Entrepreneurs En Vogue | Conversations with Successful Millennial Women Entrepreneurs

ENTREPRENEURS EN VOGUE is a weekly podcast that gives a unique insight into the savvy secrets of successful female entrepreneurs of Gen Y. Each week this podcast will feature notable women innovators from around the world and across multiple industries talking about their entrepreneurial journey, their successes, their failures and other trends, happenings, and interesting things. These inspirational women have turned their lives around and stepped onto the path of success, fulfillment and financial independence. But for every woman that has succeeded in pursuing her entrepreneurial dreams, there are thousands who quietly are searching for that inspiration to move forward.

From Beauty Editor To Style Icon: Tai Beauchamp’s Reflections on Her Career In Media, Her New Start in T.V. And Her Website, The Tai Life. 01/30/2017

Is Your Business Worth Saving? Stacy Tuschl On Reinventing Your Business and Building Your Empire 01/23/2017

Diane Mulcahy on the Gig Economy, the future of work and the American dream 01/16/2017

Diane Jooris Is Using VR To Innovate The Way Patients Deal With Cancer Treatment 01/09/2017

A Year In Review: Round Up Of Our Best Moments Of Wisdom 12/31/2016

How A Passion For Health And Fitness Gave Nikki Warren a New Purpose In Life 12/23/2016

Exploring The Awesome Entrepreneurial Path of Rachel Blumenthal, founder of Rockets of Awesome 12/14/2016

Insider Secrets of The Old Boys Network from Eleanor Beaton 12/08/2016

How Pratima Aravabhoomi Turned Her Life Around From the Brink of Suicide to a Successful Business Venture. 12/01/2016

Thanksgiving Special: Gratitude and Finding Inner Strength with Jennifer Wilkov 11/24/2016

Cindy Whitehead on Her Billion-Dollar Acquisition and Her New Venture The Pink Ceiling 11/21/2016

Shannon Mclay On Being Financially Blonde and Making Finances Fun 11/16/2016

Lauren Leader-Chivée on Women Leadership, Political Gender Gaps and The 2016 Election 11/07/2016

Lauren Leader-Chivée on Women Leadership, Political Gender Gaps and The 2016 Election auren Leader-Chivée is the Co-Founder and CEO of All In Together. She has dedicated her career to closing the most critical personal, professional and political gender gaps for women. In addition to her role at AIT, Lauren is an Executive Advisor to Deloitte working with a range of global companies on their most pressing diversity issues. Formerly the President of the global think tank Center for Talent Innovation and Founding Partner at Hewlett Chivée Partners LLC, she has tirelessly advocated for women’s leadership as a driver of economic growth and opportunity. Recently chosen by Fortune as one of the 50 Most Influential Women on Twitter, Leader-Chivée writes extensively for the Huffington Post, Harvard Business Review and Inc and her thought leadership has been featured in a wide range of media including the BBC, Dow Jones, CNN, Washington Post, NY Times and the Wall Street Journal. She is the co-author of Center for Talent Innovation publications “Executive Presence,” “Sponsor Effect UK,” “The Battle for Female Talent in India” and “The X-Factor.” Her forthcoming book “The Thinnest Line” looks at why and how American diversity is its best and most underleveraged asset. While at the Center for Talent Innovation, Lauren led cutting-edge research and advised global clients across industry including Bristol Myers-Squibb, Genentech, Siemens, Deutsche Bank, EY, Bloomberg, Credit Suisse, HP and many others and drove significant advancements for professional women. Her work has made her a sought after speaker for a wide array of forums around the world. Lauren began her career in Human Resources at a number of top companies including Weiss, Peck & Greer, Pfizer, Credit Suisse and Office Tiger. She began actively advocating for women’s issues in 2007. In collaboration with National Partnership for Women and Families, she lobbied congress to expand the FMLA. She later worked with a Better Balance to advocate for paid sick leave bills in New York State. Lauren is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and on the boards of the 30% Club and Inkwell. /episode/index/show/entrepreneursenvogue/id/4812229

Sara Moylan on Innovating The Sports Bra and How to Win on Shark Tank and 11/03/2016

Nely Galan - Self-Made In America 10/26/2016

Understanding The Art Of Manufacturing with Krisztina 'Z' Holly 10/12/2016

Changing the World… One Perfect Sports Bra at a Time with Sara Moylan 10/03/2016

GENERATION STARTUP'S Kate Catlin Thrives To Empower Women In Tech with Her Venture 'Women Rising" 09/27/2016

