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With Joy Chudacoff, Leading Expert on Business Success and Lifestyle Design For Women

Jean Freeman – CEO of Zambezi & One of the Biggest Female-Owned Businesses in Los Angeles

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Jean Freeman on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffJean Freeman is at the helm of one of the largest certified female-owned advertising agencies AND one of the biggest female-owned businesses in Los Angeles.

Jean has turned Zambezi into a thriving advertising agency with a revenue of projected 75 million dollars. She’s also become a leading advocate for the advancement of women in business.

On today’s show, Jean is going to share what being a CEO in a busy city like LA really means, her best productivity tips, how she manages a growing business while being a mom to two children under the age of 13, the importance of creating a sustainable business, and her criteria for decision-making in her business. She also talks about her business experience with NBA legend Kobe Bryant and the moment she was named a “Working Mother of the Year” by She Runs It!

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

In women’s entrepreneurship, we get to rewrite the rules of entrepreneurs.” – Jean Freeman

Show Notes:

  • Her business partnership with NBA legend Kobe Bryant
  • Why Corporate America does not support the needs of women in the workforce
  • How entrepreneurship runs in Jean’s family and what she has learned
  • The moment she recognized she was on to something with Zambezi
  • The benefits that come about when kids see their parents working
  • Tips on creating a sustainable business
  • The BEST strategy is always Actionable
  • Her advice on decision-making
  • Why Alignment is important in all aspects of business
  • And much, much moree

You are going to make some wrong calls, but that is ok, I think it’s more about how you respond to wrong calls.” – Jean Freeman

Connect with Jean Freeman:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Zambezi

Align yourself properly with the types of businesses that will be long-term partners.” – Jean Freeman

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

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Kerrigan Behrens on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

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

LaDawn Townsend – Strategic Advisor & CEO of The VOS Group

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LaDawn Townsend on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guest today, LaDawn Townsend, understands entrepreneurial disappointment. She was turned down 35 times for a business loan before starting her business, The VOS Group.

In other words, LaDawn knows how to handle a “no” – which is one of the reasons why she created The VOS Group, a company that helps business owners increase their revenue and streamline processes to create a stable foundation that deepens the customer base.

LaDawn is trained in Six Sigma Green Belt process improvement and Technology Project Management, delivering quantifiable results for her clients. Her “career” started early on when she was growing up working alongside her family in their business.

On today’s podcast, LaDawn shares how she survived after getting so many no’s, the reason she kept her corporate job while growing her business, how she earned the trust of business owners, all the ups and downs of her trajectory and the challenges of being a black woman in business. She also talks about the importance of your company’s annual numbers and how you should work under a positive vibration.

We also explore her thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement and her ideas on how to approach race, diversity, and opportunities for minorities in our communities.

 

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

You are missing an element when you don’t have diversity.” – LaDawn Townsend

Show Notes:

  • HOW she moved beyond 35 NO’s when asking for a business loan
  • How her “Trust Google” strategy helped figure out the next steps in her career
  • WHY she kept her corporate job while growing her business
  • The QUESTION people avoid that’s key to growth
  • Simple back-to-basics Tips on Growing your Side Hustle while working a F.T. Corporate job
  • How and when she knew it was time to leave her Corporate Job behind and “go for it” in her business
  • The difference between the busy work and the productive work in your business
  • How to earn the trust of business owners
  • Her thoughts on approaching racial bias, opportunities for minorities & how she’s processing this time in the world

Sometimes when we stay too long in one position, we need to be pushed into our purpose.” – LaDawn Townsend

Connect with LaDawn Townsend:

Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | LaDawn Townsend

Everyone has a relationship with money.” – LaDawn Townsend

Amy Nelson – CEO/Founder, The Riveter, Coworking Spaces Built By Women for Everyone

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Amy Nelson on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Amy Nelson up and left her corporate job (while pregnant with her THIRD daughter) for the entrepreneurial life and came up with the idea for The Riveter, a rapidly growing co-working space company with design and membership focused on women, but open to everyone.

