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Katie Chin – From Former Senior VP at Fox to Celebrity Chef, Caterer, and Cookbook Author

December 9, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

It all started with a wok, a roll and a dream…

She’s shared her Asian culinary delights on the Today Show, at the White House, Iron Chef, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and more.

My guest today, Katie Chin, is a celebrity Chef, caterer, cookbook author and food blogger. She is the author of the award-winning bestseller Everyday Thai Cooking and her latest cookbook, Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother’s Kitchen. Katie is an amazing woman, as much as she is an amazing chef.

Katie grew up working in the kitchens of her mother, Leeann Chin’s restaurants in Minneapolis, but she decided to pursue a career in the marketing industry for film and television in Hollywood. With time, she realized her real passion was not in Hollywood, but in her culinary roots.

Katie shares the incredible story of her mother’s road to entrepreneurship as a Chinese immigrant to the United States. Though Katie was her daughter, Leeann Chin was the toughest boss Katie ever had. Katie talks about her own entrepreneurial journey, how she created a mother daughter-cooking brand, her best action steps to grow her business, how she made a name for herself on her own after her mom passed away, and more.

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

When a door closes, climb to the window.” – Katie Chin

Show Notes:

  • What it was like to own a business with her Mom
  • The #1 Essential to getting lots of media exposure – LOVE this Gem. Anyone can do it!
  • Her BIGGEST obstacle in business
  • The danger of getting too much advice from others
  • The moment she knew it was time to leave Hollywood to go back to her culinary roots
  • Where she places her Trust
  • How Katie found her own entrepreneurial path after her mother passed away
  • Katie’s best action steps to growing her business
  • Her biggest challenges so far as a woman entrepreneur
  • How Katie has pivoted her business during the pandemic – GENIUS!
  • Her Passion for supporting women entrepreneurs really comes through

You should never dream harder than you work.” – Katie Chin

Connect with Katie Chin:

Facebook | Twitter | Chef Katie Chin

If you work really hard and believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything.” – Katie Chin

Mignon Francois – How She Turned $5 into $10 Million as the CEO & Founder of The Cupcake Collection

November 18, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Mignon Francois on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guest today, Mignon Francois, CEO & Founder of The Cupcake Collection, is a very enthusiastic and positive entrepreneur who turned a recipe that she received from her grandmother into a $10 million business.

Mignon was a stay-at-home mom who was tired of her children not being able to go on field trips because she did not have the extra money. At the time, she had no bakery experience, but she took her grandmother’s recipe, spent $5 on ingredients and the rest they say is history. Mignon’s business turned out to be a much bigger success than she could ever imagine.

On today’s show, Mignon shares the story of how The Cupcake Collection began its humble beginnings. She talks about the challenges that she has faced in her company, her “sampling” strategy, her actions steps to success, and more.

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

Overnight success takes 10 years.” – Mignon Francois

Show Notes:

  • The moment Mignon decided to turn an old recipe into a NEW idea
  • What MOTIVATED her to keep going every day despite the challenges
  • How she has grown and scaled her business from a start-up to being recognized as one of the TOP cupcake bakeries in the US with multiple locations
  • Why a “sampling” strategy is important for a product-based business
  • The really big gamble Mignon made as she bet on her success
  • What it has been like to maintain business during the pandemic

My action step was to stop waiting and start doing.” – Mignon Francois

Connect with Mignon Francois:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | The Cupcake Collection

Everybody wants to be great, but nobody wants to get up at dawn.” – Mignon Francois

Bethany McDaniel – Launching a Business With Just $250 – CEO & Founder of Primally Pure

September 9, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Bethany McDaniel on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffAfter struggling with acne and skin sensitivity as a teenager, my guest Bethany McDaniel, CEO & Founder of Primally Pure decided to dive deep into the power of real food & natural ingredients. In her deep research and self-education process, she uncovered the knowledge that there were a lot of toxic ingredients found in deodorant which led her on a journey to make her own. She found something that worked for her but unfortunately, her hubby wasn’t too excited to try it so she had to get busy and find another way to win him over. This is when Primally Pure, was born.

