Behind Her Empire

Natasha Case is the co-founder and CEO of Coolhaus, a leading women-founded and -led ice cream and frozen dessert brand creating premium cookie sandwiches and pints. After earning her masters in architecture and landing her dream job at Walt Disney Imagineering, Natasha discovered her newfound passion for creating architecturally-inspired ice cream sandwiches as a way to bring joy to her coworkers during the last recession. At that time, Natasha met her co-founder and now wife, Freya, and they realized the potential and uniqueness of the product. They decided to quit their corporate careers to pursue their passion for ice cream as a real business and create a brand they could identify with. In 2008, they took a barely drivable postal van they purchased on Craigslist to Coachella to officially launch their ice cream sandwiches. The event turned out to be a massive hit and Coolhaus has now become a multi-million dollar business growing 2-3x per year. Natasha has been named 30 under 30 by Forbes & Zagat and has helped expand the business to over 7,500 grocery stores nationwide, from Safeway to Whole Foods. In this episode, we’ll talk to Natasha about: * How Natasha found a way to incorporate her two passions, food and architecture when she was working at Disney [6:39]* When Natasha decided to take a personal passion of hers to the next step and create a real “business” [8:39]* Why not being able to secure a business loan and launching at Coachella with a broken van was the best decision Natasha made [10:44] * How Natasha and her co-founder managed to launch at Coachella despite having no brand or business recognition [14:35]* How the Coolhaus brand went viral after its launch and changed the trajectory of the business [16:17]* Natasha shares how she launched the company by borrowing only $1,400  [20:11]* Key challenges Natasha faced growing Coolhaus and the importance of being transparent with your customers during difficult times [24:18]* Natasha discusses what it takes to go from start-up founder to a CEO of a multi-million dollar business [27:34]* Natasha opens about life as a mother and entrepreneurship & how her children have motivated her to create an even bigger ice-cream empire with Coolhaus [32:10]* Natasha shares advice on how she mentally handles the stresses and challenges of running a business [37:13]* Key advice Natasha has for women who are taking a leap in their career or want to start their own dream business [38:51]Follow Natasha:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashajcase/ * Coolhaus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coolhaus/ * Coolhaus Website: https://cool.haus/ Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonya Rapley is a serial entrepreneur, best selling author, millennial money expert, and creator of the award-winning site, My Fab Finance which provides financial advice for modern millennial women. Tonya launched her business based on her personal needs. She took a traumatic experience as a survivor of domestic violence and turned it into her greatest creation - the My Fab Finance platform. Tonya took charge of her financial freedom which allowed her to take charge of her own happiness and power. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and wants women to be free to make the moves they need to make in their life - especially if their lives and well-being depend on it.  Tonya is a national speaker and has written for many popular media outlets including Forbes, Yahoo Finance, US News, and Huffington Post. Her impressive client list includes Fidelity Investments, Prudential, the National Endowment for Financial Education, and FinCon (the financial bloggers conference). In this episode, we'll talk to Tonya about:* Tonya’s childhood growing up in a military family and its impact to how she views entrepreneurship and money [2:16]* How Tonya’s abusive relationship led her to founding her blog which is now a six figure business [4:33]* Tonya shares her journey turning her blog from a side business to a full time opportunity that financially supports her [9:21] * Why women need to talk more about money and their income in order to see what’s possible [13:01]* Why Tonya emphasizes the power of mindset when it comes to creating a better financial life for yourself [16:05] * Tonya walks through certain rituals and habits she does in her life that have helped her success and wealth [18:07]* Common mistakes Tonya’s clients make when it comes to managing their money and their mindset [20:12]* Specifics tips Tonya has when it comes to savings and how you should think through investing [22:31] * How Tonya manages motherhood while leading two thriving businesses during COVID [28:04]* The importance of focusing on flexibility vs. balance in your life [31:53]* Tonya shares key learnings when it comes to managing your business finances [34:59]Follow Tonya:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonya.rapley/* My Fab Finance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfabfinance/ * My Fab Finance Website: https://myfabfinance.com/ Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tracy Holland is the