Stairway to CEO

Description:Joining the show today is Hans Schrei, a passionate entrepreneur who is using his business to create safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community, one cookie at a time. Hans is the Founder and CEO of Wunderkeks, a company that not only sells unbelievably delicious cookies but sees every sweet treat as a pathway to the rituals that allow us to connect with one another. In our conversation, Hans reflects on his upbringing in Guatemala and the challenges of being queer in a conservative Catholic society before recounting his journey as an entrepreneur and the story of how Wunderkeks went from being sold at farmer’s markets to gaining massive online orders, practically overnight. Hans also shares some of the key lessons he’s learned from fundraising and leaves listeners with the one piece of advice he believes is imperative for founders to persevere and thrive.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About: [02:46] Hans’s experiences of growing up in Guatemala, the challenges of being queer in a conservative Catholic society, and why he moved to Austin, Texas.[12:57] Why Hans was drawn to entrepreneurship from a young age and the satisfaction and difficulties of owning your own business.[17:14] Misconceptions that people have about entrepreneurship and the immense dedication, grit, and care it takes to persevere and succeed.[26:18] The founding story of Wunderkeks and the tweet that earned them 700 orders overnight (and 25,000 by the end of the month!)[29:55] How an Apple iOS privacy update helped Hans and his partner uncover their ‘why’.[32:17] Hans and his partner’s decision to be a proudly queer company, the homophobic backlash that followed, and the messages of encouragement they received.[36:02] How Wunderkeks embraced the idea of becoming a safe space for consumers and the privilege of always being in a space where you can be yourself.[41:35] Hans’s experience with fundraising, the importance of viewing your company from the investors’ perspective, and how they found a clear and successful strategy.[48:15] Separating yourself from the business and the importance of becoming more comfortable with other people getting involved in your company.[51:47] What’s next for Wunderkeks and Hans’s advice for young entrepreneurs today.To Find Out More:WunderkeksHans Schrei on LinkedInLee Greene on LinkedInQuotes: “[In a strict Catholic country] you spend a lot of time code switching which is so exhausting — you're asking yourself, ‘Am I passing?’ all the time.” — [0:04:12]“I have a complicated relationship with my home country.” — [0:05:23]“One thing that I really appreciate about my parents is that they never tried to make me into something that I was not.” — [0:06:44]“[With being an entrepreneur] I'm still asking myself every so often, ‘Why the hell do I do this to myself?’ But for the most part, it is good. It's exciting.” — [0:15:53]“Some people really fall in love with the idea of being an entrepreneur, and they ‘think I'm gonna be my own boss’, [but that is] the furthest [thing] from the truth.” — [0:17:23]“Particularly in the food space, you can tell when someone is winging it. It's not gonna work. They're not gonna make it. You have to really be willing to walk through fire for what you're doing.” — [0:17:32]“In my space, in our space, in the retail space, it's very easy to forget that what you're selling is a luxury product.” — [0:37:22]“How the hell did this company crash? They raised $100 million. And it's because they didn't have a plan.” — [0:44:16]“You need to learn to put yourself in the investors' shoes and say, ‘That is what they're looking at.’” — [0:46:45]“Get a therapist if you're a founder, because it's super rough and the level of self-doubt is so big.” — [0:53:00]

Description:Christopher Gallant joins the show today to share his story and childhood dreams of becoming a lawyer, studying at MIT, starting The Bronx Brewery, and becoming a CEO. Chris is the CEO of the incredible talent-led brand, Chamberlain Coffee and has many years of experience in the beverage industry. In this episode, Chris tells us all about his illustrious career in multiple massive beverage companies, his very own business, how imposter syndrome affects him, and much more! We delve into his particular leadership style before he tells us what it’s like to work with a celebrity and run a talent-led brand. Wrapping up, he shares some pearls of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs and CEOs!Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About: [03:43] Chris tells us about his childhood, his family, the sports he played, and what it was like growing up in Boston. [12:08] When Chris knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and the journey and challenges through drink companies to make it to his goal. [16:33] What it was like to work at Red Bull, how they continuously grow, what Chris learned, and the challenges he faced there.[18:24] How he dove into non-alcoholic beverages through health, wellness, and kombucha. [19:17] How Chris entered the coffee category, what the team was like when he joined Chamberlain Coffee, and why he’s moving them into retail. [21:40] Where Chamberlain Coffee raises its funds from and the key to finding investors. [26:58] Why imposter syndrome is very real and how Chris has grown personally and professionally as a leader based on his leadership style.[31:35] Chris tells us what it’s like to work with a celebrity, Emma Chamberlain, and why she created Chamberlain Coffee. [36:30] The challenges Chris has had to overcome as the CEO of Chamberlain Coffee and why they decided to split equity and debt.[41:52] What people don’t know about being a CEO and what advice Chris would give to aspiring CEOs and entrepreneurs. To Find Out More:Chamberlain CoffeeChristopher Gallant on LinkedInLee Greene on LinkedInQuotes:“[You should] find what you like and not be afraid to try new things.” — Christopher Gallant [0:06:32]“I think it’s healthy to do lots of different things and to get different perspectives.” — Christopher Gallant [0:07:31]“I realized I don’t really enjoy [software engineering,] I’m not very good at it, so maybe I should find something else to do. I met some really great people that I’m still friends with now but that path wasn’t for me.” — Christopher Gallant [0:09:11]“I didn’t have enough of a worldview yet. I think that’s one of the challenges: I went to a regional university that had more of a regional view than a worldview. I really wanted to be with people that have been everywhere and have done everything.” — Christopher Gallant [0:09:41]“A really big threat that I found at MIT and I hadn’t seen anywhere is this willingness to take risks and to do anything.” — Christopher Gallant [0:10:27]“If we’re going to become a big company we need to be where people buy their coffee every week.” — Christopher Gallant [0:20:54]“What are investors looking for? [You have to] make sure you’re finding an investor that’s looking for the same thing as you are. That alignment is key.” — Christopher Gallant [0:22:44]“Getting [investors] that understand your industry is very important.” — Christopher Gallant [0:26:01]“One of those things that you do as a leader is you challenge yourself. You put yourself in situations where you are forced to figure out how to do things.” — Christopher Gallant [0:28:45]“One of the ways I’ve personally grown is I put myself in situations where I’m uncomfortable. – I’d like to think that over time, I’ve learned to think about people more.” — Christopher Gallant [0:29:05]“If you think about people first, other things will fall into place.” — Christopher Gallant [0:29:38]“Pay attention to your mental health. The enormity of starting a business is huge and it can be all-consuming. So pay attention to your mental health, find an outlet, and know when you’ve reached your limit.” — Christopher Gallant [0:43:18]

Description:In this episode, Lee is joined by the Co-Founder and CEO of Genius Juice, Alex Bayer, to share his entrepreneurship journey. Alex opens up about his struggles with social anxiety growing up, how his lifestyle supports him through personal challenges, and the sales ability his introspection has afforded him. We learn about the genesis of Genius Juice and the lessons Alex learned along the way, as well as his experience of pitching his business on Shark Tank. Tune in to discover how a life coach inspired a major shift in Alex’s trajectory and hear his astute advice for aspiring entrepreneurs!Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:[03:06] Alex Bayer’s experience of “parentpreneurship” as a new parent.[06:49] How Alex’s upbringing informed the way he works through personal challenges.[09:44] His early interests, aspirations, and forays into entrepreneurship. [15:51] His unusual college job selling cellphone plans and where he went from there.[17:42] How he managed his social anxiety in sales roles; how his introspection aided him.[23:03] His shift to non-profit work, and ultimately the food and beverage industry.[29:22] The genesis of Genius Juice and what Alex learned about building a brand.[38:43] The Shark Tank reality.[42:55] Genius Juice’s current status and future endeavors.[44:44] Alex’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and those in the thick of building a business.To Find Out More:Genius JuiceAlex Bayer on LinkedInGenius Juice Crowdfunding CampaignLee Greene on LinkedInQuotes:“The first three [or] four years of your life are so crucial. It actually locks in who you are for the rest of your life—your brain chemistry [and] your personality.” — Alex Bayer [0:08:18]“Exercise, meditation, and yoga really help you to work through a lot of anxiety or challenges.” — Alex Bayer [0:09:07]“If you eat the right things, the chemistry in your body [improves]. You feel better, you feel happier, [and] you feel more clarity.” — Alex Bayer [0:09:18]“Growing up, I was always an entrepreneur. I used to buy and sell Star Wars figures on eBay.” — Alex Bayer [0:15:09]“I’ve always thought against the grain and wanted to do things differently from others.” — Alex Bayer [0:16:34]“The anxiety is always going to be there, no matter what. You can work on it with your lifestyle to limit it.” — Alex Bayer [0:18:20]“Whenever you struggle or go through challenges, you learn about yourself but then you learn about others and how to connect better.” — Alex Bayer [0:20:17]“Looking back, we learned so much but we did a lot of things wrong. It was just inefficient but you learn as you go.” — Alex Bayer [0:32:09]“I’ve adjusted my energy levels in this business to not be frantically trying to do everything and really focusing on one thing at a time.” — Alex Bayer [0:33:32]“Taking your time is the right way to do it in this business, to do it right.” — Alex Bayer [0:34:27]“Less is more, in this business. You don’t have to take over the world. You don’t have to be everywhere. You don’t have to be in all the different stores. Just focus on the niche.” — Alex Bayer [0:35:54]“You can do really well on Shark Tank but is that going to make your company successful? No. It’s going to help you get there. It’s really about the hustle, [the entrepreneur, and the product]. Those pieces of the puzzle help you to become a long-term successful brand.” — Alex Bayer [0:42:26]“Have a really solid plan going into it. Take your time with it, don’t try to rush through things. You don’t have to get it done by tomorrow. Make sure to have a financial plan, as well. Make sure you have enough money to accomplish what you want to accomplish and also have an avenue for capital lined up.” — Alex Bayer [0:45:00]

Description:Scout Brisson, the CEO of De Soi, sits down with Lee today to talk about her current leadership role and the unique journey she has had up to this point in her career. With some impactful lessons learned in corporate America, and a desire to head up something important, Scout made the leap into the world of startups, and soon after found herself working with De Soi's amazing co-founders, none other than Morgan McLachlan and Katy Perry! De Soi is now poised to become a market leader in non-alcoholic and sparkling drinks, and after hearing from Scout about their philosophy and brand identity, it's not hard to see why.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:[02:58] Scout's current home in LA and her early years on the East Coast.[08:08] Taking to leadership from a young age and Scout's path to discovering her entrepreneurial spirit.[15:37] Unpacking the pressure that Scout felt during her college years and the decision that she made to stop pursuing medicine.[20:34] Scout's excitement about working at M13 after McKinsey.[23:17] Advice from Scout about building a founding team at a startup![25:55] Her biggest strengths and weaknesses; problem-solving, organization, and more.[29:05] Scout's next career steps after M13.[31:58] Tracing the birth of De Soi and how Scout connected with the founders.[35:17] Stepping into the role of CEO at De Soi and the conversations around this time.[41:10] Working with Katy Perry; Scout talks about the star's amazing energy and the values she brings to the table.[43:17] The future of De Soi and plans for the next year.[45:05] Scout explains exactly what apéritif means, and talks about some of their flavors and ingredients. [49:02] Fundraising and investor conversations; Scout's experiences recently.[51:58] Scout's final advice for aspiring CEOs about self-belief.To Find Out More:De SoiScout BrissonLee GreeneQuotes:“I wanted to be a dog breeder; that should be my fun fact.” — Scout Brisson [0:11:58]“I really liked science, I loved my classes that I took in high school; biology, and chemistry. I wasn't exactly sure how that would come together for me.” — Scout Brisson [0:12:26]“You've got to drop the perfectionism, and the over-precision.” — Scout Brisson [0:18:15]“I am an extroverted problem-solver.” — Scout Brisson [0:26:00]“It was all just a whirlwind of learning something new for the first time, every day.” — Scout Brisson [0:30:59]“We were able to get scrappy solutions in place and launch the business, and we were off to the races after that.” — Scout Brisson [0:34:30]“That's the beauty and challenge of startups, you look back two weeks and you think how much has changed in that period of time.” — Scout Brisson [0:35:35]“It's me and the board, and we are figuring out the strategy alongside the management team, and working with the team every day to execute on that.” — Scout Brisson [0:38:39]“We are all working really hard, so how do we make sure people aren't getting burnt out?” — Scout Brisson [0:39:14]“I had managed people before, but not a team at this size.” — Scout Brisson [0:39:35]

Description:Today, Lee is joined by Bill Moses, an influential leader, proven innovator, and inspiring mentor in the beverage industry. Bill is the Founder and CEO of Flying Embers, an alcoholic beverage brand that offers delicious, sugar-free, vegan, and certified organic canned cocktails, including flavored mojitos, hard kombucha, and hard seltzers. In this episode, Bill shares his lifelong love for napping and outlines how he started his career on Wall Street before navigating his first startup exit at just 32 years old, which ultimately led him to Ojai, California, where his popular beverage brand, KeVita, was born. Tuning in, you’ll learn how Bill sold KeVita to PepsiCo for $220 million in 2016, the story behind the name Flying Embers, and how a near-death experience with COVID in 2020 changed Bill’s perspective and enabled him to reestablish his business for success, plus so much more!Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.com In This Episode You’ll Hear About:[03:37] Where Bill was “born and manufactured” and developed his appreciation for nature.[05:36] How his propensity for dreaming helped him nurture the patterns and thought processes that enabled him to become an entrepreneur.[08:15] The near-death experience that changed Bill’s perspective on life and business.[13:20] Bill’s journey from Wall Street to CPG founder (which includes two startup exits).[23:56] Why unyielding faith and commitment are crucial when faced with challenges [26:26] How the old cliché, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” rings true.[34:24] Tips for first-time founders on how to remain open-minded and pivot as necessary.[36:30] Why Bill believes that there is no room for arrogance or stubbornness.[41:13] Facts about fundraising: the role that experience plays and how to foster confidence.[44:03] The story of how Bill came up with the name, Flying Embers.To Find Out More:Flying EmbersBill Moses on LinkedInLee Greene on LinkedInQuotes:“I always wanted to get into dream space. Maybe part of being an entrepreneur over the years, maybe that dream space is where I nurtured some of the patterns and thought processes that enabled me to do what I'm doing today.” — [0:06:09]“I have a cold plunge. I get in my 45-degree plunge three, four times a week for four minutes or so. I got to tell you, the norepinephrine release out of that—talk about an amazing reset! Those are some of the things I do to keep myself balanced, and refreshed, and invigorated, and driving 7x24, which is what it takes to compete in building a brand.” — [0:11:52]“There's something I love about building a company, and creating a culture, and watching people actually put liquid to lips, and have it be something that you created or crafted. That's really cool, but the grind of building and breaking through with a new brand is really hard.” — [0:17:59]“Coming out of COVID, I really had to rethink things. I think the business suffered a bit because I wasn’t really sure, [after] having a near-death experience, that I wanted to jump back in.” — [0:18:21]“When you're driving a brand and you're growing a brand, there's no time for idle thought.” — [0:20:15]“Every company that is meant to win is a team of destiny.” — [0:24:02]“When the going gets tough, the tough get going—you know what I mean; that cliché. That's a key piece to any entrepreneur’s success across any industry.” — [0:26:37]“Sometimes, some of the best-conceived plans require pivots, adaptations, and alterations based on the learning, the market, target market, psychographic, demographic, usage, and occasion. All these things are very fluid in the early years, and sometimes, even as trends change. In food and beverage, they change quickly. Know that—whatever you believe today—you need to have an open enough platform to alter and innovate, to meet consumer preferences in the future.” — [0:35:30]I would say to any entrepreneur out there, if you're taking meetings with folks that have done it and made it in the past and you have a weak spot, make sure you close that gap. And if you can't close the gap soon enough that in that meeting you have someone present that could address that topic or that particular function, corporate function in order so that you don't look ill prepared. — [0:37:50]“In today's world of TikTok and Instagram, etcetera, you’ve got to be a storyteller. You’ve got to tell stories about your brand that's relevant to your audience and the usage occasion.” — [0:40:12]

