Entreprenista

Latest Episodes:

It Didn’t Go Wrong, It’s An Opportunity with Kayleigh Christina of CLEARSTEM Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

After trying virtually everything on the market for her cystic acne, Kayleigh found herself at an acne clinic. A few hours into the visit Kayleigh had learned so much about the causes of acne. Soon, she struck up a partnership with the clinic’s owner and her now business partner, Danielle, to market their skincare line, CLEARSTEM.

Today, we sit down with Kayleigh Christina, co-founder of CLEARSTEM Skincare, an anti-acne, anti-aging skincare line that incorporates stem cells in the formulations to help people achieve the best results. Kayleigh shares about her ‘aha’ moment, her learning lessons, how she builds a community with her business, and so much more.

“A lot of the harsh acne products actually make your skin age faster and get deeper, more aggressive wrinkles. And then you have a lot of anti-aging products that are historically filled with poor quality ingredients, causing you to break out. So we're like, ‘why don't we create a line that does both at the same time?’” - Kayleigh Christina

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Kayleigh shares about her illegal first business (2:38)
Kayleigh talks about the ‘aha’ moment that led to CLEARSTEM (6:11)
Kayleigh discusses the progression from client to business partner (13:12)
Kayleigh shares how Danielle, her co-founder, and her split responsibilities (18:35)
Kayleigh talks about her learning lessons (23:31)
Kayleigh shares how she found the right people to hire (28:02)
Kayleigh tells us how she builds her community (31:49)
Rapid fire questions (34:07)
What being an Entreprenista means to Kayleigh (44:45)

Resources Mentioned:

Flo
Monday
Google Sheets
15% discount code: ENTREPRENISTA

Our Favorite Quotes:

“My next door neighbor went to my parents and was like, ‘your daughter's like selling beer on the corner of the street.’ And it was so funny because my parents were like, ‘love the creativity. This is amazing, but it's illegal. So like, let's come up with some other ideas.’” - Kayleigh Christina
“We just honestly put blinders on, and were so focused on our value, our brand mission, and what we were building.” - Kayleigh Christina
“We share about other brands that share our same ethos all of the time.” - Kayleigh Christina

Connect with Kayleigh Christina:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Become An Entreprenista!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for female founders, by female founders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

It’s Never Too Late To Just Get Started with Vivian Valenty of Dazzle Dry Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Vivian Valenty has known since she was young that her purpose on earth was to help people. Originally, she wanted to be a doctor, but she went into chemistry instead. After meeting with a man whose wife had a problem with the drying time of nail polish, she worked to fix it. When Covid hit, she pivoted her business to include the manufacturing of hand sanitizer––only to give it all away because she knew it was desperately needed.

Today, we sit down with Vivian Valenty, founder of Dazzle Dry, a nail polish company that dries completely in FIVE minutes. She shares how her desire to help others is always at the forefront of her mind, when she decided to start Dazzle Dry, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and so much more.

“It's not an easy road to be an entrepreneur, owning your own business. It's not for the faint hearted, you must have a stout heart, be able to address and overcome the challenges that are thrown your way.” - Vivian Valenty

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Vivian shares about her elementary Entreprenista ventures (2:43)
Vivian talks about what she studied in college (7:18)
Vivian tells us when she decided to start her own company (10:14)
Vivian discusses the lessons she’s learned (13:35)
Vivian shares how she overcame the tough times during the recession (25:03)
Vivian tells us her mantra (36:30)
Vivian shares what’s coming up this year in her business (37:11)
What being an Entreprenista means to Vivian (39:55)

Our Favorite Quotes:

“I'm able to plant and grow trees for every order that we receive on our retail site.” - Vivian Valenty
“I have the background to create products and I have a passion for creating products. So that's when we launched Dazzle Dry in 2007, with only nine colors.” - Vivian Valenty
“I like to help, that's what my life has been, you know, wanting to help as many people as I can.” - Vivian Valenty

Connect with Vivian Valenty:

DazzleDry.com

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Become An Entreprenista!

From Entreprenista to Corporate and Back Again: Insights from Sandra Campos of Fashion Launchpad Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Coming from an Entreprenista family, Sandra knew she had the spirit to run her own company. But her path of entrepreneurship has been a winding road back and forth from corporate America. She views it as a way to always be adding to her skill set, and she has certainly acquired many skills.

