Charlene Simon – The Art of Juggling Soaps, Cosmetics & Cupcakes

April 14, 2021 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

She left school at 15 and had her three children by the time she was 20.

Today Charlene Simon is the real definition of a “serial” entrepreneur. She’s the CEO & Founder of three successful brands: Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium, Fat Bottom Girl’s Cupcakes and Villainess Beauty.

It all started in San Diego in 2000 when Charlene walked into a soap shop that had real, live, breathing goats out back. She was mesmerized. She spent hours in the local library teaching herself the chemistry of soap making.

In 2009 (not a great year for the economy), she remembered her boss saying once, “You have to strike on real estate in a recession.” So she took $700 (all the money she had) and she went for it. She opened her first Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium.

It’s been a wild ride and one that continues to spiral upward for this straight-talking entrepreneur who makes all her decisions on “feelings.”

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

“The fear is fuel.” – Charlene Simon

Show Notes:

Why starting a business in a RECESSION was her BIG Break (it was the perfect time)
Why FEELINGS matter most to her when making decisions (she needs to feel the JOY)
Why CUPCAKE WARS kept calling her to be a contestant on the show – it had to do with a T-Shirt
Her Most DIFFICULT Business Moment – (two blocks down the street)
GENIUS Advice on how to handle COMPETITION
Her “BUFFET” Analogy (what are you hungry for?)
TIPS on Dealing with CRITICISM
And much, much more!

“Competition is nothing; I don’t even look at other people.” – Charlene Simon

Connect with Charlene Simon:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium

“If it doesn’t bring me joy, I know not to touch it.” – Charlene Simon

Wendi Weiner – The journey From a Lucrative Career as a Lawyer to Becoming The Writing Guru

March 24, 2021 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Wendi Weiner was well established as an attorney earning a significant income but her true passion was writing. Her parents even nick-named her, “The Writing Guru.” She started a side hustle of writing even though she was putting in 50-60 hours a week as a lawyer. It turned out to be a very good decision.

Fast forward to today: Wendi has been featured in over 75 media outlets — from CNBC to CNN and The Huffington Post — as a leading authority in personal branding, social storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. Her business, The Writing Guru, provides corporate branding services to Fortune 25 companies and she regularly gives talks on topics ranging from personal branding to resume writing, reputation management, and social networking. She believes that if we want to have our own business doing something we love, we have to change our mindset about time. We don’t work nine to five. We work whenever.

In today’s episode, Wendi shares how to balance your full-time job with your side hustle, the secret to getting media coverage, and how to become a household name.

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

The personal fulfillment drives my passion, which is something that people see when they talk to me.” – Wendi Weiner

Show Notes:

How it felt to get her “Carrie Bradshaw moment”
WHY it’s good to listen to your Mom
How attending a conference led to her “LIGHT-BULB” moment
What it really takes to go from SIDE HUSTLE to a successful six-figure business
How to align your full-time job with your side hustle
The secret for getting media coverage (Wendi has been featured over 75 MEDIA Outlets!)
The most important action step for new entrepreneurs
How to become a household name in your industry
Her “Non-Negotiable” Daily Ritual
The most difficult part of entrepreneurship
How she adjusted having her hubby “come home” to work during the Pandemic (I could relate so much to her story here!)
Her best ADVICE on how to move through the really difficult days
Where she Finds her JOY

Your business and style are going to evolve over time. Don’t be afraid of it.” – Wendi Weiner

Connect with Wendi Weiner:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | The Writing Guru

The amount of work I generate in a day probably can’t be done by a lot of people.” – Wendi Weiner

Alli Webb & Meredith Quill – Hearts Be Still. Meet Becket & Quill Jewelry

March 3, 2021 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

She mastered the market when it comes to blowouts & massage! Now she’s back with a new jewelry line and partner in crime!

Serial entrepreneur, Alli Webb (co-founder of Drybar, co-founder of Squeeze) and Meredith Quill joined me on the show to talk about their new venture, Becket + Quill jewelry.

Alli has always looked for “affordable luxury” in business ventures and Becket + Quill fit the bill. Becket + Quill focuses on jewelry that’s “high end, not high spend.”

On today’s show, Alli talks about how she met Meredith and why she decided to get into the jewelry business. Meredith tell us about the moment she fell in love with jewelry for the first time and what it’s like to have a business partner.

