Raising the Bar with Alli and Adrian

Latest Episodes:

S2 Ep. 14 Sara Happ: The Lip Expert Jul 05, 2019

Show notes

The original Lip Scrub—loved by early supporters Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon—was never meant to kickstart Sara Happ's beauty career. She just whipped up a product in her kitchen one cold winter to combat chapped lips. With her scrub, she had stumbled into a blank space in the beauty industry—lip scrubs and lip care—and said goodbye to her job at ESPN to become a full-blown entrepreneur. Sara talks with her longtime friends Alli and Michael about gaining a cult following and becoming known as the "Lip Expert," why she's focusing on doing one thing well like another familiar brand (ahem, Drybar), and how she's ready to scale the business. Learn more at sarahapp.com and @sarahapp. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

S2 Ep. 13 U-Nify: Building and Branding a Mental Health Gym Jun 28, 2019

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A fitness studio, but for your mental health. This is the idea behind U-Nify, an early-stage company offering affordable workshops led by therapists, life coaches, spiritual leaders, and wellness experts. U-Nify wants to lower the barrier of entry and make mental health a part of the everyday wellness routine, just like going to the gym or meditating. Alli and Michael sat down with U-Nify founders Sandra Kusnnir and Kevin Lehtinen to offer the budding entrepreneurs advice on honing their elevator pitch, finding investors, and opening a brick-and-mortar in Los Angeles. Learn more at unifylosangeles.com and @unifyla. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

S2 Ep. 12 Lunya: Elevating Luxury Sleepwear with Founder Ashley Merrill Jun 21, 2019

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Ashley Merrill launched Lunya in 2014 with a conviction that women's sleepwear was overdue for a fresh, modern perspective. As an MBA student wearing her husband's old clothes like pajamas, Ashley realized that although people will spend one-third of their lives in bed, sleepwear still tended to be the most undervalued part of a wardrobe. So, she set out to create a new brand of luxury PJs that were both stylish and functional. Today, Lunya (a play on "lugna," the Swedish word for relaxation) is an entirely self-funded sleepwear line made from sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics. Ashley sat down with Alli and Michael to talk about building a business in service of women, her bid to take over the pajama industry, and innovating the tech-bed game with her FDA-regulated "cooling" fabric. Keep up with Ashley at @ashley__merrill and @lunya.And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

S2 Ep. 11 Karen Fairchild: Country Music Icon and Trailblazer Jun 14, 2019

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Alli lives out her country girl fantasy and visits Nashville to interview Karen Fairchild, one-fourth of the Grammy Award-winning band, Little Big Town. Together, Alli and Karen find similarities between running a business and running a band, from deal-making and leadership to public performances and building a national brand. They also touch on the gender disparities within the country recording industry, the songwriting process, and country culture. Keep up with Karen at @karenfairchild and @littlebigtown. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! ᐧ

S2 Ep. 10 Jaime Schmidt: Turning Natural Deoderant into Gold Jun 07, 2019

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Jaime Schmidt, founder of Schmidt’s Naturals, created her award-winning natural deodorant when she was pregnant and concerned about the widespread use of unnatural ingredients in deodorant. So she created a better alternative for herself and others. From farmers' market tables, her products—which came to include soaps and toothpaste—stormed the shelves of CVS, Walmart, Costco, and Whole Foods. By 2017, when Schmidt sold her company to Unilever for an undisclosed amount, Schmidt's Naturals was in more than 14,000 stores in over 30 countries, with year-over-year growth of 300 percent. Alli and Michael caught up with Jaime to find out how she turned her hobby into a global company, and why she’s now now investing in fellow entrepreneurs. Keep up with Jaime at @jaimeschmidt22, @schmidtsnaturals, and @colorinvests. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

S2 Ep. 09 Emily and Meritt: Fashion's Favorite Friendship May 31, 2019

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You can thank Emily Current and Meritt Elliott for bringing boyfriend jeans into your closet. After making the jump from styling to designing, the two started Current/Elliott and became denim darlings of the fashion world. Since selling their namesake line in 2011, Emily and Meritt have expanded their brand into home decor (with an ongoing partnership at Pottery Barn) and launched The Great, a multi-category line that embodies their trademark "whimsical Americana" aesthetic. The designer duo joined Alli and Michael to trace their early styling days to how they're building their current lifestyle label. Learn more at emilyandmeritt.com and @emilyandmeritt. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

S2 Ep. 08 Baby2Baby: Hollywood's Favorite Philanthropy May 24, 2019

Show notes

Michael and Alli sit down with Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, co-presidents of Baby2Baby, a non-profit organization that provides low-income children ages 0-12 with diapers, clothing, and other basic necessities every child deserves to start life off right. Known for its stylish galas and A-list ambassadors (Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, and Drew Barrymore, among others), Baby2Baby has become one of L.A.'s most high-profile philanthropies since its founding in 2011. Kelly and Norah discuss the inception of Baby2Baby, the sobering "diaper divide," and how everyone can help children living in poverty. Learn more at baby2baby.org and @baby2baby. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! ᐧ

S2 Ep.7 Alexa von Tobel: Becoming Financially Fearless May 17, 2019

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Alexa von Tobel dropped out of Harvard Business School in 2008 to start LearnVest, the online financial planning service designed for the average American that sold in 2015 to Northwestern Mutual. Today, she is the founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital and the New York Times-Bestselling Author of "Financially Fearless" and "Financially Forward." Alexa caught up with Alli and Michael to break down her entrepreneurial journey and the latest trends in venture capital and financial technology. Keep up with Alexa von Tobel at @alexavontobel. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! ᐧ

S2 Ep. 6 Sarah Gibson Tuttle: Upending The Manicure Industry May 10, 2019

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Inspired by a lightbulb moment to create "the Drybar for nails," Sarah Gibson Tuttle ditched her NYC finance career to take a risk and open Olive & June, the Instagram-perfect nail salon. Now, after opening three shops, her focus is on democratizing nail-care with Olive & June's line of at-home manicure products. Sarah sat down with Michael and her BFF Alli to relive her early days with one salon and zero business plan, how she and Alli came to work together, and why Olive & June's is tackling the national at-home market. Keep up with Sarah Gibson Tuttle at @gibsontuttle and @oliveandjune. Don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

S2 Ep. 6 Anine Bing: Influencer-Turned-Designer May 03, 2019

Show notes

Anine Bing has become the go-to designer for models and actresses off-duty since leveraging her social media platform into a namesake label in 2012. Like all great founder stories, the Danish-born model and former rock 'n' roll singer launched her online fashion line from the garage of her Los Angeles home. Now, she's expanding to children's wear and opening brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S., U.K, and Europe. Anine sat down with Alli and Michael to talk about the origins of her laidback Scandinavian style, the growing pains of building a business with your spouse, and how she turned Insta-fame into a global brand. For more in the know with @aninebing and @aninebingofficial. Don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! ᐧ

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