Description: Today, Lee is joined by Blake Sorensen, the Founder and CEO of Blake's Seed Based. Blake talked about what it was like growing up in Minneapolis, how we got rejected from the NFL, why he originally launched his company as Blake’s Nut Free, and the three-month process he took to launch a successful Kickstarter campaign. He shares how he reformulated and rebranded the business, how launching a crispy treat saved the company, and so much more!Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:[1:31] More about Blake’s Seed Based, created due to a deathly nut allergy, and realizing the need for safe snack options. Blake created Blake's seed-based as a way to provide gluten-free and allergy-friendly snacks that everyone can enjoy.[3:10] What it was like growing up in Minneapolis as the youngest of four brothers with dreams of being a pro athlete in the NFL[7:40] How he learned to recover from the small identity crisis of no longer being able to reach his dream of being in the NFL, and focusing on new dreams[10:15] How he learned what entrepreneurship was by working at a startup, and it encouraged him to go to business school[12:20] The moment he knew he needed to start Blake’s Seed Based and how it all started due to a social entrepreneurship class he was taking[17:20] How he went about launching a Kickstarter campaign, raising $20,000 on the first day, and the three-month process it took to get there[31:00] What some of the most challenging moments have been, and how creating new products saved the company[34:00] What he’s learned in being a leader and how to manage a team[37:00] What’s next for the company, with new products and more expansion into retail, and the final advice he has for other entrepreneursTo Find Out More:https://www.blakesseedbased.com/Quotes:“Setting goals and being very regimented was a blessing in disguise.”“My biggest takeaway was if I don't really have passion for that space I'm not gonna do as best a job as I could.”“It was a light bulb moment for me.”“The next three months were essentially putting together every different concoction, having classmates try it out, bringing bins to people, and just trying to put together something that tasted good, was free of nuts and the other major allergens and, and that it was something people liked.”“I didn't start the company to make a buck, it was really solving my own need and realizing that other people also had this problem.”“We aim to solve your snack need for every occasion.”“A lot of the great ideas for me happen when I'm not in the workday, it's when I'd be on a walk or doing something totally different where things would kind of pop in my head.”“The biggest unlock ast a leader is bringing on the right people and giving them leeway and letting them do their thing.”“You have to have the passion for the product.”“If you have that idea just take that next step. I was shocked by how many people are willing to help you out. Reach out on LinkedIn, reaching out to friends, getting feedback, and just sharing ideas with people in your network have been super powerful for our story.”

Description: Joining the show today is MaryRuth Ghiyam, the Founder and CEO of MaryRuth’s Organics. MaryRuth talks about her childhood growing up in New Jersey to tragically losing both her father and brother, which inspired her to shift career paths, leading to the creation of her business and a book called Liquids Till Lunch. She shares how she went from being in debt to scaling her business without any outside funding in just seven years. She also shares some great insights on building a highly profitable business and why patience and time blocking are keys to success.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:06) MaryRuth’s Organics is a rapidly scaling vitamins, minerals, and supplements brand offering high-quality, organic, and vegan nutritional supplements to benefit the entire family.(3:10) What it was like growing up in New Jersey, and why she’s always liked being a part of teams(11:20) The different jobs she held from working in real estate to becoming a nutritional coach, which led to the creation of her business and a book called Liquids Till Lunch. (13:00) How she went from being in $700,000 in debt to scaling her business to over $100M in revenue without any outside funding in just seven years. (20:37) Her advice on how to take care of people and be profitable at the same time(28:00) How to know when you should start making new products, and how to keep the business growing(32:00) Why she believes so strongly in time blocking, and why it’s a key to success (45:00) What’s next for MaryRuth Organics, and the final advice MaryRuth has for aspiring entrepreneursTo Find Out More:https://www.maryruthorganics.com/Quotes:“I’ve always liked being a part of teams. It's fun to have a coach and to work together with people to try to achieve something difficult and to be on a routine and have structure.”“When I started this company, I wanted to make sure we were profitable from the very first day.”“Profit is a good thing for your company.”“Ebitda or profit comes from all of these very small choices that you make when how you're gonna run the organization.”“It is possible to take care of people and be profitable all at the same time.”“If you yourself believe this is the right thing and if you can afford it and not have to borrow money or whatever else, then you should do it.”“Be patient and put in the real work on a daily basis.”“You want to be involved, not checked out.”“Move forward every day, which is just these small, micro things, and that is why our company still exists.”

Description: Today, Lee is joined by Tero Isokauppila, the Founder and CEO of Four Sigmatic. In this episode, Tero talks about his first business attempts that failed, how he began a women's clothing line in Vietnam and progressed to online marketing for a tech company in Switzerland until he realized how coffee and mushrooms were underutilized. He shares how having a vision and mission helped him find a purpose in life, which is to help people elevate their health and wellness, and how this sparked the idea of starting Four Sigmatic.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(01:05) - More about Four Sigmatic, creating crash-free coffee, almost unbelievable plant protein, and other elevated essentials using rigorously tested mushrooms to deliver mental and physical benefits in a safe, authentic, and delicious way. (07:13) - Tero talks about his older engineer brother and the characteristics that set them apart from one another(08:53) - He shares the inspiration behind his move to the United States as well as his feelings regarding his time spent learning at Cornell(12:08) - How to find your mission and understand its significance(18:45) - He shares the beginning phases of Four Sigmatic and the source of its inspiration(23:22) - What he thinks is the key to maintaining a healthy balance between having fun and being preoccupied when starting a business(28:14) - He shares the advantages of working with a remote team, as well as the strategies for leading such a team(34:48) - The original concepts that contributed to Four Sigmatic's success(40:21) - Why he values the innate desire to lead, create, and construct, and why he thinks that doing this will make it easier for beginners to handle business challenges(42:08) - What he believes the significance of a natural drive skillset in contrast to a leadership skill set is and how that can be acquired through training(46:55) - Tero’s advice for entrepreneurs and what’s next for Four SigmaticTo Find Out More:https://us.foursigmatic.com/Quotes:“Planning is essential, but plans are useless.”The more you advance in your career, the more you realize that beliefs and personality traits limit you or help you.”“But maybe, more importantly, being yourself in that journey is pretty important and vulnerability to admit your flaws, but then not be too harsh on yourself about those.”“As you achieve product-market fit, initial traction in one way or the other, you build enough skills, it becomes more about beliefs and personal traits that are very much the backbone of leadership."“There's what I describe as the shadow is something about you that you think is true, but you don't want it to be true.”“Every person has a part of us that we think we are, but we don't want to be.”“I think the cool thing about coffee is that it's a bitter drink that people enjoy.”“It’s great when you finally have consumers who buy products and are happy, but there's something about that. It's almost like your firstborn child or something like the Marvel. You have no clue what you're doing, but there's a Marvel period that made it exciting.”

Description: Emily Griffith joins the show today to talk about her journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Lil Bucks. Emily and Lee talk about her struggles with ADHD and feelings of shame, how she hired a burnout coach to help her get back on track, and how she fell in love with buckwheat while living in Sydney, Australia.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:30) More about Lil Bucks, a sprouted buckwheat brand that offers a healthier alternative to granola and snacking with their grain-free superfood clusters and sprouted buckwheat crunch that you can enjoy on top of your smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, or even in your salad.(4:00) More about Emily and what it was like for her growing up as the oldest of four, with parents in the corporate world but having the entrepreneurial spirit from a young age(7:30) What she wanted to be when she grew up, and the path she took to start following her dreams, leading her to study marketing and graphic design(8:30) How she got a scholarship to go a semester abroad, why she chose Sydney, Australia, and why she chose to move post college(10:40) The steps she took when she was diagnosed with ADHD, and how she navigates it while being an entrepreneur(19:15) How she discovered sprouted buckwheat while she was enjoying a smoothie bowl at Bondi Beach in Australia (23:18) More about Lil Bucks flavors and varieties of snacks and granola(27:00) Lil Bucks retail strategy, and how they’ve started to sell into retailers (37:15) What’s next for Lil Bucks with new retailers and moving their supply over to regenerative, organic, and certified ingredients To Find Out More:https://lovelilbucks.com/Quotes:“I honestly can’t think of anything else that would make more sense for me, given what I'm good at and how I operate, entrepreneurship just makes sense.”“In entrepreneurship, it’s important to know what you're good at, what you're not good at, what triggers you, what lights you up, what really stresses you out, and building your tasks and days around with those things in mind.”“It’s all about building systems and mindfulness in your life to take care of yourself”“You have to be okay with uncertainty.”“I feel like I was like born on the planet to bring buckwheat to the people.”“If you see these random super food seeds on the shelf and you don't know what to do with them, it's collecting dust.”“In retail, you have a maximum of two or three seconds to catch someone and convince them they should buy your product.”“You have to be the advocate for your own brand or company always.”“Know when to ask for help, and allow yourself breaks and grace cause it is a very imperfect road. And I don't think it's ever perfect.”

Description: Sharing their story today is Steven Eisen, the Founder and CEO, of both the functional beverage brand Elements and the charity bracelet brand Lokai. Steven and Lee talked about how he sold wooden pens in high school, and how his grandfather's diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease inspired him to create Lokai when he was just 19 years old. He shares why the top of Mount Everest might not be as beautiful as we all think, and what it's like running two businesses at once. Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(2:36) What it was like growing up in the Boston area being a super competitive person and having the entrepreneurial spirit from an early age(4:30) How seeing his dad be an entrepreneur made him have the same drive and desire to make money of his own(6:30) How he came up with the idea for Lokai when he was in college, after his grandfather's diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease(15:00) The highs and lows he’s experienced in building Lokai, and what it’s taught him about business(24:00) How and when he decided to start Elements, and how he continues to run both companies at the same time(27:00) How he feels about raising capital, and why he believes if you don’t have to, you shouldn’t(32:35) How he navigates running both companies at the same time, and his advice for other entrepreneurs who want to do the same(37:30) What being a CEO means to him and what it entails(41:00) What’s next for Elements and Lokai, and how they plan to navigate different skews for Lokai(43:20) The final advice he has for other inspiring entrepreneurs looking to build their own brandTo Find Out More:lokai.com and elementsdrinks.comPodcast15 will grant listeners 15% off any orders on lokai.com or elementsdrinks.comQuotes:“Anything that I could do to make money as a kid, I would try to do”“I view the game of business and making money as a score.”“I think a key to being a successful entrepreneur is a very high level of self-confidence.”“If you just keep going, you're that much closer to the next yes.”“I believe you really learn to become a leader as you experience and learn more.”“The cornerstone of any company is the product.”“You gotta lead with your mission and what you're doing and have a long-term approach to why you're doing it.”“I've always valued building a strong foundational business that makes a profit.”“It takes hard work to master something.”“You go through it and you realize that in every business there are highs and lows. It's about staying level-headed and continuing to push to the next.”“If you don't fully believe in yourself, don't start, because it's going to be an absolute grind. If you don't have that self-confidence and aren’t obsessed with what you're doing and why you're doing it, you'll stop too quickly before you see success.”“Make sure you're starting your company for the right reason, not the wrong.”

Description: Joining the show today is Sahand Dilmaghani, the Founder and CEO of Terra Kaffe. Sahand shares how moving to Berlin to work for a startup changed his life, how he came up with the idea to build a new coffee machine, and why luck comes to those who are prepared to receive it.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:10) More about Terra Kaffe, a direct-to-consumer luxury coffee machine brand, founded in 2018 on a mission to transform the in-home coffee experience. (2:20) What it was like growing up in Virginia, but also hopping around to China, and how he was an energetic kid, and always on a mission to beat his older brother at things(4:20) One of the first businesses he started at just the age of 16, a frisbee club for all of Northern Virginia(8:00) Why he wanted to start at Wind Farm when he was younger, due to his love for environmental science but ended up learning more than winning(11:15) Why he chose to move to Berlin for a corporate development role to work for a startup(26:21) Where the idea for Terra Kaffe came from (36:55) How he demoed the product in the early days, by going door to door to businesses and asking to set up shop(41:16) One of the biggest challenges he’s faced in building the brand, in that he almost had to close down in a matter of a week(47:00) The reminder that even in the losses, you have to remember to celebrate the wins(51:00) His advice for early-stage founders, and what’s next for Terra KaffeTo Find Out More:https://www.terrakaffe.com/Quotes:“I aligned with the notion that one should really be competitive with themselves and constantly progress forward.”“I knew I was gonna wanna do something myself at some point, and I thought what better experience than going to work at a startup.”“I was always thinking through different ideas that I thought would be clever businesses that were unique opportunities.”“It really can be a death by a thousand cuts but it's also resilience by a thousand bandaids.”“I kept looking back at the home experience and realized there's nobody doing anything different here. This is just the same rinse, repeat, same brand, releasing different skews that do the same thing.”“It's okay to acknowledge those feelings. It's almost more important to actually acknowledge that they exist instead of burying them.”“There are no promises that anything works out.”“Even when you're still sprinting, you gotta remember to pause and appreciate the win.”“​​It can feel like a barrage at times, as you're just focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. But doing that in a clear, calm, collected headspace is incredibly valuable. It also speaks volumes to third parties that look at you and how you operate as a business.”“Build a space for your team to be able to say things they need to say and to be able to take a minute to pause.”

Description: Liz Whitman joins the show today to talk about her journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Exponent Beauty. Liz spoke about what it was like growing up in New York City as an only child, to building an apparel business with a friend before earning her MBA, working for American Express and Beauty Bar, to building her second startup Manicube, which The Red Door by Elizabeth Arden acquired, to having an aha moment that inspired her to reimagine what truly effective skincare could look like.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:54) More about Exponent Beauty, the first skincare system that fully preserves active ingredients for peak effectiveness.(3:14) What it was like growing up in New York City as a kid, and how she grew up wanting to go into environmental chemistry(6:15) Why she chose to go to Harvard for school because it provided a lot of different academic opportunities, and the first few jobs she had that led to an entrepreneurial journey(10:30) How she and a friend started a fashion line together in college and ran it for two years, which began to ignite her entrepreneurial spirit(16:24) Her career journey from working at American Express to Co-Founding Manicube, with her Co-Founder Katina, who we had on Episode 102.(22:30) Where the inspiration came from for Exponent(30:00) The first steps she took begin building the brand, from uncovering the problem to solving it(37:12) Liz walks Lee through assembling the product, and how to use it(52:30) Some of the most challenging things she’s had to overcome in building Exponent(57:00) How she built herself a community of founders, and what keeps her going through the tough times(1:01:00) What specific skill sets she thinks makes a great Founder(1:05:00) Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and what’s next for ExponentTo Find Out More:https://exponentbeauty.com/Quotes:“The intertwining of how your business affects your actual life is just something that's part of the process.”“Learning by doing is exactly what entrepreneurship is.”“I have this fascination with what people and culture can actually do in terms of driving impact in a business”“Being an entrepreneur is a very specific personality type who sees these open doors and these opportunities as they come.”“We traded convenience and scalable distribution with efficacy.”“I'm somebody who thrives on getting a product out there and having consumers and seeing how they’re interacting with it.”“You can get sucked up in these reactive tactical needs, and so carving out time in your schedule for the important but not urgent keeps you focused.”“Be clear with yourself on why you’re doing this.”“Investors get excited about huge growing categories that can be very profitable and that have logical exits. If you can do something truly differentiated in that space, that's exciting.”“Being true to why you're doing it. That has to be your north star when times are tough and they will be tough. This is not glamorous at all. There're ups and downs all around”“Our whole entire premise is taking fantastic ingredients and innovating on form factors. So we're delivering the best clinical results to you.”