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

The beauty of this business is that you can be wearing things that look very expensive, but really aren’t.” – Alli Webb

Show Notes:

Alli shares Why Jewelry and Why Now?
The #1 ingredient you MUST have to gain a sustainable, LOYAL following
What Alli looks for when evaluating a business opportunity
Details on their partnership and why opposites attract
The moment Meredith discovered that Jewelry was her true passion
Alli shares how a direct-to-consumer brand is so different from brick & mortar and the lessons she’s learning
How they both handle the “crawl into the fetal position, I’m never coming out” moments as a woman entrepreneur
Where they both Find Their Joy
Alli’s truth-telling on what it really takes to become a successful brand
And much, much more

Listening and being open to other ideas is important.” – Meredith Quill

Connect with Alli Webb & Meredith Quill:

Instagram | Becket + Quill

We have very different skillsets and we’re both very aware of that.” – Alli Webb

Melissa Vitelli – From Fashion Photographer to Co-founder & CEO of Jar Goods

February 17, 2021 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

My guest, Melissa Vitelli, had a successful career in fashion photography but she found her herself being drawn to the food industry through her hobby of vegetable gardening. She joined together with her sister-in-law Lauren and Jar Goods was born. They initially found success at Farmer’s Markets and this led them directly into the arms of Whole Foods.

On today’s show, Melissa talks about how she and her sister-in-law decided to take her father-in-law’s famous tomato sauce recipe and turn it into a thriving business. She shares how she brought her small side business into grocery stores across the country, some of her most pivotal moments as an entrepreneur, how she’s dealt with the challenges of entrepreneurship and more.

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

People who need quick foods, should not be relegated to low quality.” – Melissa Vitelli

Show Notes:

What it was like to move from Fashion photography to the FOOD industry
How their decision to go with mom-and-pop stores first before hitting the Big Guns of Whole Foods and AMAZON paid off
Why beginning in FARMERS MARKETS was their Golden Ticket
WHEN she realized she was on to something with her business
The moment she decided to add more flavors to the mix – she shares it’s the key to creating a BRAND Block
She’s learned it’s all about being CONSUMER CENTRIC
Her experience at the CHOBANI Food Incubator
Why Jar Goods decided to try a subscription model
Her perspective on why you shouldn’t listen to other people’s ADVICE
Where she Finds her Joy
And much, much morel

In order to do it, it doesn’t matter what industry, you have to be very risk tolerant.” – Melissa Vitelli

Connect with Melissa Vitelli:

Facebook | Instagram | Jar Goods

The creative juices are not going to flow if you force them.” – Melissa Vitelli

Jennifer Saxton – Founder & CEO, Tot Squad, From Cleaning Dirty Car Seats to Partnering With Walmart and Amazon

February 3, 2021 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

From cleaning dirty car seats to partnering with Walmart and Amazon, she’s out to revolutionize the Baby Registry Business. It all started with cleaning dirty (Eew..) car seats.

My guest Today, Jennifer Saxton, is zeroed in on the millennial mindset. “They don’t want more ‘stuff,’ they want more help, more experiences.”

With that knowledge, she created Tot Squad, a business that connects parents with the experts they need from pregnancy until early childhood.

It all started with Jennifer driving around in a van cleaning dirty car seats and today, she’s expanded the business locking arms with giants such as Walmart and Amazon.

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

Finding the right people on your team is always the hardest part.” – Jennifer Saxton

Show Notes:

How Jennifer honed in on what millennials VALUE Most and created a business around it
How she CONVINCED retailers not to take a cut of her profits (Brilliant)
How Tot Squad changed, emerged and EXPANDED as Jennifer became a mother
Jennifer’s mentality on getting into stores and why that was a WIN-WIN for everyone
What it was like for a slice of Tot Squad to get ACQUIRED during the Pandemic
The incident that left her on the side of the road IN TEARS
How her LEADERSHIP style has evolved
Her advice on WHY you should keep your DAY JOB (PURE Gold)
The advice she wished she would have had on her FIRST DAY as an entrepreneur

When you’re an entrepreneur you can’t work this hard if you don’t like the people that you work with and you don’t like what you’re doing.” – Jennifer Saxton

Connect with Jennifer Saxton:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tot Squad

With my team, I really focus on honing in on what your strengths are.” – Jennifer Saxton

2021 Will Favor Female Entrepreneurs ALIGNED in Their Power

January 6, 2021 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

It’s a fresh, New Year. I’m both eager and enthusiastic about all the possibilities.

Are you looking for the support of other established women entrepreneurs? Women that are positive, forward thinking, resilient & obsessively optimistic? We’ve got you covered in my private online membership community, ALIGN online.

We’re gearing up for an exciting 2021 and we’d love to have you join us for weekly Zoom gatherings, private forum to network & connect, TOP expert industry leader interviews where you can ask your most pressing questions.

https://AlignOnlineWithJoy.com

Listen in to my short 5-minute video below on more good news for women from the Wall Street Journal:

We’re taking applications now so if you’d like to learn more and jump on board, contact Kathy@SmartWomenSolutions.com or call/text 310-266-0416.

**Read all about ALIGN online:**

https://AlignOnlineWithJoy.com

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

Cindy Eckert – Creator of “The Little Pink Pill” (Female Viagra) and Selling Her Company For 1 Billion Dollars

November 11, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

When she realized that there were 26 medications for men’s pleasure and not one single solution for women, my guest Cindy Eckert, thought “this is Ridiculous!”

