Gail Schenbaum – Achieving Massive Growth with the Umergency App in the Last 18 Months

August 28, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

This week, I’m having Gail Schenbaum, Founder & CEO of Umergency, back on the show as one of my encore interviews!

Gail was first on She’s Got Moxie in March 2018 to talk about how she created the Umergency app for college students and their parents’ in emergency situations.

After receiving a middle of the night phone call from her own daughter (who was in an ambulance) while she was across the country attending college, Gail knew that she had to do something to make it easier for parents to get in touch with their kids in emergency situations.

The Umergency app prepares and empowers college students, their parents, and extended families with the real-time tools they need to navigate through any emergency, health or safety situation at the touch of a button.

The content is college-specific, and comes pre-loaded with data for over 1200 colleges, including local emergency services, on-campus resources, trusted contacts, a GPS enabled urgent alert beacon, built-in access to national crisis hotlines, and the ability to upload secure copies of students’ insurance card and signed medical consent form.

Umergency removes confusion and chaos from an urgent situation, before it happens.

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

You still have to go back and trust your gut. But many times, people who know a lot in a certain area bring many ‘aha’ moments to you.” – Gail Schenbaum

Show Notes:

How Umergency has achieved massive growth in the last 18 months
The staggering statistics about college students and ER visits and what parents really need to know
The creative “gorilla marketing” that Gail is using to gain brand awareness for the Umergency App
Gail discusses the things you must do to get your product or service in the hands of the right consumer
Gail’s BIGGEST CHALLENGE and how she gets through it
The SECRET TOOL that has positively influenced Gail’s life
Why Gail ASKS for advice often
The ADVICE she would give to entrepreneurs who are experiencing growth
How she makes DECISIONS for the business
And much, much more…

No matter how fast you’re moving, don’t forget to take time to plan. Because you can get lost in the details (especially with technology) and there is so many moving parts.” – Gail Schenbaum

Connect with Gail Schenbaum:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Umergency

What really helps me is to connect with other entrepreneurs who are going through similar stuff.” – Gail Schenbaum

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

August 21, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

You 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

August 14, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

August 7, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

July 24, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

If 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

July 17, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

June 19, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

June 12, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

June 5, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

May 29, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

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

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

Show Notes:

Connect with Christina Stembel:

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

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

Show Notes:

Connect with Kelly Love:

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

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

Show Notes:

Connect with Beata:

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

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

Show Notes:

Connect with Nora Plesent:

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

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

Show Notes:

Connect with Lori Caden:

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

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

Show Notes:

Connect with Raegan Moya-Jones:

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