co-founder of HATCHBEAUTY Brands, a top beauty and wellness incubator that has grown to over $100 million in sales. After leaving a career in public service, Tracy founded her first business in grad school where she went all in and invested every dollar she had to build something that would later be the foundation of her business today. HATCHBEAUTY works with top retailers, artists, and influencers to bring their ideas to life and create innovative brands in the beauty and wellness industry. Tracy is also the founder of HATCHBEAUTY Ventures where she advises young women entrepreneurs on business growth and strategy. As a mother of three young children, Tracy is a prime example of how you can balance motherhood with a career and that you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.Tracy’s awards and honors include 2019 Fashion and Beauty Award for Beauty Service Provider of the Year, EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017, and election to The Committee of 200, an organization of the most successful women business leaders globally.In this episode, we'll talk to Tracy about:* Tracy discusses her childhood growing up in an academic family and why her definition of success varied considerably from her parents’ [2:24]* Tracy reflects on what she learned from going to reform school at the age of 15 [5:40]* Tracy always thought she wasn’t smart enough but walks through how she eventually built her confidence which ultimately helped her considerably in business [9:44] * How Tracy started a successful scented nail polish company in grad school and invested her student loans to help with the financing [12:50]* Tracy shares how she got into big retailers despite having no experience in the industry [15:55]* Tracy explains why the brand failed, the importance of IP and understanding your deal structure when it comes to financing [18:46]* Tracy walks through how she overcame a dark time when her business failed and she was $150,000 in debt [23:00]* Tracy discusses key lessons she learned working in various businesses and why she ultimately quit her job to take control her own destiny [24:55]* Tracy opens up about her journey to motherhood & marriage [33:00]* Why Tracy’s definition of wealth has changed over the years [41:40]Follow HATCHBEAUTY Brands:* Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hatchbeautybrands/* Website: https://www.hatchbeautybrands.com/Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heidi Zak is the co-founder and CEO of ThirdLove, the fastest growing and most disruptive brand in the lingerie industry.When Heidi couldn’t find a quality bra that fit her correctly and looked great, she realized there was an opportunity in the market for modern women. In 2013, Heidi left her job at Google to pursue her dream of offering high quality, better fitting bras, and marketing them in a way that didn’t push impossible beauty standards. Heidi is on a mission to build a brand for every woman, regardless of her shape, size, age, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. She believes inclusivity should be the norm, not the exception, and has led the charge, inventing half-cups and offering women more than 80 sizes.Since inception, more than 16 million women of all shapes and sizes have used ThirdLove’s innovative Fit Finder tool to find a bra that truly fits her body. The company has been valued at a reported $750 million dollars and is generating over $100 million in revenue annually. Heidi has been recognized as Fortune's 40 Under 40, EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and Goldman Sachs' 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.In this episode, we'll talk to Heidi about:* Heidi shares why she became an entrepreneur and skills she learned working in her corporate career that have helped her as CEO [2:37]* Why walking into a Victoria's Secret sparked Heidi’s idea for ThirdLove and why she wanted to create a bra brand for modern women [5:57]* Two questions Heidi asked herself before quitting her lucrative job to work on ThirdLove full-time [7:41]* Heidi discusses the slow growth ThirdLove had in the first two years of the business & what they did to completely changed the trajectory of the business [10:02]* The importance of networking and why you need to be okay with asking for things [15:12]* Heidi walks through how she thinks through difficult business decisions and challenges she faced with her first manufacturer in the early days [18:57]* The power of mentorship and having a diverse group of mentors in your network [23:27]* Heidi gives advice on how to think through partnerships and co-founders when starting a business [25:39]* Why she decided to have her first kid around the same time ThirdLove officially launched [27:34]* Heidi shares advice she gives all women entrepreneurs she mentors [31:05]* Heidi discusses the future of ThirdLove and the ever-changing role as a founder when leading a high growth business [35:10] Follow Heidi:* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidi/* ThirdLove Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ThirdLove/* Website: https://www.thirdlove.com/ Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Mayer is the co-founder and CEO of Havenly, an online interior design company that makes interior decorating services more accessible and affordable to all.  