Behind Her Empire

Carolyn Aronson is the founder and CEO of It’s a 10 Haircare, a professional hair care line that is dedicated to providing high-quality, luxury hair care products for every hair type. Carolyn rose from a challenging background of foster homes and adoption to creating one of the most widely recognized and consumed haircare brands worldwide. Despite all this success, she definitely was no overnight success. Carolyn prides herself on working hard and learning from her failed brands and products before striking gold with the Miracle Leave-in Spray that really took off. She owns 100% of her multi-hundred-million dollar brand and the products are sold in more than 25,000 professional salons, thousands of retail locations like Sally Beauty, Ulta, and is now in over 70 countries around the world.In this week’s episode, Carolyn talks to us about her upbringing as a foster care child and what she believes shaped her approach to entrepreneurship & her relationship with money. She also shares her experience as a hairdresser hustling to make ends meet for many years, how she lost everything when starting her first company, and how she didn't give up even after losing it all. Carolyn also tells us about the challenges she had to overcome in the process of launching her second haircare brand and the biggest learnings she had when it came to partnerships, product development, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Carolyn about:* Why entrepreneurs should, “crawl, walk, then run”. [02:30]* Carolyn’s childhood upbringing and influences that shaped her financial literacy. [08:44]* The mindset of avoiding wasteful spending. [13:35]* Bootstrapping and managing financial growth.[15:35]* How Carolyn deals with mental challenges. [18:29]* Positive impact of foster care and adoption on Carolyn's life. [21:30]* Transition to product creation alongside salon management. [23:24]* Lessons from recovering after financial loss in previous business. [25:40]* Navigating a male-dominated industry. [30:13]* Graceful handling of challenges with experience. [32:03]* Fearlessness in male-dominated environments from upbringing. [33:29]* Insights gained from partnerships and co-founders. [35:21]* Preference against 50-50 partnerships. [37:03]* Advice for women starting new ventures. [39:31]* Strategies for overcoming business challenges. [42:30]* Carolyn's proudest achievements. [45:22]* Inspiring women, foster children, and hairdressers through example. [48:47]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Carolyn: * Website: https://www.itsa10international.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsa10haircare/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsa10ceo/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest, Dr. Sara Szal Gottfried, is calling for a revolution in women’s health. Our culture is not set up to support female biology and it shows. The rates of depression, insomnia, Alzheimer’s and autoimmunity in women are staggering—it’s beyond time to turn this around. We meet at dawn…In this episode you’ll learn: * The leading cause of hormone imbalances* How our culture is making women sick* The outsized impacts of trauma on women’s health* What psychedelics offer for healing on all levels* How to reclaim your health as a woman* And more…Sara Szal Gottfried, MD, is a physician scientist who graduated from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed residency at the University of California at San Francisco. Over the past two decades, Dr. Gottfried has seen more than 25,000 patients, and specializes in identifying the underlying cause of her patients’ conditions to achieve true and lasting health transformations, not just symptom management.Dr. Gottfried is a global keynote speaker who practices evidence-based integrative, precision, and functional medicine. She is Clinical Assistant Professor in Dept. of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, and Director of Precision Medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health. Dr. Gottfried’s research focus is metabolic phenotyping. Her bestselling books include: The Hormone Cure, The Hormone Reset Diet, Younger, Women Food and Hormones, and her new book, The Autoimmune Cure.This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Sara: * Website: https://www.saragottfriedmd.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saragottfriedmd/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sali Christeson is the CEO and founder of Argent, a brand revolutionizing women’s workwear.Sali always had aspirations of entrepreneurship but chose to gain more experience before pursuing her own venture. Beginning her career in finance and banking, she later transitioned to the tech industry at CISCO. Frustrated by the lack of functional workwear options for women, she toyed with the idea of starting her own company. However, it wasn't until a few years later when she came across a study highlighting the judgment women face based on their appearance that she decided to take action. With everything aligning, Sali finally leaped and founded Argent.Since 2016, Sali and Argent have been leading the workwear revolution, offering functional, high-quality, and unique pieces designed to empower women in the workplace. Their mission is to arm working women with confidence through their clothing.In our episode together, we talk about how Sali pivoted from her corporate career to becoming a fashion entrepreneur with no design experience, the steps she took to fund the idea, and her thoughts on how to approach co-founders & hiring when you’re building a team. She also shares the unconventional approach she took to launch the brand, how networking has been crucial to her success and best practices there, and how she navigated the brand during the pandemic when offices were closed and the brand nearly went to zero (which was a crazy story). We also chat about building your confidence, how to set boundaries at work, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Sali about:* Lessons gained from up in an immigrant entrepreneurial family. [02:53]* Sali's