Entreprenista

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How to Dream Big in Business with Tracey Warner Halama of Vital Proteins Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

When one of Tracey’s friends had given her a sample of a new product to try that he had been working on, she noticed positive changes to a CrossFit injury within a few weeks. She called him up and decided to partner with him on the product. Soon after, Vital Proteins was born and it revolutionized the ingestible collagen market.

Today, we sit down with Tracey Warner Halama, CEO of Vital Proteins, a CPG company that was the first to market ingestible collagen. She shares how Vital Proteins has helped her, the early risks that paid off, the mistakes that were made, and so much more.

“In 2016, she [Jennifer Aniston] did her first interview where she mentioned, ‘there's a collagen peptide that I use, and it gives my skin a healthy glow.’ And I remember we read that we were like, ‘how cool would it be if she actually used our product?’” - Tracey Warner Halama

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:

Tracey shares her background and how Vital Proteins has changed her life (2:13)
Tracey talks about the risks they took in the early years that paid off during the pandemic (8:29)
Tracey discusses why Vital Proteins took on capital (16:47)
Tracey shares the mistakes that were made in the early years (20:11)
Tracey discusses navigating partnerships with celebrities (26:32)
Tracey shares who they worked with in the early days (35:26)
Tracey gives advice for successfully growing your team (39:02)
Rapid fire questions (43:25)
What being an Entreprenista means to Tracey (47:34)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“To really put out there that, you know, this could be a $500 million business was a big hairy goal. And I think, you know, the common denominator for all of us is that we really believed it could be a $500 million business or bigger.” - Tracey Warner Halama
“At Whole Foods, we were the first brand to go from zero to $20 million in sales in 24 months.” - Tracey Warner Halama
“I really want to pay it forward for this next generation of leaders.” - Tracey Warner Halama

Connect with Tracey Warner Halama:

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.

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Having The Right Business Partner with Cynthia Plotch and Jamie Norwood of Stix Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

Most women have struggled with embarrassment when buying feminine health products. Whether it be from the 16 year old male bagging your yeast infection cream at the supermarket or running into your boss when buying a pregnancy test, it’s bound to happen occasionally. Now there is a way to discreetly buy these products.

Today, we sit down with Cynthia Plotch and Jamie Norwood, co-founders of Stix, a company rooted in providing women a convenient, discreet, and judgment-free way to get the health products they need. They share how they prepared to quit their full-time jobs, how to decide on a manufacturer, how they learned the fundraising process, and so much more.

“We kind of would daydream about starting something together. I had no idea what that was going to be though until one day I was buying a pregnancy test. And I ran into my boyfriend's mom, and called Jamie who at the time was my dear friend and dear coworker in tears. And honestly, then Stix was born.” - Cynthia Plotch

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Jamie and Cynthia talk about if they knew they wanted to start their own company when they were younger (4:58)
Jamie explains how they prepared to quit their full-time jobs to go all-in on Stix (7:50)
Jamie talks about how to decide on a manufacturer (12:09)
Cynthia discusses their fundraising experience (14:28)
Jamie shares what it’s like building a team (21:05)
James talks about the marketing strategy (25:45)
Jamie discusses how they divide responsibilities (31:58)
Rapid fire questions (34:06)
Cynthia and Jamie explain how they talk care of themselves (35:49)
Jamie and Cynthia share what being an Entreprenista means to them (41:45)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“I feel like it's not that we want to start a company, but that we want to start Stix. That's like an important distinction.” - Cynthia Plotch
“We launched a waitlist for our pregnancy tests, which is kind of funny to think about a waitlist for a pregnancy test, but we did get I think like 500 signups on our waitlist, and that was enough of an indicator that we weren't totally insane.” - Jamie Norwood
“An intro from one of your current investors doesn't mean very much. An intro from a founder in their portfolio means a whole ton. So that's definitely an important thing.” - Cynthia Plotch
“I get to work on things that I care really deeply about, and find a lot of, like, purpose and fulfillment through my work.” - Jamie Norwood

Connect with Cynthia Plotch and Jamie Norwood:

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!

Ask One Extra Question with Nicole Cogan of No Bread Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

After going down the path that she figured was best for her, Type-A Nicole decided to quit her career to see where her blog would take her. She became one of the leading industry experts in the gluten-free field and helped shape how restaurants facilitated gluten-free options.

Today, we sit down with Nicole Cogan, founder of No Bread, a popular gluten-free blog, and an angel investor. She shares with us why she quit her job with no back-up plan, her biggest challenges, her advice for investing, and so much more.

