Girlboss Radio

Lizzie Velasquez is an author, host and Motivational speaker. Lizzie was born with a rare disease called Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome, which makes it impossible for her to gain weight. When Lizzie was 17 years old, she stumbled upon a youtube video that was titled “World’s Ugliest Woman”. To her shock, the video featured a photo of her face. Lizzie was devastated that someone could be so cruel, however, it was in that moment of absolute despair that she decided to start her public speaking career. Since then she has given speeches all over the world, including her Ted Talk, which has garnered over 17 million views. In addition to public speaking, Lizzie has authored four books, produced a documentary about her life called, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story and hosted her own show on fullscreen called, Unzipped, where she challenges our society’s beauty standards. Today, Lizzie is here to chat with our editorial director, Jerico Mandybur, all about how to overcome bullying, how to turn your suffering into purpose and how to find the silver lining in your adversity.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Angelica Ross is an actress, entrepreneur and activist. Angelica started her career in the Navy. Six months after joining, she requested and received an "uncharacterized" discharge under the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, because she was harassed by enlisted men who coerced her into saying she was gay. After leaving The Navy, Angelica began her gender transition.  Angelica then moved to Hollywood, Florida and worked as a model and escort until 2003. After that she started a web development and graphic design business. Angelica launched TransTech Social Enterprises, a nonprofit creative design firm that trains and contracts transgender and other workers. In 2016, Angelica reinvented her career again, and began her professional acting career when she was in the Emmy-nominated webseries, Her Story. These days Angelica portrays the character Candy Abundance in the 2018 Ryan Murphy-produced, FX series Pose. The series is incredibly historic as it features five transgender women of color as main characters. Today Angelica is here to talk about how her adversity led to her purpose, what cisgender people can do to help transgender people and how things are changing for the transgender community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brooklyn Decker is an actress, entrepreneur and co-founder of Finery. Brooklyn's layered career started as a model when she was just a teenager. She quickly garnered success with publications like Sports Illustrated, Vogue, Elle, GQ, and Glamour. Eight years ago, she transitioned into acting. She has played parts in Ugly Betty, Battlefield, and is currently working Opposite Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, as a series regular on Netflix's hit show, Grace and Frankie. Most recently, Brooklyn has taken on a new role as co-founder of Finery, the world's first automated digital wardrobe platform. Finery was created with the premise of helping women get back some of the time, money and mind-space currently spent on their wardrobes. Finery is growing rapidly and recently raised $5 million in funding! Today Brooklyn is here to talk about how to reinvent your career, the steps to fund your startup and how to confidently navigate and break through a male-dominated business.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jameela Jamil is an actress, journalist, DJ, Model and activist. In 2009, Jameela’s life changed dramatically as she went from an English teacher, to hosting T4, the most popular Youth TV program in the UK. Ever the boundary-breaker, Jameela became the first female presenter to host  BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart Show. After a health scare she had in her late 20s, Jameela decided to completely restart her life: she quit her radio job and moved to the United States. Within a short amount of time, she had come upon a career she never expected: Acting. Jameela can currently be seen starring in Mike Schur’s series for NBC, The Good Place, where she acts opposite Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. Activism is also huge to Jameela. She recently launched a body positivity movement on instagram called “i weigh”. Today, Jameela is here to talk about how to attain positive body image, how to gain the courage to take a major leap and how to manage all your side and front hustles.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shelley Zalis is a founder, CEO and internationally-renowned thought leader for advancing equality in the workplace.  Shelley changed the game by becoming the first female chief executive of a company, ranked in the research industry’s top Twenty-Five. Today, as CEO of The Female Quotient, Shelley is advancing gender equality across industries with the Girls’ Lounge: a pop-up experience at conferences across the globe, as well as within companies. In addition to being an entrepreneur and thought leader, Shelley is also an admired speaker and skilled moderator who has interviewed influencers such as Katie Couric, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sheryl Sandberg and Arianna Huffington on topics related to equality and leadership. Today she is here to share how the world of business and tech is changing for women, how you can break through the glass ceiling of middle management and how you can help with the fight for equality in your workplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hannah Hart is an award-winning comedian, TV host, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 recipient and New York Times best-selling author. Hannah is the creator and star of her weekly web series,  “My Drunk Kitchen”, which has amassed millions of views since its first episode in 2011. Hannah has written two New York Times Best Sellers, titled My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Going with Your Gut and Buffering: Unshared Tales Of A Life Fully Loaded. In addition to books and YouTube, she also co-produced and starred in Lionsgate's fall 2016 comedy Dirty 30. Most recently, Hannah has partnered with Cadence13 to produce her self-help podcast, HANNAHlyze THIS and is working with Ellen Digital on an currently untitled, unscripted series where she’ll be giving people love and dating advice. Today she's here to talk about her career trajectory, how you can get into the entertainment business and how to push through creative blocks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shan-Lyn Ma is the CEO and Co-Founder of Zola. Shan-Lyn started her career at Yahoo!, which was a company she had dreamed of working at all her life. In 2008 she moved onto Gilt, where she started as a product manager and eventually became Senior Director of Product. She also Founded and was the GM of Gilt Taste, the food & wine division. In 2012 Shan went to Chloe + Isabel, but quickly realized that it was time for her to start her own company.  Her company, Zola, launched in 2013 and quickly became the country’s fastest growing wedding registry. Today Zola carries 60,000 gifts from more than 600 different brands and it has been used by over 500,000 couples. On top of all this, Shan is an angel investor in about 15 companies including several female-founded companies. Today Shan is here to talk about her journey to becoming an entrepreneur, how to pitch to Venture Capitalists and the right way to transition your career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nikki and Brie Bella, also known as the Bella Twins, are Entrepreneurs, Influencers, WWE Stars and reality stars. There are very few women  who have impacted the WWE universe in the way The Bella Twins have. Each of them have respectively earned a Divas title during their time in the WWE between 2011 and 2012. More recently, they participated in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble: a monumental event in WWE History that forever changed the lives and careers of women in wrestling. Outside of the ring, Nikki & Brie have thrived as the stars of the hit E! reality show Total Divas, and now on their own family show, Total Bellas. They have also solidified themselves as entrepreneurs with their Birdiebee apparel line, and their wine line, Belle Radici. Today they are here to talk about what they learned from being part of one of the most tightly-run brands on Earth, how they balance personal lives with business and their tips for fellow entrepreneurs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tamara Mellon is an entrepreneur, author, founder, and designer, best known for co-founding Jimmy Choo and founding her own brand, Tamara Mellon. At Jimmy Choo, she built one of the most recognizable luxury brands in the world—transforming what she saw as a gap in the accessories market into a multi-million dollar opportunity and cultural phenomenon. Since leaving the iconic brand, Tamara has written a memoir, In My Shoes, and launched a new business.Today, she runs her luxury shoe brand in a decidedly untraditional way, selling directly to consumers and skipping the fancy department stores. Today she’s talking to Sophia about brand-building, bankruptcy, starting over, and of course, that unforgettable Sex and the City moment that made Jimmy Choo a household name.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arlan Hamilton is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, a venture fund that dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential female, minority and LGBTQ founders. Arlan built her fund from the ground up, without the connections or experience most others VCs boast—and while she was homeless. Since 2015, Backstage has invested nearly $5M into over 100 startups led by underestimated founders. And in early May of 2018, Backstage announced that it had raised an additional $36M fund, which Arlan calls her “It’s About Damn Time Fund.” She’s using it to write $1M checks to 36 Black female founders. Today, she’s explaining her path, giving honest advice for career changers, and sharing exactly how you can fund your company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices