Be all in. That’s the philosophy of Intraprenista Kacey O’Leary, Vice President of Global Marketing for what she calls “a 100 year old startup”, one of the biggest names in hospitality and hotels: Hilton. From her start in a family ad agency business to marketing books and music for Borders, to being an agent of positive impact, Kacey has been working toward shattering the view of who Hilton is, feels proud to be a spokesperson, and mentors other women within the organization to also be all in. Kacey joins Socialfly Co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about her executive role in an iconic company and her journey to success, including about the emphasis Hilton puts on people who want to make an impact and have ideas, and as an inclusive place for women; why it is important to be mindful of how you show up every day, and to make mistakes and be OK with that; the value of reading the room, and understanding the usefulness of letting your guard down, and short conversations; why it matters to get the DNA of the company you work for; why Hilton chose, and how they recruited, Anna Kendrick as a powerhouse voice of Hilton; and, why seeing the world through her daughters eyes has transformed the way she sees the world.

Entreprenista

Kacey O'Leary of Hilton - Being All In

Launching the next huge business would be a massive challenge for anyone. But high level business experience and two years of focus have kept Julie Bornstein on the path to the next level of success. Julie is the  Founder of The Yes, a new shopping app built with you in mind. Your sizes. Your brands. Your style. And you’ll be seeing it everywhere. Julie joins Socialfly Co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer  for a conversation about building her company and her journey to success, including why Julie hit the reset button, and went to Harvard, and why that decision has opened up an entire new valuable network; how a trip to the airport with Jeff Bezos in early days of Amazon led to a job for Julie’s husband; why asking the CEO of Starbucks for a job while at a conference returned Into a bigger career move than expected; the importance of always following up; why a dream job that took 6 months of effort to get was worth it; and, why abandoning a dream of becoming a CEO of a big brand to build a game changing shopping platform from scratch makes so much sense.

Julie Bornstein of The Yes - You Have to Ask

Build what you can sell, don’t sell what you can build. Great advice from Miami-based entrepreneur Andrea Lisbona, the founder and CEO of Touchland: a vegan, cruelty-free hand sanitizer that makes your skin happy, kills 99.9% of germs, and smells great! In 2010, Andrea decided to take hand hygiene to a whole new level with a visionary team that had a sixth-sense for what was needed. Seven years later, the company took the products to the world, and then with the 2020 pandemic hit a 2000% growth almost overnight. Andrea joins Socialfly co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including the roller coaster of emotions for a year and a half, and then raising all the money in 24 hours; the importance of trusting your gut before getting married in business; dealing with big challenges to supply chain, capacity, and brand reputation in meeting a sudden massive demand for your product; a focus on how how health is everything; where a black belt and musical theatre intersect; and how Andrea has been preparing herself for a decade for this very moment.

Andrea Lisbona of Touchland - Build What You Sell

If you think you can get cheese from plants, you are right. Case and point: Miyoko Schinner, the tenacious, award-winning vegan celebrity chef, cookbook author, and animal sanctuary founder behind the dairy-free cheese brand Miyoko's Creamery. Her passion for her craft and mission is unrivaled as a leading advocate for the right of vegan food products to use traditional meat and dairy terms on their labels. Miyoko shares her journey as an entrepreneur and food creator, which involved a LOT of trial and error, with many projects not flourishing in the way she’d wanted until the booming success of Miyoko’s Creamery, now in 20,000 stores. Miyoko joins Socialfly co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her company and her journey to success, including how she developed the entrepreneurial mindset very young, without even realizing that’s what was happening; how bringing cheese to Twitter executives ultimately resulted in a meaningful investment; why she returned to research and development and how she found someone else run the show who has an aligned vision; and a look behind Miyoko’s vision of helping the world become a more sustainable and compassionate place for all living beings.

Miyoko Schinner of Miyoko's Creamery - A Vision of Transforming the World

“Find your path to yes." Wise words from model-turned-business-powerhouse Alexandra Cristin, a self-proclaimed ‘accidental entrepreneur’ who built her company, Glam Seamless, from just a thousand dollars all the way through being acquired as an eight-figure empire. Alexandra joins Socialfly co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her company and her journeys to success, including how she looks back on her very first hire (her mom) and when you should and shouldn’t hire loved ones; she offers advice to potential Mamaprenistas about how to structure your timeline in a way that’s right for you in order to achieve your goals; how COVID-19 resulted in Glam Seamless' highest sales numbers in its history; and, Alexandra shares why she wishes she had started the business with a co-founder.

