Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

Maria Sharapova was born in Siberia, raised in Sochi and then, at age 6, moved to the U.S., and she hasn’t really stopped moving since. The tennis sensation who won Wimbledon at 17 and 5 Grand Slam titles in the years since has honed a level of focus so intense that at times she seems more like a Buddhist monk than a star athlete. This stoic concentration has been cultivated intentionally; Maria saw in other tennis players that letting fear or, conversely, pride, lead them on the court more often ended in disappointment rather than a win. She resolved to always look towards the next point, and act as graciously in victory as in losses. It’s a state of being that has bled into other areas of her life, including her work as an entrepreneur. Maria launched Sugarpova, the candy company of which is still 100% owner, in her early 20’s. Though it may seem incongruous for an athlete to peddle treats, as Maria puts it, it’s important to balance hard work something sweet once in a while. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The importance of rewarding hard work. [12:45] Balancing vision and branding in a way that leads to revenue. [18:17] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Things I bet you didn’t know about Cosmo: The first issue was released in 1886; It’s now the largest media brand for young women in the world, reaching 81 million readers; The current editor in chief, Jessica Pels, is a Virgo who loves to cut her own hair! Jessica didn’t always envision herself working in magazines, but she has always loved a great story. Growing up she would watch a movie, then immediately afterwards watch the full director’s cut. For a time she considered a career in film, but it was ultimately the culture of female leadership that led her to choose the path of women’s media. Now as the editor in chief, Jessica is working with her team to make Cosmo a space in print and online where readers can look not only for sex tips, but also for political, financial and career advice, seeing themselves reflected in the full spectrum of what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. Plus horoscopes! Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas Theories on the future of print journalism. [14:01] The double-edged sword of perfectionism. [26:12] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world of fast fashion it’s easy to find cheap, cute jewelry. But it’s not so fun when that jewelry falls apart, turns your skin green, or worse, is made under poor working conditions. Mejuri is working to turn the jewelry business on its head, offering affordable pieces that are not only made with quality materials but also under ethically sound conditions. Noura Sakkijha, a third generation jeweler, originally began by selling and marketing Mejuri online with the goal of reducing the middle men and keeping prices low for customers. Now going into their fifth year, Mejuri has a proven following, launching its first storefront in L.A. and enabling the company to secure the funding it needs to keep producing beautiful, quality jewelry for all their raving fans. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The ways in which the mindset of tech entrepreneurs can inform other types of startups (i.e. Don’t be afraid to fail!). [04:07] Hiring with company culture in mind. [17:11] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How many times have you been hungry - hangry, even! – and stuck somewhere with no snacks? Worse, perhaps there’s food laying around but it’s not even something you want to actually consume, but you have no other options, so there go those neon orange Cheezy Ballz down the hatch. Rachel Drori was stuck between a stale cake and a hard place, dreaming of fruit and veggie-based foods that would be nutritious and convenient for busy folks like herself. After scouring the market and finding the same tired protein bars, she finally decided to create the product she wanted for herself. That dream became Daily Harvest, a direct-to-consumer service that delivers fresh produce perfectly portioned to create your own smoothies, bowls and bites, providing your body with the best support to tackle your boss babe goals. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas No matter the bells and whistles, the core use for the product must be functionally successful in order to ensure return customers! [06:06] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Lee and Christine Chang were friends for many years before deciding to go into business together. Working in marketing and product development for L'Oréal , both were assigned to work in their Korean offices where they soon developed a lasting friendship. Korea is a hotbed of the latest skincare technology, and Sarah and Christine took note. Combining of-the-moment skincare research with tried and true remedies passed down through their families, the pair launched Glow Recipe, a naturally-based skincare line aimed at making the practice approachable, simple and fun. Using familiar, delicious ingredients such as banana and watermelon, Glow Recipe products soothe and improve the skin, making skincare so effective and pleasurable you may just forget to put makeup on! Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The value in creating a simple, effective skincare routine that creates less desire for makeup. [12:50] Believing in yourself, your ventures, and you ability to work through challenges. [16:08] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the 7 billion dollar industry that’s perched on your shelves, resting on your table, even held in your hands multiple times a day? It’s not your phone. It’s not even digital. It’s – wait for it – your dishes! That’s right, the tools we use to deliver food to our hungry bodies everyday is a goldmine, and an industry that hasn’t seen many changes in operations in the last several decades. Enter Kathryn Duryea, whose personal journey to create a nice table for herself resulted in frustration. When she did find designs she liked, the prices were far too high. Not everyone has thousands of dollars to put towards plates and forks. Years spent on the brand management team for Tiffany, coupled with her mother’s love of dishware, gave Kathryn the skills, passion and inspiration to start her own brand. Now just two years old, Year and Day has already been critically acclaimed by the likes of Vogue and GQ. According to Kathryn, when it comes to creating a beautiful table for friends and family, “We shouldn’t have to compromise.” Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The greater goal in creating community and a place for friends and family to share beautiful memories together. [03:28] Creating clear and consistent branding. [09:52] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by Capital One Spark Business. It happens all too often. You get the job you’ve been wishing for, hoping for, knowing it suits you perfectly – only to find out that it doesn’t. Such was the case for Monique Bernstein. Working in market research in the first few years out of college, Monique realized her dream job wasn’t that dreamy at all. And so she did what many dissatisfied employees do. She surfed the internet to pass the time. It was there she came across an inspiring article touting the importance of flexing creativity like a muscle, and she began the practice of writing down ten new ideas each day. They could be ideas for anything – home improvement, recipes, poems to write – but Monique found herself focusing on companies she could launch. Specifically companies she could start in one day, with her existing capital, with her existing skill set. Soon after, the concept of Universal Yums, a subscription snack box from a different country each month, was borne. The company that began five years ago with $8k is now slated to make $21 million this year. Couple that with the fact that Monique and her co-founder, Eli, have never taken loans to make their business work, and that is a yummy recipe indeed. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The value in owning your own business 100% - not being beholden to investors or shareholders so that you can always make the decisions that feel the best for you. [14:24] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s not difficult for most women to think of a time in their careers when they wanted to ask for more money but didn’t – or maybe they did and were denied a raise or a higher starting salary on questionable grounds at best. Enter Claire Wasserman, whose company, Ladies Get Paid, is helping women around the world to advocate for themselves by hosting workshops, coffee hours and webinars to help women find a strong voice in a culture where men still make way more money for the same amount of work. It wasn’t so long ago that Claire avoided the word "feminism" due  to other people's reactions to the word. These days, however, she’s  proud to call herself by “the other F word,” helping women to shake their moneymakers however they see fit. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas Steps to advocate for yourself and get what you want! [12:43] The value in importance of your decisions, and learning to isolate variables to ensure greater success the next time. [15:28] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cat Lee grew up with the intention of following in her father’s footsteps, and she did, for a while. After graduating from Stanford she immediately began work at Lockheed Martin where her father had made his career for 40 years. However, it wasn’t long until she realized that working in the defense industry was not kindling her passion for life. After pursuing an MBA, Cat graced the halls of Google, Facebook, and then Pinterest before realizing that what really gets her excited is angel investing and variations thereof. Now a partner at Maveron, an investment company that funds startups, Cat gets to do what she does best, breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship and helping to fund the next big rocketship! Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The cultural implications of not following your parents’ vision for your life. [07:03] How to choose the right investment for you. [17:22] The importance of periodically checking in with yourself to make sure you’re staying true to who you are and what you want your life to be about. [24:00] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by Capital One Spark Business. Special note: This episode contains a short discussion of eating disorders that may be sensitive for some listeners. Anne Mahlum isn’t going to sugarcoat things for you. She tells it like it is, and that’s probably one of the reasons she’s been so successful, first starting a non-profit to benefit the homeless and then starting her line of wildly successful workout studios, [solidcore]. People thought she was out of her mind when Anne, upon befriending some folks outside of a shelter in Philly, got the idea to start a running club to boost the spirits of those living there. Now, over ten years later, the non-profit is active in 13 cities and has a strong partnership with multiple companies that gets participants employed across the country. Anne took that same can-do attitude with her when she started [solidcore]. After trying a pilates workout on a business trip, she realized she could pair that with strength training to give the slow burn workout of a lifetime. [solidcore] now has 50 locations across the country and is slated to double that by the end of 2020. Here’s to a good sweat! Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The paramount importance of setting an example as a leader in your company, and creating transparency around that. [06:56] How scaling is all about the company’s ability to run without you. [11:43] The value in having a great support system outside of work. [15:20] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices