“Save Aggressively”—How Samara Walker Bootstrapped Her Business While Working 9-to-5 at Amazon
This week, on WorkParty.
Photo: Courtesy of Samara Walker
Listen to the full episode here.
Side hustles are on the rise.
According to a recent survey, as many as one in four Americans are planning on starting a side hustle in 2021. On top of the 34% of people who have already started a side hustle venture this year.
But starting a side-hustle while working a 9-to-5 isn't easy. It takes determination, drive, and passion. Which is something that today’s WorkParty guest, Samara Walker, knows a thing or two about.
Samara started the luxury nail polish brand Àuda.B while working full-time as a senior financial analyst at Amazon after noticing that women of color aren’t often represented within luxury beauty.
And, thankfully, major retailers have taken notice, too. Earlier this year, Àuda.B launched at Nordstrom, becoming the first Black-owned polish brand to be sold by the retailer. (Which is incredible!)
On this episode of WorkParty, host Jaclyn Johnson chats with Samara all about how she went from full-time employee to full-time entrepreneur, and how she’s pushing the beauty industry forward in the process.
Subscribe to WorkParty and never miss an episode.
On self-funding Àuda.B through her Amazon paycheck…
“I created a direct deposit that went to my business bank account, so every time I got paid that was the money that I automatically put aside for Àuda.B.”
On building a network…
“Build your network. Ask questions. No question is a stupid question.”
“Always have some type of intimate circle and never be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and ask things that you don't know about.”
On the pros and cons of bootstrapping a business…
“The pros are your hundred percent hands-on and you have the ability to learn from the ground up.”
“It allows you to see your business at full scale because you have your hands in the pot on everything.”
"One of the cons is you're not able to scale as quickly as possible, and the lack of resources. Not only are investors money, but they also come with tons of knowledge and resources."
On being the best version of yourself as a founder…
“Be the best person that you can be right now.”
“You're going to grow and develop over time, but don't try to go from one to 10 because you're going to miss all those phases of your life and all those phases of growth that your company that you could have learned from.”
“Failures are successes.”
On the best career advice she’s ever received…
"Dreams are real, but the hustle sold separately."
On the money advice she always gives to entrepreneurs…
“Save aggressively. Save as if your life depended on it.”
Photo: Courtesy of Àuda.B
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Monique Rodriguez on Building a Multi-Million Dollar Business (and Having Megan Thee Stallion on Speed Dial, NBD)
“Success is not owned, it’s rented—and rent is due every day.”
Photo: Courtesy of Monique Rodriguez
Monique Rodriguez knows a thing or two about scaling a business.
In 2014, she started mixing up homemade haircare solutions in her kitchen. Now—cut to 2021—and her brand, Mielle Organics, has grown into a multi-million-dollar company with products sold in over 100,000 major retailers, including Target, Walgreens, and CVS.
And, earlier this year, Monique secured a “significant investment” for Mielle Organics from Berkshire, which typically makes equity investments of $100 million to $1 billion in size. Needless to say, it’s a huge deal. But it’s not just about turning a profit for Monique.
She’s paying it forward with her More Than a Strand philanthropic initiative, which includes $200,000 in scholarships for HBCU students and $1 million for the brand’s Global Education and Entrepreneurship Program in partnership with Rutgers University and the Newark Business Hub.
This week on WorkParty, host Jaclyn Johnson chats with Monique about how she scaled her business from self-made to shelf space and how she’s paying it forward to fellow entrepreneurs along the way.
Subscribe to WorkParty and never miss an episode.
On growing with the business…
“We grew with the company and we had to pay a lot of money and make a lot of mistakes in order for us to learn from those mistakes.”
On securing funding…
“Funding is a huge challenge, especially for a Black-owned business going into the retail space. You're competing with conglomerate brands that have way more marketing dollars than you have as a small Black-owned business.”
“We had to really fight for our shelf space, and we really had to prove that we deserve to be there.”
On landing an investment from Berkshire Partners…
“It truly defined how we are changing the narrative for Black women. This deal means so much more than just the figure behind it, it paves the way and it shows the value that we as Black women bring to the table.”