Description: Sharing their story today is Hailey Schwartz, the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Actual Veggies. Hailey chatted about her childhood growing up in California, running cross country and biking in the mountains, to working on the advertising team for her school newspaper at the University of Michigan, to working at a startup where she realized that work can actually be fun. She talks about how she met her Co-Founder in 2020, why they decided to launch Actual Veggies on QVC of all places, and how she fundraised a $4M seed round during Covid over Zoom.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:30) More about Actual Veggies, the new food brand reinventing veggie burgers to make them healthy and delicious with naturally colorful patties that taste just like their primary vegetables and have no oils, fillers, or preservatives. Now available in over 2,000 retail stores nationwide.(4:00) What it was like growing up in Agoura Hills, California, and spending a lot of time being active with cross country, biking, or going to the beach(6:45) Why she believes she never thought she was entrepreneurial but was always working and planned to go the corporate route(7:50) Some of her first jobs after graduating from the University of Michigan, like working at AOL to her first startup, and what she learned (12:00) Why she thought it was impossible for work to be fun until she got the entrepreneur itch(15:10) How she got the entrepreneurial itch, knowing that she wanted to be her own boss, and meeting her Co-Founder who had the idea for Actual Veggies(17:30) How they validated that they’d be good Co-Founders together, and how to find the complementary skill sets(25:00) What makes their veggie burgers different from the others, and how they got to market and validated the idea(28:20) How they launched on QVC, and why it ended up being a great option for them(33:00) The events that food brands should be invested in going to for opportunities(38:50) The grand vision for the brand, and the best pieces of advice she has for aspiring entrepreneursTo Find Out More:https://actualveggies.com/Quotes:“I saw that everyone was having a lot of fun and it really opened my eyes to this idea that work could be fun.”“I think I was necessarily not in the right role for me and I didn't know how to get to that right role.”“I knew that I wanted to be my own boss.”“I liked hearing people who got to do so many different things all day long because I loved wearing multiple hats.”“They all taste like their primary ingredients. So what we're doing is making a clean, really good-tasting veggie burger.”“Our retail strategy is mostly our focus.”“Make friends with other founders and expand your network.”“Don’t ask a million people, have one or two advisors and trust yourself.”“You’re never going to get everything right, you just have to execute the plan you put in place.”“Trying something new and just doing something is really important. I see people get scared of how they start and I think just actually putting one foot forward really helps.”

Description: Today, Lee sits down with Eunice Byun, Co-Founder and CEO of Material. Eunice talked about how she grew up in San Diego with parents who owned a Chinese restaurant, how she started out working for the school newspaper at Northwestern University, why she invested heavily in PR from day one after launching Material, what she did early on to build the brand, and why it's important to align on what success looks like with investors in order to filter for the right ones.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:30) More about Material, a modern kitchen brand. If you're looking to upgrade your knives, cutting boards, cookware tools, or really anything you need to prepare a delicious meal, Material designs and manufacturers kitchenware for the modern home.(3:40) What it was like growing up in San Diego, surrounded by food and spending time in the kitchen due to her parents opening different restaurants(8:00) Why she believes entrepreneurship comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms, and that for her it looked really different compared to others(9:40) Not knowing what she wanted to do throughout college, some of her early jobs working at her parent's restaurants, and how she ended up at Goldman Sachs(20:00) How she processed working in a startup and transitioning to corporate America, and knowing that one day she would have her own business(21:50) How she met her Co-Founder, David, and how they came up with the idea for Material(30:00) The steps they took to get Material off the ground, and how they began to validate the idea(33:00) Why they chose to start by selling to friends and family first and pushing the brand forward with PR(39:00) Why building early relationships is important to help build influencer marketing(40:20) Why she believes building capital ebbs and flows, and how to filter for the right investors(54:17) The advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs and what’s next for MaterialTo Find Out More:https://materialkitchen.com/Quotes:“I truly had no idea what I wanted to do or be when I was older.”“It was also almost an insatiable thirst for being able to learn stuff.”“I love being able to figure out what people need and how they can't articulate it, and figure out how can I unearth that within them and then help them.”“What’s hard in the early days is knowing how everything is intertwined and working together.”“We realized that there's this real empty space for well-made, high-quality things for the kitchen and for this more modern home cook.”“We really wanted to make a brand that made sure our product over delivered.”“We didn't know how to talk about the things that really make us who we are as a company”“We realized this is a relationships business. It's not just about sowing your seeds and spreading them far and wide. It’s about going deep.”“Be mindful about the deployment of capital, rather than sitting on it.”“The speed of growth can really undermine the quality of growth.”“Be okay with changing your mind”“Tomorrow's another day. Dust yourself off, and pick yourself back up. When you love what you do and you love the people you're doing it with, you're able to roll through it.”“Be in community with other people that are doing this.”

Description: Coming to share their story today is Vanessa Dawson, Founder and CEO of Arber. Vanessa talks about her childhood growing up as the oldest of three in Vancouver, Canada, her first job working at a bed and breakfast cafe, how she came up with the idea for Arber, and how she secured Walmart as her first big box retail partner shortly after launching the company on Earth Day in April 2021.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(3:40) More about Arber, a plant wellness company providing gardeners with the safest and most effective products for their indoor and outdoor green spaces(4:30) What it was like growing up in Vancouver, Canada as the oldest of three, always growing up in nature, and how that brought her full circle to Arber(7:30) One of her very first jobs working at a bed and breakfast working under a small business, and how working in this environment gave her the idea of entrepreneurship(11:09) How she was working in private equity when she got the motivation and passion to support female entrepreneurs and launched a digital accelerator to help bring together a community of female founders and investors(15:45) How the idea for Arber came about, how she was looking for a brand in the nontoxic garden space and it made her realize the need for something new(20:16) How she validated the concept of Arber, and began looking at it globally (23:00) How she began fundraising early on so she could get to launch and build the brand with a small team to grow distribution, and how they worked to tackle retail sales(29:40) She talks about the products, the four different types, the manufacturing process, and why branding was so important(35:00) The challenges she faced in building a seasonal business and building a team(44:00) How she keeps stress down and gets excited to stay motivated to keep building(49:00) What’s next for Arber with new launches in store and new product lines(51:00) The final advice she has for other entrepreneurs To Find Out More:https://growarber.com/Quotes:“I feel like my personality has always been very much wanting to own and control my own destiny in an entrepreneurial way.”“The energy of creating your own thing and controlling your own destiny and seeing the passion that the entrepreneurs had around their products and their projects was a huge inspiration for me.”“When you build something, they will come.”“I couldn't find anything as a consumer that I really identified with”“As a smaller brand, you really don't wanna be too top-heavy from a resource planning cost-wise.”“If you do take on capital really focus on the core assets that you need out of that, or the core skill sets you need to leverage it in a big way.”“Setting those longer-term goals and then setting the path towards it and making sure that you check out and reset every once in a while is key.”“I think surrounding yourself with other entrepreneurs is honestly the best thing that you can do. Getting yourself involved in those communities is such a fabulous way to continue to test your ideas and bounce ideas off people.”“Surround yourself with a good community.”

Description: Today, Lee sits down with Vimla Black-Gupta, the Co-Founder and CEO of Ourself, the first-ever sub-topical skincare system. In this episode, Vimla talks about her childhood growing up in Washington, DC, to realizing her passion for business at a young age. She shares her impressive career journey, from working at Proctor and Gamble to Bobby Brown Cosmetics to becoming the global CMO of Equinox and then starting Ourself.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:34) More about Ourself, the first ever sub-topical skincare system defining a new beauty category. By bridging the gap between traditional skincare products and clinical procedures, Ourself formulations leverage biotechnology to provide an at-home alternative to needles and lasers, delivering clinical-level results without the clinic.(3:25) She talks about her childhood growing up in Washington, DC where one of her first jobs was selling ice cream from a cart at a local mall where she grew to become a manager and realized her interest in business. (14:00) Her impressive career journey, from working at Proctor and Gamble, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, and Equinox.(16:40) The biggest takeaways from her experience at Proctor and Gamble and how she uses it today as a Co-Founder and CEO(28:30) Why she had the sudden change from the beauty industry to the fitness & health industry(33:50) How she got the idea for Ourself, based on a desire to do something different(40:00) Lee’s experience trying the products, and Vimla walking Lee through how to use the lip filler gloss(51:00) What it’s been like to become a Co-Founder and now CEO(53:00) The limiting beliefs and fears she has, but how she uses it to propel the business (55:00) The final advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs, and how to overcome some of the biggest strugglesTo Find Out More:https://www.ourself.com/Quotes:“Talk to your consumers, test with your consumers, really get the feedback from them.”“All customer feedback is a gift.”“Whether you're working on a new brand or existing brand, you like don't wanna break it.”“The idea of the fusion of wellness and beauty was becoming this new thing.”“Keep the old cause the old is still really prescient when it was created but also meaningful today, but just make sure that you're keeping it fresh and making it resonate with where your consumer is at.”“Ourself is a call to action to be yourself, but just a better version.”“We’re a company that is developing true science that is going to deliver the results.”“It is the fear that makes me wanna leap out of bed. But it's the conviction around what we're able to do and resolute on wanting to serve the consumer.”“My advice to everyone is you should follow your dreams. You should follow that hunch. You've just gotta figure out how and what's the best way to follow it that fits with your risk profile.”“You have to do something for you every day. You have to just to give your space the time to think. Cause otherwise, you will be lonely, you will just be in your thoughts. So find out whatever that is.”

Description: Amy Shecter joins the show today to chat about her journey to becoming the CEO of Ever/Body. Pioneering a first-of-its-kind approach to cosmetic dermatology, Ever/Body is on a mission to offer results in under 60 minutes. In this episode, Amy shares her impressive career journey, and how she’s earned the CEO title three times. She talks about how she raised $94M in just 11 months, and what she does during an all-hands meeting each month to ensure her team is being acknowledged for their hard work.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(3:30) More about Ever/Body, a brand pioneering a first-of-its-kind approach to cosmetic dermatology, offering a curated collection of clinically tested face and body treatments delivered by trusted medical professionals and designed to deliver natural-looking, not obvious-looking results in under 60 minutes.(4:40) What it was like growing up being the youngest of three sisters, with a strong sense of family, and having early signs of being a leader(13:39) Her impressive career journey from working at Footlocker, Diesel, DKNY, Juicy Couture, Cole Haan, Tory Burch, and C Wonder, and what she’s learned along the way.(21:00) Some of the biggest challenges she’s faced in her career(27:00) The advice she has for those needing to take risks in their businesses (30:00) Her thoughts on quiet quitting and how she thinks people should really be handling it(38:00) How she’s earned the CEO title three times at Core Power Yoga, Glam Squad, and now at Ever/Body(49:18) What she thinks some of the qualities and skillsets are that make up a great CEO, and what she thinks people don’t know about being a CEO(59:10) The final advice she has for those aspiring to become CEOTo Find Out More:https://everbody.com/Quotes:“You learn something about being a competitor that gives you tools that are helpful as you begin to explore the world and become a business person.”“Evaluate, assess, develop a rapport, and connect with everyone.”“Fundraising is not something we're not necessarily taught, but yet we have to compete.”“Definitely take risks, there's no question about it. Never stay in a job because you feel like you have to, and never be afraid of not being able to do a job.” “My resume is my story of my brand.”“You are not an individual working, you are curating and crafting your brand.”“Sometimes when you work for a company, you’re not working for a brand.”“You control what happens to you as much as you're part of an organization. You have to be an active participant in what happens next.”“Networking is critical to your success.”“A great CEO thinks about people first.”“Craft your vision. How are you going to get there? Create your mood board for the steps that you have to take and understand the skills that you need and how you're going to get them to get that job.”

Description: Yanni Hufnagel joins the show today to chat about his journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Lemon Perfect, a great tasting flavored lemon water. Yanni shares his story from being a college basketball coach, to launching his first startup Lemon Perfect. We talk about how the name Lemon Perfect came to him, why he almost hired a CEO, and how he keeps the energy in his organization higher than ever and his team either sprinting or resting, but nothing in between.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:30) More about Lemon Perfect, lemon-flavored water with zero sugar and no artificial flavors or sweeteners powered by organic lemons, containing electrolytes from potassium, and packed with Vitamin C, making healthy hydration more refreshing than ever. (4:00) Why he believes entrepreneurship is a lot like coaching a team, and why you have to constantly be looking at the scoreboard why he almost hired a CEO, but then decided against it in the last moments before signing the contract (7:50) What his life was like growing up, how he always had the inclination of being a coach(12:40) How he ended up being a student manager of the basketball team at Cornell, and how that kick-started his career in coaching college basketball(19:10) The a-ha moment for Lemon Perfect, how the name came to him, and why it was important to him to buy the domain name(25:30) The launch strategy for launching Lemon Perfect, knowing that flavor was the most important, and how to make it great flavor and good for you (30:51) The story of how they got Beyonce as a celebrity investor(36:00) What fundraising has been like, what the process has been, and the advice he has for other aspiring entrepreneurs (45:00) How to persevere through the everyday rollercoasters (50:00) What he’s taken from being a coach that makes a great CEO(54:00) How he maintains the excitement across the company, and having the leadership team invest time in their people(57:00) Why he decided to pull back in hiring a CEO, and build Lemon Perfect himself based on gut instinct(1:06:00) The final advice he has for entrepreneurs tuning inTo Find Out More:https://lemonperfect.com/Quotes:“We tried to create packaging that was a fashion show on the shelf, in a cooler, or on display.”“There is no scoreboard when you're first starting.”“It was really this intersection of flavor that's also good for you, and how do we get there, and the idea just stuck with me.”“We have to create a product that's delicious and refreshing that hits on relevant consumer treads.”“We are delivering real innovation to a stale, enhanced water category.”“Have the perseverance to keep going.”“I don't have a choice but to be the last team standing.”“I have the burden of delivering something to the market that can truly make America and eventually the world a healthier place.”“Entrepreneurship is a high-stakes game.”“We don't allow people to walk or run here. We only sprint or rest.”“I've always been about compressing our gross margin story today to build a big share story for tomorrow.”“Run the race until you have nothing left.”“Focus on product. I've talked a lot about recruiting and retention, but you do have to focus on product, because product market fit is ultimately really the most important.”

