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Jen Cox – The Tie-Dye Ninja & Founder/CEO of Momma Osa

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Jen Cox on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Today’s guest Jennifer Cox has been dubbed the Tie-Dye “Ninja” and Denim Wash Specialist. She spent a highly successful 20-year career in corporate America as a Wash Specialist for Abercrombie & Fitch, Mossimo Supply at Target, and other private label denim brands. She’s made & designed clothing for everyone from Nordstroms to Macy’s, Target, and Walmart.

Jen accomplished all of this as a single mother of two sons before being laid off in early 2020. In this episode, she and I discuss the guts it took for her to bet on herself in a big way. She shares her journey into entrepreneurship during the pandemic. Jen is the Founder & CEO of Momma Osa, a company that creates tie-dye kits for Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom’s, Lands’ End, and more. Her kits have been featured on Good Morning America. She shares what led her to cash out her 401k to buy 40,000 masks and the worst advice she was given when she started out on her own.

Listen in as Jen and I talk about the early steps to starting your own business, our favorite growth strategies for entrepreneurs, and why she doesn’t believe entrepreneurs have to focus on one project at a time.

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

You just have to start. It doesn’t have to be pretty.” – Jen Cox

Show Notes:

  • The Brilliant (BALLSY) move she made the day Gov. Newsom declared California to go into a Safer At Home State
  • Simple tips on the FIRST STEP to take with a new Business Idea
  • How she got STARTED (it all took place between Christmas & New Year’s)
  • How she pulls through the really TOUGH DAYS – the ones where the wind has been knocked out of your Entrepreneurial sails) This was a REAL, RAW Transparent share
  • Details on a DECISION she made that many of her close friends didn’t agree with (she followed her intuition and it paid big dividends)
  • GROWTH strategies for entrepreneurs
  • What she ALWAYS BETS On
  • And so much more!

I trusted my gut and talked to every single person I knew about the idea that I had.” – Jen Cox

Connect with Jen Cox:

Etsy | Momma Coxie & Co. Instagram | Facebook | Momma Osa

There’s so many people out there that want to help you grow your business. You just have to find the right combination of people to help you do that.” – Jen Cox

Mikaila Ulmer – CEO & Founder of Me & The Bees Lemonade (She’s Celebrating a Decade in Business and She’s Only 15)

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Mikaila Ulmer on She's Got Moxie

My guest today, Mikaila Ulmer, is back for interview #2! She was originally on the show back in August 2018. This is a special year for Mikaila because she is not only celebrating a decade in business but she’s also published her first book, Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid!

With her very positive “can-do” attitude, Mikaila tells us how getting stung by a bee twice in one week, led her on a journey to understand the importance of bees to the environment. Ultimately, this became the gateway for her to enter her lemonade into a local business fair. (Today, Me & the Bees Lemonade is sold in over 1,500 stores nationwide!)

She also shares her Shark Tank experience, as well as the moment she had to understand the legal side of entrepreneurship and the impact it can have on your brand.

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

Create a product that appeals to the most people, you can’t please everyone, so don’t try. Stay true to your mission and focus on helping your mission.” – Mikaila Ulmer

Show Notes:

  • How showcasing her lemonade in a local business fair when she was 4-years-old led to having her lemonade in over 1,500 stores today
  • Her simple, easy, first steps to get the word out about Me & the Bees Lemonade
  • She reminds us to always be minding our ABC’s! (Always Be Curious) This ONE attribute got her into her first restaurant.
  • What it was like to be a contestant on Shark Tank (her parents initially said NO when she was offered a spot) but her persistence paid off!
  • The importance of a hand-written “Thank You” note
  • Her “Face on the Bottle” moment and how that impacted her brand
  • What it’s like to be in online school during the pandemic while running a business
  • Understanding the “legal” side of entrepreneurship came early (she was only 8-years-old) and the important lesson she learned. “Lose the battle. Win the War.”