“[Black women] build great businesses, but sometimes we're not afforded the same opportunity as our counterparts to scale our businesses.“
“[Black women] don't have to give away our majority stake and we don't have to have our company acquired, we can still maintain that destiny and have majority ownership and still make the decisions we need to make in order to scale.”
On enlisting A-list brand ambassadors like Saweetie and Megan Thee Stallion to reach new consumers…
“Working with big names is great, but if you don't have a relationship or a connection with them, they'll get paid and they'll treat your brand like it's nothing.”
“I have most of my celeb ambassadors on speed dial.”
On paying it forward to the next generation of entrepreneurs…
“The seeds that we plant today are for the next generation to blossom.”
On building a profitable business…
“In order to build a profitable company, you have to know everything there is to know about your business and your spend, your cost of goods. You need to be looking at your P&L sheet, your financials.”
On building generational wealth…
“When you build something great that's profitable, you have leverage and you have the ability to pretty much dictate what you require in order for somebody to acquire your business or for somebody to buy a portion of your company and that can set you up for many generations to come.”
On uplifting her community…
“Continuing to uplift and raise our community as we continue to climb this ladder of success is ultimately you know what truly drives me.”
On her definition of success…
“Success is not owned, it’s rented—and rent is due every day.”
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“If I'm Going to Be Promoting Health and Well-Being, Why Would I Not Talk About My Own Personal Journey?”
Ashley Tisdale on opening up about her experience with anxiety and depression, launching Frenshe, and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Tisdale
Listen to the full episode here.
Ashley Tisdale has starred in wildly popular shows and TV movies, playing every character from an enterprising teen as Maddie Fitzpatrick in “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” to a scene-stealing antagonist as Sharpay Evans in “High School Musical.”
But now, she’s stepping into a new role as a health and wellness industry trailblazer.
As the founder of the health, wellness, and beauty site, Frenshe, she’s disrupting a saturated content market by rejecting unattainable beauty standards, confronting mental health stigmas, and opening up about her own self-love journey.
On this week’s episode of WorkParty, host Jaclyn Johson chats with Ashley Tisdale about launching Frenshe, her experience with anxiety and depression, and more.
Subscribe to WorkParty and never miss an episode.
On cultivating a genuine community online…
“You can't create an authentic audience unless you are authentic yourself.”
On opening up about her experience with anxiety and depression…
“If I'm going to be promoting health and well-being, why would I not talk about my own personal journey?”
On navigating missteps and mistakes…
“Yes, sometimes you fail, but it's how you get back up.”
“It's horrible and you feel such a failure, but you don't know where that moment is going to lead you to.”
On loving yourself and combating body-shaming…
“When you can love yourself is when you can love another.”
“If we can start to really love ourselves and our bodies, maybe we won’t be so judgmental over other’s bodies.”
On launching during COVID…
“It was kind of the weirdest timing launching in this moment, but in a moment where we're isolated and we want so badly to connect, I just felt like it was the perfect time.”
On defining success…
“I think of success as being everything as a whole, your family life, your personal life, what you do. It's not about numbers and judging yourself based on what works and doesn't work.”
On switching to a non-toxic lifestyle…
“The only way to change to non-toxic is to know it's a lifestyle, not a diet, and so it's never good to just jump all the way in.”
On her best advice for new entrepreneurs…
“Think of yourself as a start-up until you're not.”
"You're Going to Want to Quit 100 Times"—Julianne Hough Gets Real About Being an Entrepreneur
This week, on WorkParty.
Photo: Courtesy of Julianne Hough
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE.
Julianne Hough is the epitome of a multi-hyphenate.
She's an actress, dancer, singer-songwriter, and producer. Not to mention, a serial entrepreneur who's taking on the health and wellness space—and generating multiple revenue streams in the process.
Last year, she launched her innovative fitness platform KINRGY (with a little help from Oprah, no big deal!). And she recently started a wine brand with her BFF-turned-business-partner Nina Dobrev.
All this to say, Julianne has experience when it comes to pursuing her passions, managing her money and businesses, and inspiring others to chase their dreams along the way.
