She Had A Vision

Dallas, TX: Meredith Noles - Noles Studio

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

Meredith Noles is the founder of Noles Studio, a knitwear consultancy that partners with fashion brands to design and develop elevated, sustainable collections. Drawing from experience at luxury houses and years of guiding emerging labels, she bridges creative vision with technical rigor to help brands scale with confidence. Her approach is rooted in craft, clarity, and storytelling, helping designers build ethical collections with confidence.

you can find her at:

https://nolesstudio.com/

Instagram: @noles.studio

LinkedIn: Meredith Noles

The Knitty Gritty Newsletter cuts through the noise with guidance for founders and brands building ethical, heirloom-quality knitwear - minus the stress. Get sourcing tips, development insights, and the support you actually need to do it

Fayetteville, AR: Drew DeFir and Claire Reed – Luna Marketing Studio

Mon, 05 May 2025 08:00:00 -0400

Luna Marketing Studio is a boutique marketing agency whose mission is to empower women entrepreneurs and brands by providing bespoke digital marketing solutions that elevate their unique narratives. Founder and CEO, Drew DeFir and their paid media and search expert, Claire Reed, will share more insights on the 2025 marketing landscape and also best practices and tips for building a successful marketing strategy using brand and growth marketing tactics.

Los Angeles, CA: Comedian - Katherine Blanford

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 09:00:00 -0400

This is the 2nd episode with comedian, Katherine Blanford. We last checked in with her in April 2021, so we are excited to hear an update of her amazing growth as a comic over the last few years. This is a good reminder that it takes time to get to your destination and to enjoy the journey along the way.

Katherine Blanford has brought her human Golden Retriever presence across the country and internationally, sharing confessions of her southern family secrets and whimsical accounts of her awkward adolescent years.

The Kentucky born comedian has multiple appearances on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, a panelist on After Midnight and Vice TV’s Super Maximum Retro Show, and was featured on Netflix Radio. Deadline featured her as one of 15 comedians ready to break out in 2025.

Her debut special, Catholic Cowgirl, released in December 2024 to pair with her Don’t Tell Comedy set that has amassed millions of views online and will soon be featured on Hulu.

Not bad for a girl whose parents are cousins.

Atlanta, GA: Sarah Collins Lawler - Tela Mercantile

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 07:00:00 -0400

Sarah Collins Lawler, is the designer and owner of Tela Mercantile, a one-size fits all kaftan line that brings leisure and luxury and is meant to make everyone look and feel beautiful. Since launching in 2021, Sarah has been designing with more and more unique textiles from all around the world and could now be in a store near you!

New York, NY: Sister New York - Michelle Jacobs

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 18:00:00 -0400

Michelle Jacobs is the designer and owner of the well-known swim and resortwear brand, Sister New York. Michelle set out to create swimwear for her sister and friends, with the mission to design swimwear that not only enhances but also celebrates the innate beauty of every woman. Since college she has worked in many fashion houses and showrooms and in 2017 began making swimsuits for her friends that has now evolved into Sister New York - a well known NY based vacationwear brand in 60 stores and resorts.

Atlanta, GA: Holly Shae - Holly Shae

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 20:00:00 -0500

Holly Shae is the designer and owner of her signature clothing line, Holly Shae. After 18 years of teaching she decided to go back to her creative roots where she learned from her mother and grandmother. In 2020, she started with an accessories and jewelry brand but it quickly evolved into apparel where she created fresh, custom prints on quality dresses that led to her tagline, “Elevate with Ease”. Her dresses are based on size groupings and her intention in the beginning has been to create pieces that you can throw on and feel your best throughout the day. Each collection gets more and more beautiful as she collaborates with female watercolor artists based in GA and South Carolina. They are true works of art! She is now in over 200 stores and resorts and counting.

New York, NY: Coco Shop - Taylor Simmons

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0500

Taylor Simmons, is the designer and owner of Coco Shop, a resort wear clothing brand which was first established on the island of Antigua in 1949. Taylor relaunched the brand in 2019 carrying on the historical silhouettes and style and beautiful island prints that have been so beloved by the island’s residents for over 75 years. She has recreated the entire operation in New York while holding onto the precious ties to the beautiful Antigua. We discussed the importance of just starting, buying back time with outsourcing, trademark lessons learned, and how to build confidence along the way. Like any company it was a good reminder that it takes time to build your product to perfection and it is always worth the wait!

