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

Christy Davies – Generational Entrepreneur | CEO & Founder of Physicians Success RX

November 6, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

My guest today, Christy Davies, is a friend, long-time client and the CEO & Founder of Physicians Success RX.

Christy is an expert who has been supporting physicians for over a decade in the areas of business development, managing cash-flow and helping them remain independent from the hospital system.

On today’s show, Christy talks about growing up on a family dairy farm and how her childhood experience gave her a boost as an entrepreneur today. She shares how she moved from 6 to 7 figures in her business, the ONE thing that holds entrepreneurs back, and much more.

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

Embrace that history, don’t push it aside, don’t hide it. Because it does help you bloom as a person.” – Christy Davies

Show Notes:

The nice perk of longevity in business – the decade mark is huge!
Specific strategies Christy used to go from 6 figures to 7 figures in her business
How to cultivate and build lasting leadership skills
How growing up on a dairy farm helped Christy as an entrepreneur
The ONE Thing that holds a lot of entrepreneurs back
Why coming from a place of service is the key to building a sustainable brand
Knowing your core customer
Why “Hacks” and “Shortcuts” did not work on her way to 7 figures

It really comes down to making sure you understand who your core group is and feeding that part of your business and feeding it well and letting them know how appreciative you are.” – Christy Davies

Connect with Christy Davies:

Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Physicians Success RX

What I found in my space is that people will reinvest in you if you’re providing a good service to them.” – Christy Davies

7 Questions You Need to Answer to Get Your Audiences Attention

November 5, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

She's Got Moxie Show Last week, my family and I had to evacuate our home in southern California. My kids wanted to take a lot of stuff with us but I just took a few things.

I ended up going back into the house and grabbed something that I had purchased after I started my first business 28 years ago.

This gift to myself was a symbol for me that I was going to make it as an entrepreneur.

In the spirit of that, I’m sharing 7 Questions You Need to Answer to Get Your Audiences Attention in order to help you as an entrepreneur.

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

How many testimonials have you generated from your satisfied clients and customers?” – Joy Chudacoff

Show Notes:

The #1 thing that you need to communicate clearly right when you get started
How will your service benefit your audience?
What to ASK your clients to write that will help me get investors
How to embrace technology to reach your audience
Why staying POSITIVE is more than just a cute phrase

Start thinking about who’s the market and niche it down as much as you can.” – Joy Chudacoff

Links Mentioned:

REGISTER for the Align Retreat with the Early Bird Pricing by November 7

I have a folder with actual written testimonials.” – Joy Chudacoff

Power Positioning in 2020 – 9 Essential Leadership Skills For Success

October 30, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

She's Got Moxie Show

Today’s episode is all about nine leadership skills that you need to flex your Moxie muscle in 2020.

You’ll definitely want to listen in if you are interested in investor money because investors need to see that you are a strong leader and if you’re bootstrapping, you’ll need these skills to build an A+ team committed to your mission and vision!

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

When you’re looking for venture capital money, leadership is one of the things they look for.” – Joy Chudacoff

Show Notes:

Why great leadership is ESSENTIAL for growing & sustaining a business (it’s not just about the product or service)
Why being committed to solving problems is the key to resilience and LONGEVITY as a leader
How the BEST leaders make decisions
The importance of building a NETWORK
Why taking time for YOURSELF is key to being a great leader
The ONE thing that every leader struggles with
Why having empathy and humility is a must for great leaders (it doesn’t make you look WEAK, it actually strengthens your position)

The one thing that everybody struggles with, and I’ve had to learn it too, is communication.” – Joy Chudacoff

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 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

Max Kater – Creating a Solution to Her Son’s Allergy as The Co-founder of Murchison-Hume Plant-Based Cleaning Supplies

October 9, 2019 | By Freedom Leave a Comment

My guest today, Max Kater, started her business because her son was having allergic reactions to their bathroom cleaning products and she knew that she had to do something.

With that, Max co-founded Murchison-Hume. Their Mission: We want to make products that are safe for people and planet, truly effective, beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use.

It took Max four years to “crack the code” on safe home cleaners but she finally figured out a formula that actually works.

