25 Founders on How to Scale Your Business to 6 Figures—and Beyond

Growing your company’s revenue to six figures, and beyond, is an exciting milestone to celebrate. Beyond the financial stability that scaling provides, it’s also a sign that you may have product-market fit—you’re putting something in the world that truly impacts others and the hard-earned lessons gained along the way can be of service to others. 

So, how do you get to this point? Thankfully, learning from the founders who have paved the way already, can accelerate your journey, or even help you avoid pitfalls. From nailing down your messaging to building a strong community and honing in on your personal development, these entrepreneurs share advice that proves that hitting, and exceeding, your financial targets is absolutely within your reach.

If scaling your business to six figures and beyond is on your vision board for this year, or if you’ve done so already, but are committed to never stopping to learn, or grow—we challenge you to let a few of these tried and tested strategies work their magic for you. 

1. Christina Langdon—Founder of Christina Langdon High Performance Coaching & Consulting, helping CEOs, Founders, and high-achievers scale their business by scaling their minds.

My experience: The power of your mind is at the foundation for scaling any business. Scaling my business started with scaling my mindset and belief in myself as CEO. I built my CEO self-concept by deciding ahead of time who I wanted to become. When I launched my business, I wrote a job description for the CEO role for my six-figure business. I answered questions inside of the job description: what will I be thinking, how will my clients refer to me, how will I be spending my time, and who I will become as a six-figure CEO. When we get into comparison and despair and feel less confident, as every business owner on their way to six figures feels at some point, it’s most important to recognize that you are the biggest influencer in your life. When you recognize your influence over you, it's a game changer.

2. Lucy Bedewi—Founder of My Write Hand Woman, empowering women-owned ventures as they scale with strategic messaging and bold copy.

My experience: I scaled my business by transitioning from traditional project-based packages to a VIP Day model. I was able to free up hours of time, and pour those hours into content creation, networking, and client acquisition. If you're having a hard time getting to the six-figure mark, my advice would be to make sure your business model can support hitting that revenue mark without you having to work more than 20 hours a week. Those extra 10 to 20 hours can be used to make sure you have precious CEO time to scale into your sustainable business model.

3. Jessica Alderson—Co-Founder and CEO of So Syncd, a dating app that matches compatible personality types.

My experience: At So Syncd, we maintain a rigorous focus on our core metrics. Tracking key performance indicators on a daily basis enables us to understand the return on investment within each area of the business. With this knowledge, we can make informed decisions about how to allocate capital and resources to optimize the business for growth. Data-driven decision-making has been fundamental for us in scaling our business.

4. Melissa Lohrer—Founder of Waverly Ave Consulting, an independent, female-founded fractional business development partner and coach for agencies on the rise.

My experience: I built a six-figure business in the first six months of launching my business. When I launched, I had an ambitious revenue goal and a flexible schedule that would give me the opportunity to live the life I wanted. Then I determined how many clients I needed per month, quarter, and year. The hardest thing for founders is saying no to the wrong clients; the clients who don't want to pay you what you're worth or find value in your offer. Those clients take up your time and hold you back from reaching your goals.

5. Alice Kim—Founder and CEO of PerfectDD, a mission-driven sustainable clothing brand designed to fit and flatter DD+ cups, sizes 0-16.

My experience: Keep reiterating your message. Since you live and breathe your business, you may think your audience has heard your message before, but it’s always good to remind them. With so many distractions in our lives, statistics show that less than 10 percent of your followers on Instagram see your post/story on any given day. If you send emails, check your open and click rates. If people didn’t open your email, try changing the subject line and resend. They signed up for a reason; now it’s your job to engage and show them value. If they opened your email but didn’t click, try changing the image or phrase your message in a different way. It’s important to check metrics for every output produced. Reiterate what worked and ditch what didn’t.

6. Meredith Fennessy—Founder of Le Chéile, where boutique creative studio and agency founders regain creative freedom and grow profitable businesses.

My experience: Network, network, network. Continue to grow your community and make meaningful connections for others. Direct referrals are your best friend.

7. Sara Miller—Founder of Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA), supporting passionate student organ donation advocates who share the life-saving power of organ donation.

My experience: From the very beginning of scaling SODA, we prioritized finding aligned partners—other organizations who shared the same goals as us but had different strengths. By valuing and collaborating with these partners, we were able to form meaningful and lasting relationships that have resulted in revenue, generated leads, and created visibility. My advice for others is to ask yourself who is doing complementary work and to reach out to learn more about what they're doing and to ask to collaborate!

8. Selena Soo—Founder of Selena Soo, a publicity and marketing expert helping coaches, consultants, and creatives reach millions with their message.

My experience: If you want to scale your business, scale your visibility. In other words, instead of connecting with one person at a time, share your message with many people at once. You can do this through podcast interviews, writing articles for online publications, or speaking on stages. There are an infinite number of ways to scale your reach. The most important thing is to just get started!

9. Claudia Richman—Co-Founder of Starling Training, offering cohort-based, virtual, synchronous training designed to sharpen the skills that build productive, supportive relationships.

My experience: Focusing on emotional intelligence has been the key to breaking the six-figure barrier for Starling Training. By keeping the people part of business front and center, we’ve built connections with like-minded leaders who understand that growing their people will ultimately grow their bottom line. Our training introduces concepts that often aren’t taught or measured and give people a safe space to experiment and learn, which ultimately results in deeper business relationships with high return on investment.

10. Hannah Nieves—Founder and CEO of HN Haus, a community and social club for women in business, helping six- and seven-figure founders magnify their influence and amplify their reach.

My experience: The first step is self-trust. You have to believe you can achieve six figures before any strategy and action is taken. To get to six figures you need a strong offer and clear positioning and messaging that directly speaks to your target audience. Once you can provide a transformation it's all about the client experience to help with retention, referrals, and repeat business.

11. Katie Ward—Owner of Katie Ward Photography, a full service photo studio that specializes in editorial, brand/advertising, and portrait photography.

My experience: As a solopreneur, the most important step to reaching a sustainable six-figure business was to have profitable pricing. Without sitting, doing the accounting, and understanding, annually, how much it costs to run my business, how often I want to be working, and how much I want to make, I would have burned out and closed my business years ago. By being profitable, I can fully show up for myself and for my clients who are trusting me to produce the highest quality of work.

12. Vivian Chen—Founder and CEO of Rise, a leading diversity recruiting platform for ambitious professionals. 

My experience: My business had almost no revenue coming out of Covid-19. I had a make-or-break moment where I gave myself one more quarter to give it a shot. During those months, I remember telling myself, "A business is an exchange of value for a product or service. So go prove that your business has value." And I became laser-focused on revenue. I firmly believed that if I didn't invest in myself and the tools I needed, why would others? So, I made a conscious decision to invest in software that truly leveled up my operations. It was a game-changer. For a solid three months, I ignored all emails except for those that were revenue-related. My efforts paid off and we broke even. Then, within a mere two quarters, we were profitable. My advice to fellow founders who are aspiring to achieve similar growth is to prioritize revenue-generating activities and have the courage to invest in themselves to support their goals.

13. Kimone Napier—Founder of Hire Breakthrough, dedicated to helping founders overcome hiring challenges and achieve breakthroughs.

My experience: To scale my business to six figures, I implemented a targeted marketing and lead generation strategy. By focusing on attracting and converting qualified leads, I was able to achieve consistent growth. My advice for other founders is to prioritize building strong client relationships, providing exceptional customer service, and staying adaptable to industry trends. Delegating tasks outside of your core strengths can also help free up time for high-impact activities that drive business growth.

14. Joanna Sapir—Founder of Joanna Sapir Presents, LLC, providing health and wellness practitioners with education and resources to build more resilient and sustainable businesses.

My experience: Don't be afraid to invest money in support for you and your business. This can look like coaching, consulting, or hiring help. It's so worth it to spend money on learning skills or receiving services that will directly help you make more money. The key is to make sure that investment provides you a great return.

15. Nirali Guzman—Founder and CEO of Casa Amarosa, a thoughtfully curated collection of home and lifestyle goods, with an unwavering commitment to sustainability and culturally progressive design.

My experience: To scale Casa Amarosa to six figures and beyond, we optimized our supply chain, building strong relationships with artisan communities for a steady supply of unique products. My advice to founders is to deeply understand your market and align your business model accordingly. Build a committed team and never compromise on product quality. Remember: scaling isn’t just about growth in size, but also in value delivered to your customers.

16. Sarah Lambert—Founder of The Rosewood Agency, a course creation agency for service providers who want to create passive income so they can have a greater impact and get their time back.

My experience: My own personal development has been absolutely crucial in building a multiple six-figure online business. I went all in on my business after having my first baby in 2019, and I had no idea how much it was going to force me to grow personally. It doesn't matter how great your strategy is, your business can only grow as quickly as you are. In order to create a six-figure business, focus more on who you're being, your emotional intelligence, and leadership, and less on hacking the social algorithms. You'll be blown away by what you're capable of creating.

17. Marnie Rabinovitch Consky—Founder and CEO of Thigh Society, a brand of size-inclusive, anti-chafing slip-short underwear designed to help women move through the world with comfort and confidence.

My experience: Hire out for key leadership positions earlier than it may feel like you need them. No founder can possibly do all things well at once, and no brand can scale without bringing on a strong leadership team of experts who bring high-level knowledge in their specific areas of expertise and experience. When I decided to go all-in on Thigh Society, I brought on a Chief Marketing Officer, a joint Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Our CFO/COO brought in an ability to nurture supplier relationships, forecast inventory, manage cash flow, and carve a path to maintaining profitability as we grow. Our CMO brought in a small but mighty team to ensure that, as a direct-to-consumer brand, we were investing in, experimenting with, and iterating on marketing strategies that drive growth. Spend the money. These people are worth the investment, and your future growth will thank you for it.

18. Fiona Nguyen—Founder of Balannx, a virtual CPA firm that provides CFO, tax, and accounting advisory for female founders.

My experience: Building a strong community is the key to success, contrary to the belief that the business is transactional. Once you build a strong community that roots for each other, you cultivate a stronger root for your business and it sustains your growth for a long time. Through working on nurturing relationships, I have been able to build a sustainable business. We could never grow our business without them. My advice for other entrepreneurs is to pay attention to that one client you have in front of you and do everything you can to help them. That is the root of your community.

19. Sally Joy Wolf—Founder and CEO of LightWorks, empowering executives and their teams to flourish through well-being advisory, keynotes, workshops, and coaching.

My experience: Even when I'm focused on growing, I'm still willing to say "no" when amazing opportunities don't feel quite right. My first six-figure client cold called me after seeing me in the guest slot on a popular LinkedIn Live. As excited as I was when invited, I declined the first two dates they offered me, both the week of July 4th, given it's such a big holiday week. When no other dates were available, I chose to wait until something better opened. Despite being a new entrepreneur, I believed I was worthy of a better date, and having the confidence to wait paid off.

20. Tsvetta Kaleynska—CEO of Rila Global Consulting, a boutique social listening agency located in New York City, studying consumers, brands, markets, and trends.

My experience: To scale my business to seven figures, I leveraged free online resources. First I started with free email-finding services to create a targeted client list by gathering their email addresses. This allowed me to focus on reaching out to the right people. For streamlined outreach, I relied on no-cost email sequencing email add-ons. These tools automated follow-ups and lead qualification, freeing up my time for other tasks. Consistently using these completely free resources, I generated leads, nurtured relationships, and closed huge deals. It was cost efficient and helped me own everything in-house, which resulted in remarkable results. My advice to other founders: explore free online resources. Utilize tools that identify potential clients, automate outreach, and manage leads effectively. Leverage these resources to save time and money while achieving significant growth. Stay focused and consistent, and adapt strategies based on results.

21. Ashley Rector—Founder of Quimby Digital, providing organic and paid social media services to revolutionary brands looking to stand out online.

My experience: If you want to scale, you need to learn how to delegate. The biggest mistake is thinking you’re an expert at everything and can do it all yourself. You will propel your growth three times by figuring out what you do poorly and hiring someone smarter than you to do it!

22. Sarah Loughry—Founder and CEO of Em Dash Blogging, an end-to-end solution for content.

My experience: Hire and outsource. I chose to hire my first employee months before paying myself. Obviously, I would have preferred to start seeing a personal income, but hiring help allowed me to focus on business development. This turned out to be pivotal in our growth. Not only was I able to scale more quickly but I also built a nest egg.

23. Lis Best—Founder and CEO of Girls Club Collective, an intentionally intimate personal and professional development community for change agents.

My experience: The No. 1 thing I did to scale my business to six figures was get crystal clear on who my dream clients are, what their challenges are, and what they want. I conduct what I call dream client interviews at least once a year to find out what people are craving, where they're going for connection, and what's feeling most sticky in their lives and careers. There is no substitute for getting on the phone with real, actual people. Making time to listen and craft my programs and offers around what real people are actually looking for right now is the biggest thing that helped me scale my business to and past the six-figure mark.

24. Amanda Aldinger—CEO of Antonym, a white glove copywriting and voice strategy studio that conspires with industry-defining beauty, food, and lifestyle brands.

My experience: Early on—when Antonym was a nameless vision—I invested in an expert brand-building process, yielding a clear strategy, name, visual identity, website, and the assets a luxury creative studio required to show up with professional panache. Most importantly, I refused to rush it, which has become a devoted practice for all Antonym's internal transformations. It's a more significant investment and more time upfront, but each project—from our original branding to a brand refresh four years later and the current overhaul of our entire ops system and process—has led to ascendant interior growth, a transformation of our services and client experience, and in turn, a steady, organic increase in revenue. Time-starved desperation rarely yields impactful results, and a rush toward growth you can't support is neither sustainable nor net profitable.

25. Natasha Miller—Founder and CEO of Entire Productions, creating bold experiences for corporate entities that drive guest engagement and brand evangelism.

My experience: Our system and processes enabled us to produce 777 events in one year with only two people in operations. We couldn't have done it if we didn't have the framework and foundation in place. I ran my business with a do-it-yourself mindset for years. It wasn't until I started seriously educating myself in solid business practices and learning from mentors and advisors that I skyrocketed our growth!

—Written by Gesche Haas

About the author: Gesche Haas is the Founder and CEO of Dreamers & Doers, an award-winning community that amplifies extraordinary women entrepreneurs and leaders through PR, authentic connections, and high-impact resources. Prior to founding Dreamers & Doers, Gesche held senior positions at venture-backed companies covering growth, strategy, finance, operations and business development. She also spent five years as an investor at a healthcare-focused hedge fund. Gesche is half German, half Chinese-Malaysian, and was born in Swaziland, Africa. She lives with her two kids, husband, dog and chickens, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Here's Exactly What To Say to a Client Who Is Late With a Payment (or Two)

There are lots of things that may keep you up at night as a self-employed person—and late payments from clients is one of them. An estimated 29 percent of freelance invoices are paid late, according to new reports. As such, chances are good that, if you work for yourself, learning how to handle late payments from clients is a skill worth acquiring.

It may feel awkward to do so, but discussing late payments with clients is necessary for the security of your business because late payments disrupt cash flow needed to cover business expenses and personal needs. Their financial strain can also impact your ability to meet financial obligations, invest in your business, and maintain work-life balance, as well as strain relationships with clients and affect credit ratings, leading to reduced operational flexibility and increased stress.

In my experience, people are typically afraid to approach a client about late payments because they’re afraid of annoying or upsetting the client. But here's the thing:

Your clients do not hold all of the power.

They should be just as concerned with annoying or upsetting you by being late with their payments. And more likely than not, these situations can be easily solved with some good ole fashioned communication. So let’s break down how to approach and communicate with your clients about a late payment. Because you need to get paid.

Scenario No. 1

You’ve been working with a new client and after the first month of service, you've submitted your invoice. Another month of work has gone by and you’re about to submit your second invoice but haven’t been paid for the first invoice you submitted. You originally agreed to payment schedule terms with your client at the start of your working relationship and put a “net 30” payment deadline in your scope of work and invoice. 

If the terms have been agreed upon and this is the first time you and your client are working together, it may take time to get the first payment process into rotation with human resources (HR) and accounts payable (AP). 

While this isn’t ideal for any situation, it’s one of the many hurdles of freelance life, and it’s better to prepare for it than not; but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say anything when a payment is late either.

Say this:

“I’m getting ready to submit my second invoice and wanted to let you know I still haven’t received payment for last month’s services. Do you have everything you need from me to get this processed? If so, can you please let me know when payment is expected to come through?”

Don’t say 

“….” (Silence is not an option here.)

The breakdown

When it comes to talking to your client about getting paid, more people opt for saying nothing over something. It’s imperative you keep an open dialogue about payment processing so you can better manage your personal finances. 

Freelancers don’t have the luxury of bi-monthly paychecks, and your clients will understand this. Remember, your services are an investment, and they should respect your time and business by actively communicating when payment may be late.

If you approach your client about a late payment and they’re able to share why it’s running late and when it will be processed, that’s a great first step. Take note and document it in a follow-up email with the information that was shared if the conversation is held in person or over the phone.

From there, hold your clients accountable. If the date comes that they said you’d receive payment and it doesn’t process, follow up with another email. Chances are, there’s another department that handles payments and your client will do their due diligence to make sure you get paid.

Scenario No. 2

You’ve submitted not one, but two invoices that have not been processed. You’ve approached your client about the first late payment and they gave you a timeline for when it would be processed. Now you have two late invoices and it’s time to submit invoice number three.

Say this:

“I’m getting ready to submit my third invoice and have still yet to receive payment for my first or second invoices. The terms we agreed upon have not been met and I’ve followed up several times to try and resolve this matter together. With respect, I will have to cease my services if these late invoices aren’t processed by one week from today. I hope you can understand the difficult circumstance this puts me in and that we can work together to reach a solution.”

I have a feeling this is going to cause some mouths to drop.

What? Cease services? 

YES. You need to get paid!

Freelancers, hear me! This is business 101. 

Clients and freelancers create a circle. You should be getting just as much value from the relationship as your client is getting from you. This isn’t just measured in dollars. This is measured in reliability and respect. If you have continually met your deliverables and communicated your expectations for payments and they’re not being met, then it’s time to take a stand.

It will be difficult, but it is necessary. And it will light the fire under your client’s butt because if you’re doing your job right, having you around makes their work-life easier, and they should want to keep you happy and, ultimately, paid.

This article was written by Audrey Adair-Keene and has been updated. 

The Biggest Marketing Mistake to Avoid—Plus 4 Key Marketing Tips From Gray Whale Gin Founder Jan Livingston Mokhtari

When launching a new consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand—i.e. products that are consumed by people on a daily or frequent basis—developing the right marketing strategy can be just as important as the product itself. Effective storytelling is a powerful tool that can help establish connection and trust between the consumer, product, and the company, which ultimately drives revenue growth. In competitive markets, having a strong narrative can set you apart from other brands, increase the likelihood for people to share your story, and lead to a loyal customer base that boosts overall success.

More than half of consumers (57 percent) will increase their spending with a brand when they feel a strong connection, and 76 percent will buy from them over a competitor, according to a study from Sprout Social. Connection is heavily built through storytelling, something award-winning creative director turned eco-entrepreneur Jan Livingston Mokhtari knows firsthand.

A power player in the marketing industry for over 20 years, the former head of creative for Fox Networks Group’s first branded content was once named one of Business Insider’s “Most Creative Women in Advertising.” Livingston Mokhtari led brand-building campaigns for heavyweights like Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Target, Nestle, and T-Mobile. Her passion for narrative also transcends into filmmaking—she’s been a creator, writer, and showrunner for networks like E! and Comedy Central. 

Given her expertise in marketing and storytelling, it’s no surprise that when she set out to launch Gray Whale Gin in 2016 alongside her husband, Marsh Mokhtari, the company quickly became the fastest-growing craft gin in the country. Storytelling is key in every touchpoint of the brand, down to the ingredients. Inspired by a family camping trip in Big Sur where they spotted a gray whale and its calf on their migratory journey, the company infuses this core narrative in its name, purpose, botanical ingredients, packaging, and even proceeds from its sales.

“These creatures have been making the longest-known migration to man for [more than 30 million years], and it started this conversation of how could we tell that story through a spirit that celebrates California, is made from California botanicals, and gives back to ocean conversation,” says Livingston Mokhtari on the latest episode of WorkParty. 

The result is an award-winning gin infused with locally sourced botanicals (including sea kelp) that is sustainably packaged in an ocean-inspired teal bottle showcasing a gray whale tail. One percent of all sales go to supporting ocean conservation and the creatures within it.  

Having built her company from the ground up, Livingston Mokhtari has plenty of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to do the same—especially when it comes to marketing. For her, the biggest mistake brands can make is overcomplicating the narrative. “I see a lot of young brands telling too many stories in too many places,” she says. Streamlining is key as to not confuse the consumer and detract from your central message.

Here, she shares four key marketing tips for those looking to build their brand:

1. Always come back to your core story

Storytelling happens at so many different touch points throughout the customer’s journey, and it’s important to stay consistent. Make sure you’re staying on brand with your company’s mission and always consider your core narrative when making decisions for stronger impact. 

2. Before saying ‘yes’ to opportunities, ask yourself if it aligns with your brand

As your company grows, so too will the business opportunities. Whether you’re presented with a partnership, collaboration, or asked to participate in an event (big or small), make sure that it’s right for your brand. Does it align with your company’s purpose, values, and core narrative? Will it make sense to the customer that you said “yes” to this?  

3. Authenticity is key

Make sure that all brand decisions are coming from an authentic place. For example, if you’re invited to an event and know that influential people will be there in attendance, you must ask yourself if saying “yes” is coming from an authentic place with the other partnerships that you have. Try not to get caught up in opportunities or trends that will detract from your core message and company purpose. 

4. It’s just as important to say ‘no’

Opportunities may come along and they may be big, but they could spread your team or your budget too thin. After winning awards, several distributors asked Gray Whale Gin to be in their states, but they turned them down. “If you’re in 48 states and you’re only selling 5,000 cases, then that’s not a good efficient use of your budget, your time, or your founder’s time,” she says. “We recognized that we were in one of the largest craft gin markets in the world, which was California/Los Angeles, so we just focused on California. That was a really smart move because when the strategists were interested and wanted to have conversations with us, the data of 3.5 percent of the market in California was enough on its own.” 

Livingston Mokhtari was able to stay focused on marketing, which at the time, was the bottle, events, and organic social media, and that decision helped prevent her from overextending herself and her team, allowing the company to grow organically at a pace it could sustain.

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson for more key learnings from her illustrious career in advertising and how she built Gray Whale Gin into the successful brand it is today.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mNIuQqWZ96pBvuwvUVWU4?si=160d07a2fc8740cf

RESOURCES

OTHER EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE

Hot Takes With Robyn DelMonte of GirlBossTown: Your Guilty Pleasure Can Ultimately Be Your Biggest Money Maker

FORM Co-Founders Sami Clarke and Sami Bernstein Spalter on Navigating the Fitness Industry as Best Friends and Business Partners

Hot Takes With Cheval: Don’t Forget Yourself While Chasing Your Dreams

LEAD Founder and CEO Francis Tesmer On Taking Your Education to the Next Level in the $500 Billion Beauty Industry

Hot Takes With Your Rich BFF’s Vivian Tu: You Shouldn’t Date People Who Aren’t Financially Stable + Not Everyone Has To Go To College

,

4 Tips for Leveraging Blank Space to Build Your Brand From Jordan Zaslow, Founder of Her Bold Move

,

When starting a new venture, the pathway to finding the critical gap in the market is rarely defined as one “aha” moment. Many aspiring entrepreneurs employ strategies such as defining the value-add in their respective industries, getting clear on company purpose and objectives, understanding their target audience, and evaluating market conditions and competition. Yes, there is always research to be conducted, but that’s not necessarily all there is to it. 

For Boston-based entrepreneur and activist Jordan Zaslow, sometimes it’s just about trusting your gut and taking the plunge. Prior to the pandemic, the former producer and director built a career in entertainment—with stints at media giants like E! Networks, Fox Broadcasting, Creative Artists Agency, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Hearst Television—and is best known for her viral videos of social experiments that she created and directed in partnership with Ashton Kutcher and his company A Plus. She eventually founded her own production company after working with big-name partners like CVS, Disney, Procter & Gamble, Doctors Without Borders, and more. 

But when production was shut down in 2020 due to COVID, Zaslow found herself, like millions of others, looking for purpose—and she certainly found it. 

Fueled by a tumultuous U.S. election cycle that same year, along with rising social, economic, and political tensions, there was a collective spotlight and interest in taking action that would lead to greater change. With several high-level media and production heads out of work (and countless contacts at her disposal), Zaslow saw a unique opportunity to leverage their shared background in storytelling to support women running for office across the country. She began speaking to candidates first-hand and quickly learned how urgent the need was for support (a lesson for any aspiring entrepreneur to get out in the field to truly understand the need in the market).

“We got to see firsthand the obstacles that they were up against,” says Zaslow, highlighting the persistent misogyny, sexism, and double standards these candidates face in the political space. “We didn’t realize how emotionally taxing this is for women and how the support they need isn’t just financial—it’s often knowing that there’s a group that they can call if there’s a miscellaneous issue.” 

Together with a coalition of media professionals, Zaslow oversaw the creation of 75 pro bono campaign ads for women candidates across 18 states—including Cori Bush, Pat Timmons Goodson, and the entire Democratic slate of candidates running for Federal Office in West Virginia—and rallied thousands of people to join their coalition, all by the end of the 2020 election cycle. The success of her efforts and collective support led her to found Her Bold Move, an organization that is working to break glass ceilings and support women in politics (among them is Karen Bass, the recently appointed mayor of Los Angeles). Her Bold Move now has a coalition of several thousand people and has supported more than 140 candidates across 27 states to date. 