Description: Joining the show today is Alexandra Clark, the Founder and CEO of Bon Bon Bon, a chocolate company, reinventing bon bons. Alex talked about how a raspberry truffle during a visit in Europe changed her life and inspired her to use chocolate as an art medium, why she created her own manufacturing, starting with a 650 square-foot space in the back room of a diner, and why she advises entrepreneurs to prepare for best case scenarios. Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(5:40) More about BonBonBon, a chocolate company reinventing bon bons, their packaging, and the experience of eating and enjoying chocolate. (10:00) What it was like growing up outside of Detroit, growing up being adventurous, with a natural internal commitment to things(15:30) Her first job working at an ice cream shop, and how she fell in love with food and customer service and ending up at Michigan State for a dairy science program(24:00) How traveling throughout Europe led her to fall in love with chocolate and eventually inspire her to create Bon Bon Bon(32:00) How she ended up buying her own factory to create the best chocolate and the best level for the tasting experience(37:00) Her advice for preparing for best-case scenarios, and thinking through what you’re going to do if it does work out, not just thinking through worst-case scenarios(38:50) How they came up with the packaging experience, how having single-serve packaging was ideal for them, and using honeycomb material(48:50) The times when she got knocked down in business, and how she built herself back up, and the limiting beliefs she’s had to overcome(56:00) Some of the best advice she’s been given, and the grand vision for BonBonBonTo Find Out More:https://bonbonbon.com/Quotes:“Everything I was worried about didn’t happen.”“It started to hit me that there's so much uncertainty in the chocolate industry of what is being sold and then what is actually happening, and I wanted to fix that.”“Just because you started something doesn't mean you need to do it for the rest of your life.”“Something really cool and universal about chocolate that I appreciate so much is you can buy the best piece of chocolate in any city and it's generally going to be less than $5.”“A lot of what we're doing is imparting fresher more real flavors into the chocolate that we make in order to make a more accurate experience.”“We don’t do a lot of planning around the idea of what if it all works out and goes well, and we all should be doing that.”“It felt like we were stuck between a rock and a hard place of, we didn't know how to stop and we didn't know how to not stop and everything was broken.”“When you're absolutely exhausted and you're thinking about quitting, cause everybody does when it gets hard, don't think about quitting while you're still walking. Keep moving forward. You don't have to be sprinting all the time, but at least if you're contemplating stopping all together, don't sit down and contemplate it. Keep moving in the direction you already decided.”“Walk through being overwhelmed.”

Description: Will Nitze joins Lee on the show today to chat about his journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of IQBAR, a brain-body nutrition startup based in Boston. In this episode, Will shares his journey from growing up in New Jersey playing competitive soccer, to studying neuroscience and psychology at Harvard, to learning about the impacts of food on our brains, which inspired him to start IQBAR. He talks about CPG hyper-growth and valuations, how he hacked his way into launching a successful Kickstarter campaign, and the lifestyle implications of being an entrepreneur.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Give the gift of the world’s most beautiful spice rack and get 15% off by using the promo code STAIRWAY15 at www.evermill.comGet 20% off luxury fitness equipment that you won’t want to hide in your closet by using the promo code STAIRWAY20 at www.equiptmovement.comIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(2:03) More about IQBAR, a brain-body nutrition startup known for their keto, vegan, plant protein bars that come packed with 12 grams of protein and six brain nutrients(2:45) What it was like growing up in New Jersey, with a competitive spirit and wanting to be the best at everything(13:11) What life was like after college, not knowing what he wanted to do, but taking a job in software(17:50) How he got really interested in nutrition and how what you put in your body affects your brain(28:00) How he came up with the idea for IQBAR, based on how he was just looking to be inspired(30:00) Why he thinks everyone is inherently passionate about something, but entrepreneurs pursue it more intensely (33:55) Why he chose to go with bars first, and the first things he did to prepare to launch his business(35:30) His experience in fundraising, and the challenges he’s faced, from focusing on sales through a Kickstarter campaign(42:00) How he continued to grow the company and his advice on CPG hyper-growth and valuations(49:00) The challenges of being a younger entrepreneur and hiring people older than him, learning what the right fit is, and the hardships of firing(53:00) How to show compassion in tough times, while also being objective (57:40) The lifestyle implications that come with being a Founder, and being prepared for them, and the final advice he has for aspiring entrepreneursTo Find Out More:https://www.eatiqbar.com/Quotes:“Part of being who you are is momentum” “I was always into the startup world, just because I thought it was cool so I was always thinking about what I could do.”“I loved the grittiness and the grind and the adventure of creating something from nothing.”“I was just looking to be inspired.”“It is fairly universal that people like being passionate about whatever it is. Passion is a fairly universally sought-after thing. But people seek, seek it out in different intensities.”“Bars are just a form factor of what's the point? The point being brain and body nutrition.”“Be obsessive about equity and ownership and fight tooth and nail every point of equity.”“Almost never does someone regret firing someone.”“Let's say you wanna be an entrepreneur, don't just go start the company, go get a job, do the travel thing, be a professional, get a job, have a boss, learn that it kind of sucks having a boss go into an office. Understand how the world works in that way, and how you interact with coworkers, what a meeting is like, how you lead a meeting, learn all of that.”“One key piece of advice is just to understand the lifestyle implications. Like I said earlier, it's an objectively on paper, terrible lifestyle. I chose it and would choose it again, but you gotta understand the second, third, fourth order consequences of this path.”

Description: Joining the show today is Jane Fisher, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Harper Wilde, on a mission to take the B.S. out of bra shopping. In this episode, Jane shares with us her journey from growing up in Florida, working as a hostess at a tourist restaurant, to studying business, to earning her MBA at Wharton where she came up with the idea for Harper Wilde. She talks about the challenges she's faced fundraising from investors, how she had to change her pitch, how to land on a good price point, and why she hires for culture fit first.In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(3:12) More about Harper Wilde, founded by Jane Fisher and Jenna Kerner’s frustrations with the overpriced hypersexualized intimate apparel industry, inspiring them to launch Harper Wilde to change the conversation and create everyday bras that are ethically made, reasonably priced, and comfortable.(4:40) What it was like growing up in Florida on a small island, with thoughts of becoming a vet, to getting a Psychology degree, to ending up in business(12:06) How she ended up in the business department at McKinsey, without a lot of business background(15:19) How she went to business school at Wharton and began to fall in love with the DTC world, and how she got the idea for Harper Wilde(18:00) Some of the first things she did to validate the idea, why she chose to try and disprove it, and realizing she couldn’t(21:00) How they decided on the price point, and finding the sweet spot, and validating it with consumers, and if they could build the business with it(25:00) Why it’s important for them to listen to customer feedback, and why they strive to build a brand that speaks to the whole market(29:50) The go-to-market strategy, how they pitched their products, and the metrics they were looking for to see how they were growing(31:50) What it was like fundraising from mostly male investors for a DTC bra company (37:40) How hiring has been, why they focus on culture fit first, and how to filter for culture(42:00) How she’s grown into being a leader and why learning and innovating is important, and the biggest challenges she’s had to face in building a business(46:00) The challenges in fundraising, learning how to be bold in confidence, and how to handle and work with investors(1:01:00) The final advice she has for those looking to dive into entrepreneurshipTo Find Out More:https://harperwilde.com/Quotes:“We're living in a world where it's cool to buy razor blades online, but I'm sitting here not replacing my bra after a decade.”“I just got curious and started poking around and learning more about the industry to understand why there wasn't a broad company out there yet doing this.”“We look at the customer and we've built a brand at a price point that speaks to the whole market.”“Each new addition makes a huge difference to the culture, hopefully in a good way”“We have three values: hunger, humility, and an ownership mindset.”“Your gut is so often right if something feels off, it almost always is.”“It's so much harder to let someone go and find someone new than it is to just wait a little longer and find the right.”“At the end of the day, it's humans who are doing these jobs, and it's about the relationships with those people who are helping create the brand.”“Investors should be selling you on why they should invest in you.”“Be bold in confidence.”“When someone says something can't be done or shouldn't be done, weigh it against your gut and what you know and are learning. Sometimes there's a lot to learn from that on why they're saying no. Oftentimes there is, but that doesn't necessarily mean it should stop you in your tracks and you should move forward.”

Description: Richard Lee joins the show today to chat about his journey to becoming the Co-Founder and CEO of July. This popular Australian DTC luggage brand is reimagining the travel experience for a new generation. Richard talks with Lee about being born in China, what it was like growing up on a cargo ship for five-six years of his childhood, how he started a furniture business, and why he decided to leave to start July.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(2:40) More about July, a next-generation, digital native travel brand. What started off with one perfect carry-on and luggage, now has a full range of travel accessories and goods that aim to elevate people's travel experience.(10:00) The difference between being a solo founder and having a business partner(11:10) What his childhood was like, from being born in China, to growing up on a cargo ship for the first six years of his life(16:00) What he wanted to be growing up, that he never thought he’d be an entrepreneur (19:00) How he started his first business by selling products on eBay, to making the move and working with Groupon(21:00) How he realized it was time to start his own business platform, and launched his first company, Brosa Furniture(27:00) How the idea for July came around, for the desire to build something in a different category(29:00) How he approached wanting to leave his furniture business to create something new(36:00) How they successfully did a pre-launch, and gave the first customers a Founder Luggage Tag(38:00) His advice to get people to buy into your business and your products, and how he began to market the business in the early days(41:00) The hard lessons he’s learned along the way, and how to feel out if everyone working on your business with you have the same vision as you(47:50) Where the name July came from, stemming from it being the best travel month(49:17) His three pieces of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to take the next steps in launching their own businessTo Find Out More:https://july.com/us/Quotes:“Whenever you come up with a product you need to be willing to pay for it and be willing to use it first before it hits the market.”“Use everyone around you for beta testing.”“Most startups fail not because they don't have money, but because they have too much money.”“My heart was telling me that I needed to build something else in a completely different category.”“It's important that whoever you’re working with, just be very transparent.”“You can never rely on one supplier on a completely new project.”“Make sure that you are working with the right investors and make sure that they share the same vision as you.”“Try to find a Co-Founder that can complement each other with your skillset because building a business is a very tough journey. You want someone who can share the load with you.”“There is no perfect timing in launching a business, the perfect time is now.”

Description: Joining the show today is Greg Vetter, the Co-Founder and CEO of Tessemae’s. Available in retail stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Tessemae’s offers a variety of all-natural salad dressings, sauces, marinades, dips, and condiments that are gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free. Greg and Lee talked about his childhood growing up in Annapolis, what it was like playing professional lacrosse for three years, to realizing a friend stole his mother's lemon garlic salad dressing out of their own house, and how it sparked the idea to launch Tessemae’s.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE! In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:40) More about Tessemae’s, the country's number one organic salad dressing and condiment company. (5:20) What his childhood growing up as the oldest of three boys in Annapolis was like, with lots of activities, and how he always had an entrepreneurial spirit wanting to invent things(9:20) What it was like going to college at Washington College, playing professional lacrosse, and figuring out what he wanted to do after college(11:30) How when working in sales jobs post-college, he was writing business plans while looking at the infrastructure to see how they were successful, and how he could do that on his own (14:16) The story of how a friend stole his mom's salad dressing, and it sparked the idea for Tessemae’s(16:50) The first things he did to get the business off the ground, from going to all the local grocery stores and seeing if it was on the shelves (20:25) The story of how the brand is named after his mom’s nickname, Tesse Mae(24:50) The good and bad that came with fundraising, the advice he has for others in the fundraising journey, and how to build a relationship with investors(31:17) How he keeps going even when times are tough on the ups and downs of the rollercoaster(37:00) How he’s grown professionally and personally as a leader since becoming an entrepreneur(43:00) Some of the challenges he’s had to face, and how new ones come up every day (49:25) The limiting beliefs he’s had to overcome, especially doubt, but how he realized everyone has itTo Find Out More:https://www.tessemaes.com/Quotes:“So I would go home at lunch and stand on my head in the dark and try to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.” “The first thing I wanted to do is figure out whether or not it existed, cause I didn't want to just create something that may have already been sitting on the shelf.”“I called everybody and I said, listen, I don't know shit about shit and my life is on the line and I have an opportunity May 1st, and you are going to help me do this.”“Each step you kind of level up into a different level of complexity and sophistication and so all of them were critical points in our journey.”“If you want money, ask for advice, and if you want advice, ask for money.”“You have to become resilient because the number of no’s that you get, it's unbelievable.”“If you approach each day with this foundational understanding of you know who you are, and what is important in the world. Then you can overcome these obstacles that come your way every single day.” “I want to be the next great consumer packaging good brand that stands for something true.”“I think everything that you do in the morning will then kind of dictate what you're prepared to handle for the rest of the day.”“If you're not curating success, you're probably curating failure.”“Trust your gut, you know in your gut whether or not it's right or it's wrong. Every time I have ignored my gut, it has been the worst situation of my life. Every time I have trusted my gut, it has saved me. So trust your gut.”

Description: Amy Errett joins the show today to chat about her journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Madison Reed, the hair color company revolutionizing the way women color their hair. Amy shared about her experience as a child being the peacekeeper of the family, her experience working as an investor at True Ventures and Mavron Ventures, how she came up with the idea for Madison Reed, and why she runs things by her astrologer first, before making any significant decisions.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(00:50) More about Madison Reed, the hair color company revolutionizing the way women color their hair using proprietary color matching technology, and a team of on-call colorists, Madison Reed helps women choose the perfect shade of hair color delivered straight to your door, or you can visit one of their 60 hair color bar locations throughout the U.S.(2:35) What it was like growing up in Philadelphia as the youngest of three with parents of divorce and always finding herself as the peacekeeper of the family(12:20) How she feels about failure, that it’s your best friend and something to learn from(16:00) Why she believes some of her flaws are and why she’s excited about them (21:00) Why having an astrologer in her life helps her(26:00) Her career journey from being a financial analyst, to working at Ture Ventures and Mavron Ventures as a Venture Capitalist, to coming up with the idea for Madison Reed(35:00) How she became obsessed with the idea for Madison Reed and took her dreams and started making them a reality (41:00) How they handled having to close their stores due to COVID, but their online sales skyrocketed(45:00) Some of the big challenges she didn’t see coming, even with her background and experience in VC(58:51) The final fundraising and entrepreneurial advice she has for aspiring founders and those struggling with raising fundsTo Find Out More:https://www.madison-reed.com/Quotes:“I grew up thinking that I want to have groups of people that get together to do extraordinary things.”“We’re all flawed and recovering from something, and when you recognize that, then you can start to find the path in your life that works for you.”“Life is an inside job and the entire game at the end of the day will be how much joy, gratitude, and love that we spread and receive.”“Possibilities of crazy ideas can actually disrupt an entire industry.”“Everything you need to know is why you're hooked into the rage you have.”“The infrastructure of scaling culture that is different and unique and disruptive is really hard when you grow.”“I’m in this to win it for the company, not myself.”“As a business leader, you have an obligation to better your employees’ lives.”“The big trip up for most people is being naive about marketing. Whether it's the cost, the scale, what it takes, who do you have? The other part is, you need to show up with a team and you need to show up. So it's always product, size, and people. Once you can get that right, then you're gonna find there's plenty of money.”

Description: Today, Lee sits down with Steven Borrelli, the Founder and CEO of CUTS Clothing. On a mission to find the perfect t-shirt, Steven started CUTS in 2016 and has since grown the business to a hundred-million-dollar company and created a new category, which he calls work leisure. Steven talks about his childhood growing up in Washington state, to working at an advertising agency and moving back home to start CUTS. We talk about how he got his first 1000 customers, how he leans on OKRs, and why he believes in blind faith.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(2:34) More about what CUTS Clothing is, a work leisure clothing brand, geared towards the athlete in the boardroom(4:30) What it was like growing up in Washington state, with a love for sports, and how he ended up at San Diego State for college(16:00) His first work experience after college, working at an advertising agency, and how what he’s learned there helps him in his branding decisions with CUTS(18:00) How the idea for CUTS came to him after he got kicked out of a meeting for wearing athleisure wear and not looking professional(20:40) When he got let go from his branding agency job and took that as motivation to move back home and start building CUTS(27:00) How he worked at staying committed to his idea, even in the hardest of times (30:00) What the process of creating CUTS was like, from having his “incubator” at his parent's home to vlogging, and raising on Kickstarter (33:00) Some of his pivotal moments that have happened, such as Patrick Mahomes wearing one of the CUTS shirts(41:00) What he’s learned about being a leader, and why he values OKR’s (53:00) His thought’s on the current conditions of the market and what brands should be preparing for (57:00) The advice he has for fellow entrepreneurs and what’s next for CUTSTo Find Out More:https://www.cutsclothing.com/Quotes:“I realized there was a gap in the market of needing a shirt that looked professional but felt comfortable.”“When you're creating an idea, oftentimes you can see it and you can visualize it. But when you tell people about it, they don’t have the same visualization.”“Every year and every month I became more and more committed to it.”“I felt like that's when the moment I went from, we had a bunch of guys in a room working on an idea to a company.”“If you're not intentional, you can easily waste a whole team”“When you can overcome belief, treat it as such a gift because it's gonna give you the courage and the confidence to keep dreaming where not everyone has.”“Have an open mind to most ideas”“Over the last three years, founders are just racing to raise money I think that it doesn't need to be that way for most ideas”“It’s super important to just be really focused on where you’re going.”“I know a lot of people always try to focus on doing what you love, and I hate that saying. it's finding something that you can love the process of doing it, rather than that actual outcome. I think is what’s super important.”

Description: Joining the show today is Matt Feldman, the Founder and CEO of Moku Foods, a mushroom-based jerky. Matt shares about how he partnered with a Michelin Chef to turn king oyster mushrooms into a delicious alternative beef jerky. In this episode, Matt talks about his childhood growing up in Hawaii, why he joined a vegan meetup in San Francisco, how he earned over 1 million views on YouTube, and how he's raised over $4 million for Moku foods.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(2:05) More about what Moku Foods is, a mushroom-based jerky, made out of king oyster mushrooms into a delicious tender jerky that looks and tastes like beef(3:50) What it was like growing up in Hawaii, with a lot of outdoor activities, and having a passion for sustainability from a very young age(6:30) How he always had the entrepreneurial spirit in him and brought his entrepreneurial bug throughout life, starting as early as high school(8:10) Why he became vegan in 2018 and started a vegan meet-up to learn more about it and connect with others(9:03) How bringing a vegan snack to the meet-ups sparked the idea for mushroom jerky (12:00) The steps he took to get Moku up and running, from product development to finding Michelin star chefs(16:00) How his journey to Moku was really fast, and a go-with-the-flow move that he knew he had to pursue(16:30) What he was learning about mushrooms from going to mushroom farms, and how sustainable they are(18:00) The process of making Moku, and figuring out how to make it at scale, and the tragic story of how they had to call off launch a week before due to the manufacturer making bad product(27:00) What it was like raising funds and the advice he has for other entrepreneurs(41:30) The early signs he took to empower him to keep going, getting over 1 million views on Entrepreneur.com’s Youtube, and landing on Forbes 30 under 30(44:40) The advice he has for finding the right partner, the key factor is just spending time with them To Find Out More:https://mokufoods.com/Quotes:“We have a lot of customers who do not eat any mushrooms and they despise mushrooms, but they've tried Moku and it's the only mushroom they’ll eat because it really does not taste anything like mushrooms.”“Knowing that I couldn't bring beef jerky, I thought I might as well try and make some mushroom jerky.”“I've always loved mushrooms, and I knew that if you cook them in the right way, they can taste very meaty.”“This was one of those weird things where I don't even remember making the decision to quit my job and do Moku. It was so natural and go with the flow that it was almost like I woke up and chose mushroom jerky. Like I have to do this.”“I didn’t want to use any of those fake meats or chemicals or anything highly saturated, I wanted something whole, and mushrooms were the perfect fit.”“​​Running a new company from Hawaii is a little isolating and lonely because there are not many other entrepreneurs doing similar things.”“In fundraising, it's almost like you're swinging for a home run every time, but you know that you're probably not gonna hit it.”“VCs all take the early stage meetings because they want to plant the seed, get to know the founders, stay in touch with you, and then invest a year later.”“When you hit roadblocks, it's very lonely. No one really understands what you're going through. I would highly recommend people to be very careful about who they bring on, but bring someone on that's complimentary that you really know is gonna be with you when it gets tough, because you need that person to put in the same amount of energy as you, or else it won't work.”“Go with your gut and go with your instinct.”

Description: Today, Lee sat down with Erin Moennich, CEO of Draper James, a classic American lifestyle brand founded by Reese Witherspoon inspired by her roots in the south. Erin shares about her journey to becoming CEO, what it was like growing up in the midwest, the different jobs she held before landing at Draper James, and why they believe failure should be named something else! Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(2:05) Draper James, a women's lifestyle brand founded by Reese Witherspoon, named after her grandparents. Founded on the idea of making women feel great (4:50) What it was like growing up in the midwest with her family, and her passion for being in business when she was older(7:09) What it was like attending Michigan State and moving to NYC after college, and working at Peter Solomon company to product development at Target, and how she ended up landing a job at Sachs, and then Bloomingdales, learning that working your way up is key(15:20) How she got connected to LMVH, and why she took the role to experience a different way of selling and doing business(20:00) What she learned from working at Giggle, in her first CEO role(24:05) What she believes are the key things that have helped her in her journey to CEO (29:27) The difference between a failure and something that didn’t meet expectations, and why she chooses not to look at things as failures but as learning experiences (31:48) How she was given the opportunity to be the CEO of Draper James and how one of her overall goals was to drive growth and diversify sales(39:00) What she thinks makes a great CEO, being a team player and being willing to get your hands dirty(40:00) How she’s grown personally as a leader and has learned to be calm and a person of reason for the team(42:15) The advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs and what’s next for Draper JamesTo Find Out More:https://draperjames.com/Quotes:“You often pursue the things you're good at and can be successful at”“The interesting thing about retail is that you really do have to start at the bottom”“I don't wanna be afraid and I don't want my team to be afraid to try different things.”“Each experience has prepared me in a different way. At various times in my career, I decided to try something totally different.”“I'm always selling Draper James, whether it be to the end consumer, or my ideas to th by e investors, I'm always selling.”“Being in retail there are always these huge ups and downs and you try a lot of different things.”“Don’t be afraid to try different things in a measured way.”“In a measured way, I wanna keep trying new things because I think that's the only way you get to the next step and the next stage.”“It's important to maintain your network. Retail is a really small world and you run into a lot of people that you may have worked with at some stage. So you have to be kind to everyone.”“I would never want to ask people on my team to do something that I wouldn't do. So you absolutely have to be willing to get your hands dirty.”“Take each role a little slower, and that's something I say to the young people on my team is, enjoy it. I was always wanting to get to the next step, the next buying role at Bloomingdale's the next step at LVMH. And knowing that we all get where we're supposed to be in the end and we can all find these really exciting roles that make us wanna get outta bed every day. We all get there, and so, take it slow.” “Don't be afraid to try different things. As a CEO you do have to look after so many different aspects of the business. Getting those varied experiences earlier in your career is only gonna serve you very well if this is where you wanna end up. And so seeking out those opportunities and those experiences is super important.”

Description: Shane Heath, the Co-Founder and CEO of MUD\WTR joins the show to chat about his journey to founding the coffee alternative company on a mission to heal the mind through their daytime and evening beverages. In this episode, Shane shares with us his journey from experiencing a psychedelic trip as a 14-year-old, to starting his first company ishBowl, to moving to Silicon Valley, to taking a leave of absence to Bombay, where he was able to reconnect with his creativity and began questioning his caffeine addiction to coffee. He talks about the difference between lantern versus spotlight consciousness, how the business grew in revenue since 2018, and why he allows microdosing at work. Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:07) More about MUD\WTR, a coffee alternative company on a mission to heal the mind through their daytime and evening beverages designed to provide natural energy and relaxation(2:30) The experience of his first founder conference, how it made a good example of how taking swings is sometimes a good learning experience(6:38) What it was like growing up in Santa Cruz, California, with an entrepreneurial spirit and eventually ending up at San Deigo State(12:30) His experience starting his first company right out of college and what it taught him about the startup world, and how the feelings of it all help him in his role today(22:52) His experience with a psychedelic trip as a 14-year-old and how the deep philosophical questions scared him(26:30) How listening to a Joe Rogan podcast in a time of a lot of stress made him realize he should take a leave of absence(30:00) How he came up with the idea for MUD\WTR because he was really interested in rituals, and how he begins and ends the day(45:00) How the idea for MUD\WTR came to be, from making his own drinks to fall asleep and having the idea for others to experience the same thing(49:00) How he brought on his Co-Founder, and how they continued to grow from 2018 to now(54:00) His experience in fundraising and the advice he has for others looking to bring in more revenue(1:01) Why he allows microdosing at work, in a safe and effective way(1:04) What we can expect to see next from MUD\WTR including expansions to Amazon and a flagship store in Santa Monica, as well as new product launchesTo Find Out More:https://mudwtr.com/Quotes:“Seeing drawings turn into physical environments that I was living in was very transformative for me at a very young age.”“To get a company off the ground, you have to go all in for it to even have a chance.”“Entrepreneurship is a huge investment of time and energy.”“I was just removed from all the cultural prescriptions, and it empowered me to think differently about how I was going to pursue life when I came home.”“I started looking at my mug as maybe I can make something that is more than just a vessel for caffeine.”“It was interesting because I thought this was my problem that I couldn't handle caffeine. So I solved this problem for myself and I felt great. And the real aha moment didn't come until other people started to ask me what I was drinking.”“Our company is built on the hypothesis that for a lot of people too much caffeine, just like too much of any drug can make something that is potentially helpful, all of a sudden harmful.”“When I started MUD\WTR I started to notice that people were very interested in evolving the relationship to how they found energy.”“I'm not mad at coffee. I'm just disappointed. So I made something better.”“I do a lot of work to provide our investors a lot of information. I've been sending out monthly updates since I've been putting them together before I even had investors. I don't view them as information for investors, I view them as a journal entry for our company.”

Description: In this episode, Sophie Kahn shares her journey to becoming the Co-Founder and CEO of Aurate, a premier direct-to-consumer jewelry brand. Sophie shares with us her journey from growing up in Amsterdam, to working at Boston Consulting, to Marc Jacobs, and how having lunch with a friend led to the idea for Aurate. We talk about why she believes you can learn anything with the right framework, the differences between lab-grown and natural jewelry, and how she validated the concept for Aurate with a pop-up store.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:03) More about Aurate, founded in 2015 the company seeks to democratize the fine jewelry industry through its online-driven model, accessible price points, and social impact strategy.(2:25) What it was like growing up in Amsterdam but always dreaming of moving to New York City (14:04) Her experience working at Boston Consulting, to working at the luxury fashion house, Marc Jacobs(20:19) How having brunch with a friend led to the idea for Aurate, based on a ring she had been wearing turning her finger green(23:00) The metrics of success that let Sophie and her partner know it was time to take things to the next level with Aurate, and how she validated the concept for Aurate with a pop-up store(26:40) What makes Aurate unique, is being very customer driven and focusing on what the women want from jewelry (33:00) The challenges in the beginning phase struggling to fundraise for a women's jewelry brand to male investors and convincing them that an online platform is beneficial(37:50) What she’s learned from hiring a team and how to keep them motivated (41:00) How to deal with conflict with employees and how to handle situations (48:00) Final advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs and what shocked her the most about becoming an entrepreneurTo Find Out More:https://auratenewyork.com/Quotes:“I had to build confidence by proving myself in a way and getting some external validation that I could do it.”“I really liked the creative part, but I also liked the analytical part.”“At the end of the day it was still corporate and it was going too slow for my liking.”“There were all these different types of women that for different reasons gravitated towards Aurate.” “Get your team excited to fight with you because it's not easy to be a startup.”“Adapt your management style to your employees, not everyone is the same.”“Feedback has to go both ways.”“You can't just go off on a whim, you have to be more strategic when you’re a leader.”“Make sure that you're ready to essentially give up everything else for a while because once you're in it, it just is all-consuming.”“Build some type of team or network that you can rely on that can help you because it is intense. You need to have people to talk to who can't necessarily be your team. Have your kind of group of people that you can bounce ideas off, talk about the bad things, the good things, the secret things, whatever. You need somebody because otherwise, it's really lonely.”

Description: Denise Woodard joins the show today to chat about her journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, a food company that specializes in selling delicious cookies that are gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and free of the top 14 allergens. In this episode, Denise shares her journey from growing up in North Carolina, to working at Coca-Cola, to experiencing an allergy scare with her daughter, which motivated her to create an allergy-friendly food brand.We talk about the three stages of the CEO role, how important a supportive founder network is, and the mental shifts she's had to make as an entrepreneur. Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:06) Partake Foods, launched in 2016 and backed by celebrities, including Rihanna and Jay-Z, Partake is a food company that specializes in selling delicious cookies that are gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and free of the top 14 allergens.(2:45) What it was like growing up in North Carolina as an only child with an African American dad and a Korean mom, and learning about entrepreneurship from her father(4:52) Some of her first jobs through high school and college, from serving, working in retail, and why she chose to go to school to be an orthodontist (7:30) Why she decided to change her major in college and wound up getting a job at Phillip Morris and eventually moved over to FedEx and Coca-Cola, learning about the importance of process(9:51) How having an allergy scare with her daughter during her first birthday gave her the idea for Partake(11:40) How she got started with Partake by entering a pitch competition and winning(18:40) The beginning stages of fundraising, and making their way into retailers like Whole Foods and Wegmans(22:00) Some of the challenges faced in fundraising, and the advice she has for learning how to comprehend the investor lingo(30:20) What she does on the really hard days, and (33:14) The three stages of the CEO role that change as the business grows, and what she’s learned from it (42:20) Some of the mental shifts she’s had to make in being an entrepreneur(46:00) Some of the really unique partnerships they have with Sesame Street, American Airlines, and more to come(49:08) The final advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs, To Find Out More:https://partakefoods.com/Quotes:“The idea for Partake was born out of my frustration and disappointment as I shopped for products that she could safely eat, that tasted good, that had ingredients that I felt good about.“I wanted to create a brand that was cool enough that people without food allergies would want to eat.”“I started thinking about if I'm gonna leave a career I love I need to make sure I have manufacturing, product development, a place to make this, and that I know how to make this at mass scale so that I feel comfortable leaving my career.”“Initially we were a self-funded self,-distributed cookie company, which meant I was selling products out of my car to natural food stores in the New York market, and I was bootstrapping it with my own personal savings.”“It was really important for me to have an understanding of the penny by penny finances of the business.”“Build a founder community. It's hard for anyone unless they've been on this journey, to understand what it's like and the good things and the bad things that come along with it.”“Growth is great, but with it comes challenges”“People want to feel valued and respected and they want leaders who tell them the truth and who are vulnerable.”“You're so in the weeds and in the business that you know it better than anyone else does. I think you start to feel when you need to make those shifts.”“Sometimes the best leaders are servant leaders.”“Remember that your journey is your own and it's okay to start small.”“I would also suggest that people don't wish away the journey, which I'm very guilty of. When I was selling cookies out of my car, I couldn’t wait to get into Whole Foods, and then I couldn’t wait till we get into Target, and I didn't savor those moments. When they're gone, they're gone. You get to experience that national launch once, you get to experience the first launch once. So savor those moments because that's the whole journey is the destination.”