This week on the WorkParty podcast, host Jaclyn Johnson dives into the incredible career of this successful multi-hyphenate and her multiple revenue streams.
Subscribe to WorkParty and never miss an episode.
On having a vision and being flexible…
“Have a vision and go for it, but be flexible and malleable because you never know what's going to happen—and that's where the magic happens.”
On breaking through in a competitive industry…
“The more other people innovate, the more you innovate. I don't look at it as competition, I look at it as colleagues and peers that are creating.”
On being a multihyphenate…
“Know your strengths and know your weaknesses. Know what you're good at and like live in that place. Don't try to do everything.”
“Wherever your focus goes, energy flows.”
On starting a business…
“There's a lot of sacrifice that's involved and the reward is there when you realize that you're impacting people's lives.”
"You're going to want to quit 100 times, maybe 101. It's inevitable because you'll sometimes feel like, 'Is this all worth it?' I'm exhausted. But then you get these kernels of inspiration and it keeps you going."
“You don't even have to sell your company, but have an exit strategy.”
On the #1 piece of advice she’d give her younger self…
“Make sure that you're happy and that it's not taking and stripping you have your happiness, but that it's fueling and adding to it.”
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How to Build a Subscribe-Worthy Podcast With Olivia Perez, Host of Friend of a Friend
Listen up.
Photo: Courtesy of Olivia Perez
Podcasts are the hottest content medium of the moment. In 2021, people have already spent 15 billion hours listening to podcasts—and their popularity doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. By 2024, it’s estimated there will be 100 million podcast listeners in the United States.
With over 20% of people listening to podcasts on a weekly basis, podcasts pose a huge opportunity for content creators to reach a massive, highly engaged audience. Not to mention, a sizable revenue opportunity: In 2019, podcast advertising revenue reached over $708 million.
So, how do you build a podcast that attracts loyal listeners? How do you turn those 45-minute conversations into revenue streams? And how do you decide when to follow the metrics and when to follow your gut when curating guests and episode topics?
Thankfully, we had Olivia Perez—the host of the podcast “Friend of a Friend,” a weekly talk show where she interviews the next generation of luminaries like Maggie Rogers, Bella Hadid, and Symone Sanders—on the latest episode of WorkParty to help answer these questions.
Subscribe to WorkParty and never miss an episode.
On building a supportive team…
“You can’t do it all yourself.”
“Building a team, investing in people, and outsourcing things I’m not good at, have been the most important thing that have helped me continue to grow.”
On not getting distracted by the competition…
“If I impact one person, I’m thrilled about that and I’m excited about that.”
“My mantra has always been, ‘Keep your blinders on.’”
“If you stay true to your authentic self, your brand, and your mission, that’s what’s going to propel you forward.”
On navigating interviews that don’t go as planned…
“Part of being an interviewer is being quick on your feet and not being precious about anything.”
On turning a podcast into a revenue stream…
“It took me about a year and a half to get a steady flow of advertisers in.”
On playing the long game…
“Podcasting is a long game. You’re not going to wake up one morning and have millions of downloads.”
“If you’re persistent and you’re ambitious about it and you’re ready to ride it out, it will reward you.”
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Jamie Kern Lima Shares Her #1 Piece of Advice for Overcoming Rejection
Her success is a testament to why you should never take “no” for an answer.
Photo: Courtesy of Jamie Kern Lima
It’s not easy to cope with rejection. No matter how many times you hear “no,” it never gets any easier to swallow. But learning how to deal with and overcome rejection is essential if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur. And nobody knows this better than IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima. Before the ubiquitous beauty brand became the household name that it is today, Jamie pitched IT Cosmetics to retailers for three years (!) before she got a “yes.”
And it’s safe to say her persistence has paid off. Today, IT Cosmetics has over 1,000 employees and is one of the largest makeup brands in the country, not to mention one of the top-selling brands at Sephora, ULTA, and QVC. And Jamie has been named on the 2020 Forbes Richest Self-Made Women list, Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, and WWD’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Beauty. Essentially, her success is a testament to why you should never take “no” for an answer.
