Smart Women Smart Solutions

With Joy Chudacoff, Leading Expert on Business Success and Lifestyle Design For Women

Lorraine DiGiovanni – The Spiritual Advisor for Women Entrepreneurs

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Lorraine DiGiovanni

I have known today’s guest, Lorraine DiGiovanni, for a very long time. She is my spiritual advisor and the real deal when it comes to intuitive energy healing. She had a thriving paralegal business in Philadelphia when she shared an experience with a terminally ill child that changed her professional trajectory.

In this episode, she and I talk about how the loss at a young age informed her future choices, why she decided to become a Certified Practitioner in Energy Healing Science, and how she knew that a career as a healer was waiting for her all along.

Once her mind was made up, Lorraine went from law to healing and then back to school for her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Temple University — all while working full-time. Now she deals with auras and chakras and helps her clients make their businesses more heart-centered.

Listen in to learn what intuitive energy healing is, how numerology works, and what Lorraine does first thing every morning to set herself up for success.

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

The universe does support you once you are really clear in your intentions.” – Lorraine DiGiovanni

Show Notes:

  • How Lorraine went from LAW to becoming a SPIRITUAL Advisor
  • What ENERGY has to do with it & where your energy may be BLOCKED
  • Why you need a Strategic Business Plan + A Spiritual Business Forecast
  • What she does EVERY MORNING before her feet hit the ground
  • The #1 SIMPLE Action you can take to achieve a better outcome Every Day
  • The VOICE you want to listen to and HONOR most
  • The challenge of GENERATIONAL Trauma & why it’s time to heal
  • What to EXPECT in 2022 – Lorraine’s prediction
  • Tips to become more introspective
  • The Importance of the Power of INTENTION
  • Why it’s so important to have a business coach

I have found my people to be more anxious than ever this year.” – Lorraine DiGiovanni

Connect with Lorraine DiGiovanni:

LinkedIn | Facebook | Healing Transforms

Am I going to give up my healing practice or am I going to stop working?” – Lorraine DiGiovanni

JJ Ramberg – From MSNBC to GoodPods, JJ Ramberg’s Entrepreneurial Journey

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JJ Ramberg on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Today’s guest on She’s Got Moxie is an entrepreneur, public speaker, podcast host, and former anchor at MSNBC’s Your Business show. For 12 years, JJ Ramberg interviewed small business owners to find out what worked as they grew their businesses before entering into the entrepreneurial arena herself. Most recently, she co-founded Goodpods, a new social podcast app connecting friends with exciting audio content.

She and I sat down to talk about her favorite interviews from her time at MSNBC and the hurdles she had to surpass when she started her entrepreneurial journey. She also opens up about her motivation to launch the online platforms Goodshop Give and DogDog.org which incorporate an added philanthropic component into their basic search functions.

In this episode, JJ shares her tips for how to move through the tough days as an entrepreneur, the worst entrepreneurial advice she has heard, and why, above all, she continues to rely on her friends.

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

I really love the smaller stories.” – JJ Ramberg

Show Notes:

  • How filling in as a Reporter for CNN landed her a 12-year anchor position at MSNBC
  • The LIGHTBULB moment for her Goodpods idea
  • Why Goodpods is committed to “raising all voices”
  • Her GO-TO solution for the really tough (fetal position) days
  • Her SOLUTION that’s helping Dogs in need (Visit DOGDOG.org)
    ·

It’s going to be hard sometimes.” – JJ Ramberg

Connect with JJ Ramberg:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | JJ Ramberg

I love talking to strangers.” – JJ Ramberg

Jean Brownhill – THE Matchmaker for Home Renovations

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Jean Brownhill on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Jean Brownhill is the Founder & CEO of Sweeten, a matchmaking service for general contractors and homeowners seeking help with their renovations. Jean got the idea for the company after her own home renovation went awry. Today, a decade later, Sweeten has expanded to ten major cities across the country. Jean opens up about the time she realized she was on to something, her best simple and sweet action steps to grow a business, and her 108 daily blessings routine.

