Takin' Care of Lady Business®

Julia Straus has been a CEO three times. At her newest company, her 16-year-old co-founder tells her when her ideas are cringe. And Julia listens.Takin' Care of Lady Business Episode 178Julia was the first employee at TULA and later its CEO, then ran Sweaty Betty through international expansion and its sale to Wolverine Worldwide. Sincerely Yours, the teen and tween skincare brand she co-founded with Salish Matter and Salish's father, Jordan Matter, is her first time as a founder and her first time building for a customer she isn't. Her rule: trust the actual customer, not yourself.In this episode, Jennifer Justice sits down with Julia Straus, Co-Founder and CEO of Sincerely Yours, to talk about why young customers are rarely asked what they want, and almost never heard when they are. They get into why a blank piece of paper was harder than running a 900-person company, and why Julia's biggest unlock as a leader is hiring people who are better than her. JJ names a pattern she sees in her own practice: women recruited as rock stars on the way in and pushed out for being "too good" on the way out. They also cover what it takes to sell a company while you're still running it.What You'll LearnWhy a three-time CEO wants her 16-year-old co-founder to tell her when an idea is cringeWhy the customer who isn't used to being asked is the opportunityWhy Julia's biggest unlock as a leader is hiring people better than herWhat selling a company while you're still running it actually demandsWhy Julia refused to choose between having a baby and running a startupHighlights:(00:00) Meet Julia Straus (01:24) Called cringe by a 16-year-old co-founder (03:34) Trust the actual customer, not yourself (04:48) Young customers aren't used to being asked (05:54) Building skincare for developing skin (11:45) CEO vs. founder: why the blank page is the hard part (16:10) Asking for help when you're the one in charge (18:55) The biggest unlock: hiring people who teach you (19:27) Rock star on the way in, "too good" on the way out (20:45) Hiring for the Sephora launch: "I wasn't gonna go junior" (23:44) Growing Sweaty Betty into a global brand (24:47) Selling a business is a second full-time job (27:13) Makeup as expression, not insecurity (31:35) What's really different about growing up Gen Alpha (35:56) The worst advice: you can't have a baby and run a startupAbout Our Guest:Julia Straus is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sincerely Yours, a skincare brand developed specifically for teens and tweens alongside teenage creator Salish Matter and her father, Jordan Matter. A seasoned consumer brand executive, Julia previously served as CEO of Sweaty Betty, where she led international expansion and helped steer the company’s acquisition by Wolverine Worldwide in 2021. Before that, she was the first employee and later CEO of TULA Skincare, which was subsequently acquired by Procter & Gamble. Now in her third CEO role and her first as a founder, Julia is bringing more than a decade of experience in beauty, retail, and brand building to a new generation of consumers, creating products shaped by the young people actually using them.Julia Straus’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-straus-5a98a211/ Explore Sincerely Yours: https://sincerely-yours.com/ About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/JJ’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakinCareOfLadyBusiness The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

An estimated $125 trillion is expected to change hands over the coming years, with women poised to control a significant share of it. But inheriting money and having the leverage to decide what happens to it are two very different things.Takin' Care of Lady Business Episode 177Kate Nevin, President of TSWII Capital Advisors, believes the great wealth transfer could change who holds financial leverage. But that depends on whether women take an active role in deciding where their money goes, who gets funded, and which businesses get the opportunity to grow.In this episode, Jennifer Justice and Kate discuss why women are often mislabeled as risk-averse investors, how the skills women use in philanthropy translate to investing, and why financial advisors should be working for you, not making you feel intimidated by your own money. JJ also shares how growing up with financial insecurity shaped her relationship with wealth and why she's committed to investing in businesses that create economic opportunities for women.They also get practical about what comes next: understanding your investments, finding advisors who listen, and sharing the introductions, opportunities, and knowledge that help more women build wealth.What You'll LearnWhy inheriting wealth doesn't automatically translate into financial leverageHow philanthropic experience can translate into investment decisionsWhat to look for in a financial advisor and when to find someone newHow women can use their capital to fund businesses and create economic opportunityHighlights:(00:00) Meet Kate Nevin(01:33) The $125 trillion wealth transfer(02:10) Money can transfer without leverage transferring(03:50) How generational change is driving wealth into women's hands(06:06) Why financial security creates choice for women(07:49) Using investment dollars with the same brain as philanthropic dollars(09:06) Kate's theory of change: more capital to women means everything works better(10:55) Women are risk-aware(16:59) Why women need to move from the why to the how(25:06) How to invest in a way that supports your values(34:46) The