GENERATION STARTUP: An Exclusive Chat with Co-Director Cheryl Houser 09/21/2016

How Amy Peterson is Making a Social Impact While Balancing Two Inboxes 09/08/2016

How Amy Peterson is Making a Social Impact While Balancing Two Inboxes Amy Peterson knew she wanted to work in baseball since she was young, so after she went to law school and business school she applied to work for free for any baseball team. She wound up interning for the , and she's been "paying it forward" in Detroit ever since (though now she's their lawyer, not their intern). All of this is super, but none of it is the direct reason she's being featured. The reason she's being featured is the creative outlet/hobby she turned into the social enterprise known as . Initially, she was making jewelry that she sold to mom and pop stores, which made her just enough money to pay for her law books. The rest, is better told in the podcast and below: What is the product? Rebel Nell’s jewelry line starts by repurposing , an abundant local resource in Detroit. They collect this graffiti after it has fallen off of walls. Initially these scraps of graffiti look a little rough on the surface, just like many people’s first impression of Detroit. However, after they take it through their process, they're able to reveal all the beautiful layers that make up the graffiti, just like the intricate layers that make up the city of Detroit. After some hard work and TLC, the women of Rebel Nell turn that scrap of graffiti into a unique piece of wearable art. Rebel Nell creates signature sterling pendant necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, tie-clips and pins. All products can be seen . How is this product solving a problem and/or filling a gap? . Every piece of jewelry that is sold goes directly toward supporting their mission of empowering women and helping them successfully transition to an independent life Our product makes it possible for Rebel Nell to implement financial literacy programs, entrepreneurship classes, and empowerment classes. How is the creator of the product disrupting the product's respective industry? When Amy moved to Detroit in 2007, she immediately fell in love with one of America’s greatest cities and was adamant about contributing to Detroit’s revival. Living next to gave Amy the unique opportunity to build relationships with many of the residents. The many of the women shared of overcoming emotional, physical and financial abuse were the catalyst for creating Rebel Nell. Amy was adamant about providing women in the shelters with an opportunity to lead an independent life. She believes that employment paired with financial literacy, business education, and a focus on life wellness can transform women's lives and help them regain the confidence they need to lead them on the path to success. Amy and her business partner, Diana Russell were named by Ernst & Young. How is it different from competing products? Rebel Nell is . They have set up a transitional system that enables the women they employ to stabilize their lives and reclaim their independence. Behind every piece of Rebel Nell jewelry is a story of a woman working towards building a future for themselves and their families. Their goal is not to pigeonhole them to be jewelry makers for the rest of their lives. of this social enterprise is a need to make better employees, to restore their confidence and to provide the resources necessary for them to realize their dreams and watch them come to fruition. LISTEN to find out which movie it was that got Peterson to learn about the jewelry making process and how she strives to bridge the gap between the opportunity divide. /episode/index/show/entrepreneursenvogue/id/4652727

