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

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

Lori Caden – Belly Bandit Co-Founder and Entrepreneurial Powerhouse Creating Solutions for Women

June 5, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

After a difficult moment in the cat litter aisle at Target that sent her running from the store, my guest Lori Caden, came to the conclusion that there had to be an easier way to look and feel better after childbirth.

Along with the collaboration of her two sisters, Lori co-founded their company, Belly Bandit, in 2008 and revolutionized the maternity world by introducing the first doctor-recommended, postpartum compression wrap. The Belly Bandit has had a major thumbs by Hollywood moms including Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Kourtney Kardashian.

She’s full of energy and enthusiasm and additional new clothing lines, such as “Mother Tucker” are available online and also at Neiman Marcus.

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

All of our products are solution-based products.” – Lori Caden

Show Notes:

Lori’s embarrassing moment in Target that started the idea for Belly Bandit
How she got some early traction from major celebrity moms
The “old-school” marketing technique that put them on the map and helped them get noticed
The VERTICAL MARKET that Lori never expected to go into
How her new line, “Mother Tucker” shapewear came about
What it is like to be in business with her SISTERS
The 3 questions she asks herself before she says “yes!” to a new idea
And much, much more

Don’t be scared to ask for help to get to the next level.” – Lori Caden

Connect with Lori Caden:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Belly Bandit

As soon as people started asking for it, we would cut and sew these samples and hand them out.” – Lori Caden

Heather Dominick – How to Succeed as a Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur

May 22, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

When my guest, Heather Dominick, hit the million-dollar mark – it wasn’t a celebratory moment. She was burnt out, overwhelmed, and suspected that something wasn’t quite right.

That’s when Heather found out she was a Highly Sensitive Person, which is a trait that some people are born with. With that, Heather knew she had to figure out how to make entrepreneurship work for her. She became the founder and leader of the Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur® movement with her company, Business Miracles.

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

Really be willing to do the work to know who you are and how it is that you are meant to serve through your business.” – Heather Dominick

Show Notes:

What it means to be a highly sensitive entrepreneur
Heather offers INSIGHT on how to spot if you might be a highly sensitive entrepreneur
How “pushing” challenges the highly sensitive person
Her BEST Tips and coping strategies for entrepreneurs who are highly sensitive
How COPING can turn into CREATING for the highly sensitive entrepreneur
Why being highly sensitive can actually be a STRENGTH for entrepreneurs
Her most EFFECTIVE step to grow her business – BRILLIANT and surprising!
The ADVICE she hears about entrepreneurship that she absolutely DOESN’T agree with (“it’s shaming and manipulative”)
How to see yourself differently in order to overcome challenges of being a highly sensitive entrepreneur
Why Heather LOVES Pineapples and the meaningful significance they provide to her business

I remind myself daily how absolutely smack-down privileged I am to be able to be working in this space and energy of creation on a day-to-day basis.” – Heather Dominick

Connect with Heather Dominick:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Business Miracles

I don’t know it all and I’m not supposed to know it all, again, definitely not before taking action.” – Heather Dominick

Barbara Huson – From a Simple Freelance Journalist Assignment to Becoming a Bestselling Author, Teacher & Wealth Coach for Women

February 13, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

After learning her husband had a gambling problem and left her with a few children and a million dollars in debt, Barbara Huson knew she needed to get smart about one thing: MONEY.

Shortly after this, Barbara was given a free-lance journalist assignment to interview women who were smart with their money. This assignment changed her life and became a catalyst for her career as a women’s wealth and power expert.

Barbara is the bestselling author of Secrets for Six-Figure Women, Prince Charming Isn’t Coming as well as four other amazing books about women and wealth. She has been featured on Good Morning America, The View, Extra, The O’Reilly Report, and many times on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, PBS and NPR, as well as the New York Times, and USA Today.

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

Spend less, save more, and invest wisely. And THIS is where I think we as women get tripped up.” – Barbara Huson

Show Notes:

The SECRET to wealth for women
The 3 Types of Wealth “Work” Women Must do (GREAT!)
3 Everyday Steps you can take to change your relationship with money (this is PURE GOLD – my favorite part of the interview)
How to break through fear about money
Advice that Barbara hears being given and strongly disagrees with
How to be STRATEGIC about your decisions
The importance of investing
Barbara’s SUPERPOWER

I have a sign that I made with crayons in front of my desk. It says, ‘do what you fear, that’s how you grow’.” – Barbara Huson

Connect with Barbara Huson:

Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Barbara Huson

I’ll tell you something. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. Problems with money are NEVER about money.” – Barbara Huson

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

Lu Parker – From High School English Teacher to Media Celebrity to Founder & CEO of Be Kind & Co.

November 14, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

You may have seen her on KTLA or interviewing celebrities and dignitaries such as Oprah, Bradley Cooper, Aretha Franklin, Clint Eastwood, Barbra Streisand, Kanye West, Nelson Mandela, & Jane Goodall. From Miss USA to an Emmy Award-winning journalist, Lu Parker has had an incredible career.

As she continues to anchor on KTLA, Lu also took a moment of adversity in her life to start a movement around kindness and became the Founder & CEO of Be Kind & Co.

