S4 E9: Decacorns, The Refund Years and representation with Erika Brodnok

Erika Brodnik is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, angel investor, author and mum of five.

She is also super relatable, inspirational and committed to bringing other women and minority founders along on the entrepreneurial journey with her by showing that motherhood and multiple successful businesses are not mutually exclusive.

I loved how broad ranging our conversation was, from The Refund Years™, to representation and diversity, parenting hacks to decacorns. But Erika also shared a lot of nuance which is often missing in our soundbite focused world.

We talked a lot about what is keeping women, and minority groups, from becoming entrepreneurs: is it childcare, structural difficulties, the risk factor? We agreed that we’ve made a lot of progress, but still could only think of one British female unicorn (Erika is gunning for decacorn - I had never heard of it either, new ambition unlocked!)

We have a choice about how we go about our business, and the impact we’re making for those coming up behind us on the journey. Listen to the conversation, Erika is such a role model for founders. This is one of my favourite conversations so far.

Resources mentioned

HeartMath Breathing: https://www.heartmath.org/articles-of-the-heart/the-math-of-heartmath/heart-focused-breathing/

 

Takeaways

• Erica started her first business, Charisma Kids, to engage her children in offline play.

• The 'refund years' of parenting are particularly challenging as children become more independent.

• Agile Parenting helped Erica manage her family's dynamics and responsibilities.

• Empowering children through responsibility fosters teamwork and leadership skills.

• Erica believes in creating a supportive environment for future generations of women in business.

• It's important to represent diverse backgrounds in leadership roles.

• Erica aims to disprove stereotypes about women and minorities in business.

• Investing in others is a way to create change and opportunity.

• The journey of entrepreneurship can be lonely, but community support is vital.

• Erica's experience shows that progress is being made, but there's still work to do. Finding hope is essential for female founders.

• Childcare and infrastructure significantly impact women's entrepreneurship.

• Role models are crucial for inspiring future female founders.

• Navigating privilege can influence funding opportunities.

• Creating a supportive environment benefits everyone involved.

• Understanding your purpose is key to entrepreneurial success.

• Not all founders need to aim for unicorn status.

• Women should not see themselves as minorities in business.

• Building a network and strong team is essential for success.

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Erica Brodnock
01:41 The Birth of Charisma Kids
06:37 Navigating Motherhood and Business
11:30 The Challenges of the Refund Years
16:11 Agile Parenting: A New Approach
17:22 Empowering Future Generations
22:31 Creating Change Through Investment
22:32 Finding Hope and Paying It Forward
23:29 Barriers for Female Founders
27:43 The Importance of Role Models
31:00 Navigating Privilege in Entrepreneurship
34:54 Creating a Win-Win Environment
39:44 Finding Joy in Motherhood and Entrepreneurship
41:20 Advice for Aspiring Female Founders

Links:

Website: www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/

 

About Erika Brodnok

Erica Brodnock, MBE is a serial founder and mother of five children. Erika has experienced firsthand the struggles of balancing her career with motherhood.

Factor racism, sexism and maternity discrimination into the mix and Erica knows sometimes it can feel impossible. As a co-founder and CEO of KinHub, a people performance platform that upskills employees on subjects such as mental health, neurodiversity and the menopause to increase awareness and team cohesion, Erica believes in creating a fairer workplace for everyone: People who create technology are creating the future.

But right now that is leaving people who look like her out of the equation. By improving and supporting diversity in the workplace, we can change how this looks and create a more inclusive and equitable future. KineHub and its founders have been recognised across the media, including Sifted, Forbes and TechCrunch.

Erika Brodnok’s Links:

Website: https://www.kinhub.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikabrodnock/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/er11bee/