Entreprenista

Latest Episodes:

Joanna Parker of Yumble - The Word of Mom Jun 08, 2020

Show notes

Letâs be honest: being a Mamaprenista is really two full time jobs. But for Joanna Parker, co-founder of Yumble (a weekly subscription service that delivers healthy, delicious fully-prepared meals specifically designed for kids), itâs the "mama" job that actually inspired the âprenistaâ in her. Trying to solve mealtime challenges with her own kids, Joanna had an idea to lighten the load of other mothers, sharing a post on Facebook with an offer to cook for others. Before she knew it, her family's kitchen was doing double duty as a test and production kitchen for the new business she started with her husband. Just three years later, the company has gone national, has a fast growing team and many customers, and big plans to expand mealtime to a happier place. Joanna joins Socialfly co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including: how Joanna learned the power of social media to test the market, the value of getting feedback from early adopters; why Yumble wasnât the original name, and how the name was inspired by a story that never got made; why the decision to pause product deliveries for six months actually saved the company instead of destroying it; about the overlooked challenge of team management; how Joanna has found the fine line between managing and micromanaging; the distinction between ego and confidence; why one of most successful aspects of Yumble resulted from a scramble to fix a last minute problem; how Joanna the mom compares to Joanna the businessperson; why Joanna and family have committed to device-free weekends; and, the power of the "word of mom". Plus, a surprise!

Laura Schubert of Fur - Down There, The Hair Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

Letâs talk fur. Not the mink coat kind of fur. Itâs high time that pubic hair gets the attention it deserves. CEO Laura Schubert co-founded Fur as a force for good in the world by creating effective, clean products, and challenging outdated societal views that breed unnecessary shame and stigma around our bodies. The company offers products that hydrate skin, soften hair, and eradicate ingrowns from head to toe. Its facial-grade, vegan, cruelty free, non-toxic ingredients are dermatologically and gynaecologically tested, and the products are now in big retailers like Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, and Macyâs. Laura joins Socialfly Co-founder Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about her journey to success and building her company from the ground up, including: why hustle was the most important ingredient for Laura in building Fur; why Laura had to find cosmetic chemists by Googling them; what the biggest challenge during year 1 had to do with finding rhythm; the battles with digital censorship; the journey from serious HR and management consultant to pubic hair expert; the importance of discipline and strategy in launching new products; the marriage-like partnership of working with your best friend, and the art of disagreeing productively; the moment that packing boxes on the floor while being pregnant made Laura and her cofounder make a big change in their business; how moms might just make better delegators and managers; and why someone always has to cry! Plus, a surprise!

Lisa Barnett of Little Spoon - How Listening and Delivering Built a Runaway Hit May 25, 2020

Show notes

Itâs hard enough making sure your children are fed, without having to choose between making their baby food from scratch or feed them highly-processed jars and pouches from the store. Lisa Barnett knew there just had to be a better solution, and co-founded Little Spoon, a brand built for the modern parent that is rethinking the sleepy industry of highly processed, unhealthy baby food by delivering high quality, fresh baby food right to your door. This runaway hit of a 15 person business that launched nationwide just a little over 2 years ago comes down to listening to what people want and need, getting to them, and pursuing a mission to make people feel well. After all, many Entreprenistas are also Mamaprenistas. Lisa joins Socialfly Co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about her journey to success and building her company from the ground up, including: how a beta launch created loyalists, how Youtube showed the magnitude of impact that social media can provide for a community of consumers; why Little Spoon can contribute meaningfully to a childâs development experience; why Lisa cares so much about Little Spoonâs mission despite not being a parent; how Little Spoon built a remarkable board of advisors; why many startups die of indigestion rather than starvation; and, the resource Lisa is very proud of that helps parents know if whatâs happening with their child is normal. Plus, a surprise!

