusses her upbringing with Indian parents who immigrated to Canada to create a new life for themselves [3:14]
* Seema shares her involvement in the family business from a young age & how it has impacted her business acumen today [7:34]
* Why Seema decided to chart her own path and start Venus Et Fleur with her then boyfriend, now husband and co-founder, Sunny [12:56]
* Seema talks about the early days of the business and why she decided to leave the family business to chart her own path [16:47]
* How the company transitioned from a classic flower delivery service to shipping luxury flowers that lasted for a year [18:36]
* As the key driver for all brand and marketing, Seema shares the challenges she faced early in the business when trying to gain awareness and traction with the messaging [23:58]
* How influencer marketing and a shout out from the Kardashians completely changed the trajectory of the business [25:41]
* Seema shares tips on how to think about business partnerships & opens up about what it’s like to work with her husband [33:21]
* How COVID impacted the business and the changes they made to support the new environment we’re in [37:05]
* Seema shares tips on how she stays inspired both in life and business [41:25]
* How Seema handles burnout and shifts she’s made in her life as a leader to help create more balance [45:07]
Follow Seema:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seemabansalchadha/
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/VENUSETFLEUR/
* Venus Et Fleur Website: https://www.venusetfleur.com
* Chiji Website: https://homeofchiji.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sharon Rechter is the co-founder of First Media, a multi-platform, content publisher that is dedicated to the do-it-all millennial woman.
First Media's clever, lifehack style videos bring in over 1.7 billion monthly views on social media and their BabyFirst TV cable network reaches over 60 million US homes. Their social media brands, So Yummy, Blusher, and Blossom, have an average of 50mm views for every video post on social.
Sharon truly embodies the mission of her business as an inspiring woman, mother, and entrepreneur. We’ll chat with Sharon on why she left her career as a lawyer, what it takes to make a video go viral on social media, why women need to talk more about money, and how she juggles being an entrepreneur & a mother of four.
In this episode, we'll talk to Sharon about:
* How growing up in an entrepreneurial family in Israel influenced Sharon. [1:32]
* Learning that, as a woman, she had a different set of tools in a negotiation setting. [4:01]
* Where Sharon got the confidence to ask for a raise early in her career. [8:23]
* Hear about Sharon’s 24-hour depression budget when things go wrong. [9:35]
* Taking on massive projects in the early days of First Media – like starting their own cable network – with virtually no experience. [11:09]
* How Sharon and her partner, Guy, approached fundraising by leveraging interest. [2:58]
* Starting BabyFirst TV without any children of her own and gaining women’s trust. [16:00]
* Mastering the art and science of what makes a video shareable on social media. [18:22]
* Learn how Sharon juggles her life as an entrepreneur and as a mother of four by letting go of guilt and being present wherever she is. [19:06]
* Sharon shares the value and importance of writing down goals for both herself and children [21:56]
* Sharon discusses how she thinks about growth & being cash flow positive in business [24:55]
* How Sharon approaches the difficult conversation about money with her children. [26:10]
* Money as a taboo topic and how Sharon thinks we can change that narrative. [29:09]
Follow Sharon:
* First Media: https://first.media/
* BabyFirst TV: https://www.babyfirsttv.com/
* So Yummy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soyummy/
* Blusher Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blusherglam/
* Blossom Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blossom/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Shalini Vadhera is a beauty entrepreneur, celebrity make-up artist, bestselling author, and founder of a multi-million dollar global cosmetics company that started from her garage.
Shalini’s journey was far from easy. Although her business scaled to over $20 million in revenue and found instant success in large retailers like Sephora and QVC, Shalini lacked mentorship and faced a whole host of challenges growing her business. She is passionate about sharing her story to help women entrepreneurs and creating environments for women and girls to strive in life and business, as seen in her ventures, Power Beauty Living, Ready Set Jet, and Ready Set Jet Academy, a social initiative to help lift women out of poverty by creating job opportunities and encouraging entrepreneurship.
Shalini has worked with representatives from the United Nations to bring the art of living powerfully and beautifully to emerging women leaders and has also been recognized with the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Award.
As a social activist involved with many different businesses and initiatives, we’ll chat with Shalini about her learnings building & scaling multiple businesses, why you need to live your life on your own terms vs other people’s expectations, and tips she recommends for anyone who is looking to live a meaningful & fearless life.
In this episode, we'll talk to Shalini about:
* Why being bullied in school shaped Shalini's love for makeup and beauty. [3:52]
* What it was like to be sent to India at 19 with $2,500 to start her own company. [5:40]
* Dealing with rejection or negative comments – Shalini has learned to tune them out. [9:07]
* Shalini's purpose versus the expectations of others – discover how her career has been a constant struggle between the two [12:37]
* Shalini shares what it was like building her company in the early days & managing everything from her garage in San Diego [20:23]
* The lack of support networks and resources for women in business back then. [23:20]
* Shalini describes her fundraising experience and the importance of doing your own due diligence with investors [24:14]
* What actually prompted her to exit the $20 million+ global beauty brand she'd built. [30:21]
* How Shalini felt, having to leave her brand behind, and how she views it now – as a valuable life lesson in empowerment. [32:14]
* How a Korean Master and getting struck by lightning inspired a spiritual awakening. [33:30]
* Instead of seeing the worst case scenario, realize that you’re in control of your story. [45:55]
* Key mistakes Shalini that sees women entrepreneurs making in their businesses. [46:37]
* Advice for women who want to create a like-minded community or find a mentor. [49:06]
Follow Shalini:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shalinivadhera/
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readysetjetofficial/
* Website: https://readysetjetofficial.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sarah LaFleur is the Founder and CEO of M.M.LaFleur, a fashion company creating practical, inspired wardrobes for the modern, professional woman.
From an early age, Sarah was exposed to high-end fashion through her mother who worked in the industry. When Sarah graduated from college and started shopping on her own for work clothing, she realized the experience and clothes were lacking despite spending so much money on them. After starting her career at Bain as a consultant, Sarah moved to private equity but left abruptly because of cultural problems at her firm. At this difficult point in her life, Sarah felt like she had nothing else to lose, and despite having no fashion experience, decided to take a risk & create clothing that professional women, like herself, were looking for.
In this episode, we talk with Sarah about the windy journey that led her to entrepreneurship, how the business grew from -$2,000 in their bank account to a multi-million dollar company, how they tripled their revenue overnight from one specific strategy that ended up saving their company and how she turned the crisis of covid into a brand-defining moment.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:
* How Sarah’s multicultural upbringing & family impacted the way she thought about her various careers [3:28]
* Sarah shares why her 20s were painful as she was on a constant search for the “perfect job” [10:03]
* Why Sarah decided to leave her dream job & how it was the lowest moment in her professional career [13:02]
* Sarah talks about she manages her mental health & how therapy has been a gamechanger for her [18:48]
* Early stages of the business & how Sarah created a brand for working women despite having no connections or experience in the fashion industry [21:37]
* Sarah talks about the early days of starting M.M.LaFleur and how serendipity led her to meet her co-founder & head designer, Miyako [25:25]
* Sarah explains how she thinks about constructing her clothing and how she thinks through the perfect fit for the modern woman [28:27]
* Sarah shares how she funded the business, the importance of a side hustle to help pay bills, and the most important lesson she wants all entrepreneurs to know [30:38]
* How M.M.LaFleur gained traction in the early days and created loyal fans of the brand [36:56]
* Sarah’s experience fundraising & lessons she learned along the way [39:32]
* The one strategy Sarah implemented that not only saved their business but generated millions of dollars in sales [45:06]
* How Sarah turned the COVID crisis into a brand-defining moment for her company [53:49]
Follow Sarah:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmlafleur/
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmlafleur/
* Website: https://mmlafleur.com/
Follow Yasmin
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gail Becker is the founder and CEO of CAULIPOWER, a company revolutionizing our favorite comfort foods by making them better and better for you.