On this episode, Bethany talks about how she started her business with only $250, as well as her deodorant tube disaster of 2017 – which was a good reminder of the ebb & flow of entrepreneurial life. Bethany also talks about her best action steps, how contacting influencers helped her grow her business, 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'm a firm believer that you can do so much with very little.” – Bethany McDaniel

Show Notes:

  • How her early days as a staff WRITER got her thinking about owning her own biz
  • WHY she chose Deodorant as her first product (Her hubby wasn’t too excited)
  • How a $250 purchase got the ball ROLLING to a multi-million dollar company
  • The #1 ingredient to her early success (I love the SIMPLICITY of this)
  • How her LEADERSHIP has changed from the early days
  • The 2017 Deodorant Tube DISASTER that taught her an important life lesson
  • The Business ADVICE she hears that she absolutely does not agree with

Knowing what it is to be an entrepreneur, there are always going to be struggles and things rarely go as planned.” – Bethany McDaniel

Connect with Bethany McDaniel:

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Primally Pure

It's like this puzzle that you constantly have to tweak and figure it out all the time.” – Bethany McDaniel

Jenn Kapahi – She Was a Make-up Product Junkie Turned CEO & Co-Founder of trèStiQue

May 13, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Jenn Kapahi on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffJenn Kapahi, my guest today, has always been interested in consumer buying habits. Through her career in the makeup industry, she realized that makeup was complex, with all the different shades and colors, and women were looking for something simple – the “essentials.” This is how trèStiQue, a line of smart makeup crayons with built-in tools that fit in the palm of your hands was born.

On today’s show, Jenn talks about the concepts behind her products, her three valuable tips to achieve success in your business, ways to avoid stress and challenging times, and much more.

 

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

You have to let yourself have a bad day once in a while, but you cannot give up.” – Jenn Kapahi

Show Notes:

  • How accepting an invitation to a holiday party opened the door to her future (Jenn talks about how this was totally out of character for her)
  • WHY staying CURIOUS has become her greatest attribute
  • The “graphics” you need to pay attention to now more than ever
  • Why the number EIGHT is so important to her and the CORE of her makeup essentials
  • She takes a very DEEP DIVE into the Action steps that have propelled their brand to success
  • Why understanding the CUSTOMER is essential to starting a brand
  • How she avoids stress in challenging times
  • The importance of being surrounded by people that trust and understand your vision

I do think that the best entrepreneurs have a very good intuition about things.” – Jenn Kapahi

Connect with Jenn Kapahi:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | trèStiQue

If you keep going and you try, there’s a small percent chance you can still win.” – Jenn Kapahi

How Collaboration Can Lead to More Consistent Cash Flow & Double Your Revenues

March 4, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

She's Got Moxie ShowToday’s episode is from a recent Instagram Live on how collaboration with others can lead to consistent cash flow and double your revenues.

I share why it’s key to collaborate with entrepreneurs who are serving a similar customer-base, tips to connect with others and more.

 

 

 

 

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

We've got to be the atta-girl club. We've got to help each other out.” – Joy Chudacoff

Show Notes:

  • Real life examples on how to determine what a good collaboration might be for you
  • How to create MASTERFUL connections that matter
  • Why time spent building relationships is far more important than a social media post
  • Action Steps you can take today to get your next profitable collaboration going
  • How the DM can be the DL to your next big opportunity
  • Isolation in the entrepreneurial world and how collaboration can bring more Joy to your biz

These great partnerships are made by giving and getting.” – Joy Chudacoff

Claudia Chan – Founder of the S.H.E. Globl and author of “This is How We Rise”

January 29, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Claudia Chan on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffI’m super excited to have Claudia Chan, author, leader, and founder of S.H.E. Globl as a guest on today’s show.

She was flush with material items in her life and began to feel the call for more purpose. Claudia is the author of the Leadership book, This is How We Rise: Reach Your Highest Potential, Empower Women, Lead Change in the World, which was named by CNBC as a “top career book of 2018” and also featured in The New York Times.

Her business, S.H.E. Globl, is a platform that equips organizations with powerful learning and development opportunities that keep your talent inspired, engaged and growing all year.

