After listening to countless entrepreneurial stories, I truly believe that for some entrepreneurs, their business journey is meant to be and a higher power helps pave their path.  And, this is one of those stories that doesn’t feel like coincidences played a part – it’s as if this was always meant to happen for Christine Flores, owner of The Beeswax Co. based in Dripping Springs, Texas.  She always knew she wanted to own a business, but couldn’t quite figure out what exactly she wanted to do until one day she heard about a beeswax candle company.  She was instantly intrigued in the beeswax industry and loved that her own family lineage tied into beeswax as her great grandfather was a beekeeper and Christine had fond memories of him working with bees.  So, when Christine was 7 months pregnant, her stars aligned and she became the proud owner of The Beeswax Co.  She immersed herself into learning all about the candle and beeswax industry and talks through what sets her business and products apart.  She even uses her grand-daddy’s beekeeping tools to burnish each candle that is made by hand.  Christine like to think of her work as a beautiful collaboration between people and bees.

Self Made Sister

Christine Flores - The Beeswax Co.

It’s that time of year where we wear flip flops, sandals or no shoes at all.  We are spending hours outside and kids have dirty little feet from running around on the grass.  Ann Malik, Mom of 3 and Founder of Jasmine Seven, wanted her kids to enjoy an active lifestyle but wanted to go from fun time outside to naptime without having to give her kids a bath.  So, she developed Jasmine Seven Fresh Feet Wipes, a plant- based wipe that are compostable and naturally moisturize with Vitamin E and aloe.  They are alcohol free and made with all natural and non-toxic ingredients.  They are naturally scented and leave your little ones feeling clean, cool and refreshed.  And, these aren’t just for kids, I know I could’ve used these in college after a night out or after a long day of walking in sandals.  In addition to the Fresh Feet Wipes, Ann has also developed other wipes for those with active lifestyles – body wipes, yoga mat wipes, bike wipes, sneaker wipes and shoe horns.  Ann’s products, which can be found on Amazon, are meant to make your life a little bit easier while keeping you and your little ones clean.

Ann Malik - Jasmine Seven

I truly believe that despite the year that was 2020, there were countless positive personal and professional shifts as well as ideas that were created that may not have happened otherwise.  Ashley Kenny, Founder and CEO of Heirloom, started Heirloom because her family was desperate for it. At the beginning of 2020, her 92-year-old Grandma Fran was stuck hundreds of miles from her family, unable to see visitors due to the pandemic. The months dragged on without her seeing her great-grandchildren laugh, walk, or talk, and it was breaking her heart.  With some tape and construction paper, Ashley cobbled together a video player and loaded it with videos of her family. Grandma Fran’s reaction was spectacular and Heirloom was born. Many iterations later, Heirloom is a high-quality product which has warmed many more hearts.  Heirloom mails your videos in a physical book that automatically plays when opened for your loved ones to enjoy and cherish. Creating an Heirloom video is super easy - just visit the website at www.sendheirloom.com, upload your videos and pick your cover. Your video book is shipped full of your videos in just 48 hours and arrives in five to seven business days. Customized video playing books filled with memories are a lasting gift to treasure. * Use code SELFMADESISTER10 for $10 off your first book!

Ashley Kenny - Heirloom Video Books

Highly regarded as one of the best event planners in the industry, Beth Helmstetter, Principle Event Designer and CEO of Beth Helmstetter Events - a full service event design and planning studio specializing in celebrations and multi-day weddings throughout the world -  never actually aspired to become an event planner.  Born and raised in a small Missouri town, Beth’s career started in the non-profit space and while helping plan events on the side, her passion for planning beautiful events was born.  Beyond just aesthetically gorgeous events, Beth is often called upon to create sacred moments.  She has the unique opportunity to work with diverse clientele to produce luxurious and memorable celebrations around the world.  From weddings on the enchanting coast of Italy to charming Central America, to events in an exotic corner of Bali or a private estate in the Rocky Mountains, Beth immerses herself into the creative process to bring her clients memorable celebrations to life.

Beth Helmstetter - Beth Helmstetter Events

Dr. Nirali Patel struggled with problematic skin as a young adult which is what made her so passionate about learning more about skin care and develop products to help others feel confident in their own skin.  An acupuncturist by trade, Dr. Nirali founded Twigs & Tansy, a line of handcrafted organic products targeting problematic skin.  While completing her Acupuncture Masters and Doctorate program, she became obsessed with the healing properties of herbs and learned how to expertly blend roots, stems, twigs, bark, leaves, buds and flowers into oils based in Chinese Medical Dermatology.  She developed a line of skin care that heals, nurtures and soothes skin without chemicals, fillers and preservatives.  Dr. Nirali believes that women and plants are a force of nature.  So, it makes sense that our skin is at its best with plant ingredients, which help our skin become more beautiful, stronger and flawless.