As a mother of two sons with Celiac disease, Gail was always desperate for nutritious gluten free options. She found hundreds of thousands of recipes for cauliflower pizza to make for her kids - and they loved it. However, it took forever to make and as a working single mom, she wanted an easier and faster option which was nowhere to be found.
Although Gail had a lucrative career as a media executive, it wasn’t until her father passed away that she realized she wanted to follow in his footsteps as an entrepreneur. This pushed Gail to leave her corporate job and bring her calling to life. In January 2017, Gail launched CAULIPOWER and was determined to create a product that everyone can enjoy, that is nutritious, convenient, and tastes good.
Since launching, Gail scaled the company to over $100million in less than three years and completely disrupted the food industry to become the #1 better-for-you pizza and #8 frozen pizza brand in the U.S.
We’ll chat with Gail on her money lessons, why she decided to leave her well-paying job to start a business with zero food experience, the importance of having the courage to ask for help & say “no”, and advice for balancing work & family life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Gail about:
* Her parents who survived the Holocaust and how they shaped her independent nature and appreciation of food. [3:10]
* The 3 events which led to Gail removing herself from the corporate world and founding CAULIPOWER. [6:20]
* The self-doubt that Gail still experiences, and why this actually benefits her business. [9:00]
* Why starting a business later in life helped to fast-track the process. [12:14]
* The importance of utilizing your own expertise as well as not being afraid to ask for help. [12:14]
* Relatability, accessibility, timing, and taste are the main elements that allowed Gail to scale CAULIPOWER in the way that she has. [15:40]
* The majority of people didn’t think what Gail wanted to do was possible, but she proved them wrong. [17:30]
* You need to learn everything about the industry you are entering into and then figure out how to differentiate yourself. [18:14]
* Gail explains how the road to success has been full of challenges and why you need to expect that when embarking on the journey of starting a business. [19:21]
* How Gail self-funded CAULIPOWER in the beginning and at a later stage, why she was selective in who she took money from. [22:04]
* The lifestyle change Gail experienced after leaving corporate America; “half as rich and twice as happy”. [31:40]
* Gail shares important money lessons for all women & what she learned about taking charge of her own finances after her divorce. [34:45]
FREE OFFER: To receive a coupon link for any free CAULIPOWER product, simply send them a DM on social media @CAULIPOWER and mention ‘Behind Her Empire Podcast’ :)
Follow Gail:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gailbecker/
* Company Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/caulipower/
* Website: https://eatcaulipower.com/
Follow Yasmin
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
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Sarah Flint is the executive chairman, creative director, and founder of Sarah Flint, a luxury shoe brand aimed at on-the-move women who need comfort just as much as fashion and style.
In 2013, Sarah was on a mission to create luxury shoes made from the finest materials that not only looked good but also felt amazing. Early on in her business, she was a full-time nanny and was looking to get her brand off the ground in the evenings and on the weekends. She devoted a lot of time to product creation and networking, and ultimately got into high-end retailers like Barneys, Bloomingdale’s, and Shopbop. This opened the door for many celebrities to take notice of her shoes, attracting women like Meghan Markle, Amal Clooney, and Lady Gaga.
Yet, even after all the success, Sarah still felt like something was missing as she battled to create a meaningful connection with her customers. The products she had been creating up to that point had very slim margins, and she knew that she had to change her business model. So, in 2017, she canceled all of her orders and decided to go down the direct-to-consumer (DTC) route. While investors doubted her decision, Sarah went with her gut and now has seen even greater success.
We’ll talk to Sarah about how she managed to pivot her business from the wholesale days to the COVID environment, what she did to break into the competitive luxury shoe market, and how she went about building her brand and cult following.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:
* How learning disabilities made her overcompensate and try to prove herself. [4:14]
* When Sarah became aware of the massive opportunity in the women’s shoe market. [5:21]
* Her motivation for doing a manufacturing program in Italy and what it taught her. [7:04]
* How she overcame the obstacles of pattern work and comfort level in luxury shoes. [9:56]
* The challenge of working with big manufacturers as a young woman designer. [12:01]
* Making sacrifices, having mentors, and other advice for dealing with partners as a new business owner. [12:42]
* The first round of funding for Sarah’s business and how she continued to get investors. [16:25]
* Sarah shares how celebrities helped her to compete with the big brands in the market. [18:23]
* What it took, apart from a great product, for her to get noticed by famous women. [20:08]
* Insights into Sarah’s decision to close down her wholesale business and relaunch as a DTC company. [22:16]
* Why it was riskier for her to place her bets on well-known stores than to do it herself. [28:23]
* Learn about the brand’s successful direct selling and brand ambassador programs. [32:22]
* How COVID impacted her business and what she has done to shift and pivot. [35:35]
* Tips for supporting your mental health and maintaining balance as an entrepreneur. [41:12]
Follow Sarah:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xosarahflint/
* Company Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sarahflint_nyc/
* Website: https://www.sarahflint.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
For Behind Her Empire Listeners, Sarah has generously provided a discount code for $50! Use the promo below on your next purchase :)
$50 Off Discount Code: SARAHFLINT-BEHINDHEREMPIRE
Window of Availability: 11/30/20 through 12/31/20
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ellen Bennett is the founder & CEO of Hedley & Bennett, an LA-based culinary workwear and lifestyle brand that has transformed the way professional (and home) chefs dress forever. By making her dream into a reality, she has created the largest gourmet apron factory in the world.
Being raised by a single mother who made her feel safe to try new things and get comfortable with failure, Ellen had confidence instilled in her from a very early age. So much so that when she graduated high school, she packed her bags and moved to Mexico City without a plan for four years. Never one to settle, Ellen once again started over when she moved back into her childhood home after her time in Mexico. She hit the ground running, landing a job as a line cook in some of LA’s most acclaimed restaurants which sparked the idea for creating stylish, functional, durable, and beautiful aprons for chefs like herself.
Now at the helm of a multi-million-dollar empire, Ellen does not sugarcoat what it took to get there, nor does she believe that being an entrepreneur looks the same for everyone. As a businesswoman who is so open to learning, willing to fail and reiterate, and in possession of some seriously unwavering self-belief, Ellen’s story will leave you inspired and show you that you don’t have to have all the answers to make your dream a reality.
In this episode, we'll talk to Ellen about:
* How Ellen’s childhood, growing up between LA and Mexico, has influenced who she is today [2:22]
* The values that Ellen’s mom instilled in her early on and how it’s impacted her as an entrepreneur [4:08]
* Ellen’s decision to move to Mexico City at 18, a choice that changed the course of her life [8:07]
* Why Ellen chose to leave Mexico City after she had built a successful life for herself there [13:03]
* What happened when Ellen returned to LA and moved back in with her mom [14:50]
* How Ellen came up with the idea for Hedley & Bennett when she only had $300 in her savings [20:00]
* Ellen describes the power of community building to get her brand off the ground in the early days[25:48]
* Why there is no such thing as an overnight success [26:39]
* Ellen’s tips for entrepreneurs looking to self-fund their businesses early on [29:49]
* Ellen discusses how to think about investors & what motivated her to bring on a strategic partner[33:05]
* How the pandemic has affected Hedley & Bennett and the massive pivot they made [35:08]
* Hear how Ellen takes care of her mental health and the practices that ground her as a entrepreneur [38:44]
Follow Ellen:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenmariebennett/
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hedleyandbennett/
* Website: https://www.hedleyandbennett.com/
* Oliver the Pig: https://www.instagram.com/oliverspigadventures/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lizanne Falsetto is the founder of thinkThin, health and wellness visionary, business media commentator, and adviser to the next-generation of entrepreneurs.
In 2000, after a decade of world travel and a successful career modeling internationally, Lizanne launched thinkThin from her own need of wanting to create a better-for-you, high protein nutrition bar for active women on the go. Starting small and humble, the company quickly scaled nationally and globally, establishing itself as one of the first gluten-free products on the shelves.
Over the course of her 15-year tenure as CEO, Lizanne raised two children as a single mom and scaled the company to become a multimillion dollar lifestyle brand with zero outside funding. Lizanne ultimately sold thinkThin for over $200 million.
Last year, Lizanne established Pink Talented Angels, a new company and platform to help educate, elevate and connect rising female founders. Lizanne is passionate and focused on building an exclusive ecosystem to support female entrepreneurs for a post COVID-19 world.
In this episode, we'll talk to Lizanne about:
* Lizanne's early years and her personal & familial connection to food and nutrition [02:28]
* The decision to pursue a career in modeling and forego college [3:28]
* How Lizanne's grandmother, travel and modeling inspired her to start thinkThin [6:46]
* The efforts that Lizanne made to educate herself and create awareness about her brand [12:01]
* Competition in the nutrition market and how Lizanne made a lane for the company [17:11]
* Lizanne's attitude and approach to self-funding and outside investment [22:15]
* Managing the different parts of life as women especially when it comes to business & family [27:21]
* The sale of thinkThin, entry into mentoring, and Lizanne's feelings post acquisition [31:29]
* Balancing feminine and masculine energy in the early days of building a company [35:39]
* The two kinds of entrepreneurs; strategic and tactical [42:26]
* Bouncing back from difficult times — Lizanne's reflections on divorce, her father's sickness, and a failed acquisition deal [47:06]
* The current era and the pandemic — Lizanne's perspectives on this moment, female entrepreneurship, and why it’s a great time to start a business [51:28]
* Lizanne's definition of wealth and how the meaning has evolved for her over time [54:04]
Follow Lizanne:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizannefalsetto/
* Website: https://www.lizannefalsetto.com/
* Pink Talented Angels: https://www.lizannefalsetto.com/about-pta/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nisha Dua is a General Partner at BBG Ventures, which she co-founded with Susan Lyne in 2014. BBG Ventures is an NYC-based seed fund investing in consumer tech start-ups with a focus on women and underrepresented founders.
Nisha believes the greatest untapped opportunity for venture capital lies in backing women who are using technology to address common life-challenges and transform daily habits. Women are the dominant users of the fastest-growing mobile and social platforms, and they make or influence 85% of consumer purchases. Nisha has invested in over 70 start-ups, including a few that you may know such as Zola, The Sill, Carbon38, and Lola.
In addition to her work at BBG Ventures, she founded BUILT BY GIRLS, a platform that encourages young women to enter tech by introducing them to opportunities, practical skills, and a network of women in the industry.
But before all of that, Nisha explored a variety of careers from being a singer, actress, lawyer, and consultant. In our interview, we’ll talk to Nisha about how to make career transitions in your life, incredible advice about raising money for your business and common mistakes too many entrepreneurs make.
In this episode, we'll talk to Nisha about:
* Nisha opens up about her upbringing with Indian parents & how their expectations academically impacted her early career [2:51]
* Nisha shares tips on how to make big career leaps & why she decided to leave law [9:06]
* After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Nisha discusses why she had to make a career change & re-evaluate what success looks like [16:12]
* How Nisha gained the confidence to take on a new opportunity in business despite having no “formal” experience [23:54]
* How a business she was running led her to founding BUILT BY GIRLS [27:36]
* How Nisha’s varied career path led her to venture capital and launching her own fund [33:22]
* Nisha explains how founders should think about raising money & why venture capital isn’t for everyone [39:07]
* After seeing over 7,000 pitches, Nisha explains key themes that make a great founder [44:38]
* How to think about storytelling when you’re a founder and why it’s critical in your business [51:22]
Follow Nisha:
* BBG Ventures Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbgventures/
* BBG Ventures Website: https://www.bbgventures.com/
* Built By Girls Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builtbygirls/
* Built By Girls Website: https://www.builtbygirls.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Misha Nonoo is a New York-based womenswear designer who is known for her sustainable, sleek, and timeliness ready-to-wear pieces.
From the time Misha was a young girl, she was fascinated with fashion and empowering women as she witnessed the dichotomy of women’s roles growing up in Bahrain as well as London. Her upbringing gave her an appreciation for different cultures and an understanding of women’s lives in different places. After gaining recognition from a reputable buyer for a few pieces she created for herself, Misha decided to launch her namesake fashion brand with the goal of having her customers feel strong, confident, and empowered in all aspects of their life.
Misha was the first designer to use social media as a venue for fashion shows, debuting her Spring/Summer 2016 collection on Instagram, and was a pioneer in using the made-to-order business model which promotes sustainability in an industry that is known for producing so much waste. Misha is also passionate about using her business as a platform for change and most notably collaborated with her dear friend, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, for the Smart Works charity where for every shirt sold, Misha donated one to the work wardrobes of women in need.
Misha won industry recognition when she became a finalist for the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” as well as Crain’s New York Business’ “40 under 40.”
In this episode, we'll talk to Misha about:
* Misha shares what life was like growing up between the Middle East and Europe [3:08]
* Misha talks about her love of fashion and why she ended up going to business school vs fashion school [7:50]
* Why Misha’s move to NYC during the financial crisis was a pivotal moment in her career and life [11:46]
* How Misha decided to launch her own brand and why she thinks “beginner's luck” was in her favor [14:53]
* The realities of what life looked like when Misha was working her full time job and launching her clothing line [20:16]
* Misha opens up about a difficult period in her life when she was dealing with her divorce & massive restructuring of her business [27:11]
* How Misha became the first fashion designer to use social media as a venue for her fashion shows despite the many skeptics at the time [32:13]
* Misha shares her experience and advice when it comes to fundraising [40:07]
* What sustainability means for Misha in her life and business [44:47]
* Misha talks about life as a new mom and how she’s designed her life to manage motherhood & entrepreneurship [50:52]
* The importance of women supporting women and why it’s key to Misha’s mission [54:30]
Follow Misha:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mishanonoo/
* Website: https://mishanonoo.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Karissa Bodnar is the Founder and CEO of Thrive Causemetics, a high-performance vegan, cruelty-free direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand.
Karissa grew up on a farm in Washington state and always loved creating makeup since she was a young girl. After working as a make-up artist to pay her way through college, she landed a job at Clarisonic and then was working in L'Oréal’s luxury division. Karissa never aspired to start her own business until she lost her dear friend, Kristy, to cancer at just 24 years old. As Karissa reflected on the generous life Kristy lived, she felt inspired to take action on her passion and create a brand that was truly bigger than beauty. A month later, Thrive Causemetics was born. Starting out, Karissa self-funded the business, made formulas on her kitchen counter, and fulfilled orders all out of her 1-bedroom apartment.
Six years later, Karissa has built a company with philanthropy at its core. Thrive Causemetics has donated over $100 million in funds and products to women's charities since inception. However, none of this could have been done if it weren’t for the success of her products. Thrive Causemetics has grown to be a multi-million dollar company and is known for its best sellers which include Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara (one was sold every 5 seconds), Infinity Waterproof Eyeliner, and the Buildable Blur CC Cream.
Acknowledging her amazing work and success, Karissa has been named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Forbes’ America's Richest Self-Made Women, Marie Claire’s Most Powerful Women and Inc.’s Badass Female Founders list.
In this episode, we'll talk to Karissa about:
* Karissa shares her childhood living on a farm and how it impacted her creativity at a young age [3:06]
* How working at Clarisonic really change the trajectory of her career and what she thought was possible [8:54]
* How the passing of Karissa’s best friend, Kristy, inspired her to re-evaluate her purpose and start a company [11:20]
* Karissa shares how she designed her life to self-fund the new brand she wanted to launch [14:40]
* Karissa discusses why trial and error was essential to creating awareness for her new products [19:20]
* The importance of hustle and grace when launching a business & how Karissa landed a spot on Good Morning America [26:14]
* Karissa walks through what helped the company go viral after two years of slow growth [32:00]
* Key advice and tips she gives to other entrepreneurs looking to build a business [35:10]
* Karissa explains how constant rejections in the early days pivoted the way she thought about the business [40:36]
* How Karissa manages her mental health during difficult and challenging times [43:36]
* The toughest lesson Karissa learned on her entrepreneurial journey [45:13]
* How to build a network and the importance of reaching out to people who can help you with your goals [47:46]
Follow Karissa:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karissabodnar/
* Thrive Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ThriveCausemetics/
* Thrive Website: https://thrivecausemetics.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ashley Merrill is a serial-entrepreneur and investor whose personal mission is to elevate and empower all women & girls.
In 2012, Ashley just started business school and in the same month realized she was pregnant with her first child. The news lit a now-or-never fire and pushed Ashley to overcome her fears and launch the company she had been thinking about for years, Lunya, a luxury sleepwear line that provides confidence to the modern woman. In our interview, we’ll have an honest conversation about why we need more successful women in business, what the journey was like starting a high growth business while raising two young kids, and the importance of partnership in your marriage.
Ashley is also the Chairwoman of Outdoor Voices, an activewear brand, founder of Lahgo, a men’s luxury sleepwear line, and her newest project, the Deep, a platform for curious people that will change the way we have conversations with each other.
In this episode, we'll talk to Ashley about:
* Ashley opens up about her college experience and how she landed in culinary school [4:05]
* Ashley shares how to make an impact and be in an industry despite not fitting “the mold” [8:42]
* How Ashley pivoted her career and found the confidence to make the leap [11:33]
* How the idea of Lunya came about and why motherhood motivated her to actually go for it [14:51]
* Ashley shares her unique story on launching Lunya while she was in labor [18:51]
* Ashley walks through how she funded the business and how the VC landscape has shifted over the years [21:36]
* Why we need to have more successful women businesses [30:15]
* Ashley opens up about her life and marriage starting a high growth business with two young kids [31:16]
* Ashley discusses her definition of wealth and why she equates it to freedom [44:05]
Follow Ashley:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashley__merrill/
* Lunya: https://www.lunya.co/
* Lahgo: https://lahgo.co/
* The Deep: https://www.thedeep.life/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lindsey Boyd is the co-founder of The Laundress, a premium collection of eco-friendly laundry and home cleaning products.
Before starting the company, Lindsey was working in high-end fashion in NY as a manager of Chanel’s Ready-to-Wear division. While working in the industry, Lindsey noticed a real need and void in the market. Although consumers were willing to spend a lot of money on their clothes, they were spending even more money on dry cleaning - which was not only toxic but also damaging to their garments. After years of researching and understanding how detergents work, Lindsey and her college friend turned business partner, Gwen Whiting, decided to launch eco-friendly detergents that were gentle enough to be used at home on dry-clean only items.
They bootstrapped, crowdfunded and took a small SBA loan to launch their business For years the company struggled to make a profit, but they eventually grew a cult and loyal following, and in 2019, sold to Unilever for a reported $100 million dollars.
In this episode, we'll talk to Lindsey about:
* Lindsey explains why she decided to switch majors to pursue her interest in fashion & business [2:38]
* Lindsey discusses her side hustles and how that impacted her confidence as an entrepreneur [7:23]
* How Lindsey and her co-founder explored different businesses & decided on the Laundress [14:18]
* Lindsey describes how she created her business plan and key advice on creating goals [21:52]
* Lindsey shares how she formulated and created laundry products with no experience [26:56]
* How Lindsey self-funded the business and didn’t take outside capital [34:30]
* Lindsey walks through how she dealt with rejections and skeptics [38:08]
* How Lindsey weathered the 2008 financial crisis and created a profitable company [44:26]
* How Lindsey deals with her mental health as an entrepreneur [48:58]
* Lindsey explains her experience selling her company for a reported $100 million [51:14]
* Key lessons and advice Lindsey shares with all new entrepreneurs [55:10]
Follow Lindsey:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseyjuliaboyd/
* The Laundress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelaundress/
* The Laundress Website: https://www.thelaundress.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Janice Bryant Howroyd is the founder and CEO of the ActOne Group, a multi-billion dollar global business providing workforce solutions.
Janice’s entrepreneurial journey started with very humble beginnings. As a temporary secretary for her brother-in-law’s company, Janice saw an opportunity in the market where other executives were looking for quick and effective clerical help. She decided to branch off on her own and start an employment agency with only $1,500 in her pocket - $900 of which she borrowed from her mother. 40 years later, the company earns over a billion dollars in sales and is in 19 countries with over 17,000 clients.
Janice has been recognized on Forbes’ list of America's Richest Self-Made Women and is known to be the first black woman to own and operate a billion-dollar company. Janice is incredibly talented, passionate, and a fierce business mentor who shares a wealth of knowledge around what it means to be authentic and successful on your entrepreneurship journey.
In this episode, we'll talk to Janice about:
* How Janice’s childhood and Southern upbringing during the civil rights era impacted her as a person & leader [3:20]
* Why Janice’s college experience was instrumental in her adult framing [8:24]
* Janice shares how a quick trip to LA became a career defining moment and led Janice to start her first business [15:13]
* Advice on how to create a sustainable business and why it’s important to build a company around your own personal values [25:30]
* Janice describes how she started her business with a $900 loan from her mother [27:53]
* Why COVID is the best time for anyone to pivot their career or start their own business [36:23]
* Janice describes what it was like to be a young woman founder in an industry that was dominated by older white males [37:37]
* The most important advice that she wants every woman to know [40:35]
* How she learned to be unapologetically herself in life and business [42:59]
* Janice shares tips based on her journey on managing motherhood and entrepreneurship [45:47]
Follow Janice:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbryanthowroyd/
* Personal Website: http://askjbh.com/
* Company Website: https://www.actonegroup.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly Rutherford is an activist and actress who has impressed audiences with her roles in Melrose Place, Gossip Girl, and most recently, Dynasty and Pretty Little Liars.
Kelly is also known for her very high-profile and public custody battle she had with her ex-husband. A California judge went on to rule that it was in the best interest of the kids to live with their father in Monaco which is something Kelly fought for six years with every dollar she had. The fight for her kids impacted her not only emotionally but also financially and it was at this point, Kelly had to rebuild her life from the ground up.
After getting to know Kelly more than what’s portrayed in the spotlight, it’s really who she is as a person that truly sets her apart - the grace, kindness, love, and positivity she has even after going through such a difficult experience is incredibly admirable. Kelly shares how through her struggle she found her true strength and power. And also how shifting her perspective towards joy and happiness changed her life in even the darkest of times.
Kelly is a loving mother of two, an activist for women and children, an artist, entrepreneur, and a beautiful woman both inside and out.
In this episode, we'll talk to Kelly about:
* How moving consistently as a child taught Kelly to adapt and adjust to life’s circumstances [2:50]
* Kelly shares her motivation behind becoming an actress and desire to become financially independent [4:55]
* How Kelly deals with constant rejection and disappointment in Hollywood [10:43]
* Kelly describes how her role as Lily Vander Woodson in Gossip Girl came about and what it taught her about trust & life [13:28]
* What George Clooney taught Kelly about confidence and getting rid of doubt [16:34]
* How Kelly dealt with the pain and anxiety around her very public child custody battle [19:07]
* Shifting your perspective to only focusing on the good and finding alignment in your life [23:13]
* How Kelly rebuilt her life after declaring bankruptcy and how she became a better parent when she noticed all the blessings in her life [29:45]
* Why money is energy and how we can shift our focus around poverty consciousness & allow abundance in our lives [36:21]
Follow Kelly:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyrutherford/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr. Sabrina Kay is a serial entrepreneur, investor, fashion designer, and philanthropist. Born in South Korea, Sabrina moved to the U.S. with her family at 18. As a recent immigrant who barely spoke English, Sabrina became a janitor to help make ends meet and enrolled in a local college to pursue the education she always dreamed of. By the age of 20, Sabrina dropped out of school and was a single mother who was solely focused on creating a better life for her future daughter.
In less than a decade, she founded the Art Institute of Hollywood, grew it to one of the Big Four fashion colleges in North America, and sold it for 8-figures - making her a multi-millionaire in her 30s. Although she had more than enough money to retire, she decided to go back to school to earn her MBA and PhD. While in graduate school, Sabrina continued her entrepreneurial journey by founding and selling multiple businesses, including a fashion line, a community bank, and an accredited graduate-level college institution.
In this episode, we’ll dive deep into how Sabrina rose up from a poor, immigrant, single mom working 120-hour weeks to becoming a well-respected businesswoman, tech educator, and philanthropist.
In this episode, we'll talk to Sabrina about:
* Life growing up in South Korea and its cultural expectations [2:42]
* Sabrina shares what it was like moving to America at the age of 18 and working as a janitor [5:02]
* Why Sabrina dropped out of college and the shame she felt when learning she was pregnant [8:38]
* Sabrina explains why having her daughter was her biggest blessing and motivator to create a better life for herself [10:28]
* The beginnings of Sabrina’s first business which started from a newspaper ad and cold call [13:44]
* How the LA riots in ‘92 impacted Sabrina’s life and how she became famous overnight [19:57]
* How Sabrina felt when she sold her company for 8-figures in her 30s and why it exposed her own insecurities [28:56]
* Why Sabrina decided to pursue her multiple graduate degrees after selling her company [33:24]
* Why Sabrina felt lost in her life and how she overcame being a workaholic [37:59]
* How getting rejected from grad school led Sabrina down a new path in life and business [41:16]
* Sabrina explains why 2015 to 2017 were the worst years of her professional life [48:21]
* Advice for entrepreneurs and leaders when overcoming difficult and painful times [56:10]
* The gift and competitive advantage women entrepreneurs have in business [58:48]
Follow Sabrina:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsabrinakay
* Website: https://sabrinakay.com
* Twitter: https://twitter.com/drsabrinakay
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Natasha Case is the co-founder and CEO of Coolhaus, a leading women-founded and -led ice cream and frozen dessert brand creating premium cookie sandwiches and pints. After earning her masters in architecture and landing her dream job at Walt Disney Imagineering, Natasha discovered her newfound passion for creating architecturally-inspired ice cream sandwiches as a way to bring joy to her coworkers during the last recession. At that time, Natasha met her co-founder and now wife, Freya, and they realized the potential and uniqueness of the product. They decided to quit their corporate careers to pursue their passion for ice cream as a real business and create a brand they could identify with.
In 2008, they took a barely drivable postal van they purchased on Craigslist to Coachella to officially launch their ice cream sandwiches. The event turned out to be a massive hit and Coolhaus has now become a multi-million dollar business growing 2-3x per year. Natasha has been named 30 under 30 by Forbes & Zagat and has helped expand the business to over 7,500 grocery stores nationwide, from Safeway to Whole Foods.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Natasha about:
* How Natasha found a way to incorporate her two passions, food and architecture when she was working at Disney [6:39]
* When Natasha decided to take a personal passion of hers to the next step and create a real “business” [8:39]
* Why not being able to secure a business loan and launching at Coachella with a broken van was the best decision Natasha made [10:44]
* How Natasha and her co-founder managed to launch at Coachella despite having no brand or business recognition [14:35]
* How the Coolhaus brand went viral after its launch and changed the trajectory of the business [16:17]
* Natasha shares how she launched the company by borrowing only $1,400 [20:11]
* Key challenges Natasha faced growing Coolhaus and the importance of being transparent with your customers during difficult times [24:18]
* Natasha discusses what it takes to go from start-up founder to a CEO of a multi-million dollar business [27:34]
* Natasha opens about life as a mother and entrepreneurship & how her children have motivated her to create an even bigger ice-cream empire with Coolhaus [32:10]
* Natasha shares advice on how she mentally handles the stresses and challenges of running a business [37:13]
* Key advice Natasha has for women who are taking a leap in their career or want to start their own dream business [38:51]
Follow Natasha:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashajcase/
* Coolhaus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coolhaus/
* Coolhaus Website: https://cool.haus/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tonya Rapley is a serial entrepreneur, best selling author, millennial money expert, and creator of the award-winning site, My Fab Finance which provides financial advice for modern millennial women.
Tonya launched her business based on her personal needs. She took a traumatic experience as a survivor of domestic violence and turned it into her greatest creation - the My Fab Finance platform. Tonya took charge of her financial freedom which allowed her to take charge of her own happiness and power. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and wants women to be free to make the moves they need to make in their life - especially if their lives and well-being depend on it.
Tonya is a national speaker and has written for many popular media outlets including Forbes, Yahoo Finance, US News, and Huffington Post. Her impressive client list includes Fidelity Investments, Prudential, the National Endowment for Financial Education, and FinCon (the financial bloggers conference).
In this episode, we'll talk to Tonya about:
* Tonya’s childhood growing up in a military family and its impact to how she views entrepreneurship and money [2:16]
* How Tonya’s abusive relationship led her to founding her blog which is now a six figure business [4:33]
* Tonya shares her journey turning her blog from a side business to a full time opportunity that financially supports her [9:21]
* Why women need to talk more about money and their income in order to see what’s possible [13:01]
* Why Tonya emphasizes the power of mindset when it comes to creating a better financial life for yourself [16:05]
* Tonya walks through certain rituals and habits she does in her life that have helped her success and wealth [18:07]
* Common mistakes Tonya’s clients make when it comes to managing their money and their mindset [20:12]
* Specifics tips Tonya has when it comes to savings and how you should think through investing [22:31]
* How Tonya manages motherhood while leading two thriving businesses during COVID [28:04]
* The importance of focusing on flexibility vs. balance in your life [31:53]
* Tonya shares key learnings when it comes to managing your business finances [34:59]
Follow Tonya:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonya.rapley/
* My Fab Finance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfabfinance/
* My Fab Finance Website: https://myfabfinance.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tracy Holland is the co-founder of HATCHBEAUTY Brands, a top beauty and wellness incubator that has grown to over $100 million in sales.
After leaving a career in public service, Tracy founded her first business in grad school where she went all in and invested every dollar she had to build something that would later be the foundation of her business today. HATCHBEAUTY works with top retailers, artists, and influencers to bring their ideas to life and create innovative brands in the beauty and wellness industry. Tracy is also the founder of HATCHBEAUTY Ventures where she advises young women entrepreneurs on business growth and strategy. As a mother of three young children, Tracy is a prime example of how you can balance motherhood with a career and that you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.
Tracy’s awards and honors include 2019 Fashion and Beauty Award for Beauty Service Provider of the Year, EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017, and election to The Committee of 200, an organization of the most successful women business leaders globally.
In this episode, we'll talk to Tracy about:
* Tracy discusses her childhood growing up in an academic family and why her definition of success varied considerably from her parents’ [2:24]
* Tracy reflects on what she learned from going to reform school at the age of 15 [5:40]
* Tracy always thought she wasn’t smart enough but walks through how she eventually built her confidence which ultimately helped her considerably in business [9:44]
* How Tracy started a successful scented nail polish company in grad school and invested her student loans to help with the financing [12:50]
* Tracy shares how she got into big retailers despite having no experience in the industry [15:55]
* Tracy explains why the brand failed, the importance of IP and understanding your deal structure when it comes to financing [18:46]
* Tracy walks through how she overcame a dark time when her business failed and she was $150,000 in debt [23:00]
* Tracy discusses key lessons she learned working in various businesses and why she ultimately quit her job to take control her own destiny [24:55]
* Tracy opens up about her journey to motherhood & marriage [33:00]
* Why Tracy’s definition of wealth has changed over the years [41:40]
Follow HATCHBEAUTY Brands:
* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hatchbeautybrands/
* Website: https://www.hatchbeautybrands.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Heidi Zak is the co-founder and CEO of ThirdLove, the fastest growing and most disruptive brand in the lingerie industry.
