Smart Women Smart Solutions

Fran Maier – From Match.com to BabyQuip

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Fran Maier on She's Got MoxieFran Maier’s advice is gold. As the CEO & Founder of BabyQuip, the country’s leading baby gear rental service, Fran is a powerful female entrepreneur and established trend-spotter, so she has a lot of great information to impart.

In this episode, Fran opens up about her experience pitching on the television series Shark Tank and explains why “change is always a catalyst for opportunity.”

Listen in to learn how Fran makes day-to-day decisions, why timing is crucial in business, and how confidence and vulnerability go hand-in-hand.

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

Don't solve tomorrow's problem today.” – Fran Maier

Show Notes:

  • How Confidence & Vulnerability pair well together
  • The ONE Thing that gives your Biz The EDGE
  • Why understanding TRENDS are key
  • How Babyquip went from idea to over 650+ cities across the US
  • The Early days at BabyQuip
  • Her experience on SHARK TANK and What Happened Next
  • How she moves through the TOUGH Times
  • Her “5 Things” Strategy
  • Her Super Power
  • Her advice on successful CROWD-FUNDING
  • Bootstrapping versus Fundraising

I know how to build trusted brands.” – Fran Maier

Connect with Fran Maier:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | BabyQuip

Timing really makes a difference.” – Fran Maier

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

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

It’s a NEW Era for Women – 2021 Will Favor the Female!

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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LaDawn Townsend – Strategic Advisor & CEO of The VOS Group

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

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

The Dangers of Canceling 2020

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Thinking about “canceling 2020?” I invite you to reconsider.

This episode is from an Instagram LIVE I did last week about the “dangers of canceling 2020.” There was such an overwhelming response that I decided to make it into a podcast episode.

 

 

 

 

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

Entrepreneurship is not just about freedom and flexibility, entrepreneurship is about your willingness to solve problems and the quest to make your impact.” – Joy Chudacoff

Show Notes:

  • 3 Specific Reasons why staying the course in this last quarter is Key to your business
  • A Personal Story from 1997 that I feel sure you’ll resonate with and how “canceling” would have cost me BIG
  • Why your Leadership is more important now than ever
  • Why it’s risky to play the “When/Then” game

In this last quarter of the year, you may stumble onto the best next thing in your business.” – Joy Chudacoff

Links Mentioned:

Leaders lead when things are at the absolute worst.” – Joy Chudacoff

The Dangers of Canceling 2020

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

I wanted to share the replay of an Instagram Live I did yesterday. It was spot on for a lot of women entrepreneurs and I didn’t want you to miss this very important message.

Click on the video below to listen-in:

This is EXACTLY where we’re headed in my private membership group, ALIGN online. We’re focused on finishing 2020 strong. If you’ve decided not to “cancel” 2020 and unearth the GOLD that will come out of this time for you and your business, head on over to https://smartwomensolutions.com/align-online, fill out an application and join us!

One of the many benefits of ALIGN online is our private forum. I’m in there every day offering support, business advisory and answering questions to help you move forward and finish the year strong.

We’re taking applications now so if you’d like to learn more & jump on board, contact Kathy@SmartWomenSolutions.com or call/text 310-266-0416.

Read all about ALIGN online:

SmartWomenSolutions.com/align-online

Claudia Chan – Founder of the S.H.E. Globl and author of “This is How We Rise”

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Claudia Chan on She's Got Moxie with Joy ChudacoffI’m super excited to have Claudia Chan, author, leader, and founder of S.H.E. Globl as a guest on today’s show.

She was flush with material items in her life and began to feel the call for more purpose. Claudia is the author of the Leadership book, This is How We Rise: Reach Your Highest Potential, Empower Women, Lead Change in the World, which was named by CNBC as a “top career book of 2018” and also featured in The New York Times.

Her business, S.H.E. Globl, is a platform that equips organizations with powerful learning and development opportunities that keep your talent inspired, engaged and growing all year.