Dr. Nirali Patel - Twigs & Tansy Skincare

In the summer of 2017, Stacey Goltermann fell in love with The Scout Guide while on a family trip to Charlottesville, Virginia. She spotted the guide on the coffee table of her friend’s guest house and Stacey then ended up spending the day at Sparkle Lake with friends—one of them being a member of the founding duo of The Scout Guide, Christy Ford!  The Scout Guide is a beautiful publication dedicated to living a locally minded lifestyle—wherever you are.  Published in more than 60 cities, The Scout Guides connects you with inspiration, as well as with makers and experts who can help you enhance your life, elevate your surroundings, and enjoy your community to the fullest. Stacey, Owner and Editor of The Scout Guide St. Louis, was excited to bring The Scout Guide to Saint Louis in order to support the local people, families, and businesses that work to help clients and customers live their best life in her city.  As she is currently working on Volume 4, The Scout Guide St. Louis has grown into a trusted local brand and resource for the St. Louis community.

Stacey Goltermann - The Scout Guide St. Louis

As one of St. Louis’ most sought-after strategic thinkers, Andrea Arco has become known as much more than Founder and CEO of Arco + Associates, a marketing communications firm that specializes in strategic planning, copywriting, branding and visual identity and public relations.  Since the beginning of her professional career, hundreds of organizations, entrepreneurs, and business leaders across the nation have been impacted by Andrea’s distinctive ability to drive change.  Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies in 2021, Andrea and her team have helped organizations ranging in size from 10 to 1000 employees focus their marketing investments and ensure their marketing plans align with business goals.

Andrea Arco - Arco + Associates

As two party lovers and best friends since college, St. Louis mompreneurs Ashley Detweiler and Ashley Roberts, are professional party goer’s, planners and researchers.  They’ve hopped around to a zillion kid parties, planned beautiful parties for their own kids, spent endless hours on Pinterest and entire paychecks on Etsy.  It was on a party bus, of all places ?, that Ashley and Ashley came up with the idea to start Party Hop.  They wanted to bring ease to pulling off the dream of a perfect party and help plan the ultimate bash without loosing sleep or breaking the bank.  So, they started Party Hop, an online party company that has everything you need to bring the party in your head to life with ease.  From balloon installations, which they are well-known for, to party boxes and supplies, they’ve got it all!  Ashley and Ashley help keep it as simple as possible without sacrificing the style and pretty details. www.partyhopshop.com https://www.instagram.com/partyhopshop/?hl=en  

Ashley Detweiler & Ashley Roberts - Party Hop

Did you know that women buy over 50% of cars on the road and are involved in 80% of the decision making? As a mother and a female in the automotive industry, Kelly Stumpe understands what women want and need when purchasing a vehicle for themselves or for their family.  While Kelly’s family owns 6 car dealerships in the St. Louis area, she had to learn the industry from the ground up when she joined her family business after college.  She learned everything you need to know about the car buying process and realized it was hard to find trustworthy information and tools when purchasing a car.  Kelly has a unique perspective on the industry as a woman and a mother and wanted to create a platform for women and families to feel confident when purchasing a car.  So, last June, Kelly created The Car Mom, a much needed community for women on Instagram and YouTube where Kelly provides car reviews, tools and tips to streamline the process, save you time in the dealership and empower you to make the right decision when purchasing your car.  Kelly reviews cars from a mother and women’s perspective and answers questions about car seats, strollers, cup holders, safety, storage, etc.  Kelly’s mission has resonated with women all over the country and she’s quickly grown her following to almost 90,000 followers.  While there is no “perfect car” because everyone’s situation and preferences are a little different, Kelly hopes to equip and empower you to find the right car for your needs. www.thecarmomofficial.com  

Kelly Stumpe - The Car Mom

Tamara Keefe learned at an early age that ice cream has the magical power to create moments of connection. Tamara, CEO and self-proclaimed “Flavor Temptress” of St. Louis based Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery®, has always had a deep passion for not only ice cream itself, but for what ice cream represents, especially in the context of her own life.  After years of a successful corporate career that required Tamara to travel nearly 300 days a year, she yearned for the bonds of friendship, family and community that she had as a child enjoying homemade ice cream after church with family and friends. Tamara combined her business experience with her passion for bringing people together through the simple pleasure of ice cream as her new purpose.  Tamara shares her journey of bringing Clementine’s to life and why she works tirelessly to serve expertly crafted, natural, delicious and joyful ice cream scoop by scoop to her raving customers.   

Tamara Keefe - Clementine's Naughty & Nice Creamery

As a small-town Montana gal with big dreams, Hillary Folkvord has always been the girl with a green smoothie in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other.  She was born and raised in Three Forks, Montana in a three-generation farming family and has always craved adventure while enjoying great food and wine along the way. Hillary pursued her passion for hospitality and joined her family’s business as the owner and operator of the Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks, Montana and The RSVP Motel and The Farmer’s Daughters Café in Bozeman, Montana.  Hillary shares her entrepreneurial journey as a hotelier and how she juggles life as an owner/operator, wife and mom to 2 sweet babies, Henry and Olivia; as well as building her lifestyle brand blog, Lady H, which is her creative outlet to inspire to inspire and share realistic approaches to travel, wellness, and motherhood. www.sacajaweahotel.com www.rsvphotel.co www.farmersdaughtersbzn.com www.ladyh.life  