When Heidi couldn’t find a quality bra that fit her correctly and looked great, she realized there was an opportunity in the market for modern women. In 2013, Heidi left her job at Google to pursue her dream of offering high quality, better fitting bras, and marketing them in a way that didn’t push impossible beauty standards. Heidi is on a mission to build a brand for every woman, regardless of her shape, size, age, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. She believes inclusivity should be the norm, not the exception, and has led the charge, inventing half-cups and offering women more than 80 sizes.
Since inception, more than 16 million women of all shapes and sizes have used ThirdLove’s innovative Fit Finder tool to find a bra that truly fits her body. The company has been valued at a reported $750 million dollars and is generating over $100 million in revenue annually.
Heidi has been recognized as Fortune's 40 Under 40, EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and Goldman Sachs' 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.
In this episode, we'll talk to Heidi about:
* Heidi shares why she became an entrepreneur and skills she learned working in her corporate career that have helped her as CEO [2:37]
* Why walking into a Victoria's Secret sparked Heidi’s idea for ThirdLove and why she wanted to create a bra brand for modern women [5:57]
* Two questions Heidi asked herself before quitting her lucrative job to work on ThirdLove full-time [7:41]
* Heidi discusses the slow growth ThirdLove had in the first two years of the business & what they did to completely changed the trajectory of the business [10:02]
* The importance of networking and why you need to be okay with asking for things [15:12]
* Heidi walks through how she thinks through difficult business decisions and challenges she faced with her first manufacturer in the early days [18:57]
* The power of mentorship and having a diverse group of mentors in your network [23:27]
* Heidi gives advice on how to think through partnerships and co-founders when starting a business [25:39]
* Why she decided to have her first kid around the same time ThirdLove officially launched [27:34]
* Heidi shares advice she gives all women entrepreneurs she mentors [31:05]
* Heidi discusses the future of ThirdLove and the ever-changing role as a founder when leading a high growth business [35:10]
Follow Heidi:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidi/
* ThirdLove Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ThirdLove/
* Website: https://www.thirdlove.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lee Mayer is the co-founder and CEO of Havenly, an online interior design company that makes interior decorating services more accessible and affordable to all.
In 2013, Lee had just relocated from a small NYC apartment to a larger home with considerably more space in Denver, Colorado. Overwhelmed by all the furniture and decor choices to be made, Lee was frustrated by the lack of quick, simple, budget-friendly interior design options that were available to her.
As someone who never thought of herself as an entrepreneur, especially growing up with certain cultural expectations from her Indian family, Lee tried to convince all her friends to start an online interior design company to solve the problem. After spending months in an empty home, Lee, encouraged by her sister Emily, quit her lucrative career in finance and the two started the company together. Neither of them had interior design or tech backgrounds but were confident that there was a need in the market.
Under Lee’s leadership, Havenly has raised $58 million dollars in funding from top tier investors and is now the leader in the world of online design while many competitors have struggled or even failed to stay afloat.
In this episode, we'll talk to Lee about:
* How Lee’s upbringing and cultural expectations of her Indian family impacted her career trajectory [2:25]
* Lee shares how she never thought of herself as an entrepreneur & how her own narrative for becoming a tech founder changed [6:00]
* Before taking the leap to start her company, Lee walks through how she thought through financial security and leaving her lucrative career [13:33]
* Lee opens up about the early days of Havenly, mistakes she made along the way and what she thinks held her back [18:30]
* The importance of not taking anything personally in business and blaming yourself for failures [24:35]
* How to change your perspective on success and live a more purpose driven life [27:50]
* Lee’s experience raising $58 million dollars from venture capitalists & how she dealt with 140 no’s [29:14]
* How to overcome imposter syndrome and deal with the naysayers [40:40]
* Lee walks through the silver lining of her divorce and how it pushed her to ask for help which benefited both her personal & professional life [44:53]
* How Lee manages her family life and a high growth business & why the partner you select in your life is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make [48:38]
Follow Lee:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeathavenly/
* Havenly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehavenly/
* Website: https://havenly.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Vicky Tsai, founder of Japanese beauty brand Tatcha, had a nontraditional path to eventually founding one of the top skincare companies today. About 10 years ago, Vicky decided to leave her thriving career and travel the world in search of happiness and meaning in her life.
In her travels, when visiting Kyoto, Japan, Vicky had a life-changing meeting with a Geisha. She learned some of their natural skincare secrets which healed her skin & soul in the truest sense and she wanted to bring the same experience back with her to the US.
However, when launching Tatcha, there were many barriers she faced: Asian skincare wasn’t popular, direct-to-consumer businesses weren’t common, and consumers weren’t interested in clean products. Fast forward to today, Tatcha is available in Sephora & QVC and is the second fastest growing women-led company on the Inc 5000 list. And last year, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million dollars.
Vicky is passionate about giving back. Since inception, they have partnered with Room to Read in their mission to educate girls globally and have sponsored over 3 million days of school.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Vicky about:
* How 9/11 impacted Vicky’s perspective on life’s meaning and purpose [4:00]
* Vicky shares how she used business school to do introspective work on herself [6:28]
* Vicky discusses her career trajectory and why Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks, played a big role in her leaving her corporate career [10:57]
* Vicky shares how she thinks about social entrepreneurship and using business as a vehicle for social change [15:52]
* Vicky describes why Kyoto, Japan made such a big impact in her life & truly healed her from the inside out [18:02]
* How Vicky thinks about money, risk & success and key tips she shares with entrepreneurs when starting a business [20:28]
* How Vicky sold her engagement ring to buy 10,000 blotting papers and bring Tatcha to life [24:32]
* Why Vicky decided to not raise money from investors early-on & the personal sacrifices she made to keep the business afloat [26:54]
* What Tatcha looked like in the early days and how she eventually got the product in Sephora & QVC [33:45]
* Vicky shares her advice on raising money with institutional investors [44:37]
* Vicky describes how she felt when stepping down as CEO and the immense growth the Company saw when she stopped caring about what others think [45:48]
* Vicky shares what it was like to sell her company for $500 million dollars and the legacy she wants to leave behind [53:20]
Follow Tatcha:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatcha
* Website: https://www.tatcha.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jaime Schmidt is an entrepreneur and the founder of Schmidt’s Naturals, a brand of natural personal care products that she started in her kitchen.
Feeling unfulfilled in her career and seeking purpose for most of her life, Jaime was exploring different hobbies with the hopes that she would find her passion. In 2010, Jaime was pregnant with her son and was experimenting with making her own natural, non-toxic products that would be safe for her to use. After exploring different recipes, she soon created a natural deodorant that “actually worked” and that’s when Schmidt’s Naturals was born.
Jaime grew the company from farmers' market tables to a household name that lined the shelves of CVS, Target, Costco, Whole Foods and Walmart. Under Jaime’s leadership, the company was in over 14,000 stores in 30 countries, with year over year growth at 300%. After seven years of running her company, Jaime sold Schmidt’s Naturals to Unilever for a reported nine-figures.
Jaime is dedicated to building better businesses and recently launched two new ventures: Supermaker, a media platform that celebrates emerging entrepreneurs, and Color, an inclusive investment fund that supports diverse and underrepresented founders.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Jaime about:
* Jaime shares her early entrepreneurial path as a child & family values around money and savings [2:38]
* Why she decided to leave her corporate job and take time off to soul search & find her new career path [5:15]
* Jaime walks through different hobbies she was pursuing to help find her passion & why becoming pregnant was her biggest motivator [7:50]
* Jaime shares her business journey in selling natural deodorants at Farmers Markets and when she realized she had a big business opportunity in front of her [10:33]
* Jaime shares how she garnered a support system which helped her build a business in an industry she had no experience in [14:08]
* How Jaime grew the business without raising any money [15:30]
* Jaime’s discusses how persistence and relentlessness was part of her successful retail strategy [17:56]
* Key tips in dealing with competitors in your industry [20:15]
* Jaime talks about her acquisition story and how she felt when she sold her business for nine-figures [22:16]
* Jaime talks about how she is supporting and investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs [25:52]
* Why getting pregnant and officially launching her business was the best decision she ever made [28:06]
* Key business advice she shares with new entrepreneurs [33:10]
Follow Jaime:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimeschmidt/
* Website: https://jaimeschmidt.info/
References:
* Schmidt's Naturals: https://schmidts.com/
* Color: https://color.capital/
* Supermarker: https://supermaker.com/
* Jaime’s latest book: https://supermaker.com/book
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Elissa Goodman is a Holistic Nutritionist, Founder of S.O.U.P., Author and Lifestyle Cleanse expert.