I think you’ll love today’s show as Claudia talks about why the future is female, how to amplify women’s voices, her strategy behind elevation periods, 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 can't be teaching people a definition of leadership that is so one dimensional.” – Claudia Chan

Show Notes:

  • Her BEST Action steps to gain attention for her movement
  • WHY focusing on a specific segment of the market is so key now
  • Focusing questions on how to drill down what part of the market you want to OWN
  • How to REDEFINE leadership
  • How ELEVATION PERIODS can help build a full life
  • The mentality to adopt in challenging times
  • And much, much more…

We have the power of the universe inside of us and I think trusting our instincts is another thing that we need to do better.” – Claudia Chan

Connect with Claudia Chan:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | S.H.E Summit

Less is more and really own those areas the most.” – Claudia Chan

Rosie O’Neill – How Sugarfina Has Achieved Explosive Growth Over The Past 450 Days

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

Rosie O'Neill on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

**Rosie O’Neill is the FIRST in a series of ENCORE podcast interviews we will be conducting over the next few months. We’ve been closely watching the growth of some of the women we’ve had on the show before and we’re inviting back guests who are having explosive growth and are willing to share the journey with you.

Rosie O’Neill, is an entrepreneur with a major sweet tooth for business. I had Rosie on ‘She’s Got Moxie’ back on November 15, 2017, and that episode is still today one of our most popular. Since my last interview with Rosie, (about 450 days ago), Sugarfina has grown tremendously. Today, she shares with us what business has been like and how the company has exploded with growth so quickly.

In July 2012, along with her co-founder and fiancé (now hubby) Josh Resnick, Rosie launched Sugarfina, a luxury candy boutique for grown-ups featuring the finest confections from artisan candy makers around the world. Best known for Champagne and Rosé-infused gummy bears, Sugarfina has been named one of the “World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” and “World’s 10 Most Innovative Retailers” by Fast Company as it disrupts the $200B confections industry. Sugarfina has also made the list of the “World’s Most Beautiful Candy Shops” by Architectural Digest.

 

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

I certainly have those days where I start to go into the negative self-talk, but I’m trying to be much better about catching it and turning it around. And basically, the same advice that I would give to a female entrepreneur friend, I try to give that to myself. Sometimes we’re harder on ourselves than we would be to a friend.” – Rosie O’Neill

Show Notes:

  • What’s happened in the last 450 days (it’s quite Remarkable)
  • The strategy they’ve used to grow beyond physical locations to get into the hands of their target consumer
  • The difference between hiring for the “RIGHT NOW” versus Hiring for Future Growth (Brilliant!)
  • Her Biggest Challenge (“it’s always the same”)
  • DAILY rituals have contributed to her success as a CEO and Co-Founder
  • How she handles the really tough “I’m not sure if I can go on” days
  • Her quick decision-making process
  • The things she’s outsourced in her life (this was a humorous moment for sure!)
  • Her BEST Advice for women entrepreneurs who are in the sweet spot of scaling

Do your most dreaded task first thing in the morning. It is basically like wake-up and do that disgusted ‘ugh, I can’t wait to get it over with’ thing.” – Rosie O’Neill

Connect with Rosie O'Neill:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Sugarfina  |  Instagram |  Facebook

I am a big believer that you’ve got to focus on two or three things and do those things really well before you start to focus on the next thing.” – Rosie O’Neill

7 Business Essentials for Explosive Growth in 2019

| By Joy Chudacoff Leave a Comment

You will cross the threshold to 2019 in less than 90 days.

Is your business ready?

Right now, you’re probably hard at work on accomplishing all the goals you set for yourself in 2018. And, you’re also probably beginning to ask yourself: “What changes or course-corrections do I need to make in order to start 2019 on a path to faster profits serving my treasured clients and customers?”

Your business or product is like a vehicle. You, the creator, the founder, are the driver of that vehicle.

On today’s show, I’ll walk you through the 7 Business Essentials for Explosive Business Growth and also how you can “fine tune” your leadership for uber success in 2019.

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

You need to make sure that you’re working in your genius and your highest level of creativity.” – Joy Chudacoff

Show Notes:

  • Simple tips to make sure you are accessing your GENIUS every day
  • The ONE thing you can easily do to bring more profit to your bottom line
  • The BEST strategy for your business
  • The INVISIBLE BLOCKS I see plague many women entrepreneurs and how they hold you back
  • Productivity Rituals to help you be at your best as a leader
  • WHY your business may be ‘satisfactorily underperforming’
  • How to build the team culture of your dreams
  • Your ticket to freedom as an entrepreneur
  • And much much more!

When you give yourself permission to take the time to prepare and plan for that next level of business growth, that next level of leadership, incredible leaps happen almost immediately.” – Joy Chudacoff

Links Mentioned:

It’s about being able to communicate that vision on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis to the people who are in this with you.” – Joy Chudacoff

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