Cultures within Capitalism

This month on the pod, I welcome Al Fine of Dame. Dame is committed to changing the way sexual wellness and pleasure are understood and experienced in the world. Wired named Dame one of the most innovative wellness companies of 2020, and Al was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 30 under 30. Al shares what it has been like to usher Dame through its first almost-decade of life, the childhood experiences that inspired her to become a sexologist (it has to do with show and tell!), how she started on the path of making great vibrators (she can do it better!), what it's been like to raise millions in a very male-dominated space, why she sued the MTA and so much more! In a time when we could all benefit from prioritizing pleasure, Al shares a lot of wisdom about what it's been like to grow a team, grow a family, and grow as a leader while keeping that ethos front of mind. 

In this podcast, Cari Sekendur of Butter Studio discusses her unconventional background, the challenges of being a female-founded, queer-led studio, and her passion for design and sports. She shares her experience working with brands like Puma and Women In Soccer, as well as her feature of the 2020 Olympic athletes. Cari also talks about her journey from childhood crafts to starting her own design studio, her collaborative design process, and finding inspiration in sports design.

This month on the pod, I welcome Mandell Conway, founder of Giving Is Like and Coach at Seth Godin's altMBA.  This episode holds a special place in my heart as Mandell is also a founding member of Book Club! Mandell shares his journey from learning childhood lessons from his mother about giving, how that informed his approach to generosity, his very winding path to joining the coaching team at the altMBA, and launching his daily newsletter. Though we didn't set out with this intention, in this episode, we arrive at our shared joy of commitment and talk about what it is, what it takes, and why it matters. There's also a lot of basketball talk along the way :). Please enjoy Mandell's generous spirit, sign up for his newsletter, or consider the altMBA, where you can work with him. 

This month I welcome to the pod Sara Berks of Minna.  Minna is a queer-lead BCorp selling ethically handcrafted goods for you and your home. In this episode, Sara shares generously about what it's like to collaborate with 26 artisan groups throughout Latin America, what her 5th-grade bedroom looked like (hello blow-up couch!), how queerness has been a guiding principle, what she's learned about herself managing a small team—it's a journey!, prioritizing mental health in the middle of a 1M raise,  ketamine therapy and running :), operating an omnichannel business and so much more! Thanks to Sara for sharing what a multi-faceted experience entrepreneurship can be! 

This month on the podcast, I welcome Chelsea Minola of Grain  in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Chelsea and her husband, James Minola, run a creative partnership exploring the poetic objects of an intentional life.  Chelsea shares her experience with design, becoming a certified BCorp, deciding to run a design studio outside of a major city, investing in robots to expand their practice, her deep devotion to the environment and their stunning new cork collection, what it's like to work with your spouse and so much more! Chelsea is a beautiful soul to whom I give a lot of credit for expanding the work of AHH to the West Coast :) I'm always inspired by her deep devotion to continuing learning and commitment to her values to guide her growth.  If you are in the Seattle area this weekend, you can visit their open studios Aug 11-13th 10am - 4pm to see the robots for yourself! 

Alex Schmidt (b. Chicago, IL) is an artist and MFA candidate at Hunter College (anticipated graduation F/W 2023). Alex has been a guest lecturer for my business growth programs on the topics of both feedback and improvisation for leaders. I find Alex’s work brilliantly helpful when it comes to thinking more openly about what feedback is and how improv can help you create a crack through which an unexplored version of yourself can emerge—very helpful when you find yourself growing as a leader. We talk about everything from pursuing an MFA to queering improv to considering why roasts can be so valuable and how to open your mind about feedback.  I can’t recommend Alex more highly as an instructor if you have a team that could benefit from improving your feedback and communication skills! Schmidt has held solo exhibitions at Leslie Lohman Museum (NY) and Rachel Comey (NY). Schmidt has performed at MoMA PS1, the Kitchen, PERFORMA, and American Medium. Schmidt is the Co-Founder of Dyke Soccer and Founder of Fall Into the Gay. Schmidt is the audio performer for Dykette by Jenny Fran Davis (Macmillan 2023). Schmidt’s work has been featured in the New Yorker, Vogue, The Guardian, Paper Magazine, Girls Like Us, Office Magazine, Dazed Digital, Elite Daily, Queer York City (S1 Ep. 5 + 6 and S2 Ep. 2) Dazed & Confused Magazine, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, Brooklyn Art Council, Broadly, and Art 21.

This month, I welcome my fellow Irish Midwesterner ;) Molly Fitzpatrick of Dittohouse and Molly Fitzpatrick Studio. Molly is that rare entrepreneur who truly operates from a place of wholeness and integrity. Molly shares her wisdom about how she used her values to guide the creation of systems of solidarity with her manufacturing partners—Trama Textiles in Guatemala—her commitment to the profit-first model, her deep reverence for American textiles, and what it's like to unschool her children and run her business. You can find Molly's work on her site, in MoMA, and in retailers like Nordstroms. Molly also shares an abundance of resources on her site about the history of American textiles. 

This month I'm excited to welcome Brent Young of The Meat Hook and Cozy Royale to the pod. Brent is one of my longest-standing clients, and it's always a joy and a privilege to witness someone's growth over a long period of time. Brent shares so much wisdom, including what it's like to start out as four business partners and be the last man standing, why culture doesn't just replicate itself in a new venture and how intentional you need to be, how his commitment to regenerative agriculture informed his approach to capitalism and entrepreneurship and during this women's history month, how his mother shaped his approach to leadership. 

This month I'm excited to welcome Erica Weiner and Lindsay Salmon of Erica Weiner to the pod. Erica and Lindsay are a dynamic duo and one of the rare examples of business partners who achieve longevity. Hear their experience of what it's like to go through couples therapy as business partners, completely transform their business model from a table at the original artists and fleas to two brick and mortars to an online-focused business, to what it's like to let go of their entire team and rebuild their company culture, all while completely shifting the focus on their actual product offering.  Erica is also a wizard in marketing, and their newsletter is one of my favorites (you should sign up!). These ladies are a great example of regeneration; their story is packed with valuable wisdom. As Erica says, "hold on to your hat!"

Luis Mojica is the founder of Holistic Life Navigation. Unlike the previous episodes, Luis is neither a graduate of the Business Growth Program nor a private client. Luis is my former therapist and a dear colleague. In this episode, we talk about his journey to Somatic Therapy, what couples therapy can teach you about leadership, non-charged capitalism, and changing how you relate to your business and your employees. I share a bit about my own experience with this work (there are tears) and how it changed how I see what's most meaningful in relating to others and why ruptures in relationships are so valuable. You can find Luis' work here and his podcast here.