Christina Stembel, Founder/CEO, Farm Girl 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

Kate Torgersen – From a 4-Day Business Trip Disaster to Becoming The Founder & Creator of Milk Stork

May 8, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

When she was detained by TSA after a business trip and asked to drain the ice around her carry-on breast milk bag before she could enter the plane, Kate Torgersen knew she had to do something. Kate knew she wasn’t the only working mom dealing with this. She’d heard horror stories about moms in broom closets at the office pumping milk and she saw the need.

The day after that disastrous event, Kate Torgersen decided to create Milk Stork, the FIRST and ONLY breast milk travel solution for working moms. She called her dad with the business idea to provide a service to help mothers easily ship their breast milk home, and with that, the idea was born.

Kate’s mom-led innovation and entrepreneurship have been chronicled in publications such as the Harvard Business Review, New York Magazine, Lifehacker, Fortune and Travel + Leisure.

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

My north star for the whole thing was that it had to be a two minute experience for moms in the hotel room and it had to be a two-minute experience placing an order.” – Kate Torgersen

Show Notes:

Kate knew she needed a “2-minute experience” for her idea to work
How she took her “DISRUPTIVE” idea and broke it down into manageable pieces in the beginning
The moment she knew she was on to something….it was right after she “flipped the switch”
Milk Stork was a side hustle for three years….she kept her day job at Cliff Bar for a long time (true inspiration for women who have a business idea but they aren’t quite ready to leave their day job)
The surprise phone call Kate received while in her mini-van that changed EVERYTHING
How Milk Stork tapped into an ENTERPRISE market
The KEY to gaining TRACTION
What it means to be a “painkiller not a vitamin” – BRILLIANT
Her Cash Flow Metaphor – GENIUS
What Kate does to recover from entrepreneurial fatigue
WHY she went about hiring differently than most other companies
The BIG Difference in having a career and owning a business
The advice she wished someone would have shared with her early on

If you don’t have good operations in place, traction can become a problem.” – Kate Torgersen

Connect with Kate Torgersen:

Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Milk Stork

Once we launched and got that first order, I knew that was never going to be quitting. There was no quitting because once you get traction you can’t quit. It is kind of like being a parent. Once you give birth, there is not really an ‘out’.” – Kate Torgersen

Gail Becker – On Track to $100 Million in Just Two Years….Selling Cauliflower

May 1, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

She had no food or nutrition experience. What she did have was two sons with Celiac disease. This is another Epic Encore interview with Gail Becker, the genius, Founder and CEO of Caulipower, a company that offers tasty, affordable and nutritious alternatives to highly-processed foods.

CAULIPOWER is on track to reach $100 million this year and her pizzas are in 22,000 retail stores… on their 2nd BIRTHDAY!!! They’ve had explosive growth in the last 575 days (since she was FIRST on the show) and Gail gets real, raw and transparent about her journey so far. She’s both funny and serious about her path and her attitude is infectious.

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

When you become an entrepreneur, you are betting on yourself – hook, line and sinker.” – Gail Becker

Show Notes:

The people she listens to most when deciding on new product lines
Her BEST Advice on how to handle fast & furious business growth
Her perspective on how to build an A+ Team
The Challenges that go along with being a Disrupter in your industry
Gail admits she has DAILY Struggles as an entrepreneur and how she copes
What really drives her (it’s not about Money for her)
Why a personal mission is important in business
How she went from a high-paying successful career one day to making nothing the next

You have to have people that are as passionate about the business as you are.” – Gail Becker

Connect with Gail Becker:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | CAULIPOWER

Always know what you don’t know and hire against that.” – Gail Becker

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

‘She’s Got Moxie’ Podcast – Here’s The BEST of 2018…

December 21, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

I hope your holidays have been filled with magical moments. At this time of year, I find myself gravitating to content with the headline “the BEST of.” Whether it’s recipes, restaurants, wine or business, I enjoy consuming the BEST of everything.

That’s why I wanted to share The BEST of my ‘She’s Got Moxie’ podcast for 2018. Below you’ll find The TOP 10 Most Listened to Podcasts this year. Go here and listen now.

The holidays are the perfect time to catch up on all the wisdom and brilliance my guests share on the show. This will give you a chance to make some notes and add their genius tips to your business planning for 2019. I’m a bit of a podcast junkie so I find time to listen when I’m cooking, baking, wrapping gifts or walking my dog.

Jesse Draper – From Talk Show Host to Investing in Women-Owned Businesses Through Halogen Ventures

December 5, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

When Jesse Draper created and began hosting the 2015 Emmy nominated television series, The Valley Girl Show, she discovered something interesting; it wasn’t easy to find women in business to interview!

This ‘discovery’ ultimately led Jesse to found Halogen Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund focused on female-founded consumer technologies.

Currently, Halogen Ventures, has made some great picks with theSkimm, Carbon 38, Sugarfina, and Hop Skip Drive as part of their portfolio, to name a few.

Listed by Marie Claire as one of the “50 Most Connected Women in America,” Jesse talks networking, investor pitching tips and why the childcare industry needs a makeover.

