ABOUT THIS EPISODE In 2017, Ashley Oerman joined Cosmopolitan as the senior wellness editor, becoming Hearst's first editor to work on both print and digital teams. Today, Ashley is Cosmopolitan's lifestyle director, overseeing the brand's food, home, money, career, and health content both online and in magazines. Her work has reached millions of eyes across the U.S. and internationally. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR How Ashley got her start in the editorial industry What the company culture at Cosmopolitan is like Ashley's career advice for young writers and content creators RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Ashley Oerman on Instagram and LinkedIn SUBSCRIBE You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Office Chats on Apple Podcast and Spotify. Follow @officechats on Instagram for more content.

Office Chats with Madame Blue

Ashley Oerman: Lifestyle Director, Cosmopolitan

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Nina Rowan is the Director of Marketing at Wardrobe—the world’s largest luxury and archive vintage clothing rental service. In this episode, we discuss Nina’s career in the fashion industry, how wardrobe is shaking things up in the industry, and her advice for young professionals. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR - How Nina went from an intern on Wardrobe’s startup team to Director of Marketing - How Wardrobe is shaking up the sustainable fashion industry and paving the way for new consumer habits - What it’s like working for a startup in the fashion industry - The role influencers and social media play in the company’s marketing strategy RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Wardrobe | Wardrobe on Instagram  Nina Rowan on Instagram SUBSCRIBE You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Office Chats on Apple Podcast and Spotify. Follow @officechats on Instagram for more content.

Nina Rowan: Director of Marketing, Wardrobe

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Cristina Lynch is the Founder and CEO of Mi Golondrina—a fashion and lifestyle brand inspired by the rich and colorful culture of Mexico. Every Mi Golondrina garment is born in the small villages of Mexico, hand-stitched by skilled artisans who have been using these methods for over 200 years. As a young girl, Cristina frequented her grandfather’s ranch house in Mexico and would see small swallows or ‘golondrinas’ nesting in the eaves of the roof. She envisioned these golondrinas flying about, delivering the beauty of Mexico to women all over the world. You can listen to our full podcast episode below or on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR - How and when Cristina decided to start her own business - The biggest challenges she’s overcome bringing her brand to the market - How she’s been able to scale a handmade clothing business - What about the Mexican culture inspires her the most - Lessons she learned from her entrepreneurial family and career experiences, including working at Oscar de la Renta RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Mi Golondrina’s Website | Mi Golondrina on Instagram and Facebook Cristina Lynch on Instagram and LinkedIn SUBSCRIBE You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Office Chats on Apple Podcast and Spotify. Follow @officechats on Instagram for more content.

Cristina Lynch: Founder and CEO, Mi Golondrina

About This Episode As a television personality from the popular reality tv shows The Bachelor and Bachelor In Paradise, Kendall Long is the author of Just Curious: A Notebook of Questions. Inspired by her time on the show as well as her personal life, Just Curious aims to enhance and strengthen human connections. Now residing in Los Angeles, Long spends her off days studying science, zoology, and entomology as well as spending time with her dog, Pistachio that she rescued from Bunny's Buddies. In This Episode, You'll Hear - What Kendall's experience was like on The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise - How her book, Just Curious, creates deeper connections and sparks curiosity - What sparks her passion for taxidermy - Her advice for aspiring authors Resources From This Episode Kendall Long on Instagram and Kendall's Website. Madame Blue on Instagram and | Office Chats on Instagram Share The Podcast Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you!

Kendall Long, author "Just Curious"

About This Episode Casey Dworkin is the founder and creative director of Sylven New York, a sustainable, luxury footwear brand. Born on Earth Day, Dworkin has been dedicated to sustainable practices from a young age as a result.  Before launching her own line, Dworkin spent her professional career working within small footwear and fashion companies, and attributes a lot of her early knowledge and experience to “being thrown in the deep end.” When she decided to launch a company of her own, she felt compelled to base her brand equally on craftsmanship and mission – finally getting the opportunity to combine her affinities for both fashion and sustainability. Recently, Casey has been working to redesign footwear from the inside out, focusing on materials such as apple leather (a vegan material made from organic apple waste), linings made from wheat and corn byproducts, leathers treated naturally with tree barks, and vegan leathers derived from 100% recycled fibers. In This Episode, You'll Hear - How Casey is turning food waste into luxury shoes - The pros and cons of both vegan and leather products - How the fashion industry is adapting to meet consumer demands for sustainable products - Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs Resources From This Episode Sylven New York on Instagram and Facebook Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share the Podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you!