For This Business Coach, The Proof is in the Pudding 08/30/2016

How April Spring Lets Her Foxers Sell Themselves 08/22/2016

How April Spring Lets Her Foxers Sell Themselves Have you ever had an idea that was so obscure - and brilliant - that the people with whom you’d dare to share it would either pretend they didn’t hear you or bluntly-yet-lovingly tell you it was ridiculous? For example, there’s this scene in the first episode of in which Bill Hader’s character explains that and wraps the pant legs around her neck for practicality - like a “built-in scarf.” If you're wondering which product I'm drawing a comparison to, I'll tell you: it's . Sure, they seem like common sense now, but even the creator's husband wasn't immediately on board with the idea when he first heard it. The creator, April Spring, had a moment in 2006, when she was at a restaurant with her husband. Before we get to the aftermath, here's some information on Spring: Spring, who comes from a finance background, has an entrepreneurial spirit. The "always working" mentality doesn't seem to bother her. She worked with NASDAQ for over a decade, doing financial PR at her own investment relations firm, until her husband was offered a job overseas, in Malaysia. It was in Malaysia, where she had the pivotal dinner that changed everything. “My thought was that men have always had the protection of the wider, comfortable cotton-gathered boxer band that gives coverage, and it's made of outerwear fabric.” She suggested making a female version of boxers, and being a true entrepreneur, Spring went from idea to prototype in 24 hours. Photo Credit: Foxers.com took off on its own, thanks to the quality of the product and the power of publicity. Wherever Spring went, she found an opportunity to advance. When her friend, a designer for department stores, came to visit her in Malaysia, she took him to tour the clothing factories. At the same time, she made connections for herself and ended up using them for . When she was visiting her friends in Chicago, she found a representative at who ended up placing in 74 stores within 90 days. While at the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, a patent attorney was passing by and casually mentioned that her designs could be patented. She got her design patented in a year. If you're with the process of getting a design patented, that length of time is rare. Not only that, but Spring’s product is so different that she received two U.S. patents for her designs. When it comes to the , itself, Foxers have become a in people’s wardrobes, underwear. Yes, they’re . More importantly, they’re . And , , they're for everyone. When puts them on the same list as , you know you’ve got a winner. Foxers started with 3 panties and now the brand has over 900 SKUS and 21 styles, with new looks coming out every month. Such new looks have inspirations that come to Spring in dreams, or when she's driving on the highway. All looks are of the same luxurious quality. As for the success that doesn't just fall into place, Spring's business acumen more than makes up for that. "As an entrepreneur, you're always thinking about 'what's ahead of this, so that I can be there and be ready?'" But she sees herself as more than just an entrepreneur; she also sees herself as a designer, which comes with extra responsibilities. For example, Spring believes that "[research and development] has to be the designer's thing for her whole life." Because of this, she knows that her time is both valuable and limited. On top of that, the decisions that she makes within the company affect the amount of time she has to handle her direct responsibilities - as is true with anyone. In Spring's case, for example, while she does pay for advertising her and there, she relies more on publicity [that counts]. "It's funny - when you have paid advertising, you usually don't get much from it. It's the free publicity." However, publicity does come with its unforeseen consequences. "As soon as you get all this publicity, you just start getting tons of people wanting to take your time, and you lose track - really - of what you're supposed to be doing." That being said, Spring knows how to spend her time - and finances - strategically. When she had first launched, she had tackled the smaller markets in the southern and midwestern regions, but the west coast and the northeastern region were entirely different markets. In order to get her product into those mainstream channels, she knew she had to take some publicity risks and hire PR; "I knew that celebrities sold apparel." Gifting, her not-so-secret weapon, was the catalyst that really got her noticed. She At the Jingle Ball (remember, this is back when it was a thing), she was such a hit that PR firms starting contacting her instead of the other way around. She was on the eight times, with one of those times being on the same day she was on the Valentine's Day episode of the show. Spring was constantly thinking about how to grow her business in the best way in that moment in time, and she acted accordingly. She still does - now she's on the social media train, which is working out really, really well for her. But you'll need to listen to know how well. What impressed me the most about Spring, aside from her plan to have people learn to sew in Foxers’ factory in Atlanta, was her influence over me. Without once mentioning that she wanted to be featured on Entrepreneurs En Vogue - the website or the podcast, she had me practically begging to feature her. Not only that, but Spring could have name-dropped Beyoncé or any of her other celebrity customers in her email to me.* She didn’t. The only name she dropped was mine. It. Worked. Like. A. Charm. Kids, they don’t make them like these anymore. LISTEN to learn about: what Iman thinks of Foxers how Spring sold a product when all she had was a drawing of it things Spring tried that didn't work services she will absolutely not skimp on which social media platform singlehandedly provided $50k in orders on a single pair of underwear *Name-dropping doesn't actually work. To be considered for a potential feature, email with the subject line "potential feature" /episode/index/show/entrepreneursenvogue/id/4609512

The 5 Pillars of revolutionizing the undergarment industry with Helya Mohammadian 08/15/2016