Listen in as she explains how her Sweeten accelerator for women (S.A.W.) is promoting female contractors, how she hires, and why she hires more for attitude than aptitude these days.

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

It’s helpful to remember that — not even how — that you got up the last time.” – Jean Brownhill

Show Notes:

  • The MOMENT she saw an opportunity (she was staring at a GAPING hole in her ceiling)
  • She was an “intrapreneur” long BEFORE she became an entrepreneur (it helped!)
  • Her Big BREAK (she had no clue & wound up in being voted “The Best of….”
  • Her biggest Challenge and what’s she’s learned from it
  • The best action steps to GROW your business
  • Something she’s definitely NOT a Fan of in the start-up arena
  • Her 108 Daily Blessings lesson she learned in Thailand
  • Why the “GRINDING” mentality doesn’t work
  • How to get up after being KNOCKED down
  • And so much more….

I was in the industry. How could it be this tough for me?” – Jean Brownhill

Connect with Jean Brownhill:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Sweeten

One of the things we’ve done really well is just continue to tell success stories.” – Jean Brownhill

Jessica Chang – Transforming Childcare in the US

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Jessica Chang on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

Jessica Chang is on a mission to transform childcare in the U.S.

She is an entrepreneur, CEO, and Co-founder of WeeCare, the largest network of childcare providers in the US (in only 5 years!). After having her first child, she struggled with navigating the childcare options available in her area and found that she was not alone in her dissatisfaction. So she decided to do something about it.

Bringing conscientious change to an industry that so desperately needs it, WeeCare is not only making affordable and world-class daycare accessible to all families, but they are also empowering individuals, especially women, by helping them start and operate their own daycare business through their “Business in a Box” formula.

Listen in as Jessica talks about her pivot during the pandemic, how to get out of bed on difficult days, and the worst startup advice she’s ever heard.

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

If I could figure out how to save one school, maybe I could figure out how to save more schools.” – Jessica Chang

Show Notes:

  • How Jessica created the LARGEST Network of Childcare Providers in the US (In only 5 Years!)
  • How she UNCOVERED the biggest challenge and SOLVED it
  • Jessica shares the “Business in a BOX” Formula she developed that’s transforming the industry
  • The “Fever Free” Initiative that helped WeeCare Pivot during the Pandemic
  • Her ADVICE to entrepreneurs that will surely be unpopular with INVESTORS
  • Her DREAM to get more Employers into the Childcare Conversation
  • And much, much more!

When it comes to early childcare, it’s not a one-sided problem. You’ve actually got to be able to sustain both sides.” – Jessica Chang

Connect with Jessica Chang:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | WeeCare

When I realized my own personal constraints, I actually became really interested in the early childcare space.” – Jessica Chang

Charlene Simon – The Art of Juggling Soaps, Cosmetics & Cupcakes

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Charlene Simon on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

She left school at 15 and had her three children by the time she was 20.

Today Charlene Simon is the real definition of a “serial” entrepreneur. She’s the CEO & Founder of three successful brands: Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium, Fat Bottom Girl’s Cupcakes and Villainess Beauty.

It all started in San Diego in 2000 when Charlene walked into a soap shop that had real, live, breathing goats out back. She was mesmerized. She spent hours in the local library teaching herself the chemistry of soap making.

In 2009 (not a great year for the economy), she remembered her boss saying once, “You have to strike on real estate in a recession.” So she took $700 (all the money she had) and she went for it. She opened her first Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium.

It’s been a wild ride and one that continues to spiral upward for this straight-talking entrepreneur who makes all her decisions on “feelings.”

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

“The fear is fuel.” – Charlene Simon

Show Notes:

  • Why starting a business in a RECESSION was her BIG Break (it was the perfect time)
  • Why FEELINGS matter most to her when making decisions (she needs to feel the JOY)
  • Why CUPCAKE WARS kept calling her to be a contestant on the show – it had to do with a T-Shirt
  • Her Most DIFFICULT Business Moment – (two blocks down the street)
  • GENIUS Advice on how to handle COMPETITION
  • Her “BUFFET” Analogy (what are you hungry for?)
  • TIPS on Dealing with CRITICISM
  • And much, much more!