On today’s show, Max talks about how she got started, staying aligned with their brand’s values, her biggest challenges and how she got through them, 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 really take stock and say ‘would I do this if I’m not going to see a salary for let’s say – the next 10 weeks or really 10 months’.” – Max Kater

Show Notes:

The moment she knew she was on to something: “Honey, you better get yourself a little setup!”
A Step-by-Step Approach to get more visibility in the Media
How a hiring issue turned into a HUGE challenge for Murchison-Hume and nearly cost her the entire business (it took 18 months to recover)
Her BEST productivity tip (you don’t need any fancy technology for this one!)
How Max’s previous career as an editor has helped her as a business owner
Her GENIUS move to nail exactly who their core client is and analyze exactly what products to offer
Why the idea of balance is B.S. as a mother and entrepreneur

None of us really achieve that perfect balance. I haven’t met her yet, so if you do, please tell me.” – Max Kater

Connect with Max Kater:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Murchison-Hume

When sending your products to editors – just send the product so they can try it with a tiny blurb about why it is great.” – Max Kater

Julie Deane – She Took 600 Pounds and Turned It Into a Company Valued at 40 Million Pounds Making Satchels

September 18, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

I’m so excited to share this humorous, transparent, Encore Interview with Julie Deane, Founder/CEO of Cambridge Satchel. If you haven’t heard her past interviews on my podcast, I invite you to go back and listen because they are a few of the most popular episodes we’ve ever done!

We’re bringing Julie Deane back on the show today because her company, Cambridge Satchel, has had tremendous growth over the past 18 months, but not without challenges and I needed to pick her brain on how she did it.

On today’s show, Julie talks about what it really means to scale a business, when you should let go, and how to take the reins of your company back if things stray from your vision, 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 was the fact that we did everything differently from the big corporates around us, and that’s why they couldn’t compete with us. Because they never knew where we were going to come from next.” – Julie Deane

Show Notes:

WHY she needed to start a business in the first place – she had a real need
She had 600 pounds to invest; she needed 24,000 pounds – in 8 weeks. Yikes!
The FIRST step she took – so simple you’ll be shocked
The ONE THING to keep with you forever as an entrepreneur
The WORST thing that can happen to an entrepreneur
How she reclaimed the culture that made Cambridge Satchel an overnight success
The GRASSROOTS marketing that Cambridge Satchel has developed in the past 18 months
Julie’s SILVER BULLETS for getting through the hard days
And much, much more

It is a very strange smoke and mirrors kind of world that was not for us.” – Julie Deane

Connect with Julie Deane:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Cambridge Satchel

I’m not going to let myself feel like a failure because what this company was set to do was to send my kids to a great school. And they have gone to a great school, so it did that.” – Julie Deane

Kim Kovacs – Founder/CEO of MyJane, Curated Cannabis Products Delivered to Your Front Door

September 11, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

When Kim Kovacs witnessed a close relative looking and acting 10 years younger (and relieved of the pain she had suffered for years from using opioids to combat the effects of cancer), she was intrigued. She found out this positive change and outlook on life was due to the use of cannabis products and at that moment, Kim decided to get serious and learn more about everything cannabis could do to help women.

Kim saw a void in the women’s cannabis space and decided to fill it by starting MyJane – a cannabis wellness community designed to help women feel better. MyJane sends a curated box of cannabis products right to your door delivered by women ambassadors who spend time educating each customer on the products.

On today’s show, Kim has a lot to share with you. She is a serial entrepreneur and investor across multiple sectors and has raised over $100 million in venture capital for companies that she has founded.

Kim talks about how MyJane got started, her best ACTION STEPS in growing MyJane thus far, her advice on fundraising, how the movie “Groundhog Day” gets her through tough times, and much, much more.

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

Let’s ask women what they want. Before we go ahead and do anything, let’s ask.” – Kim Kovacs

Show Notes:

How the name “MyJane” came about – it truly was a Perfect Storm
Why Kim decided to get her product DELIVERED in person by Female Brand Ambassadors
The GENIUS First Step Kim took that catapulted MyJane’s early growth – Simple & Easy
The MyJane model and WHY IT WORKS
The ONE thing MyJane is doing to ensure happy, loyal customers
Where your FOCUS has to be 24/7
Managing CASH FLOW in an extremely regulated industry
Her BIGGEST challenge
Why the movie “Groundhog Day” helps get her through the challenges of entrepreneurship
Her best advice on FUNDRAISING
The advice she hears being given in the entrepreneur arena that she doesn’t agree with
The Inventor versus the Entrepreneur Concept
Her Belief about Partnerships
What she wished someone would have told her BEFORE she entered the world of Entrepreneurship

Do your research as your fundraising. Find the right investors so you don’t spend time talking to people you don’t need to.” – Kim Kovacs

Connect with Kim Kovacs:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | MyJane

Once you crack that conversation about cannabis then the flood gates are open to talk about other things and we’re freely (now) talking about different things that I don’t think women used to talk about.” – Kim Kovacs

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

Show Notes:

Connect with Susan Feldman:

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Connect with Priscilla Tsai:

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Connect with Christy Davies:

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Links Mentioned:

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Connect with Isabelle Alonso:

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Connect with Max Kater:

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Connect with Julie Deane:

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Connect with Kim Kovacs:

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Connect with Christina Stembel:

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