The 5 Pillars of revolutionizing the undergarment industry with Helya Mohammadian Born in Iran and raised in Louisiana, knew she wanted to be in fashion from the start. She studied fashion design at and quickly realized that New York City was where she needed to be to pursue her dream. After working at Bergdorf Goodman and all these “crazy fashion houses,” she decided that traditional fashion was "too stuffy" and not for her. While taking a break from the industry, she had an idea for a product, that we now fondly know of as and jumped back into the fashion industry - challenging tradition and the industry she grew up loving. "I would love to see this be a product that really just changes the way women think about underwear as a whole." Her mission and passion, however, quickly evolved. Originally, Mohammadian was targeting the “” market and fulfilling more a want than a need. "I wasn't even thinking about the healthcare market when I launched this product." After receiving emails from handicapped, elderly, and otherwise-disabled women, she realized that her product was necessary for fulfilling a need rather than a want. "The whole idea is to give women a functional, convenient product that's also attractive." It’s so unheard of - even though it shouldn’t be - that is currently patent-pending for the overall design of the underwear. Was it a struggle? Absolutely. Has the struggle stopped? Absolutely not. "It's definitely been a process; it's not overnight for sure." But it’s an ongoing process and Mohammadian isn’t stopping or slowing down anytime soon. "Part of it is [that] I don't want to let people down, but I also don't want to let myself down. I don't want to let the people that believe in this product and can use this product [down]." So how did it start and how is it happening? Here are 5 themes to take away from the podcast: Research "I pretty much just Googled pattern-makers and asked friends and people that were kind of in the same network of fashion design and apparel. I kind of just did my research, which is what I always suggest for people to do." Outreach "The number one recommendation I have is outreach. Outreach outreach outreach." Teamwork "If you really want to grow a business, and you want to grow your product and your brand, you have to bring in a good team of people that are also passionate and that want to see your vision through." Specialized Startup Accelerator "For anyone who is in this industry, it's really hard to find retail accelerators. Fashion, in itself, is hard to find people that, you know - if you're looking for VCs or angel investors - it's pretty difficult. It's competitive, and this is an actual product; it's not really tech or service-based so was definitely something I had to jump on.” Kickstarter "I think is definitely the way to go. Yes, your friends and family are going to support you, but see how much support you get from people that don't know you and the feedback. Is there a proof of concept?" Want more? LISTEN for details. /episode/index/show/entrepreneursenvogue/id/4593138

From Best Friends to Business Partners, Nora and Heather Are Helping Us Think in Images 08/02/2016

Digging into the PR industry with Allison Gayne and Real Estate insights from Mara Navaretta 07/19/2016

How These Enterprising Drummers Built A Group Fitness Empire From Practically Nothing 07/07/2016

How These Enterprising Drummers Built A Group Fitness Empire From Practically Nothing From a very young age, Kirsten Potenza, the co-founder and CEO of was trying to find a job or make a job out of whatever she could. "From stealing sweet peas from the farm behind the house and selling them to my neighbors to having a shop in the backyard where I sold potpourri that I made." After college, where Potenza was a Division I athlete at UCLA, she found herself changing careers often, which concerned her mother. Looking back, Potenza understands her mother’s concerns, but she suggests that others embrace these "opportunities to dip our toes in the water and test out different things and learn more about ourselves through exploring different careers." It was around the time that she turned down the opportunity to run a company that she met Cristina Peerenboom. “The one thing we had in common was that we were obsessed with music. We were both drummers - not in the sense of wanting to be in bands - there was something about drumming that appealed to the both of us. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that when we did it, we left our cell phones behind and escaped." Potenza and Peerenboom (who also comes from an athletic background) had group fitness ingrained in their lifestyles since childhood. "This idea of being fit - and fitness - never really was something we had to think too hard about when we were younger." But as working adults living in Los Angeles, "the gym experience didn't feel super positive to us. It felt like there was a lot of ego." Cue the light bulb. They should just make their own group fitness class for any gym. "We had this background of a ton of different mentalities in knowing what it took to be fit, healthy, and strong but we weren't having as much fun doing that, right? So whether you're on a treadmill or in a class, it didn't feel enjoyable to us. So we kind of felt that spark when we were drumming or listening to music or experiencing music. I think for most people, music is an escape." "One of the greatest things about POUND® is that I was able to take all of my interests and put them into one thing, which I don't think happens. I'm passionate about fitness and wellness, I'm passionate about fashion, I'm passionate about food, and I get to put all of those things together and package them up in this little awesome, amazing company called POUND® - because we get to experience all of those things on a daily basis - and help people in all those categories so it's been awesome to have an opportunity like that." The best part of the POUND® empire? "I don't think we spent any marketing dollars for the first three or four years of POUND®. That's right, the duo spent nothing, and yet they still got to publicly give her seal of approval. LISTEN to learn more about what Potenza thinks are the most valuable aspects of growing a business and living a life, and how Potenza and Peerenboom were able to grow POUND® without a marketing budget. /episode/index/show/entrepreneursenvogue/id/4497457

