Smart Women Smart Solutions

With Joy Chudacoff, Leading Expert on Business Success and Lifestyle Design For Women

Christina Stembel, Founder/CEO, Farm Girl Flowers – A $30 Million Business Started with $49,000 in Savings

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Christina Stembel on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffYou do not want to miss this interview.

Originally from Indiana, Christina Stembel found herself in Silicon Valley where it seemed everyone was an entrepreneur. It was while investigating why flowers are so expensive for her employer at the time, Christina started to see potential big bucks in the flower industry. No college degree but she did have 49K in savings and that’s how Farmgirl Flowers was planted firmly in the ground.

Christina shares all of her tips and transparent insights on how she grew Farmgirl Flowers from nothing to an estimated projected 30M this year. She talks about her grassroots marketing that has grown the company, why and how to get started without investor money, and much more.

 

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

I wanted to take an industry and be either the first innovator or the first one doing it a completely different way.” – Christina Stembel

Show Notes:

  • CURIOSITY does not kill the cat; This is how Christina started out
  • The SURPRISING thing that happened when she was down to her last $411
  • Smart, Simple, Effective Tips for Grass Roots MARKETING – Truly Brilliant
  • The Two Most ESSENTIAL Skills You Must Develop if You Want to Grow and Scale
  • Bank and credit card tips for FUNDING your business
  • Why women should STOP waiting for investor money in most cases
  • How she reacted when someone told her to STUNT her Growth and “wait for the industry to catch up to her”

I wanted to test the market. I did not want to give up a decade of my life for something that was never going to work.” – Christina Stembel

Connect with Christina Stembel:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Farmgirl Flowers

I pivot all the time. We listen to our customers.” – Christina Stembel

Kelly Love – How a Summer “Detox” With Her BFF From College Led to The Start of Branch Basics

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When Kelly Love’s college roommate, Allison Evans, started having health problems, which led to lots of medications with little or no relief, Kelly was concerned.

After graduation, Kelly and Allison decided to spend the summer with Allison’s “Aunt Marilee” doing a “detox.” Their eyes were opened wide when they began to learn about the harmful chemicals that people are exposed to everyday. It was during this summer experience, the three of them decided to start Branch Basics – a non-toxic cleaning product company to create a healthy home.

On today’s show, Kelly gets very vulnerable and transparent about her entrepreneurial journey thus far. She talks about what it was like to partner with her college roommate, how the company survived their biggest challenge (they even had to close for a bit), her advice on managing cash flow + more. 

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

It is totally ok to figure it out as you go.” – Kelly Love

Show Notes:

  • Their philosophy on the easiest way to take that FIRST step to living a healthy life
  • Their initial product was an enormous success….until it wasn’t
  • How they handled the embarrassment of having to close their doors and what they did next that has created BLOCKBUSTER success today (MOST people would have given up)
  • How Branch Basics is riding the “minimalist” movement
  • Tips for finding the right manufacturer for your product
  • The BEST decision they’ve ever made after re-launching the company
  • How to handle CASH Flow decisions; simple, smart advice
  • The words of wisdom she wished someone would have shared with her early on – PURE GOLD

It needed to work as well or better than the conventional product or else people weren’t going to stick to it.” – Kelly Love

Connect with Kelly Love:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Branch Basics

Just getting started and knowing that you’re going to improve over time is key.” – Kelly Love

Carly Stein – How a Chance Encounter With a European Pharmacist Turned Into The #1 Cold & Flu Product on Amazon

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Carly Stein on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guest Carly Stein was studying abroad when a bout of chronic tonsillitis sent her to a pharmacy in search of a cure. What she learned was kind of a miracle.

Carly is the CEO and founder of BeeKeeper’s Naturals, a company committed to “reinventing the medicine cabinet” through the healing power of bees. Her product for colds & flu is currently #1 on Amazon and she’s been recognized as a game-changing entrepreneur on the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

On today’s show, Carly talks about how to build a loyal customer base and a robust social media following, why bees have medicinal properties, how she has overcome her biggest challenges, how she has built an amazing team of loyal and passionate people and much more.

