Behind Her Empire

We just learned that oral tissue is similar to vaginal tissue, and that a healthy mouth is an integral part of having a healthy body. From puberty to menopause, changes in our hormones actually have an impact on our teeth, gums, saliva and more. Suffice it to say, we’re never brushing our teeth the same way again…In this episode you’ll learn: * How you can reverse cavities* The link between flossing and fertility* Why pregnant women’s teeth can change* The truth about root canals* Best practices for optimal oral healthDr. Leedia is a biological dentist who is revolutionizing the way we think about oral health. Her approach focuses on overall wellness, long-term disease prevention, and empowerment through education.In Dr. Leedia's Beverly Hills office, she offers a range of integrative dental therapies, such as integrative dental extractions, responsible cosmetic dentistry, biomimetic fillings, safe mercury removal and detox, ozone therapies, micronutrient testing, an airway centric approach to dental care and so much more. Dr. Leedia recognizes that over 65% of women suffer from dental disease concurrent with pregnancy, and that inflammation in the mouth is linked to premature labor, low birth weight, heart disease, and more. This realization has prompted her to put a spotlight on the importance of women's dental health and the impact that hormones have on the oral cavity. By educating and empowering women and fostering collaboration between the medical and dental worlds, Dr. Leedia is helping patients achieve optimal whole body health.* 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. Leedia: * Website: https://rdentalgroup.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drleedia/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sara Cullen is the Founder and CEO of GEM. GEM VItamins are bite-sized vitamin chews made from whole foods that contain over 20 whole plant-derived ingredients, including key vitamins, minerals, herbs, prebiotics, and probiotics.The inspiration for GEM stemmed from Sara’s health journey. When she got sick in her late 20s, she was shocked to find out that she was nutrient deficient. She was taking all her supplements and eating the rainbow, yet she suffered from inflammation, extreme fatigue, digestion issues, acne, and so much more. With a ton of research and determination, she realized that the answer is in food, not pills or gummies made with synthetic fillers and isolated nutrients. She was experimenting in her kitchen and created the product that she needed to support her own health. Fast forward to today, Sara has raised of $16 million in venture capital and has sold over 20M bites and counting.In this week’s podcast, we talk to Sara about her entrepreneurial journey from growing up on a farm in Oregon to working with start-ups and building things that mattered. She shares the biggest lessons she had from her first start-up, why it couldn’t scale despite being an innovative idea, and how that business failure was the biggest gift in her journey. Sara walks us through how she proved the concept for GEM before putting too much money behind it, how she built a community on Facebook to test out her prototypes, and the steps she took to find the right investors to back her. We also talked to Sara about how the company has expanded its product line, how she thought about her subscription-based model, and the common practices she implements daily to help her reset and recharge from the day and so much more! In this episode, we’ll talk to Sara about:* Growing up on a farm significantly shaped Sara's upbringing. [02:55]* Nature's impact on Sara and its integration into her life. [04:31]* Creating her first business and lessons from "failing”. [09:45]* Sara's journey in launching her second business after setbacks.[16:43]* Navigating health challenges and identifying market potential.[20:01]* Consulting experience and funding journey for her company.[24:25]* Strategic considerations for building a scalable business. [27:00] * Significance of word-of-mouth and online communities. [30:09]* Sara's approach to educating customers about GEM vitamins.[34:16]* Exploring product taste and challenges faced. [36:51]* Generating awareness and gaining traction. [39:57]* Challenges Sara conquered on her entrepreneurial journey. [43:51]* Sara's daily routine and practices for nurturing her mind. [47:25]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 Sara: * GEM Website: https://dailygem.co/* GEM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daily_gem/* Sara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cullensara/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever connected how you feel mentally to what you’re eating? Turns out, they are absolutely related, according to a Harvard nutritional psychiatrist. If you’re someone who has dealt with anxiety, depression, panic attacks or other mental health challenges, this episode is for you.In this episode you’ll learn: * The connection between french fries and depression* How to know if you have leaky gut* The impact of blood sugar on anxiety* How food can contribute to panic attacks* Foods to help reduce anxiety* And more…Dr. Uma Naidoo is a Harvard trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutritional biologist and author of the international bestseller, “This is Your Brain on Food”, and her newest book “Calm Your Mind with Food”. Michelin-starred chef David Bouley described Dr. Uma Naidoo as the world’s first “triple threat” in the food and medicine space as the nexus of her interests have found their niche in Nutritional Psychiatry.Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first and only hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the USA. She is the Director of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the MGH Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Uma has appeared as a Nutritional Psychiatry expert on Live with Kelly & Ryan, Today Show, 700 Club, ABC, and been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Thrive Global, Harpers, Shape, Parade, Boston Globe, AARP, and more.