“The question of viability is often weighed very heavily when institutional endorsers are deciding whether or not to support a candidate,” says Zaslow. “We wanted to find a way to change the definition of a viable candidate and also change the outcome of elections so that candidates who were once not thought to be valuable might have a fighting chance.” 

Growing engagement and interest on social media further solidified the need and support for her organization’s mission. “A lot of Gen Z followers would reach out to us and ask how to get involved,” says Zaslow. Some users were even invited to the company’s weekly Zoom calls to learn more about what they were working on and see if there were opportunities to get involved. Social media can often act as a focus group to gain first-hand insight into what’s working, what needs improvement, and promote active participation with your brand’s network that will further your company’s mission and overall success. 

After successfully shifting industries and finding the critical gap in her own market, Zaslow shares four actionable tips for entrepreneurs looking to do the same.

1. Don’t wait until you know everything to make the jump

As women, we sometimes try to tread carefully and think that we need to have all of our research before we just dive in. We have this vision for how our career is going to be five or 10 years down the road. But if everyone who ever did anything important waited until they knew everything, nothing important would ever happen.

2. Resist the urge to prove yourself by "wearing all the hats" or doing everything yourself

Hire or collaborate with smart, talented people (who share your enthusiasm) and let them shine. [For example, in the beginning] raising money was completely foreign to me. We connected with a great fundraising firm that helps us with grassroots fundraising, and that was how we got off the ground. As soon as we had success with grassroots fundraising, everything else just kind of fell into place.

3. Be unapologetically honest when there are things you don't know 

People will respect the authenticity and be glad to help expand your knowledge. 

4. Trust your gut

While feedback and constructive criticism can be of enormous value, they can also trip you up. If you have a clear vision for what you're building, try not to let outside opinions slow you down. 

, , , , ,

6 Tips for Creating a Productive Work-From-Home Environment

, , , , ,

Working from home. It sounds great in theory, but it actually takes a lot of discipline to establish a routine that makes working from home productive and fulfilling. Given that many companies are currently implementing work from home policies to help flatten the curve and prevent the spread of COVID-19, I feel compelled to share my tried-and-true tips for creating a productive work-from-home environment.

As someone who’s been freelancing and working from home for the past five years, I’ve gone through all of the ups and downs WFH life can present—from feeling lonely and needing to talk to someone to needing to get out of the house and take a break (while practicing social distancing, of course). Scroll on for my tips on how to create a dedicated work space, set office hours, eliminate distracts, and more.

Create a Dedicated Work Space

Find a place in your home that you can dedicate to work. This will be different for everyone, and while I highly encourage having a desk, a dining room table or breakfast bar are great substitutes.

I don’t recommend your workspace be on your couch or on anything where you can recline. While I love being on my laptop and having my feet up on my couch, I am never as productive as I am when sitting upright.

When choosing a space for work in your home, try to find an area that has the following:

Find a space that you can check-in for work and check-out for everything you’d typically do while at home.

Set Office Hours

As a freelancer, it’s incredibly important to have office hours. Not only to manage client expectations but to give yourself structure.

Setting office hours should empower you to develop a routine for yourself like you typically would if you had a 9-to-5 office job. You’d wake up in the morning, enjoy your morning cup of coffee, maybe squeeze in a yoga class before you get dressed, and head to work. The same should be taken into consideration when you work from home.

Freelance life is supposed to allow you to do all of the things you want to do with your time. Don’t let it create an opposite effect where you convince yourself to always be on and working just because you’re able to do it from the freedom of your own home.

Eliminate Distractions

It’s so important to eliminate any distractions from your home that would take you away from getting work done. For me, I need my home to be clean - period. If the home isn’t tidy, I’m not focused.

Other distractions I try to eliminate are:

If you find yourself being distracted by a common theme throughout your days, find a way to eliminate that distraction so you can stay focused and do your best work.

Get Out of Your PJs

We all have days where we want to stay in our PJs, but it’s important to get out of the jammies and into something that says, “my day has started.”

Most of the time I will change out of PJs and into activewear or comfortable denim. I’ll wash my face, brush my teeth and hair, put on some CC cream and deodorant, and then get to work. It’s a small effort that makes a big difference.

Talk To Someone

One of the biggest things I didn’t realize about working from home is just how lonely it can be.

You are by yourself all day and unless you have clients who love phone calls, most of your correspondence will primarily be done through email. It’s important to talk to someone; anyone. Make time to pick up the phone and call a relative or an old friend. Schedule calls with people in your network so you don’t lose your conversation skills.

I realized a change in myself probably around my second or third year of freelancing, where I would struggle with conversation because I just wasn’t having any. I’d either talk too long or too fast, have difficulty forming sentences, and just felt awkward. This is not me.

Now I talk to everyone.

I am not shy when it comes to conversation and make an effort to have a casual chat with just about anybody I come into contact with throughout the day. That’s people I pass by when I’m walking the dogs, the barista at Alfred’s, Anthony who does my nails at Olive & June, Mary who delivers our mail… AN-Y-BOD-Y.

Get Out of the House

How many of you working from home and reading this typically don’t leave your house during the workweek? 🙋 I get it.

Your home is your office and your office is your home, but it’s still important to get out of the house every once in a while. Keep yourself active and engaged with things happening in your community so you can get out of your PJs, talk to somebody, and enjoy those office hours! (You like what I did there?)

It’s important to get outside and break away from work so you can actually stay engaged in work.

When I spend hours on my computer without any breaks my mind becomes fatigued, and I become less productive. So I’ll take the dogs for a longer walk, do a workout class on my balcony, or take my laptop to the coffee shop down the road and just take in a bit of new scenery to help adjust my internal boss mode.

So if you’re feeling uninspired or having trouble getting anything done, give yourself a break and get out.

About the author: Audrey Adair is a seasoned freelance communications professional and founder of The Scope, a platform providing resources and community to freelancers and the self-employed. Connect with The Scope on Instagram and join their email list to receive your free resource, The Freelancer Starter Kit.

This story was originally published on March 5, 2019, and has since been updated.

, ,

Robyn DelMonte of GirlBossTown's Lesser-Known Tips for Monetizing as a Content Creator

, ,

Known as “The Internet’s Agent” to millions on TikTok, Robyn DelMonte of GirlBossTown left her corporate job in 2021 and hasn’t looked back since. The 29-year-old New England native has built her career as a content creator, dishing out no-holds-barred marketing and public relations advice to brands (and stars) on social media that have gone viral. 

While it's widely known that content creators make revenue from sponsored content, DelMonte says they ought to tap into their Internet know-how and lean into consulting. She speaks from personal experience. Her knack for innovative, Gen-Z-driven advice helped DelMonte launch a full-fledged consulting business through which she’s worked with clients including Dunkin’ and Infinity. 

“As a creator, the knowledge that you hold of how to connect and speak with an audience, what is going on on TikTok, and having your finger on the pulse of Internet culture and knowing how to translate that, you can go to brands with that knowledge and monetize that,” says DelMonte on the latest episode of WorkParty. 

In many ways, creating a viral video is like producing a successful ad campaign in and of itself. “You can take that knowledge and monetize that,” she says. “Brands would love to sit and speak with people [who regularly create viral videos.] Not that there’s a formula for going viral, but having that knowledge is so important and your voice needs to be heard with these brands.”

Secondly, DelMonte advises that content creators attend conferences and have the confidence to explore the business side more intimately. “The things you learn and the connections you make at these business conferences will set you up for success,” says DelMonte. “Know that the knowledge you’re gaining through creating is just as valuable as traditional job experience.”

For more expert tips from DelMonte (plus hot takes on how to make your guilty pleasure your biggest money maker), tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson.

, ,

FORM Founder Sami Clarke's 5 Tips for Standing Out on TikTok

, ,

With more than a billion active users worldwide, TikTok is far more than just a popular app for viral dance routines and comedic clips. The video-sharing platform is also utilized as a strategic marketing tool for businesses to boost success (and nearly five million are using the app for just that). 

Companies often utilize TikTok to increase brand awareness on a rapid scale, build and engage with online communities (i.e. potential customers), promote products or services, develop partnerships, and assess competitors within their respective markets. It’s also a chance to get creative with video clips and establish more connectivity between brands and consumers. 

But with millions of users saturating the TikTok world, how do brands or businesses stand out among the rest? While there may not be a concrete formula for viral success, Sami Clarke—influencer and founder of the digital wellness platform FORM—seems to have it all figured out. 

Together with her business partner and co-founder Sami Bernstein Spalter, the 29-year-old fitness instructor has built a cult following for her motivational workout videos, lifestyle inspo, and self-love approach. Millions of users tune in to her TikTok account for all things wellness, as well as community and connection. This July, the company also launched its new activewear line, the promo for which garnered over 30,000 plays on TikTok.

"All of our teasers have just gone out on socials and the amount of engagement and interaction and excitement behind what we’re doing just shows that we’re not going to need to market outside of just talking to our people," says Bernstein Spalter on the latest episode of WorkParty.

Clarke’s presence on social media has undoubtedly played a role in the success of the brand. Here, she shares five key tips for those looking to stand out on TikTok.

1. Always focus on the content that you want to create. There are so many different people doing workouts, of course, and every space is saturated, but what makes it different is YOU. 

2. Don’t jump on all the trends, but follow the ones that actually do feel exciting and enticing for you. 

3. Think about what content you like to consume. I was very resistant about doing ‘get ready with me’ videos because everyone was doing them, but [those were the kinds of videos I enjoyed] watching. The moment I started doing them within the realm of wellness and talking to camera, my videos were blowing up. 

4. Think about what content your community is craving. You’ll know what people want from you because it’ll get the most attraction.

5. Always stay true to yourself—I know that’s so cliche to say, but it really is so true. 

Tune into WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson for more on how Sami Clarke and Sami Bernstein Spalter propelled FORM to success in just two years—plus tips on navigating friendship and business partnership.

, , ,

10 Work-Life Balance Books That Belong on Your To-Read List

, , ,

Achieving your career goals, trying to be a successful adult, and keeping your personal life in check can sometimes feel impossible. (If you’re juggling a million tasks and still trying to find time to watch The Bachelor with the girls, trust us, we know the struggle). But no matter how often you may feel overwhelmed, it’s important to know that you can find the balance you’re looking for—it may just take a new way of thinking and organizing your everyday life. 

Luckily, there are resources and mentors with proven methods and insights that will help you find the balance between living your best life and getting to work on time. No one ever said achieving work-life balance would be easy, but with these 10 insightful new books, you will be well on your way to reaching both your professional and personal goals in no time. Written by 10 fierce females who know a thing or two about running their own businesses and carving out time for themselves, you’ll find true wisdom and hope in the pages of these self-help and business-focused books. 

From the creator of one of the biggest natural hygiene companies to Netflix sensation Marie Kondo to a single mother from the Middle East who rose to the top of the tech industry, these books will leave you with anecdotes that will help you find the work-life balance you’ve been craving. If you want to find the perfect work-life balance, add these insightful books to your to-read pile ASAP.

Written by Ashley Johnson, content editor, She Reads.

About the Author:

Ashley Johnson is the content editor at She Reads, an online media outlet that specializes in promoting books and authors with a female-centric approach. In addition to editorial roundups, exclusive author content and thought pieces, She Reads is committed to building a community of readers who love nothing more than getting lost in a good book.

Up next: Gwyneth Paltrow, Marie Kondo, Tyra Banks, and More on the #1 Book They Always Recommend

This story was originally published on March 13, 2019, and has since been updated.

,

A Solid Digital Marketing Strategy Needs To Have These 7 Elements

,

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, small businesses have a tremendous opportunity to thrive by embracing a digital-first approach to marketing. Companies with digital-first strategies are 64 percent more likely to achieve their business goals than their peers who aren’t, according to Forbes.

With the vast reach and accessibility of the internet, businesses can leverage various digital marketing practices to effectively engage with their target audience and drive growth. So how do you know which marketing practices are best for digital-first small businesses? Here, we’re highlighting strategies that can maximize online visibility, enhance customer engagement, and boost overall success.

But before we dive into it, it’s important to understand what’s driving the shift toward digital-first marketing in the first place. By in large, it’s been fueled by changing consumer behaviors and the increasing reliance on digital channels for information, entertainment, and commerce. Fifty-five percent of consumers polled learn about new brands on social media, according to the social media management firm Sprout Social’s State of Social Media Report.

For small businesses, adopting digital marketing practices is no longer a luxury but a necessity to stay competitive and reach their target market effectively. To establish a strong online presence, small businesses need a well-defined digital marketing strategy. This strategy should align with the business’s objectives and target audience. It should encompass various elements such as search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and paid advertising (more on all those below).

