WorkParty

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Your Side Hustle IS a Real Business! Navigate the Legal Side of Your Biz Early with LegalZoom’s Anu Sethee Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

This week on WorkParty, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton sit down with Anu Sethee, VP of Legal Practice and Attorney Services at LegalZoom. As the head of their law firm LZ Legal Services, Anu oversees the platform’s independent network of attorneys who support entrepreneurs and founders at every stage. With a deep understanding of how to go from idea to legit business, she’s on a mission to help founders protect what they’re building and make smart legal moves from day one.

In this episode, Anu breaks down the essentials every founder should know, when to form an LLC, what counts as intellectual property, how trademarks actually work, and the biggest legal missteps to avoid. Whether you’re just getting started or scaling fast, companies like LegalZoom help demystify the legal side of entrepreneurship so you can protect your brand, build with confidence, and grow on solid ground.
Check Out LegalZoom: https://www.legalzoom.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legalzoom
Anu Sethee’s LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/anudeepsethee
Join Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival

Follow Create & Cultivate:
To follow along with Create & Cultivate: https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson
To connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

www.createcultivate.com
PR: createcultivate@laruepr.com

Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival
Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15

To follow along with Create & Cultivate:
https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate
www.createcultivate.com
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson
To connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

Don’t Launch That Course Yet -–What to Do First with Alyson Stoner and Kajabi’s Allie Fernando Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

Live from Create & Cultivate’s 2025 Festival, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton sit down with two powerhouse guests at the intersection of purpose, wellness, and digital entrepreneurship, Alyson Stoner and Allie Fernando. Alyson Stoner, actor, artist, and founder of Movement Genius, is redefining success by prioritizing emotional wellness and accessibility within the creator economy. Allie Fernando, VP of Marketing at Kajabi, the all-in-one platform empowering creators to own their content, audience, and revenue at any stage,on their own terms.

Together in this episode, they unpack what it means to build a business that’s both sustainable and rooted in impact, while also utilizing helpful tools like Kajabi’s platform to execute this through courses and offerings. Alyson shares how their lived experience and training in mental health have shaped their company’s mission to make wellness tools more inclusive. Allie offers key insights on what truly defines success for creators, how to monetize without burnout, and the future of digital entrepreneurship. From the biggest mistake creators are making when launching a course, to building purpose-driven products that truly serve, this episode offers a powerful look at what it takes to create meaningful impact in the digital economy.
Check out Kajabi: https://kajabi.com
Follow Alyson:
https://www.instagram.com/alysonstoner
https://www.movementgenius.com

Follow Allie:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-fernando/
https://kajabi.com

Join Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival
Follow Create & Cultivate:
To follow along with Create & Cultivate: https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson
To connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton
www.createcultivate.com
PR: createcultivate@laruepr.com

Reinventing Your Life, at Any Age Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton are back with a brand new catch-up episode of WorkParty, this time live from New York City as Jaclyn celebrates turning 40 and steps into a major new chapter, personally and professionally. From closing the door on her LA era to testing the waters in NYC, Jaclyn opens up about choosing change over comfort and embracing uncertainty with curiosity and intention. Marina shares on how interior design became her unexpected creative outlet, why she’s building connection into every layer of the business, and how she’s finding her footing as a leader through every high-stakes moment.

They dive into life milestones, creative rediscovery, and what it really looks like to evolve as women, founders, and friends. From buying dream homes and planning once-in-a-lifetime trips, to launching the biggest Create & Cultivate festival yet, this episode is a reflection on growth in all its forms. Whether you’re in a season of change, searching for balance, or just need a reminder that it’s okay to start over, this episode is full of insight, laughs, and permission to live life your way.

Not Everyone Should Be an Entrepreneur: Hawa Hassan on Storytelling Centered Businesses Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of WorkParty, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton are joined by chef, entrepreneur, and storyteller, Hawa Hassan! The powerhouse behind Basbaas Sauce and the James Beard Award-winning author of In Bibi’s Kitchen, now she’s back with a stunning new cookbook, Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community. This new book brings together 75 recipes and powerful personal narratives from countries shaped by war and migration.