Casey Dworkin, founder of Sylven NY

About this episode Based in NYC, Jarry Lee is an agency-signed model, actor, musician, influencer, and former journalist originally from England, Wales, and Connecticut. Jarry has a following of over 850,000+ across her verified social media channels, and appeared as herself on the Netflix show “Dating Around.” In this episode you'll hear Why Jarry left her career at Buzzfeed to pursue acting and modeling What is was like filming Neflix’s “Dating Around” The importance of diversity and representation in the media How the entertainment industry has changed since COVID-19 Resources from this episode Jarry Lee on Instagram  Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share the podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you! 

Jarry Lee, model and actor

About this episode  Sarah Coakley is the founder of Coakley Public Relations, a creative, relationship-based public relations agency that works with talented artists, specializing in multi-hyphenate artists and entertainment. In this episode, you'll hear How Sarah's career in journalism led her to create a PR firm Sarah's experience working on the Netflix hit "Brown Girls" Advice for young PR professionals Resources from this episode Sarah Coakley on Instagram | Coakley PR on Instagram |  Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share the podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you! 

Sarah Coakley, founder of Coakley PR

About This Episode Founded in 2020 by Dana Cohen, Hyer Goods is a sustainable fashion brand that offers accessories made from leather and fabric sourced from factory scraps. By upcycling trash, Hyer Goods helps eliminate the massive energy footprint needed to cultivate land, livestock, crops, and fertilizers while also reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. "My career in corporate fashion coincided with the rise in fast fashion, so I felt like it was my last hope in the industry to create my own brand that was more sustainable both in lifestyle and how it treated the planet." In This Episode You'll Hear - How Cohen's career in corporate fashion inspired her to create a sustainable brand - Ways consumers can create change in the fashion industry - Tips for shopping sustainably and reducing waste in your life - Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs Resource From This Episode Hyer Goods on Instagram and Facebook Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share The Podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you!

Dana Cohen, founder of Hyer Goods

About This Episode Ashley Jennett is the founder of The Bee and The Fox - a lifestyle and apparel brand known for their unique vintage style t-shirts that had its start on Etsy. Jennett started her business in 2014 with $700 and a small assortment of children’s shirts on Etsy. Today, the business is a popular e-commerce platform with mugs, key chains, stickers, greeting cards, and apparel for kids, babies, women, and men.  “Content wise, our designs always speak to me on a personal level whether its motherhood, political, or being a feminist. I take whats going on in my life and put it into the brand.”  In This Episode You'll Hear - How Jennett turned her business from a side hustle to a full-time job - Tips for staying inspired during challenging times - Balancing work and life as an entrepreneur - Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs Resources From This Episode The Bee and Fox on Instagram | The Bee and Fox Site |  Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share The Podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you!

Ashley Jennett, founder of The Bee And The Fox

About This Episode Marvin Revells is the creative director playing an integral role in curating a sales platform for European and Southeast Asian clothing designers at 3NY-a women’s clothing boutique based out of Soho, NYC. For over a decade, 3NY buyers and associates have offered clients around the world hand picked one-of-a-kind contemporary pieces from the fashion industry’s up-and-coming designers. Revells discusses what it's like to be a Black man, specifically a Black man in the fashion industry and fashion’s problem with diversity and performative action. “Companies need to look like what they represent. There are so many false narratives out there. You’ll see Black models all over Gucci but when you get into the higher management you don’t see those decision makers. I think they need to start hiring Black people, there are millions of talented African Americans. We are applicable, we are hard workers, and we’ve proven ourselves time and time again.” In This Episode You'll Hear: - Revells start in the fashion industry  - How NY creates unique experiences for their customers - 3NY’s adaptation to COVID-19 business conditions  - The fashion industry’s BIPOC diversity issue  Resources From This Episode 3NY on Instagram | 3NY Site  Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share The Podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you!

Marvin Revells, creative director for 3NY Clothing

 About This Episode Before creating CBD beauty brand Cannuka, Founder and CEO Michael Bumgarner's idea of skincare was "a bar of Dial soap, Vaseline, and lotion." Fast forward to today, and Bumgarner is the man behind the largest CBD beauty launch in the world with brand partnerships at Ulta Beauty, Neiman Marcus, and 2000 other retail doors. In this episode, Bumgarner revealed it was a background in farming that led him to discover the power of cannabis and see its potential to be a game-changer in the beauty world.  "I got interested in beauty because of my passion for industrial hemp. I identified beauty, specifically skincare, as a wide-open space where we could get a product on people's skin and show them the benefits of cannabis so they'd want to learn more about the plant and why it's effective."   In This Episode You'll Hear - How Cannuka is reintroducing cannabis to consumers - The scaling process in a competitive and rapidly growing industry - How hemp can bring jobs to rural America - Cannuka’s unique formulation and future expansion  Resources From This Episode Cannuka on Instagram | Cannuka Site Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share The Podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you! 