Amy launched The Riveter in 2017 and the brand is experiencing rapid fire growth with locations popping up almost every day in metropolitan cities across the US. The Riveter’s growth has outpaced even WeWork’s first years and The Riveter recently closed a $15 million Series A Funding Round led by Alpha Edison.

You’ll absolutely love Amy’s energy and enthusiasm as she dives into how she transitioned from a successful career in law (including work with President Obama’s National Finance Committee and President Carter’s, The Carter Center) to launching The Riveter, how being a mom has made her a BETTER entrepreneur, her best productivity tips and more.

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

What I tend to do is really lean into the fact that I am a mother, rather than lean out of it.” – Amy Nelson

Show Notes:

  • Why she left a cozy corporate job while pregnant with her third daughter to launch The Riveter
  • How becoming a Mom changed her viewpoint on women & career opportunities
  • The FIRST Step she took to get started after she came up with the idea for The Riveter
  • The Event that PUSHED her to take the FINAL Leap
  • Why coworking spaces are becoming wildly popular
  • The SMARTEST MOVE Amy made when starting The Riveter (it’s not what you think I promise you)
  • WHY Collaboration is the ‘secret sauce’ to her early success
  • Her BIGGEST Challenge ( this is pure Gold)
  • What she did when someone advised her to HIDE HER PREGNANCY while fundraising
  • Why ASKING For Help is a muscle more women need to flex
  • How she manages her day while being CEO of a fast-paced growth company and raising soon-to-be four daughters
  • Her Go-To Apps to stay sane
  • What she did instead of giving up when it all seemed like too much
  • The advice she hears about being in startup mode that she DOES NOT agree with
  • And much much more

I think the more we have women building companies to make women’s lives better, the better our lives will be. And that is super exciting!” – Amy Nelson

Connect with Amy Nelson:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | The Riveter | LinkedIn

The hardest thing is to just keep going at every turn when it gets hard, when it feels impossible, when people tell you that you can’t. And so much of it is just continuing to walk forward.” – Amy Nelson

Holly Dowling – From Stay-at-Home Mom to Inspirational Thought Leader for Fortune 500 Companies

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Holly Dowling on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

I recently became fast friends with my guest, Holly Dowling, and you’ll totally understand why when you listen in to today’s show. Holly has an infectious energy and insightful pearls of wisdom.

As a dynamic award-winning keynote speaker and inspirational thought-leader, Holly has addressed over 250,000 people in Fortune 500 companies around the world. Not to mention, she has impacted the hearts and minds of millions with her “A Celebration of You” podcast (I was a guest a few months ago, so I hope you listen in!).

On today’s show, Holly talks about how she started her entrepreneurial journey by following a news article she saw in the paper when she was a stay-at-home mom, how she became an inspirational thought leader, and much more. 

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

In the balance of being there with my children, I can tell you that I don’t know that they were getting the best of me if I wasn’t feeling the best of Holly.” – Holly Dowling

Show Notes:

  • Holly’s moment of DIVINE INSPIRATION while she was a stay-at-home mom
  • How she created an event-planning business without any experience in event planning
  • How Holly juggled childcare while kicking off a brand new business
  • The journey of becoming a well-known speaker and thought leader
  • What happened when she walked away from her high-paying broker career
  • The ONE THING she doesn’t travel without
  • Why “should” is an absolute buzz-kill for women entrepreneurs
  • The amazing and exciting things that Holly has in her future
  • And much, much more

If you follow the nudge, it is amazing what you can do.” – Holly Dowling

Connect with Holly Dowling:

Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Holly Dowling

Tell me ‘no’, watch me go. I don’t wait for the world to tell me or give me permission to do it.” – Holly Dowling

Janice Bryant Howroyd – How a Visit to Her Sister in LA and a $900 Loan Changed the Course of Her Life Forever

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Janice Bryant Howroyd on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

I’ve been secretly ‘stalking’ Janice Bryant Howroyd, Founder & CEO of The Act One Group, for nearly 30 years. Back in the early days of my first business, I wanted to make an extra $500 per month in order to ask my roommate to move out of the loft (true story), so I went on a search for success stories of entrepreneurial women. Janice Bryant Howroyd’s name kept coming up everywhere I looked. Janice took $900 from her mom and turned what is now known as The Act One Group into a billion-dollar company.