Today, we sit down with Sandra Campos, founder of Latina Disruptors, an event that focuses on supporting Latina founders through education, networking, and events. She shares about her first business venture, working with Selena Gomez, how she makes it through the hard times, and so much more.

“So I kind of flip flopped from corporate, you know, I guess maybe starting as an entrepreneur at a very young age, flipping into corporate, flipping back into an entrepreneur, and flipping back into corporate and now back into an entrepreneur. So, you know, it's definitely been a pivot. But for me, it's always been about continuing to add my skills.” - Sandra Campos

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Sandra explains where her Entreprenista spirit comes from (1:55)
Sandra discusses her first business venture (4:53)
Sandra talks about how she came to work with Selena Gomez (9:44)
Sandra shares more about Fashion Launchpad (16:10)
Sandra details the business model of Fashion Launchpad (28:54)
Rapid fire questions (30:25)
Sandra gives tips to all the mom Entreprenistas (34:53)
What Sandra does to get through the hard times (41:43)
What being an Entreprenista means to Sandra (45:35)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“I was making clothes, I was sewing them, I was doing things, and I was creating home products for my mother's home which thankfully she didn't kill me because I was really making some really ugly things.” - Sandra Campos
“You have to be ready for the dips, and you have to be ready for the highs, because sometimes they come in an hour, the same hour on the same day. And sometimes you're lucky enough to have a week in between.” - Sandra Campos
“Take that moment and create that self love and take the time to be good to yourself and be kind to yourself, because there's too many people out there that are unkind.” - Sandra Campos

Connect with Sandra Campos:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

The Business Behind Your Future Dream Closet with Ambika Singh of Armoire Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

Growing up in an Entreprenista family, Ambika always had exuberant ideas for what she wanted to do for work. It wasn’t until she decided to quit corporate America to go to business school that she was able to combine her passion for helping women with her need to start her own company.

Today, we sit down with Ambika Singh, founder of Armoire, a subscription based clothing rental company. She shares all about her career path, her anti-advice on fundraising, the challenges she’s faced growing a company like hers, and so much more.

“I grew up sharing clothes and thought it was lovely and fun. And so rental to me is like that expression helped by the Internet.” - Ambika Singh

We've collaborated with Armoire to provide a unique offer for all of our Entreprenistas. By using the code ENTREPRENISTA and following this link, you can receive up to 50% off your first month's subscription, along with 2 additional bonus items!

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Ambika shares her childhood ambitions (2:54)
Ambika talks about her career path and how it led to starting her business (6:18)
Ambika gives advice for fundraising (22:05)
Ambika explains how she handled difficult feedback from a potential male investor (27:48)
Ambika tells us about the challenges she’s faced and how she overcame them (31:34)
Ambika shares about her biggest surprise (34:46)
Rapid fire questions (39:25)
How Covid affected Ambika (40:59)
What being an Entreprenista means to Ambika (48:15)

Resources Mentioned:

Slack

Our Favorite Quotes:

“The sting is always so much less painful than what I anticipate it's going to feel like, like the fear of failure and the actual failure are so different.” - Ambika Singh
“One really pointed thing I remember was a man that I worked for who was a great mentor, sponsor of mine had a good set of data that some of you may have heard that women tend to over-educate, over-credential. And so we had this like, sit down with me and he was like, ‘you want to do this? Like, you don't need any of that like school stuff and whatever. Like I'll give you a sabbatical. Like you go figure this out. Like you're ready to do it. You don't need somebody's, like, stamp of approval.’” - Ambika Singh
“But I do take a lot of, kind of, like, comfort in the fact that I, most of the time show up and do my best. And so when I don't do my best, that is really a painful and hard loop to talk myself out of. So most of the time, I do my best.” - Ambika Singh

Connect with Ambika Singh:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Become An Entreprenista!

Creating Your Own Start-Up with Ariel Kaye of Parachute Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

As a generalist, Ariel dabbled in many different career paths, before settling into advertising. After a few years, she decided she wanted to do something more entrepreneurial, like working at a start-up, but instead she found herself desiring to start a company. So she quit her job.