Westbrook, CT: Modatrova - Caroline Barton

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 20:00:00 -0400

Based in Westbrook, Connecticut, Modatrova was founded by Caroline Barton in 2019 as an e-commerce destination for emerging designers. Caroline saw an opportunity to merge her love of fashion and travel to craft her own platform, creating a cohesive experience that gives shoppers that feeling of exploration from home. Today, Modatrova carries brands across clothing, jewelry, shoes, and accessories — dressing women for all of life's adventures.

Columbus, GA: Shuler Studio - Pam Shuler and Carolyn Bettin

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 19:00:00 -0400

Based in Columbus, Ga, Shuler Studio designs and crafts digital monograms for print and embroidery including fonts, monograms, & designs. It is owned and operated by mother daughter duo, Pam Shuler and Carolyn (Shuler) Bettin. Their shop opened in 2016 and their designs have been featured all over the world and they have also been featured in Traditional Home, Style Me Pretty, Martha Weddings, and Garden and Gun.

Greensboro, NC: Elliston House - Morgan Hood and Ally Holderness

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 13:00:00 -0400

Based in Greensboro, NC, Morgan Hood and Ally Holderness launched Elliston House in early 2022 and are creating unique, custom textiles that not only sell to the trade but also to the end consumer. They have found a way to make interior design more accessible to a home owner. Elliston House makes it easy to achieve a timeless, yet curated look. Elliston House is a combination of Morgan and Ally’s unique styles, full of vibrancy and intentionality. My favorite line of Elliston House brand is, “All of our patterns are designed with YOU in mind - the savvy end-consumer who cares about their home, their family, and their style.”

Elliston house’s mission is to bring some happy into the heart of your home - the true place where memories are made!

Vancouver, British Columbia: somedays - Lux Perry

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 20:00:00 -0400

Lux Perry is the founder and CEO of somedays, a company focused on period pain relief. Period pain impacted every aspect of Lux’s life from school and work to infertility and mental health. After 15 years of being dismissed by doctors Lux was finally diagnosed with endometriosis — one of the most painful diseases in the world and a leading cause of infertility that affects 1 in 10 women. Frustrated with the lack of resources and options available, Lux launched somedays in 2021 in Vancouver. Two years later and somedays is changing the way people manage period pain and has reached over 2.6 billion people with their viral activations to raise awareness for endometriosis and period pain.

Lux discusses the importance of finding the right sales and marketing strategy for your specific brand identity and the will to be committed to your business no matter who is telling you no. As she states," you have to believe in yourself to keep you going one day at a time."

Dallas, TX: Support HerStory, Tinsley Merrill Paul

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 12:00:00 -0500

Tinsley Merrill Paul is the co-founder and CEO of Support HerStory, a social business and platform for women-led brands across the globe to share their stories and sell their luxury products. Based in Dallas, she along with Whitney Rowell, founder of Miracle Milkookies and Brittany Underwood, founder of Akola came together in 2020 during the pandemic to find a solution to better support women business owners. HerStory’s platform is now changing and shaping the narrative of empowering the future of woman leaders in retail. They represent over 250 brands that ultimately support each tother through HerStory's in person pop-up events and cross collaboration initiatives. Tinsley is full of wisdom when it comes to helping brands transform the customer journey, but also she is helping reveal the amount of impact these brands have transformed the lives of international artisan partners as well.

New York, NY: bettybeauty, inc. - Nancy Jarecki

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 23:00:00 -0500

Nancy Jarecki is the founder of bettybeauty, inc. in New York in 2006 with the innovative idea to develop color for “hair down there.” She got the idea after visiting a hair salon in Rome, Italy where she discovered an untapped market that women indeed were searching for ways to color match their hair down there and cover grays. She worked with medical professionals to develop a safe formula. The color product has received many innovative beauty awards and has been featured by Vogue, The Oprah Magazine, Forbes, The Doctors and more. The products are available both domestically and internationally at salons/spas, retail stores and online at bettybeauty.com and Amazon. Betty Beauty released a new survey that proves increasing male desire to groom in order to anti-age and boost confidence, and launched the new, first-of-its-kind Cover your gray™ - betty for men Facial & Body Hair Dye to meet this need. The company was also recently acquired by Fisk Industries. "If you know there is a demand, work around the paths that don't work and figure out your own path." - Nancy Jarecki

New York, NY: The BRIMM, Sallie Holder - Fundraising: Why Do Women Have a Hard Time Asking for Money?

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 12:00:00 -0500

Sallie Holder is an author, speaker, podcast host and business coach with a mission to support female entrepreneurs that are ready to grow and scale their business. She wants to help more women become millionaires. This final episode with Sallie explores the society constraints and challenges women face when it comes to fundraising or financing their business and how to counter objections during an investor pitch. Sallie walks through the female psyche and the best tactics and tools when it comes raising capital. She reminds us there are so many different ways to finance a business. You don't have to follow the Silicon Valley startup route - you can go the steady traditional route. Before asking for money, she also reminds us to have a clear personal vision, but also encourages that women need to think bigger and bolder. Sallie Holder lives in Greenville, SC but also has a residence in New York City.

Greenville, SC: The BRIMM, Sallie Holder - Social Media is Not a Sales Strategy

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0500

"Post and prey" is not a sales strategy. Sallie Holder is an author, speaker, podcast host and business coach with a mission to support female entrepreneurs that are ready to grow and scale their business. She joins us for 2nd episode as part of her interview series on She Had A Vision. As a former lawyer and COO of six different companies across six different industries, she’s seen it all. That’s why she founded The BRIMM, which stands for the Beyond Rock Middle Movement. In episode 2, Sallie provides a comprehensive overview of how to create a sales strategy beyond just using the social media tool. She breaks down the importance of defining who your target customer is, what is your destination and what goes into your conversion funnel to get your customer to take action. We discuss the purpose of social media, the importance of owned content through email marketing, the need for multiple touch points to your customer and even the reminder that word of mouth is still the number one sales tactic today.

Greenville, SC: The BRIMM, Sallie Holder - 9 Core Strategies to Grow and Scale your Business

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 22:00:00 -0400

Sallie Holder is an author, speaker, podcast host and business coach with a mission to make more female millionaires. As a former lawyer and COO of six different companies across six different industries, she’s seen it all. That’s why she founded The BRIMM, which stands for the Beyond Rock Middle Movement. Through 20 years of experience she has developed the only 12-month group coaching experience for female entrepreneurs that delivers the proven roadmap to growth, hosts workshops, curates tools and resources, and shares female entrepreneurial stories on her own podcast.

Sallie will be joining us for a 3 part interview series! This first episode will be focusing on her Revenue Accelerator Program where she shares the 9 core strategies to grow and scale your business. Episode 2 will focus on how to use social media to support your sales strategy and Episode 3 will cover fundraising for female entrepreneurs.

New York, NY: Electrify PR, Jourdann Lubliner

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0400

Jourdann Lubliner is the founder and CEO of Electrify PR, full-service public relations, influencer marketing and consulting firm for consumer-facing companies and personalities. Jourdann is a seasoned publicist based in New York and with experience in publicizing brands, products and personalities across various industries and has placed brands in well-known publications from GMA, CNBC to Cosmopolitan and Glamour. After working with small to large companies, Jourdann has many lessons learned when it comes to best in-class public relations approach. Jourdann shares best practices and tips when it comes to PR and having a cutting-edge communication strategy.

Los Angeles, CA: Shine Talent Group - Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 21:00:00 -0400

Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward are the co-founders of Shine Talent Group, an influencer talent management agency located in Los Angeles, Toronto and now London! With the rise in influencer marketing, Jess and Emily saw the opportunity to represent influencer talent to better serve brands and the influencer profile. Their team of talent agents has grown to over 50 and they continue to seek opportunities in brand and marketing especially since social platforms are ever changing. Jess and Emily will give a behind the scenes look of what it means to be an agent for an influencer, but will also provide insights around influencer marketing. They will also share ways they have grown their company through innovation and strong leadership.

Chicago, IL: Pareto - Olivia Bordson and Jessica Landzberg

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Olivia Bordson and Jessica Landzberg are the co-founders of Pareto, a direct to consumer women’s apparel brand on a mission to make getting dressed the easiest part of your day. They met as undergrad students at WashU and then both went on to work as retail consultants with McKinsey & Company. They began building the brand at the start of the global pandemic and officially launched their first product in August 2020. The concept for Pareto originated from witnessing the industry’s obsession with more – more product, more often. At the same time, they saw women seeking simplicity in their closets. Pareto creates timeless, high quality, versatile wardrobe essentials using a full traceable supply chain. It all started with the perfect t-shirt dress and they have continued to simplify getting dressed ever since!

Atlanta, GA: Sculpthouse - Katherine Mason

Thu, 26 May 2022 23:00:00 -0400

Katherine Mason is the founder and CEO of Sculpthouse, an innovative fitness boutique studio and online athleisure boutique. Katherine immersed herself in the industry as a fitness model and trainer in New York and discovered the forward thinking exercise techniques such as the megaformer and the woodway curve treadmill - she noticed sculpting and toning plus cardio was the perfect workout and wanted to bring this fusion back to the south. She now has two locations, the flagship in Atlanta and one in Dallas and a booming online athleisure boutique carrying up and coming brands. As a entrepreneur who is still in the weeds for so many functions she reiterates the importance of figuring it out on your own and trusting yourself.

Chicago, IL: Frankly Apparel - Jane Dong and Heather Eaton

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 09:00:00 -0400

Heather Eaton and Jane Dong are the co-founders of Frankly Apparel, a braless clothing brand that started as a class project in business school and officially launched in 2021. These pieces of clothing range from bodysuits, dresses, tops and are constructed with innovative sewing technique and high quality fabrics to allow for better sizing and support for a variety of chest sizes. We will discuss the importance of establishing a co-founder relationship around trust, their successful product market fit strategy, and their overall resiliency when it comes to dealing with development and production obstacles. They have a keen eye for building a social following even when thinking through pre-launch marketing strategy. They have gone viral TikTok and have seen the value of connecting with influencers and new customers. Their authenticity as leaders and new entrepreneurs makes it such a fun listen, and we also explore how their brand will be evolving for years to come.

Atlanta, GA: Spence Designs - SJ Bailey

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0400

SJ Bailey is the founder and designer of Spence Designs, an ecommerce custom jewelry line based in Atlanta. SJ began making jewelry for herself as early as 16 and wanted to make pieces that had that feminine and whimsy touch. As family members continued to keep asking for her pieces, she started her jewelry line with no expectation of it growing beyond a hobby. SJ officially launched her jewelry business after college in 2019 as a side hustle. The wedding industry and TikTok have launched her platform far beyond than she could have ever imagined. She has excellent insight in social strategy and influencer marketing. SJ has not only developed a custom jewelry business but has embraced this line as a lifestyle brand. She simply loves what she does and creates while still maintaining her brand and events marketing position for a software company.

New York, NY: KicksBySammy - Sammy Handler

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 22:00:00 -0400

Sammy Handler is the Founder, CEO and Artist of KicksBySammy in New York, a custom and one-of-a-kind e-commerce accessories company featuring Sammy’s artwork on a variety of goods that started with sneakers and now has expanded to a variety of products across home, art and fashion. She has tapped into the gifting industry that celebrates the many milestones of life such as baby showers and birthdays to bachelorettes, to summer camp and college life. Her direct-to-consumer company began in college after painting on a pair of sneakers and it quickly launched into her self made accessories business that it is today. Sammy’s fresh, custom designs continue to grow across industry such as real estate, events and corporate gifting and even celeb and brand collaborations. Through her creative sales strategy, I’ve learned various new terms such as “the kid influencer” business, bachelorette party planners and the overall importance of establishing loyal customer base.

New York, NY: ArtSugar - Alix Greenberg

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 21:00:00 -0500

Alix Greenberg is the Founder and CEO of ArtSugar in New York, an ecommerce platform that enables emerging, underrepresented artists to market and sell their work while also giving back to charitable organizations that they care about. ArtSugar launched in 2017 and helps bridge the gap for those artists that do not have bandwidth or expertise when it comes to selling their art and scaling their business. ArtSugar is democratizing the art selling process. Alix has created an innovative and a pay-it-forward platform that enables artists to focus more on their creative process. We will discuss the various ways Alix has disrupted the art market industry and the many lessons learned of a new entrepreneur.

Atlanta, GA: 3 Parks Wine Shop - Sarah Pierre

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 21:00:00 -0500

Sarah Pierre is the owner of 3 Parks Wine Shop in Atlanta and bought the wine shop in 2013. She discusses her original career path, but began building a passion in the hospitality and restaurant industry and began taking jobs in New York and Atlanta in restaurant management. We will explore Sarah’s thought process when it came to the ultimate decision to buy a business and how she transformed this turnkey operation into her own brand. Sarah has gained extensive knowledge over the years as a wine shop owner so we will also learn more from her on the natural wine trend. During the pandemic, Sarah’s business boomed instead of stalling, so Sarah will also share how she has evolved as a more resilient and fearless business owner.