“So I like, had my food list of what I could eat at each restaurant, did I get sick, how I felt, all this stuff. And that was the basis of No Bread, which became my career and my passion was this Excel sheet that made its way around the office and turned into what it is today.” - Nicole Cogan

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Nicole shares her career journey (3:37)
Nicole talks about the days that followed once she quit her job (10:17)
Nicole explains how she monetized No Bread (13:47)
Nicole shares her biggest challenges (19:20)
Nicole gives advice for people who want to become influencers now (24:06)
How Nicole got into investing (27:33)
Nicole explains the basics of investing (37:10)
Rapid fire questions (41:40)
The advice Nicole learned from her dad [this is good] (43:59)
What being an Entreprenista means to Nicole (45:53)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Take the most Type A person you know, amplify it and you have me.” - Nicole Cogan
“If I commit to something I commit with 100% and if I can't, I'm the first person to tell you ‘I'm not going to do this with you, love you, can't do it. I don't have the time.’ So the calendar is my child.” - Nicole Cogan
“My biggest advice, especially to women, is make your money work for you.” - Nicole Cogan

Connect with Nicole Cogan:

NoBread.com
Nicole@NoBread.com
No Bread on Instagram

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!

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.

An End-Of-Year Rundown with Stephanie and Courtney Dec 26, 2022

Show notes

It’s been a great (and long) year, Entreprenistas! And we are so excited to have had each and every one of you here for it. We can’t wait to see what next year brings!

Today, we sit down to discuss the year’s highs and lows with Entreprenista and Social Fly. We share our learning lessons, the books we recommend, how to feel comfortable at events, and so much more.

“We launched the Entreprenista League in the middle of 2021. So this has been the first full year of the membership. And we have over 1000 members now, which has been so exciting just to see how quickly this community has grown.” - Stephanie

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

A rundown of exciting things that happened this year (3:59)
Stephanie shares what SPV and angel investing entails (8:01)
Courtney shares the learning lessons of buying and selling a company (9:50)
Courtney shares about the book she’s been reading (21:26)
Courtney gives tips to feel comfortable during networking events (27:35)
Stephanie shares her learning lessons of the year (31:27)
Stephanie talks about important upcoming dates to remember (34:01)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“We all know, in order to make money, you need to spend money. But we've seen time and time again, if you spend too much on the wrong things, you can go out of business really, really quickly.” - Courtney
“If you see someone who's also alone, go up to them and say, ‘what brings you to this event’ and start the conversation that way because a lot of other people do go to events alone, and they're also looking for people to talk to but someone has got to start the conversation. And this is coming from a shy introvert. If I could do it, you could, too.” - Courtney
“Everything that has to be executed in a business takes a lot longer than you think. So build in that buffer time and those additional resources.” - Stephanie

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!

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.

The Kind Life with Alicia Silverstone Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Have you ever had a chance encounter that led to your life’s purpose? For Alicia Silverstone, that encounter happened when she was eight and witnessed a calf being taken from its mother. From then on, she swore she would never eat meat again. That childhood decision led to Alicia creating a brand rooted in personal ethics.

Today, we sit down with Alicia Silverstone, mom, actress, author, advocate, and Entreprenista. Alicia has written multiple books and has a line of vitamins with Garden of Life. She shares with us how she found her life’s passion, how she learned to be okay with using her voice, why she decided to start a vitamin line, and so much more.

“I was just simply aligned with ‘this is not okay with me anymore. And I'm not going to stand by it. I'm just gonna stand in my truth.’ And that connected me deeply to my self worth.” - Alicia Silverstone

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Alicia discusses what led her to start a business (3:03)
How Alicia discovered her passion (4:03)
Alicia talks about finding her voice and how it has impacted her life (13:19)
Alicia shares about prioritizing different tasks at different times in her life (17:51)
Why Alicia decided to start a vitamin line (26:06)
Alicia shares some of her learning lessons (32:33)
Rapid fire questions (36:54)
What being an Entreprenista means to Alicia (42:22)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“I have to know that it was the journey I was meant to go on. And it allowed me to do all of these things that I'm so passionate about.” - Alicia Silverstone
“Mainstream had heard ‘vegetarian,’ but they hadn't heard ‘vegan.’ So I know that I was being made fun of a lot. And I didn't care, it was, it was kind of I knew that, you know, when you know that you're doing something right, what do you care?” - Alicia Silverstone
“This is my personal struggle: just wanting to do so many different things. And there's only one of me and not wanting to do them not well.” - Alicia Silverstone

Connect with Alicia Silverstone:

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!

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.

Belgian Treats For Americans To Eat with Anouck Gotlib of Belgian Boys Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

When Anouck Gotlib met her husband on a flight from Belgium, she had no idea she would be shifting her plans to start a business. But she believed in her husband’s idea so much, that that is exactly what she did. She left fashion for food and never looked back.

Today, we sit down with Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys, a company that provides European treats in the United States. Anouck shares the challenges she’s faced, why a mindfulness coach is important, unique ideas for raising capital, and so much more.