From launching the first Somali condiment line to building a brand rooted in culture and connection, Hawa shares her incredible journey from refugee to food entrepreneur. She opens up about turning a small idea into a big impact, the importance of storytelling in business, the emotional work behind sharing personal narratives, and why not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. Plus, she talks about her expansion into TV, building a holding company, and the power of preserving heritage through food. Whether you're a creative founder, a passionate storyteller, or simply someone looking to make a meaningful impact through your work, this episode will leave you inspired to lead with purpose and authenticity.

Follow Hawa:
Instagram: @hawahassan
Basbaas: @babaasfoods | basbaassauce.com
Resources & Mentions:
Setting a Place for Us — Buy the book

Second Time Smarter: Building a Billion-Dollar Business, Again, with Suneera Madhani Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of WorkParty, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton welcome guest Suneera Madhani, the trailblazing entrepreneur and founder behind Stax Payments, and now the visionary CEO of Worth AI. Suneera built Stax at 25 year old, scaling it to over $140 M in recurring revenue, and then into a business valued at over a billion dollars, making her the first female CEO to lead a Florida-based startup to a billion-dollar valuation. She's also the founder behind the CEO School company, and podcast with over a million downloads, which empowers women to scale their businesses and change the landscape of the traditional business world.

In this episode, they dive into Suneera’s POV on leadership, with powerful insights on scaling, structure, and culture. They’ll explore how she approaches team-building and the art of “fire fast”, striking the right work-life balance as a mom and CEO, the differences between founding a first-time startup and launching a high-growth AI fintech venture. They’ll touch on her mission behind Worth AI surrounding bringing transparency and ownership of financial data to small businesses everywhere. If you're building a brand or startup with scale, evolution, and intentional impact in mind, this conversation will provide you the guidance you need!

Follow Suneera:
Instagram: @suneeramadhani
More at: suneeramadhani.com
Podcast: CEO School
-Ep 288. Your 5 Love Languages and How You Can Apply Them As CEO

Turning Your Love of Travel Into a Legit Business with Fora’s CEO Henley Vazquez Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of WorkParty, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton chat with Henley Vazquez, the co-founder and CEO of Fora, a modern travel platform reinventing the role of the travel advisor. With a background in luxury travel and a mission to create more accessible, flexible, and inclusive career paths, Henley has built a fast-growing community of over 97% newcomers to the industry, 86% of whom are women. Under her leadership, Fora is reshaping an outdated industry by equipping travel lovers with the tools, tech, and support to turn their passion into a thriving business.

Jaclyn and Marina talk with Henley about the massive shifts happening in the travel industry, including the rise of last-minute bookings, the demand for local and authentic experiences, and the surprising surge in cruise travel. Henley also breaks down what it takes to become a travel advisor today, how Fora uses tech and AI to empower small business owners (not replace them), and why flexibility and community are key to building a work model that truly works. Whether you're dreaming of a career in travel or just looking for smarter ways to plan your next trip as an entrepreneur on a mission to your next networking event, this episode is packed like a carry-on with actionable insights.

Links:
Become a Fora Advisor: https://www.foratravel.com/join-us
Website: https://www.foratravel.com
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/foratravel/

Jeni Britton’s Take On How to Build a Sticky Brand with Staying Power Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

