And So, She Left: Wisdom from Women Beyond the Corporate World

This episode is sponsored by The Diversity Agency.   Anita Grant ( Hello Hair ), Salem Berhane ( IncluSV Beauty Solutions ), Kristina Knox ( Arbre ), Monique Gallivan ( Gyallivant ), and Seyi Adaghe ( ROUN Beauty ) are the five winners of this year's Shea Moisture Dream Fund Grant. They know the costs and barriers of entrepreneurship.     From Unilever brand Shea Moisture, The Dream Fund was creat...

Content warning: this episode contains graphic content.   Maisa Mumtaz-Cassidy thought she was going to die.   She's the Founder & CEO of Consciously , an ethically-sourced and sustainable fashion platform. Between an incredibly tense childbirth, starting a business in the grips of COVID, and contracting the virus herself, it wreaked havoc on her mind and body. But she managed to keep it all toget...

Afton Brazzoni always had a deep passion for stories.  From journalism to marketing and PR, Afton's storytelling muscle has had ample time to develop. But when she launched her own B2B content writing venture Scribe National , she soon learned about all of the other stuff that she had to grasp. Management. Budgeting. Leading.  By embracing the unpredictability of entrepreneurship and building a fi...

Andria Barrett's career is like a slinky. From theatre to hospitality to sales, there are lots of twists and turns...but she's always kept momentum.   When Andria's Jamaican grandmother taught her the concept of informal banking (known as a pawdna in her culture) Andria became fascinated with different models of cooperative finance. Today, she helps countless women-led businesses and non-profits t...

When Candice Collison's first daughter was born, she ran into a problem. She wanted to wear fashionable and functional clothing as a new mom that was ethically sourced. She looked everywhere...and found nothing.  Seeing a major pain point for new moms and moms-to-be, Candice left her high-level job at Facebook to found Mod + Ethico - later, Of an Origin . Both offer mix-and-match options with moth...

Anna Li's been to over 90 countries. Burned out, anxious, and depressed from her job in tech, she started out side-hustling as an Airbnb host. But rather than bringing the world to her, Anna left everything behind to backpack through Southeast Asia. A few years later, her company Healing Journey Retreats is organizing a retreat to Tulum, Mexico.     Anna's mission is to bridge the gap between neur...

When Paula Festas was a young girl in Mozambique, her father was her greatest mentor. He taught her many important lessons about mentorship, but one stood out: treat your employees like family and friends. It’s a piece of wisdom that saved his life.    Today, Paula’s the Co-Founder and CEO of Huumans , a financial services and cloud accounting company for small businesses. And her passion for ment...

Content Warning: This episode contains themes that some listeners may find disturbing or upsetting.  Chrystal Toop has been through a lot.  Chrystal is the founder of Blackbird Medicines , an indigenous spiritual and cultural wellness practice in Canada.  Born in the small town of Marathon, Ontario, and raised in challenging family circumstances, Chrystal’s story uncovers the generational effects...

Content Warning: this episode contains references to discrimination, xenophobia, and Islamophobia.  Nadia Butt grew up  in a predominantly white community.  Born to Pakistani immigrants near Boston, growing up as someone often perceived as "different" shaped her perception of identity and community.  She's faced challenges like navigating Islamophobia after 9/11, which greatly influenced her missi...

In this episode, we're exploring the theme of family.   Family is something that many of our guests talk about. The way our families shape us and leave lasting impressions is something we can't ignore. Often, it's only when we look back that we see how much our family has influenced us. Join Katherin, Cansulta's Founder Alex Kapelos-Peters , and show Creator/Producer Ethan Lee as they dive deeper...

In this special episode, we're doing something different.  Instead of featuring a guest, we're focusing on a theme that keeps coming up in our episodes: family.  It seems like everyone we talk to mentions their family. Family experiences undoubtedly shape the entrepreneurial journey. Our family leaves lasting marks on us as we grow up. They can influence us in ways we don't always see right away....

Felicia Shakiba will tell you that effective leaders know when to take a step back.  Felicia is the Founder of CPO Playbook , a global consultancy that places people at the heart of its strategic blueprint. Being raised in a family of immigrant entrepreneurs nurtured her aspiration to build her own venture, which she was fully prepared to do. But she never expected the slow pace and perfectionist...