In this episode of WorkParty, host Jaclyn Johnson sits down with Jamie to chat about how she cultivated confidence in the face of rejection, overcame self-doubt, and built a veritable beauty empire.
Subscribe to WorkParty and never miss an episode.
On launching IT Cosmetics…
“I knew nobody in the beauty industry, and I knew nothing about how to start and scale a makeup company.”
“My husband and I wrote the business plan for IT Cosmetics on our honeymoon flight. Got back, quit our jobs, and dove all in.”
On facing rejection…
“The first three years of the brand were really hard.”
“I would send products to Sephora, Ulta, QVC, and the department stores and every single one of them said ‘no.’”
“I couldn’t afford to pay myself for the first three years and we got down to under $1,000 in our personal and business bank account.”
On IT Cosmetics becoming the #1 luxury makeup brand in the U.S.…
“This company that I created in my living room with close to no money is now larger than all of those brands that I used to save my Denny’s tip money to buy.”
On tuning out the noise…
“There is so much noise all around us, from our own self-doubt and our own inner critic to other people’s opinions.”
“The dial of the volume is so loud that we don’t know how to hear our own gut anymore and we second guess it.”
On coping with the “no’s”…
“Our humanness wants to take it personally when someone tells us that we’re not the right fit or your vision isn’t going to work.”
“No matter what kind of rejection I got, I made the decision not to take it personally.”
On believing in yourself…
“Learning to believe in yourself and trust yourself are the only ways to become the person you’re born to be.”
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How This Company Is Turning Downloads to Dollars and Making Podcasters Bank
It’s all about growing your listenership and building an engaged audience.
It’s safe to say podcasts are here to stay. As of November 2020, there are over 1 million active podcasts and more than 30 million podcast episodes available in more than 100 different languages across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. But despite the stiff competition, when done right, podcasting can become a very lucrative side hustle that allows you to pursue your passion while making a profit.
So what’s the secret to turning podcast downloads into dollars and cents? According to Lizzy Pollott, the Global VP of Brand at Acast and the host of the TV and film podcast, “After School Culture Club,” it’s all about growing your listenership and building an engaged audience. “The creators who flourish the fastest are those who enter podcasting with the right attitude and a real love of their subject area,” she tells Create & Cultivate. “If you’re looking to create a passion project, or find and share your voice around something you really care about, or simply want a creative outlet, then you’re in the right place. If you build it, they will come!”
Ahead, Pollott fills us in on what it takes to stand out from the competition, why 25 minutes is the ideal episode length for newcomers to the medium, and how to turn a podcast into a revenue stream by leveraging Acast and the platform’s new partnership with Patreon.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: Why did you choose to launch a podcast side-hustle in addition to your career as Global VP of Brand at ACAST?
LIZZY POLLOTT: As a complete podcast addict (and fan of talking), I had always had ideas for podcasts I’d like to make but until I joined Acast nearly three years ago, I didn’t really know where to start. As soon as my eyes were opened to all the behind-the-scenes magic that Acast puts into podcasting, I decided I’d jump in feet first. The origin story sounds like something from a Kate Hudson rom-com from the 2000s. I had been struggling to map out an idea for my podcast and it came to me like a vision during the “find yourself” track in a candle-lit spin class… who do I think I am?
What are the first steps people should take when mapping out a podcast strategy and what are the most common things people often overlook?
It might sound obvious, but the very first thing to nail is your idea. “Shooting the breeze with my friends” simply won’t cut it unless you actually are, say, Chrissy Teigen. Reports show that there are more than 1.5 million podcasts out there in the world today. You need a hook, a reason why people should listen to yours above all others, and therefore an easy one-line way to sell it and draw people in.
For example, the hit show “Forever 35” talks about being “a podcast about the things we do to take care of ourselves. We’re not experts but we are two friends who like to talk about serums.” Or the brilliant “90 Day Gays:” “Jake Anthony and Matt Marr are two Southern Queens who absolutely love TLC's 90 Day Fiancé. If you've been looking for your gay BFFs to dish this show… well, you're welcome.”