 

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

The amazing thing is that everything is so accessible. Every single one of us can figure it out.” – Carly Stein

Show Notes:

  • The FIRST step she took to give the business traction
  • Her SIMPLE, SIMPLE strategies to build a loyal following and awareness – “I didn’t know anything!”
  • Refreshing, easy to follow grass roots strategies
  • How to use SOCIAL MEDIA to help build your business – she should know. Her Instagram boasts over 100K followers!
  • Why bees have medicinal properties
  • She didn’t allow an inquiry from LinkedIn to throw her; instead she figured it out
  • The MINDSET to adopt when building a new business
  • How Carly overcame the biggest challenge in her business
  • Cash flow tips on how to handle the fluctuation in sales when you are marketing a product
  • Advice she doesn’t agree with in the start-up arena
  • The surprising new app to help with workflow
  • Tips for building a great A+ TEAM

What you’re doing at every single step every single day is building muscle memory. The muscle memory that you’re building is how to respond to challenges with resilience.” – Carly Stein

Connect with Carly Stein:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | BeeKeeper’s Naturals

I know that failure is not the end of a line for me. It is just a red flag that is showing me to go a different way.” – Carly Stein

Amy Franko – A Top Sales Blogger, Amazon Best-Selling Author, Sales Expert and Entrepreneur

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Amy Franko on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffIf you don’t have all the clients or customers you want or need, you will want to block some time in your calendar to listen to this episode with my guest today, Amy Franko.

Amy is the author of the new best-selling book The Modern Seller: Sell More and Increase Your Impact in the New Sales Economy and she is also the founder of the Impact Instruction Group. The Modern Seller is an Amazon Bestseller and was also named a 2018 top sales book by Top Sales World. In addition, Amy is recognized by Top Sales World as one of the “Top 50 Sales Bloggers in the World”.

Today’s show is jam-packed with incredible business and sales advice, tips on building your network and using social media for business growth, how to write a book (even if you don’t really enjoy writing) and much more.

Enjoy the show!

 

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

People with strong networks can rise above the noise.” – Amy Franko

When you know those one or two very significant goals, that is going to give you the track to run on so that you can better prioritize your time.” – Amy Franko

Show Notes:

  • The Five Modern Selling Skill Sets
  • WHY your RELATIONSHIPS are the GOLD
  • WHY it’s essential to pivot between strategy and tactics
  • How to overcome the “I don’t have time to network” feeling you may be having
  • TIPS on how to create better business relationships (HINT: you don’t need to be an extrovert)
  • How to use SOCIAL MEDIA to build your business
  • How to write a book (even if writing doesn’t come easily to you)

If you want to build the skill, you can. It is the habits that you put into your everyday relationship building that becomes the ‘how’.” – Amy Franko

Links Mentioned:

  • Connect with Amy Franko:

LinkedIn | Twitter | Amy Franko

People who really get it (who are really intentional about building the RIGHT strategic relationships); they are focused on a big significant goal and that helps them make good choices about where they invest their time in building their networks.” – Amy Franko

Tysh Mefferd – Leaving Her Role as The #1 Top Income Earner of a Social Selling Company For a New Opportunity; Simple Solutions to Help Women Who Are In a Career Transition

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Tysh Mefferd on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Let’s face it: Change is challenging. Every single day, I talk to women who know deep down they need to make a change in their life, career or business. But they cling to and hold on to their comfort zone because it seems easier.

My guest today, Tysh Mefferd, has a lot to say when it comes to career change and transition. She was at the pinnacle of her career; the top earner in her company, shattering every sales goal put in her path. And she left it all behind to join forces with another social selling company.

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

Sometimes status quo isn’t what’s always best.” – Tysh Mefferd

Show Notes:

  • The 4 things you take action on before you make a change in your career or business
  • Why TRENDS are key to watch in your industry
  • Great advice for women who are thinking of making a change
  • Why AGES and STAGES are key to pay attention to for women
  • Tips for succeeding in social selling and direct sales
  • The top TWO things to know when you’re starting a business

I was willing to make short-term sacrifices that I knew would help me with my long-term goals and objectives.” – Tysh Mefferd

Connect with Tysh Mefferd:

Facebook | Instagram | Park Lane Jewelry

When you love what you’re doing, you don’t mind doing that.” – Tysh Mefferd

Beata Kirr – A Wake Up Call For Women About Wealth Building

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Beata Kirr on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

In full disclosure, I met my guest Beata Kirr at a presentation that I was convinced was going to be fairly boring. I actually thought it was going to give me thirty minutes to scan my email feed and swipe right to delete : -). Guess what? I was wrong. Once I heard Beata share some of the most recent research on women and money, I put my phone away and grabbed a pen and paper.