Lily Kunin of Clean Market - One-Stop Wellness May 18, 2020

Show notes

Imagine a one-stop-shop for wellness that includes cutting edge services and programming (infrared saunas, cryotherapy, IV drips), a functional tonic and superfood bar, and a modern apothecary market of nutritional products. Lily Kunin, a plant-based cook, expert in holistic nutrition, and wellness entrepreneur, did imagine this, and co-founded Clean Market in 2018. It might not be obvious that Lilyâs education in environmental economics gave her the exact set of skills she needed to make Clean Market possible. Lily joins Socialfly Co-Founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including: how the school of thought of human design guides her, and how awaiting an invitation helped Lily contributed to her start; Lilyâs mission to make people feel well; running a complex business made up of three parts; a focus of treating customers the way they want to be treated, with a curiosity and passion to improve; Lilyâs passion for meditation and baths; and why really being you might be a path to making anything possible. Plus, a taste test!

Eileen and Anne Huntington of Huntington Learning Center - Family Business May 11, 2020

Show notes

Family is everything. In the case of mother and daughter team Eileen and Anne Huntington, and their company Huntington Learning Center, which has helped expand the academic skills with individualized tutoring services and test prep for countless children for more than 42 years, their business is a true labor of love. Mom Eileen (CEO) and daughter Anne (President) join Socialfly Co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about building their company and their journeys to success, including how leaving a teaching job led to creating a company and ultimately an industry, the differences for Eileen on between being an entrepreneur in the late 70âs vs today, how marketing has completely changed since the companyâs early days, what Anneâs biggest mistake was in the business and what she learned from it, important insights about focus and staying true to the DNA of oneâs company, and the joy of joining a family business and importance of boundaries that allow efficient collaboration at work and a loving family at home.

Heather Deeth of LUSH - The Beauty of Ethical Buying May 04, 2020

Show notes

Heather Deeth is the North America Buying Manager at LUSH FRESH HANDMADE COSMETICS and she heads up ethical buying. But how did her unusual path -- from growing up in farming communities and working in the shipping industry, to joining a Canadian chocolate startup then managing operations for a big skin care brand in Canada, -- prepare her for the massive scope of how LUSH has grown â involving hundreds of raw materials and thousands of packaging itemsâall while maintaining an ethical supply chain and giving attention to social impact of that sourcing? Heather joins Socialfy co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer, on location at the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York for a conversation about leadership in her business and building her career, and she describes her journey to success, including: the challenges of launching as many as 400 products each year; the strict conditions of determining vendors in cosmetics, including prohibiting animal testing; the tough decisions of reconciling business needs with staying true to ethical buying; a special fund devoted to systematically shifting agriculture through regenerative sites; the value of personal coaching; and Heather's memorable pilgrimages with a four year old child in tow.

Kristen Tomlan of DO Cookie Dough Confections - What Doesnât Kill You Makes You Stronger Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

What doesnât kill you, makes you stronger. This is more than a proverb-- itâs the real story of Kristen Tomlan, founder of DO, the original gourmet edible & bakeable cookie dough confectionery. After visiting a Philadelphia cookie shop, Kristen was inspired to create cookie dough that was safely edibleâsomething that didnât really exist on the market at the time. She tag-teamed with her husband to make cookie dough into an experience, and a business, all while holding down her career job as a designer at a brand consultant firm. Then, out of the blue, illness left her on life support and enduring a three week hospital stay. As she recovered, Kristen realized her therapy of baking made her happy, and eventually she decided she was all in. As challenging as it was, before she knew it, her business that started with baking in her tiny Brooklyn apartment grew through word of mouth and a proactive social media presence. There were lines out the door for nearly a year, and today her unique take on the formerly forbidden treat is a viral success and has inspired fans worldwide including A-list celebrities. Now the company with a mission to spread joy employs 55 people, and since opening her shop in New York Cityâs Greenwich Village, sheâs opened a series of successful pop-ups in cities throughout the country, served over one million customers through in person and online, become an author, launched the first-ever edible cookie dough at-home baking mixes, partnered with brands like Bloomingdales, KitchenAid, and Williams Sonoma, and caught the attention of some of the biggest publications out there. Kristen joins Socialfly co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including: why Kristenâs actual customers became the best possible test market; the mission to teach people how to eat --and make-- safe cookie dough at home; the one thing Kristen wishes she had done before she started her own bakery that would have kept her from having to reinvent the wheel; why she launched the business online first instead of her original vision of a physical storefront; what happened in the scary moment she decided to tell her boss she was leaving her job; the challenge of fertility treatments while building a successful business; living by doing you, trusting your gut, and hell yes or hell no; and a very yummy in-studio taste test. Plus, a surprise.