Essentially, a comprehensive digital marketing strategy serves as a roadmap for small businesses seeking to establish a strong online presence. It involves identifying target audiences, understanding their needs and preferences, and developing tailored marketing approaches. Here are eight best practices to begin implementing now.

1. Optimize for Search Engines

Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a vital role in improving a small business's online visibility. By optimizing website content and structure, businesses can rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), driving organic traffic to their websites. Key SEO practices include keyword research, on-page optimization, quality content creation, link building, and website performance optimization. Small businesses should focus on local SEO to target their specific geographic market effectively.

2. Create Content Marketing

Creating and distributing valuable and relevant content is essential for digital-first small businesses. Content marketing helps build brand authority, attract and engage potential customers, and drive website traffic. Small businesses can produce blog articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, and other content formats that resonate with their target audience. Sharing this content across various digital channels, including social media, email newsletters, and industry specific platforms, helps increase brand visibility and generate leads.

3. Engage on Social Media

Social media platforms provide a powerful means of connecting with your target audience and fostering engagement. Small businesses should identify the social media platforms that their key demo frequents and create a strong presence on those platforms. By sharing relevant and compelling content, engaging with followers, and leveraging social media advertising, businesses can expand their reach, build brand loyalty, and drive conversions.

4. Leverage Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has emerged as a valuable strategy for digital-first small businesses. Collaborating with influencers in their niche allows businesses to tap into the influencers' established audience and credibility. By partnering with influencers to promote their products or services, small businesses can reach a wider audience, gain trust, and drive sales. One caveat here: It's crucial to select influencers whose values align with the brand and whose followers match the target customer profile.

5. Personalize Customer Experiences

Digital-first small businesses can differentiate themselves by providing personalized experiences to their customers—86 percent of respondents said they'd leave a brand they're loyal to after more than on bad customer experience, according to a survey by the customer engagement platform Emplifi. By leveraging customer data and employing marketing automation tools, businesses can segment their audience and deliver targeted messages, offers, and recommendations. Personalization enhances customer engagement, improves conversion rates, and fosters long-term customer loyalty.

6. Embrace Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most-effective channels for small businesses to communicate with their audience. By building an email list of interested prospects and existing customers, businesses can send targeted and personalized messages. Email marketing enables businesses to nurture leads, share valuable content, announce promotions, and drive conversions. Automation tools like Klaviyo and Mailchimp can streamline the email marketing process, allowing businesses to send automated follow-up sequences and triggered emails based on customer actions.

7. Utilize Data Analytics

Digital-first small businesses should leverage data analytics to gain valuable insights into their marketing efforts. By tracking and analyzing metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, email open rates, and social media engagement, businesses can make data-driven decisions. This information helps identify areas of improvement, optimize marketing campaigns, and allocate resources effectively. Tools like Google Analytics provide valuable data and reports that enable

By integrating these components, businesses ensure that all marketing efforts are cohesive, well-coordinated, and work synergistically toward achieving their business goals. But it’s also important to recognize that digital transformation is an ongoing journey rather than a one-time project. Small businesses must continuously adapt, evolve, and embrace emerging technologies and trends to maintain their competitive edge in the digital age.

, ,

‘I Lost My Brand and the Rights to My Name—Here are 6 Tips for Naming a Company After Yourself if You Plan on Going Into Business With Someone Else’

, ,

Lauded designer and entrepreneur Cheval is no stranger to resilience and reinvention. When the former wedding dress designer, previously known as Hayley Paige Gutman, signed an employer agreement with a bridal retailer in 2011, she never thought that nearly a decade later, she would find herself in a legal battle over the rights to her name and trade.

At the age of 25, the Say Yes to the Dress alum was offered a head designer position for a wedding dress collection that would share her personal name. Having been offered her dream job, she signed a long-term contract without legal counsel and granted her former employer the rights to use her name (Hayley Paige) as a trademark for the collection. It wasn’t until years later when she tried to renegotiate the terms of the contract that the legality of it all would come to a head. The negotiations ultimately turned into her former employer suing her in federal court over ownership rights—and they won. 

“I lost the rights to my name in any business or commerce or even to publicly identify, as well as my right to work in my chosen trade for a five-year period,” says Cheval on the latest episode of WorkParty. She also lost the rights to her social media account, which had over one million followers. “I’ve really had to reassess and come up with a new perspective on life and identity and who I am through all of this.” 

Since then, the designer has legally changed her name and embarked on a journey to rebuild. In 2022, she launched She Is Cheval, a women’s shoe brand incorporating whimsy and ultra-femme details for which she is long beloved. She also founded A Girl Who You Might Know Foundation, which provides resources and legal support for young designers, creatives, and entrepreneurs navigating the contracting process to help them learn their rights under the law. 

Contrary to what you may expect, Cheval still supports the idea of using your own name in your company's branding. “So much of branding is about identity and that is how you can separate yourself from very diluted industries,” she says, “but it’s important to know how to protect yourself.” 

Here, the designer maps out six important tips for negotiating contracts for those looking to name a business after themselves (and also bring on other partners or investors).

1. If you have the means, hire a lawyer to review all contracts

They have the knowledge and expertise to interpret the terms of an agreement and understand the implications of these terms down the line. 

2. Know how to protect yourself and how to position it so that everyone can win

A business is a business at the end of the day and it’s important to make sure your needs are met. Come prepared with data/backup to support the value of your terms. Know what your hardline is in advance, what you could compromise on, and how you will respond if your non-negotiables aren’t met. For additional resources on how to protect yourself, visit Cheval's foundation here.

3. Whatever is being said technically means nothing—it should be in a contract

Everything should be in writing. Don’t assume that anything that’s agreed on verbally or seems mutually understood is legally going to stand up in court.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and have tough conversations up front

The negotiation period is the time to be transparent with any concerns and lay everything out on the table. If you wait until later, there will be no obligation to ensure your needs are met. 

5. Learn how you fight and negotiate early on, whether it’s in business or relationships

Know your strengths, address areas of improvement, and figure out how you’re going to respond in different scenarios before going into negotiations.

6. If you have a gut feeling that something is wrong, it’s okay to walk away

Think about how many potential opportunities there could be out there with other partners who wouldn’t make you feel uneasy. Combat the notion that if you don’t take the deal, you’ll never have another opportunity. Listen to your intuition.

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson for more on prevailing through tough career moments, important negotiation tactics, and candid conversations on rebuilding your identity both professionally and personally.

, ,

Entrepreneur Francis Tesmer on How Soft Skills Boost Success in the Beauty Industry

, ,

With over 25 years of global business under her belt, powerhouse entrepreneur Francis Tesmer attests that a successful career is not just measured by technical expertise, but also the strength of one’s soft skills. These attributes are defined as non-technical skills, such as communication or collaboration, that promotes harmonious and effective interaction. As the founder and CEO of LEAD Rolfs Global Institute, the first-ever college and university degree for beauty professionals, Tesmer is on a mission to provide the tools and resources for students to learn just that—and so much more.  

Eighty five percent of career success comes from having well-developed soft skills and people skills, according to research from Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center. The report also found that hard skills, including technical skills and knowledge, only make up 15 percent of career success.

What’s more, 92  percent of talent professionals and hiring managers say that soft skills, like communication, creativity, collaboration, adaptability, problem-solving, and empathy, are just as important—or more important—than hard skills, according to LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends report. 

These are just a few of the pivotal qualities that can propel your career and set you apart from other candidates, and nowhere are soft skills more pertinent than in today’s beauty industry, whether you’re interacting with clients or leading a team to success. 

“This is an era of collaboration,” says Tesmer on the latest episode of WorkParty, emphasizing the importance of communication with clients and within the community. She also highlights the role of innovation, creativity, and education to develop everything from new products to experiences, and interactions.

“Education is the gap,” says Tesmer, whose accelerated program is giving students and working beauty professionals the opportunity to expand their career options and seek high-level roles. “That has been the whole focus of LEAD, to create that education so that many individuals in this space can fill those executive positions and make a difference, not just for themself, but for their company, for their community, for their society, and for the world.” 

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson to learn how to take your beauty career from trade to profession and stay at the forefront of technology, sustainability, product ingredients, and more in the ever-evolving $500 billion dollar beauty industry. 

, ,

Female-Led Women's Health Apps Are Leading the Way in Data Privacy

, ,

This June marks the one year anniversary of the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively ending a woman’s constitutional right to abortion in the United States. In its aftermath, a resounding alarm echoed throughout the tech world and among health app users over data privacy and protection. The growing concern is that prosecutors in states with abortion bans (now 14 states) could subpoena data, such as location, search history, and personal health information, to criminalize individuals in abortion-related cases. 

The allure of logging health details into an app is simple: ease, function, the ability to take control of your health, and informative feedback/insights at the touch of your fingertips. But unlike traditional medical records, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) does not protect this data as it is intended for personal use. With no federal legislation in place, it’s up to tech companies themselves (or individual states) to ensure data privacy and protection for consumers. 

Ever since the Supreme Court draft decision was leaked in May of 2022, women’s health apps, namely period-tracking apps, have been catapulted to the forefront of debate over ethics, data privacy, and protection. Thousands on Twitter called for the deletion of period-tracking apps altogether. The explosive divide and demand for change highlighted a growing mistrust among users and tech companies.

To fully grasp the gravity of the implications is to understand how many women nationwide rely on these programs. Nearly a third of women in the United States have used a period-tracking app, according to a 2019 survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. One of the most popular apps alone, Flo, has over 240 million downloads and 50 million active users per month. 

Users have increasingly relied on health apps and consented to inputting personal data, but it wasn't until the fallout of Roe v. Wade, that people truly understood the downstream impact of tech without data privacy at the forefront. If they weren't aware before, they certainly are now.

“People are paying attention to the broken systems around our data and how it’s protected,” says Tazin Khan, longtime cyber security specialist and founder of Cyber Collective, a community driven research organization educating individuals on technology, security, and privacy online. “It has ignited the advocates, the ethicists, and the people that care to be fast and move hard to make sure that protection is in place.”

Khan describes data privacy and data protection as two-fold: “Privacy regulation is essentially around the compliance of businesses and how they are maintaining data and hygiene and the way that they’re collecting, storing, and redistributing data,” she says. “It is not about consumer data protection. Consumer data protection is very different, right? Do I have the right to delete? Do I have the right to access my data? Do I have the right to opt out of being opted into something?”

While the overturn of Roe v. Wade has certainly highlighted significant needs for improvement in both categories, it has also brought attention to what some companies are doing right.

Female-led women's health apps putting data privacy first

For Berlin-based period-and-ovulation tracking app Clue, data privacy was always a part of the company’s ethos. Founded and led by women, the Berlin-based app is protected by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), one of the strictest data privacy and protection laws in the world. While it covers various aspects of data protection, including websites, it also includes provisions that protect personal data privacy on apps, from consent requirements, to transparency, to user rights, data security, and more.

In light of growing concerns from American users, the app’s co-CEOs, Carrie Walter and Audrey Tsang, released a statement to its community of 11 million active users stating that private health data will never be shared, including to authorities. “Your personally identifiable health data regarding pregnancies, pregnancy loss or abortion, is kept private and safe. We don’t sell it, we don’t share it for anyone else’s use, we won’t disclose it,” says the release. The GDPR establishes protections over personal data and holds organizations accountable with severe penalties for breaching these protections with fines up to tens of millions of euros.

With the advent of the Dobbs decision, privacy advocates and legislators have been working to impose similar federal protections in the U.S. On the state level, select states have introduced comprehensive data privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which grants users more control over the personal data that businesses can collect. Several tech companies in the U.S. have amended their data privacy and protections, largely in response to the demand of consumers, and users have been receptive to these changes.

Also governed by the GDPR is Natural Cycles, the first FDA-cleared birth control app in the U.S., which measures fertility through body temperature. The company is headquartered in Sweden with operations in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK. Unlike other apps on the market, the company has integrated a subscription-based model, so selling data to third parties was never a part of their revenue stream. (For many companies, it’s common practice to purchase data from third parties for advertising purposes or to gather information about consumer behavior.) 

“We always cared about data privacy and data protection,” says CEO and co-founder Elina Berglund. “But after the Dobbs decision, we felt like we had to take it one step further.” 

Natural Cycles recently developed its NC° Secure program, an advanced data protection program that includes encryption and pseudonymization (a data management system where identifiable information fields are replaced with a pseudonym). Additionally, the company is rolling out a ‘Go Anonymous’ mode. “We’re separating the personal identifiable information from the census related to your health or fertility, such that not even we at Natural Cycles can know which user has sensitive data,” says Berglund. “If one day, we get subpoenaed, we ourselves cannot hand out any information on a user because we don’t know who they are.”  