worst advice Kate ever receivedAbout Our Guest:Kate Nevin believes the next great shift in women's power won't come from how much money they inherit, but from what they choose to do with it. As President of TSWII Capital Advisors, she focuses on using investment capital to create opportunities for women and drive systemic change. A passionate advocate for women's financial empowerment, Kate sees the historic wealth transfer as an opportunity to reshape how capital is invested and who benefits from it. Her work encourages women to take an active role in managing their wealth, support businesses addressing systemic challenges, and use investing as a tool for lasting impact. Through her work, Kate challenges traditional narratives about women and money, advocating for greater financial agency and more capital flowing toward women-led initiatives.Kate Nevin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-nevin-2690a1221/ Explore TSWII Capital Advisors: https://www.tswii.com/ About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/JJ’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakinCareOfLadyBusiness The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

A $2 million purchase order. A proven beauty brand. And not a single bank willing to finance it. For Shan Berries, getting the opportunity was only half the battle.Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 176Shan Berries and her sister Erika started Shades by Shan with $1,500 each, launched with two products, and sold through six months of inventory in 24 hours. Eight years later, their bootstrapped beauty brand is in 610 JCPenney stores nationwide. But even with proven demand, getting the capital to grow was another story.In this episode of Takin' Care of Lady Business, Jennifer Justice sits down with Shan to unpack the financial realities of building a multimillion-dollar business without traditional investors. When Ipsy requested 100,000 units, the sisters couldn't afford to fulfill the order. Later, when JCPenney wanted their entire product line nationwide, banks still refused to lend them money despite a major purchase order in hand. Ultimately, JCPenney advanced $2 million to make the rollout possible.JJ and Shan discuss how founders recognize when they have leverage, why access to capital can determine which businesses get to grow, and how relationships can create opportunities that traditional financing doesn't. Shan also shares how she and her sister have maintained ownership while navigating major retail partnerships, including personally connecting with store associates across 610 JCPenney locations.What You'll LearnHow Shan and Erika built a multimillion-dollar beauty brand starting with $3,000Why a major purchase order doesn't guarantee access to financingHow JCPenney's $2 million advance helped Shades by Shan expand nationwideHow Shan uses relationships and leverage to grow on her own termsHighlights:(00:00) Meet Shan Berries(01:47) Starting Shades of Shan with $3,000(07:10) Building a business with her sister(10:39) When Ipsy’s 100,000-unit order was too big to fill(12:03) How JCPenney advanced $2 million(14:56) Recognizing when you have leverage(20:08) Why founders need capital in the room(21:36) Why banks rejected their financing requests(31:37) Visiting 610 stores to build relationships(33:12) The worst business advice Shan ignoredAbout Our Guest:Shan Berries is the founder and CEO of Shades by Shan, a beauty brand she launched with her sister Erika after building a career in Bay Area radio and television. Starting with $1,500 each and no background in the beauty industry, the sisters bootstrapped Shades by Shan from their mother’s home into a multimillion-dollar company carried in 610 JCPenney stores nationwide. The company also works with Ipsy and has distributed products through millions of subscription boxes. Alongside the business, Shan created the Mama Berries Nonprofit Foundation in honor of her mother, supporting single-parent families through financial assistance, scholarships, and small-business support.Shan Berries’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanberries/ Shan Berries’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanberries/ Explore Shades by Shan: https://sbscosmetics.com/ Explore The MamaBerries Nonprofit Foundation: https://www.mamaberriesfoundation.org/nominate About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/JJ’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakinCareOfLadyBusiness The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

The more we outsource our thinking to AI, the more we all start to sound the same.Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 175Patrice Poltzer, former Today Show producer and co-founder of My StoryPro, has spent decades helping people recognize the value of their own stories. Now, she's tackling a new challenge: how to use AI to tell those stories without losing the voice, personality, and lived experience that make them worth hearing.In this episode of Takin’ Care of Lady Business, Jennifer Justice sits down with Patrice to explore what happens when we let AI do too much of our thinking. Patrice explains why so much AI-generated content ends up in what she calls the “statistical vanilla center,” how that sameness can undermine a personal brand, and why she built My StoryPro to ask better questions before generating content. By digging into someone's experiences, beliefs, and perspective first, the platform helps people create content that actually sounds like them.Patrice also shares how better storytelling has helped her clients