The second is, then, thinking hard about—and testing—a format. Each episode needs a regular and familiar shape. Podcast listeners are creatures of habit and look forward to a regular format each week. So again, rather than thinking, “OK we’ll just talk for half an hour each week and see how it goes,” think about how you might put features, or a structure into it; the same three questions you address each week, or listener feedback, and so on.
Can you share some mistakes you made in those early stages that our audience can learn from today?
Building an engaged audience for your podcast takes time and dedication. There is no silver bullet to grow your listenership, and more often than not, it’s a mix of many different strategies that will help build up those numbers. I certainly had the opposite attitude when I started, “Well, I’ve done all the hard work and this thing is live so come listen everyone!” But it takes regular grinding, thinking about promotion on social, doing your own PR, networking with other like-minded podcasts for guest swaps, and so on.
What advice can you share for newcomers to the podcast medium who want to stand out from the competition? Are there any holes in the marketplace? What content is the podcast space missing? Where can you fit in?
The good news is that podcast listening is booming. More and more people are turning to podcasts (especially during the pandemic) as a source of education, entertainment, or distraction. And with that comes even more opportunity for new podcasts to find their voice, and create shows which speak to an even broader section of society.
What’s even more exciting is we’re seeing new formats being born and becoming really popular. Scripted audio is one, essentially an audio drama, comedy, or similar in podcast form. And there’s no doubt that as the pressures of 2020 have hit home, people are turning more and more to wellness shows with things like guided meditation becoming a rich vein of content. But the best advice we can give is: find a genre that you really care about, and it will be far easier to create a show you’re proud of.
What’s your advice on podcast length? Is there a magic number that works best?
For a new podcast, we would always recommend that shorter is better. If people are going to invest time in trying out a new show, you want to give them something manageable they can easily get into. Generally, around 25 minutes would be a great starting point. It’s long enough to make something fully fleshed out for people to get into but not so long that you risk losing them too early in your podcast journey. This will also of course depend on the format of your podcast which might actually dictate that you need to start at a bit of a shorter (or longer) length. Editing is your friend. Podcasts should be as long as they need to be, and no longer, so be self-critical when editing and be mindful of making the best use of your listeners' valuable time.
What are some tools that both newcomers and podcasting pros alike can use to generate income?
There are two core ways that people make money from podcasts. One is becoming part of an ad monetization marketplace, just like the one we have at Acast which is now open to creators of all sizes. Here, you’ll have audio ads placed in and around your show, which in turn translate into revenue for you. It sounds obvious, but the bigger your listenership, the more money your show will be likely to generate. Then, once your podcast becomes really established, you might start working with sponsors too, who will pay for live read-style endorsements from you as hosts.
Another way is through membership-led platforms. Podcasts are, of course, free to listen to, but loyal listeners will want to pay for exclusive and additional content, not least because they recognize the time and care that goes into creating it. Patreon is the leading light in this area, giving you the ability to offer exclusive content (and much more) to paying subscribers (“patrons”). We have just launched a brilliant partnership with Patreon which makes it easier than ever to create and share both private and public podcasts with your fans—across every podcast player and app.
What tips and tricks can you share on how to monetize a podcast?
The most valuable advice we can give is to focus first on building up your audience. Once you have loyal listeners, ready to become paid-up members of your show, you can look at starting, say, a Patreon. And then once you reach a significant size of listenership, that can eventually lead to ad revenue.
How did you find brand partners to come on board and advertise on the podcast?
If you join Acast, you will be given the option to join our Marketplace, and this pretty much does all the work for you. We have teams dedicated to bringing advertisers into the Marketplace, and connecting them with suitable shows to run campaigns across. Bear in mind, though, that it might take time to start to see ad revenue come through for your show, again, the more listeners you build up, the more likely that will be.
Be honest, how much work is it to plan, produce, and launch a podcast every week? Tell us about the hustle behind the scenes.
I won’t lie: it takes real dedication and commitment! Putting the effort into firstly getting your show ready for launch, then producing it each week, recording it, editing it, publishing it, and then marketing it can turn into a real full-time side-hustle. Everyone will be slightly different, and the actual time spent making it will also depend on the format of your show.
