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

Stephanie Scapa – WEYV CEO & Co-Founder. The All-in-One App for Music, Magazines & eBooks.

March 6, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

My guest today is Stephanie Scapa, CEO and co-founder of WEYV, a unique multimedia platform that offers music, magazines and eBooks all on one app.

After taking a family vacation to Florida and learning about a unique business model from her dad, Stephanie Scapa got excited. She saw how the streaming industry was “broken” and how she could fix it with her idea for WEYV.

On today’s episode, Stephanie dives into how WEYV works (how it solves a major digital streaming problem most people have), how she and her co-founder got this idea off the ground without experience creating apps, the questions she asks herself when making decisions, the work-life BLEND (no balance here!) 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 firmly believe that work-life isn’t a balance. I think it has to be a blend. Especially as a woman, I can’t really divide my work and my life and make it balanced.” – Stephanie Scapa

Show Notes:

How WEYV easily allows you to listen, read and share content
What Stephanie learned after hiring someone to create the APP for her – it was time-consuming and costly – and how she re-framed and rebounded from this experience
WHY being able to PIVOT in business is essential
Why it’s important to “Know everything possible about your customer” when creating an App
The simple productivity app and system that Stephanie uses EVERY DAY personally and with her Team
How to get through the day when you feel like giving up
Interesting AHA about women in the workplace (this was surprising and also wonderful to hear!)
What questions Stephanie asks herself when MAKING DECISIONS
Why it’s a work-life BLEND rather than a work-life balance for Stephanie
And much, much more

There have been many points along our path where we’ve had to ask ourselves tough questions and make tough decisions.” – Stephanie Scapa

Connect with Stephanie Scapa:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | WEYV

If you’re signing up to be an entrepreneur, just be sure that the passion for what you're trying to bring to life is really there and aligns with how you define success.” – Stephanie Scapa

Dr. Renee Dua – The Founder and CMO of Heal, the NEW On Demand App That Brings the Doctor to Your Front Door

May 9, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Knock, Knock! The Doctor is here! After a scary experience (and an 8-hour wait in the emergency room) with her then seven-month-old son, my guest today, Dr. Renee Dua, decided there must be a better way to see a doctor when you need medical care. From there, Heal.com was born.

Dr. Dua is a licensed physician practicing nephrology, internal medicine, and hypertension. She created Heal to make life easier for busy parents and adults to get world-class primary care in the comfort, convenience and privacy of their home or office.

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

This is a problem that no one has really solved before. The idea that you deliver “on demand” a professional that is highly skilled. No one has solved that problem, and that is a problem that we are trying to solve in this company.” – Dr. Renee Dua

Show Notes:

How the Heal App brings a doctor to your home
How she made the move from being a physician to a Founder of an On-Demand App company
Her Biggest Challenge in running a digital App company
Why every Heal doctor shows up at your door with a medical assistant
Why the ER is actually the WORST place to be when you are sick
Her BEST Action Steps to growing an online platform
How she manages CASH Flow decisions
How she handles Frustration
Her TIP to gain perspective and live in the moment
Her Best ADVICE on what to do when someone says NO to your idea
And much, much more…

The way we spend money – we are responsible, we are thoughtful, and we make mistakes. I’ll say that and I’m sure every business owner does, and I am no different. I make lots of mistakes and it is a bummer. We have to learn from those mistakes and not make them again.” – Dr. Renee Dua

Connect with Dr. Renee Dua:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Heal

If I can make it through the next 5 minutes, then I can make it through the next hour, and I can make it through the next day. That’s how I look at frustration in general – I try to get through little bits at a time. And then suddenly before you know it, you get some good news.” – Dr. Renee Dua

Gail Schenbaum – How a Phone Call in The Middle of The Night Led Her to Create The Umergency App For College Students and Their Parents

March 14, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

“Mom it’s me. I’m calling from the ambulance. I’m fine. But it’s really bad.”

After Gail Schenbaum took a frightening phone call in the middle of the night from her daughter who was in college several thousand miles away, she knew she had to use her entrepreneurial spirit to do something.

Previously an award-winning producer for companies like Warner Brothers, Columbia, Universal, Walt Disney, and Paramount, Gail has always been an incredible creator who sees problems as opportunities.

With that, Gail took her frightening situation and committed to founding the Umergency app- the all-in-one emergency health and safety solution for millions of college students and their families.

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

Focus on the solution, not the problem. When you start thinking creatively you begin to see other possibilities, and that may lead you to create something even better than you have right now.” – Gail Schenbaum

Show Notes:

HOW a phone call in the middle of the night charged her up to create the UMERGENCY App
Her BEST Action Steps to creating a powerful, helpful App
Her AHA moment
The SMART SHIFT she makes when feeling overwhelmed
Her Biggest Challenge
Her GENIUS Productivity Tip, “Beat the Clock.” This is Pure Gold
How Gail uses HUMOR to market her App
Her Superpower
The valuable lesson she learned from her father
And much much more

Find a support system. Don’t go it alone. Because when the chips are down, you really need support from those who believe in you and who will help you see it through with some love and kindness.” – Gail Schenbaum

Connect with Gail Schenbaum:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Umergency

You can’t delegate unless you feel comfortable and you know you’ve got the right people.” – Gail Schenbaum

Natalie Hampton – A 17 year-old’s Journey From Death Threats and Bullying To Creating an App That Supports Teenagers

January 31, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Today’s interview is the shortest interview that I’ve done so far, but it’s probably one of the most important interviews I’ll ever do.

Natalie Hampton is a 17 year-old high school student who’s got more moxie than almost anyone I know.

After suffering several years of death threats, being physically attacked, sitting alone and feeling isolated at lunch, Natalie Hampton got fed up. She created the app, Sit With Us, a digital platform that allows students to have a safe space to enjoy their lunch at school among peers who will be friendly and conversational.

Today, Sit With Us, has over 100,000 downloads in eight countries and has won numerous awards for its success.

On today’s show, Natalie shares how and why she launched her app, what it was like to create the app, and the success of Sit With Us. You’ll be amazed by this 17 year-old’s passion and heart she has put into using her app to create a safe space for kids.

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

It has shown me how many people are affected by bullying, because I’ve heard so many stories. But it has also shown me how many people are out there trying to solve the problem as well.” – Natalie Hampton

Show Notes:

How Natalie coped with daily death threats, physical attacks and eating lunch alone
Why she created the app, Sit With Us
The role social media plays in bullying today
Best tips and techniques for launching an app
The moment she knew that the app had gone viral
Why passion is so important in a business
How to find the best app designer for you

I really didn’t think it would go this far. It was more of a therapy project, if anything, when I started it.” – Natalie Hampton

Connect with Natalie Hampton:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Sit With Us

Stephanie Scapa – WEYV CEO & Co-Founder. The All-in-One App for Music, Magazines & eBooks.

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 Stephanie Scapa:

Dr. Renee Dua – The Founder and CMO of Heal, the NEW On Demand App That Brings the Doctor to Your Front Door

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 Dr. Renee Dua:

Strategy & Consulting

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We’d Love to Connect!