This is special bonus episode about Anti-Striving from our previous guest Nadine Kenney Johnstone 's podcast Heart of the Story . The pace of life is too frantic; the grind is unsustainable. What do we do to combat unhealthy striving and hustle culture while still pursuing our passions and doing work we love? Nadine shares her own story of getting off the hamster wheel and 5 antidotes for striving...

Nadine Kenney Johnstone has always surrounded herself with words.    As a child in the Southside of Chicago, Nadine found herself nose-deep in countless books, drawing strength and understanding from the narratives within. Her local library was where her passion for literature bloomed, where she learned to nurture relationships with her loved ones and make sense of her surroundings. Her resilience...

Thilde Peterso n understands the influence of legacy and the importance of respecting the time we have. From her father's military experience to her vibrant sister's correspondence with Frank Sinatra, the extraordinary lives of her family have shaped Thilde into the insightful individual she is today. Their values and teachings continue to resonate in the wisdom she imparts.   In this episode, we...

Jessie Frances was never really drawn to social media.     Growing up in Southeast D.C., Jessie gravitated towards fashion, spending what little money was available to her on thrifted clothing to bring her joy during a difficult time. It started as a way to connect with her mother. Today, her outfits have been viewed over 50 million times on Instagram and 1.3 billion times on TikTok through her bl...

Vivian Chen was always meant to be an entrepreneur.   Growing up in an American Midwest immigrant family, Vivian discovered her passion for business at an early age coupled with a natural sense of urgency and ambition, channeling these traits to find work in the fashion and beauty industry. But when her friends started venturing into tech, Vivian found it immensely difficult to follow suit; during...

Born in Quebec, Canada, Rosemary Thompson grew up with two passions: journalism and music. Initially, she chose the path of journalism and spent 22 memorable years covering everything from the Met Gala to the tragic events of 9/11.   But as time went on, Rosemary found herself faced with a difficult decision. Struggling to balance her demanding career and her family life, she was once again torn b...

Content Warning: This episode contains mature themes including self-harm and trauma.    After 30 years as an award-winning radio producer in Boston, Katherin’s mentor Michelle Redo left her old life behind, relocating to a farm in rural Maine with her husband to pursue creative ventures. It was a change she never anticipated.    Life on the farm has given Michelle time and space to reflect. She ho...

Content warning: this episode contains references to self-harm and other issues related to mental health.   As an entrepreneur, drawing a line between personal value and the success of your venture can be a daunting task. But when your personal journey intimately intertwines with the quality of your services, that line becomes increasingly blurred. On this episode, we're joined by Megan Rafuse, Co...

Our journey into entrepreneurship can often feel lonely. We may lack connections with people who understand us or miss out on useful feedback, leading to doubts and questions about our abilities. Istiana Bestari knows all of this well.   As a young entrepreneur, Istiana experienced the struggles of working alone first-hand. She's persisted through long hours and plenty of stress, balancing multipl...

Sometimes it helps to switch things up.     For this episode, we’re pivoting from our usual in-depth exploration of identity and personal struggles to highlight techniques for managing stress in our daily lives.     Suze Yalof Schwartz , the esteemed CEO of Unplug Meditation , returns to share her wisdom on stress management and achieving a well-rounded lifestyle. We've invited Suze to provide gui...

In this special bonus episode, our wonderful guest Kelly Foss speaks with The Minimalists' T.K. Coleman to explore the definition of minimalism and how a minimalist lifestyle plays a role in helping us make sense of our own dreams.     This is a short, yet powerful snippet from Kelly’s longer discussion with T.K. in episode 151 of the Millennial Minimalists podcast here .   You will be reminded th...

For Kelly Foss , discovering minimalism meant discovering her authentic self. As the co-host of the Millennial Minimalists podcast , she’s fully embraced the minimalist lifestyle, freeing herself from unnecessary possessions and mental baggage in the process. Kelly loves to remind others that minimalism isn't just about getting rid of things - it's about clearing the clutter to focus on what truly...

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of assault and harassment that some listeners may find upsetting.     Terri Phipps and Mary Morrison are no strangers to the challenges women face when using ridesharing services. Having traveled frequently during their corporate careers, Terri and Mary experienced their fair share of uneasy rideshare situations, prompting them to take on differen...