Elissa’s early adult life was considered “successful” by her family and society’s standards: she was climbing up the corporate ladder, had her dream job, a great husband, and was financially doing very well. Her life completely changed when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32. It was then she finally realized how unhappy, unfulfilled, and exhausted she was living a life that wasn’t true to her.
After healing herself and quitting her toxic career, she lost her husband to cancer shortly after. This was a huge turning point in her life. She immediately became a single mother to her two young daughters and had to elevate her health & wellbeing in order to be strong for her family & help them through such an emotionally traumatizing time.
However, from life’s tragedies, she found her purpose and calling. She’s created one of the top holistic and lifestyle organizations where her mission is to teach others on how to live a healthy and radiant life through the power of nutrition and self love.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Elissa about:
* How Elissa’s family impacted her definition of success & influenced her early career choices [3:13]
* Elissa shares the stress and burn out she experienced early in her career & getting diagnosed with cancer [10:08]
* How Elissa healed herself from cancer by managing her stress & working on her health from the inside out [17:25]
* Elissa discusses how she dealt with losing her husband to cancer & becoming a stronger mother for her two daughters [19:48]
* Importance of listening to your intuition and not losing touch of your instincts [22:47]
* How Elissa discovered her passion for nutrition & created a successful business around helping people get to the root cause of their issues through emotional & physical discovery [22:59]
* How Elissa only started loving herself at the age of 58 & her journey to self-love, happiness and freedom [35:11]
* Elissa shares her journey with psilocybin mushrooms which helped her work through childhood trauma & the darkness she had in her life [38:36]
* Elissa’s discusses business advice she wish she knew when she was younger [42:20]
* We talk about Elissa’s fiancé and what makes a healthy & happy partnership [46:48]
* How Elissa’s transformation with self-love helped her build an even stronger relationship with her kids [52:15]
Follow Elissa:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elissagoodman/
* Website: https://elissagoodman.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Paige Adams-Geller is the Founder and Creative Director of PAIGE, a highly successful premium denim and lifestyle brand. Paige is a true pioneer and one of the first female founders disrupting the billion dollar premium denim industry. Paige employs over 300 people from Los Angeles to London and is sold in over 80 countries.
Paige’s journey was far from easy. After navigating multiple career transitions, a health crisis, and sexual assault in the workplace, Paige rose above these traumatic experiences and regained her voice & power. In 2004, she founded PAIGE to fulfill a personal passion she had despite having no formal education in fashion or business.
Paige is dedicated to empowering women to find their voice and speak up. We have a very vulnerable conversation around her path to creating a highly successful brand and how she found a sense of hope & purpose in her life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Paige about:
* Paige describes how growing up in a small town in Alaska fueled her creativity and imagination [2:26]
* Paige shares how graduating early from high-school and moving to NY was very damaging to her body, mind and spirit [7:50]
* Paige describes how she navigated various careers in the most difficult time in her life & how she became fashion industry’s top fit model [14:08]
* Paige walks through how she reclaimed her voice & power and became one of the first female founders in the denim industry [22:25]
* How Paige launched her company and premium denim brand in only three months [27:51]
* Paige talks about how she navigated the huge success she had in early days of the company [32:58]
* How Paige transitioned the company to a lifestyle brand for both men and women despite others saying it was impossible [36:50]
* Key lessons from Paige's entrepreneurial journey & the importance of living a life with no regrets, asking for help and trusting your intuition [45:33]
Follow Paige:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigeageller/
* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paige/
* Website: https://www.paige.com
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rana el Kaliouby is an Egyptian-American scientist, innovator, author and CEO. She co-founded the artificial intelligence company, Affectiva, and has pioneered a digital software that can read & analyze human emotion in real time. Rana has raised over $50 million in venture funding and was recognized on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 List & as one of Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech.
Rana grew up in Cairo where she was raised, as she says, to be a “nice Egyptian girl.” She defied cultural expectations in both the tech world and in her native Middle Eastern heritage. She earned her Ph.D. at Cambridge, postdoc at MIT and is working in a field of technology that is still overwhelmingly white and male.
However, before she broke ground as a scientist and founded her company, she broke the rules of what it meant to be an obedient daughter and, later, an obedient wife to pursue her own daring dream. Rana’s personal journey overcoming self-doubt and embracing her ambition is an inspiration to all women to feel empowered & be the leader of their own life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Rana about:
* Rana’s childhood growing up in Egypt & how her family’s conservative yet forward-thinking views impacted her [2:24]
* How she decided to go against the expectations of her culture & pursue her own daring dreams [4:52]
* Rana discusses the early days of her company and its impact to her marriage [7:47]
* Rana opens up about the immense fear she had moving to the US while leaving her family behind [10:44]
* Rana shares life after her divorce as a financially independent woman [12:36]
* What it’s like to raise money from top-tier investors as a scientist & first time entrepreneur [15:22]
* Why Rana thinks the idea of “balance” is a misnomer when it comes to family and work [21:49]
* Rana shares her journey to CEO & how she overcame her own self doubt and self-imposed barriers [26:07]
* The importance of women self-advocating for themselves and asking for what they deserve [30:15]
* The power of empathetic leadership when managing your team’s culture and productivity during the pandemic [32:50]
* Rana’s personal journey in embracing her emotions & overcoming her own fears and insecurities [38:10]
Follow Rana:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranaelkaliouby/
* Website: https://www.affectiva.com/
* Rana’s book - Girl Decoded: https://ranaelkaliouby.com/girldecoded/
References:
* All Raise: https://www.allraise.org/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Daina Trout is the CEO and co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha, one of the most successful and delicious kombucha drinks on the market. Although she was going up the ranks in Corporate America, Daina felt less fulfilled as time went on and had the desire to build a company on her own terms. She eventually quit her job and took the risk to develop & build the best tasting, highest quality kombucha there is.
Fast forward to today, Health Ade has grown from a small production item that was started in Daina’s closet with only $600 to now the fastest growing brand in the category generating over $150 million in revenue across 30,000 stores.
When she’s not giving her heart & soul to Health-Ade and mentoring young entrepreneurs, she’s fully dedicated to her two young boys who she credits have helped make her an even better CEO.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Daina about:
* How Daina’s upbringing as a “difficult kid” & challenging the status quo paid off in her adulthood [2:52]
* Daina talks about how she continued to feel unfulfilled despite having a great life & successful corporate job [6:10]
* How Daina’s desire to create a company on her own terms was the main driver in starting Health-Ade [9:07]
* How saving the world from baldness led Daina to her business idea [11:40]
* Daina describes how quitting her job was the scariest but one of the most important decisions she ever made [15:47]
* The challenges & realities entrepreneurs face when first starting their business [20:00]
* Daina shares how women can be more confident in business and life [24:27]
* Why it’s so important to lean into uncertainty and discomfort [29:05]
* The superpower women have as business leaders [30:38]
* How Daina manages motherhood and being a CEO of a high growth business [34:50]
* How having kids made Daina an ever better CEO [38:50]
* Why women need to talk more about money [45:35]
* Daina shares tips and examples on how you can negotiate your salary [49:00]
Follow Daina:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dainatrout/
* Website: https://health-ade.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Suzy Batiz is the creative visionary, founder, creator and CEO of Poo~Pourri and supernatural. She’s created an enterprise that’s worth over $500 million and made Forbes' America’s Richest Self-Made Women list without borrowing a dime or raising a single dollar of outside funding.