The only way to link personal identifiable data (such as name, etc.) from sensitive data (such as period data) is through the user’s own key. So while the anonymous user will be able to get the same personalized insights, including fertility status, within the NC° app, there will be some limitations when it comes to getting personal reminders and help outside the app that require both sensitive and personal data (such as email communication, customer support help, account recovery, etc.). Before a user enters Go Anonymous, the app walks them through these limitations and lets them decide if they want to choose that mode or not.

Taking a broader approach to period tracking is Stardust, a free, astronomy-focused app that provides insights on users’ cycle, horoscope, and mood. Owned and operated by women, the company leads a privacy first model (as stated on its Instagram bio) and has been vocal about user protection and transparency in a post-Roe world.  

“Given the current political climate, we have taken rigorous measures to protect users, especially those in states where abortion is being criminalized,” reads Stardust’s privacy policy. “We believe all period trackers should stringently protect the privacy of users—and be transparent about exactly how they do so.”

Stardust’s policy page maps out exactly what data is collected, how it is being used, and addresses burning questions, such as what happens if law enforcement subpoenas information (in this case, the app will not share period data because it is not connected to user’s login information) and how you can delete your data in the app. 

For other apps, such as Drip, privacy is integrated into the fertility app design itself. When the app was created in Berlin in 2017, developer Marie Koschiek wanted to create a safe and trustworthy product that was non-commercial, free, and gender-neutral, using scientific methods for fertility awareness, as well as being secure and open source—meaning the app is maintained and developed through open collaboration. No data is collected and information is stored locally on the user’s device rather than in the cloud. Additionally, the app does not allow any third-party tracking.

“On the day that Roe vs. Wade was overturned, we saw a significant increase in downloads and users from the U.S.,” says Koschiek of the app, which is run by a collective. “We also had people from the U.S. contact us directly to offer help and support for developing Drip.”

It’s no surprise that those looking for low-risk assessment would download an app like Drip. However, the reality is that the zero data collection/locally stored app design is a rarity. In a world where technology plays such a pivotal role in our daily lives, how can we better educate ourselves as users before putting personal health information into an app?

Red flags to look out for, from a cyber security expert

It’s no question that consumers share concerns over confidentiality and lack of security over personal health information. More than 92 percent of people believe privacy is a right and their health data should not be available for purchase by corporations or other individuals, according to a survey of 1,000 patients across the U.S. conducted by the American Medical Association.

When it comes to downloading an app, for health purposes or otherwise, education is the best tool in navigating the tech landscape and determining what apps are more secure. Here, Khan of Cyber Collective breaks down three red flags to look out for before inputting personal information.

1. You don’t get access to the tool unless you share private information

If you can’t sign up for a service without providing your name, email, and address, it’s likely a red flag. Ask yourself, what are they doing with this information and why is it being collected?

2. Terms and conditions are in ‘legalese’

Is the language overly complex and difficult to understand? Does the app ask you to hit accept without prompting you to read through the terms and conditions first? The best privacy policies are written in simple, concise language that answers your questions, as opposed to prompting more. 

3. The app starts asking for access to things that it doesn’t need in order to function

It’s important to think critically about the function of the app and why it is being downloaded. For example, if you download a flashlight app and it starts asking for access to your photos or mic, it’s important to question why. If the answer doesn’t seem right, it’s a sign to delete the app. 

For Khan, education goes both ways— “If you have the propensity and the time, let whatever entity know that you wanted to download the app, but you don’t feel comfortable using it because you saw these red flags,” she says. “Share how you are feeling because tech companies don’t hear enough from us.”

While these women's health apps are taking significant measures to secure and update their data privacy policies and protections, it is important to educate yourself as a consumer in terms of what information you’re sharing and with whom. As technology continues to evolve and play an integral role in our daily lives, it is crucial to have awareness of the function of the apps you’re using, why data is being collected, where it’s being stored, and your rights as a user in the process. 

“If we want real change, we have to lean into curiosity,” says Khan. “We have to ask questions and we have to be informed.” For more information on data privacy and tracking legislation in the U.S., Khan recommends visiting the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

—Written by Danielle Torres

,

The Ins and Outs of Angel Investing—Including 3 Tips for Pitching Backers From Hannah Bronfman

,

When it comes to figuring out funding for your business, bootstrapping and venture capital tend to be the two areas most founders focus on. But there is a third avenue for acquiring backing to be aware of: angel investing.

Angel investing is when individuals provide financial support to early-stage startups in exchange for an ownership stake. These investors, often called angels, offer not only capital but also mentorship and expertise to help the startups succeed. As such, angel investing plays a vital role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurial growth by fueling promising ideas and businesses.

How angel investing differs from VC funding

Angels are individual investors, and the capital they provide early-stage startups comes from their own personal funds, while venture capital funding involves institutional investors managing pooled funds from various sources.

Often, angels invest smaller amounts and are more hands-on, providing mentorship and guidance, while venture capitalists typically invest larger amounts and focus on scaling and maximizing returns.

And the last main distinction is that angel investors are usually involved in the early stages of a startup, whereas venture capitalists typically come in during the later stages when the business is more established.

The amount angel investors invest in a company can vary widely depending on factors such as the stage of the startup, the industry, the specific investment opportunity, and the individual investor's preferences. Angel investments typically range from tens of thousands to a few million dollars.

However, it's important to note that angel investors typically invest smaller amounts compared to venture capitalists or other institutional investors who often provide larger funding rounds in later stages of a company's growth. The exact investment amount is usually negotiated between the angel investor and the startup, taking into account the company's valuation, potential growth, and the investor's desired ownership stake.

In the United States alone, it’s estimated that thousands of companies receive angel investments each year. Additionally, angel investing is prevalent in many other countries with active startup ecosystems, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and India, contributing to a significant number of companies benefiting from angel investments worldwide.

While angel investing is common, it can still be intimidating to navigate the process for founders looking to align with angel investors given how hands-on they are in the developmental stages of brand building. Like any relationship, you really want to ensure it’s a good fit, says Diarrha Ndiaye, founder of Ami Colé, who found an ideal partner in content creator, influencer, and angel investor Hannah Bronfman when she launched her clean beauty line formulated for melanin-rich skin in 2022.

“It really was important for me to have people on my team really rooting for this and trying to be a part of the culture and moving the narrative forward,” says Ndiaya.

How Hannah Bronfman got into angel investing

Ami Colé is one of 40 companies Bronfman currently invests in (others include Ceremonia, Our Place, Live Tinted, Golde, Topicals, Wellory, Sienna Naturals, and Supergreat), and the angel investor says that while the process of backing a company like Ndiaye’s is definitely about business—it’s also personal.

In 2013, Bronfman says “shit hit the fan” for her wellness brand HBFIT, which she recently closed down after 10 years. At the time, Bronfman says the venture capital firm she was with wasn’t a fit anymore, and her company’s future seemed uncertain. “My angel investors essentially handed me a life jacket on a sinking ship,” she recalls. “I just remember thinking: One day, I'm going to do this for someone else. I'm going to pay this forward.” 

At this point, Bronfman is very clear on what she’s looking for in a potential company to invest in, and whether you’re hoping to pitch yourself or not, her perspective can help you prepare for the process of angel investing in general.

What she looks for in a potential company to invest in as an angel

“My criteria now is a little different than my criteria when I first started angel investing,” says Bronfman, adding that the list is ever-evolving. While these are the factors she looks for now, they’ll likely be different with more lessons. However, there is a bottom line: “My thesis is investing in products and platforms that are better for you and the environment,” she says.

Currently, there are four things Bronfman searches for in companies. First up: a compelling founder story. “I would love for it to be a woman or a person of color,” Bronfman says. “Or a founder who has bootstrapped up until the point that they're raising capital.” This also means that Bronfman tends to back brands that are in their post-launch phase.

Bronfman is also looking at why this product is a fit for the market. How is it better for people and the environment and how will it stand out from others like it? On that same note, the angel usually requires that she is personally, not just fiscally, invested in the product. “It really has to be a product that I would use and champion,” she says.

How to find angel investors

It's important for entrepreneurs to prepare a compelling pitch deck and be proactive in networking and reaching out to potential angel investors. Building relationships, attending industry events, and leveraging online platforms can significantly increase the chances of finding angel investors for funding their startup. Here's where to start.

1. Personal and professional networks: Entrepreneurs often tap into their personal and professional networks to seek introductions or referrals to potential angel investors. This includes reaching out to friends, family, mentors, industry contacts, or alumni networks who may have connections with angel investors.

2. Angel investor networks: There are formal networks and groups of angel investors that entrepreneurs can access. These networks typically consist of individuals interested in investing in startups and provide a platform for connecting with potential angel investors. Examples of such networks include AngelList, Gust, and local angel investor associations.

3. Pitch events and competitions: Startups can participate in pitch events, demo days, or startup competitions where angel investors often attend or judge. These events provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to showcase their business ideas and potentially attract angel investment.

4. Online platforms and crowdfunding: Online platforms like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or equity crowdfunding platforms allow entrepreneurs to present their business idea or product to a wider audience, including potential angel investors. These platforms provide a mechanism for raising funds directly from individual investors.

5. Incubators and accelerators: Joining startup incubators or accelerators can offer access to a network of angel investors. These programs often provide mentorship, resources, and investor connections to startups, increasing their chances of finding angel investors.

6. Angel investor directories and databases: Some websites and directories compile information about angel investors, including their investment preferences, industries of interest, and contact details. Entrepreneurs can research and reach out to these investors directly.

Bronfman's 3 tips for pitching potential angel investors

1. Provide a strong profit and loss statement (PnL) 

PnL stands for profit and loss and denotes what your business already has made, or stands to make, as well as what it has already lost or what it could lose. “It’s really important to have the financials baked out prior to talking to anyone for investment,” says Bronfman. “And if that's not a skill set you have for yourself, you need to outsource that.”

2. Embody conviction and confidence, while being open to feedback

“A founder with conviction and confidence is definitely a plus, but you're also looking for that fine line of someone who can really listen and take feedback, and not be overly emotional about their business,” she adds.

3. Have feedback from consumers

“Even if it's like a beta set of consumers you're testing your product on, it's just really important to have that customer feedback to help the momentum of what you're trying to create with your business,” says Bronfman.

Tying it all together

While it's never too early to start thinking about funding for your company. Founders should wait to start looking for angel investors until they're at a stage where their business idea has gained some traction, demonstrating potential for growth and attracting investor interest.

Typically, this occurs after the initial concept has been validated, a minimum viable product (MVP) has been developed, and there is evidence of market demand or early customer adoption. Seeking angel investors at this point allows founders to leverage their support to accelerate growth, access capital for scaling operations, and benefit from their experience and networks.

That said, the specific timing can vary depending on the industry, market conditions, and individual circumstances, so it's essential for founders to evaluate their own business's readiness and alignment with investor expectations on an ongoing basis. Bottom line: You want to make sure you've got some runway beneath your wings.

, ,

Your Answers to These 6 Questions Say More About Your Financial Stability Than Your Bank Account

, ,

The big house with a yard, luxury cars parked out front, six-figure bank accounts, and the ability to get what you want when you want it—together, it paints a picture that is often associated with financial stability, but is this really the case? For former JP Morgan trader Vivian Tu, the true meaning goes far beyond your pocket book and material wealth.

As of January 2023, sixty percent of United States adults, including more than four in 10 high-income consumers, live paycheck to paycheck, according to a report from LendingClub Corporation, a financial services company.

“Financially stable doesn’t mean rich, and I think that’s what people get confused a lot,” says Tu on the latest episode of WorkParty. The 29-year-old content creator, otherwise known as “your favorite finance girly,” launched her Instagram page, Your Rich BFF, in 2021 and has since amassed a dedicated following of over three million who tune in for pared-down advice on everything from investing in 401Ks to budgeting for your wedding. 

Instead, she defines the term based on one’s ability to answer yes the following questions: 

1. Are you making enough money to cover your budget?

2. Are you making responsible choices?

3. Are you setting money aside for savings?

4. Are you making decisions to invest now or invest in the future when you are able to?

5. Do you have a plan?

6. Are there things you want to do with your money to get you from point A to happily ever after?

“You can be a multimillionaire, but if you’re blowing through the money you’re making faster than you’re making it—and you don’t have a plan of how ‘today me’ is going to take care of ‘future me’—then you’re still not financially stable, even if you are making millions of dollars every year,” says Tu, while pointing to past stories of famed pro athletes and entrepreneurs who ended up going broke. 

One of the best ways to ensure the stability of your cash flow is to prioritize financial planning, she says. “Talking about financial stability, talking about your financial future, and making that plan is not something you can do and then set it and forget it,” says Tu. “It’s very much something that needs to happen every single year, every single two years, and at a very minimum, every three to five years because things change so much.”

Change is something she knows intimately, having gone from working as a trader on Wall Street to a strategy sales partner at Buzzfeed, and, ultimately, quitting that job to become a full-time content creator. 

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson where Tu gets candid about the financial do’s and don’ts of dating, plus hot tips on going to college and weighing your return on investment.