This week on WorkParty, recorded live from Austin at this year’s SXSW, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton sit down with a true game-changer in the world of food, Jeni Britton. Not only is she the founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (aka, your favorite pint in the freezer aisle), but she’s sharing all about building her next iconic brand, Floura & Co.
Bold, brilliant, and mission-driven, Floura isn’t just another food startup. It’s an ambitious new venture, out to tackle two massive problems: America’s food waste and the fiber crisis, all at the same time! Jeni’s goal is to upcycle 100 million pounds of fruits and veggies headed for the landfill and turn them into delicious, fiber-packed foods people actually want to eat. Jeni gets into how her personal health journey led to this surprising revelation and what sparked the discovery to create this brand.
In this episode, Jeni shares how she’s applying everything she learned from her first brand to build and scale something completely new. She’ll touch on why she believes fiber is the next protein, and what it takes to launch a truly disruptive product in an industry that’s overdue for innovation. From embracing slower growth, to tackling chronic illness through food, Jeni is proof that entrepreneurship can evolve with purpose. A great conversation for those dreaming of launching something that just might change how people live, and eat!
Follow Jeni:
Instagram: @jeni @livefloura
Explore Floura: https://www.floura.com
Try Jeni’s: jenis.com

From Solopreneur to VC Backed CEO: Marina Middleton Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton are back with a brand new episode of WorkParty, this time reflecting on Marina’s first year as CEO of Create & Cultivate and what it really takes to lead at the next level. They get honest about the hilarious and hard realities in the transition from running a lifestyle business as a solopreneur to operating a full-scale company with investors, departments, and high stakes at every turn.

From redefining the CEO title, to learning how to lead without burning out, this chat explores the mindset shifts, leadership lessons, and unexpected challenges that come with scaling a brand beyond yourself. Marina shares what she wishes she knew before stepping into the role, and Jaclyn offers real insight about evolving from founder to mentor. They also touch on the benefits of working with a business partner and how welcoming different perspectives and shared goals has helped them grow not just the business, but themselves as leaders. Whether you’re growing your own team or growing into your next identity in a new chapter, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating what’s next!

How Aleen Dreksler Built a Culture-Defining Media Empire with Betches Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

This week on WorkParty, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton sit down with Aleen Dreksler, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Betches Media, the defining voice in culture for women and the go-to destination for hilarious, smart, and unfiltered content. In this episode, Aleen shares the full story of how she and her lifelong besties turned a satirical blog into a powerhouse media company with a built-in community reaching 250M+ across all platforms.
We dive into what it takes to grow a content brand while staying culturally relevant, how Aleen leads with creativity and strategy, and why putting your audience first creates that true, close-knit connection. She also shares the non-negotiables that have guided their brand evolution, how she learned to lead without a mentor, and why waiting to sell the business until the right moment and right partners, was one of the most empowering decisions of her career.
Aleen will also be making an upcoming appearance at The World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business, where she’ll be taking the stage to drop even more insight into brand building, scaling media, and showing up authentically in your leadership journey.
Follow Aleen + Betches:
Instagram: @aleen | @betches
More at: betches.com
Substack: Please Advise

Inside the Non-Alc Movement: Your Authentic Self, Real Connections (and Really Good Wine) Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of WorkParty, Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton sit down with Ashley Jappe, Head of Marketing for FRE Non-Alcoholic Wines, to explore how intentional choices are transforming the way we socialize, celebrate, and connect. As a seasoned brand strategist with over a decade of experience leading multi-million dollar wine portfolios, Ashley dives into her perspective on balance, personal passion and deep industry insight to her work in the non-alc space.

Ashley shares how her own lifestyle shift toward more presence and mindfulness perfectly aligns with FRE’s mission to support evolving entrepreneurs. From launching FRE’s new Sober Curious City Guide, to redefining what it means to show up at events, glass in hand, alcohol optional, Ashley walks us through how the brand is building a community rooted in connection, beyond the product. If you’ve ever felt curious about non-alc, or simply want to lead with more intention in both life and business, this episode offers real inspiration and plenty of thoughtful takeaways. Plus, get the inside scoop on where FRE is showing up next (spoiler: the Create & Cultivate Festival is about to get even more refreshing!)

FRE Links:
Website: https://www.frewines.com
Instagram: @FREwines
Tiktok: @FREwines

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