Susan Feldman – Founder & CEO of In The Groove – A Lifestyle Destination For Age-Defying Women

November 20, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Never say it’s too late.

My guest today, Susan Feldman was 53 when she founded One Kings Lane, a go-to destination for home and interior design shopping because she couldn’t find home furnishings that she liked. She cracked the code on this industry and ended up selling One Kings lane to Bed Bath & Beyond.

Now, Susan’s on to her next entrepreneurial venture, In the Groove. With a sense of humor, community, and self-awareness, In The Groove is on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations.

Today, Susan talks about how and why she became an entrepreneur at 53, how she dealt with an empty nest, the advice she would’ve given herself before she started her companies and much more.

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

Just get started.” – Susan Feldman

Show Notes:

Why it’s never too late to start a business – there is no age limit
Interesting STATS about women over 50 and their economic power
How an EMPTY NEST can be a fresh start – this is a GOOD thing!
What it’s like to launch a digital platform
One of the hardest things for a founder to do
The ADVICE she wished someone would have shared with her early on

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It has to be good. You have to not be embarrassed by what you’re putting out there, but put it out there. Because you’re going to iterate on it anyway.” – Susan Feldman

Connect with Susan Feldman:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | In the Groove

I think being an entrepreneur is so amazing and so rewarding and so much fun. I wish I would’ve done it 20 years earlier.” – Susan Feldman

From Wall Street to Wellness, Meet Priscilla Tsai, CEO & Founder, CocoKind, an Organic Skin Care Line With Products Under $25

November 13, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

My guest today, Priscilla Tsai, struggled with life-long hormonal acne issues until one day she decided to take matters into her own hands and literally solve this problem that created insecurity for her every day.

She left her job on Wall Street and went straight into wellness by founding, Cocokind, an organic skincare brand that is clean, conscious and accessible to everyone.

On today’s show, she talks about how she took her struggle with hormonal acne and turned it into a business that now has 133K raving fans on Instagram who love Cocokind.

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

How I actually convinced myself to just do it was – I was like ‘you know what? You don’t have to be the face of the company – you can just be a business owner.'” – Priscilla Tsai

Show Notes:

How she took her struggle with acne and turned it into 133K followers on Instagram who love her products and her approach
How she got her products into Whole Foods – a simple strategy that required a BOLD move
Why every decision she makes is around a set of “conscious” values
Why she almost didn’t start the company (Priscilla talks openly about her insecurities and vulnerability)
How vulnerability became her secret sauce
Why perfection doesn’t sell well
Her passion for helping other women entrepreneurs and how this lead to the Cocokind Foundation
And much, much more

We don’t ask, ‘what can we charge?’… we charge what we think is fair.” – Priscilla Tsai

Connect with Priscilla Tsai:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Cocokind

For me, when I hear from my other friends who started things say ‘we go through similar pains’, and then you that, it is normal and you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.” – Priscilla Tsai

Amanda Tress – Founder/CEO of The FASTer Way to Fat Loss – From 11 Clients to Now Serving 110K Clients in Just 3.5 Years

October 2, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

I’m over the moon to share my guest, Amanda Tress, with you today.

Amanda is the Founder & CEO of The FASTer Way to Fat Loss –the premier virtual intermittent fasting fitness and nutrition program. She teaches her clients how to burn fat and live a truly healthy lifestyle through intermittent fasting, carb cycling, macro tracking, whole food nutrition, and strategic workouts.

Amanda started The FASTer Way just 3.5 years ago with 11 people, and now the program has more than 110,000 clients who are thriving!

On today’s show, Amanda talks all about how she has grown and scaled her business. She gets very transparent with me about what her journey has been like and the #1 skill entrepreneurs MUST possess to succeed, 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 had 11 people in my first round of the FASTer way, they had incredible results and I immediately turned around and said ‘hey listen, I want to get this program into more households – will you help me?’.” – Amanda Tress

Show Notes:

Amanda’s simple “secret” to creating a brand that’s truly becoming a movement
How a visit to Lexington, Kentucky to see 20 women (which turned into 150 women) opened her eyes wide
How Amanda gained influencers and developed her marketing technique
Why “micro-influencers” are the key to early growth
Amanda could have 70,000 certified coaches and instead has 1700 – why she chooses to keep it small
Amanda’s very FIRST Steps to create a multi-million dollar brand in just 3.5 years
Amanda’s strategies to getting through the “dark, painful” days
How Amanda has GROWN and SCALED her business
The #1 Attribute a candidate must have to be considered for a spot on the FASTer Way Team
Why Amanda has decided NOT to raise money for the company
The #1 skill entrepreneurs MUST possess to succeed
Amanda’s tips on how to juggle raising a family (she has three children under the age of 10) while running a company experiencing rocket-ship growth
What Amanda has “concerns” about in the world of female entrepreneurship right now
And much, much more!

The best professional development out there is to be a business owner.” – Amanda Tress

Connect with Amanda Tress:

Facebook | Instagram | FASTer Way to Fat Loss

If you can develop interested in middle-America with little to no marketing then you must have a good product.” – Amanda Tress

Melissa Ben-Ishay – How Getting Fired From an Advertising Job Was The BEST Thing That Could Happen to Her

October 31, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

After getting fired from her advertising job, Melissa Ben-Ishay went home and baked some cupcakes (her go-to daily staple). Turns out this was the BEST action step she could have taken. Today, Baked by Melissa, the New York City-based brand is famous for its signature, bite-size cupcakes and treats that are only 50 calories each!

Passionate about baking since childhood with the idea that people should taste a cupcake “guilt free,” she decided to do what she loved and launched Baked by Melissa in 2008.

She’s absolutely hilarious and what I love most is her complete transparency.

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

You can do anything and anyone who tells you otherwise is small.” – Melissa Ben-Ishay

Show Notes:

HOW she started out in her apartment
How she prepared for her first BIG moment with a well-known Caterer in NY
The moment she knew she was on to something
Her ‘Disruption’ moment – what gave her the “advantage”
The MOST important mindset a woman entrepreneur with a family can have
How she went from her apartment to 14 stores sprinkled around NYC
Why it was hard to RELINQUISH CONTROL in her business
The great advice that Melissa’s Dad gave her when things got hard
Why starting and ending her day with her family is a PRIORITY
What she did on days when she felt like a fraud
What she sees as the essential ingredient in a startup business
Her biggest challenge and how she handles it
How and why YOU CAN DO ANYTHING

There is actually a very, very specific attitude that built this company, which is seeing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.” – Melissa Ben-Ishay

Connect with Melissa Ben-Ishay:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Baked by Melissa

You have to kind of embody the person you want to be.” – Melissa Ben-Ishay

Lisa Sugar – How a Blogging Side Hustle Turned into POPSUGAR, a Multi-Million Dollar Media Company

April 11, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Lisa Sugar really disliked her job but unlike so many, she did something about it. After starting a personal blog that went viral (we’re talking over 1 million followers in 1 year), Lisa Sugar knew that she was on to something. She ditched her day job and not long after, her husband did too.

Currently, POPSUGAR is now the #1 lifestyle brand for young women, and has just introduced a brand new beauty line.

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

Saying yes has led to great things.” – Lisa Sugar

Show Notes:

Lisa’s STRATEGY on how she went from 1 follower to 1 million in less than a year
WHY you should never rely on Advertising as a major source of Revenue
WHY now was the perfect time for POPSUGAR to launch a beauty line
What it was like to give birth to her first child while growing a fast-paced media empire
Why you should WORK HARD & PLAY NICE
The POPSUGAR PRINCIPLES & Why her Team relies on this
Why Lisa wrote her book, “Power Your Happy”
Why Lisa says YES when she’s making decisions
The valuable lesson she learned when she strayed away from her core business
Her BEST (quite simple) advice for women entrepreneurs
and much, much more

Finding people who are really living and breathing that world and bringing them in so that they can be the experts, so that they can shine and share that knowledge, is really important.” – Lisa Sugar

Connect with Lisa Sugar:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | POPSUGAR

I think it is really important to play nice both to competitors and co-workers who come and go, because you never know what’s going to happen next.” – Lisa Sugar

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

Smart Women, American Girl® and Building Your Brand

July 22, 2010 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, I took a vacation with my family to New York City. While there, we visited the American Girl® store. My daughter Jenna loves this store, and it’s easy to understand why so many girls are attracted to this brand. When you enter the store, the “experience” begins. This got me thinking about how Smart Women could learn from American Girl® how to build a business image or brand that lasts.

Smart Women Are Like Harry Potter

August 7, 2008 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Recently, my son Jack and I went to the local bookstore in search of the book Harry Potter 4. We have an agreement that we will read each Harry Potter book in the series together and then watch the movie. This has two wonderful benefits: One, I get to spend quality time reading a great series with my son and, two, I’m hoping it will increase his love of reading as much as Greg and I enjoy reading.

When we located the book, I picked up the hardback edition (which was extremely heavy) and then chose the paperback version, as it would be much easier to hold. I compared the fourth book to the first book in the series and noticed how much thicker the books become as the storyline progresses. This got me thinking about how smart women build businesses in the same way.

When J.K. Rowling (a very smart woman) wrote Harry Potter 1, she created an amazing story with a handful of characters that you wanted to follow and know their every move. Each book is more captivating than the last. When women create a new business from their Big ideas, they typically begin with a single idea or two and take action to make it happen. The “story” begins to unfold with one or two products or services and from there, the business has the opportunity to grow and become much larger.

One example that quickly comes to mind is Bobbi Brown cosmetics. If you know her story, she was a makeup artist that was dissatisfied with the product lines she was working with and went on to create her own line of cosmetics. To make a very long story short, Bobbi Brown cosmetics is owned today by Estee Lauder. Her single idea turned into a multi-million dollar enterprise. Your business is like a story that continues to grow, adding new and interesting products and services over time.

Susan Feldman – Founder & CEO of In The Groove – A Lifestyle Destination For Age-Defying 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 Susan Feldman:

From Wall Street to Wellness, Meet Priscilla Tsai, CEO & Founder, CocoKind, an Organic Skin Care Line With Products Under $25

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 Priscilla Tsai:

Amanda Tress – Founder/CEO of The FASTer Way to Fat Loss – From 11 Clients to Now Serving 110K Clients in Just 3.5 Years

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 Amanda Tress:

Melissa Ben-Ishay – How Getting Fired From an Advertising Job Was The BEST Thing That Could Happen to Her

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 Melissa Ben-Ishay:

Lisa Sugar – How a Blogging Side Hustle Turned into POPSUGAR, a Multi-Million Dollar Media 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 Lisa Sugar:

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:

Smart Women, American Girl® and Building Your Brand

Smart Women Are Like Harry Potter

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