In 2013, Lee had just relocated from a small NYC apartment to a larger home with considerably more space in Denver, Colorado. Overwhelmed by all the furniture and decor choices to be made, Lee was frustrated by the lack of quick, simple, budget-friendly interior design options that were available to her. As someone who never thought of herself as an entrepreneur, especially growing up with certain cultural expectations from her Indian family, Lee tried to convince all her friends to start an online interior design company to solve the problem. After spending months in an empty home, Lee, encouraged by her sister Emily, quit her lucrative career in finance and the two started the company together. Neither of them had interior design or tech backgrounds but were confident that there was a need in the market.Under Lee’s leadership, Havenly has raised $58 million dollars in funding from top tier investors and is now the leader in the world of online design while many competitors have struggled or even failed to stay afloat.In this episode, we'll talk to Lee about:* How Lee’s upbringing and cultural expectations of her Indian family impacted her career trajectory [2:25]* Lee shares how she never thought of herself as an entrepreneur & how her own narrative for becoming a tech founder changed [6:00]* Before taking the leap to start her company, Lee walks through how she thought through financial security and leaving her lucrative career [13:33]* Lee opens up about the early days of Havenly, mistakes she made along the way and what she thinks held her back [18:30]* The importance of not taking anything personally in business and blaming yourself for failures [24:35]* How to change your perspective on success and live a more purpose driven life [27:50]* Lee’s experience raising $58 million dollars from venture capitalists & how she dealt with 140 no’s [29:14]* How to overcome imposter syndrome and deal with the naysayers [40:40]* Lee walks through the silver lining of her divorce and how it pushed her to ask for help which benefited both her personal & professional life [44:53]* How Lee manages her family life and a high growth business & why the partner you select in your life is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make [48:38]Follow Lee:* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeathavenly/* Havenly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehavenly/* Website: https://havenly.com/Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vicky Tsai, founder of Japanese beauty brand Tatcha, had a nontraditional path to eventually founding one of the top skincare companies today. About 10 years ago, Vicky decided to leave her thriving career and travel the world in search of happiness and meaning in her life. In her travels, when visiting Kyoto, Japan, Vicky had a life-changing meeting with a Geisha. She learned some of their natural skincare secrets which healed her skin & soul in the truest sense and she wanted to bring the same experience back with her to the US. However, when launching Tatcha, there were many barriers she faced: Asian skincare wasn’t popular, direct-to-consumer businesses weren’t common, and consumers weren’t interested in clean products. Fast forward to today, Tatcha is available in Sephora & QVC and is the second fastest growing women-led company on the Inc 5000 list. And last year, Unilever acquired Tatcha for a reported $500 million dollars. Vicky is passionate about giving back. Since inception, they have partnered with Room to Read in their mission to educate girls globally and have sponsored over 3 million days of school.In this episode, we’ll talk to Vicky about: * How 9/11 impacted Vicky’s perspective on life’s meaning and purpose [4:00]* Vicky shares how she used business school to do introspective work on herself [6:28]* Vicky discusses her career trajectory and why Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks, played a big role in her leaving her corporate career [10:57]* Vicky shares how she thinks about social entrepreneurship and using business as a vehicle for social change [15:52]* Vicky describes why Kyoto, Japan made such a big impact in her life & truly healed her from the inside out [18:02]* How Vicky thinks about money, risk & success and key tips she shares with entrepreneurs when starting a business [20:28]* How Vicky sold her engagement ring to buy 10,000 blotting papers and bring Tatcha to life [24:32]* Why Vicky decided to not raise money from investors early-on & the personal sacrifices she made to keep the business afloat [26:54]* What Tatcha looked like in the early days and how she eventually got the product in Sephora & QVC [33:45]* Vicky shares her advice on raising money with institutional investors [44:37]* Vicky describes how she felt when stepping down as CEO and the immense growth the Company saw when she stopped caring about what others think [45:48]* Vicky shares what it was like to sell her company for $500 million dollars and the legacy she wants to leave behind [53:20]Follow Tatcha:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tatcha * Website: https://www.tatcha.com/Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaime Schmidt is an entrepreneur and the founder of Schmidt’s Naturals, a brand of natural personal care products that she started in her kitchen. Feeling unfulfilled in her career and seeking purpose for most of her life, Jaime was exploring different hobbies with the hopes that she would find her passion. In 2010, Jaime was pregnant with her son and was experimenting with making her own natural, non-toxic products that would be safe for her to use. After exploring different recipes, she soon created a natural deodorant that “actually worked” and that’s when Schmidt’s Naturals was born. Jaime grew the company from farmers' market tables to a household name that lined the shelves of CVS, Target, Costco, Whole Foods and Walmart. Under Jaime’s leadership, the company was in over 14,000 stores in 30 countries, with year over year growth at 300%. After seven years of running her company, Jaime sold Schmidt’s Naturals to Unilever for a reported nine-figures.Jaime is dedicated to building better businesses and recently launched two new ventures: Supermaker, a media platform that celebrates emerging entrepreneurs, and Color, an inclusive investment fund that supports diverse and underrepresented founders. In this episode, we’ll talk to Jaime about: * Jaime shares her early entrepreneurial path as a child & family values around money and savings [2:38]* Why she decided to leave her corporate job and take time off to soul search & find her new career path [5:15]* Jaime walks through different hobbies she was pursuing to help find her passion & why becoming pregnant was her biggest motivator [7:50]* Jaime shares her business journey in selling natural deodorants at Farmers Markets and when she realized she had a big business opportunity in front of her [10:33] * Jaime shares how she garnered a support system which helped her build a business in an industry she had no experience in [14:08]* How Jaime grew the business without raising any money [15:30]* Jaime’s discusses how persistence and relentlessness was part of her successful retail strategy [17:56] * Key tips in dealing with competitors in your industry [20:15]* Jaime talks about her acquisition story and how she felt when she sold her business for nine-figures [22:16]* Jaime talks about how she is supporting and investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs [25:52]  * Why getting pregnant and officially launching her business was the best decision she ever made [28:06]* Key business advice she shares with new entrepreneurs [33:10] Follow Jaime:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimeschmidt/* Website: https://jaimeschmidt.info/References: * Schmidt's Naturals: https://schmidts.com/* Color: https://color.capital/* Supermarker: https://supermaker.com/* Jaime’s latest book: https://supermaker.com/bookFollow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elissa Goodman is a Holistic Nutritionist, Founder of S.O.U.P., Author and Lifestyle Cleanse expert. Elissa’s early adult life was considered “successful” by her family and society’s standards: she was climbing up the corporate ladder, had her dream job, a great husband, and was financially doing very well. Her life completely changed when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32. It was then she finally realized how unhappy, unfulfilled, and exhausted she was living a life that wasn’t true to her.  After healing herself and quitting her toxic career, she lost her husband to cancer shortly after. This was a huge turning point in her life. She immediately became a single mother to her two young daughters and had to elevate her health & wellbeing in order to be strong for her family & help them through such an emotionally traumatizing time. However, from life’s tragedies, she found her purpose and calling. She’s created one of the top holistic and lifestyle organizations where her mission is to teach others on how to live a healthy and radiant life through the power of nutrition and self love.  In this episode, we’ll talk to Elissa about:  * How Elissa’s family impacted her definition of success & influenced her early career choices [3:13]* Elissa shares the stress and burn out she experienced early in her career & getting diagnosed with cancer [10:08]* How Elissa healed herself from cancer by managing her stress & working on her health from the inside out [17:25]* Elissa discusses how she dealt with losing her husband to cancer & becoming a stronger mother for her two daughters [19:48]* Importance of listening to your intuition and not losing touch of your instincts [22:47]* How Elissa discovered her passion for nutrition & created a successful business around helping people get to the root cause of their issues through emotional & physical discovery [22:59]* How Elissa only started loving herself at the age of 58 & her journey to self-love, happiness and freedom [35:11]* Elissa shares her journey with psilocybin mushrooms which helped her