For example, my TV and film podcast, “After School Culture Club,” relies on watching a film or show first, to talk about. Then the research might be another hour, actual recording another hour, editing nearer 90 minutes, and then marketing can be as much effort as you’re willing to put in. Like any passion project or side hustle, you have to put the hours in to see a return. But if you’ve chosen something you truly love then that won’t matter.
What tools and resources do you rely on to streamline the process? Are there any automated solutions that make your life easier?
I use the free editing software Audacity to edit; it’s simple to use and does the job. My favorite find to make life easy is Levelator, a free program that instantly evens out the volume of your audio which is massively helpful if, say, one person on your show tends to be louder than the other. (Don’t tell my current co-host, my sister, but it’s her.)
On the promotion front, tools like Headliner and our own Snipper tool allow you to quickly and easily make “audiograms,” short videos for social which clip up and make pretty videos from your episodes to encourage people to listen.
Can a podcast’s success helped your brand in other ways? Can you share what and why?
We work with thousands of podcasters at Acast who are creators in other areas at the same time, and often their podcasts really help strengthen their other endeavors, and vice versa. We find, for example, that podcasts make great marketing tools for authors when launching new books. Other examples include people like Nike running coach (and my running coach!) Cory Wharton-Malcolm who launched his podcast “The Tub Hub” on Acast during lockdown, which offers him the chance to connect with his audience on a different level to just exercise each week, as he goes deep into topics including mental health and race with a whole range of inspiring guests.
Anything else to add?
At Acast, we tend to find the creators who flourish the fastest are those who enter podcasting with the right attitude and a real love of their subject area. Birthing a podcast takes time and effort; growing an engaged audience even more so. If you’re thinking of starting simply as a way of generating cash, then you might wind up being disappointed. But if you’re looking to create a passion project, or find and share your voice around something you really care about, or simply want a creative outlet, then you’re in the right place. If you build it, they will come!
Learn more about Acast at Acast.com, and use the code "C&C" for six months free.
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Making Moves: Award Noms, Podcast Premieres, & Best-Selling Books
Celebrate and learn about the women making moves this week.
Every Friday, we here at C&C like to highlight the best news stories of the week that celebrate women and all of the incredible things they’re doing. Read on for improvements in cancer screenings, well-deserved award nominations, and a brand new podcast!
Shout out to Sandra Oh! Her show Killing Eve received the most BAFTA nominations, coming in at 14 total. Sandra and her co-star Jodie Comer are both up for best actress. Congrats ladies!
Your life is about to get a lot simpler. Lauren Conrad just announced that she will be launching her own weekly podcast. The podcast will be called “Asking for a Friend” and will center around Lauren talking with a specialist from industries like beauty, design, and much more.
Former First Lady turned best-selling author—talk about a hustle! Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming is currently on track to be the best-selling memoir of all time. Becoming was the most sold book in all of 2018, with over 10 million copies sold.
Time to make some changes. The FDA recently proposed that all mammogram providers will be required to notify women with dense breast tissue that they may possibly need additional testing. This would be the first update to mammogram testing in over 20 years.
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5 Business Podcasts Every Working Woman Should Listen To
Listen up ladies.
Podcasts have been all the rage lately and for good reason, if we may add. There's nothing worse than dragging through your commute and listening to the same Top 40 station on repeat. Instead, all working ladies can benefit from diving nose deep into a podcast that explores point A to point B of building a business, entrepreneurship, social media marketing, hiring, and so much more.
The following five business-focused podcasts should all be on your radar when you're a woman making moves. Listen, subscribe, and get inspired.
Raising the Bar
Drybar founder Alli Webb along with her brother and business partner, Michael Landau, have launched their own podcast, Raising the Bar, where they chat with both up and coming and established entrepreneurs. They'll be sharing their insight on how they brought Drybar's concept to life and their ups and downs along the way. Listeners will learn about what makes business owners excited, worried, motivated, and so much more.
Second Life by MyDomaine
Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder, and chief innovation officer of MyDomaine's parent company Clique Brands, each episode of Second Life highlights women who've made major career changes and are crushing it in their respective fields. Apart from breaking down their steps to a successful business, guests will share the advice they've learned along the way, managing side-hustles, dealing with investors, building a team, and more.