I think you’ll love today’s show as Claudia talks about why the future is female, how to amplify women’s voices, her strategy behind elevation periods, and much more.

 

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

We can't be teaching people a definition of leadership that is so one dimensional.” – Claudia Chan

Show Notes:

  • Her BEST Action steps to gain attention for her movement
  • WHY focusing on a specific segment of the market is so key now
  • Focusing questions on how to drill down what part of the market you want to OWN
  • How to REDEFINE leadership
  • How ELEVATION PERIODS can help build a full life
  • The mentality to adopt in challenging times
  • And much, much more…

We have the power of the universe inside of us and I think trusting our instincts is another thing that we need to do better.” – Claudia Chan

Connect with Claudia Chan:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | S.H.E Summit

Less is more and really own those areas the most.” – Claudia Chan

Hannah Hong & Mollie Cha – From Best Friends to Business Partners as Co-Founders of Hakuna Brand (N)icecream

January 22, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Hannah Hong & Mollie Cha on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Light-hearted and full of joy, Hannah Hong and Mollie Cha, co-founders of Hakuna Brands, are the perfect pair to launch a dairy-free (N)ice-cream.

Hannah and Mollie became best friends at UC Berkeley, and along the way, discovered they were both lactose intolerant in their early 20's – which meant that they had to say goodbye to ice cream.

Years later, Hannah and Mollie discovered frozen banana chunks blended with a little almond milk. In that moment it was, and I quote, “Like lightning striking.” It was non-dairy, 100% plant-based, no refined sugar, and delicious! They instantly knew they had to bring this idea to families everywhere.

On today’s show, Hannah and Mollie talk about how they’ve gotten their product into over 400 retail locations, what it is like to be best friends and business partners, the lessons they’ve learned about dealing with imposter syndrome and much more.

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

Having a partner is a great thing, but it comes with its challenges. So really make sure it is the right fit.” – Mollie Cha

Show Notes:

  • How they took a problem, solved it for themselves and Hakuna Brands was born
  • What they did every evening after work – the EARLY days!
  • Their best advice for maintaining a business partnership with your BFF
  • Their FIRST Sale – they take us on the journey with them (I loved this part)
  • Their BEST Sales Strategy early on – what they did to really STAND OUT
  • The Best ACTION STEP to getting into over 400 locations
  • How they quickly learned to scale when Whole Foods and Sprouts came calling – before that they were operating out of a 100 square foot kitchen
  • Why “moving fast & breaking things” really doesn’t work for them
  • The effects of imposter syndrome & how they moved through the days when they had doubts

You are the expert in your product.” – Hannah Hong

Connect with Hannah & Mollie:

Instagram | Hakuna Brands

Checking yourself and giving yourself the space to make sure that everyone is aligned is really important.” – Mollie Cha

Sarah Robinson + Noria Morales – Creating an Imaginative Play space for the Modern Family as Co-Founders of The Wonder

January 8, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Sarah Robinson + Noria Morales on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guests today, Sarah Robinson and Noria Morales, are co-founders of The Wonder, an absurdly playful members space for families.

The idea for The Wonder came about after Sarah had her first child and struggled to find a fun, whimsical play space that was creative. Not only is The Wonder a play space, but it also has a library, stroller detailing, cafe, a grown-ups only workspace and more.

I think you'll love today's show as Sarah and Noria talk about how they started this business venture, what's it is like working together as co-founders, how they raised 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!

