Startups in Stilettos

Carmen is the perfect example of why we should always be careful what we wish for because you never know when the Universe is listening. In a passing moment of frustration at the dwindling lifespan of her go-to candles, she uttered the words “I bet I could make it better” under her breath. Recognizing her limitless potential, her husband gifted her candle supplies that Christmas with a note that r...

Courtlyn is a perfect testament to what you can achieve with pure passion for what you do and an unrelenting commitment to seeing your vision all the way through. For as long as she can remember, the fine arts have always been a fundamental part of her identity and expression but when she enrolled in college, she made a practical decision to study digital design. After 9 years as a graphic designe...

If you ask Brooke, she’ll most likely tell you that she didn't choose the Entrepreneurial life, but that the Entrepreneurial life chose her. After being left feeling unsatisfied and lacking a vision she resonated with, Brooke decided to step away from her 9-5 in the fine art world without knowing what the future would hold. By leaning into her strengths and building a business on her own terms, sh...

Emily has a long and rich history in the branding world. Over the stretch of 14 years, Emily says she's done everything from skinny jeans to french fries, working in the brand development of companies like Abrecrombie & Fitch and Wendy’s. But what she really loves more than anything, is working with passionate entrepreneurs to help build authentic brands that deeply connect with clients.   In toda...

Before Kelsey became an entrepreneur, she was a journalist and in-house editor for national media brands like Elle, Good Housekeeping, and Reading Digest. It was during this time Kelsey learned the power of proper storytelling and which kinds of narratives that brands can lean into in order to connect to their consumer. Kelsey later identified a journalism vs. PR and editorial vs. marketing discon...

As the mother to four children under the age of 10, Marnie will tell you herself; she loved being pregnant. So much so she couldn't bear the idea that there were Mothers out there struggling with their pregnancies and failing to find the support they needed that solely focused on them. Marnie recognized the challenge in this, as she recalls feeling like she was losing her identity as she further t...

Kristina Bartold has successfully built a career through creating community online and bringing people together. She learned that as an entrepreneur, showing up in these spaces authentically is key to connecting and building resonance with your target audience. As many small business owners often struggle to tap into the spaces that will offer them the most long-term growth, Kristina and her team...

Chrissanne is an advocate and believer in what we can accomplish when we come together as like-minded professionals to support one another in our business pursuits. By approaching each relationship in her network as a long-term investment, she de-centers any urgency to close a potential deal. For Chrissanne, fostering a genuine connection is always the priority that ultimately creates an open envi...

Cheli Grace was working as a principal at one of the largest school systems in the nation when she realized she had more knowledge and helpful wisdom than she knew what to do with at the time. Cheli’s solution was to self-publish a book, which ultimately led to her discovering an opportunity to meet a pressing need within the publishing market that anyone with a business could benefit from.   In t...

Karen Skinner spent 20 years adhering to the work culture within the legal field before she finally had enough. The crazy hours, minimal sleep, missed events, and ever-looming sense of exhaustion left Karen convinced that there had to be another way to practice law and still lead an enjoyable life successfully.   In today’s episode, Carlyn sits down with Karen Skinner, coach facilitator, co-founde...

Whether a business is a major corporation or a small boutique, its fourth-quarter performance plays a huge role in revenue growth for the year. This was especially true for Carlyn when she found herself in a product-based business, where the holiday season was often the busiest. So the tools and processes she planned on bringing into the second half of the year were particularly important. Being t...

Although Katie Platt knows a thing or two about apparel and wardrobe due to her experience working in the bridal industry, she didn't quite realize how many hats she would need to wear on the path to building a booming business. This versatility and inventive creativity within her allowed her to forge a lane of her own within a distinctly competitive market. In today's episode, Carlyn flies solo o...

For new businesses or even businesses simply looking to expand, understanding the importance and benefits of setting a foundation that supports uninhibited growth is key. Carlyn’s experience in manifesting success in this area comes directly through creating businesses of her own from the ground up. Through this work, she often gets questions like: How do I scale my business to the next level? How...

While Catalina Escallon is an artist, and by definition, a creative person, she realized that a lot of people did not view themselves that way as they got older. So she and her partner decided to start a studio that helps people realize that there are many ways to be creative.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Catalina Escallon, the co-founder of Noodo, a studio that empowers creative moments...

Like many Entreprenistas, Meg left the corporate world once she had kids and started to work on her own. She had experience with web design, so that’s what she did, before she realized that having the perfect website is meaningless if no one finds it. So she dug in and learned everything there was to know about SEO and now she helps other business owners create websites that convert.  In today’s e...

Over the course of her business, Xindi has had to confront herself and get a grasp on who she is, what she stands for, and what she wants. But the ride hasn’t always been what she was expecting. Now she preaches leaning into the hard stuff and believing in yourself, and it seems to be working out well for her.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Xindi Soh, founder and CEO of By Xindi, a studio o...

When Sally’s friends and family started having children, she looked for gifts that would be meaningful and lasting. As an artist, she decided to create watercolor name paintings. Soon, the commissions started flooding in and she had a proof of concept for a business.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Sally King McBride, founder of The Letter Nest, a brand of educational and elevated alphabet a...

Marilynn realized after the pandemic that the standard American way of working was on the way out. Many people, women in particular, wanted to maintain the flexibility that they had become accustomed to. So she decided to take her decade of commercial real estate experience to create a community that would benefit landlords and workers alike.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Marilynn Joyner,...

Afton moved to Italy with her husband and realized how difficult it was to find a job when she didn’t know the language. So she decided to start freelancing to make money. After a few years, she realized her specialty was with design and strategy, so she decided to open her own business.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Afton Negrea, digital strategist and designer. She shares when she knew i...

Ten years ago, Allison was working a grueling schedule (which she still does), and relied heavily on copious amounts of caffeine to just survive. After finding herself experiencing negative effects due to the caffeine content, she cut it out for herbal tea. She decided to open her business to share the positivity that she found through a caffeine-free lifestyle. In today’s episode, we sit down wit...

Jodi Klaristenfeld was introduced to the NICU world when she delivered her daughter at 28 weeks. She knew soon after she wanted to help other preemie families navigate that road a little easier, so she dug in and started a business doing just that.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Jodi Klaristenfeld, founder of FLRRiSH, a company that offers coaching and support for parents of preemies. Jodi...

Ronica had made it to the mecca of her industry––becoming a White House correspondent. But during her second pregnancy, she realized she wanted to prioritize her family, so she decided to start her own PR business.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Ronica Cleary, founder and CEO of Cleary Strategies, an agency that provides public relations, media placements, and crisis management to leaders a...

After struggling with infertility for three years, all Jess Milanes wanted was to create a space to discuss openly and honestly about women’s health issues, so she started a podcast. Little did she know that that would lead to her discovering a newfound love for the podcasting medium. Then she decided to help others with starting their podcasts.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Jess Milanes,...

Like many Entreprenistas, motherhood changed the course of Pam’s life in a way she didn’t expect. She was happy living out her 20s dreams of being a TV correspondent until she became a mom of two, then she realized her priorities had shifted, so she started Hustle Like A Mom. In today’s episode, we sit down with Pam Pekerman, serial Entreprenista, author of Edit to Expand Planner, and creator of H...

Sri-Lanka born, Australia raised Ginni has had quite the diverse career path. She had a broadcast radio show in Australia for years, she worked on airplanes, she started her own podcast, and currently she owns a podcast producing company that produces nearly 100 shows each year. And now, she’s here to help.  In today’s episode, we sit down with Ginni Saraswati, founder and CEO of Ginni Media, the...