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. Uma: * Website: https://umanaidoomd.com/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drumanaidoo/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adriana Carrig is the founder and CEO of Little Words Project, a jewelry company that’s on a mission to inspire and spread kindness one word at a time. Adriana was motivated to start her business due to her personal experience with bullying growing up. She started making bracelets that acted as affirmations for her and her sorority sisters in college. While being an entrepreneur was never in her plans, she immediately saw the value of her idea and was quickly affirmed when she saw her sorority sisters continued bracelet-making long after she graduated. Seeing this fueled her to start a business and in 2013 the Little Words Project was born. Adriana has self-funded the brand with $5,000 of her own money and grew it to over $20 million in revenue before they brought on their first investor. She understood the impact of what these wearable affirmations can do for the rest of the population and the rest is history. The brand has also built a cult following of loyal customers and boasts celebrity fans including Lance Bass, Kourtney Kardashian, Alicia Keys, and more. The company has over 1,000+ retail partners – including Target and Nordstrom – and is set to have 12 retail stores by the end of this year.In this week’s episode, we talk to Adriana about how she went from beading bracelets and shipping them out herself at her parent’s basement to growing the business into what it is today. We talk about her experience with bullying and how it has inspired her to start her business, what it means to fail forward, and the importance of taking the first step. She opens up about how she dealt with naysayers who thought that she couldn’t build a real business around $25 bracelets, the steps she took from Day 1 on building the most incredible brand and community and the messy truth about entrepreneurship that no one talks about. The interview is all about intuitive entrepreneurship, how listening to your gut can be your biggest superpower, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Adriana about:* The power of taking the first step. [04:16]* Burnout and infertility experience. [08:10]* Adriana’s childhood and upbringing. [14:19]* Facing bullying and cultivating confidence. [14:17]* The inspiration behind the Little Words Project. [20:28]* Facing doubts and criticism in product development. [26:23]* Developing her initial products. [34:02]* The rewarding and challenging experiences of growth. [39:40]* Building a self-funded, sustainable business. [46:39]* Organic brand growth and community relationships. [50:31]* The messy truth about entrepreneurship. [52:32]* Intuitive entrepreneurship: Embrace what feels right. [55:46]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 Adriana: * Adriana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianacarrig/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlewordsproject/* Website: https://www.littlewordsproject.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is as intimate as it gets. We sat down with Dr. Rena Malik, a medical doctor who specializes in urological health to get her clinical perspective on women’s shared experiences that are rarely talked about.In this episode you’ll learn: * The #1 thing that will improve your sex life* Benefits of hormone replacement therapy* Why masturbation is good for you* Steps to take for pelvic floor dysfunction* How to navigate mismatched desire with your partner* What causes recurrent UTIs* And more…Dr. Rena Malik is a urologist and expert in Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS)/Urogynecology. She focuses on the care of patients with pelvic health issues such as urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control) and pelvic organ prolapse (vaginal bulge due to bladder, uterus, rectum or bowel dropping), neurogenic bladder, and urogenital reconstruction for stricture disease or fistulas of the lower urinary tract. Dr. Malik was named Top Urology and Urogynecology Doctor in Baltimore Magazine in 2019. She also shares her expertise on her YouTube channel where she has garnered a community of over 1.8 million subscribers.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. Rena: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renamalikmd/* Website: https://renamalikmd.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cassandra Thurswell, founder of KITSCH, discusses her journey from a small town to building a multi-million dollar brand. She emphasizes the power of following intuition, the challenges she faced in the early days, and the importance of mindset and visualization in building a business. She also shares her struggle in balancing motherhood and professional life.

If you’ve ever been on birth control, this episode is a MUST listen. We dive deep into how taking a hormonal contraceptive impacts the brain, and how our options may be evolving in the future… with help from a self-experimenting researcher (in the name of science, of course).In this episode you’ll learn: * What happens to your brain on birth control* How hormonal birth control impacts attraction* The link between cortisol and the immune system* Why we need balanced progesterone and estrogen* The best alternatives to hormonal birth controlBorn and raised in southeastern Wisconsin, Sarah Hill earned her undergraduate degree in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. It was at UWM that she was first exposed to research in human behavioral ecology and evolutionary psychology. She later earned her Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin working with Dr. David Buss. She has an almost endless number of research interests, but tends to gravitate toward questions about relationships and health which she explored in her book “This is Your Brain on Birth Control”.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. Sarah: * Website: https://www.sarahehill.