But success didn’t come easy for her. Suzy experienced some of life’s lowest lows — poverty, sexual and domestic abuse, depression, two bankruptcies and a suicide attempt — which led to what she calls the luxury of losing everything. After harnessing the power of intuition, her journey led her to building businesses that only made her feel alive.
Her newest project, ALIVE OS, teaches others how to recognize alive ideas by tuning into their intuition and diving into their creative energy to achieve a naturally abundant flow state in life and business.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Suzy about:
* How Suzy’s upbringing and life’s lowest moments shaped who she is today [2:14]
* Suzy opens up about her limiting beliefs around money & how she overcame her poverty consciousness [4:42]
* Suzy describes her second bankruptcy & how she deemed herself the “world’s worst entrepreneur” [6:53]
* How Suzy’s spiritual journey & overcoming depression eventually led her to getting back in business with Poo~Pourri [10:17]
* Four distinct characteristics that help you realize an “alive” business idea that truly resonates with you [15:20]
* Suzy shares how she funded the growth of Poo~Pourri & why she decided to not raise money from investors [17:40]
* Suzy talks about key hires that helped propel her business in the early days [23:50]
* Key advice for women entrepreneurs & myths we tell ourselves about business [29:05]
* The importance of thinking big & how Suzy is living a life that’s beyond her wildest dreams [36:31]
* Suzy discusses the most overlooked skill of successful people [37:50]
* Suzy shares her latest project helping entrepreneurs tune into their intuition & live a naturally abundant life [39:28]
* How to overcome fear & identify its impact in your life [43:03]
Follow Suzy:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzybatiz/
* ALIVE OS Course: https://aliveos.suzybatiz.com/
* Article referenced in interview: https://medium.com/the-ascent/the-most-overlooked-skill-of-successful-people-d5caab283e6e
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Toni Ko is the Founder of NYX Cosmetics and Bespoke Beauty Brands. At the young age of 24, Toni was inspired to launch NYX based on her own desire to buy quality cosmetics at a price she could afford. Fifteen years later, Toni sold her company to L’Oreal for a reported $500 million and instantly became one of America’s richest self-made women.
We’ll talk to Toni about the personal sacrifices she made in her life and what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur even when the odds are stacked against you. Toni shows us how being a college drop out, first generation immigrant and young woman in her early 20s was an advantage when it came to her dreams of starting her own business.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Toni about:
*How Toni’s childhood moving to the US from Korea & working from a young age taught her about resilience [4:20]
*Toni talks about why she decided to leave her family business to start NYX cosmetics [10:12]
*Wise words on why failure is a better option than never trying at all [12:55]
*Toni describes her first year starting the company and successfully bringing in $4 million in retail sales [15:10]
*Toni explains timeless business advice that allowed her to start & scale her company [16:45]
*What it means to be an entrepreneur & the power we have as women [20:15]
*How to still be successful entrepreneur even when the odds are stacked against you [23:35]
*Toni walks through her journey bringing on investors & selling the company to L’Oreal for $500 million [28:00]
*Toni describes life after becoming one of America’s richest self-made women & how she lost her sense of purpose [33:35]
*Toni shares how she personally overcame depression [37:20]
*Toni opens up about how she thinks about motherhood & her own personal journey [38:34]
*Toni discusses why her second business wasn’t a success & three key learnings [42:50]
*Toni talks about her latest company, Bespoke Beauty Brands [49:35]
Follow Toni:
*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonikokoko
*Website: https://bespokebeautybrands.com/
Follow Yasmin:
*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
*Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nyakio Grieco is the founder of Nyakio Beauty, an award-winning skin-care brand that has been leading the clean beauty movement since 2002. While moving up the ranks in the entertainment industry, Nyakio realized that many cultures were under-represented in the prestige beauty space and saw a white space in the market.
She launched her company based on beauty secrets she learned as a child while visiting her grandmother, who was a coffee farmer, in Kenya and watching her use coffee beans to exfoliate & take care of her skin. She has sold her products in retail outlets nationwide, including Ulta, and is now exclusively available at Target. In 2015, Nyakio sold the company to Sundial Brands, which is now part of Unilever.
Although she has an incredible success story, Nyakio’s journey was far from easy. She’s managed the ups & down of entrepreneurship with so much grace, and is a firm believer that failure is not an option. She’s passionate about sharing her journey building a business from the ground up & inspiring others to also follow their passions and live a life with no regrets.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Nyakio about:
* How Nyakio’s upbringing & Kenyan family inspired her clean beauty journey at a young age [3:50]
* Nyakio shares why she decided to move to LA & begin her career in the entertainment industry [8:04]
* How Nykaio saw an opportunity to create a product in the prestige beauty space [12:30]
* Nyakio describes how she decided to go all-in with her business & the importance of living a life with no regrets [13:46]
* Nyakio walks through the early days of the company, the power of storytelling & how she raised money as a first time entrepreneur [17:45]
* Nyakio talks about what it takes to support a high growth business [23:56]
* The importance, as an entrepreneur, of always going back and editing your business plan [26:35]
* How Nyakio thinks about partnerships and what led to Sundial’s acquisition of her company [29:35]
* Why mentorship is important when building a business & why you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help [33:10]
* Nyakio shares words of advice for managing a high growth company and motherhood & why it’s important to have self compassion [38:09]
* Nyakio talks about why women authentically supporting women is key to our collective success [41:35]
* Nyakio explains why it’s important to know your numbers & how to pick the right business partners [43:55]
* Nyakio discusses the realities of raising money as a woman of color & why it only takes one “yes” to get your business off the ground [44:30]
Follow Nyakio:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyakio/ & https://www.instagram.com/nyakiobeauty/
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nyakiobeauty/
* Website: https://www.nyakio.com/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lavinia Errico is the visionary founder behind Equinox Fitness Clubs and now the Inside Out Movement. In her 20s and 30s, Lavinia built a leading Fitness Company that forever changed the way Americans think about health and wellness. At the peak of her success, Lavinia sold Equinox for millions and was instantaneously wealthy beyond her needs and dreams. Although she was living the “American Dream”, Lavinia realized that somewhere along the way she had lost the things that were most important to her - her essential self and identity. This experience pushed Lavinia to embark on a completely different path and journey to rebuild her identity from the inside out. Lavinia now inspires individuals and organizations with her unique, disruptive take on how to create a more powerful, authentic and inspiring life.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Lavinia about:
* How Lavinia’s upbringing & mother taught her to create the life you want [6:45]
* The importance of saying “yes” and being open to different career opportunities [21:40]
* Lavinia shares why there is no such thing as failure. It’s not about winning or losing: it’s about winning and learning. [31:10]
* How Lavinia and her brothers started a gym based on their own needs [34:15]
* Why Lavinia chose to listen to her gut when she left her high paying job to start a gym [37:43]
* Lavinia describes the importance of a team & the the “magic” her & her brothers had when founding Equinox [41:03]
* Lavinia talks about her health scare & importance of being spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally healthy [52:00]
* Lavinia discusses the importance of founders having self awareness & knowing what they’re good at [55:28]
* Lavinia walks through the journey of selling her company [1:00:00]
* Lavinia shares how she was at the lowest point in her life despite making millions [1:03:35]
* How to find your purpose or as Lavinia says “your own lane” and not hitting burn out [1:09:22]
* How to get clear with your goals & authentic self without listening to society’s expectations [1:13:50]
Follow Lavinia:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laviniajoy/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insideoutbylavinia/
Website: https://laviniaerrico.com/
Follow Yasmin:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Behind Her Empire is focused on highlighting self-made women leaders & entrepreneurs and how they tackle their career, money and life.
Each episode covers their unique hero's journey and what it really takes to build an empire with key lessons learned along the way. The goal of the series is to empower you to see what’s possible & inspire you to create financial freedom in your own life.
We have amazing women joining us including Lavinia Errico (Founder of Equinox), Toni Ko (Founder of NYX Cosmetics), Moj Mahdara (Founder of Beautycon), Daina Trout (Founder of Health-Ade Kombucha) and many more! We can't wait to share our interviews with you!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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