This Former Attorney Wants You To Embrace Generation "Why" 06/30/2016

Maddy Hasulak Doesn’t Want To Be The Next Kraft Foods, But She Does Want To Change The Current One 06/22/2016

Maddy Hasulak Doesn’t Want To Be The Next Kraft Foods, But She Does Want To Change The Current One Maddy Hasulak, the Chief Love Officer of “gets to spread the love all day every day.” She may seem like another female founder, but she’ll be the first to emphasize that she’s a female co-founder of a company with a male co-founder - her husband, Alex. The pair started a business at one of the worst times to start a business - during the 2008 recession. Between the two of them, they were working five jobs while trying to build Love Grown. One of the jobs was at Wells Fargo, where the managers of City Market, a subsidiary of Kroger, would come in regularly. Alex approached one of them for advice on how to get on their shelves, and the manager requested a sample of the product, which was based on Maddy's mom's granola recipe. Two months later, Love Grown’s products were on an end cap of one of City Market’s aisles. "We sold so well the first month that within six months we went from one store to eighty King Scoopers and City Markets in Colorado, and quit our jobs to take the biggest risks of our lives and pour ourselves into growing this business." Maddy’s marketing approach was unique and very odd. She and her mother took guerrilla marketing to another level when they purchased an RV, covered it in diapers, and drove it across the country while working through Teach For America to “educate kids on the importance of eating breakfast, what whole grains are, and start delivering educational seminars to groups of kids throughout the country.” It’s this same unique drive and ability to be passionately odd that allows Hasulak to think outside of the cereal box. “We didn't want to just be a Raisin Bran or a Cheerio; we want to innovate in a category that's really been stagnant. And so that's where we got this concept and idea that we could take beans - navy, lentil, and garbanzo beans - and make cereal out of them. And so we totally revolutionized breakfast by making the first wheat-free corn-free breakfast cereal, which has higher protein, higher fiber, and they totally taste delicious!” LISTEN to learn about what sets Love Grown apart from its competitors, what Maddy Hasulak thinks is the most important aspect of a business, and whether she regrets driving across the country in an RV covered in diapers (spoiler alert: kind of, but not really). /episode/index/show/entrepreneursenvogue/id/4462063

How Media Veteran Helen Bui Used Her Career Skills To Thrive As An Entrepreneur and Empower Women Financially 06/16/2016

How This Lawyer Went From Being in Debt to Running a Law Practice to Help You With Yours 06/09/2016

How This Lawyer Went From Being in Debt to Running a Law Practice to Help You With Yours "As an entrepreneur, the reason why we are entrepreneurs is because we're not following a rigid set of structured processes and procedures. We're creating. We're bringing about new innovative business." , founder of and author of , is no stranger to debt herself. Having graduated law school with $80,000 in student loan debt, which doubled because of mishandled payments, she now runs a very successful law practice to help people in similar situations. Immediately after she finished law school, she started as a criminal defense attorney before moving on to being in-house counsel at a national debt company. She found herself disagreeing with the owners of the company on several compliance issues, and they weren’t as established as she’d felt comfortable with, so she left. She felt she could do it better, so she started her own practice. "I said, ‘I can do this and I can create a service that's out there that will really be meaningful.’" Keep in mind that Tayne decided to start her own practice as a single mother with three children, all under the age of five. She found herself “grappling with the parent-entrepreneur roles” often, but she kept pressing on. "I'm a decision maker. I'm not one to ever sit on the fence. Once I make the decision I just go with it without looking back." To build a strong entrepreneurial foundation, she used resources she already had to build her business, such as professional connections. "I found somebody who was a mentor to me who I could call up on a regular basis, ask questions about not only the business structure but dealing with certain business-related issues and that was really important to the success of my business - that I had somebody I could go to." Once she started to say, "what's the decision I would make," and then have her mentor confirm that decision, she felt like she didn't need a mentor anymore. LISTEN to learn more about how to find your own mentor, Tayne’s tips on starting a business so it lasts, and her advice about applying for loans (spoiler alert: don't). /episode/index/show/entrepreneursenvogue/id/4430881

Entrepreneurs En Vogue | Conversations with Successful Millennial Women Entrepreneurs

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