It’s not just about the products you sell, but the stories you tell.” – Mikaila Ulmer

Connect with Mikaila Ulmer:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Me & the Bees

Don’t be discouraged by life’s little stings, get back up and spread your wings!” – Mikaila Ulmer

Tara Mackey – How Consistent Blogging Led to Becoming the CEO & Founder of Genetix Skincare, and a #1 Bestselling Author

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Tara Mackey on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guest today, Tara Mackey, is the CEO & Founder of Genetix, a #1 bestselling author, and the founder of the award-winning company and blog, The Organic Life.

Tara has been researching, testing and writing about organic skincare for nearly a decade. Her company, Genetix, is most well-known for its 100% Organic breast enhancement oil and a line of organic skincare products as well.

Tara’s skincare treatments have been featured worldwide by popular media outlets such as Forbes, Glamour, Teen Vogue, Women’s Health, Oprah and others.

On today’s show, Tara talks about the #1 tip to creating an award-winning blog, the ONE Action Step she took with her first product that catapulted its success and what she wishes she would’ve known early on as an entrepreneur.

 

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

If you have a desire for something and a love in your heart, just because the world doesn’t understand it yet that doesn’t mean that it is not the correct thing to do. And if you really feel like this is your mission, keep going.” – Tara Mackey

Show Notes:

  • The blog post that went viral and helped her gain tremendous visibility
  • Tips on how to grow a loyal following by blogging
  • The #1 tip to building a successful business
  • Why she focuses on the BRAND rather than the PRODUCT
  • The MOMENT Tara realized that her product was needed now more than ever
  • Her tips on how she overcame judgement, fear, and criticism
  • The key to investing in many entrepreneurial projects

We can’t do everything all at once.” – Tara Mackey

Connect with Tara Mackey:

Twitter | Instagram | The Organic Life | Genetix

“Prioritizing is really the number one thing you have to do if you want to be successful everyday.” – Tara Mackey

Kelly Love – How a Summer “Detox” With Her BFF From College Led to The Start of Branch Basics

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

When Kelly Love’s college roommate, Allison Evans, started having health problems, which led to lots of medications with little or no relief, Kelly was concerned.

After graduation, Kelly and Allison decided to spend the summer with Allison’s “Aunt Marilee” doing a “detox.” Their eyes were opened wide when they began to learn about the harmful chemicals that people are exposed to everyday. It was during this summer experience, the three of them decided to start Branch Basics – a non-toxic cleaning product company to create a healthy home.

On today’s show, Kelly gets very vulnerable and transparent about her entrepreneurial journey thus far. She talks about what it was like to partner with her college roommate, how the company survived their biggest challenge (they even had to close for a bit), her advice on managing cash flow + more. 

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

It is totally ok to figure it out as you go.” – Kelly Love

Show Notes:

  • Their philosophy on the easiest way to take that FIRST step to living a healthy life
  • Their initial product was an enormous success….until it wasn’t
  • How they handled the embarrassment of having to close their doors and what they did next that has created BLOCKBUSTER success today (MOST people would have given up)
  • How Branch Basics is riding the “minimalist” movement
  • Tips for finding the right manufacturer for your product
  • The BEST decision they’ve ever made after re-launching the company
  • How to handle CASH Flow decisions; simple, smart advice
  • The words of wisdom she wished someone would have shared with her early on – PURE GOLD

It needed to work as well or better than the conventional product or else people weren’t going to stick to it.” – Kelly Love

Connect with Kelly Love:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Branch Basics

Just getting started and knowing that you’re going to improve over time is key.” – Kelly Love

Mikaila Ulmer – CEO of Me & The Bees Lemonade – Turning a Bee Sting Into a Business (Oh, and by the way, she’s 13 years old!)

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Mikaila Ulmer on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guest today, Mikaila Ulmer, is probably one of the youngest entrepreneurs you’ve ever heard of. When she was just four years old, she was stung not once, but twice, in one week. What happened after the bee sting is nothing short of miraculous.

Mikaila’s parents were determined to take this bee sting experience and turn it into a positive, so they encouraged Mikaila to do some research on bees. And rest, as they say, is history.