New York, NY: the ness - Colette Dong and Aly Giampolo

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 21:00:00 -0500

Aly Giampolo and Colette Dong are the co-founders of the ness, a low-impact and high intensity trampoline cardio and sculpt workout studio in New York City that has also gone digital. Both Aly and Colette were professional dancers and met in New York. They launched a private training service together and discovered the trampoline was the perfect tool that embodies their dance and ballet training that includes choreography with a killer sweat! Colette and Aly curated a beautiful fitness brand that brings back the joy in movement. Some of the takeaways from the episode is that Aly and Colette learned that they were trying to take on everything in the beginning but now have learned to set boundaries, speak up for themselves and trust their gut. They emphasize that being an entrepreneur means you have to be willing to be uncomfortable and push yourself.

New York, NY: Kitty and Vibe - Cameron Armstrong

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 21:00:00 -0500

Cameron Armstrong is the founder of Kitty and Vibe, and she disrupted the swimwear industry by inventing a new sizing metric that takes hips and butt size into account for better fitting swim bottoms. The brand is also purposely e-commerce because Cameron discovered through her focus groups how much women despise trying on swimsuits in a store. We will explore how Cameron began her entrepreneurship journey by researching problems to solve or products that needed improvement and landed on the swimwear industry. Cameron was very creative with her growing her customer base way before she launched. In the beginning she was more focused on the next big step in front of her rather than thinking too far ahead just so she could start. Starting is always the hardest part. We will dive into the different steps it took for her to grow her idea, reach her customer base and to build the production and Kitty and Vibe brand. And last but not least, how she went viral on Tik Tok!

Dallas, Texas: Mi Golondrina - Cristina Lynch

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 21:00:00 -0400

Cristina Lynch is the founder of Mi Golondrina, a Dallas-based clothing line that consists of hand-embroidered dresses and shirts skillfully made by artisan partners from all over Mexico. Mi Golondrina partners with over 600 artisans in Mexico. The clothing line launched in 2013, which is inspired by Cristina’s mother’s Mexican heritage and love of Mexican art. The intricate detail on each hand-stitched garment is so beautifully made and beautifully balanced with pops of complementary colors. Cristina didn’t always plan to do clothing in which Cristina explains the importance of evolving and pivoting when launching a company. She has great insight on being a leader, building a solid in-house infrastructure, and how to manage a full time job and two young children. I love Cristina's enthusiasm and overall passion for the creative process and brand of Mi Golondrina.

Tune in to learn how Cristina turned this vision into a successful and unique women’s clothing line supporting so many communities in Mexico.

Dallas, Texas: Miracle Milkookies - Whitney Rowell

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 21:00:00 -0400

Whitney Rowell is the founder of Miracle Milkookies, a lactation cookie company based in Dallas, TX. These kookies support nursing moms to produce more milk. Whitney walks through her entrepreneurial journey of jobs and an unexpected life change, which led her to discover the supportive market for nursing moms and all moms. When she was nursing a friend dropped off freshly baked lactation cookies on her doorstep with a note and Whitney began baking her own lactation cookies and her recipe went viral. Whitney will explain how the “fourth” trimester” is one of the most precious, but difficult times for a mom, especially a new mom. These kookies not only support nursing mothers, but Miracle Milkookies’ mission is to to be a resourceful and supportive place for mothers. She is also the host of the podcast, Message from Mom, which is a great platform for relatable content when it comes to being a new mom and navigating motherhood all together. Whitney will tell the many lessons learned, such as dealing with investor sharks and tuning into her inner voice, but Whitney knew in her gut that she was building a product that would help so many moms out there who go through this beautiful yet difficult phase with newborns.

This episode is not only good for moms, but also students and young professionals because she breaks down her entire school and career journey. It sometimes takes a few opportunities to finally understand your ultimate career path. You aren’t supposed to have all of the answers in the beginning.