become more visible, build businesses that reflect who they are, and find the confidence to put themselves out there. She opens up about her own transition from running a service business to building an AI product, the difference between genuine vulnerability and oversharing, and why knowing your own story can be one of your greatest business advantages.What You'll LearnWhy lived experience is the one advantage AI cannot recreateHow generic AI content can flatten your personal brand and point of viewWhy better storytelling starts with stronger inputs, not faster outputsHow to use your story to build trust, visibility, and memorable thought leadershipHighlights:(00:00) Meet Patrice Poltzer(01:27) Why "I don't have a story" triggers Patrice(04:06) From Today Show to Lisbon: reinventing a business and discovering AI(05:52) What My StoryPro does: AI that coaches your story, not writes it(07:53) Why storytelling matters more than ever in the AI era(10:10) Antoinette's transformation and storytelling through fertility struggles(13:52) Brenna's leap from Target VP to entrepreneur(15:14) What makes My StoryPro different from ChatGPT and Claude(19:51) Bringing your real self to corporate America: the Apple manager story(29:18) The biggest storytelling mistakes founders make with AI(36:17) Raising $1M to scale My StoryPro and diversify who builds AIAbout Our Guest:Patrice Poltzer is the co-founder of My StoryPro, an AI-powered storytelling coaching platform designed to help people uncover the lived experiences, perspectives, and ideas that make their stories uniquely their own. A former Today Show producer and longtime storytelling strategist, Patrice has spent nearly two decades helping founders, executives, and professionals communicate with greater clarity and authenticity. After running her own storytelling studio in New York, she moved to Lisbon and began building My StoryPro, combining her journalism background with AI to help people develop stronger personal brands, thought leadership, and business content without outsourcing their voice or point of view.Patrice Poltzer’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricepoltzer/ Explore My StoryPro: https://mystorypro.ai/pocket-patrice About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/JJ’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakinCareOfLadyBusiness The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Women’s health does not have an awareness problem. It has an infrastructure and capital problem.Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 174Anna Samuelsson knows exactly what happens when a market is treated like a niche instead of an investment opportunity. As Managing Director and Partner at Factory Capital, she is working to make women’s health an investible category by building the infrastructure needed to move real capital into it. In this episode of Takin’ Care of Lady Business, Jennifer Justice sits down with Anna to unpack the business mechanics behind the women’s health gap and how Anna’s own experience being dismissed by doctors exposed a much larger problem in research, care, and investment.That realization led Factory Capital to fund the Institute Advancing Women’s Health, a nonprofit designed to bring global medical expertise together, translate research into treatment pathways, and make the category strong enough for more capital to follow. Anna also explains why a private investment firm would put its own money behind that infrastructure, why doing good and doing well are not competing ideas, and why building an entirely new system sometimes starts with one question: what can we move forward this week?What You'll LearnWhy women’s health needs investment infrastructure, not just more awarenessHow research and evidence can make an overlooked category more investibleWhy Factory Capital chose to fund a nonprofit alongside its for-profit investmentsWhat Anna’s approach reveals about turning an enormous systemic problem into something investors can act onHighlights:(00:00) Meet Anna Samuelsson(01:31) Building Factory Capital around overlooked investment categories(04:23) Being dismissed by doctors exposed a larger system failure(06:57) The infrastructure women’s health is still missing(09:09) Building the evidence that makes women’s health investable(13:25) Closing the research gaps holding women’s health back(15:24) Putting Factory Capital’s own money behind the mission(17:25) Bringing global experts together around women’s health(18:51) Building better care pathways across fragmented specialties(22:01) Building the team behind the Institute Advancing Women’s Health(26:22) Why more capital needs to enter women’s health(33:17) Why the institute needed to be nonprofitAbout Our Guest:Anna Samuelsson is Managing Director and Partner at Factory Capital, a private investment firm spanning health, education, lifestyle, and technology. A former Goldman Sachs executive, she now focuses on women’s health and expanding institutional investment in the category. She also helped establish the Institute Advancing Women’s Health, a nonprofit bringing together medical, research, and business leaders to improve women’s health research, training, and care globally.Anna Samuelsson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaburton/ Explore Factory Capital: https://factorycapital.net/ Explore The Institute Advancing Women's Health: https://www.inawh.org/ About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/JJ’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakinCareOfLadyBusiness The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.