Alexandra Cristin of Glam Seamless - An Accidental Entrepreneur's Path to Yes

This dynamo serial entrepreneur and retail real estate expert has an impressive track record of building three successful New York-based businesses and a notable portfolio of real estate. Yet, Pam Wolf says being a mom is the greatest passion she didn’t know she had. Pam founded the NY Kids Club, disrupting the children’s education market with a children’s private enrichment program and preschool with 18 locations in NYC, the first in Chicago and 80 franchised in China. And now, her keen interest in the beauty & wellness industry has motivated her to create The Parlor, a revolutionary new experience for people who love beauty and wellness, which also allows beauty and wellness entrepreneurs to run their own businesses while avoiding the hassle of dealing with operational matters such as real estate, maintenance and office staffing. It’s a bold concept that has every sign of being the next big idea. Pam joins Socialfly co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including: what makes an entrepreneur, how strongly she believes in the will to go on after hearing no’s; how her own motherhood inspired her wildly popular business NY Kids Club; why sharing your success with the team you’ve built is one of the most exciting things about being an entrepreneur; why getting great at the things you are good at is crucial; and how being comfortable in asking for help is a key quality to success.

Pam Wolf of The Parlor - The Next Big Idea

Tracy Chadwell,  Founding Partner of 1843 Capital (an early stage venture capital firm investing in technology companies with diverse founding teams) knows something about money. She was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's "100 Powerful Women" and Forbes’ "8 Women VC's to know." She also knows something about the definition of success, and why being flexible with that definition may make all the difference when asking for an investment. Tracy joins Socialfly Co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her company and her journey to success, including having the “risk gene” and wanting to be part of something exciting; Tracy’s rules for the skill set of the “ask”; “3 Knows for a yes”; why you don’t want to be the smartest person in the room; an excellent piece of advice for dealing with requests for advice and mentorship if you have a hectic schedule; and, why Winston Churchill is one of Tracy’s greatest mentors. Plus, a surprise!

Tracy Chadwell of 1843 Capital - Empires of the Mind

One of the biggest challenges of launching a company is transitioning from the security and support of a corporate job into the unknown, and how your former corporate allies may question every move you make. For Alexandra Zatarain, cofounder of  EIGHT SLEEP (the world's first sleep fitness company), she had both the trust in and of her cofounders, and the knowledge that they were onto something important that’s universal to everyone on the planet: the need to fall, and stay, asleep. Alexandra and her team have now raised millions of dollars, were selected to participate in prolific accelerator programs like StartX and YCombinator, and have been shipping product non stop since they completed their fundraising seed round! Alexandra joins Socialfly co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including about the challenges Latino and female founders go through; why Indiegogo was such an important tell for cash flow and testing interest; how Eight Sleep uses science and leverages knowledge through the mattress itself; and, why it’s important to just keep swimming.

Alexandra Zatarain of Eight Sleep - Once Upon a Smart Mattress

Things turn out the best for those who make the best of what turns out. So says Lindsay McCormick, co-founder of Bite Toothpaste Bits, who launched a business that was inspired well beyond money, after watching a documentary about the plastic crisis in our oceans. She and her cofounder did the nearly impossible, getting on Shark Tank, and then receiving an offer from Mark Cuban himself. And then -- the unthinkable--turning it down! Lindsay joins Socialfly Co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about her journey to success and building her company from the ground up, including: why Lindsay’s job in TV prepared her for running a startup, the value in paying someone to set up your pixel properly, why she spent a year in research and development before launching the business, and, a look at the unsexy, but critical, parts of entrepreneurialism. Plus, a surprise!

Lindsay McCorrmick of Bite Toothpaste Bits - Turning Down a Shark

From admiring her grandmother’s Chanel #5  -- to her own Ah-Ha moment watching Oprah -- a love for creating fragrances and inspiration has driven Lisa Price to fulfill a dream, and she is certain that the universe conspired to make it happen. Carol’s Daughter, her natural haircare and beauty product company featuring remarkable scents and made with rare, natural ingredients, has grown from her kitchen to a thriving business. From a celebrity investment team with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith to a game-changing  acquisition by L’Oreal, it is truly a dream, come true. Lisa joins Socialfly co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including working on The Cosby Show, a dream about Maya Angelou, and a timely call from the Oprah Show have all been just a few of the remarkable stops on Lisa’s incredible journey to success.

Lisa Price of Carol's Daughter - Fulfilling a Dream

Naturally, treStiQue (a brand with high-performance, cruelty free cosmetic products and customizable makeup routines) was not born nine months from conception. It was nine years in the making. Despite growing up on a farm, co-founder Jennifer Kapahi always loved beauty, and enjoyed doing makeovers for her mom when she was just a kid. Then, art school, and even taking her place as one of 15 people selected out of 3,000 applicants in the Bloomingdale's executive training program. Next, she worked as a product manager at Revlon. And, ultimately, it happened: Jennifer and her cofounder launched treStiQue. Jennifer joins Socialfly Co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about building her company and her journey to success, including juggling two very young children and multiple businesses all while living in New York City, about the travel-friendly Essential 8 from treStiQue, and how Jennifer has managed to never taken even one penny from venture capitalists. Plus, a surprise!