Cindy set out to create “the little pink pill” (currently the #1 prescribed treatment for low sexual desire in women).

Cindy is the true definition of what I call “moxie.” Not only is she the creator of the pink pill and the founder of The Pink Ceiling, but she has also built and sold two pharmaceutical companies (including Sprout Pharmaceuticals, which she sold for more than $1 BILLION – yes, that’s a B, Ladies).

Called by Fortune as a “tireless force of nature,” Cindy lets us in on some intimate details of her life and entrepreneurial path. She talks about her unique upbringing, how she worked to overcome the stigma around women’s pleasure while creating the Pink Pill, her tip to taking advantage of life’s opportunities, her thoughts on the pandemic, and more.

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

26 medications for men and not a single one for women is ridiculous.” – Cindy Eckert

Show Notes:

How Cindy went from a Corporate Career to a Block Buster Success as an Entrepreneur
Why it’s essential to do what “Lights up your Soul” (it wasn’t about MONEY for Cindy)
The moment Cindy realized she had an opportunity to develop the first pharmaceutical product for women’s SEXUAL pleasure
How 2020 has RESET the entrepreneurial landscape for women – in a GOOD Way!
Why it’s important to be SPECIFIC in your biz contracts and how that one piece catapulted her to a whole new level in advocating for women
Where Success truly ORIGINATES from
Details on both The Pink Ceiling & The Pinkubator and how they are helping women elevate their entrepreneurial dreams
The most important mindset that Cindy has adopted in order to accelerate her journey as a woman in business

Success does not come from having all of the answers, it comes from having the courage.” – Cindy Eckert

Connect with Cindy Eckert:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | The Pink Ceiling

Relentlessness is just the belief that you can get back up and you can find the way.” – Cindy Eckert

Kerrigan Behrens – From Wall Street to CBD with the Co-Founder of Sagely Naturals

October 21, 2020 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

My guest today, Kerrigan Behrens, co-founder of the CBD company, Sagely Naturals, shares her entrepreneurial journey from finance to CBD.

Kerrigan started her career in the financial market on Wall Street. Around this time, she developed persistent back pain that doctors couldn’t seem to diagnose. A friend told her about CBD and she became interested in trying it for pain relief. At first she doubted that CBD would be able to help her, but after trying some CBD honey (and feeling pain relief within 30-minutes), she changed her mind. The experience led Kerrigan to leave her career on Wall Street and embrace entrepreneurship and co-found Sagely Naturals.

On today’s show, Kerrigan shares how she and her co-founder bootstrapped their business with only 30k and how they made their business profitable in just 6 months. She shares the difference between CBD and THC, the medicinal benefits of CBD, and the first steps to create an approachable consumer brand, the importance of resilience, 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 knew before we even started the company that there was a market for it.” – Kerrigan Behrens

Show Notes:

The FIRST step to create an approachable consumer brand
How she took the pain she was having and turned it into a passion
How she and her co-founder bootstrapped the business with 30K and made a PROFIT in just 6 months
She’s got Big INFLUENCERS like Cameron Diaz and Zoe Saldana loving the product
She realized that CBD needed a MAKEOVER and she was excited to take that on
The difference between CBD and THC
How Kerrigan took advantage of starting a company in Los Angeles
How they became the Top SELLING CBD Topical product in the country (they are in over 12,000 retail outlets now)
The key characteristics that have gotten Kerrigan through challenging times (while giving birth to her first child during the pandemic)
We talk a lot about the BEST Books we’ve read – the ones that are “real changemakers”
And much, much more…

For every success there are multiple failures.” – Kerrigan Behrens

Connect with Kerrigan Behrens:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Sagely Naturals

Perfection is just not possible, so live with that realization and just take steps to make progress as you go.” – Kerrigan Behrens

Charlene Simon – The Art of Juggling Soaps, Cosmetics & Cupcakes

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 Charlene Simon:

Alli Webb & Meredith Quill – Hearts Be Still. Meet Becket & Quill Jewelry

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 Alli Webb & Meredith Quill:

Melissa Vitelli – From Fashion Photographer to Co-founder & CEO of Jar Goods

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 Vitelli:

Jennifer Saxton – Founder & CEO, Tot Squad, From Cleaning Dirty Car Seats to Partnering With Walmart and Amazon

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 Jennifer Saxton:

2021 Will Favor Female Entrepreneurs ALIGNED in Their Power

**Read all about ALIGN online:**

https://AlignOnlineWithJoy.com

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

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 Katie Chin:

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

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 Mignon Francois:

Cindy Eckert – Creator of “The Little Pink Pill” (Female Viagra) and Selling Her Company For 1 Billion Dollars

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 Cindy Eckert:

Kerrigan Behrens – From Wall Street to CBD with the Co-Founder of Sagely Naturals

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 Kerrigan Behrens:

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