pursuit of traditional academics and early career journey. [05:12]* Working at Cisco and gaining confidence. [09:07]* How Sali learned to navigate workplace politics. [12:13]* The importance of setting boundaries. [16:02]* Being mindful of when you need to rest. [19:31]* How the idea for Argent came about. [22:37]* Sali's initial steps in leaving her full-time job and taking the leap. [27:07]* The importance of trusting your gut. [31:24]* Slowing down the hiring process. [34:07]* The fundraising process during the early days of Argent. [38:02]* Advice on building network and authentic relationships. [41:48]* The societal construct in the corporate industry. [33:57]* The process of Argent’s launch event. [48:30]* How Sali navigated during the COVID-19 Pandemic. [51:03]* Going viral and how they generated a year's worth in just one day. [53:21]* How the COVID-19 Pandemic accelerated product demand. [54:38]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Sali: * Website: https://argentwork.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/argent/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salichristeson/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monica Royer is the founder and CEO of Monica + Andy, an organic baby clothing and essentials brand. Monica had no intention of becoming an entrepreneur, but after the birth of her daughter, she struggled to find a brand that offered safe, organic clothing and an easy shopping experience for parents. Monica wanted complete confidence that what touched her baby’s skin was the safest fabric available. Inspired by her brother Andy Dunn's success with Bonobos, she saw the potential of direct-to-consumer business models to disrupt and decided to launch her business in 2014. Fast forward to today, Monica has raised millions of VC funding for her company which is now considered one of the country's most celebrated organic children's clothing brands. The company also recently announced a partnership with Walmart and launched M+A by Monica + Andy, which is in 1100+ stores throughout the country.  In this week’s episode, Monica talks about her windy journey leaving her career in pharmaceuticals and starting the business, and how despite having an idea, it took her a few years to bring everything to life. She discusses why managing her psychology was the hardest but most important part of running her business and shares the biggest learnings & takeaways she gained from having a front-row seat to her brother's menswear brand, Bonobos. Monica also delves into why self-awareness is one of the most critical skills you must have as a founder, the importance of resting & resetting for long-term success, her journey in pivoting her business during COVID and so much more.In this episode, we’ll talk to Monica about:* Managing your psychology in entrepreneurship. [02:38]* The importance of rest and reset. [05:37]* Monica’s childhood and upbringing. [09:11]* Expectations of Monica’s parents as an immigrant family. [13:19]* Monica's decade in pharmaceutical industry. [15:51]* How entrepreneurship found Monica. [20:09]* Launching the first physical store and online store. [24:11]* Monica’s way of keeping in touch with her customers. [25:37]* Creating the initial awareness for Monica + Andy. [26:21]* Monica’s parent’s reaction to her taking the entrepreneurial leap. [28:11]* Why building self-awareness is a critical skill. [31:12]* The real responsibility in business. [33:37]* Difference of a female and male founder. [37:27]* Monica's parents boosted her confidence with their parenting approach.. [38:03]* Having that “mom guilt” and how Monica handles it. [40:31]* Challenges and opportunities faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic. [44:39]* Getting a partnership with Walmart. [47:07]* Future plans for Monica + Andy. [52:14]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Monica: * Website: https://monicaandandy.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicaandandy/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered why one week you feel like you’re crushing it in the gym, and the next you just don’t have the energy? Newsflash: women are NOT small men. Our hormones fluctuate throughout the month, which has subtle (and sometimes obvious) impacts on every area of our lives—including exercise.In this episode you’ll learn: * Exercise myths that need to be busted* If women really need to cycle sync their workouts* What women need to know about cold therapy* How to know if you’re eating enough* Why creatine isn’t just for gym bros* And more…Stacy Sims, MSC, PhD, is a forward-thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance for women. She has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance and pushing the dogma to improve research on all women. Dr. Sims has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers, several books and is a regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences, including those by USOC and USA Cycling.With the unique opportunities, Silicon Valley has to offer, during her tenure at Stanford, she had the opportunity to translate earlier research into consumer products and a science-based layperson's book, Roar, written to explain sex differences in training and nutrition across the lifespan. Both the consumer products and the book challenged the existing dogma for women in exercise, nutrition, and health. This paradigm shift is the focus of her famous "Women Are Not Small Men” TEDx talk.This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Stacy: * Website: https://www.drstacysims.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstacysims/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caron Proschan is the founder and CEO of Simply, a premium confections brand known for its unusually simple and clean products.In 2013, when Caron was switching a lot of her personal, beauty and cleaning products to more natural options, she realized one thing she used often – which was gum – was a category that was never disrupted. She dove into the research to learn more about what goes into conventional chewing gum and was surprised to find that most gum on the market uses a base that has plastic in it, usually called “gum base” on the labels. She also found that the FDA allows gums to have several artificial ingredients like aspartame, artificial flavors, and colors as well. She made it her mission to do something about it, and her first product, Simply Gum was born.The gum was a huge success, and after seeing the demand for Simply’s unusually simple ingredients, the brand has evolved to include more premium confections, including mints, Really Real Gummies, and Chocolate Date Bars. In this week’s episode, Caron talks to us about how she created Simply’s first ever gum from her small NY kitchen experimenting with chicle, a natural alternative to gum base, for over a year. She also shares her experience pivoting from her finance career to running her own business later in life, what it takes to create a strong brand and how she got the product out there through hustle in the early days, which ended up landing her in Whole Foods. We get into the details of how she manufactured the product from her apartment to then expanding to a commercial kitchen and now their own factory, and the biggest learning and mistakes she’s made along the way. Caron tells us how she got into nationwide retailers, the importance of patience, why you shouldn't take rejections personally, and so much more!In this episode, we’ll talk to Caron about:* Building resilience early in entrepreneurship. [03:12]* Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship. [06:46]* Conceptualizing and experimenting in her kitchen. [09:26]* Using Kickstarter and working with deadlines. [11:59]* Developing a food product with no industry experience. [13:35]* Establishing brand presence on Amazon. [18:40]* Getting into Whole Foods and lessons learned. [20:05]* Raising capital from angel investors. [25:25]* Lessons from large retailers. [31:32]* Patience and persistence in entrepreneurship. [33:10]* How Caron maintains her mental health. [40:01]* Motherhood and entrepreneurship. [41:54]* The messy truth in starting a business. [43:30]* Creating new products amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. [47:19]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Caron: * Website: https://www.simplygum.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplygum/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caronproschan/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loren Castle is the founder and CEO of Sweet Loren’s, the better-for-you baking company that makes America’s #1 natural cookie dough brand on the market. After being diagnosed with cancer in her early twenties, Loren faced many hurdles with treatment, depression, and her life being turned upside down at such a young age. Throughout the six months of chemotherapy, she dedicated her time to changing her diet, cutting out most dairy, artificial, and highly processed ingredients. She started taking cooking classes to learn how to make healthy and delicious food for herself. One thing that stood out to her at the time was that she could not find any delicious, clean baked goods on the market, so she made it her mission to create her own. After experimenting with hundreds of recipes, and sharing with family & friends, she eventually found the winning combination of ingredients to make her irresistible cookie dough and that’s when Sweet Loren’s was born. In 2012, she caught the attention of Whole Foods through a few unexpected events and a few years later gained national distribution at Publix. They’re now in over 25,000+ retail doors across the country.In this week’s episode, Loren talks about how she found her purpose while battling cancer, how she took her hobby & turned it into a real business, and the steps that helped her validate that she was actually onto something. She also shares the details behind her deal with Whole Foods and the secret sauce that made them say yes, and how she leaned into the customer in the first few years of business to tailor every aspect of her business from the packaging to the recipes. Loren explains her journey in finding the right manufacturer, the highs and lows of running a business over the past decade, and the importance of having solid mentors and a support system. Loren also talks about ways she fills her cup and prioritizes her self-care, advice she has for up-and-coming women founders and so much more!In this episode, we’ll talk to Loren about:* The difference between a great idea and a great business. [02:59]* Loren’s upbringing and her parents as role models. [09:05]* Being diagnosed with cancer at 22. [13:42]* Early interests and work experiences. [20:21]* Transitioning baking hobby into a business. [25:41]* Loren’s relationship with confidence. [33:14]* Importance of over communication in business. [39:21]* Pursuing a passion-driven business. [45:53]* Fundraising strategies as the business expands. [49:47]* Balancing self-care amidst entrepreneurship. [55:15]* Sweet Loren’s future plans. [01:03:49]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Loren: * Website: https://sweetlorens.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetlorens/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenbrill/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you struggle with sugar cravings? Trust us, you’re not alone. We’re sharing our personal stories and getting expert tips that can actually start making a meaningful impact on your blood sugar and metabolic health today. In this episode you’ll learn: * Top blood sugar hacks from two doctors* How your cycle impacts insulin sensitivity* The impact of sleep on cravings* How your hunger hormones work* Why we eat more sugar now than ever beforeTanda Cook is a naturopathic physician, food expert, published author, international speaker, blogger, health coach and farmer who is wildly passionate about educating and inspiring women to take steps towards health. Dr. Katie Collier is a naturopathic physician with a shared mission. Together, these practitioners work to help people feel their best in both clinical practice and their monthly class, The