work through childhood trauma & the darkness she had in her life [38:36]* Elissa’s discusses business advice she wish she knew when she was younger [42:20]* We talk about Elissa’s fiancé and what makes a healthy & happy partnership [46:48]* How Elissa’s transformation with self-love helped her build an even stronger relationship with her kids [52:15]Follow Elissa: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elissagoodman/* Website: https://elissagoodman.com/ Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paige Adams-Geller is the Founder and Creative Director of PAIGE, a highly successful premium denim and lifestyle brand. Paige is a true pioneer and one of the first female founders disrupting the billion dollar premium denim industry. Paige employs over 300 people from Los Angeles to London and is sold in over 80 countries. Paige’s journey was far from easy. After navigating multiple career transitions, a health crisis, and sexual assault in the workplace, Paige rose above these traumatic experiences and regained her voice & power. In 2004, she founded PAIGE to fulfill a personal passion she had despite having no formal education in fashion or business. Paige is dedicated to empowering women to find their voice and speak up. We have a very vulnerable conversation around her path to creating a highly successful brand and how she found a sense of hope & purpose in her life. In this episode, we’ll talk to Paige about:  * Paige describes how growing up in a small town in Alaska fueled her creativity and imagination [2:26]* Paige shares how graduating early from high-school and moving to NY was very damaging to her body, mind and spirit [7:50] * Paige describes how she navigated various careers in the most difficult time in her life & how she became fashion industry’s top fit model [14:08]* Paige walks through how she reclaimed her voice & power and became one of the first female founders in the denim industry [22:25]* How Paige launched her company and premium denim brand in only three months [27:51]* Paige talks about how she navigated the huge success she had in early days of the company [32:58]* How Paige transitioned the company to a lifestyle brand for both men and women despite others saying it was impossible [36:50]* Key lessons from Paige's entrepreneurial journey & the importance of living a life with no regrets, asking for help and trusting your intuition [45:33]Follow Paige: * Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigeageller/* Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paige/* Website: https://www.paige.com Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rana el Kaliouby is an Egyptian-American scientist, innovator, author and CEO. She co-founded the artificial intelligence company, Affectiva, and has pioneered a digital software that can read & analyze human emotion in real time. Rana has raised over $50 million in venture funding and was recognized on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 List & as one of Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech. Rana grew up in Cairo where she was raised, as she says, to be a “nice Egyptian girl.” She defied cultural expectations in both the tech world and in her native Middle Eastern heritage. She earned her Ph.D. at Cambridge, postdoc at MIT and is working in a field of technology that is still overwhelmingly white and male. However, before she broke ground as a scientist and founded her company, she broke the rules of what it meant to be an obedient daughter and, later, an obedient wife to pursue her own daring dream. Rana’s personal journey overcoming self-doubt and embracing her ambition is an inspiration to all women to feel empowered & be the leader of their own life. In this episode, we’ll talk to Rana about: * Rana’s childhood growing up in Egypt & how her family’s conservative yet forward-thinking views impacted her [2:24]  * How she decided to go against the expectations of her culture & pursue her own daring dreams [4:52]* Rana discusses the early days of her company and its impact to her marriage [7:47]* Rana opens up about the immense fear she had moving to the US while leaving her family behind [10:44] * Rana shares life after her divorce as a financially independent woman [12:36]* What it’s like to raise money from top-tier investors as a scientist & first time entrepreneur [15:22]* Why Rana thinks the idea of “balance” is a misnomer when it comes to family and work  [21:49]* Rana shares her journey to CEO & how she overcame her own self doubt and self-imposed barriers [26:07]* The importance of women self-advocating for themselves and asking for what they deserve [30:15]* The power of empathetic leadership when managing your team’s culture and productivity during the pandemic [32:50]* Rana’s personal journey in embracing her emotions & overcoming her own fears and insecurities [38:10] Follow Rana:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranaelkaliouby/* Website: https://www.affectiva.com/* Rana’s book - Girl Decoded: https://ranaelkaliouby.com/girldecoded/References:* All Raise: https://www.allraise.org/Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.