Michael Bumgarner, founder of Cannuka

About This Episode  When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Austin high schoolers Sarah Zeng and Alice Huang faced canceled summer plans, the challenges of remote learning, and a community struggling to combat the effects of coronavirus. The two childhood friends and avid bakers created a small cookie business to cheer people up with homemade treats while donating 80% of proceeds to All Together ATX for COVID relief. Zeng and Huang's business, Dough Re Mi Cookie Co, has since donated upwards of $3,000 for COVID Relief in the Austin community. Zeng, 16, and Huang, 15, bake and deliver classic cookies and dog treats, rotating specialty recipes into the mix every month. Customers can buy cookies for themselves or send them as a sweet surprise for someone else with a customizable message card.     "Our mission was to bring together the community at a time of stress and anxiety. It's really amazing when we go out to deliver every Saturday, people smile at us through their windows and are really excited."   Word of these cookies for a cause quickly spread on social media, with the help of mouth-watering photos of Zeng and Huang's baked goods and clever TikTok videos that highlight the founders' creativity and social mission.  In This Episode You'll Hear  - How Dough Re Mi is giving back to their community   - Lessons learned from starting a business while still in high school  - How Dough Re Mi grew their social media presence via TikTok   - Advice for young entrepreneurs  Resources From This Episode  Dough Re Mi on Instagram | Dough Re Mi Site  Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram  Share The Podcast  The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help:  - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you!  With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you!    

Sarah Zeng and Alice Huang, founders of Dough Re Mi Cookie Co

 About This Episode Audree Lopez is an NYC-based fashion and celebrity stylist, editor, and consultant. In 2018, Lopez launched her digital course and community for fashion students, Fashion Fundamentals, where she shares her tips for breaking into the world of fashion. Because financial barriers, social obstacles, colorism, and racism play significant roles in the lack of diversity in the industry, Lopez launched The Fashion Fundamentals Foundation, a scholarship and mentorship program for students from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented communities. “My goal is to help bring in this new class of fashion professionals who are diverse, talented, creative, and deserve to be there.” In This Episode You'll Hear - The role networking played in Lopez’s career growth - How Lopez is helping break barriers in the fashion industry - Advice for a career in fashion - Tips for stepping out of your comfort zone Resources From This Episode Audree Lopez on Instagram | Audree Kate Studios Site | Simply Audree Kate Blog | Fashion Fundamentals Course  Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share The Podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you! 

Audree Lopez, fashion stylist and consultant

About This Episode Journalist and former swim coach, Paulana Lamonier, launched Black People Will Swim, in hopes of dismantling the long-standing stereotype that Black people can’t swim. The two-entity swim business and media company launched in March 2020. Lamonier describes Black People Will Swim as a “full circle ecosystem of education centered around swimming.”  Their Brooklyn and Long Island locations offer services revolving around teaching clients how to swim and conquer their fears through group or private swim lessons.  “From that moment, I just thought about how many times do we hear false information or this jargon, and we take it to be our truth because it’s been said too many times. I started Black People Will Swim out of necessity. Not only are we teaching people how to swim, but we’re working our best to eliminate that stereotype altogether. “ In This Episode You'll Hear - Lamonier’s journey to end racial stereotypes and empower the Black community - How Black People Will Swim is creating an open and accepting environment through its classes and initiatives - The role swimming plays in self-development and confidence building - Lamonier’s long-term goals for her business  Resources From This Episode Black People Will Swim Site | Black People Will Swim on Instagram  Madame Blue on Instagram and LinkedIn | Office Chats on Instagram Share The Podcast The Madame Blue community has been so incredible sharing our podcast with others, and we thank you! We do have more stories to tell and more people to reach, so here’s how you can help: - The most powerful way you can support this podcast is by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. - Follow us on Instagram and share your favorite Office Chats episodes with your friends and on social media. Tag or mention @officechats so we can give you a virtual high five and a thank you! With your support, we hope to expand our reach in inspiring future founders and entrepreneurs. Thank you!

Paulana Lamonier, founder of Black People Will Swim

Step into Madame Blue’s office and listen to conversations with people who are kicking ass in different industries from fashion and beauty to business and beyond. Join us as we gain some insight, meet inspiring people, and gather career advice you can take and run with! Visit themadameblue.com for more.

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Office Chats with Madame Blue

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