Influencer Podcast
For ladies who are influencers in their own right and those who want to learn more about influencer marketing, this one's for you. The Influencer Podcast, hosted by best-selling publicist and influencer Julie Solomon, explores the ins and outs of being an influencer. Julie and her guests discuss engagement, continuous growth, and impact. Throughout each episode, listeners will learn how to strengthen, monetize, and build their own industry influence.
Glossy Podcast
The Glossy podcast is a conversation about how technology is transforming the fashion, beauty, and luxury industries with the people spearheading those changes. Guests dish on the ever-changing digital space and how they've managed to disrupt their respective industries. From founders to marketing mavens, this podcast t with a diverse roster of experts.
WorkParty
WorkParty the podcast is where creative and entrepreneurial women celebrate each other’s successes. It's the vision of Jaclyn Johnson, our very own founder, and CEO. In WorkParty the book, Jaclyn spills on how she found the determination to flip her rock bottom moment into hard work and success—and how you can, too. WorkParty the podcast is all the lessons she learned and the advice she wishes she had gotten along the way. You’ll hear from female founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, creatives and so many other badass boss ladies. WorkParty keeps it 100, giving you that career real-talk, and no BS advice.
By: Andrea Navarro
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Listen Up: 5 of Our Favorite Podcasts
The last few days here in Los Angeles have been super hot. The kind of hot that makes even the smallest task seem complicated, sweaty and entirely un-doable. We've been passing the time by cracking non-stop cans of Lacroix, sitting in front of a cranked-to-the-max AC and listening to podcasts. Here, five favorites that are helping us keep our cool.
The last few days here in Los Angeles have been super hot. The kind of hot that makes even the smallest task seem complicated, sweaty and entirely un-doable. We've been passing the time by cracking non-stop cans of Lacroix, sitting in front of a cranked-to-the-max AC and listening to podcasts. Here, five favorites that are helping us keep our cool.
99 Percent Invisible
Based out of Oakland, 99 Percent Invisible was created and is hosted by Roman Mars, a radio veteran with an impossibly cool name. Ostensibly, design is the thread that runs through each episode, but the topics are far-flung and anchored around interesting stories, complex personalities and objects you might be familiar with, but have never really thought about.
Favorite episodes: The Mystery House, Palm Reading, PDX Carpet
Reply-All
A podcast about something near and dear to our hearts: the internet. Dun-dun-duh! But rather than only discussing trends and technological advances, Reply-All looks at how people use the internet and unearths often hilarious, often heartbreaking stories, about how the internet permeates our lives.
Favorite episodes: Craigslist, Jennicam Revisited, The Man Who Refused to Email
Millennial
As the title suggests, this podcast is about being in your '20s and all the good—and bad—times that come with it. Host Megan Tan recants her millennial struggles in real time, and whether she's listening to Jay-Z to hype herself up while applying to jobs or laying bare the truth that going after your dreams isn't always sexy, the show is nonstop 'I've been there' moments.
Favorite Episodes: Brunchies, Nothing To Lose
Rerun
Though it's only three episodes old, Rerun has the potential to become one of our go-tos, as it's a cannonball into the nostalgia pool. In each episode, Buzzfeed Executive Editor Doree Shafrir taps a special guest to rehash and discuss a special episode of a classic (think classically trashy or classically nostalgic) television show. So far, they're batting 1000 with Freaks and Geeks (co-hosted by Tavi Gevinson, no less), Daria and America's Next Top Model.
Call Your Girlfriend
Billed as "a podcast for long distances besties everywhere," Call Your Girlfriend is girl talk of the highest order. You want reviews about period underwear? They've got it! What if you don't care about underwear, but really want a review of the Taylor Swift tour? Well, they've got that too. Hosted by two of our favorite ladies on the internet, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow, this is like chatting it up with your BFFs—who just happen to know everything.
Favorite episodes: Appropriate Emoji, Comfortably Chic,
Did we miss any that you love? We want to know! Let us know what you've been listening to in the comments below and we'll check 'em out.