Today, we sit down with Ariel Kaye, founder of Parachute, a brand that offers premium linen essentials. She shares why she quit her job quickly, a lot of advice on raising capital, the type of podcast marketing she prefers, and so much more.

“So I had my ‘Aha moment’ about home and design and these blogs and or the blog that I was working on and the shopping and the designing and helping friends and like what if I could merge my interest in building brands and connecting with customers and you know, having these deep relationships, but also with home?” - Ariel Kaye

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Ariel tells us about her background (1:47)
Ariel shares why she quit her job so early and if she recommends it (4:53)
Ariel gives advice on raising capital in nontraditional ways (8:35)
Ariel reminisces on the day she launched the site and went live (13:32)
Ariel discusses her thoughts on marketing through podcasts (19:11)
Ariel shares about the evolution of her team and how she goes about hiring (22:20)
Ariel gives us her learning lessons of raising capital (27:26)
Rapid fire questions (34:40)
Ariel keeps it real on how she manages motherhood while running a business (36:00)
What being an Entreprenista means to Ariel (39:49)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“The other thing I think, is just like founders are so almost like, across the board, they're all so type A, and perfectionist, and have such high standards.” - Ariel Kaye
“Asking for questions and asking for help is a superpower.” - Ariel Kaye
“If someone asks you the question about ‘how do you have balance?’ just like don't answer, it's a, it's not worth it. It's not real.” - Ariel Kaye

Connect with Ariel Kayes:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

The Business of CBD Skincare with Jenna Owens of Fitish Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

Jenna joined radio because her long hair was more important to her than being a television news anchor would allow. Her hair was a part of her she wasn’t willing to part with. She had no idea that over a decade later she would become more known for her skincare products than her hair.

Today, we sit down with Jenna Owens, founder and CEO of Fitish, a CBD wellness and skincare brand. She shares where her inspiration for Fitish came from, why it’s important to hire quickly, the constraints she has faced owning a CBD company, and so much more.

“I just hope I can get it into the hands of more people so that it can be useful for them. Because that's what feels like may ultimately be the success of this business, right? As people that need this product, right? And figuring that part out. So yeah, that's what keeps me going now.” - Jenna Owens

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Jenna shares about her background in radio (2:04)
Jenna discusses the inspiration for Fitish (7:12)
Jenna tells us how she learned about product development (12:40)
Jenna shares why it’s important to balance your emotions and hire quickly (20:03)
Jenna talks about her biggest business surprise (27:38)
Jenna discusses why she left her job in radio (33:55)
Jenna tells us about the constraints of having a CBD business (37:02)
Rapid fire questions (47:21)
What being an Entreprenista means to Jenna (50:09)

Resources Mentioned:

Canva
Klaviyo
Fitish 20% discount code: ENTREPRENISTA

Our Favorite Quotes:

“They all told me I had to cut all my hair off, and I just didn't like it. You know, I didn't like being told that––I'm a very stubborn woman.” - Jenna Owens
“ I knew my audience, I knew the women that followed me and listened to me, they didn't have a ton of disposable income. I knew that data from being on the radio show. So I knew who my follower was, I knew who the listener was. And I wanted to market to them, right? To the everyday woman––working woman––and they bought it.” - Jenna Owens
“Oh my gosh, I was just destroyed by that in a great way. I just went ‘this is it. I mean, I'm onto something here, like, this is it, no matter how hard this is. This is it.’ And it just felt that it gave my little side hustles such a deeper sense of purpose.” - Jenna Owens

Connect with Jenna Owens:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Become An Entreprenista!

Building Brands at the Intersection of Fashion and Sustainability with Marci Zaroff of ECOfashion Corp Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

Marci Zaroff was a natural-born entreprenista. From lemonade stands to calligraphy businesses, she always had a hustle on the side. In her more than 30 years in business, she has founded more than ten companies. We can all learn a little (or a lot) from her.

Today, we sit down with Marci Zaroff. She is a life-long entreprenista, CEO and founder of many brands, and the pioneer of sustainable fashion. She shares with us her background, how to make sure you match with celebrity partners, how to get into retailers, and so much more.