“JBH” as she likes to be called, is #39 on the Forbes list of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women,” and in 2014 she was recognized by Black Enterprise as the first black woman to own and operate a billion-dollar company.

Along with several other incredible accolades, JBH received a special invitation from President Barack Obama to be a member of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

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

Never compromise yourself personally for who you wish to be professionally.” – Janice Bryant Howroyd

Show Notes:

  • What happened when Janice “looked after the office” for her brother-in-law while he was away
  • Her creative strategy when she first started out (hear how operating her business in a rug shop was a GENIUS idea)
  • The moment she recognized she was on to something (oh the joys of a phone and fax machine!)
  • How just one conversation with a mentor truly EXPANDED her vision and a life-long seed was planted (that one conversation lead to millions in growth over the years)
  • How being 1 of 11 children shaped her life and business
  • Her BEST Productivity Tip
  • What she considers to be her SUPERPOWER
  • What it was like to receive an honored invitation from Barack Obama
  • The CLASSIC Mistake she sees Women Entrepreneurs making today
  • The SECRET to a long, healthy, marriage
  • and much, much more!

I learned more from my mom and dad, growing up in their home, than I did from any institutions, and I’ve had the advantage of some really incredible opportunities academically.” – Janice Bryant Howroyd

Connect with Janice Bryant Howroyd:

Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn| ActOne Group | Janice Bryant Howroyd

When I started my business, I had no visions of where I wanted my business. I knew where I DIDN’T want to be.”  – Janice Bryant Howroyd

Get Ready to Thrive!

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I don’t usually get into gender politics, but my own mentor Ali Brown is making a pretty good case for how WOMEN are beginning to dominate the entrepreneurial world.

And the funny thing is, most women aren’t looking to “dominate”. This transition and growth is happening naturally, simply because technology and business have evolved… to allow us to THRIVE.

She lays it all out in this video: http://bit.ly/O7NVG7

I just watched it. And honestly, it blew me away.

Ali shares how current opportunities are making it EASIER than ever for us to create the incomes and lives we always dreamed of.

But for most women, our STRATEGIES and ACTIONS have NOT caught up with the immense possibilities right in front of us.

In this video, she shares some fascinating stats and insights on WHY this is happening (I love her research), and she reveals the simple solutions for us to THRIVE: http://bit.ly/O7NVG7

These videos are online and F’REE for a just a week or two, so you definitely want to go there now before you forget. She even gives a cool little exercise on how to “get back to your why”, so you get re-energized anytime you need to.

Let me know what you think.

Again, here’s where you want to go: http://bit.ly/O7NVG7

http://bit.ly/O7NVG7

To your success,

Joy Chudacoff

Joy Chudacoff

P.S. You’ve probably heard of Ali from her transformational experience on ABC’s “Secret Millionaire”, or perhaps her being one of Forbes’ “Women to Watch”. But what I love most about this gal is she’s got SOUL. As much as she’s accomplished, starting from scratch, she’s really fun and down to earth. Watch and see what I mean here: http://bit.ly/O7NVG7

Smart Women Have an “Online” Presence

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I just listened to a teleclass with social media expert, Amber Mac where she shared  a few tips to help your business become more visible online.  In order to achieve ultimate success, you need both an online and offline presence.  In my article last week, I offered some tips and solutions on the value of an offline presence. Today, I’m sharing some key online presence tips.

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Smart Women Know What They Want

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Last week, after my husband Greg read my article “Smart Women Are a Lot Like Rocket Ships,” he had an interesting question: He said, “Every week you write about the same thing–making your Big Idea happen, Reaching your Goals and Dreams, getting the right support, blah, blah, blah… when are you going to write about something else?”

Being a woman who encourages new ideas and new perspectives, I went to take a bubble bath (a nightly self-care ritual!) and reflect on his question.

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