Jennifer Kapahi of treStiQue - Shades of Success, Naturally

Let’s be honest: being a Mamaprenista is really two full time jobs. But for Joanna Parker, co-founder of Yumble (a weekly subscription service that delivers healthy, delicious fully-prepared meals specifically designed for kids), it’s the "mama" job that actually inspired the “prenista” in her. Trying to solve mealtime challenges with her own kids, Joanna had an idea to lighten the load of other mothers, sharing a post on Facebook with an offer to cook for others. Before she knew it, her family's kitchen was doing double duty as a test and production kitchen for the new business she started with her husband. Just three years later, the company has gone national, has a fast growing team and many customers, and big plans to expand mealtime to a happier place. Joanna joins Socialfly co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including: how Joanna learned the power of social media to test the market, the value of getting feedback from early adopters; why Yumble wasn’t the original name, and how the name was inspired by a story that never got made; why the decision to pause product deliveries for six months actually saved the company instead of destroying it; about the overlooked challenge of team management; how Joanna has found the fine line between managing and micromanaging; the distinction between ego and confidence; why one of most successful aspects of Yumble resulted from a scramble to fix a last minute problem; how Joanna the mom compares to Joanna the businessperson; why Joanna and family have committed to device-free weekends; and, the power of the "word of mom". Plus, a surprise!

Joanna Parker of Yumble - The Word of Mom

Let’s talk fur. Not the mink coat kind of fur. It’s high time that pubic hair gets the attention it deserves. CEO Laura Schubert co-founded Fur as a force for good in the world by creating effective, clean products, and challenging outdated societal views that breed unnecessary shame and stigma around our bodies. The company offers products that hydrate skin, soften hair, and eradicate ingrowns from head to toe. Its facial-grade, vegan, cruelty free, non-toxic ingredients are dermatologically and gynaecologically tested, and the products are now in big retailers like Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, and Macy’s. Laura joins Socialfly Co-founder Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about her journey to success and building her company from the ground up, including: why hustle was the most important ingredient for Laura in building Fur; why Laura had to find cosmetic chemists by Googling them; what the biggest challenge during year 1 had to do with finding rhythm; the battles with digital censorship; the journey from serious HR and management consultant to pubic hair expert; the importance of discipline and strategy in launching new products; the marriage-like partnership of working with your best friend, and the art of disagreeing productively; the moment that packing boxes on the floor while being pregnant made Laura and her cofounder make a big change in their business; how moms might just make better delegators and managers; and why someone always has to cry! Plus, a surprise!

Laura Schubert of Fur - Down There, The Hair

It’s hard enough making sure your children are fed, without having to choose between making their baby food from scratch or feed them  highly-processed jars and pouches from the store. Lisa Barnett knew there just had to be a better solution, and co-founded Little Spoon, a brand built for the modern parent that is rethinking the sleepy industry of highly processed, unhealthy baby food by delivering high quality, fresh baby food right to your door. This runaway hit of a 15 person business that launched nationwide just a little over 2 years ago comes down to listening to what people want and need, getting to them, and pursuing a mission to make people feel well. After all, many Entreprenistas are also Mamaprenistas. Lisa joins Socialfly Co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about her journey to success and building her company from the ground up, including: how a beta launch created loyalists, how Youtube showed the magnitude of impact that social media can provide for a community of consumers; why Little Spoon can contribute meaningfully to a child’s development experience; why Lisa cares so much about Little Spoon’s mission despite not being a parent; how Little Spoon built a remarkable board of advisors; why many startups die of indigestion rather than starvation; and, the resource Lisa is very proud of that helps parents know if what’s happening with their child is normal. Plus, a surprise!

Lisa Barnett of Little Spoon - How Listening and Delivering Built a Runaway Hit

Imagine a one-stop-shop for wellness that includes cutting edge services and programming (infrared saunas, cryotherapy, IV drips), a functional tonic and superfood bar, and a modern apothecary market of nutritional products. Lily Kunin, a plant-based cook, expert in holistic nutrition, and wellness entrepreneur, did imagine this, and co-founded Clean Market in 2018. It might not be obvious that Lily’s education in environmental economics gave her the exact set of skills she needed to make Clean Market possible. Lily joins Socialfly Co-Founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including: how the school of thought of human design guides her, and how awaiting an invitation helped Lily contributed to her start; Lily’s mission to make people feel well; running a complex business made up of three parts; a focus of treating customers the way they want to be treated, with a curiosity and passion to improve; Lily’s passion for meditation and baths; and why really being you might be a path to making anything possible. Plus, a taste test!

Lily Kunin of Clean Market - One-Stop Wellness

The Entreprenista Podcast is a weekly show featuring the stories of successful female founders and what it's really like to run a business. Hosted by Stephanie Cartin & Courtney Spritzer, co-founders of Socialfly, a leading social media marketing agency, each episode goes beyond what you see on Instagram and into the nitty-gritty of growing and scaling a company effectively from women who’ve done it. Consider this the most fun business meeting you’ll ever have.

hubhopper

Entreprenista

hubhopper