Description: Lisa Odenweller joins the show today to chat about her journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Kroma Wellness, a premium functional health and superfood company on a mission to simplify nutritional wellbeing. In this episode, Lisa shares with us her journey from growing up in Colorado, to working at Nestle right out of college, to working in the software industry, to starting an interior design business, which led to some soul searching and discovering her true passion for health and wellness. We talk about her struggle to allow others to support and show up for her, overcoming negative self-talk, and how she raised over $5.5 million from investors like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Seinfeld, and Amy Schumer. Exclusive Deal from Our Sponsor:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:08) More about Kroma Wellness, a nutrient-rich delicious product, and effortless programs such as the one and five-day resets Kroma helps you form healthier habits, generating real results from the inside.(2:40) What it was like growing up in Colorado as a military brat with divorced parents, where she learned how to be independent, starting at a very young age(11:45) What her college experience was like doing Semester at Sea, some of her first jobs post-grad, and how she ended up working at Nestle in the Food Service Division, based in the Bay Area, to moving to the software industry(25:00) How she took a year off from working to learn about herself and what she wanted to do(28:00) How going to entrepreneurial classes inspired her to start her first wellness company, Beaming, but with being an early leader and entrepreneur, she decided to exit(41:57) The advice she has for those who feel like they’re at the end of their entrepreneurship journey and how to keep going forward(48:30) Some of the challenges she learned in fundraising for Kroma, taking what she learned from Beaming(1:06:00) The final advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs and what’s next for KromaTo Find Out More:https://kromawellness.com/Quotes:“I think a lot of my entrepreneurial side came from being in the car with my dad listening to him on phone calls.”“The only person you can count on is you.”“You have to allow other people to show up for you.”“At any moment in our life, when things don't turn out as we hope, those are the opportunities to learn and grow.”“I had this inner anxiety of always kind of knowing I was supposed to have a bigger impact in the world.”“I think often when we stop forcing and we stop doing, when we’re in the silence is when you get the biggest clarity in life.”“By losing a brand that I loved so much, it became my greatest teacher and it also helped me become the leader that I am today.”“So it's very much designed for people to really listen to their bodies and become more in touch.”“What we’re more interested in is what happens afterward, because I think that's where real transformation happens”“You have to be willing to risk it all, and you have to be willing to have the confidence in yourself that you are the person to bring your idea to life and have a conviction so strong that nothing's gonna stop you.”

Description: Joining the show today is Paul Voge, Co-Founder and CEO of Aura Bora, making sparkling water a better-tasting experience. In this episode, Paul shares his story from growing up as the youngest of five, to selling vintage t-shirts in college, to quitting his job to focus full time on building Aura Bora in 2019. He talks about how he dropped off some cans to a buyer of Whole Foods at their corporate office desk, the differences between selling to different grocers, how he's had to change his pitch, and how they came up with the name Aura Bora. Exclusive Deal from Our Sponsor:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:07) How Aura Bora makes sparkling water from herbs, fruits, and flowers using unique ingredients, like basil, cactus, and lavender for a better tasting experience all while donating 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes.(2:35) What it was like growing up in a small town outside of New York, being the youngest of five children(5:25) Some of his early jobs from selling vintage T-shirts, to starting a Christmas tree farm, and working for a venture studio. All of this led him to fall in love with sparkling water(14:00) Why they decided to not go down the selling flavor route but to instead stick to making premium water in cans(17:00) How he decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship in 2019 and sold the first can of Aura Bora in the fall(21:40) How he dropped off some cans to a buyer of Whole Foods at their corporate office desk, which led to being on the shelves just a few months later(33:00) How they came up with the name Aura Bora out of 311 names on their list(37:00) The perks and some challenges of working with his wife and running the business together, and how they manage situations with their team(40:00) How one of the biggest learning experiences he’s had is that there are no shortcuts(45:00) The experience of going on Shark Tank, and what it's like having Robert as an investor(50:00) The final advice he has for inspiring entrepreneurs, and what’s next for Aura Bora, with new flavors launching every other month. To Find Out More:https://aurabora.com/Quotes:“I loved the idea of trading and making something out of nothing.”“The most popular item in this pantry is LaCroix sparkling water, and it's probably the least interesting as in we're all drinking it, but no one's enjoying it.”“It felt weird that there wasn't a craft version of flavored sparkling water.”“We thought about what if we could make a much better product and as a result, be able to brand it and sell it as a differentiated, more premium offering.”“Uniquely in CPG, I think you probably have to take the leap earlier than you would like to.”“Being persistent but also patient is key”“The beginning of it really was if we could make something memorable.”“We have had to be deliberate and transparent with every single person we've hired.”“There is truly no shortcut to this. You just get bigger one account at a time.”“​Do yourself a favor and pick a hundred stores that are very similar and get really good at selling the product in those stores. And then from there you can rinse and repeat in other channels once you grow.”“I have felt like Shark Tank has opened us up to actually most of the country, middle of the country, all four time zones, high income, low income, old, young, et cetera.”“Sometimes it just feels like this is either so close to impossible that we should just call it impossible, or I must be doing it wrong.”“Learn as much as possible before you need to commit to something.”“It's really tempting to your point, quit your job, start selling the product, etc, but you’re really well served by learning way more than you might need.”

Description: Today, Lee is joined by Jennifer Zeszut, Co-founder and CEO of GOODLES. Reimagining everyone's beloved mac and cheese, GOODLES is reinventing the prepared pasta aisle, making macaroni nutrient-dense, protein-packed, and tasting as good as it feels to eat. In this episode, Jen shares with us her journey from growing up in the Bay Area, to becoming a buyer at Cost Plus World Market, to being offered $3M to start her first company Scout Labs, to becoming CEO of Cerebelly, to starting GOODLES in November 2020. She talks about a few lucky breaks she's encountered throughout her career journey, her experience with a very shady investor, her views on leadership, and why the way you do work matters.Exclusive Deal from Our Sponsor:Get 30 days FREE with Okendo by clicking HERE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:18) GOODLES is founded by an all-star team, including Jen Zeszut, the former CEO of Cerebelly, Deb Luster, the former Co-founder and President of Annie's, Paul Earle, a branding expert, and a former brand manager at Kraft, and Gal Gadot, an award-winning actress known for playing Wonder Woman.(4:24) What it was like growing up in the Bay Area with a small family and how she became an assistant to CEOs at the age of 14.(12:09) How after graduating from college she became a gourmet foods buyer at Cost Plus World Market, to then being offered $3M to start her first company, Scout Labs. (24:00) What she learned about herself as a leader, CEO, and how she carries that into her day-to-day life at GOODLES.(32:00) Why she feels it's important for everyone to have joy when coming into work every day, and how if you don’t, maybe it's time to move on.(44:45) Why she believes branding is based on the details, and how they created a fun phone tree…give it a try at 707-GOODLES.(46:44) Why she decided to add a fourth skew right before launch.(52:00) The advice she has for those not sure where to start, and how to keep going with joy.To Find Out More:https://www.goodles.com/Quotes:“I didn't think about entrepreneurship for a really long time, but I was always a leader.”“I always told my mom that ‘I was the leader of the ones who don't’”“I learned that the day in and day out of running the operations of a restaurant was kind of boring.”“It was like CEO training wheels, if the wheels fell off, at least I tried and learned.” “I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur and here I am four companies later.”“I love the idea of just mobilizing all the forces to go after something.”“What I learned is to be able to keep this alive and keep it all going, and somehow persist through really hard times, was an incredible realization of just how much strength that you can bring to a situation.”“It's all about the comradery of this family that you create when you start a company and the bonds between one another.”“I just wanna show the world that the way that you do work matters and the bonds that you create with your team, you can do and you can work miracles with that.”“If it feels wrong and if I'm not happy and I don't have joy coming into work every single day, that's actually the wrong thing. It should change. It's not that I have to work harder, it's that it may not be the best fit.” “Being a CEO for hire is definitely a different thing because your job is to execute the wishes of the founders.”“You set the tone and you set the culture.”“We were looking for something that was fun and joyful and mac and cheese is kind of universal.”“It's such a great conduit for this idea of putting little gooders out into the world and to make, be, and do gooder.”“Brands are based on the details.”“If we're not doing things that don’t get an ‘oh no you did not’ out of it then we're not hitting the mark.”“I was less playing to win and more playing not to lose.”“Stop being scared, be yourself and just shine your joy and your voice, it just gets better and better.” “You never know what is the ultimate thing you need, or if you're not sure what the big idea is, just go start doing some stuff and tune in to what parts you love and what parts bring you joy and the parts that you don't wanna replicate, you’ll find it.”

Description: Kailey Donewald joins the show today to share her journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Sacred Serve, a vegan, gluten-free, plant-powered line of gelato. In this episode, Kailey shares with us her journey from growing up playing sports and the oboe, to working as a real estate consultant for Deloitte, to taking a sabbatical to India and Bali. We talk about the omnipresent pressure she feels as an entrepreneur, how she started the company with a broken soft serve machine, and the mental challenges she's had to overcome as a solo female founder.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastHead over to Okendo to get 30 days FREE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(1:17) Sacred Serve is bringing function into the frozen aisle by using a base of organic young coconut meat, combined with superfoods, adaptogens, and medicinal mushrooms.(3:10) What it was like growing up in Chicago playing sports and different instruments(8:20) How she graduated college and worked at Deloitte, then took a sabbatical to India which led to her passion for holistic nutrition and inspired her to create Sacred Serve. (13:40) How changing her diet while in India made her realize a change in her asthma and allergies(22:20) How she discovered young coconut meat which is the hero ingredient for Sacred Serve(30:30) Her go-to-market strategy, and the challenges faced in getting into Whole Foods(32:00) Her experience getting to be part of the Good Food Accelerator program(42:00) What’s next for Sacred Serve from new flavors, new products, and a packaging change To Find Out More:https://www.sacredserve.com/Quotes:“One of the biggest roadblocks to changing careers in becoming an entrepreneur was actually the perception that I felt other people had of me.”“I think it comes down to the microbiome in the gut.”“The juice fast break just mentally and physically was such a recharge for me.”“I'm always just the most interested in how we feel as humans how our food is making us feel, and really listening and tuning into our bodies to understand”“With this high price point, we needed to make sure that every touchpoint was elevated.”“I became extremely comfortable with the story, storytelling is the biggest thing in talking about the traction of the brand.”“When you’re dealing with these category buyers, it's important to get someone on your team that has those relationships.”“It is incredibly challenging and the early days take all of you.”“One of the biggest things I've learned through this journey is that if you're not careful you can really get lost in working a ton and giving up a ton.”“When you're dedicating a lot to this, it can't just be for money, it can't just be for clout, you really have to be dedicated and want something big to happen and make a difference from this.”“In starting a company, it's gonna take three to four years before you're gonna actually be doing the things you wanna be doing.”

Description: Joining the show today is the CEO of Highkey, Joe Ens. On a mission to drive sugar out of snacks and remove over 10 million pounds of sugar from the American diet by 2025, Highkey is the fastest-growing better-for-you cookie brand in the US. In this episode, Joe shares his journey from growing up in Toronto, to working at General Mills for over 20 years, to meeting the founders of Highkey. He talks about his experiences leading a Fortune 200 company, how to build trust with your team, why he uses the big plus one hiring strategy, and the difference between a growth versus a fixed mindset.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastHead over to Okendo to get 30 days FREE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(2:50) What it was like growing up in the suburbs of Toronto, never wondering why his parents divorced, but feeling like he was living the best of both worlds(4:50) How he was given the opportunity to join General Mills right out of college and worked there for over 20 years in several different roles and cities(5:30) Why he wanted to leave General Mills to see how small of a company he could be part of and eventually start a wildfire(12:00) Why he believes in the difference between a growth versus a fixed mindset(15:11) The big plus one strategy and why he started to use it in his hiring methods and what the pricing hierarchy is(18:00) How he met the founders of Highkey and became CEO just nine months after launch(21:00) The different personalities Joe believes make the startup gusto mindset, versus the operators get it done methods(26:00) The key traits he believes are beneficial for successful CEOs(31:00) How they got to partner up with Ryan Reynolds, and how he became one of the primary investors(45:00) How writing in a word doc everything he’s learned and inspirational quotes that stood out to him throughout his career has helped him in his position with Highkey(49:00) Why he believes being an entrepreneur is being like JayZ and not Justin TimberlakeTo Find Out More:​​https://highkey.com/Quotes:“I always say I got the best of each of them. I have my mom's heart and my dad's head.”“I realized that the skill set to progress to the most senior ranks in a Fortune 200 business becomes less about running and building the business and more around managing and building.”“I wanted to test myself. I wanted to bet on myself a little bit and see, could I build something from close to scratch.”“I wanted to see if I had the leadership muscle to take a spark and turn it into a wildfire.”“Failure really is progress.”“The founder can sometimes be a squirrel hunter because they're just constantly trying to ignite sparks. The operator is a little bit more hunting with a scope.”“It's a movement, but for us, it's not political.”“In the startup world, there's no hiding both as the leader, but also, in your ability to make individuals better because there aren't that many to raise the whole boat.”“Being deliberate in making a connection with people, both their head and their heart is key.”“You have to be comfortable that you're not gonna get it right every day. In fact, you're gonna get it wrong a lot. One of our core values is make mistakes, learn, move on. And the ability to move on, I think is key.”“Bet on yourself. And if it makes you really uncomfortable, cover the downside, but still place the bet. And then, you know, your risk tolerance will determine, what cover the downside looks like.”

Description: Today, Lee is joined by Sofia Laurell, the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Tiny Organics, an early childhood nutrition and wellness company that introduces babies and toddlers to their first 100 flavors through organic plant-based fresh, frozen meals. In this episode, Sofia shares her journey from growing up in Finland, to working at Deutsche Bank in New York and pursuing her master's degree at NYU, to becoming an entrepreneur in residence at Human Ventures Startup Studio. They talk about how they validated the concept for Tiny Organics, Sofia’s nontraditional path to becoming an entrepreneur, and the challenges she faced in scaling the business.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastHead over to Okendo to get 30 days FREE!In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(4:12) What it was like growing up in Finland as the youngest of three siblings(7:50) Her career journey before becoming an entrepreneur from working at a retail store to a coffee shop and why she’s always valued hard work(14:00) Her first entrepreneurial idea of starting a travel app geared to New York visitors(20:00) How she and her Co-Founder came together for the idea of Tiny Organics(22:00) Her experience working with Human Ventures and why she valued working with them for their diverse stances(26:00) How they did a food journal with 15 moms and asked them to text what they were feeding their babies(28:00) How they validated the concept for Tiny Organics by testing meal flavors with 100 families in Brooklyn(34:00) The idea behind baby-led weaning and their choice to take a different option than what you see on the market(40:00) The challenges faced in scaling the business, and the obstacles in raising funds(50:50) Her final advice for fellow entrepreneurs, and the next steps for growing and scaling Tiny OrganicsTo Find Out More:https://www.tinyorganics.com/Quotes:“It's a myth that baby food can't be interesting flavors.”“Some of the best things happen at rooftop parties.”“We knew that we wanted to build something for parents, families, and babies, and really bring the important discussion to the forefront around family's health.”“We came together and realized we could have the biggest impact on childhood development through food.”“Document as much as you can, because you forget.”“I’m a big believer in incentivizing your early supporters and early believers.”“It’s made fresh, and shipped frozen so the shelf life is much longer and there's no prep required.”“We really wanna just be a trusted friend and a trusted advocate.”“Ultimately what we want to do is make parent’s lives easier, make children's lives healthier, and be accessible.”“Have people around you, you don’t have to do it all yourself.”“Talk about your idea, wear crazy costumes, believe in yourself, build your networks. A lot of people have openness to new ideas, and this kind of mindset of encouraging different people on their journeys.”

