Smart Women Smart Solutions

Cathy Alessandra – Serial Entrepreneur, CEO & Founder of YES I CAN!

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Cathy Alessandra on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guest today, Cathy Alessandra, is the real definition of a serial entrepreneur who has started and built several successful businesses to help women and families.

Cathy started her very first business in 1995 out of a need she saw in her community. From there, she caught the entrepreneurial “bug.”

Along the way, Cathy faced some life altering moments which included her son’s struggle with substance abuse, challenges in her marriage, and personal health concerns. She overcame those challenges by using her “YES I CAN” mantra and her daily rituals. Now, she has turned her mantra into a business, and she is currently the Founder & CEO of YES I CAN coaching.

On today’s podcast, Cathy talks all about her experience coaching women, the philosophy behind YES I CAN, her best productivity tips, 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 all built on a need of my own and figuring that other people needed it as well.” – Cathy Alessandra

Show Notes:

  • Great examples on Pivoting in business
  • The personal tools she used to move through a health challenge, her son’s substance abuse and an unraveling marriage – all at the same time
  • Cathy’s SECRET to overcoming challenges
  • The moment she got the idea to birth YES I CAN
  • Which daily routines helped her achieve success
  • Why Strategic YES’s and Abundant No’s have become a guiding light
  • Cathy’s best productivity tips as an entrepreneur
  • The Worst advice she hears in the Start-up arena

As my business has grown, I need to think ahead of the curve and outside of the box.” – Cathy Alessandra

Connect with Cathy Alessandra:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Cathy Alessandra

Don’t worry about all the others. Be focused on who you are so that you attract people that are meant to work with you.” – Cathy Alessandra

Jean Chatzky – Women. Money. Investing. A real conversation about MONEY and Women with Financial Editor of NBC’s TODAY Show and Award-Winning Personal Finance Journalist

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Jean Chatzky on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Today’s show is all about MONEY with the financial editor of NBC’s TODAY Show (she has been on for 24 years, so you probably know her!) and AARP’s personal finance ambassador, Jean Chatzky.

Jean is an award-winning personal finance journalist and Founder & CEO of HerMoney, a multimedia company changing the relationships women have with money. You may have also heard her popular podcast HerMoney with Jean Chatzky.

On today’s episode of She’s Got Moxie, Jean shares some incredible tips and tricks to living a financially robust life.

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

Start by looking at where you are today, because that it is what it takes to figure out where you want to grow and how you want to get better tomorrow.” – Jean Chatzky

Show Notes:

  • Why women need more money than men
  • The ONE thing women don’t feel comfortable with and what to do about it
  • The FIVE THINGS you can do to have a robust financial life
  • WHY physical and financial health have a lot in common & led Jean to co-authored a book with Dr. Michael Roizan (if you watch Dr. Oz then you know him!)
  • The BEST ACTION step to advance her powerful career in media
  • What she did when someone told her “you don’t have the chops”
  • The Surprising PRODUCTIVITY Tip that Jean uses to stay on top of things
  • What she wished someone would have shared with her early on in her career
  • And much, much more

As you age, good health without financial strength doesn’t work, and neither does financial strength without good health. You absolutely have to have both.” – Jean Chatzky

Connect with Jean Chatzky:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | HerMoney

I make money make sense. That is my superpower.” – Jean Chatzky

Jessica Principe – From Dreading Her Shower Shave to Founder & CEO of All Girl Shave Club

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Jessica Principe on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Great ideas come to many people in the shower, and that was absolutely true for the Founder & CEO of All Girl Shave Club, Jessica Principe.

All Girl Shave Club is a subscription service and online store started in 2016. In the first 12 months, the company had blockbuster growth (surpassing the six-figure mark in sales) and now serves customers in all 50 states and Canada.

What started out as a passion project to transform the chore of shaving into a treat, has become a female-focused shaving and grooming business. Ladies who join the club receive high quality, premium razors, coupled with unique, specialty shaving and body products in the mail every other month.

On today’s show, Jessica talks about her company’s rapid growth, secrets to cash flow, and her best tips for women entrepreneurs while juggling a family.

 

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

I’m really realistic about the time that it takes to accomplish things, and that helps me stay motivated.” – Jessica Principe

Show Notes:

  • The FIRST Step Jessica took BEFORE launching All Girl Shave Club – Genius!
  • The moment she knew she was on to something
  • Her Biggest Challenge (she’s learned that every new level of growth brings a new challenge)
  • Why it’s ok to start SLOW
  • How she managed cash flow during an intense time of growth (simple, doable strategies!)
  • The time she went into what felt like a three-day coma over a difficult business dilemma
  • Jessica shares some wise words from a mentor during a very dark time
  • Why focusing on a specific niche is the key to dramatic growth
  • Her BEST advice for women who want to just Go For It (you may be surprised here)
  • Her favorite app for productivity
  • And much, much more!