Beata Kirr is the National Managing Director in the Alliance Bernstein Chicago office. She was appointed Head of Private Client Core Asset Strategies of Bernstein in 2017. Beata is a member of Bernstein’s Private Client Investment Policy Group, which oversees strategic asset allocation for high-net-worth, nonprofit and family clients.

Beata has provided market commentary for the Chicago Tribune, WGN News, NPR and the Wall Street Journal. She is passionate about helping women investors succeed, and she speaks frequently to women’s groups nationally. Beata is also the host of “Bernstein Insights” Women & Wealth podcast series.

On today’s show, Beata dives into some surprising stats, how we as women can manage our wealth better, and more.

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

It is undeniable that women are a force to be reckoned with in terms of the financial decision-making power that they have.” – Beata Kirr

Show Notes:

  • The surprising facts about women creating wealth today – this is GREAT news!
  • Women continually say they’re not good with numbers but that’s not what the research shows
  • The THREE Critical numbers you need to know NOW
  • Startling facts about Women and WHY it’s essential that Women Need their Money to last longer
  • How to identify and rectify ACCIDENTAL SPENDING
  • You know your height & weight but do you know how much you are spending?
  • The 5 things women need to know about CREATING WEALTH
  • Easy to use Budget App suggestions to easily get going
  • Important information to consider when it comes to INSURANCE
  • What you can do today to get started on your path to wealth management – easy, doable steps to take Today
  • Why you need to keep your records up to date and FRESH. Beata shares a bit of a horror story here and I had a story too!

95% of women are going to be making the financial decisions for their households at some point in their lives – 95%!” – Beata Kirr

Connect with Beata:

Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Alliance Bernstein Women &Wealth

Next time you say ‘I’m going to do spring cleaning’ or hire someone to clean your windows, think about an audit of your assets at the same time.” – Beata Kirr

Nora Plesent – Creating a Market for Women in the Legal Field Seeking Creative and Flexible Career Options

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Nora Plesent on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

When my guest today, Nora Plesent, was getting ready to take her maternity leave with her first child, a co-worker in the law firm commented, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was just a temporary lawyer we could hire?” Nora saw a problem and went out to create a SOLUTION.

Nora, along with her co-founders went on to create Lexolution – a company that provides contract legal services to Law Firms. What started out in a basement in Scarsdale, New York, has turned into offices across the country including Lexolution New York, Washington D.C., Richmond, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Today, Nora gives a very authentic interview about the process of growing her business while maintaining quality service, the hardest years when she first moved to LA and what she did to get through it, and the KEY ingredient to guaranteed growth if you want to expand into new cities.

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

We’ve done things slowly, in a sense, but we have grown. And we have done it in a way where we have really never had to worry about the management of the office itself.” – Nora Plesent

Show Notes:

  • How Nora turned a question from a co-worker into the focus of a company
  • The #1 ingredient you MUST Have when planning to expand to new cities
  • Why it has been difficult to manage QUALITY over QUANTITY
  • How Nora dealt with opening a brand-new market when she first moved to LA
  • Nora’s Best ADVICE for women on the entrepreneurial journey
  • How meditation has changed Nora’s life and her approach to business
  • Nora’s Brand-New Venture for women

We were all about quality, quality, quality. We had the boutique quality people out there and as other companies came into the market it was all about quantity.” – Nora Plesent

Connect with Nora Plesent:

Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Lexolution

When I started meditating, I almost couldn’t even sit for five minutes because my life had been about moving, shaking, creating, doing.” – Nora Plesent

Lori Caden – Belly Bandit Co-Founder and Entrepreneurial Powerhouse Creating Solutions for Women

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Lori Caden on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

After a difficult moment in the cat litter aisle at Target that sent her running from the store, my guest Lori Caden, came to the conclusion that there had to be an easier way to look and feel better after childbirth.

Along with the collaboration of her two sisters, Lori co-founded their company, Belly Bandit, in 2008 and revolutionized the maternity world by introducing the first doctor-recommended, postpartum compression wrap. The Belly Bandit has had a major thumbs by Hollywood moms including Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Kourtney Kardashian.

She’s full of energy and enthusiasm and additional new clothing lines, such as “Mother Tucker” are available online and also at Neiman Marcus.

