LEAVE YOUR MARK: Freshly Brewed Career Advice with Aliza Licht

Welcome to the LEAVE YOUR MARK snack segment on direct-to-consumer marketing for creative entrepreneurs and small business owners. Sam Safer Valentine is the co-founder and COO of Norby, an intelligent marketing and communications platform for creative entrepreneurs that helps them grow by amplifying their work through a lightweight website, collecting leads, hosting events, sending text and email campaigns, and analyzing everything. This episode will specifically focus on how to build a database from scratch and all the tools Norby has to offer- all of which I use for my marketing and especially my launch campaign for my new book, ON BRAND. PLUS THIS EXCITING NEWS! LEAVE YOUR MARK x Norby are thrilled to announce the Brand Builder Grant, an unrestricted grant of $2,500 to a brand builder or small business owner looking for funding to achieve their marketing and business goals. From the beginning, Norby's mission has been to lift up creative entrepreneurs. It started as a community; they know what it's like to build something from the ground up and how precious your resources are when you're just starting. Our goal with this Grant, just as with Norby, is to lower the barrier to entry to marketing and growing your brand and business. To give small business owners, authors, podcasters, consultants, personal brand builders a place to showcase their work, create meaningful relationships with their audience, and grow their business. Apply by June 2, 2023 for the LEAVE YOUR MARK x Norby Brand Builder Grant by texting BRAND to +1 888- 291-4241 or at leaveyourmark.norby.live.

Theresa Ebagua pursued her dream of becoming a luxury shoe designer after studying computer science, getting her MBA, and working in corporate America for ten years. As a Nigerian-born, LA and London-based luxury footwear designer, she founded Chelsea Paris, a luxury footwear brand, in 2012 inspired by her African heritage and named after her two daughters. Her mother's passing made her realize that life is short and there is no better time than the present to pursue her passion.  Many celebrities, including Zendaya, Beyonce, Lupita, and Selena, have worn Chelsea Paris. Theresa acknowledges that the footwear industry is tough, but her initial ignorance of its difficulties helped her persevere and realize this dream. The ethos of her brand is craftsmanship, sustainability, and giving back. Chelsea Paris shoes are designed in London and expertly handcrafted in small artisan factories in Italy. In this episode, we discuss Theresa's determination to make it in an industry dominated by people who didn't look like her. As an outsider in a white male-dominated industry, Theresa faced challenges. She recalls people assuming she was the salesperson at trunk shows and even some advisors suggesting that she had a new "face" of the brand represented by a white man. Theresa shares her journey of making it, her early supporters like Barneys, who took a chance on her, the importance of community and paying it forward, the role of identity in fashion, and the challenges of managing a successful business. Lastly, Theresa shares her approach to self-care and the importance of giving herself that one hour.

According to serial entrepreneur, author, and Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer, Christina Wallace, pouring yourself into a single full-time job is the riskiest move you can make. Focusing on one career path doesn't work anymore for reasons ranging from recessions to student loan debt, the gig economy, climate disasters, and a global pandemic (to name a few). We need a dramatically different relationship with work that allows us to define ourselves beyond our paid labor. In her new book, The Portfolio Life: How to Future Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout and Build a Life Bigger than Your Business Card, self-described "human Venn diagram," Christina Wallace adapts tried-and-true practices from the business sector to help you eschew the cult of ambition and experience the freedom of building the flexible, fulfilling, and sustainable life you want. Drawing on research, case studies, and her own experience, she walks you step-by-step through designing a strategy for the long haul. Because you deserve rest, relationships, and a rewarding career—not someday, but today. After all, you only live once. Wallace talks about building a life like a portfolio rather than a linear career as disruptions become more frequent and diversification and flexibility become more valuable. The Portfolio Life is an anti-hustle, pro-rest approach to work-life balance, built on three tenets: You are more than any one role or opportunity. Diversification will help you navigate change and mitigate uncertainty. When (not if) your needs change, you can and should rebalance. In this episode, we discuss the idea of a portfolio career and how having multiple areas of expertise can be beneficial. Christina emphasizes the importance of recognizing the value of diverse experiences and networks and how a Venn diagram can identify areas of opportunity and help you connect the dots between many areas of expertise. Christina shares her startup failure story and how it's now a case study at Harvard. Though crushed and paralyzed, she got back on her feet by committing to 70 coffees in 30 days. You'll learn the three crucial questions she asked her network that brought her back in touch with her self-worth and clarified her next steps. 

