Startup to Storefront

Today’s guest is actress and activist Sophia Bush. When Sophia was growing up, she envisioned herself as a cardiovascular surgeon, and had her life mapped out accordingly. That all changed when she performed in a play to complete her arts credit in high school and was bitten hard by the acting bug. From that moment on, she threw everything she had into acting. Her hard work paid off a few years later when she was cast as a lead on the WB show One Tree Hill. The show would air for nine seasons, catapulting Sophia’s career to new heights and making her a household name. And for some that would’ve been enough. But as you just heard in the opening, she decided to use her platform as a celebrity to fight for causes she believes in and in so doing rediscovered her love for her college major of journalism. So listen in as we cover everything from when she was just starting out in auditions and competing with the same three actresses for every role, how she initially wanted nothing to do with social media until tabloid culture forced her hand, and how she’s passing the time in COVID isolation.

Let's get FIT! We're all struggling to keep up with our fitness routines during COVID19, on today's show we bring you a fitness expert to discuss tips and tricks for us during this time. Colleen is a founding Equinox instructor, she shares how her life as a trainer has been impacted during this time and gives us her best tips, tricks, and equipment needed to stay active during shelter-in-place. She'll also share where you can find some of her (FREE) workouts that you can do at home.  Colleen is a Kettlebell Specialist, RKC, Certified Personal Trainer, PTA Global, Awarded Next Fitness Idol 2017, SCW Mania

Meet Oli and Josh. They created ASYSTEM because they needed it. They were getting older, traveling too much and trying to balance family and work—with too little sleep, too much anxiety and the odd skin complaint. They wanted a simple solution. Products backed by science that were easy to use—and worked. It didn’t exist. So ASYSTEM was born. Their products include men's skincare, vitamins and overall betterments for men's health and are currently working on a CBD pain relief product. 

On this episode we catch up with Quikcord. Right before the shutdown they were in the throws of raising capital and had just ordered a large quantity of product. While they are continuing to fulfill previous sales, they are also digging into marketing and placing some attention on their website. One of the Founders, Matt Adams, also serves as an EMT and was exposed to and has tested positive for COVID19. Matt shares his symptoms and how the team is dealing with this time. Take a listen! 

On the latest episode we speak to Hannah Davis who founded BANGS Shoes in an effort to satisfy her appetite for philanthropy. BANGS Shoes are modeled after simple work boots Hannah discovered when she was teaching English in China. The company makes shoes that are made from 100% vegan, ethically sourced materials inside a factory whose workers are treated with dignity and respect. The company has partnered with KIVA.org in an effort to grow the entrepreneurship community around the world. The motto is simple: Buy BANGS Shoes = Your Adventures Help Others Find Theirs. Take a listen! 

We interview Sarah Paiji-Yoo, Founder of Blueland, and hear how she launched Blueland. The company is focused on cleaning up our planet by cleaning our homes. Starting with cleaning products - items traditionally sold in disposable plastic bottles, Blueland can eliminate over 100 billion single-use plastic bottles in the US alone because their cleaners live in 100% reusable bottles. Sarah details how she first came up with the idea and shares her entire Shark Tank experience and how it's impacted her company. Take a listen! 

Pre COVID19 we had a great chat with the Founders of Kindred Bravely. In a hopeful return to normalcy we wanted to share their amazing story. It all began when Deeanne, co-founder/CEO, was nursing her one-year-old and couldn’t find a comfortable and cute pair of pajamas. She decided to design her own – a simple idea that became something extraordinary. The company has 2 goals: creating maternity and nursing clothes that are beautiful, useful, and comfortable, and building a community of moms who support and encourage each other on the motherhood journey. Listen to the full story now! 

On today’s episode we talk with Maggie of VegOut Media. Since she has both a print magazine and an online component, it’s unsurprising that she’s experiencing drastically different effects on either side of her business from the economic shutdown. In this episode she shares with us the high of getting her magazine into Barnes & Nobles nationwide only to see those stores close a few months later. While Maggie continues to charge ahead, she isn’t afraid to hedge her bets by applying for an SBA loan just in case this pandemic has a couple more curveballs up its sleeve.

Hear from Lynnette Marrero, from the Masterclass on Mixology. Lynnette joins us from New York and shares how she and her team are dealing during this intense time. With over 15-Million restaurant workers in the United States her hope is during this time the economy begins to understand the importance of these workers and their impact on the economy and on hospitality. She's launched an auction site to support her team and is focusing a lot of her energy into her foundation.  Listen now!  About Lynnette: Co-Founder Speed Rack Bar Director LLama Inn, Brooklyn Food and Wine + Fortune’s Top Women in Food and Drink 2015 Wine Enthusiast Mixologist of the Year 2016 Tales of the Cocktail Philanthropy Award Speed Rack 2019 Tales of the Cocktail Best Bar Mentor 2019

Hear from Emerson, Founder of Farm Cup Coffee on how the new slogan is drink coffee, stay home, and do good. The Farm Cup team was just coming off a setup where, Sunny, their amazing coffee truck/vehicle needed to spend time with the mechanic. A few days after getting Sunny back in action COVID19 was forcing the team to shut down once again. Hear how they are moving efforts online and how they are both getting through this strange time and focusing on the positive.