 

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

All of our products are solution-based products.” – Lori Caden

Show Notes:

  • Lori’s embarrassing moment in Target that started the idea for Belly Bandit
  • How she got some early traction from major celebrity moms
  • The “old-school” marketing technique that put them on the map and helped them get noticed
  • The VERTICAL MARKET that Lori never expected to go into
  • How her new line, “Mother Tucker” shapewear came about
  • What it is like to be in business with her SISTERS
  • The 3 questions she asks herself before she says “yes!” to a new idea
  • And much, much more

Don’t be scared to ask for help to get to the next level.” – Lori Caden

Connect with Lori Caden:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Belly Bandit

As soon as people started asking for it, we would cut and sew these samples and hand them out.” – Lori Caden

Raegan Moya-Jones – Creating a 100M Blockbuster Biz With Baby Blankets

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Raegan Moya-Jones on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

When my guest, Raegan Moya-Jones, couldn’t find the muslin-fabric baby blankets that were a swaddling tradition from her native Australia, she set out to make her own.

In 2006, Raegan co-founded aden + anais, the baby lifestyle brand globally recognized for its high-quality, design-driven muslin swaddles and baby products. Aden + anais is a $100 million-dollar company today. You might recognize them because Prince George made his first public debut wrapped in an aden + anais blanket!

On today’s show, Raegan talks about what she waited for in order to quit her full-time job at The Economist Group (she worked there until 2009), what it was like when her co-founder/partnership fell apart, why she decided to go from “babies to booze” and much more.

I think you’ll find today’s show raw and authentic, helpful and inspiring.

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

There was definitely a period of time where I thought ‘well if I really want to spread my wings and do what I think I am capable of doing (that nobody else seems to think that I’m capable of), then I’m just going to have to go out there and do my own thing.” – Raegan Moya- Jones

Show Notes:

  • The TWO ingredients that carried Raegan through the first five years
  • The “old-school” marketing tool Raegan used to get her products into retail locations
  • Raegan’s humorous story about not having time to wash her hair for 15 days (too funny and I can relate!)
  • What it was like to watch the CELEBRITY who used her product for his public debut
  • What is was like to go through the loss of a good friend who was also her business partner
  • Raegan’s open, raw, transparent discussion about her many moments in the “fetal position”
  • WHY Raegan decided to start a second company
  • Business advice for women that she completely disagrees with
  • What it was like to be fired from a business that she co-founded and built to 100M

The first five years of aden + anais was basically hard work and Google that got me through it.” – Raegan Moya-Jones

Connect with Raegan Moya-Jones:

LinkedIn | Instagram – Raegan Moya-Jones | Raegan Moya-Jones

Saint Luna Spirits | Facebook – Saint Luna | Instagram – Saint Luna

aden + anais | Facebook – aden + anais | Instagram – aden + anais | Twitter – aden + anais

The big mistake that people make is they think they can’t do it because they don’t know how, but if you want it badly enough you really can just teach yourself. It was very much a one foot in front of another process for me.” – Raegna Moya-Jones

Heather Dominick – How to Succeed as a Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur

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Heather Dominick on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

When my guest, Heather Dominick, hit the million-dollar mark – it wasn’t a celebratory moment. She was burnt out, overwhelmed, and suspected that something wasn’t quite right.

That’s when Heather found out she was a Highly Sensitive Person, which is a trait that some people are born with. With that, Heather knew she had to figure out how to make entrepreneurship work for her. She became the founder and leader of the Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur® movement with her company, Business Miracles.

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

Really be willing to do the work to know who you are and how it is that you are meant to serve through your business.” – Heather Dominick

Show Notes:

  • What it means to be a highly sensitive entrepreneur
  • Heather offers INSIGHT on how to spot if you might be a highly sensitive entrepreneur
  • How “pushing” challenges the highly sensitive person
  • Her BEST Tips and coping strategies for entrepreneurs who are highly sensitive
  • How COPING can turn into CREATING for the highly sensitive entrepreneur
  • Why being highly sensitive can actually be a STRENGTH for entrepreneurs
  • Her most EFFECTIVE step to grow her business – BRILLIANT and surprising!
  • The ADVICE she hears about entrepreneurship that she absolutely DOESN’T agree with (“it’s shaming and manipulative”)
  • How to see yourself differently in order to overcome challenges of being a highly sensitive entrepreneur
  • Why Heather LOVES Pineapples and the meaningful significance they provide to her business

I remind myself daily how absolutely smack-down privileged I am to be able to be working in this space and energy of creation on a day-to-day basis.” – Heather Dominick

Connect with Heather Dominick:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Business Miracles

I don’t know it all and I’m not supposed to know it all, again, definitely not before taking action.” – Heather Dominick

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