On today’s show, you’ll love her pearls of wisdom as Lu gives us a deep look into her career path and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

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

What are the little steps that you are taking today that build towards that goal?” – Lu Parker

Show Notes:

How a Moment of ADVERSITY led Lu to start a company based on KINDNESS
The difference between NICE and KIND and why KIND is better
Why it’s important to be kind to YOURSELF first
How women LEAD and why the world will be more ALIGNED when women are in LEADERSHIP
How Lu went from a 10th-grade English teacher to Miss USA and then on to anchor KTLA Health & Fitness
How Lu handled being in an environment where people were very “unkind”
Lu’s best (think super simple) advice for getting WHAT you WANT in life
Her best tips for productivity
The ONE THING you need to let go of

Don’t put so much pressure on yourself that it is not fun anymore.” – Lu Parker

Connect with Lu Parker:

I really do feel like if we can love ourselves and be kind to ourselves then, in turn, we’re able to be more kind to the stranger on the street or to a friend in need.” – Lu Parker

Sarah Naseer – Creating Good Products That Help Feed The World

November 7, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

They’ve provided meals to over 100M (yep, you read that right) children in 63 countries. How? Wait for it…selling handbags.

Today’s podcast is about entrepreneurship, but it’s also a PSA. My guest, Sarah Naseer, joins us to talk about FEED, a socially conscious company working every day to fight the war against hunger in a tangible way.

Sarah, President of FEED, oversees business development and growth strategies related to product marketing and merchandising. You’ll love what she has to say about how FEED has built an amazing company while changing the world!

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

Do your best to really push through whatever decision you decided to go with.” – Sarah Naseer

Show Notes:

WHY the company chose BAGS instead of shoes, clothing or jewelry
The GENIUS decision to put a Number on every bag and what the number means
What the proceeds from ONE BAG can do for a child
How Focusing on Collaborations and Partnerships early on were the BIGGEST & BEST Key Strategies
Why COMMUNITY is an essential ingredient in the mission of any business today
Why being both Focused & Nimble are core to their everyday teamwork
Managing CASH FLOW while still giving back

Women owe it to themselves to go into every meeting, every opportunity, every pitch, with confidence, and you don’t need to apologize for it.” – Sarah Naseer

Connect with Sarah Naseer:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | FEED Projects

You are your best advocate.” – Sarah Naseer

Julie Deane (Part 1 of 2) – She Took Less Than $1000 and Turned it Into Millions (in 5 years) With the Idea for What Would Become The Cambridge Satchel Company

May 23, 2018 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Grab your earbuds and get ready for one of the most transparent, refreshingly honest (and humorous) interviews you’ll ever listen to. Julie Deane, Founder & CEO of Cambridge Satchel, is funny, witty, clever and clearly quite brilliant.

This is Part One of Two episodes with this dynamo – truly an ALL ACCESS pass into the quick mind and interesting life of this amazing woman.

Julie shows up incredibly raw and transparent as she shares with us how she started her company on less than $1000 and since then, has created the Cambridge Satchel Company with 100 employees and sells her unique handbags in over 120 countries.

Starting as a simple business that would help to make enough money to send her children to private school to avoid her daughter being bullied, Cambridge Satchel Designs are now spotted in the front rows at international fashion weeks and runways. ‘A-list’ stars like Taylor Swift, Alexa Chung, and Lady Gaga love them. Because of her incredible success, Julie was the first woman to win Entrepreneur of the Year for all of Europe, and she has collected the Queen’s Award for Enterprise from Queen Elizabeth herself!

Today’s interview (Part 1) will be about the first seven years of founding and growing The Cambridge Satchel Company from scratch, and evolving it into a $65 million company! Stay tuned for next week’s episode to learn more about Julie’s growth, discoveries, and personal development as an entrepreneur.

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

When you are the founder, even if you don’t know how things can be done, you still know more about your business than anyone else on the planet.” – Julie Deane

Show Notes:

How Julie went from selling 1 bag to 100 – surprisingly simple ‘roll up your sleeves’ advice
Why not knowing **the rules** in marketing actually doubled her business and brought more profit to the bottom line
What Julie wrote in the 300 EMAILS she sent out DAILY to gain awareness for the business
She thought her bags were geared to the children’s market – until Vogue came calling!
How Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Zoey Deschanel came to love Cambridge Satchel Bags
What happened when the Cambridge Satchel Bag took a trip to fashion week
What Julie did next after firing her unethical manufacturer (at the time she had a back order of 16,000 bags with this guy)
Julie’s reaction when a man called her “a stupid woman”
Her open & honest share about how her Biggest Challenge also turned out to be her Biggest Mistake
The ONE ingredient you need in your business in the early days
and much, much more

You can go through money so quickly if you fall into that whole thing that goes with having a big ego.” – Julie Deane

Connect with Julie Deane:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | The Cambridge Satchel Company

You can kill yourself by trying to be perfect.” – Julie Deane

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

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

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 Kim Kovacs:

Lori Caden – Belly Bandit Co-Founder and Entrepreneurial Powerhouse Creating Solutions for 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 Lori Caden:

Heather Dominick – How to Succeed as a Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur

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 Heather Dominick:

Barbara Huson – From a Simple Freelance Journalist Assignment to Becoming a Bestselling Author, Teacher & Wealth Coach for 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 Barbara Huson:

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:

Lu Parker – From High School English Teacher to Media Celebrity to Founder & CEO of Be Kind & Co.

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 Lu Parker:

Julie Deane (Part 1 of 2) – She Took Less Than $1000 and Turned it Into Millions (in 5 years) With the Idea for What Would Become The Cambridge Satchel 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 Julie Deane:

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:

Strategy & Consulting

Recent Blog Posts

We’d Love to Connect!