”I was very conscious and studying about the environment and human health and wellness at a very early age. I was doing yoga in my late teens. But I was also a mainstream girl that wanted you know, good food and good fashion and got best dressed in high school and, and I had this epiphany that these worlds are not mutually, they're not mutually exclusive. You can have both, and that really has become my life's work.” - Marci Zaroff

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Marci tells us about her background (2:42)
Marci explains when she knows it’s time to exit a business (13:46)
Marci shares advice for raising capital (22:11)
Marci gives tips for entrepreneurs who want to partner with celebrities (25:44)
Marci details how to get your products into retailers (34:50)
Rapid fire questions (39:55)
A look at Marci’s day (40:50)
What being an Entreprenista means to Marci (43:02)

Resources Mentioned:

Instagram
TikTok
Yes And Discount Code: Entreprenista22

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Because when you love your work, it's not work. It's love. And I'm just out there every day, I can't wait to wake up, I can't, you know, I don't want to go to bed. Because you know, for better or worse, you know, I am wired as, as a true entrepreneur. And I, I love what I do. And I'm so grateful that I found this path.” - Marci Zaroff
“My least favorite part of running a business and building a business as the CEO is raising capital but it's a necessary evil.” - Marci Zaroff
“If you don't share core values with someone, and you aren't aligned, not just professionally, but personally, it's just like a marriage, anything. I mean, investors, it's like a marriage, any kind of partner, collaborator, influencer that's going to latch on, ambassador, you want to make sure that their voice represents who you are.” - Marci Zaroff

Connect with Marci Zaroff:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

How To Trust Your Gut in Business and Health with Claire and Ellen Rudolph of WellTheory Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

Growing up, sisters Ellen and Claire, started a childcare summer camp for neighborhood children. Eventually, they decided to take what they learned from that experience, along with their work backgrounds, and combine it with the knowledge they had learned while waiting for a diagnosis for Ellen’s autoimmune disease and Claire’s mold exposure to create a place for others who are struggling to get quality help without the gaslighting.

Today, we sit down with Ellen and Claire Rudolph, sisters and co-founders of WellTheory, a health and wellness membership that caters to people who have autoimmune disease. They share about their first business, how their wellness journeys led to starting WellTheory, how going viral has helped their marketing, and so much more.

“I have a really distinct memory of getting my lab results while I was on the subway––I was living in New York at the time––and just breaking down in tears, because I didn't know what that meant for me and my future. And I vowed at that moment that once I got better, this was the area that I needed to dedicate my life to. And from there, I started to educate myself on what I was putting in and all my body started to embrace using food as medicine and really transformed my entire lifestyle.” - Ellen Rudolph

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Claire and Ellen talk about their childhood business (1:58)
Ellen and Claire share about their backgrounds (5:00)
Ellen gives us details about her health journey and how it caused her to start WellTheory (9:47)
Ellen discusses the differences between what WellTheory is now versus what she thought it would be in the beginning (21:01)
Claire shares what a member of WellTheory can expect in their membership (25:16)
Ellen talks about marketing and how sharing her story went viral (29:08)
Claire and Ellen share the learning lessons of starting a membership business model (32:48)
Ellen gives advice about fundraising (35:49)
Rapid fire questions (39:57)
Managing a public persona as a private person (44:11)
How Claire and Ellen balance their relationship as sisters and co-founders (46:22)
What being an Entreprenista means to Claire and Ellen (49:25)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“I went to doctor after doctor and got no answers. My symptoms were continually dismissed. And I was made to believe that it was all in my head. And I had many physicians that referred me out to therapists who could help me with my ‘psychological issues.’” - Ellen Rudolph
“I was lucky, you know, it only took me a year to a year and a half to get a diagnosis. For most folks, it takes four and a half years on average to get a diagnosis. And that's just not okay. It's a really long time to be living in uncertainty, and to just not be feeling like yourself.” - Claire Rudoplh
“One thing I remember watching Ellen in her health journey was she always had this intuition that I might have gotten 20 people to tell me that there's nothing wrong, but I know that something's wrong. And I think you need that same intuition and to listen to that, as an entrepreneur, when you're building something.” - Claire Rudolph

Connect with Ellen and Claire Rudolph :

The Business of Clean Beauty with Natalie Mackey of Winky Lux Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Natalie Mackey was an Entreprenista from a young age. After spending a few years in the finance industry, she decided to pivot to her “industry crush”: the beauty industry, because as she put it, “you get to sell happiness as a product.”