, ,

Tinx On Embracing the Unknown and Navigating Career Paths in Your Twenties

, ,

Before Christina Najjar, known to her 1.5 million TikTok followers and nearly 550,000-strong Instagram community as “Tinx,” became the creator and influencer she is today, she was a twenty-something-year-old Stanford grad dealing with uncertainty and dissatisfaction in her career.

“I was so lost [in my twenties],” shares Najjar on the latest episode of WorkParty. Now 32, the social media star, podcast host of It’s Me, Tinx, and author of her newly released book, The Shift: Change Your Perspective, Not Yourself, describes the often glamorized decade as a time of self-doubt with high highs and low lows. “It was very scatterbrained, very spiral-y,” she says. “It was a far cry from what I thought my twenties were going to be.”

After graduating from college, Najjar went on to work in retail management for Gap Inc. for three years at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. “I always thought I wanted to be in retail or fashion, and it was really difficult for me,” she says. “I had a hard time; I wasn't good at my job; I felt stressed all the time. I was just so confused because I had put all my hopes on this career and then it was not what I thought it was.”

Najjar then began working for Poshmark, a social marketplace to sell new and secondhand fashion, but encountered the same lack of fulfillment and purpose in her career. “I didn't feel like I was doing a good job,” she confesses. Her frankness and refreshing openness on the topic is exactly what brought her notoriety and a loyal following on social media.

“I learned a lot in both [roles],” she says. “That's the thing: Even if you're not in a job you love, you can always take something and learn from it." Eventually, Najjar pivoted and went on to pursue a master’s in fashion journalism at Parsons in New York City; after which she began freelance writing.

Then, during the pandemic, like many, she found herself unemployed, which is when she decided to download TikTok for the first time under the name “Tinx.” Creating content and building an online community gave her the fulfillment she had been yearning for. Her candid conversation and advice on everything from mental health to relationships (plus comical skits and bits on rich moms) earned her the title of “TikTok’s older sister.” 

Though her previous jobs felt like misdirections at the time, she says that her early work experiences informed the incredibly successful career she has today—Najjar reportedly earned $11 million in 2022 alone. It's a lesson that she believes could be true for anyone navigating their careers and looking to take that next step.

Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty with Jaclyn Johnson where Tinx dives into dating and relationships, why your twenties aren’t all it’s marketed to be, and why everyone needs to “double down” on friendships.

, ,

60 Percent of Moms Polled Are Interested in Entrepreneurship, According to New Survey

, ,

After more than three years of living in a pandemic, this May, the World Health Organization officially declared an end to the Covid-19 emergency, closing the book on a tumultuous, dark period in history. It's still unclear what the full, long-term effects of the global health crisis will be, but thanks to a recent survey by Shopify, we do know that one of its major impacts so far is a rising inclination toward entrepreneurship among women with children.

One in six moms are now interested in starting a business (and 60 percent of women with children are exploring entrepreneurship of some kind), according to the report. In 2021, 49 percent of new business owners were women, up from 29 percent before the pandemic, according to survey data from Gusto (though it didn't indicate what fraction of them were also parents). The software company notes that the surge in entrepreneurship is directly correlated to pandemic-induced disruptions.

It's no secret that women in the workforce—especially those with children—were significantly (and disproportionately) impacted by the pandemic. Over 2.3 million women left the U.S. labor force between February 2020 and February 2021, as documented by the National Women’s Law Center. Additionally, one in three mothers considered downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce entirely due to Covid-19, with many pointing to childcare responsibilities as the primary reason, according to a 2020 report from LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company. The results are staggering, yet not surprising. With widespread school and daycare closures, as well as social distancing ruling out the option for caretakers, working parents were forced to juggle jobs, childcare, and, in many cases, homeschooling at various points over the past few years.

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and while it’s unclear exactly what's behind the growing interest in entrepreneurship among women with children, needing to figure out a way to earn a living while full-time parenting—plus a desire for greater flexibility and control than corporate America offers—may have something to do it with.

Furthermore, Heidi K. Gardner, PhD, former professor at Harvard Business School, points to a number of factors that could also be driving this interest in self-employment among mothers, including more opportunities for women in male-dominated fields like tech and healthcare, a shift in priorities resulting from the pandemic, and new digital tools, such as Canva and social media, that not only provide free design and marketing services, but also reduce the barriers to selling a product or service. 

“What is particularly significant is that you don’t need to leave home to use them,” says Gardner, author of Smarter Collaboration, A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work. She also notes the sheer access to potential customers all over the world through the internet as another element making entrepreneurship a more viable option in general. “It’s easier now to have a bigger impact with what you're doing. It's certainly giving the opportunity for stay-at-home parents to have professional roles and identities.”  

While there have certainly always been moms who've owned businesses, there has never been a time in history where entrepreneurship was as accessible, according to Gardner. “The digital capabilities that exist today are unprecedented,” she says.

The most recent data shows that 42 percent of all U.S. businesses are owned by women, and generate approximately $1.8 trillion per year in revenue, according to the 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report commissioned by American Express. Undoubtedly, this number has changed significantly since the days of the pandemic, and the Shopify survey certainly speaks to that.

“It will be interesting to see how this trend plays out,” says Gardner. We already have an idea of what a world with more mompreneurs in it will look like, thanks to the number of mothers who have launched businesses in the past three years.

Below, three female entrepreneurs and moms who started or scaled their businesses during the pandemic share the realities of running a business in this post-pandemic era, the tools they use to streamline their daily lives, and their wellness routines to stay grounded.

1. Babba Rivera

The New York-based founder and CEO of Ceremonia—now the first Latina-owned hair care brand carried at Sephora—launched her sustainably focused company at the height of the pandemic while pregnant with her first child. Since then, the Forbes 30 under 30 alum has become a mother of two, raised $10 million in a Series A funding round, and debuted the brand’s first fragrance this May.

Create & Cultivate: Take us through your experience launching a business—while pregnant—in 2020?

Babba Rivera: If I were ever to pick a time in life, I wouldn’t have intentionally picked a global pandemic. I was running a brand agency at the time [bybabba] and trying to fundraise for Ceremonia. It was going well until the world collapsed and suddenly a lot of people who confirmed their pre-seed investments were starting to subtract and hold their cash. I was sitting there with two challenging companies, a big belly, and a global pandemic. It forced me to decide where I wanted to put my energy because I couldn’t sustain both. Ultimately, Ceremonia is where my heart was and I made the difficult decision to fold the agency. 

CC: How did these early hurdles affect your approach with Ceremonia?

BR: It forced me to do a lot of research and get super clear around product and brand positioning. The beauty space is really crowded, so we had to think: How were we going to be different? When you are pitching, it’s all in the potential. I had to be much more rigid around who we are going to be in this crowded space, so we really had to foolproof our business model.

CC: How did you adjust work-wise when your first baby arrived? 

BR: I was so deep in the weeds with Ceremonia when my first baby arrived that I had to set up a structure from the get-go. In the early days, I was working from home, and that was a huge contributing factor in being able to do what I do. I was able to breastfeed my baby and launch and build a business, so I’m really grateful for that sort of shift in the workforce. I had a night nurse which helped me prioritize my sleep. I could be alert and ready to go during the day.

CC: Lessons you’ve learned from motherhood that have impacted your business?

BR: I work with a lot of moms now in my company—mothers just have this super power of getting things done and cutting through the bullshit. We know that time is of the essence, so there’s very little ambiguity. On the flip side, what I bring from work to motherhood is a lot of the system thinking—trying to be more proactive with anticipating “problems” before they become problems and also bringing the communication skills. 

CC: What makes entrepreneurship more achievable for moms today?

BR: Working from home can drive a lot of productivity so there is a lot of flexibility on that from investors. We’re seeing a lot of cool moms starting really cool things, and seeing them get funding—it’s always easier when there is someone else to point to that has a similar story. Mothers are also some of the biggest spenders online, so we know the consumer better than anyone else. There’s a lot of reasons why moms should enter the space of entrepreneurship. 

CC: Tools to streamline your workflow?

BR: I put everything in my calendar—my husband and I even have a shared calendar. I also try to separate internal vs. external communication. Internal team communication happens on Slack and my email is more external, so then I know to prioritize Slack when I’m in a time crunch.

CC: Advice for other aspiring mompreneurs? 

BR: The reality is that a business does not get built in the little pockets of nap time. It doesn’t happen just when you feel super inspired, and when the kids are perfectly aligned and happy and smiley. You have to carve out the space consistently.

CC: Self-care or wellness routines that help you stay grounded? 

BR: Pilates and yoga—I feel like it keeps me sane. At night, I listen to peaceful piano music, apply our Aceite de Moska scalp oil, and give myself a little scalp massage. Sometimes I put on a face mask. It’s just that intentional moment of pausing and doing something for me before going to bed.

2. Nyakio Grieco

The serial entrepreneur and mother of two founded Nyakio Beauty in 2002 (which was acquired by Unilever) and has since gone on to launch Thirteen Lune (an e-commerce platform supporting Black- and-Brown-owned beauty brands) in 2020—it just opened its first brick-and-mortar in Los Angeles and is set to expand its beauty offerings into 600 JC Penny locations—and Relevant: Your Skin Seen (an inclusive skin-care brand that debuted in 2022).

CC: With three businesses under your belt, how has becoming a founder and a parent not only been achievable, but sustainable?  

Nyakio Grieco: As a working mom, I understood the importance of representing and serving a diverse community. I recognized an unmet need in the beauty industry and knew the potential I had to create a solution. I felt empowered to take on the challenges. Also, the sheer joy of seeing my children be proud of what I’ve accomplished and see a roadmap of what they can achieve for themselves—that makes motherhood and entrepreneurship feel entirely sustainable. I think it's important to have a growth mindset, a supportive network, and a clear vision of what you want to achieve.

CC: What has motherhood taught you about business and vice versa? 

NG: Being a mother, I've had to learn to be patient and flexible and to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. In business, I've applied these same skills to stay nimble and adjust my strategy when necessary, especially in response to unexpected challenges. Entrepreneurship taught me the value of perseverance and resilience. There have been many times when things haven't gone according to plan or when I've faced setbacks or obstacles, but I've learned to keep pushing forward and stay focused on my goals. This mindset has definitely influenced my motherhood journey.

CC: Biggest challenges for aspiring entrepreneurs today? 

NG: These are really frenetic times and so much is unknown. Most industries are in a cycle of change. One of the biggest obstacles to overcome is always capital. Marketing, retail, production, staff—it all takes capital. With my first brand Nyakio Beauty, I had to essentially "re-launch" the brand multiple times. I had to redirect, find new partners, sometimes shut down a project and take a step back before moving forward again. I even had to support myself and the business by creating other avenues for revenue. I would work two to three jobs sometimes, doing whatever I could do to bring my vision to life. There were always friends and family supporting me though, and I think the community of support has only grown in the past years, and there’s people to support new entrepreneurs as they learn.

CC: Best tools for mothers looking to start a business? 

NG: A community is one of the best tools and support you can have for your business. My friends and family have shown me a lot of encouragement and because of that community, I’ve been empowered to navigate every step and continue moving forward. It gave me a place to fall back on and try again.  

CC: Self-care or wellness routines that help you stay grounded? 

NG: I really love meditation and clearing my space. I use sage and palo santo, and will use my crystals to really set the vibe. It’s important to go easy on yourself and find power in saying no. 

CC: Any women who inspired you that made you feel it was possible to do both? 

NG: My grandmother was a huge inspiration to me. She was a coffee farmer in Kenya and taught me how to make an organic coffee scrub from scratch. My mom was always practicing the same sort of rituals that she grew up with. She has and always will be my mentor. 

3. Karen Young

The Brooklyn-based founder and CEO initially launched her company (formerly known as Oui Shave) in 2017 with a safety razor and $1,500 in her pocket. During the pandemic, she not only rebranded to Oui the People and introduced a body care line, but she also became a mother. Last year, Young became one of under 100 Black women to raise more than $1 million in venture funding.

CC: How did you muster the courage to expand in 2020, and have the tenacity to maintain it?

Karen Young: With regards to the courage, a lot of running a business is market conditions. There’s obviously all the internal things such as planning, strategy, and getting the right people in place, but a good amount of it does entail luck and market conditions. A lot of direct-to-consumer businesses in 2020 really experienced tailwinds of everyone shopping in droves online. Second, we were obviously selling a razor when most people couldn’t go out and get their typical hair removal services. Third part was a focus on businesses owned by people of color. All of these things really came together and gave us quite a bit of tailwinds to introduce and expand upon body care. It had been on our roadmap for such a long time.

CC: How has motherhood influenced your career journey?

KY: Time is different now. I am laser-focused on the things that move the needle, finding the right team to support me in the journey, and the growth and trajectory of the business. I used to obsess over the business 24/7 (it’s always your first baby, right?). Now, I try to protect my time. I find that when I am really engaged with my son on the weekends and then get up on Monday morning, the ideas are flowing a little bit more and that’s because when you’re just fixated on it, you actually can’t see above and beyond. You can’t rise up and kind of see what’s happening.