There’s nothing wrong with starting your business while your working full-time, and you don’t want to quit your job too early when you’re not generating enough income.” – Jessica Principe

Connect with Jessica Principe:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | All Girl Shave Club

It is ok not to get everything done overnight. It is ok to take your time, to make strategic decisions and give yourself time to think through things.” – Jessica Principe

Dr. Amy Kramer – She Saw a Great Opportunity After Her Own Dog Had Surgery and Beach Animal Rehabilitation Was Born (BARC)

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According to pet care industry research in 2016, health care services for pets was nearly $16 billion dollars and growing.

After her dog had surgery, Dr. Amy Kramer, a physical therapist, saw that what she does with her patients every day would be a great rehab solution for her dog. The physical therapy worked and Amy couldn’t stop thinking about all the vets performing surgery across LA and how those dogs would need her physical therapy treatment. This lead Dr. Kramer to open the doors to Beach Animal Rehabilitation Center (BARC) which works to incorporate rehabilitation techniques so that pets can get well again.

On today’s show, we’ll talk about how Dr. Kramer got started in her now very successful business, her BEST tips for growth, how she deals with employees, her #1 productivity tip, what she thinks about the NBA finals, and more. 

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

I really strive to make sure that my employees are happy and I ask all the time, ‘what can I do to make your job easier for you?’.” – Dr. Amy Kramer

Show Notes:

  • The moment Dr. Kramer realized she was on to something BIG
  • Her BEST marketing techniques that contributed to BARC’s success
  • Her best ACTION Steps – the power of the “before & after”
  • Simple, down-to-earth marketing tips that paid huge dividends!
  • Her Biggest Challenge
  • The ONE ingredient every entrepreneur needs to have on board to hit their highest productivity levels
  • Dr. Kramer describes a time when she really wanted to give up and what she did instead of giving up!
  • The vision Dr. Kramer kept in mind when money was tight
  • The counter-intuitive productivity tip that makes ALL the difference
  • What Dr. Kramer REALLY thinks about the NBA finals
  • Much, much more

If I don’t get good sleep, no matter what those things are that are going on in my head, I’m not going to do those things well if I’m not well rested.” – Dr. Amy Kramer

Connect with Dr. Amy Kramer:

Facebook | Instagram | Beach Animal Rehabilitation Center

Just don’t be afraid to ask for help, because it is out there.” – Dr. Amy Kramer

Gail Schenbaum – How a Phone Call in The Middle of The Night Led Her to Create The Umergency App For College Students and Their Parents

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Gail Schenbaum on She;s Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

“Mom it’s me. I’m calling from the ambulance. I’m fine. But it’s really bad.”

After Gail Schenbaum took a frightening phone call in the middle of the night from her daughter who was in college several thousand miles away, she knew she had to use her entrepreneurial spirit to do something.

Previously an award-winning producer for companies like Warner Brothers, Columbia, Universal, Walt Disney, and Paramount, Gail has always been an incredible creator who sees problems as opportunities.

With that, Gail took her frightening situation and committed to founding the Umergency app- the all-in-one emergency health and safety solution for millions of college students and their families.

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

Focus on the solution, not the problem. When you start thinking creatively you begin to see other possibilities, and that may lead you to create something even better than you have right now.” – Gail Schenbaum

Show Notes:

  • HOW a phone call in the middle of the night charged her up to create the UMERGENCY App
  • Her BEST Action Steps to creating a powerful, helpful App
  • Her AHA moment
  • The SMART SHIFT she makes when feeling overwhelmed
  • Her Biggest Challenge
  • Her GENIUS Productivity Tip, “Beat the Clock.” This is Pure Gold
  • How Gail uses HUMOR to market her App
  • Her Superpower
  • The valuable lesson she learned from her father
  • And much much more

Find a support system. Don’t go it alone. Because when the chips are down, you really need support from those who believe in you and who will help you see it through with some love and kindness.” – Gail Schenbaum

Connect with Gail Schenbaum:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Umergency

You can’t delegate unless you feel comfortable and you know you’ve got the right people.” – Gail Schenbaum

Alyza Bohbot – From Crop to Cup, Empowering Women Worldwide with City Girl Coffee

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Alyza Bohbot on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guest today, Alyza Bohbot, has some serious moxie. After taking the reins of her family business, Alyza was searching for a way to differentiate her coffee company while connecting with women. What she discovered along the way was surprising and out of that discovery, City Girl Coffee was born. Besides being seriously good coffee, City Girl’s mission is tied to women’s empowerment in the coffee trade industry where women do more than 70% of the work in the fields but rarely get any financial control.

City Girl Coffee sources as many beans as possible from women coffee farmers throughout the world and a portion of every sale goes right back to support women’s organizations worldwide.

Featured in Forbes, Delta Sky Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, and Star Tribune, Alyza has been named one of Minnesota’s “Women Who Lead.” She’s also a recipient of the Minneapolis Business Journal’s 2017 “40 Under 40” Award.

Alyza is funny, real, raw and boldly powerful. You’ll love this interview!