Hillary Folkvord - The Sacajawea Hotel, The RSVP Hotel, The Farmer's Daughters Cafe and Lady H Blog

Back in the mid 90’s, the word Mompreneur was created as a term to describe a female business owner who actively balances the role of mom and entrepreneur.  As any mom well knows, the best ideas come from your own personal needs while raising your children.  Mompreneur’s like Umma Shekani, wife and mama to 4 babies under 3 and Founder of Swaddle Sleeves, have designed and created life changing products over the years for babies and children.  Coming from a personal need of wanting her baby to sleep better after transitioning out of the traditional swaddle, Umma got to work and sketched out the first version of Swaddle Sleeves.  The next night, her daughter slept soundly through the night.  Umma shares her journey of Swaddles Sleeves from that first version to what they are today.  And just last week, Umma released 4 new products – the Swaddle Sleeves Pod, the Swaddle Sleeves Sack, the Swaddle Sleeves Footie and the Swaddle Sleeves bodysuit.  From one mama to another – you’ve got this! www.swaddlesleeves.com Instagram: @swaddlesleeves  

Umma Shekani - Swaddle Sleeves

So, what’s your hair story?  We all have a story that usually starts when we were little that includes styles like poufy bangs, a bowl cut, frizzy pigtails.  For me, I had all of those trends as a child; but, a defining hair moment was my Freshmen year in high school when I used way too much Sun-In and turned my hair orange.  Our hair is part of our story and is an important piece of our identity.  Like me, Allison Harr tried every trendy hairstyle and when she traded her super bleached pouf for an all-business bob at Harvard Business School, she started to think that maybe she could pay it forward and prevent hair drama for future generations.  After her long career in Marketing for companies like Unilever and Clorox, Allison acted upon her desire to become an entrepreneur and created Gemmist, a haircare company inspired by two key pillars – science and simplicity. Allison shares how derived from data and insights via a proprietary algorithm, Gemmist was created to deliver the perfect shampoo and conditioner for specific hair needs direct to the consumer through a hair quiz that determines a customized formula combination just for you. Gemmist, a combination of gemma, Italian for ‘jewel’ and chemist, represents the juxtaposition between the hard facets of science and the raw power of beauty through shiny, healthy hair. Women owned, women tested, women recommended, Gemmist proves that the secret to good hair days is science. 

Allison Harr - Gemmist

Every woman needs “that” girlfriend in life – you know the one that always lends a listening ear, provides the best advice, can quickly turn your mood around with a hilarious joke, is such a positive force, motivates you to be your best self, is always up for a party, isn’t afraid to try something crazy and new with you and the one that is your biggest cheerleader, support system and believes in you whole heartedly.  Meett Renee Dick – the girlfriend you never knew you needed in business.  Whether you’re in the beginning stage of starting your business or if it’s just a dream and you haven’t taken the leap yet, Renee is here to help!  Being a small business owner herself, Renee is your crazy girlfriend who has tried it all to start, build and grow her brand.  She’s a firm believer in community over competition and understands the importance of having a community of other boss babes to make life so much easier.  Renee shares how she has built a community of women all over the country, is a Pinterest mastermind that shares all the secrets to growing your brand on Pinterest and is the co-host of the Dreams to Plans podcast.  Renee is truly a breath of fresh air, a comedic relief and someone that brings out the best of everyone she meets.  She is the girlfriend you never knew you needed. 

Renee Dick - My Girlfriend Renee

Welcome to Self Made Sister Season 2!  I’m kicking off this new season by introducing you to a fellow St. Louis mama and her idea that started as a way to keep the mom brain organized, but quickly turned into a life changing tool.  Lauren Anderson helps new mamas turn confusion and chaos into confidence and rest.  As a twin mama turned sleep coach, she understands the exhaustion, the expectations, the doubt.  So, Lauren created The Tiny Tracker, a beautiful linen-wrapped gold spiral bound baby journal that is a Pediatrician recommended planner, tracker, memory book, development guide all-in-one.  The Tiny Tracker manages the newborn chaos by tracking baby’s meals and milestones, provides daily age-appropriate sensory and bonding activities, a 14 page memory baby book and a tool to keep all helping hands on the same page, literally.  Lauren shares how The Tiny Tracker helped her track meals into memories and chaos into confidence.  She was able to communicate with her husband and helping hands, enjoy the memories and milestones of the newborn phase, bond with her babies and ultimately achieve the holy  grail of newborn parenting: sleeping through the night.  By experiencing first hand how The Tiny Tracker changed her life, she is sharing her lifesaving tool to empower and equip women to step into their genius as parents.  Babies don’t come with instruction manuals, but this comes pretty darn close.

Lauren Anderson - The Tiny Tracker

Incredible women share their stories during a lighthearted and info-packed chat with host, Anna Keenan. From entrepreneurs and CEOs to influencers and philanthropists, all of these ladies started with an idea, a goal and a hope and turned it into their reality. They truly make success seem realistic and attainable and will leave you wanting to become your own Self Made Sister. So, I'm here to answer the big question, how did she do it?

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Self Made Sister

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