“Competition is nothing; I don’t even look at other people.” – Charlene Simon

Connect with Charlene Simon:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium

“If it doesn’t bring me joy, I know not to touch it.” – Charlene Simon

Wendi Weiner – The journey From a Lucrative Career as a Lawyer to Becoming The Writing Guru

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Wendi Weiner on She's Got Moxie

Wendi Weiner was well established as an attorney earning a significant income but her true passion was writing. Her parents even nick-named her, “The Writing Guru.” She started a side hustle of writing even though she was putting in 50-60 hours a week as a lawyer. It turned out to be a very good decision.

Fast forward to today: Wendi has been featured in over 75 media outlets — from CNBC to CNN and The Huffington Post — as a leading authority in personal branding, social storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. Her business, The Writing Guru, provides corporate branding services to Fortune 25 companies and she regularly gives talks on topics ranging from personal branding to resume writing, reputation management, and social networking. She believes that if we want to have our own business doing something we love, we have to change our mindset about time. We don’t work nine to five. We work whenever.

In today’s episode, Wendi shares how to balance your full-time job with your side hustle, the secret to getting media coverage, and how to become a household name.

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

The personal fulfillment drives my passion, which is something that people see when they talk to me.” – Wendi Weiner

Show Notes:

  • How it felt to get her “Carrie Bradshaw moment”
  • WHY it’s good to listen to your Mom
  • How attending a conference led to her “LIGHT-BULB” moment
  • What it really takes to go from SIDE HUSTLE to a successful six-figure business
  • How to align your full-time job with your side hustle
  • The secret for getting media coverage (Wendi has been featured over 75 MEDIA Outlets!)
  • The most important action step for new entrepreneurs
  • How to become a household name in your industry
  • Her “Non-Negotiable” Daily Ritual
  • The most difficult part of entrepreneurship
  • How she adjusted having her hubby “come home” to work during the Pandemic (I could relate so much to her story here!)
  • Her best ADVICE on how to move through the really difficult days
  • Where she Finds her JOY

Your business and style are going to evolve over time. Don’t be afraid of it.” – Wendi Weiner

Connect with Wendi Weiner:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | The Writing Guru

The amount of work I generate in a day probably can’t be done by a lot of people.” – Wendi Weiner

Linda Rose – Get Acquired for Millions!

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Linda Rose on She's Got Moxie

She’s the go-to-gal when it comes to helping companies get acquired and now she’s back with a NEW book to help you simply and easily understand how to get your business ready to be acquired!

Serial entrepreneur Linda Rose joined me on the podcast to talk about her NEW book, Get Acquired for Millions: A Roadmap for Technology Service Providers to Maximize Company Value.

Linda is a big proponent of listening to your clients before anyone else and running a company to sell rather than running a company to grow. She urges other entrepreneurs to think bigger and find mentors that can help them broaden their mindset.

On today’s show, Linda shares how CEOs can get away for up to a month without hearing from their team, two things she wishes she knew before she became an entrepreneur, and the value of organization intellectual property. She explains the Banana Concept, which book has impacted her life, and where she finds her joy.

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

My joy is the bottom line.” – Linda Rose

Show Notes:

  • Why your clients are more important than anyone else – LISTEN!
  • Her solo journey on the Pacific Crest Trail and how this experience changed her entrepreneurial journey (she hiked for 500 miles ALONE!)
  • The different types of revenue and the ones you should be keeping your eye on
  • The difference between running a company to GROW and running a company to SELL
  • Details on completing four Big Acquisitions During COVID
  • The PERFECT Time to Sell your Business
  • A Step-by-Step plan for you to leave your business for a MONTH without any communication with your Team (not even a single TEXT)
  • What “single points of FAILURE” are and how to remove this obstacle in your business
  • The Banana CONCEPT – Brilliant!
  • The Metric that is more VALUABLE than SALES
  • The two things Linda Rose wishes she knew before she became an entrepreneur
  • How Linda Sets Goals – Pure GOLD!
  • The value of organization intellectual property
  • Two books that have impacted Linda’s life
  • Where Linda finds her joy
  • And much, much more