CC: What does your entrepreneurial journey mean for you as a mother?

KY: There are very rigid parameters that have been set on women that say we cannot be loving, kind, available moms and partners, while also building really powerful, successful businesses. I think my son will come to adulthood and to a world where he will bring his own perception of what women are capable of. [Growing up with a loving mom who runs a business] will be the foundation of that perception. I think of every mom I know who is kicking ass and doing exactly that type of thing. It means that we’re going to bring more people—men, women, and all gender identities, to this idea that the old [ways] are just that—they’re old. This is what it can look like.

CC: What factors are likely influencing a rising interest in entrepreneurship among moms today? 

KY: I think about the weight that was put on parents to figure out both childcare and working over the past few years—and we know that there’s always going to be a little bit more weight placed on women. I think that’s probably a push back against that experience and maybe a desire for more autonomy. We also know that when women launch ventures, they are largely successful and maybe, in part, we have to balance quite a bit more and that includes how we use our time and the people who we put around us to help us succeed. I think those are sort of the tailwinds behind this particular movement. 

CC: Best tools for mothers looking to start a business? 

KY: I am still very much a note taker. I just have to lay it all out. I use the notes app on my phone, and I create a bullet point checklist and knock things off as I go. You just have to understand how your mind works and lean into that. 

CC: Self-care or wellness routines that help you stay grounded?

KY: What I have leaned into though is heavily prioritizing my sleep. There is nothing in the world that will help you understand how significant sleep is to the general function and excellence of the human body than those first two months to a year postpartum. I try to have a very specific cut-off where I’m thinking about or talking about work. After about 7 or 8 o’clock at night it actually moves into my dreams and my brain thinks there’s still something to solve. 

CC: Any women who inspire you or make you feel it's possible to do both? 

KY: A very good friend of mine is Eliza Blank, the founder of The Sill. She was one of my first examples of a mom who was also managing a team and growing and scaling a company. I’m really lucky to know a number of these women. There’s a larger conversation here around this ridiculous idea that women can’t get it done and can’t live in these multiple planes of existence at the same time that a man or anyone else could. We can and we can actually do better, and often run circles around other folks because the level of caring for someone, nurturing them, and the emotional labor of consistently carrying another’s experience and success in the world, that is very much like the feeling of running a company. I just think that we have been really undersold in our capabilities. 

, ,

9 Signs It's Time to Diversify Your Business' Revenue Streams

, ,

As a founder, diversifying your revenue streams has quickly turned into a non-negotiable for the health and longevity of your business. Between the Covid-19 pandemic, recent economic downturns, and general ebbs and flows of market fluctuations, the journey of an entrepreneur is far too unpredictable to not be exploring all potential channels for profit earning.

Diversification also allows you to test out different business models and strategies, identify the most profitable ones for your business, grow your customer base, and manage your cash flow better—while reducing the risk of losing all your revenue in case of an unexpected downturn.

If you’ve been considering how to mix up your business’ revenue streams but aren’t sure where to start, here are the nine signs female entrepreneurs say helped them figure it out.

1. You’ve tapped out your existing sources of income

Not being able to meet your sales goals with your existing revenue streams is a surefire sign that it’s time to diversify, says Frenchie Ferenczi, founder of the boutique consulting firm Frenchie Ferenczi Strategies. When it happened to her, she decided to expand her product range. “I found that my clients could benefit from more accountability and support, and I had more to give,” she says. “This led to me launching a six-month strategy implementation program to hold business owners accountable to the hardest part of creating a strategy—doing it.”

Her best advice to any entrepreneur looking to diversify? "Go deep, not wide," she says. What can you add to your product or offer suite that your existing customers can't say no to? Make that!

2. You have under-utilized capital at your disposal

Say business is booming or you find yourself with surplus of cash flowing in that you haven’t figured out what to do with yet. Letting it sit idle isn’t ideal. “Oftentimes [as entrepreneurs], we are so deep in building that we don’t take a holistic step back to actually map resources and capacity, identify under-utilized capital, and then leverage it to create new revenue streams,” says Julia Zhou, head of ventures at tech-focused trading company AlphaLab Capital.

After being a trading company for five years, Zhour says AlphaLab realized that it had a lot of capital that wasn’t being actively traded and that could be locked up for longer periods of time. “We also identified the fact that we had built up other strong internal capacities like technical recruiting and product launches,” she says. “After we assessed what these could be combined to create, we launched our VC fund, which utilized all of these diverse aspects.”

3. Business isn’t as busy as it used to be

A slow consulting season at the end of 2021 signaled to Adebukola Ajao, founder of BDY CONSULT, that it was time to expand her offerings to attract new business. "I created a flowchart with my marketing expertise at the center," she says. "From there, I reimagined ways I could use that hard skill—I can teach; I can work with small businesses; and I can speak about marketing."

Carrie Melissa Jones, founder and CEO of Carrie Melissa Jones, LLC, experienced a similar pull to expand her offerings when her inbound sales pipeline came to a halt. She took the opportunity to launch a robust survey and customer discovery interviews. “This research quickly revealed the need for a new offering for a customer we had never served before,” she says. She’s since launched a targeted training program that directly caters to the needs of this specific customer profile.

4. You've maxed out the number of clients you can take on

There are only so many hours in the work day, and if you find yourself at the point where you're not able to grow your service-based business by taking on new clients, it may be time to find new sources of revenue that don't require you being hands-on to operate. Liane Agbi, founder and CEO of Beautifuli Digital, knew it was time to reevaluate her offerings when she no longer had the bandwidth to support everyone who reached out to her.

“I strategically reviewed what questions I often got asked by my ideal clients and recreated more productized services that were repeatable and impactful,” she says. Now, Agbi has the opportunity to help more women than ever before, has even doubled her monthly revenue, and created more stability in her business.

5. Clients are requesting services you don’t already provide

What had the potential to become a competitive situation ultimately became a way for Emily Merrell and Lexie Smith, former direct competitors turned co-founders of Ready Set Coach, to diversify their revenue streams in a creative way: After continuously finding themselves in the position where a business owner would want to work with them separately, they decided to join forces and combine their skill sets to serve an even greater customer base.

Their advice? Both Merrel and Smith agree that always keeping an open mind, seeing challenges as potential opportunities, and giving yourself and your business space to evolve offerings as the market evolves too is your best bet.

Sydney Sherman de Arenas, founder and CEO of Admin Boutique, had a similar opportunity.  When her administrative assistant clients were requesting marking services, she decided to lean into the opportunity and expand the services her company offered.. One word of caution: “It is important to note that we had a handle on the original services the business offered and adding in new services wasn't going to take away from our old service,” she notes.

Bottom line: Don’t shy away from new opportunities, but be strategic and ensure you’re not doing a disservice to your existing customer base and business model. 

6. Business is consistent, steady, and optimized

The luxury of steady business is also an indicator that you may be ready to intentionally diversify your revenue streams. “I would say that it's very much worth it once you get your main product systemized,” says Rachel Rofe, founder of CustomHappy, a product fulfillment company for mugs and personalized gifts. “I love to get one product out and working and in a system before introducing another thing.”

Julie Shen, founder of the advisory and consultancy firm Springstead, agrees. “The new opportunities should pivot your business into areas that are complementary and adjacent so you can leverage your existing foundation and operations,” she advises.

If business is going well, and you’re thinking of adding something new to the mix, consider the approach Jessica Alderson, co-founder and CEO of the dating app So Syncd, has taken: “I would suggest running a small test first to try to gauge what kind of revenue you can expect and to get an idea of what it will require to build and maintain this additional source of income,” she says.

7. You’re posing a lot of “what if?” questions

Sometimes, deciding to diversify simply comes down to the curiosity and excitement of trying something new. Take choreographer and consultant Katherine Hill for example. After leaving her management consulting role to pursue her passion for choreography, she experienced momentum that led her to consider whether others in corporate roles felt stunted in their jobs. She began asking herself questions such as: "I pretty much understand how to do X. Now, what if we...?" or “Wouldn't it be awesome to...?"

Intentionally asking those questions led her to choreographing for elite athletes, as well as creating GOE Spray, an all-natural deodorizing spray for athletic gear. Mastering the art of diving in, enjoying the learning process, and often asking, “What if…?” has propelled Hill into an impressive and eclectic career.

8. You see opportunity with a new audience

Staying connected to new audiences—specifically, new generations that have the power to influence the economy—is the strategy Elizabeth Galbut, co-founder of SoGal Ventures, has harnessed to know when and how to diversify revenue streams.

“After noticing how open the current generation is to talking about topics that are generally considered taboo, I began to further diversify my portfolio with these topics in mind,” she explains. The results? She began investing in diversely founded companies, mental health businesses, menstruation startups, and more, setting SoGal Ventures apart in the VC world as a breath of fresh air.

9. People keep coming to you for advice

Allowing others to “pick your brain” can be a powerful way to pay it forward, and it can also be an impactful opportunity to diversify your income, as Caley Adams, founder of the design studio Wildes District, discovered for herself after noticing how often her company was providing advice, visual design suggestions, and audits for free. “We realized that there's so much value in the insights and advice we give,” she reflects. Now, Adams and her team proactively offer “design audit” packages for those clients who may benefit from receiving targeted advice on specific areas that can be improved upon.

Annie Franceschi, founder of the branding agency and consulting firm Greatest Story Creative, also turned those “pick your brain” requests into new revenue streams, including business coaching, VIP experiences, a group program, and even a book. Her advice for effectively and sustainably adding more to your mix? “Create smart offers that make sense, ones that sit at the intersection between what they want, what you'd actually love to do for them, and a structure that'll be profitable for you," she says.

To try this approach yourself, Lis Best, founder of the professional development community Girls Club Collective, recommends considering whether there's a question, problem, or opportunity that you keep being asked about and that you could help your clients solve in a different way. Once you're identified a potential new product or service, here's her pro tip: “Consider whether there is a relatively low-stakes way to experiment with offering something new and seeing how it goes."

This article is written by Gesche Haas, founder and CEO of Dreamers & Doers, an award-winning community that amplifies extraordinary women entrepreneurs and leaders through PR, authentic connections, and high-impact resources.

,

How 3 Trainers Leverage Technology To Expand Reach and Deepen Connections With Clients

,

Digital fitness has changed how we stay healthy—from how we get our heart rates up when we exercise to how we slow them down as we catch some ZZZs. In addition to making things easier for customers, this pivot from fitness belonging solely in posh city studios to literally anywhere there’s Wi-Fi reception has helped trainers and entrepreneurs expand their reach and find new ways to interact with their clients.

“By keeping training virtual, people still get the same workout they would in person,” says founder and fitness trainer Allegra Paris. “With lower price points, I’ve been able to reach more people and make fitness more attainable to someone like the mom who just had a baby and can’t get to a class.” 

This expansion of reach has created a big boom in the fitness industry. Market segment projections estimate that digital fitness will reach $19.30 billion in 2023, according to Statista, and revenue is estimated to grow another 6.49 percent by 2027. Prior to 2020, the market was just hitting $11 billion and, in just three years, has nearly doubled its massive reach. 

How are trainers capitalizing on the technology at hand to prioritize their clients and have their fitness content go further? We talked to three trainers to find out just that—keep scrolling for their insights.

Allegra Paris

Armed with a business degree, Paris decided that she could combine her education with her interests to become a fitness instructor. She was on the fly from New York to Miami to Los Angeles to train her clients, but when COVID-19 hit, she took her personal training virtual and scaled her business up. “Going virtual gave me my physical health back,” Paris says. “I was running around New York City, going from client to client, trying to fit everyone in. Now, I am able to get workouts to more people and virtual training allows me to have a lower price point for everyone.”

Today, clients can do her beloved sculpting workouts and track their progress via her app. Still, Paris is excited to see the fitness tech industry continue to evolve and access new, cutting-edge features that can help her better track each client, like the ZOZOFIT 3D body scan app – used with the wearable ZOZOSUIT. “Previously, it might take a few months to really get to know a client and their needs, but new tech options like ZOZOFIT are changing the game,” she says. 

Tracking minute progress from the get-go can boost motivation and accountability early on and change the client’s mindset of what progress is, while showing Allegra real change in increments as small as ¼ inch. 

“This makes my job more efficient and productive as I am truly able to make sure my clients are progressing and seeing results,” Allegra says. 

Both the client and Allegra will also simultaneously utilize the hands-on app that features a precise 3D body scan for each user in less than two minutes, producing ten key body measurements. This eliminates both the human error of measuring and inaccurate scales, and allows clients to visualize goals in a new way. 

“I’ll be able to get information about my clients body fat and measurements that I might not have been able to accurately get before,” Allegra says. “This makes my job more efficient and productive as I am truly able to make sure my clients are progressing and seeing results.” 

