Ashley Merrill – Taking a Deep Dive on The Process of Business Growth

December 4, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

“Things break all the time.” My guest today, Ashley Merrill, CEO & Founder of Lunya, the modern sleepwear for women, takes a deep dive into what it means to grow and scale a boot-strapped business. She’s had blockbuster growth over the last 18 months and on today’s episode she gets radically transparent about what the journey has been like.

IF you are looking to grow your business in 2020 and have a goal to hire an A+ Team and truly understand what it means to lead, do not miss this episode. Ashley breaks down her hiring process, step-by-step, as well as her thoughts on leadership.

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

Once everybody is in the spot that they are really going to be successful in and they know what they’re supposed to do, it is amazing what you’re able to accomplish.” – Ashley Merrill

Show Notes:

HOW she came up with the idea
How to create an A+ TEAM – she breaks this down step-by-step
WHY it’s essential to be tapped into your core client for all decisions
How she came to the decision to create a men’s line – Lahgo
Her BEST Action Steps to Create momentum that continues to build
How she pushes through when “everything is breaking with an endless stream of challenges”
Ashley’s KEY to productivity as a mom with young kids while growing a business
The way to think about HIRING when it comes to hiring junior and senior hires – the process is extremely different
Why Ashley feels getting uncomfortable and expressing humility with a team is ESSENTIAL but it’s not a sign of weakness
She’s discovered that LEADERSHIP is what happens when the chips are down
Why she gets up so early and why she feels it’s important to honor your energy rhythms

The big game-changers have been a lot of org adjustments and a lot of really wonderful hires.” – Ashley Merrill

Connect with Ashley Merrill:

Instagram | The Deep | Lahgo | Lunya

Early on in the brand a lot of it is about you personally and how much you can do as an entrepreneur. But as the company has grown, hiring has been what has really enabled us to grow – getting the right people in the right spots.” – Ashley Merrill

Three Unconscious Emotional Triggers That Can Sabotage Your Business

November 16, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Today, I’m talking about three unconscious emotional triggers that can sabotage your business.

I’ve talked about this some at my Align Retreat. If you’re interested in learning more about these unconscious triggers, then make sure you register for the Align Retreat coming up in February.

What are the things that happen to us unconsciously as women that cause us to become stuck?

Tune in to find out.

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

The place you never want to be as an entrepreneur is stuck in your decision-making.” – Joy Chudacoff

Show Notes:

What is the abdication of POWER
How and WHY to set CLEAR BOUNDARIES
What your FAMILY can do to help your business
Who to HIRE to make your home life better
How to deal with peer suppression
Why you might get pushback as an entrepreneur and what to do about it

Use your online tools. Do everything you possibly can to order online, and that saves everybody a lot of time.” – Joy Chudacoff

Links Mentioned:

Everybody in the family can do everything.” – Joy Chudacoff

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

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

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

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

Gail Schenbaum – Achieving Massive Growth with the Umergency App in the Last 18 Months

August 28, 2019 | By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

This week, I’m having Gail Schenbaum, Founder & CEO of Umergency, back on the show as one of my encore interviews!

Gail was first on She’s Got Moxie in March 2018 to talk about how she created the Umergency app for college students and their parents’ in emergency situations.

After receiving a middle of the night phone call from her own daughter (who was in an ambulance) while she was across the country attending college, Gail knew that she had to do something to make it easier for parents to get in touch with their kids in emergency situations.

The Umergency app prepares and empowers college students, their parents, and extended families with the real-time tools they need to navigate through any emergency, health or safety situation at the touch of a button.

The content is college-specific, and comes pre-loaded with data for over 1200 colleges, including local emergency services, on-campus resources, trusted contacts, a GPS enabled urgent alert beacon, built-in access to national crisis hotlines, and the ability to upload secure copies of students’ insurance card and signed medical consent form.

Umergency removes confusion and chaos from an urgent situation, before it happens.

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

You still have to go back and trust your gut. But many times, people who know a lot in a certain area bring many ‘aha’ moments to you.” – Gail Schenbaum

Show Notes:

How Umergency has achieved massive growth in the last 18 months
The staggering statistics about college students and ER visits and what parents really need to know
The creative “gorilla marketing” that Gail is using to gain brand awareness for the Umergency App
Gail discusses the things you must do to get your product or service in the hands of the right consumer
Gail’s BIGGEST CHALLENGE and how she gets through it
The SECRET TOOL that has positively influenced Gail’s life
Why Gail ASKS for advice often
The ADVICE she would give to entrepreneurs who are experiencing growth
How she makes DECISIONS for the business
And much, much more…

No matter how fast you’re moving, don’t forget to take time to plan. Because you can get lost in the details (especially with technology) and there is so many moving parts.” – Gail Schenbaum

Connect with Gail Schenbaum:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Umergency

What really helps me is to connect with other entrepreneurs who are going through similar stuff.” – Gail Schenbaum

Ashley Merrill – Taking a Deep Dive on The Process of Business Growth

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 Ashley Merrill:

Three Unconscious Emotional Triggers That Can Sabotage Your Business

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

Show Notes:

Links Mentioned:

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:

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

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 Christy Davies:

Power Positioning in 2020 – 9 Essential Leadership Skills For Success

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

Show Notes:

Isabelle Alonso – Feminist Author and Recipient of the Medal of Honor From the French Government for Her Work on Women’s Equality

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 Isabelle Alonso:

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

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 Max Kater:

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:

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

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:

Strategy & Consulting

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We’d Love to Connect!