Description: Laura Xiao is joining Lee on the show today to chat about her journey to becoming the Founder and CEO of Henné Organics, a luxury beauty brand that combines highly effective, clean, organic formulas with nordic design so you can experience healthy radiant skin without sacrificing aesthetics or high-quality standards. Laura shares her story from growing up in Kansas City, with dreams of becoming a reporter, to teaching herself web design and branding, and eventually launching Henné in 2015. She talks about what she does to overcome feelings of defeat and rejection, how she found success by launching in hundreds of independent retailers, and how to deal with family and friends who might have good intentions but sometimes let their own fears get in the way. Exclusive Deal from Our Sponsor:Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastIn This Episode You’ll Hear About:(4:30) What it was like growing up in Kansas City, playing competitive table tennis, and later attending the University of Missouri (7:40) What it was like missing out on experiences growing up due to playing a competitive sport(14:00) How after college she moved to Sweden to be with her boyfriend (now husband) and they both decided they wanted a change and moved to (21:10) Why she chose the beauty industry and the idea behind Henné(29:45) The biggest challenges she had to face in starting Henné, and how the fear of friends and family can be hard to overcome(48:00) The thought process behind independent retailers, and how she launched in hundreds of different retailers (51:00) The advice she has for those who feel defeated at times, and the key things she does for herself(57:00) The advice she has for those wanting to start something, that planning is great but executing and making progress is the most importantTo Find Out More:https://henneorganics.com/Quotes:“Getting rejected from jobs made me realize that I needed to acquire some new skills in order to be able to make a living.”“I was noticing in other countries, that even at pharmacies, they were having more natural products. Not fantastic, but at that time way ahead of the States.”“I bought some organic lip balms and they worked fine, but they didn't work great. And the design lacked, it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing at all.”“Every path you take has its different barriers, difficulties, or challenges.”“Sometimes family members, friends, loved ones…sometimes they're wrong.”“You can always play the victim card, but it’s not going to get you very far in life.”“What you focus on only expands.”“I wasn't emailing every store that exists. I started researching what I thought would fit, and started looking through the data and what would fit with Henné.”“No does not mean never, it just means not yet.”“Sometimes it's almost easier to solve an issue or tackle it when you've not been thinking about it for a while.”“Sometimes it's good to start just taking action because maybe you have an idea in your head and you don't know which one to start with. Start testing them out. Take it day by day, try out a few ideas, do some research, make some phone calls, send some emails, and you'll be surprised how quickly you'll figure out which ones to cancel out.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(3:00) What it was like growing up in San Antonio, Texas, having a curious mind, and aspirations to become a vet(6:20) How he got super into stocks at a young age and learned how to take risks(9:30) How he got into competitive horse riding and even switched schooling methods, ended up becoming Valedictorian of his class, chose MIT for college, and chose to be an engineer(17:30) How the idea for his first tech company, Tech Trader came to be at the age of 25(19:00) The challenges faced in leading his first company, which failed and led him to start his next venture Yellow Jacket(26:00) How he took the step and faced the challenges head-on with this second company, to then later launch his film financing company(33:00) How he met his Co-Founder, Zooey Deschanel, and what prompted the idea for organic foods(37:00) When the idea for Lettuce Grow finally came to be, and the realization of the lack of fresh produce(48:00) What he’s learned about building a brand, the advice he has for others, and what he's learned in being a leader(58:00) What’s next for Lettuce Grow, including helping consumers within this lifestyle journey, and continuing to make it more environmentally friendlyExclusive Deal from Our Sponsor:Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://www.lettucegrow.com/Quotes:“I had the innocence which allowed me to do the crazy trading and to start the company because I had this optimism and I was naive.”“As an entrepreneur, it's hard to be as successful when you're not totally gung ho.”“I didn't see them as stealing our ideas, or as like potential competitors, I really saw them as a way to build relationships.”“I started to look at things a lot differently as a, you know, as a future dad and looking at the food that she was eating, the food that we were eating and just saw chemicals and everything.“I thought about how organic farming is really inaccessible to most people, and why it cost so much, so I got so focused on that.”“Our problems in this country don't have to do with the growing of the food they have to do with getting the food from the farm to the people.”“I realized if we could take that waste out of the equation, then we could cut the price of fresh food in half.”“I knew this thing has to be beautiful, it has to be super easy to use, people need to be proud of having it in their living room or on their patio.”“Never think things are over, there's always a way.”“If you wanna go fast, go alone. But if you wanna go far go together.”“Follow the bread crumbs of your passion.”“You've gotta find that passion and that conviction, it's almost like in another universe this already exists and you can see through that universe and this belief and just go all-in.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(2:30) What it was like growing up in Portland, Oregon with two younger siblings and having family in aviation(8:30) How she followed the dream of being a matchmaker to cold calling for internships, and the go-to questions she asks to match someone(14:30) How she landed her dream job and became a matchmaker at Three Day Rule and later became Chief Dating Expert at Match.com (25:00) How she learned of IBS after diagnosis and approached doctors for an honest answer, that more and more of the population is suffering from gut issues(26:30) How a survey to 500 people unlocked the realization that the majority of people she surveyed suffer from IBS in silence(28:00) How her husband spent five months trying to perfect the perfect chocolate chip cookie that followed the Low FODMAP diet(30:50) The three goals they set for BelliWelli to get out of their home kitchen turned business(44:45) Why she’s strangely obsessed with customer feedback and experience, and why she views it as building a company along with thousands of new friends(49:30) What inspired her to get a billboard with their slogan, “Hot Girls Have IBS” and how the trademark slogan began to blow up(1:00) What’s next for BelliWelli and the advice she has for aspiring entrepreneursExclusive Deals from Our Sponsor:Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://belliwelli.com/Quotes:“There's something humbling about going from startup back to corporate”“I was a yes person, right? I was the person who said, let me go to LA for a summer and intern for a professional matchmaker, and here I was saying no to opportunities due to stomach issues”“I was scared that everything I was going to do or eat was going to hurt my stomach.”‘I was shocked by the number of celebrities or wellness gurus who could relate to stomach issues”“I logged in to Facebook and joined a couple of groups, and like a week later, these groups had four times as many members.”“One thing was sure there was no magic pill, and the really sad thing about gut issues is there's really no fix.”“We launched a really scrappy site, called it IB Simple and we woke up to hundreds of orders, and so three months in, we were doing $10,000 in sales from our home kitchen.”“I kept thinking it's not possible to do what I want to do at the same time. I think every woman thinks that at some point.”“I didn't understand the complexity of getting a product into consumers' hands.”“Our mission was to be low-FODMAP gluten-free and vegan, and that we've got to stay laser-focused there.”“​​I kind of view this as building a company alongside thousands of new friends.”“We want it to be a community that is in it with you, I'm in this with you, I speak your language. Let's all stick together in this.”“We have every intention and plan of meeting every person at seven or eight points in their day at some point. So this will expand beyond bars.”“It's more important to build a smart business than to just have an epic, awesome story.”“The barrier to entry is less than you think.”“I'm a huge believer in if you want to do it, you definitely can do it. It doesn't mean everyone should sign up to go be an entrepreneur or a founder, because I think the struggle is real, but you can get started if you want to get started.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:(3:40) Her life growing up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and what it was like working at the Hershey Chocolate Factory (11:30) How connecting the dots from things she's interested in, to things she has to do but lacks interest in has helped her in her CEO journey(12:20) What her time working at J.Crew was like, and what she learned directly from the CEO(19:54) How she got connected to the Founder of Bonobos and got to pitch him her idea for AYR(28:52) What she learned in launching a brand, and the advice she has for others (38:47) Why she chose to take AYR into retail, knowing that it would be a great place for customers to connect with the brand (40:10) Some of the biggest challenges she faced in running out of cash, and how she had to adjust her mindset from employee to business owner.(57:42) The advice she has for those aspiring to become entrepreneurs, that you should talk yourself out of it until you no longer canExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://www.ayr.com/Quotes:“You learn things as you have to learn them.”“You can always connect the dots backward, but you can never get them forward.”“You want to interact with customers directly with the product as often as you can.”“Adjusting from the mindset of being an employee to being a business owner took time, and getting comfortable with conflict and confrontation and making changes that weren't going to make everybody happy took some time.”“Don't do things the way that you think they should be done, or the way that you're told they should be done. You have to do what's right for you. And you have to figure out how to be yourself in the world.”“When you're a CEO and you're responsible for the health and the performance of the company and the people in it, you can change everything. It is all in your control.”“Everything that we make has to be really comfortable, it has to be really versatile, and we will go anywhere in the world that we can source the best version of a product.”“You can do anything, but you have to do it.”“You have to hire people that you trust and respect so that you can manage them with trust and respect.”“There are so many different ways to be involved in the excitement, learning, growth, and the journey of a startup without being the founder or the CEO. So I would try to talk yourself out of it, talk to friends who you trust and respect, and get them to try to talk you out of it. And if at the end of the day, if you can’t be talked out of it, good luck, you gotta do it.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:What it was like growing up in Northern Virginia, choosing to be a vegetarian at eight years old, and having the urge to move away as soon as she graduated How she always had a passion for making the world a better placeHow her time backpacking for a year has taught her a lot and how she uses that information for Bite How she was traveling for work all the time and realized the amount of plastic from the toothpaste tubes and it sparked a need for change How this need to make a different kind of toothpaste led her to take chemistry classes, research, and question dentists about the chemicals in toothpaste to eventually make toothpaste tabletsThe reasoning for the expansion of Bite, to mouthwash, whitening gel, deodorant, and body balm, that it all stems from products Linday sees a need forHow one of their videos went viral on social media and really helped launch Bite, eventually leading to an offer to go on Shark Tank, and turning both offers downHow despite being a completely bootstrap business, Bite has become one of the fastest-growing brands in America, snagging the number six spot on Inc. Magazines, Regional Fastest-Growing Companies List for 2022.Why she set’s aside time every Friday to talk with customers and gain feedback and understand what her consumers are thinking and sayingHow she faced the challenges during crazy growth when all of it was happening at once and the most important thing was to sustain the growth and keep pushing throughWhat’s next for Bite, including continuing to expand into body care, and continuing to help change people's daily routines into something more sustainableExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Use the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HEREGet 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://bitetoothpastebits.com/Quotes:“I used to think that businesses weren't there to actually help people, they were there to make money. And I really didn't like that.”“I wanted to really know how to do storytelling and how to puta tv show together.” “You can read all the stats all day, but they won't actually impact you on a visceral level unless you can actually see them in your head.”“It's not eco friendly, it's plastic ending up in our waste stream, and then gunk ending up in my body. So that was kind of the beginning of me wanting to make something different.”“If we started from scratch, how would we make it? And so that's how we ended up with dry toothpaste tablets.”“Our toothpaste tablets, you get the glass jar once, then you keep refilling it with our compostable refill pouches, and same with our deodorant.”“I block out an hour every Friday and I talk to our customers, I set up calls and I get on the phone with them.”“The most important superpower you can have, especially as a small brand, is talking to and understanding your customers.”“Sometimes the right move is to see it play out and be patient.”“You have to constantly be trying to get better”“It's not about going from point A to point B, it's about just moving forward. So if point A to point B has a thousand steps in between, it takes you longer, but you're still on the right path. So I would say, in the beginning, especially just not getting discouraged and figuring out what you can do to keep you motivated.”“There's never been a better time and there are so many resources at your disposal, whether it's podcasts like this, talking to people, getting on Facebook groups and your network. There's never been a more important time for real solutions, there are so many things that we can be innovating on.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:His story of growing up in Miami and having to move to Boca Raton after Hurricane Andrew destroyed his childhood home when he was just 12 years oldThe decision to study Spanish and attend a liberal arts collegeHow three of his buddies from Duke decided to start a college incubator, creating a place for hopeful entrepreneursHow he landed in investment banking, staying in the field for 20 years, and the fundamental things he learnedThe key things he believes make a great entrepreneurThe energy he felt from attending Expo West, and how it inspired him to start a snack brandWhy he chose to do a snack brand, as he's always loved the snack industry and choosing dried fruit because he noticed the white space for dried fruitHow his great-grandma inspired him to be an entrepreneur and helped shift his perspective on being interested in healthy foodsHow RIND has managed to become available in over 3000 retail stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Wegman's, and CVS.Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Use the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HEREGet 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://www.rindsnacks.com/ Quotes:“I held a lot of different jobs so I could understand the value of work and that it is hard and it is, backbreaking sometimes. There's value in all sorts of work.”“I didn't want to go into a conventional job or career because it felt like there were just too many exciting, shiny new things going on.”“I wanted to create something out of nothing and create something that had impact and meaning.”“When you’re learning, it doesn’t feel like work.”“There is a curiosity that gnaws at most entrepreneurs, it's a thread that needs to be pulled when they encounter something that excites them or they've encountered a problem where there may be a better solution to it.”“There is going to be resolve that is required to actually push through every single obstacle that is going to be against you. And by definition, you're doing something totally new and novel that hasn't been done before. There is no roadmap it's going to be brutal.“You're an idea person until you take a first action step, and then you become an entrepreneur.”“When fruits are growing in an orchard, the skin or the rind is the most nutrient potent part of the fruit because it's exposed to the elements and the environmental stress of the growing season, that it has the most antioxidants and flavonoids and fiber.” “Sometimes the safer decision is the riskier decision.”“You have to share a vision with customers and stakeholders about a company that can stretch into multiple categories with a value proposition that works across all of those categories.”“We are not a bag of peels, we're the whole fruit and a snackable slice of the whole fruit.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:What it was like growing up with immigrant parents chasing the American dream, and moving to America to become founders themselvesHow he was given the nickname AP Cai in high school, for taking the most AP classes, although he wasn't thrilled with schoolHis early signs of being an entrepreneur in high school, by starting two companies Why he chose to take a leave of absence in college, to focus on his first startup, FountainWhat he's learned from being a first-time founder, that finding what you’re excited about and having a team you’re motivated to be with, is the most importantThe failures he’s learned from and that being focused on one thing and building that first will make the overall vision strongerWhere the idea for Italic came from, and why he believes the strategic moves they make are what helps Italic stand outWhy Italic chose to begin with a membership, and how they’ve recently changed the prerequisitesThe decision to use price analysis for each individual product and include the top competitors The reasoning behind the name Italic, how he chose it, and the six-figure price of buying italic.com The journey to fundraising over $50 million from investors, and what tips he has for raisingThe three universal points he has for aspiring entrepreneursExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get a 30 day free trial with Rewind HEREUse the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HERE‍Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://italic.com/Quotes:“My sister and I were kind of pressured to go in and do something great from a pretty early age. So for me, I tried to manifest that in many ways.”“I've always appreciated the idea of selling a physical product to someone and delivering a kind of value.”“The most important thing you can possibly do is either find an idea that you're personally excited about or build a team that you're personally really motivated to be with. Ideally, it's the combination of both.”“Focusing inherently means you are choosing to do one thing and you're choosing not to do another”“Where the founder spends his time is where the gravity of the business is pulled towards.”“Italic really came from that pool of the time to find the financing environment and I think most importantly, the idea of being exciting.”“We really think of Italic as a flywheel, the more customers we have, the more leverage we have to bring on new manufacturers, the more manufacturers and the more leverage we have with them, the more products we can offer.”“We want to offer the same quality and same kind of level design as these great brands, but at a much more value-driven price point.”“If you're sharing an accurate picture of the company, it's up to the investor whether they decide to invest or not and do their diligence, it wasn't because you sold them a false narrative.”“Playing the game in retail means you have to find some angle that uniquely differentiates yourself from the others.”“When you're talking to investors they trust that you'll build a good company for them.”“Whoever you bring into the organization is what the organization is going to become. When you're small, it's more important than ever that you're bringing in people who fit the cultural kind of value you set.”“Make sure you are working on what is important because that doesn't really change, the heart of the business rarely changes. Of course, you'll hear an occasional success story, like slack or what have you, but more often than not, that doesn't change and it's important that you set the right north star.”“Execution makes the strategy successful, not the strategy itself.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:Her journey growing up in Los Angeles, with a passion for food, and her experience having an entrepreneurial parentHow her French grandma is the inspiration behind French Squirrel, and the story behind how her mom bought the domain name for frenchsquirrel.com when she was 11 years oldHer time working at Pressed Juicery in college, how she had to take her food handlers license and hated it, but it ended up being worth it for French SquirrelHow she graduated from college early, unsure of what she wanted to do, so she landed a position as Brand Manager at Erewhon How her boss at Erewhon encouraged her to start French Squirrel, and continued to push her to launch the brandHow she balances both her full-time job at Erewhon and building her companyThe challenges of expanding French Squirrel and not having direct access to the company with distribution, but the good parts that come with it Why she wants to continue bootstrapping the business and grow organicallyWhat’s next for the company and continuing expansion into retail and online Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get a 30 day free trial with Rewind HEREUse the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HERE‍Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://frenchsquirrel.com/Quotes:“I look at every single grocery store product on the shelf and I think about what the stairway was to get there.”“I would go as far to say that I could not have built French Squirrel to what it is today without being at Erewhon.” “I always knew I wanted to start my own business when I started my French Squirrel Instagram, but I didn't know what the product was.”“I would make these protein bites, that I would bring to work as my work snack, and I would always eat them behind my computer at my desk around like three or four with my cappuccino.”“When looking at the data, looking at the sales, people like when something looks homemade.”“People like to see what they're eating and they want to know that it was made with love and made in a small batch, not on a machine.’“Sometimes dates on their own can be a little freaky for some people. They don't like the texture or it's too sweet, but when you balance it out with the unsweetened chocolate and the nut butter and the salt, I think it makes it more appealing.”“I was trying to satisfy my chocolate craving in the afternoon, but without the sugar.”“There's not a day that goes by where there isn't something I have to fix or resolve.”“I want the company to be successful and I know it will be successful, but I'm not planning on blowing up, I just want to take it slow.”“Just start an actionable start, instead of talk, which is the talk is great, but who's actually doing?Try it. And if it fails, but I don't even like the word fail, because if you learned from it, it's not a failure.”“If you learned from it, it's not a failure.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:His love for personality tests, specifically the Hogan TestHis experience starting an X-Men Club in third grade, and shortly after having it shut down by the principalWhat it was like dropping out of college, and how he just knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur, as well as the advice he has for those thinking of quitting collegeHow he started a kombucha brand with a friend, and why he felt the draw to the beverage industryHow at a young age he had the realization of life, and wanting to make his life the best it could be, despite the difficulties he facedWhy he believes emotional intelligence and soft skills are really important when it comes to leadership, and how he's learned to manage his emotionsWhat a recent brain scan said about how he processes informationThe challenges faced in the beginning phases of building Olipop, from design to a nationwide can shortageHow he came up with the name Olipop and how it's not related at all to lollipopWhat advice he has for inspiring entrepreneurs, to stay true to your authentic selfWhat’s next for Olipop, including big retail expansion and many more flavorsExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get a 30 day free trial with Rewind HEREUse the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HERE‍Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://drinkolipop.com/Quotes:“I didn’t want to do the college thing and so I thought, I'm going to go be an entrepreneur.”“I like to be constantly learning and growing and entrepreneurialism is exactly that.”“You've got to get your nose bloodied a couple of times before you're able to realize how hard it is and keep holding out.”“You have to find people who are actually motivated by the mission of your business.”“Knowing what to look for, having the courage and self-respect to select the right partners across the range is absolutely foundationally crucial.”“Part of your responsibility as the entrepreneur is to build something that is good enough, that people want to get involved.”“The design architecture of Olipop is foundational to its success. It really helps to create that first impression and that first attraction for a lot of our customers.”“There are times as an entrepreneur where even if you're not saying it perfectly, if there's something you have to fight for, then there's something you have to fight for.”“Spend more time on your underlying concept.”“If you're getting started, you're building a reputation for yourself, be pragmatic and be honest and build that trust. And even if it's not the right fit, exit this dynamic in a respectful way and build some of that up.”“Have values and principles that you can articulate that you're willing to fight for, and that means something to you and that you considered. Simultaneously, be ready to morph and upgrade yourself in an authentic way as you go.”“Build something that actually solves the human problem. Don't just build something because you want to go out and make a paycheck”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:What it was like growing up in a large family, moving from Uganda to Vancouver at just two years old, and getting to experience a vast array of cultures in her neighborhoodHow she was given the opportunity to get into acting while growing up, and how over time she realized she was in love with the business side of it What it was like holding 16 different jobs in the span of 10 years, in different career fields from being an extra in films, working at Guess, and being a nightclub promoter How spending a lot of lunch breaks searching the aisles of Whole Foods led to the idea of MumgryHow the goal for Mumgry is to cut out the salt and sugar so you can have a staple nut butter that can be added to any recipe Why Lilian believes one of the most important things is to connect your product in front of others to gain feedbackThe experience of getting Mumgry in a Visa commercial with Dan LevyThe challenges she's been facing in fundraising, being completely bootstrapped and self-fundedWhat advice she has for entrepreneurs looking to build their brand without fundingExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get a 30 day free trial with Rewind HEREUse the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HERE‍Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://www.mumgry.com/Quotes:“It gave me a thick skin at an early age.”“When I was a kid, I was interested in business, but it never was something that I was exposed to through anyone in my life.”“It was like all that acting skill. I took it into the workplace and I got every single job except for one job.”“I became obsessed with the idea of going forward with Mumgry and just seeing what happens.”“I wanted to be able to eat everything, but I also wanted to be able to know what was going to be good for me and what was going to be bad for me.”“We want to remove the guesswork from snacking.”“We don't want someone to have to worry about what they're about to indulge in.”“For me it was, how do we have a nut butter that just gives you the nuts in a smoother form? How do we take away everything and bring back the smell of the peanuts into the jar.”“We needed to make this pretty because people need to understand that this isn't going in the fridge, it sits on your countertop. We want people to be able to look at it and be reminded of it.”“Connect your product with the people beyond your family and friends, because that's where you'll really get the most honest and true feedback.” “Because I kept hearing almond butters are so prestigious and so much better, I started to think about like luxurious nuts, and pistachios came to mind because pistachios are considered the most opulent nut.”“We became focused on small businesses and just putting our product in as many small businesses as possible.”“Be consistent. If you say you want to do something, reach the finish line every time, don't stop halfway through.”“You just have to play the part, you have to start playing the game any way that you can, and that's why I say start cheap. Don't start small, start cheap and then build it up.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:What it was like growing up in Long Island and spending the summers in Greece, surrounded by family and growing into her Greek heritageWhat her mid-20s were like, interning at Estee Lauder, as well as traveling and working in LondonTo attending Harvard University for her MBA, and why she pursued that direction so she could have the career switch into CPG companiesHer experience starting her first business, Manicube, and what she learned from marketing, running PR, running the business, and what it was like getting acquired by Elizabeth Arden Red Door SpasWhat qualities she believes to be important for people when building a consumer products brandHow taking a deep dive to learn about extra virgin olive oil led her to create Kosterina, in the hopes to create a hero brand across different categoriesWhy she’s expanding the brand into the beauty spaceThe positive benefits Kosterina experienced with the pandemic, launching just two months prior to COVID-19 hitting the U.S.What she wished she had known about selling wholesale, and her experience launching in Whole FoodsWhat’s next for Kosterina including a deeper dive into the beauty space and launching more food productsExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get a 30 day free trial with Rewind HEREUse the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HERE‍Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://www.kosterina.com/Quotes:“I fell in love with that autonomy that you get in a small environment when a company is in its earlier stage”“I started to think about starting my own business. I had this idea that was interesting and I wanted to pursue it.”“If you’re thinking about taking roles at early-stage companies or venturing out on your own, honestly there's nothing better from a learning perspective than being at a small company because you really just do and learn so much.”“Authenticity and being mission-driven really, really helps when building a consumer products brand”“If you do have a team that is mission-driven, they're willing to come along for the ride, even though everything might not line up perfectly for them”“It's easier to inspire a team when you really believe in the mission of the company and what you're building.”“Olive oil has very potent antioxidant benefits for skin and hydration benefits.”“Get it out into the market and get some feedback because it's when you get it into consumer's hands and you're getting that sort of feedback loop that you can really begin to build a business on a product that people love”“Fundraising can be so demoralizing as an entrepreneur.”“What I want to build is a wellness platform with extra virgin olive oil at the core.”“Expanding too quickly can be detrimental”“There's a lot there that just really gives you sort of the drive and the passion to build and work hard for what you want to create.”“Loving entrepreneurship is a blessing and a curse.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:What it was like growing up in Ottawa, Canada, and what it was like for him growing up through his parent's divorce, finding compassion in the situationHis early jobs as a hockey trainer, working as a cashier, and the leadership opportunities he was givenWhat it was like working for SC Johnson, working with brands like Draino and ShoutWhat he's learned in marketing and sales, is how it's all about the emotional connection, shared values, and connecting the two for everyoneWhat it was like working as CEO for the first time at Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, and what he learned from moving on from the role of not being the best for the company's new transitionThe journey to becoming CEO at Nuun, what it's like working there, how amazing the culture is, and what its been like being acquired by NestleWhat advice he has for aspiring leaders, creating a strong team, and how being a CEO is about knowing all and being the expert of nothingExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get a 30 day free trial with Rewind HEREUse the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HERE‍Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://nuunlife.com/Quotes:“My dad was the guy that would try to lift his team up and energize them and keep them going, and I think somehow I inherited that.”“It’s a small world, and you never know what's going to happen.”“Anyone can be passionate about anything.”“You really do need to help people understand what the benefit is, what the value you're bringing is, and we should all work on that.”“You can only connect the dots in life by looking backwards.”“Passion for what you have has to instill across everybody.”“It was a chance to lead a team. And that's the common thread through childhood to today that I realized I get my energy from, from sports teams to today is all about teams.”“Finding that flow and where you're really good at is a lot of repetition and to keep trying.”“This is the most magnetic energy of a culture I have ever experienced in my career. I absolutely can't tell you how proud I am of this team.”“Fix the fundamentals before you try and do other things.”“I don't think you have to compromise on what you put in your body. You can have natural clean ingredients to give you the best performance.”“Once you're there, you've gotta be thinking what's my next evolution to make it better and stronger. Then of course you want to figure out how to extract that value.”“All of us can do almost anything to be clear. It doesn't mean we're all going to be great at anything.”“​​If there's one thing that people need to take away, the fundamental thing that the best leaders have in businesses and sports teams for that matter is helping people feel valued, like ‘I want to matter.”“It’s always about the we, versus the I.”“You need to care a lot and you need to dig in and you need to spend the time.”“It's harder than it looks. It can be an absolute grind. So you need to believe with conviction in what you're doing. You need to be flexible and adaptable as you get new information. So it's going to shift what you thought was this line to get to a certain point is not going to be the pattern. It's going to be something completely different, but that's okay. You believe in your idea and you've got to be ready for the grind. And you've got to find joy in that.”“CEO is the knower of all, the expert of nothing.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:What it was like growing up in New Jersey with family working in the toy industry, having the influence of entrepreneurial parentsThe life lessons learned from being a lifeguard and swim instructor at a young age What he learned from his 13 years spent in advertising, is that products can become very meaningful not only to consumers but to creators How a one way trip to Tokyo with his now wife and Co-Founder Natalie, led to the idea of BalaHow after a workout class in Indonesia, the idea for Bala was sparked by a napkin drawingThe insecurities faced in running with the idea of Bala, that it was a redesign of a product no longer usedThe fears they faced of being told no, not being believed in, and the fears of putting their idea on KickstarterThe year-long process of finalizing the product and getting it to be everything they needed it to beHow they landed on Shark Tank, and how their episode airing two weeks before COVID hit helped skyrocket BalaThe advice Max has for founders wanting to go on Shark Tank, and how it’s been after the factHow leaning into product innovation, and not just focusing on bangles has grown Bala furtherWhat it's like working with a spouse, raising a family, and building a companyWhat’s next for Bala from product innovation, more content, and partnershipsExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get a 30 day free trial with Rewind HEREUse the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HERE‍Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:https://www.shopbala.com/Quotes:“I'll admit that I don't think I've ever really known what I want to be when I grow up. I say it in the present tense because I think there's still a lot of life to live.”“We noticed there had been a redesign of the adjacencies in this category, but not of the products folks are actually working out with, so we started sketching Bala on a napkin.”“The challenge became, how do we start to bring this thing off the page? Early days it was just an incredibly iterative process.”“Early insecurity was will people care? It is admittedly a redesign of a product no longer used to the same degree they once were.”“We took a year to continue to develop the product and get to the perfect velcro closure that allowed folks to throw them on and off really simply.”“We never thought about it as an at-home fitness product.”“Like any pitch, focus and singularity around what your product or service is and why it's of interest, not just to your target audience, but the Shark Tank audience as well.”“We wanted to make a deal, but we didn't want to make a deal that would really be a disservice to what it is we were trying to build at the time.”“It really is this kind of intersection between fashion and fitness that didn't otherwise exist”“We realized that making meaningful, functional improvements to the product, but also making them more beautiful would make for a more elevated experience for working out.”“Baby steps are still steps. And as long as you're taking them, you're moving forward.”