Atlanta, GA: Barrett Ervin Art - Barrett Ervin and Lucy Wellborn

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 21:00:00 -0400

Barrett Ervin is an Atlanta-based artist known for her contemporary abstract paintings and prints that also stunningly compliment many of the interior designers’ work that she has admired over the years. She minored in studio art at Ole Miss and in the episode she walks through her decision making process around battling the decision of pursuing a corporate career or becoming a full time artist. This episode will also feature her partner, Lucy Wellborn, who has been managing Barrett’s branding and social, whom is also an artist herself! They discuss how they found each other as partners and explain how running your art as a successful biz is not an easy one man show. They walk through how Barrett’s collections have evolved over the last two years which has led her to really hone in on her color-fun abstract style. In the episode, they also point out how networking through social has been a game changer in marketing and growing Barrett Ervin Art. Barrett’s work has exploded in just two years and I love Lucy and Barrett’s enthusiasm for the future of this brand!

Atlanta, GA: Private Holdings - Jackie Hart

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 21:00:00 -0400

Jackie Hart is the founder of Private Holdings, a men's boxer brief line and a women’s Sleep Tight Night Gown, which are quality products when it comes to the balance of coverage, comfort, support and style. Jackie with the help of her daughter as CFO, launched Private Holdings in 2015. Jackie will tell the story of how she initially solved the problem she and her husband encountered with men's underwear and how she saw a void in the men’s furnishings market and how she continued to explore new sleepwear and furnishings products, such as the Sleep Tight Nightgown. Jackie talks through the importance of going slowly, asking questions and researching the customer target in the beginning. She has great stories of her time at market and shares some fun ways she advertised her brand, such as being featured on the Hoda and Kathie Lee Show! She admits her biggest lesson learned was the fact that she could do it and could build a business later in life. This is a great reminder that it is never too late to start something!

Austin, Texas: Sunshine Tienda - Laura and Amanda Ernst

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 20:00:00 -0400

Laura and Amanda Ernst are twin sisters from Texas and are the co-founders of Sunshine Tienda, a vacation-inspired accessories and beachwear brand designed around a simple state of mind—to “be vacation happy.” Founded in 2014 the collections are influenced by a love of warm-weather destinations and their love for international travel. The line features statement-making jewelry, sunhats, and most recently, beachwear styles including printed sarongs and breezy dresses.

Each collection is developed by Laura and Amanda and crafted by female artisan partners around the world. We discuss how Sunshine Tienda is dedicated to providing lasting support to the villages of its artisan partners through creative collaboration. They love working for a mission and have developed wonderful relationships with their international partners. They are now located in over 800 stores such as Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Tuckernuck and other high-end boutiques nationwide.

I learned a lot about what it takes to run a family business, which Laura and Amanda explain respect and boundaries are extremely important. The are both so down to earth and love what they do at Sunshine Tienda and let it show. They break down all of the realities of running a small business of 2 employees and they explain the importance of writing down goals and the importance of remembering the why behind running this company. They have stayed true to themselves and their brand and are continuing to build and innovate every day. Enjoy!

Atlanta, GA: Erica Thomas - Eating With Erica

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 20:00:00 -0400

Erica Thomas started her Atlanta food blog, Eating with Erica, in 2013. It started as a food directory based on her love of dining. She continued on this path working at a food magazine which helped her discover more of the Atlanta food scene where she began to grow her blog. In between jobs, she took the chance to grow the blog full time and has never looked back. She has grown her influencer brand in food & hospitality & entertaining beyond her blog, such as launching networking dinner parties and creating a home decor business and growing her brand partnerships. Her latest project is her new own podcast called Owning Her Seat interviewing empowering women in the culinary, hospitality and entertainment industries. Erica breaks down her timeline of how she continued to grow her business and is full of so much wisdom on how to stay motivated and self-care, how to utilize one’s network, and how to never stop evolving. Erica continues to build her brand by trying new things consistently regardless if they don't work out. Pull out your notebook because Erica is full of bumper sticker advice that we all need to remember.

Nashville, TN: Claire O'Bryan - The Skin Clique & Dabble Co. Podcast

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 20:00:00 -0400

Claire O’Bryan is a nurse practitioner and co-founder of The Skin Clique, a concierge aesthetics company that offers medical-grade skincare offering services such as Botox and fillers. A couple of years ago, she also started an Instagram called DabbleCo., which quickly turned podcast to navigate the overwhelming content when it comes to understanding trends in health and wellness and beauty. With the rise of in-home services in medicine, Claire discusses how Skin Clique's concierge service grew pre and post pandemic and also discusses ways they adapted during uncertain times. Claire also addresses the stigma around fillers and the overall benefits of botox and building a basic skincare routine. Claire is doing so many different things in medicine while raising two girls with her husband, so we will learn how she balances it all as well!