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

If it is not fulfilling one of my priorities for that particular day or week, I have to re-prioritize.” – Jesse Draper

Show Notes:

HOW being the creator and host of “The Valley Girl Show” illuminated some startling stats on women in business
The 3 ‘ingredients’ she looks for in a company when making an investment decision
WHY she Loves it when she doesn’t understand something
Her BEST Tips on pitching your idea to investors
The real truth about Networking
Why Perfection is a deal killer
COLD emails are not dead – Jesse has proof
How she kept going after hearing 110 NO’S
How she stays PRODUCTIVE as a mom of two under the age of 4 while running a fast-paced business
Jesse’s ideas for Bulldozing the CHILDCARE industry in America
Why networking HAS NOT gone out of style
Why being “uncomfortable” is the best place to be
And much, much more

Get out there and do it. Meet as many people as you can, and send cold emails.” – Jesse Draper

Connect with Jesse Draper:

Twitter | Instagram | Lady Bosses Podcast | Halogen Ventures | Facebook

Do something that makes you uncomfortable every day.” – Jesse Draper

Koel Thomae – How Cold-Calling a Dairy Farmer Turned Into a $170 Million Yoghurt Company

March 28, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

On a trip home to Australia, Koel Thomae discovered a homemade yoghurt in a beach town corner shop, and she knew this was an entrepreneurial moment.

Inspired to bring the best-tasting yoghurt to the United States, Koel couldn’t stop thinking about the velvet tasting yoghurt that would one day become Noosa Yoghurt.

After cold-calling a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Colorado, Koel partnered with ‘Farmer’ Graves and brought Noosa Yoghurt to life.

What started in small farmers markets and local Whole Foods stores has led Noosa to be sold in 25,000 stores nationwide.

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

It is certainly ok to evolve things, but don’t ever get too far away from that core fundamental reason why you started the brand.” – Koel Thomae

Show Notes:

How a visit to Noosa, Australia led Koel to go on an entrepreneurial adventure
How her obsession with this yoghurt led her to a three-hour lunch that ultimately got her a “loose license” for the yoghurt
What it was like to QUIT her day JOB and jump right into her entrepreneurial idea
Why Koel took her life savings and put them into her business
WHY you should never over-think an idea
HOW she diverted Whole Foods attention when they initially didn’t like her packaging
Why she decided to pull out of a market that Noosa wasn’t ready for
A Deep Conversation on Cash Flow – pure gold
How Koel stayed PRODUCTIVE while building a business and raising a newborn
The ONE question Koel asks herself to stay on track every day
And much much more

I would say that if finance is not your strong suit, then get some really smart people who do know that and learn it really quickly.” – Koel Thomae

Connect with Koel Thomae:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn| noosa

Very simple productivity – tasks lists and really understanding what is the priority from what will most impact your business.” – Koel Thomae

Lizanne Falsetto – Meet The Creator of The thinkThin® Bar Who Sold Her Company For $215 Million

January 17, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Lizanne Falsetto ditched a college basketball scholarship for an international modeling career. While on the road, Lizanne found herself hungry but didn’t like the fast food options so she created her own high-protein, zero-sugar, food-on-the-go snack, what we now call the thinkThin® bar! It set a trend as the FIRST protein bar to be gluten-free.

Lizanne went on to create a lifestyle brand and a national market leader. She ultimately sold thinkThin® to Glambia, Inc. in 2016 for $215 million dollars. Wow.

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

The No. 1 thing that I would say to the women out there who want to learn about cash flow is to always keep your payables (what you have to pay) at least 20% lower than your receivables (the money coming in).” – Lizanne Falsetto

Show Notes:

WHY she declined the basketball college scholarship
HOW Lizanne turned her kitchen experiment into a multi-million dollar company
HOW she kept growing & scaling the entrepreneurial mountain
What BASKETBALL taught her about BUSINESS
SIMPLE, smart, cash flow secrets
Why Lizanne brought HER CHILDREN to work
Her BIGGEST Challenge – real, raw truth here
HOW she overcame her toughest moments
And much, much more…

I knew I had to surround myself with the best. And I always had that mentality, but it is almost to the point where you bring people in who are smarter than you.” – Lizanne Falsetto

Connect with Lizanne:

Facebook | Twitter | Lizanne Falsetto

I think that team sport is a valuable lesson because you can play your position well, but you have to play with your team.” – Lizanne Falsetto

Christina Stembel, Founder/CEO, Farm Girl 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:

Kate Torgersen – From a 4-Day Business Trip Disaster to Becoming The Founder & Creator of Milk Stork

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 Kate Torgersen:

Gail Becker – On Track to $100 Million in Just Two Years….Selling Cauliflower

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 Gail Becker:

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:

‘She’s Got Moxie’ Podcast – Here’s The BEST of 2018…

Jesse Draper – From Talk Show Host to Investing in Women-Owned Businesses Through Halogen Ventures

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 Jesse Draper:

Koel Thomae – How Cold-Calling a Dairy Farmer Turned Into a $170 Million Yoghurt Company

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 Koel Thomae:

Lizanne Falsetto – Meet The Creator of The thinkThin® Bar Who Sold Her Company For $215 Million

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 Lizanne:

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