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:What it was like growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona as the youngest of five children, constantly craving a job, and finally landing a job at a toy store at the age of 14The takeaways she learned in her experience at TIME, CNN, and AOL, that its important to do the little things that people will rememberWhy it's important to be kind and helpful to everyone because you never know where they’re going to end up How it can sometimes be luck that gets you to where you are, but most of the time its persistenceHow after drinking 10-12 diet sodas every day, she came to the realization of how bad they were and gave her the idea to look into alternativesThe challenges entrepreneurs face in building a business from zeroWhy she believes every founder should have their own personal attorneyThe importance of choosing the right investors, and how to filter for the right onesThe advice Kara has for inspiring entrepreneurs or those that have an idea but don’t want to be a founderExclusive Deals from Our Sponsors:Get a 30 day free trial with Rewind HEREUse the promo code STAIRWAY200 for $200 off Outer furniture by shopping HERE‍Get 2 months FREE with Gorgias by clicking HERE and mentioning the podcastTo Find Out More:http://www.drinkhint.com/Quotes:“​​All of a sudden I'm going to these toy fairs and understanding margins and understanding less is more and critical things. I would go back into the classroom and I was so bored in the classroom versus what I was learning in these situations.”“As you're building, you're really focusing on those things that are a little bit hard for you.”“Years later, I still tell new recruits at Hint that the number one thing they need to do is make sure their boss and their team are successful. I run into so many people who make the mistake of worrying about how they look and concentrating on their own feelings, to the extent that they don't appreciate what's going on around them, focusing outward on those who depend on you and the rest of the team makes you a valuable person, gets you more responsibility and ultimately gives you a chance to not just look like, but also be a superstar.”“If you walk into a situation and maybe you feel like ‘this isn't my place like my people aren't here or whatever.’ You rise above it and you be who you are supposed to be. You be yourself.”“There's going to be luck, but there's also this persistence that plays in”“I was shocked when I saw that nothing like Hint was on the shelf at the store.”“I've had a lot of good stuff happen, I've had some not so good. And you know, that's life, right? That's how you learn, that's how you make mistakes, and how you get better.”“Understand what you really enjoy.”“Having a different lawyer who is actually looking out for you really key.”“The key thing is to enjoy what you're doing and do something that you think has purpose.”“Too many people are focused on making a buck and flipping a company quickly. If you actually lead with a concept, a company that is actually going to solve a problem, that you think will actually change people in some way for the better, then the money will come. And I think just always be thinking that. If that's what your purpose is in starting a company, that's the right purpose.”