Stephanie Cartin - How Positivity and Hope Overcame Infertility, Loss, and a Challenging Pregnancy Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

As we all experience challenging times, one of the things we all need is a sense of hope and reminder of the power of positive thinking. Many of you may very well be aware of Stephanie Cartinâs experience with the challenges of infertility, pregnancy, loss, and the birth of her greatest gift and accomplishment, her daughter Mollie Hope. Even though she has shared some important aspects of that story on social media, in interviews, and even on this podcast, she has never told the full story in detail publicly before. Since, along with extraordinary healthcare professionals, hope and positive thinking both were so important to the journey she experienced, it seems fitting to share this story with you now---at a time when we all need to be reminded of what is possible. In this special episode of Entreprenista, Stephanie shares the story with Randi Zinn, the founder of Beyond Mom, and the host of The Going Beyond podcast. Since Stephanie relied on information and encouragement from so many generous people, she is hopeful that hearing this conversation will in some way inspire, comfort, or inform you as well.

Kathrin Hamm of Bearaby - A Weighted Blanket and a Great Adventure Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

After napping for a few hours under a weighted blanket on a Saturday afternoon, Kathrin Hamm fell in love with the feeling of sleeping under weight. But when she started to search for high quality weighted bedding, she just couldnât find any. So she invented one and developed a prototype, taking everything that scientists know about weighted bedding. She bunded it up with innovative textiles into one delightful experience that helps people sleep naturally and feel better. Bearaby was born! After a successful Kickstarter campaign, an unanticipated deal with West Elm, and a lot of persistence, humility, and hard work, Bearaby is now a fast-growing company with inventory flying off the shelves. Kathrin joins Socialfly co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including why the Bearaby name involves a hug and a song; why the addition of a complimentary skillset was a pivotal first hire; how Bearaby caught the attention of West Elm; the importance of Instagram and UGC for brand discovery; how list building, collecting emails, and the first 48 hours were crucial ingredients to victory on Kickstarter; why the core working hours at Bearaby are only between 12-3PM; moving into the market for children; and, why Kathrin sees her entrepreneurial journey as a great adventure. Plus, a surprise!

Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes of Levain Bakery - Building a Cookie Empire! Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

Imagine building a company that makes you happy every day, makes other people happy every day, and is considered the gold standard of what you do? Thatâs the story of Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, co-founders of Levain Bakery. If youâve ever munched on one of their extraordinary and generously huge cookies, youâll quickly know and taste why theyâve made the business a tremendous success. Connie and Pam join Socialfly Co-Founders Courtney Spritzer and Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building their business and careers, and describe their journey to success, including: how a chance meeting in a swimming pool inspired a bakery more than 20 years ago; the origin of the company name, and why the name itself is a conversation starter and great marketing; the importance of being nice; how a surprise featured video from Business Insider pushed the business into a new level of success: the process and challenges of transitioning a brick and mortar business into the reality of digital commerce; Pam and Connieâs sacrifices that came with building a successful company, and the decision to reclaim their personal lives and find balance; and, the cookie co-founders tell us their favorite cookies, and a cookie tasting claims a new fan! Plus, a surprise!

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