New York, NY: Serena Wolf - Chef & Author of The Dude Diet & The Dude Diet Dinnertime

Mon, 24 May 2021 20:00:00 -0400

Serena Wolf is a well-known chef based in New York and author of the best selling books, The Dude Diet and The Dude Diet Dinnertime. She has a loyal following which started on her food blog (domesticate-me.com) and it has continued to grow on her Instagram (@serenagwolf), which features her recipes, food hacks, beauty and wellness, and mental health topics. She is so real and fun-loving with her followers! Overall, she has had a rollercoaster ride of finding her passion in the culinary world. From the time she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, to starting her very own food blog and even navigated the reality of trying to make it in traditional food media/television, Serena has learned through various jobs (jobs that she didn’t love) to figure out her own space in the culinary industry. She talks through many moments of taking initiative even when people doubted her and this persistence made things happen! She “stuck to her guns,” which has ultimately allowed her to reach her goals and she is now in a more strategic position to grow her revenue streams, such as her newly popular virtual cooking classes. As an added bonus, she is so witty and fun to listen to! Tune in to learn from Serena!

Columbia, SC: Tasty As Fit - Emilie Blanchard

Thu, 13 May 2021 19:00:00 -0400

Emilie is the founder of healthy grab-n-go food store called Tasty As Fit, which is located in 2 store locations in South Carolina - the flagship is in Columbia and another in Greenville. Her menu is plant-based and gluten free and features delicious smoothies, bowls, salads and many more creative dishes. Before Tasty As Fit, Emilie lived in New York for five years where she learned how much she loved to make healthy food that actually tasted good. When Emilie moved to Columbia, she began posting her recipes on social, which led to making meals for many families and then she took a leap of faith to buy a commercial kitchen which has now evolved into grab-n-go. Emilie has great words of wisdom when it comes to getting the courage to start a business and she embraces failure as a tool for learning. She is nimble and knows when to pivot and has such gratitude for every single day. Tune in to learn more about Emilie’s steps to building her vision of Tasty As Fit.

Atlanta, GA: Crosby by Mollie Burch - Mollie Burch

Mon, 03 May 2021 22:00:00 -0400

Mollie is the co-founder, creative director and CEO of Crosby by Mollie Burch, in which she founded with her business partner, Taylor Montes de Oca, in 2015 in Atlanta, GA. This female empowering brand is full of bold color and vibrant prints and they are now located in over 200 retailers in addition to direct to consumer. Mollie designs all of these vibrant prints in house. One other amazing fact about her business is that this brand was founded with the focus on supporting organizations that aid victims of sex trafficking. I loved getting to know Mollie's background of how she got to where she is today. One thing she points out is that "she is not good at going slow," which aligns well with this fast-paced industry. During the interview Mollie breaks down the technical side of launching and growing a clothing line and discusses the full cycle of designing, producing and selling 1 full season. This is episode is wonderful for any aspiring fashion designers and/or anyone who is pursuing a career in this industry. She has so many pieces of advice as a growing leader in her company as well. Tune in!

Atlanta, GA: Comedian - Katherine Blanford

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 19:00:00 -0400

Katherine Blanford is an Atlanta-based comedian. You can find her regularly performing at the Laughing Skull Lounge. She has also opened for many well known comedians including Jeff Foxworthy and Ron White. Katherine also produces and hosts a show called Walkie Talkies that features comics around Atlanta and even surprise guests. She is a co-host of a podcast called Cheaties that has over 100 episodes about cheating which includes personal experiences but also people who are calling in from all over the country with their story. Katherine’s personal brand is her business and she crushes one of the most uncomfortable jobs….stand up comedy. Katherine explains her thought process of pursuing her career as a comic and has learned many lessons in this industry, such as learning not to wait and to make her own moves to make things happen. She found herself in her day job wondering why waste time counting down the hours just itching to get back to her comedy job. As she has grown into her career, many more windows of opportunity are becoming available to her - things she never would have imagined! She has taken on the storm of being a female comic in this industry and found many silver linings in light of the pandemic and has some creative projects on the horizon. Tune in to learn more about what it takes to be a successful comedian!