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

I knew if I cared about this then the likelihood of other people caring about this was probably pretty significant. It really was something that I felt strongly about since conception.” – Alyza Bohbot

Show Notes:

  • The SHOCKING discovery that led Alyza to birth City Girl Coffee
  • TIPS on how to gain traction in the saturated food and beverage product industry
  • WHY Alyza GIVES BACK through her business
  • Her BEST Business action steps
  • ADVICE on cash flow in a seasonal business
  • What Alyza did instead of GIVING UP at a time when she faced a huge challenge
  • The ONE Thing She Focuses on
  • Her BEST productivity Tips

Never think that you have all the answers. Never think that you know it all. Because you never know what little tidbit of information might just be the key piece that turns your business and takes it into a completely new trajectory that you never knew existed.” – Alyza Bohbot

Connect with Alyza Bohbot:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | City Girl Coffee

“By coming out and from the get-go really making people understand that what we’re doing is much larger than just a coffee company, that was enough to get us that initial publicity and initial media attention.” – Alyza Bohbot

Ashley Merrill – How Her Husband’s Oversized T-Shirt Led Her to Start Her Own Sleepwear Brand

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Ashley Merrill on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Ashley Merrill is revolutionizing women’s sleep. She is the founder and CEO of Lunya, a sleepwear company that uses the latest designs and technology to create functional, comfortable, and fashionable sleepwear for women.

On today’s show, Ashley gives some amazing tips on hiring and how to build a great team. She also gives some incredible insights for women who are pitching to mostly male investors.

I’m so excited for you to hear her gold nuggets.

Enjoy the show!

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

You can look at problems as problems, or you can look at them as opportunities.” – Ashley Merrill

Show Notes:

  • How Ashley’s EYE OF CURIOSITY influenced her business
  • What’s it like to BIRTH a child and a business at the same time
  • Why she’s NOT a risk-taker
  • Her BEST Productivity Tips – Ashley drills down into the REAL Issue for Women in Business Today
  • Ashley’s HIRING TIPS – pure Gold!
  • The real, raw truth about owning a business
  • Her personal insights on women making pitches for funding
  • The advice she wished someone would have shared with her in the early days
  • And so much more!

I hire a lot around attitude. I find that it is the one thing that is very hard to change.” – Ashley Merrill

Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | Website

When we design, it goes a lot further than just a pretty piece of clothing.” – Ashley Merrill

Betsy Myers – From Selling Insurance to the White House

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Betsy Myers on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffToday I’m delighted to introduce a longtime friend of mine and an incredible Moxie woman, Betsy Myers!

Betsy Myers was a senior advisor to two U.S. presidents, most recently the COO of Obama’s presidential campaign and the chair of Women for Obama. Currently, she is the Founding Director of the Center or Women in Business at Bentley University. A leading expert, author, and advocate, Betsy also speaks at conferences and workshops around the world on the changing nature of leadership.

Betsy’s book, Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You continues to be the basis of her work in the corporate, political, and higher education arena.

On today’s show, Betsy speaks real, raw truth about how being highly visible and the COO of Obama’s campaign was like drinking water through a fire hose. She did it all while being a mom for her small child at the same time. Betsy gives her true opinion of the Women’s March that happened in January 2017, and she gets open, honest, and real about some of her recent challenging life events.

I’m so excited for you to hear what Betsy is up to in terms of moving and shaking the women’s movement, her favorite productivity tips, and a whole lot more.

I put together a support system, which is a really helpful thing to do in any job or part of your life.” – Betsy Myers

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

I put together a support system, which is a really helpful thing to do in any job or part of your life.” – Betsy Myers

Show Notes:

  • The transition from Betsy’s own small business to running a sector of the Women in Business Government Office during former President Bill Clinton’s Administration
  • How Betsy ended up becoming the COO of Obama’s presidential campaign
  • How Betsy managed her role as a mother to a four year-old while being the COO of Obama’s Presidential Campaign
  • What Betsy Myers thinks about the 2017 Women’s March
  • What advice Betsy would give to the Hillary Clinton campaign
  • How Betsy has dealt with the latest chapter in her life

You make decisions based on what is important for your family at the time. Other opportunities present themselves, and it works out for the best.” – Betsy Myers

Links Mentioned:

Facebook | Twitter | BetsyMyers

My stake in the ground for this book was that leadership creates a feeling. And when people feel valued and included and heard and part of something bigger than themselves, they connect and are their best selves.” – Betsy Myers

One More Reason to Join Me in January…

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Email in-box crammed with back & forth communication from your team?

Drowning in piles of paper?

Six months ago, I would have answered yes to both these questions however, I made the decision to move my company to Evernote. This one change has dramatically reduced the number of emails in my in-box from team by more than 50%. Evernote has helped me reduce the paper flow in my office which has given me higher productivity, better efficiency and I’m more creative. Bibi Goldstein of Buying Time LLC came in to teach my team and I how to use this time-saving tool effectively in a way that everyone could understand easily.

I’ve actually told my hubby that if Evernote was a man, he might need to worry – yep, I’ve fallen in love. : -)

Joy-and-Bibi-and-Evernote

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