Not to mention, the feeling both she and her clients will get from seeing those measurements change even if training remotely. Allegra says she is excited to accurately obtain this information, track it with each training, and be able to guarantee they'll see progress and results. The hyper-focused details make troubleshooting problem areas easier, leading to results from a motivated client. Starting a client in the suit from the get-go, she explains, is opening up a whole new chapter. 

“I am excited to start out a new client wearing the suit,” Paris says. “Now, I have to take a few months to fully get to know each client and fully understand them. Having this at the introductory is really cool.” 

While she grows her business and community, she will continue adding new and innovative ways to stay connected. “ I think everyone should have equal access to training,” she says.

Cleopatra Lee

Cleopatra Lee, trainer and founder of Cleopatra’s Army, is reshaping health and wellness for women of color. “What pushed me to create Cleopatra’s Army was growing up in Harlem, I noticed a lack of wellness initiatives,” she says. “There needed to be more well-rounded opportunities for people of color and especially women to focus on their own health. That is what really pushed me to start Cleopatra’s Army.” 

Lee found her footing in high school, posting her track outfits, and she extended this reach post-grad to further fitness. “If I can platform myself looking cute, I can use that attention and shift that focus to health and wellness.” Today, Lee says what motivates her is the community she has created. “It’s what keeps me going,” she says. “I get to spend a lot of time around a lot of different women with a common goal, and helping them reach their health and wellness goals motivates me.”

Her community is anchored in connection. They utilize accountability chats, the website forum, and even an Instagram chat to keep each other focused on their well-being. “Following up and checking on people is one of the most important parts of the business,” she says. “It lets them know you are there.” 

She plans to utilize the ZOZOFIT to take that interactive feature and connection to the next level.  “You can track even the body fat percentage along with the measurements,” she says, which helps her clients stay in tune with their goals. “​​Having access to the ZOZOFIT gives my clients direct access to monitor themselves without a Cleopatra’s Army trainer being present.”

Cleopatra’s Army is rooted in providing wellness opportunities for minority groups, and while the tech industry continues to evolve, high price tags can price some clients out. ZOZOFIT, however, democratizes fitness in new ways by offering precise, high-tech tools for under $100, a piece that aligns with Cleopatra’s values and with her training approach. 

“Cleopatra’s Army is dedicated to making wellness more accessible to minority groups, and accessibility requires affordability,” she says. “ZOZOFIT being well priced creates opportunities for more people to benefit from this new fitness/technology crossover.” 

Beyond the price point, the tech can also be utilized by anyone who has a phone, bringing fitness and training to their fingertips.“Our ‘Army Bratz’ will have access to new tech that can help them picture their fitness goals and share their progress,” Cleopatra says. And not to mention, the ZOZOFIT app comes with a free subscription and unlimited scans. As new fitness technology like ZOZOFIT and more help her provide new ways to reach her growing army, this is just the beginning. 

From apparel and workouts to forums and events, Lee and her army are changing the fitness industry. 

Sami Clarke

Sami Clarke, trainer and creator of FORM, an online digital fitness platform, describes her training style as relatable and tangible for those on the go. “When I moved to LA, I started playing with different workouts and finding my routine and my groove,” she says. “As I started to travel and talk to other women, we connected on finding the enjoyment of moving our bodies  and it not being a chore.” 

In 2016 when Instagram added the Stories feature to the platform, Clarke saw an opportunity to share insights into this movement-as-pleasure model. “I realized this was my time to share what I am passionate about, and I was passionate about really taking care of myself,” she says. She began by sharing her workouts, what she was eating, and what her day looked like—and it resonated with her followers. From there, she began curating 30-minute workouts for free on Instagram Live and YouTube.

As the pandemic sent everyone looking for ways to stay active while remaining apart, Clarke had a greater realization. She founded FORM after seeing the ease with which anyone could participate, modify, and use her workouts. “It is an inviting welcoming workout that is 30 minutes,” Clarke explains of the hybrid HIIT and Pilates workout. 

Looking ahead, Clarke is excited to continue to expand FORM. The brand just launched nutrition on its site and Clarke is continuing to look for ways to use technology to deepen her connection with her clients on the app and in forums. “I feel like the tech is allowing us to communicate with our audience and not feel far away,” she says. In the meantime, she is just excited to see how small actions can have huge impacts on the FORM community. 

Sharing Your Origin Story Is One of the Most Powerful Ways To Connect With Your Journey—These Future Summit Attendees Prove It With ORIGIN™ Spring Water

Do you remember the moment that defined your life's journey? Or rather, the moment that set you on a path that you never envisioned? These moments become a collection of stories that are important in defining who we are. For attendees at our Future Summit in Austin, Texas these moments came to life through a unique experience facilitated by Essie Golden, a Los Angeles-based body positivity advocate.

Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to connect with Golden in the ORIGIN™ Story pop-up, sponsored by ORIGIN™ Spring Water, and open up about their unique experiences. In turn, Golden created a custom piece of artwork that reflected each attendee’s story.

Despite coming from diverse backgrounds, each attendee shared a common thread of inspiration, highlighting moments of resilience and perseverance. From uprooting their lives every few years to move across the United States to breaking free from the mold of those that came before them, all found something that motivated them to push themselves beyond their limits and take risks to pursue what drives them.

ORIGIN™ Spring Water was uniquely positioned to help facilitate these stories because the brand has its own story of the journey it takes to be crafted for your table. Beginning at American springs where the water is responsibly sourced and ending in the hands of Americans across the country.

Scroll for stories from five attendees that prove there is power in sharing our experiences to not only inspire others, but to also give ourselves permission to trust in the stories we continue to create.

Create & Cultivate: Tell us a little bit about your origin story. What’s something that has made your experience unique?

Tanida Mullen (professional development trainer): Definitely my family. We moved to Texas because of the military. It was just the three of us, my mother and my father. Being in that type of community and always moving, you have to adapt very quickly and learn to meet people and make a home that's not necessarily home. It was really influential in how I built relationships.

Claire Heleniak (student and social media specialist): I lost four of my family members very close to each other. It puts everything into perspective. I've been really valuing that time with all of those people, and making sure they know that I care about them and that they matter.

Sonali Prabhu (photographer and content creator): I didn't realize that it was going to turn into what it did. I've always been a tech girly. I started on YouTube in 2013. I was like, wait, why can't I create? I can do this too.

Kiana Dietz (account manager and Etsy store owner): I’ve always tried to do multiple things. I’m proud that I’ve been able to stick with it. I moved to Austin, and I’ve met such an incredible group of people that inspire me.

Rachel Antone (artist and sales enablement manager): All of the twists and turns, and the fact that I’ve had to pivot. I thought I was going to be an artist, but I wanted to be more practical. I wanted to follow the pressures of what my parents were putting me under. I’m learning there are things in my past that I haven't really nurtured. The things that really make me who I am. I’m trying to revisit those things by integrating them into my current role.

So during this entire journey, what is something or someone that inspired the possibility for you to do what it is that you're doing now?

SP: Content creators that are my skin tone. Everyone can be a creator. [It] definitely inspires me to see people that are already doing it and thinking that I can get those same opportunities. I turn that into motivation, instead of jealousy.

KD: My biggest inspiration is definitely my mom. She’s my best friend. She’s so inspiring. She had an amazing job and decided to step away and start her own business. She’s such a go-getter.

RA: Being surrounded by people outside of my home was important. Breaking out of that and seeing people make the most of their lives by being creative or figuring out different ways to apply their gift. I learned from people in the real world, rather than staying close to what I knew.

What's the one piece of advice you would give your younger self?

TM: Just do it. Just keep going. That's something that continues to be a thread in everything I do. I'll just start it. We're gonna figure it out as we go along.

CH: You're just starting out. Nobody knows what they're doing. It’s okay. We’re all just winging it.

KD: Try not to get in your head about what others may think of you. You don’t have to fit a certain mold. I wish I took more risks when I was younger. I was too safe trying to do what other people expected of me.

RA: Don’t neglect the things you love because someone on the outside says it’s not useful—I was listening to a lot of people I trusted because I thought they knew more than me.

Amy Liu on Leading a Brand Through Uncertain Economic Climates

Beauty industry vet Amy Liu has steered her company, Tower 28, through turbulent periods not once, but twice since she started the brand five years ago—first the pandemic in 2020, and then the inflation crisis in 2022.

Now, she, like everyone else, is figuring out how to navigate the impending recession financial analysts predict is likely to transpire in 2023. Below, Liu lets us in on her leadership style and how it helps her manage hard times as an entrepreneur.

You started your brand in 2019 and then the pandemic hit and everyone forecasted a huge economic downturn. What was your experience launching Tower 28, navigating through those tumultuous times, and creating buzz so that the brand would really grow and thrive? 

In 2019 when I was launching the brand, I was probably thinking less about the economic downturn and more about the fact that I was entering an incredibly crowded marketplace as someone with zero influence. And so the way that I think about product development—and this continues to be kind of the guiding light of the brand today—is I really do think about it in the sense of how can I add the most value for the customer? I just really believe in investing in consumer trust.

I tend to think people aren't gonna buy something because of me—I'm forward facing in a business sense, but I'm not really in a consumer sense—and so no one is looking at me do my makeup and saying, “Oh, I wish my makeup looked like, Amy's.” That's not really what's happening. So then I have to rely on the other things that I'm able to offer, which is that we have really great product quality.

People really want to be seen and heard, and if you can offer them a solution for a problem that they're genuinely having and give them a really great product, I think that's where you get product market fit.

At what point in your business's growth did you add employees? How did you do that with the economic landscape looking cloudy? How do you continue to grow the brand today with the same "uncertainty"?

I started Tower 28 with money I raised from friends and family. And I was really lucky because very shortly after, I met two girls who started as my interns, and they're still with me, which is something that I am really proud of because it's been five years, and they're great.

But essentially, my philosophy around hiring is twofold: I've hired young people that I think are smart and capable and I can train and that can execute. And then I've hired people who are more seasoned, so people at the VP level, and work in the areas that I know really nothing about, like, say, operations. And so I'm gonna hire someone who knows a lot about it and can basically take that off my plate because she's way better at it than I am.

Then the other things I can hire in a more of a fractional way—I'm able to tap into people who are more expensive on a hourly retainer, weekly level. Like, we've had a fractional, basically VP of finance for almost five years; he's been with me from the very beginning. That way, I still have the right talent in the room, and it also gives me the opportunity to almost, you know, lease before you buy.

In your previous career at big brands and now as the founder of T28, how did you successfully lead a team through times like these? What's the roadmap you'd give to other founders?

This actually is advice that I, frankly, heard from a parenting influencer @drbeckyatgoodinside, and listen, I love her. She has this analogy that she talks about and she, and I've said this to my team She basically talks about how if you can have three different versions of a pilot, which one do you want? Do you want the pilot that experiences turbulence and gets on and says there's no turbulence; what you're feeling is not turbulence. You wouldn't like that, right? Because you'd be like, wait, WTF? I feel turbulence. Are you calling me crazy?

The second one is if you're like, “Oh, we're going through turbulance, and I don't know what's happening.” That's terrible too. But the third option is the one that everybody, someone who’s like, “Guys, we're headed through a little bit of turbulence. This isn’t anything that I haven't seen before, and it's gonna be hard for a minute, but we're gonna get through it, and we're gonna be okay.”

So I guess the point to me is, that the worst thing to do is to fake it and to be like, “Oh, this isn't crazy. This isn't terrible and weird and we're not all feeling this.” I mean I think that's tone deaf to be honest with you, and it doesn't feel relatable.

In the past I've been at jobs where you would see these like suits come in and they would go into the little room and you're like, what's happening? And you're like, are we gonna get sold? Are we gonna get it acquired? Like what's happening? I'm really honest with my team, and like I date a lot of investors and I'm like, I don't know if we're gonna raise money or not. If we need to, we will. Like, I don't really think I want to right now, but in general, whether it's the economic downturn or not, I think it's just being honest with people, frankly.

Have you ever had to make difficult decisions such as layoffs during a recession? How did you approach these decisions?

I mean, yes, and the people ones are the ones that keep me up the most at night. All you can do is give yourself the best information, but then trust your gut ultimately to make the right choice.

What do you believe are the most important qualities for a leader to possess during an economic downturn?

During uncertain times, it's so important to maintain transparency, project a sense of calm, and practice empathy.

How do you communicate effectively with stakeholders and maintain their trust during times of uncertainty?

It always comes back to transparency. Trust is built over time, but it erodes in a flash. If you are honest and balanced about sharing both the good and the bad, you build trust with your stakeholders. It's equally important to build confidence, so people feel good about going on the journey with you.

During an economic downturn, so much of the focus tends to be on the core business and keeping it stable. How do you continue to innovate to ensure your brand is growing? How would you suggest others do the same?

Focusing on what we are good at and why people love our products in the first place is always what keeps us growing.