HAYVN Hubcast

In this episode of the HAYVN Hubcast, Nancy Sheed is joined by guest Laura Incerto, the visionary founder of Women for Women.  Women for Women is not your typical networking group. Since it started in 2009, this extraordinary community has seen many meaningful connections and encouraged lasting friendships among women. Together, Nancy and Laura discuss the incredible journey Women for Women has seen in the past 14 years and explore the importance of community and connections.  “One thing women don’t need in their lives is more pressure.” - Laura Incerto  Here are three takeaways from this episode:  Open and relaxed gatherings encourage more natural connections  People have a desire to create genuine connections and friendships  Flexibility and adapting to changes allow groups to stay strong  “Age has nothing to do with living your life every day to the fullest.” - Laura Incerto  Laura shares the stories of the group's founding, its remarkable evolution, the inclusivity among its members, and the importance of establishing an environment where women can connect organically and without pressure.  This group is proof that connections can be made among people with extremely different backgrounds and experiences. Their open and inclusive nature has contributed to its growth, and they continue to attract new members every month.  Join Nancy and Laura in this captivating episode as they celebrate the power of authentic connections and the inspiring legacy of Women for Women.  Connect with Laura Incerto:   Facebook  Email  Connect with Nancy:  Website  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Twitter 

Topics discussed include recalibration in the workforce, challenges for mid-level managers, and upskilling as a strategy. Eileen Springer emphasizes the importance of courage in the workplace and self-care for managers. The podcast also covers navigating workplace changes amidst the pandemic and matching skills to job requirements.

Clovia McIntosh, recent MBA graduate from the University of Bridgeport business school, shares her remarkable experience in establishing her company, IRL Innovations. Topics discussed include the start-up journey, building Tubee - a child safety bathtub insert, key lessons learned from entrepreneurship, resilience, and finding help and resources.

In this episode of HAYVN Hubcast, we have the privilege of hearing from Ann Murray, Co-Founder of Schedulete, an innovative online platform designed to streamline the scheduling process for coaches. With a focus on optimizing scheduling efficiency and reducing time and effort, Schedulete has become a game-changer in the coaching industry.  Throughout the conversation, Ann shares valuable insights from her entrepreneurial journey with her co-founder (and daughter) Alexa Murray, offering practical lessons for those embarking on their own business ventures:  Discover the power of collaboration as diverse skill sets and strengths converge to create something extraordinary.  Emphasize continuous product development as a driving force behind sustained success.  Navigating between the different fundraising and strategic partnership options and deciding which is best for your business growth.  “It always takes longer to build something than you anticipate.” -Ann Murray  Ann also opens up about her connection to the HAYVN community, recounting how it played an essential role in her entrepreneurial growth. From participating in the  HAYVN Hatch to the ongoing support, Ann highlights the tremendous value that comes from being part of the HAYVN ecosystem.  Join us as we dive into Schedulete’s startup journey, a story of ingenuity, partnership, and its growing impact on the coaching industry.  Connect with Ann Murray:  Website  LinkedIn  Connect with Nancy:  Website  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Twitter 

Christine Sullivan, Marie Rocha, Joana Smith, and Isis-Rae Goulbourne, members of Realist Lab, discuss the value of investing in people and nurturing talent, the role of solid leadership in company growth, and the transformative impact Realist Lab is making in the investment ecosystem.

In this episode of HAYVN Hubcast, we delve into the dynamic world of virtual assistance with Gina Havraneck. Gina brings her expertise in providing administrative support to solo professionals, enabling them to focus on their core competencies. With 20 years of experience in events, public relations, and finance, Gina has honed her skills to excel as a virtual assistant.  Virtual assistants offer a diverse range of tasks and expertise, including business management, client support, marketing, accounting, and more.   However, many business owners, particularly solopreneurs are often hesitant to delegate these tasks.   If there are business tasks that are repetitive and don't require personal attention, or if there are  tasks that involve a project outside your area of expertise, then it’s definitely time to consider a virtual assistant.   Virtual assistants are your best help in situations like these since they have the background and the expertise to help entrepreneurs. They possess the unique ability to see the big picture while attending to the finer details, helping businesses achieve their goals. They can collaborate with different clients, leveraging their expertise to drive business growth.  “Different people work differently, and I meet my clients where they are.” - Gina Havraneck  Whether you aspire to work as a virtual assistant or are considering incorporating virtual assistant support into your team, tune in to this enlightening episode to gain valuable insights and guidance.  Connect with Gina Havraneck:  Website  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Connect with Nancy:  Website  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Twitter 

Join us in this episode of the HAYVN Hubcast as we dive into the challenging world of entrepreneurship and the process of growing a consumer food business. Lisa Hurd shares her inspiring journey of navigating the food and beverage industry to build her successful venture, Lisa's 1973 - a food company that believes delicious food can also be good for you and good for the world.  Lisa's path was driven by her and her partner Kristin’s personal medical experiences of untreated auto-immune conditions and heart complications, respectively. She used her background as a Culinary Archeologist to harness the power of food as medicine to transform their health and bring the vision of this new business to life. “You can have food that is as close to nature as possible, and it can be amazing.” -Lisa Hurd Throughout the episode, we explore key takeaways from Lisa's journey, including: Uncovering the common threads that connect your passion, purpose, and mission. The significant impact that nurturing relationships can have on your business's growth and success. Navigating the challenges of launching a CPG (consumer products goods) company which requires significant amounts of capital investment. The importance of industry knowledge and finding mentors who can guide you through the intricacies of your specific industry. Listen in as Lisa shares her highs, lows, and unexpected turns in her entrepreneurial journey. You’ll gain valuable insights on making the most of any situation and turning your life lessons into opportunities. Connect with Lisa Hurd: Website Instagram LinkedIn Connect with Nancy: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter

Angel investing is an empowering way for women to shape their financial futures as well as the futures of new startups and budding enterprises. They get to choose and be selective in the companies they will invest in, and they can choose which companies best reflect their own values.   While there is a fairly low barrier of entry to be an accredited investor for angel investing, it’s still a  high-risk endeavor, which is why groups like Tidal River are extremely helpful. Tidal River is a Connecticut based angel investor network for women, and in this episode we’ll hear from the managing partners of the Tidal River Funds, a member-driven fund for accredited investors focused on early stage companies that champion diversity and equity.  Chris Gelnaw, an angel investor and independent consulting professional, brings a wealth of experience in growing early-stage and mid-market companies. With her expertise in product/market fit, market sizing, and product launches, she provides valuable insights and actionable strategies to companies across various sectors.  Galia Gichon, an independent personal financial expert, has a diverse background spanning corporate bond research, personal finance, angel investing, and entrepreneurship. As an angel investor, Galia actively supports women-led and impact startups, while also providing independent personal finance education through her company, Down to Earth Finance.  Key Points in this episode:  Angel investing has become a more accessible financial endeavor.  The importance of being educated about what angel investing is.  How to manage and mitigate risks when angel investing.  “We want to empower women to make their own financial investment decisions.” - Chris Gelnaw  Join us as Chris and Galia share their insights and experiences, empowering women to make informed financial investment choices.  Connect with Tidal River:  Website  LinkedIn  Connect with Chris Gelnaw:  LinkedIn  Connect with Galia Gichon:  Website  Instagram  LinkedIn  Connect with Nancy:  Website  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Twitter 

Writing and publishing a book is a time-consuming, laborious and courageous process. It involves much more than writing, editing, proofreading, and uploading a manuscript. First-time authors quickly realize that there is much to learn and navigate within the publishing industry. To teach us more about just what it takes to publish a book, we’re joined by book publisher, Jenn T. Grace of Publish Your Purpose.  Jenn is an award-winning author, nationally recognized speaker, and savvy publishing strategist. She founded Publish Your Purpose, an acclaimed hybrid publishing company that gives first-time authors the secrets to getting their books written, finding an eager audience, and marking their place in the publishing world.  “Make sure that your purpose is what everything is centered around because there are so many points in the process where it’s very easy to give up.” -Jenn T. Grace  Key points in Jenn’s story that are highlighted in this episode:  How having an “I can figure this out” attitude and taking advantage of strategic opportunities led her from corporate work to book publishing  How to bring the most value to the world by having a clear why and a clear purpose in your work  Understanding key questions and goals for authors when deciding how to publish their work and what publishing direction they should take  Like a lot of us, Jenn started in the corporate world right out of college, working for an insurance company. But within a month of working there, she experienced homophobia in the workplace, and that led her to start a consulting company to help other companies market to the LGBTQ community in a sincere and authentic way and ultimately writing four books on LGBTQ marketing and communication.   From her experience in publishing her own books, a series of events and a bombardment of “How did you do this?” led her to create a course to teach authors how to get their books published, and eventually to start her own publishing company.  Jenn is currently actively involved with the HAYVN community and as a fan of the programming around sustainability, she admires the measures HAYVN has taken to achieve its level of sustainability and receive certified B Corp status (just as she has)! .  Connect with Jenn T. Grace:  Website  Facebook  LinkedIn  Twitter  Publish Your Purpose  Connect with Nancy:  Website  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Twitter 

Over the past few years, with movements such as the great resignation and quiet quitting, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in work culture and corporate America. The norms we had accepted are now unacceptable, and the call for work-life balance is even louder. While this change is welcome, the shift in the landscape can be tricky to navigate. More conversations around professional life need to happen, and that’s exactly what we’re doing in this episode.  Listen in to Simone Morris who talks about choosing the direction of your career and inclusivity in the workplace. She started Simone Morris Enterprises, a certified minority, and women-owned business that provides transformative leadership solutions through coaching, consulting, and training services, and is the author of 52 Tips for Owning Your Career.   “Sometimes we can be so busy with work and other people’s priorities that we fall to the bottom of our list.” -Simone Morris  What needs happen for us to have the career we want, and as a result, bring a shift in the work culture? Here are three changes Simone says must happen:  Know what you want out of your career and define your mission and values.  Take ownership of your career; no one else is responsible for it but you.  Change has to also come from the management and leaders of organizations.  “It’s a journey, and we’ll forgive those who are taking longer to get it. But know that not everybody is at the same place on the journey.” -Simone Morris  While there is still a long way to go to change the professional landscape, Simone shares that the journey is different for each individual and organization. We’re all at different points in our journey, so stay on your path and keep on making those significant next steps.  Connect with Simone Morris:  Website  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  YouTube  Connect with Nancy:  Website  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Twitter