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahehillphd/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebecca Hessel Cohen is the Founder and CEO of LoveShackFancy, a fashion and lifestyle brand know for its unique floral prints and bohemian dresses.LoveShackFancy was born out of necessity when Rebecca was in search of the perfect bridesmaid dresses and was out of luck. After creating her own designs, she garnered lots of support from family and friends and began selling dresses from the trunk of her car and the rest was history. Born and raised in New York, Rebecca was surrounded by fashion starting at the age of 4 and her story is nothing short of spectacular. Today, LoveShackFancy has gained mass appeal from her vintage-inspired details, flattering silhouettes and playful dresses and ultimately catering to all age groups. The ultra feminine super-maximalist clothing and lifestyle business now has 17 retail locations in the U.S. and is continuing to expand. What started out as a dress company in 2013 has evolved into an all-encompassing lifestyle brand selling fragrances at Sephora to kid’s clothing and a home collection that is set to launch later this month. In this week’s episode we chat about her upbringing surrounded by fashion, her early career as a fashion editor and why she felt like it was time to do something different in her life despite her incredible career. We talk about how her interest making a few pieces of clothing turned into a successful side hustle and eventually years later, her full time gig. Rebecca opens up about how many people told her that the feminine prints and vibe would never sell, and that her brand’s name was horrible - and why she didn’t let that stop her. We also chat about the unglamorous days of building the brand, overcoming fears in business, and using social media for success. She stresses setting boundaries, LoveShackFancy's mission, and shares dos and don'ts for running a business for over a decade.In this episode, we’ll talk to Jesse about:* Rebecca's upbringing influenced her early fashion and confidence. [04:03]* Impact of Rebecca's mom on her upbringing. [06:31]* Rebecca’s fashion ideation process. [08:32]* The concept of LoveShackFancy. [10:25]* Starting LoveShackFancy as a side hustle and career pivot. [13:49] * Dealing with the fear of change. [21:14]* Confidence in LoveShackFancy’s vision. [23:36]* LoveShackFancy’s first store and Rebecca’s key learning. [27:14]* Juggling high in-store demands and early social media presence. [31:13]* Balancing business with motherhood. [33:37]* Launching fragrance and partnering with Sephora. [40:30]* Going viral on TikTok and its business impact. [47:04]* Maintaining her creative momentum. [52:26]* Discoveries during a decade with LoveShackFancy. [55:30]* Rebecca's belief in operating without a business plan. [58:33]* Upcoming plans for LoveShackFancy. [01:03:13]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 Rebecca: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becknyc* LoveShackFancy Website: https://www.loveshackfancy.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you struggling with your hormones after trying everything?! Today’s episode might be the missing piece for you. Our guest, a board-certified toxicologist, struggled with fertility—and finally got pregnant when she started embracing a low-toxin lifestyle. Join us for an empowering conversation where we discuss the truth about toxins, plus a realistic approach to removing them from your life and body.In this episode you’ll learn: * The #1 most toxic ingredient in personal care products* How toxin exposure can impact fertility and what to do* The truth about conventional pads and tampons* What to keep in mind when choosing natural deodorant* The easiest ways to reduce toxins in your everyday life* And more…Dr. Yvonne Burkart, PhD, DABT is a Board-Certified Toxicologist, Coach, and Corporate Consultant. She is a 22-year veteran of Toxicology with expertise in reproductive toxicity, particularly endocrine disruption, infertility, cancer, and glutathione homeostasis. She has also served as a Senior Toxicologist in the flavor and fragrance chemical industry where she helped to ensure the safety of flavor ingredients.After witnessing firsthand the power of a low tox lifestyle, Dr. Yvonne began a mission to help consumers slash their toxic exposure with confidence and ease. 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. Yvonne: * Website: https://dryvonneburkart.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dryvonneburkart/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jesse Draper is the Founding Partner of Halogen Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investing in consumer tech companies led by female and co-ed teams.With women making up to 80 percent of household purchasing decisions, Jesse and her team are betting big on early-stage, female-founded companies with billion-dollar potential. Jesse is a fourth generation venture capitalist as well as the creator and host of the Emmy-nominated television series, The Valley Girl Show.She is a fierce advocate for investing in women and the opportunity for using technology and innovation to solve some of the biggest issues facing women and families today. After creating Halogen Ventures in 2015, she now has more than 70 companies in her portfolio, including theSkimm, Babylist, ThirdLove, and The Flex Company.Jesse was listed by Marie Claire Magazine as one of the ‘50 Most Connected Women in America’ and she is also a regular investor and tech personality on Cheddar, CNBC, and CNN.In this episode, we have a candid conversation about why Jesse didn’t think she could be a venture capitalist and how she overcame her own fears and beliefs about imposter syndrome, and she shares her advice for anyone looking to manage burnout: delegate and make time for rest. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at what investors are looking for, from founder traits to the biggest mistakes that founders make, and so much more.In this episode, we’ll talk to Jesse about:* Starting on the topic of rejection; why a ‘no’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing. [3:40]* How Jesse’s upbringing shaped her as a fourth generation venture capitalist. [7:52]* Her perception of success in her 20s and how it evolved with entrepreneurship. [12:33]* Find out why Jesse believes more women should prioritize networking. [20:04]* Overcoming her fears and beliefs about imposter syndrome; just try it! [24:27]* Jesse’s advice for managing burnout: delegate and make time to rest and plan. [28:30]* Learn more about her experience of fundraising while pregnant and during COVID. [35:50]* Three mistakes women are making when raising money: not showing confidence, overcomplicating the pitch, and underselling themselves. [38:30]* What investors look for, from a willingness to pivot to an ability to problem solve. [41:33]* Some of the red flags Jesse cautions founders against, including the tendency to overpromise and underdeliver. [45:50]* Jesse’s suggestions for women to feel more empowered when it comes to money. [50:10]* Two simple ways to take control: do it yourself and put your money to work. [53:47]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 Jesse: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessecdraper/ * Halogen Ventures Website: https://halogenvc.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.