Armed with her Great Granny Helen’s lemonade recipe, this 13 year-old CEO (yes, she’s 13) has taken the lemonade world by storm.

This year alone, Me & The Bees Lemonade, has sold over 360,000 bottles of their four flavors of lemonade in 28 states.

She’s been on Shark Tank and is a regular texting friend of Daymond John. Her advice is powerful and timely and I promise, you will forget that you’re listening to a 13 year-old. Her words of advice are simple, yet spot on for what it takes to succeed in today’s market.

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

You should start small. And that is really important so you know that your customers want the product and that they’re going to go out there and purchase it.” – Mikaila Ulmer

Show Notes:

  • What happened after she got stung twice by two bees in a week – this was the beginning of Me & The Bees Lemonade
  • The importance of just getting out there and doing it – start small
  • How she snagged a spot on SHARK TANK
  • How she navigates school, homework, hanging with friends and running a company
  • Her incredible Superpower – this was pure gold and you will see the simple but powerful message in this
  • How Mikaila has used her business to help SAVE THE BEES
  • And much, much more

I kind of initially started to get this toy that I wanted, but I decided to keep on going, and that’s how I got to where I am now.” – Mikaila Ulmer

Connect with Mikaila Ulmer:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Me & the Bees Lemonade

Find your passion or a cause that you can use your company to help save, or to do good as well as make a profit.” – Mikaila Ulmer

Sound Advice For Women Business Owners and More About My Align Retreat 2017

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

http://AlignRetreat.com

Today, when I was out taking my morning walk, my mind wandered to a Women’s Business luncheon I recently attended where I overheard someone giving another businesswoman advice about a subject she was obviously not qualified to give. The advice she was sharing was actually scary. I thought, “Geez, I sure hope this woman doesn’t do what she’s being advised to do.”

I then thought, while I really wanted to, it was not my place to save either of these women but I wanted to make sure I share some very important information I learned from my own experiences, with the businesswomen I can and do support.

For some sound advice, listen to my four minute audio:


When I think back to ALL the BIG leaps in success & income I’ve had over the years, I realize that a combination of two important things were present:

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Does Your Business Need a Jolt of Feminine Energy?

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

If you look closely at what’s happening in the Western world–in politics and gender identity movements, and at work—you may notice that women are receiving more recognition for the unique qualities we bring to the table. Is there a lot more work to do? YES! But it’s time to cheer for all that we’re seeing right now.

Today, I want to dig into these feminine qualities—or Feminine Energies.

In my years as a business strategist to women entrepreneurs, I have found there are 7 Feminine Energies that we weave into our professional lives.

You may not be in touch with every single one of these energies. They will ebb and flow, depending on your past experiences, your current needs and priorities.

So, how do you know which ones you need to bring into your life?

Grab a pen and paper, and take a moment to answer the 7 Energies Assessment below.

Read More

Why You Need Client Testimonials and a Few Tips on Getting Repeat Business

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

The registration investment for my next MOXIE Retreat is getting ready to increase in 2 Days! Yep, after Thursday, October 15, the price is going UP.

Reserve in just 5 minutes: Simply jump on over to our registration page so you can reserve your seat using our easy pay option.

I must warn you that seating is limited and the registration investment increases after Thursday, October 15. Here’s another reason you’ll want to grab your seat now. The women who’ve made the smart decision to register so far are highly successful, very smart, and extremely well-connected which means not only is there the possibility of collaborating with these already very successful business women but…the cumulative amount of sound business experience that will be in the room will probably be more than 500 years’ worth…with plenty of opportunity to share and learn from each other.

If you have questions about the event, my team is ready and excited to jump on the phone with you. All you need to do is send us a quick email to info@smartwomensolutions.com and either Kathy or Lynne will happily assist you.

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Imagine… finally discovering someone who truly cares about your success and believes in you. Someone who has the knowledge and a step-by-step approach to help you get clear, confident and focused on your vision and dream as a woman entrepreneur. Learn More

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We're here to help you get results and increase profits without burning out! Call us at 310-454-2005 or email us to learn more about how Joy's services can help you in your business.