It's so much more about the execution then it is about the idea.” – Sarah Robinson

Show Notes:

  • WHY Sarah and Noria decided to start The Wonder
  • REAL talk about the challenge of building a business while raising children (Sarah was working in the delivery room while birthing her second child!)
  • The Action Step they took BEFORE The Wonder opened to generate interest- GENIUS!
  • The importance of screen-free time for kid
  • HOW they make their partnership work
  • The PAINFUL story when one started to doubt the business idea would make it
  • Why it’s important to know what time of day you are most creative and focused
  • Their favorite quote that keeps them going
  • WHY talking to people about a VISION is more powerful than anything else you can do
  • The ticket to turning your ideas into reality – it’s all about the Execution

You've got 18 summers with these kiddos. You want to make the most of that time.” – Noria Morales

Connect with Sarah and Noria:

Facebook | Instagram | The Wonder

Any good idea, I guarantee you, there's thousands of people in the world who have had the same idea. And it's – who's actually getting out of bed and making it happen?” – Sarah Robinson and Noria Morales

Ashley Merrill – Taking a Deep Dive on The Process of Business Growth

December 4, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Ashley Merrill on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff“Things break all the time.” My guest today, Ashley Merrill, CEO & Founder of Lunya, the modern sleepwear for women, takes a deep dive into what it means to grow and scale a boot-strapped business. She’s had blockbuster growth over the last 18 months and on today’s episode she gets radically transparent about what the journey has been like.

IF you are looking to grow your business in 2020 and have a goal to hire an A+ Team and truly understand what it means to lead, do not miss this episode. Ashley breaks down her hiring process, step-by-step, as well as her thoughts on leadership.

 

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

Once everybody is in the spot that they are really going to be successful in and they know what they're supposed to do, it is amazing what you're able to accomplish.” – Ashley Merrill

Show Notes:

  • HOW she came up with the idea
  • How to create an A+ TEAM – she breaks this down step-by-step
  • WHY it’s essential to be tapped into your core client for all decisions
  • How she came to the decision to create a men’s line – Lahgo
  • Her BEST Action Steps to Create momentum that continues to build
  • How she pushes through when “everything is breaking with an endless stream of challenges”
  • Ashley’s KEY to productivity as a mom with young kids while growing a business
  • The way to think about HIRING when it comes to hiring junior and senior hires – the process is extremely different
  • Why Ashley feels getting uncomfortable and expressing humility with a team is ESSENTIAL but it’s not a sign of weakness
  • She’s discovered that LEADERSHIP is what happens when the chips are down
  • Why she gets up so early and why she feels it’s important to honor your energy rhythms

The big game-changers have been a lot of org adjustments and a lot of really wonderful hires.” – Ashley Merrill

Connect with Ashley Merrill:

Instagram | The Deep | Lahgo | Lunya

Early on in the brand a lot of it is about you personally and how much you can do as an entrepreneur. But as the company has grown, hiring has been what has really enabled us to grow – getting the right people in the right spots.” – Ashley Merrill

Isabelle Alonso – Feminist Author and Recipient of the Medal of Honor From the French Government for Her Work on Women’s Equality

October 23, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Isabelle Alonso on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Isabelle Alonso has a colorful life as an entrepreneur, feminist and author. She has published four feminists essays and seven novels including her latest novel Je Peux Me Passer De l'Aube (I can hold on without the dawn). Isabelle also appears regularly on the television series Je t'aime etc… where she is a commentator on culture and current news events.

Today's show is a real treat as Isabelle tells us about her journey working towards women's equality in France. She reframes the role of women in the workplace, what being a “feminist” actually means, the most powerful thing that a woman can do 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 do not consider myself as a woman of power. I'm not interested in power. I'm very much interested in being a woman of influence, and so that's why I write books.” – Isabelle Alonso

Show Notes:

  • How she became a symbol of Feminism in France and as a result received the Medal of Honor from the French government for her work on Women's Equality
  • The moment she realized there was an inequality (she was a young girl)
  • Isabelle's thoughts on creating a more equitable workplace for women – women are punished instead of rewarded
  • Her Best Action Steps on creating awareness for women’s equality
  • Why she has a passion for writing books and feminist essays
  • Her realization about what it meant to be a woman entrepreneur
  • Where our focus needs to be and why it’s one of the most powerful things women can do
  • The #MeToo movement and what's happening currently for women around the world
  • What feminism actually means to Isabelle

It is an individual adventure. But I really think that for women, they have to start with themselves.” – Isabelle Alonso

Connect with Isabelle Alonso:

Facebook | Twitter | Isabelle Alonso

All of the myth of the reality of masculinity is a prison for men.” – Isabelle Alonso

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