You have to stop thinking like an owner and start thinking like a buyer.” – Linda Rose

Connect with Linda Rose:

LinkedIn | Twitter | RoseBiz

It can fetch value if you identify it, package it, and give it a name.” – Linda Rose

Alli Webb & Meredith Quill – Hearts Be Still. Meet Becket & Quill Jewelry

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She mastered the market when it comes to blowouts & massage! Now she’s back with a new jewelry line and partner in crime!

Serial entrepreneur, Alli Webb (co-founder of Drybar, co-founder of Squeeze) and Meredith Quill joined me on the show to talk about their new venture, Becket + Quill jewelry.

Alli has always looked for “affordable luxury” in business ventures and Becket + Quill fit the bill. Becket + Quill focuses on jewelry that’s “high end, not high spend.”

On today’s show, Alli talks about how she met Meredith and why she decided to get into the jewelry business. Meredith tell us about the moment she fell in love with jewelry for the first time and what it’s like to have a business partner.

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

The beauty of this business is that you can be wearing things that look very expensive, but really aren’t.” – Alli Webb

Show Notes:

  • Alli shares Why Jewelry and Why Now?
  • The #1 ingredient you MUST have to gain a sustainable, LOYAL following
  • What Alli looks for when evaluating a business opportunity
  • Details on their partnership and why opposites attract
  • The moment Meredith discovered that Jewelry was her true passion
  • Alli shares how a direct-to-consumer brand is so different from brick & mortar and the lessons she’s learning
  • How they both handle the “crawl into the fetal position, I’m never coming out” moments as a woman entrepreneur
  • Where they both Find Their Joy
  • Alli’s truth-telling on what it really takes to become a successful brand
  • And much, much more

Listening and being open to other ideas is important.” – Meredith Quill

Connect with Alli Webb & Meredith Quill:

Instagram | Becket + Quill

We have very different skillsets and we’re both very aware of that.” – Alli Webb

Emily Groden – How Watching a Netflix Food Show Led This Attorney Away From The Courtroom & Into The Kitchen

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Emily Groden on She's Got Moxie with Joy Chudacoff

My guest today, Emily Groden, Founder & CEO of Evergreen, typically worked late at her law office in Chicago most nights, however, one evening she found herself at home watching a food show on Netflix.

What happened next changed the entire course of her career…and it involved sending a “cold” email to someone.

Fast forward to today, Evergreen, launched in early March 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, and is now in more than 49 Whole Foods locations in the Midwest, as well as many other Midwest stores.

On today’s show, Emily tells us all about her emotional journey of being in a start-up, why she started to distrust processed food, and how the show Chef’s Table changed her life. She talks about the importance of endurance, how her professional swimming background helped her in her life, 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 feel really lucky to have worked in a start-up environment prior to starting Evergreen myself.” – Emily Groden

Show Notes:

  • The story of how a late night “COLD” email changed her career trajectory
  • Why you should pay attention to CLUES (she had them along the way but ignored them)
  • The QUESTION you need to ask yourself before every business move
  • The story of the LAUNCH moment (a paper bag, paper plates, utensils and her toaster)
  • The QUICK decision she made when ALL Manufacturers said “NO”
  • Simple, NO-COST Tips on gaining Brand Awareness in a Start-up
  • How she gets through the really tough days – she shares the “Emotional Journey U”
  • Her Best ADVICE on just getting started (it involves a homemade jam story)

Building a start-up business is not a sprint, is a marathon.” – Emily Groden

Connect with Emily Groden:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Evergreen

Define your principles on day one and then stick to them.” – Emily Groden

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