Charlotte, NC: Find Your Altitude - Addy Collett

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 18:00:00 -0400

Addy Collett is a personal trainer and founder of the online fitness community, Find Your Altitude, based in Charlotte, NC. When you become a member of Find Your Altitude, you get access to various live and on demand fitness videos, recipes and the encouragement from Addy herself! Addy brings so much creativity to this personal and group training experience. Within this community she doesn’t just focus on fitness, but the full scope of what it means to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle and brings together an inclusive community of members. She started this business during the pandemic and really made it her own. She listened to herself carefully on the type of brand she wanted to build for her clients and continues to build upon it. One thing I am learning from Addy is you have to try new things to learn about yourself and if it doesn’t work, move on to the next thing. Tune in to learn more about Addy’s story on building this community and personal training business in the fitness industry.

Richmond, VA: Gratisfied - Sara McGlothlin

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 18:00:00 -0400

Sara McGlothlin is the founder of the natural foods company, Gratisfied. Sara is a holistic nutritionist, health writer, wellness entrepreneur and yoga/fitness teacher based in Richmond, VA. For years she has been coaching clients on the importance of holistic health and nutrition, and she decided to develop a nutrition bar for her clients and family and friends with the goal of fueling your body, so you actually feel full and satisfied. Based on the high demand of her first bar, she decided to launch Gratisfied in January 2019. The bars that she created are low in sugar, grain free, paleo friendly and hand-baked bars and they actually fill you up! These bars are now located in about 95 locations, and they are continuing to grow their presence in Whole Foods stores and other major food stores in the U.S. Sara has great advice on going through the phases of building a business from the ground up. Her interview is full of tips of how to stay focused and to trust the process. If you also want to learn more about the detrimental effects of sugar and the importance of the mind body connection when it comes to eating she shares her knowledge on these topics as well. Tune in to learn how Sara is making an impactful change in the packaged food space

Atlanta, GA: Toast Events - Lindsay Sims

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Lindsay Sims is the founder of Toast Events, a full service wedding and event planning company that launched officially in 2010. Her company that includes two other talented wedding and event planners is well known across the Southeast and has been recognized as best planner and is featured in Vogue, Southern Living, Martha Stewart Weddings and countless more. Lindsay’s team is known for their exquisite taste, impeccable execution and overall they offer a service that is close to perfection when it comes putting together a wedding. She walks through the countless lessons learned not only as a business owner but also in her industry of events. She emphasizes the importance of delegation, the power of networking and how learning how to say no can surprisingly help your business.

Atlanta, GA: Blair's Belts - Blair Beskin

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 10:00:00 -0500

Blair Beskin launched handmade alligator and crocodile belts and bracelets called Blair’s Belts. She launched the business in 2016 as a fun idea after touring a leather belt manufacturer in Atlanta.I was very impressed how fast she launched this idea into a reality. She really knew her vision. In the interview, Blair discussed how she launched her business while working at a boutique. If anything I’ve learned from Blair’s interview and also knowing Blair personally is that she a very supportive friend and genuine kind person and because of that has a strong network. In my opinion, one of the many reasons Blair's Belts launched so successfully and continues to grow and is I forgot how important it is to be open with your network (even if it's your current boss) and it is ok to lean on friends and family for support encouragement and even innovation.

Atlanta, GA: B.Sweet - Betts Irvine

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 23:00:00 -0500

Betts Irvine is the owner of cake and cookie bakery, B.Sweet. Betts has a sense of calming that I will never be able to have, but I think it is because she is so grounded and centered with herself and knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. Her cookies and cakes are truly a piece of art and as Bett’s said in the interview making baked goods for someone we love or want to celebrate is like a love language. How B.Sweet is that. We will also learn from her how she is able to time manage her small business after hours from her regular day job in commercial real estate. One trend I am learning from recent interviews is that these small business owners get up early, like 5am….maybe that is a key takeaway to consider when we are all trying to balance pressures from everyday life or just trying to develop our own business ideas

Atlanta, GA: Griffith Design Temps - Sullivan Griffith

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 21:00:00 -0500

Sullivan Griffith, the owner of design temp agency, Griffith Design temps launched in 2017 in Atlanta GA. Sullivan saw a void of much needed work in the interior design industry. She noticed in between jobs that she was easily getting hourly work across various big and small designers who needed the help, but as an as needs basis. In the interview, Sullivan breaks down her thought process of starting with this lightbulb moment into launching and growing Griffith Design Temps over the past few years. A major lesson learned along her journey we discussed was the dreaded subject of corporate tax. This is a classic case situation of being a small business owner that everyone should listen in to. It was great to hear how Sullivan faced the issue, learned from it the issue and moved forward.