Today, we sit down with Natalie Mackey, CEO and founder of Winky Lux, a beauty brand with an emphasis on clean ingredients and colorful whimsy. She shares about her high school business, her fundraising journey, all about the risks she’s taken, and so much more.

“This is just the coolest industry. I love it so much. And I really wanted to be in it somehow. I just had kind of like an industry crush on it.” - Natalie Mackey

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Natalie discusses her early experience with entrepreneurialism (1:44)
Natalie shares Winky Lux’s origin story (5:12)
Natalie talks about her proudest moments (12:34)
Natalie discusses Winky Lux’s fundraising journey (15:30)
Natalie gives tips for fundraising (24:55)
Natalie shares what risks have worked and what risks haven’t (28:40)
Rapid fire questions (33:28)
What being an Entreprenista means to Natalie (41:36)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“I remember being at a party, I don't know, in some time in the very early 2000s, pre-Uber and somebody said, ‘wouldn’t it be great if there was a car service that would pick you up and take you to anywhere you want? You could just call them on your phone. But it wouldn't be like an actual car service.’ And I just remember saying, ‘Oh, that's a terrible business. I used to do that.’” - Natalie Mackey
“One of the things they say in the writing world is ‘don't be afraid to kill your darlings.’ So you might have this idea that you're very married to but all of a sudden, it really stops working or it's no longer useful. It doesn't serve the business anymore. And I find that it's one of the hardest muscles to grow and then flex is to be able to let go of something and say this no longer serves.” - Natalie Mackey
“Funds that have focused on female entrepreneurs have historically had better returns.” - Natalie Mackey

Connect with Natalie Mackey:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Become An Entreprenista!

Secrets to a Successful Fundraise with Andrea Ippolito of SimpliFed Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

After struggling to feed her daughter by breastfeeding, Andrea was lost and didn’t know what to do. This is unfortunately a story that is common amongst new moms. But for Andrea, she decided to change the narrative by making it her mission to educate new moms and help them meet their feeding goals.

Today, we sit down with Andrea Ippolito, CEO and founder of SimpliFed, a company that provides virtual support for breastfeeding and baby feeding. She shares why SimpliFed’s mission is personal for her, tips for other healthcare businesses, the power of a ‘fast no’, and so much more.

“My daughter continued to lose weight, she was down to four pounds. I'm a pretty Type A person, and I have never felt so broken and just uncomfortable and just didn't know what to do and lost. And I also felt bad at the time that I couldn't breastfeed. Now, I know that I shouldn't have been so hard on myself. And we talked about this with families all the time. But I also learned that, you know, formula is a great, healthy option. But I felt just very lost. And I didn't really understand what to do next. And that's what caused me to really start SimpliFed.” - Andrea Ippolito

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Andrea shares how her background shaped her (2:56)
Andrea discusses her personal reason behind starting SimpliFed (6:01)
Andrea shares SimpliFed’s mission (8:11)
Andrea details the early challenges and mistakes she made (9:51)
Andrea gives tips to other healthcare businesses about cutting through the red tape (16:05)
Andrea discusses what she has learned about fundraising and why a ‘fast no’ is a good thing (20:55)
Andrea goes over how she’s spent the capital SimpliFed has received (26:43)
Andrea tells us about the marketing strategies she’s used to reach her target audience (31:53)
Andrea shares what the starting process is like for her clients (34:53)
Rapid fire questions (37:33)
Andrea shares her thoughts on ‘work-life balance’ (39:41)
What being an Entreprenista means to Andrea (46:07)

Resources Mentioned:

DocSend Entreprenista Discount Link
Text ‘Connect’ to 888-458-1364
TikTok
Slack

Our Favorite Quotes:

“So I honestly didn't have an entrepreneurial spirit. But I tell folks that I'm the granddaughter of a gambler. So I do think that was in my blood a little bit.” - Andrea Ippolito
“It takes so much time, and I don't come from generational wealth, so I wasn't able to, you know, just quit my job and, and work on this. And so I think that's another important part of this story.” - Andrea Ippolito
“The first thing is getting people to invest. But the second best thing is a ‘fast no.’” - Andrea Ippolito

Connect with Andrea Ippolito:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!