“He was bringing those waffles, cookies, and treats that he grew up with in Belgium, for himself to enjoy. And his American friends in the dorms were like, ‘Oh, my God, Greg, this is good. Where can we buy it?’ And, like, you couldn't buy it in the US at that time. They couldn't find it. And at that point, he was like, ‘maybe, maybe this is something I should look into and pursue.’” - Anouck Gotlib

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Anouck discusses how the idea for Belgian Boys came to be (3:22)
Anouck talks about starting the branding and product development (6:47)
The challenges of starting a business in the food space (10:45)
How the pandemic affected Belgian Boys (18:58)
Why a mindfulness coach is important for business and personal life (21:57)
Anouck shares how Belgian Boys was financed in the beginning and how the first round of raising capital went (26:55)
Anouck talks about balancing Belgian Boys, fundraising, and being a mom (30:41)
How Anouck handles the challenges she faces now (33:22)
Anouck shares tips for raising capital and finding creative ways to gain capital (37:08)
Rapid fire questions (41:26)
Anouck shares what’s she is most grateful for (44:48)
What being an Entreprenista means to Anouck (46:24)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Did I know that I wanted to open my own business? Absolutely not. I was really someone's ‘plus one’ on this journey. And that was absolutely not my dream ambition or something I thought I would do. I just got into it, I guess.” - Anouck Gotlib
“Most of our consumers have never been to Belgium, never will go to Belgium or to Amsterdam, or the streets of Paris. Our consumer buys our product, because it tastes so freakin’ delicious.” - Anouck Gotlib
“Greg and I had one rule, and we were like, it's got to be people we can go out to dinner with two nights in a row and still want to go out for a third night.” - Anouck Gotlib

Connect with Anouck Gotlib:

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!

Why Chase Ink is the Go-To Business Credit Card for Entreprenistas with Jenny Shum Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

After a few years in the wrong field, Jenny Shum pivoted into financial services. It was in that industry that she realized her passion of helping small businesses. She rose through the ranks because she loved finding new ways to overcome the challenges she faced. Now she is the General Manager at Chase Ink and spends her time helping others.

Today, we sit down with Jenny Shum, General Manager at Chase Ink, a business credit card that caters to small business owners. Jenny explains how to build credit, why the customer matters most in marketing, how being Asian-American has shaped her, and so much more.

“It is such a win-win strategy to be in financial services and helping small business owners and you guys, the Entreprenistas that are out there, including yourselves, are doing incredible things. And I think the innovation and the passion that you bring to it. It's extremely inspiring to folks that are in large companies like Chase.” - Jenny Shum

This week's takeaways from Entreprenista:

Jenny shares why she went from chemical engineering to financial services (2:46)
Jenny shares advice for solving common business challenges (8:34)
Jenny explains how to build credit (14:15)
Jenny talks about why focusing more on the customer than the product is important to marketing (24:01)
Jenny shares how being an Asian-American has shaped her as a leader (28:27)
Rapid fire questions (31:32)
Jenny shares the mantra she lives by (35:01)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“So you can imagine and what was really exciting to me was that there was no definitive answer to the problems that we were trying to solve and what the problem-solving process led me to was really a love for our customers.” - Jenny Shum
“I've had some great leaders who saw the passion in me, when there were really big and complicated problems, where it really energized me, I think, in some cases, probably not for everyone, is what I will say, rather than shying away from the complexity, and like as a problem got harder and bigger, I was even more engaged and wanted to push further.” - Jenny Shum
“I think as a community bank, Chase has been playing a large role in being part of the discussion and bringing together small businesses and solving problems, where financial services can be the connection point of small businesses in the community.” - Jenny Shum

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!

High Quality Cocktails at Home with Dominique Gonzales of Root Elixirs Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

After rising up through the ranks in the hospitality industry to become a bartender at many different cocktail bars in Northern California, Dominique Gonzalez found herself being the designated bartender at all the gatherings she would attend. An Entreprenista at heart, Dominique decided to use her bartending knowledge to fix the problem that many of her family members were facing: creating intricate great-tasting cocktails.

In today’s episode, we are talking with Dominique Gonzalez, founder of Root Elixirs, a craft cocktail mixer that gives people the ability to create high-quality cocktails in the comfort of their own homes. Dominique shares how her background led her to start Root Elixirs, the process of developing new flavors, how to apply for business grants, and so much more.

“I just found myself bartending at every barbecue, or any hosted event like Christmas, Thanksgiving, you know, bigger events, I was always bartending. And so I was like, you know, it would be really cool if I created something that everybody could be their own bartender, and still have a craft experience.” – Dominique Gonzalez

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Dominique talks about her background and how that led to her starting Root Elixirs (2:33)
What Root Elixirs is (6:54)
Dominique shares what the process of launching new flavors entails (8:50)
Dominique talks about what she sees for the future of Root Elixirs (12:45)
Dominique explains how she grew her team (16:16)
The process of getting into retail and selling wholesale (20:07)
How to apply for and receive grants (23:49)
Rapid fire questions (29:43)
How Dominique manages her day (31:48)
What Dominique would tell her younger self (34:31)
What being an Entreprenista means to Dominique (36:52)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“When we first started, I couldn’t afford, you know, hiring anybody. So it was just me and my mom, like making the product in the kitchen. And then eventually it became too much for us. And then we brought in other family to help.” – Dominique Gonzalez
“Sometimes a grant will take, like, a month for me to complete because it’s extensive. And you know, you want to get your whole story in there.” – Dominique Gonzalez
“The Entreprenista League community is like, they’re so ambitious. And it’s really nice being a part of that group, because they’re all pushing to be better, and, you know, collaborative, and that’s exactly what I love to do is collaborate with other women and see where they are in their journey.” – Dominique Gonzalez

Connect with Dominique Gonzalez :

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!

Conquer Your Setback: Managing and Doing It All as an Entrepreneur with Amy Shoenthal Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Amy Shoenthal is a journalist who loves covering founders because it combines her love for writing with her admiration of gritty Entreprenistas. Amy has been a marketing executive for many years, making her the go-to person for tips on how to market your business.

Today, we sit down with Amy Shoenthal, journalist, author, marketing executive, and mom. She shares her hot tips for founders wanting to get press for their businesses, the common thread between most successful Entreprenistas, how to survive a setback, and so much more. If you have questions on gaining media attention for your business, this episode is a MUST.

“My role is just to elevate the stories of people who were doing the work and building a better way of doing business and a better culture and society as we know it.” – Amy Shoenthal

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Amy shares her career journey and how it’s led to where she is today (2:51)
Amy talks about the common traits she sees when interviewing women (5:40)
Amy discusses her book and describes the setback cycle (10:10)
Amy gives tips for managing a full schedule (19:47)
Amy suggests helpful exercises for founders going through a setback (27:29)
Amy shares her tips for founders who want to get press for their businesses (32:09)
Rapid fire questions (39:26)
What being an Entreprenista means to Amy (44:31)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Well, like any good writer who values stability, when I graduated college, I went into marketing.” – Amy Shoenthal
“Their most brilliant ideas and their most successful ventures come from some sort of setback that they experience.” – Amy Shoenthal
“Yeah, I don’t know anyone more efficient than a mom, who is like ‘my child care ends at this time, I need to make the most of the hours I have before I go into mom mode.’ Again, the level of efficiency that I have been able to achieve since becoming a mother is unbelievable.” – Amy Shoenthal

Connect with Amy Shoenthal:

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!

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.

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.

Women Creating Wealth with Amanda Schutzbank of Willow Growth Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

Amanda Schutzbank saw a hole in the capital-raising world for non-tech businesses needing capital during the early stages of business. So she decided to put her years of expertise to use and do something about it.

In today’s episode, we sit down with Amanda Schutzbank, co-founder of Willow Growth, a company that provides early-seed funding for consumer-based businesses. She shares why there was a need for Willow Growth, what the difference in venture capital and private equity is, what investors look for in pitches, and so much more.

“My mission right now is we want more women managing more capital. And I think that that flows through to more women starting more businesses and getting funding. And let’s just keep on going, brick by brick. And I think part of that for me, and why I really am doing this and so passionate about it, is just to get more women creating wealth for themselves.” – Amanda Schutzbank

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Amanda shares her background (3:20)
Amanda talks about the moment she decided to open her own business (6:36)
Amanda explains the difference between private equity and venture capital (9:00)
Amanda talks about her relationship with her co-founder (15:30)
Amanda talks about starting Willow Growth at the beginning of the pandemic (19:58)
Amanda shares what investors are looking for in pitches and some helpful tips (26:24)
Amanda shares one of the brands she’s most excited about (29:55)
Rapid fire questions (34:26)
How Amanda finds balance (36:55)
What being an Entreprenista means to Amanda (41:51)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Don’t feel like you need to change your story and make it a different story every time because that person’s never heard your story. And so you just kind of have to do it over and over again and repeat yourself and it will lead to success.” – Amanda Schutzbank
“COVID actually really accelerated a lot of our thesis, we were investing in value-led consumer brands.” – Amanda Schutzbank
“I want to leave a legacy, I want to build a legacy that, you know, stands beyond my time.” – Amanda Schutzbank

Connect with Amanda Schutzbank:

Amanda@WillowGrowth.com
WillowGrowth.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!

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