Soapbox Docs. This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Tanda:* Website: https://drtandacook.com/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtandacook/Follow Dr. Katie:* Website: https://drkatiecollier.com/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkatiecollier/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin co-founded theSkimm in 2012, a digital media company dedicated to giving women the information they need to navigate life’s most important decisions. Since hitting send on the first Daily Skimm email over a decade ago, they have cultivated a trusted community that reaches more than 12 million women. As their audience has matured, so has theSkimm, evolving beyond a singular newsletter into an award-winning ecosystem that includes dedicated newsletters in money, wellness, parenting, and shopping, a career podcast, an in-house creative agency, and a commerce arm that performs at 3x the industry standard.Danielle and Carly both grew up with a love for journalism and storytelling. The two met after a summer spent studying abroad in Rome and reconnected after graduation while working in New York City, where they eventually became roommates trying to make it in the media industry. Both news junkies at heart, they quickly realized there was an opportunity to change the way media was consumed and created an outlet that provided its audience with bite-sized and easily digestible news. With $4,000 between the both of them, they decided to quit their jobs and launch theSkimm. In this week’s episode, Danielle and Carly share their love for storytelling, what it means to start their digital media company from their couch, and why they thought it was a bigger risk to not pursue theSkimm than it was to pursue it. They share what it’s like to work with a co-founder and the benefits of having one, ways they applied grassroots marketing in the early days of the business when they had zero funds, and how they thought about growth & monetization. We also get the inside scoop on how they fostered an intensely engaged community through their Skimmbassador program, how they balance their relationship as friends and Co-CEOs, and what goes into producing great content. Danielle and Carly also open up about their biggest mistakes during their journey, how they dealt with rejection when fundraising early on, and so much more. * In this episode, we’ll talk to Danielle and Carly about:* Their lives as journalists prior to theSkimm. [02:53]* Transitioning to full-time focus on theSkimm. [11:15]* No Plan B: Driving force for productivity. [17:33]* Growth propelled by theSkimm ambassador program. [22:01]* Finding the right investors amid rejections. [27:06]* Momentum building and monetization strategies. [29:56]* Fostering their relationship as co-founders. [33:37]* Tips for first time entrepreneurs. [38:35]* Prioritizing self-care basics. [41:39]* Who shouldn’t be an entrepreneur. [48:55]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Danielle and Carly: * Website: https://www.theskimm.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskimm/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlyanddanielle/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kori Estrada is the co-founder of RiseWell, a company that is disrupting the oral care industry with an all-natural, sustainable brand that prioritizes safe ingredients and transparency. The inspiration for starting the company came to Kori when she was undergoing fertility treatments and realized all the toxic chemicals that were prevalent in our personal care items, including toothpaste. Fueled by her experiences with celiac disease and IVF struggles, Kori, joined by her former partner and brother, created dentist-formulated products that didn’t have harmful chemicals like fluoride, sulfates, and synthetic additives.Since launching in 2016, RiseWell has gone from toothpaste to a full suite of products, including mouthwash, floss, and mints. In addition to running RiseWell, Kori is also the co-CIO and co-CEO at Axon Capitol, a New York-based asset management firm.In this week’s episode, Kori openly talks about how she struggles with perfectionism in the early days of the business, what she did to move past it and how she deals with the mental and emotional tolls of entrepreurship. We also talk about how have another career in corporate, and starting a business with work experience under her belt, has only helped propel RiseWell’s success. She also explains the confusion people have about fluoride, why we should be treating toothpaste like food and how she stumbled on the brand’s its key replacement ingredient on a personal trip in Japan. We also dive into the most difficult and impactful lessons she’s learned on her journey, the time & the many iterations it took for her to create their first product and the steps she took to create brand awareness early on with influencers and dentists who became brand ambassadors, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Kori about:* Kori's evolution in dealing with perfectionism over the years. [03:07]* Influences from Kori's upbringing and childhood. [05:38]* Impact of New York finance lifestyle on Kori's well-being. [11:21]* The inspiration behind founding RiseWell. [15:52]* Initial steps in starting the business. [19:35]* Challenges faced in manufacturing. [24:09]* Crucial pillars before launching the business. [26:39]* Creating market awareness. [28:55] * Influencer and dentist support for RiseWell. [31:21]* Early mistakes and lessons learned. [34:32]* Considerations for toothpaste ingredients. [40:17]* Balancing career and family by rejecting perfectionism. [44:00]* Why starting a company is as much emotional as it is mental. [49:01]* Future plans for RiseWell. [51:30]* Kori's personal blog as a passion project. [52:54]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Kori: * RiseWell Website: https://risewell.com/* RiseWell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risewellco/* Kori’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekokobutter/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.