Jane Green has written twenty-one novels including 18 New York Times bestsellers published in over 25 languages with over 10 million books in print worldwide. She is now giving busy women audio dramas as the new head of Emerald Audio, a new podcast network producing shows from some of the best-loved writers in the world. As if that wasn't enough, she's also navigating her Dear Jane column in the Daily Mail. How does Jane Green manage to do it all? The answer lies in how Jane describes herself, an energizer bunny with only two moods: on and off. In this episode, Jane takes us behind the scenes of her creative writing process, how she manages her day, her career, and her relationships. We talk about burning bridges, anxiety and fear, and how to let go of the negativity. We discuss the power of discipline in writing and how a single photograph inspired Jane to write her newest novel, Sister Stardust. Her advice for aspiring novelists is to write what you want, not what you think will sell. Don't be put off by rejection. And don't hand your book out for everyone to read and seek validation. Jane says, "Whenever we think we'll write something capturing the zeitgeist because we'll be a bestseller. The moment is gone, and you're not writing from your heart."

"Are you planning to get married in the next two years?" was the question that a hiring manager asked Maricella Herrera on a job interview in finance in 2012. That moment would change her professional journey forever, rerouting her from her finance path to empowering a women+ community. Today, as CEO of the Ellevate Network, with over 200,000 women+ members globally, she is helping to create a culture of equity and inclusion in business. As someone who has been with her company for over ten years and was promoted from within to CEO, Maricella is exploring the challenges and exciting opportunities to step up from her previous organizational role as COO to one of strategy and vision. In this episode, we discuss Maricella's journey from war-torn El Salvador and her upbringing of resilience. We discuss how her side hustle of helping Janet Hanson, founder of the former 85 Broads, became Ellevate and how Maricella joined her efforts once she withdrew her application. Maricella recalls that was the tipping point, not just a decision based on one interview. She wanted to stay in New York, and she wanted to change the world. As an outspoken Latina who readily shares her voice, Maricella expresses the importance of finding your allies and how you will be louder if you have people around you who can support you, even if you can't be loud yourself. We compare the difference between being a "generalist" versus niching down in your skills and how to think bigger, especially when you've been promoted within the same company. Maricella dispels the myth that only hard work gets you to the next level and that talking about your accomplishments and ensuring people know your value is the answer to getting ahead.

In this episode, Aliza Licht, award-winning marketer, author, and host of the Leave Your Mark podcast, discusses her new book, ⁠ON BRAND: Shape Your Narrative. Share Your Vision. Shift Their Perception ⁠and how to level up your career by working on your personal brand. Aliza is interviewed by culture and trend journalist, award-winning, four-time published author, and New York Times contributor Alix Strauss; they discuss the behind-the-scenes of ON BRAND and dive deep into what the reader can expect to get out of it.  In a world where the lines between personal and professional are blurred, and we communicate nonstop in both obvious and subtle ways, getting your message right and learning how to market yourself is paramount to success and can determine which opportunities are presented to you or handed to someone else. How you show up in person, over email, and on social media communicates your personal brand. That brand deserves thoughtful cultivation and crafting as you shape your narrative, build your network, grow your confidence, and plot your future.  Aliza Licht, a former fashion executive who successfully turned her communications expertise into a multimedia brand and consultancy, shares both personal and professional advice from her lived experiences and from expert contributors to help you discover what your brand is: who you already are, who you want to be, and how to ensure others see you that way.  ON BRAND is ideal for anyone seeking personal development to help them level up, pivot professionally, or support through a transition. It's for the new graduate seeking their first job, the middle manager looking to level up, the executive who wants to become more notable, the entrepreneur building from scratch, the person who wants to pivot to a new career, the social media influencer who is their own brand—it's for anyone who wants to affect the way people perceive them and feel proud when they hear the words "that's so on brand for you."  

Laura Gassner Otting's superpower is seeing your greatness and reflecting it back on you so that you can get "unstuck" and achieve extraordinary results. In her book, Wonderhell, Laura explores "why success doesn't feel like it should and what to do about it." Wonderhell offers a roadmap to creating the mindset that lets you move forward in life, even when your success tells you to stop right there. Did you know fear and excitement manifest in our bodies in exactly the same way? The reason that success feels stressful is because we feel the burden of what else we can achieve. Wonderhell is the sign that you are made for more. The book draws from Laura's experiences and interviews with successful entrepreneurs, activists, and artists who have faced similar challenges and come out on the other side. One of Laura's suggestions is that instead of pursuing endless growth, people should determine what they are maximizing for, whether it is profits, impact on the world, or personal freedom and flexibility.  Laura frequently contributes to Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Harvard Business Review, and Oprah Daily. Her entrepreneurial edge defines Laura's 30-year resume. She served as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton's White House, helping shape AmeriCorps; left a leadership role at a respected national search firm to expand a tech start-up; and founded, ran, and sold her own global search firm. Her first book, Limitless, was a national bestseller. In this episode, we discuss the definition of success and why it isn't an endpoint but a waypoint. Why working hard doesn't end when you succeed; every time you succeed, it just gets harder. We dive into the dangers of comparison culture but the importance of surrounding yourself with people who won't let you settle for mediocrity. And the reason you feel like an impostor is because you are somewhere you never thought you'd be.

Lydia Fenet knows what it feels like to own a room. In her two-decades-long career as the leading charity auctioneer in the world, Lydia has changed the fundraising game—single-handedly raising over a billion dollars for over 800 organizations globally. At night she graces the stage alongside celebrities including Bruce Springsteen, Hugh Jackman, Matt Damon, and Jerry Seinfeld while raising money for the most notable charities in the world. As a keynote speaker, she travels internationally, speaking to groups about unlocking their sales potential and empowering their teams in the workplace. In her new book, CLAIM YOUR CONFIDENCE: Unlock Your Superpower and Create the Life You Want, global thought leader, Christie’s Ambassador, and author of The Most Powerful Woman in the Room Is You, Lydia Fenet is back on LEAVE YOUR MARK to share hard-won wisdom on how to look within, overcome fear, and claim your strongest self. Navigating a two-decade career at the world’s leading auction house while raising three children, Lydia had her own journey of learning self-assurance. Through relatable stories of big and small challenges, Lydia demonstrates that confidence isn’t something we are born with; instead, it is something that we learn by pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone and facing fears head-on.  In this episode, we discuss why you should ask for forgiveness, not permission, how to create a "Teflon Shield," slam your imposter syndrome, get comfortable being uncomfortable, persist even when you want to give up, and untether yourself from what other people think about you, and more.

Melissa Nightingale is an internationally recognized expert on management and the modern workplace. She's the co-founder and partner at Raw Signal Group and has helped thousands of bosses worldwide show up with more confidence and competence in how they lead. Previously, she spent 20 years working in tech and held executive roles that spanned marketing, customer success, community, and growth.  Melissa is also the author of two books: Unmanageable: Leadership Lessons from an Impossible Year and How F*cked Up Is Your Management? An Uncomfortable Conversation About Modern Leadership.  When employees aren't happy at work, it's usually because of their boss, but many bosses lack the skills to manage a team. And fun fact, it's likely that if your boss is not happy with you, the odds are their boss is equally unhappy with them. In this episode, we dive deeeeeeep into management and the big mistakes bosses make, starting with identifying the actual job of being a manager. Spoiler alert: it's not necessarily what you think. We analyze the difference between being internally promoted as a manager versus coming from an external role, what should happen within the first 90 days, and how the dynamic changes when you suddenly oversee colleagues that used to be peers.  We discuss how introverts and extroverts differ in management and how to make sure that people know your worth no matter how you identify. Melissa advises how to build trust with a new team, particularly in a remote setting, delegate appropriately, and establish working guardrails for your direct reports and work processes. This whole episode is a master's degree in management, no matter what you do or who you do it for.

Noora Raj Brown knows what it feels like to be uncomfortable, but she has never let it stop her. Whether it's been learning on the job or pushing unconventional conversations into the mainstream, Noora is on the front lines of what it means to be an entrepreneurial marketer. As Executive Vice President of Brand at goop, Noora has been instrumental in working with Gwyneth Paltrow to transform goop from a newsletter and multi-brand site into a full-fledged brand (and not a celebrity brand) since 2016. As a member of the executive team, Noora oversees brand and integrated marketing, corporate positioning, talent outreach, television production, social media, influencer marketing, and press strategy for the goop brand and all initiatives. She also serves as chief spokesperson for the company and CEO. Prior to goop, Noora worked in various creative industries, most recently at Time Inc, where she led communications for their fashion and style brands, including InStyle, People StyleWatch, XoJane, and Wallpaper*. She is also a founding board member of political engagement organizations I am a Voter and Commit2Change. In this episode, we dive into what makes a strong brand, and the mental filter Noora employs to decipher what's on brand for goop. We talk about the importance of hiring experts and giving them the autonomy to do their best work, why you should be learning all the things you don't find interesting, what she looks for in a hire, and why if you want to succeed, you need to be useful. We also discuss what it's like to work for one of the most famous women in the world and how feeling lost in your career is natural but can also bring the gift of time and self-reflection.