Behind Her Empire

Do you struggle to lose weight, have low energy, poor digestion or sleep troubles? These can all be signs that you're out of sync with your biology, which is designed to work on nature's clock. In this episode, we dive into science-based practices and ancestral wisdom for feeling our best in modern times.In this episode you’ll learn: * Effective strategies for lasting weight loss* Alternative ways to energize without caffeine* How to support your circadian rhythm with light* Top red light panel recommendations* Why everyone needs to build muscle* The best color to eat for better gut health* And more…Alexis Cowan, PhD, embarked on her path to health following a childhood marked by recurring illnesses and significant weight struggles. Through her personal battles with an eating disorder and subsequent development of ulcerative colitis, these early experiences sparked her interest in the scientific underpinnings of nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle interventions. Alexis pursued her education fervently, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry and Math from Moravian College, followed by a PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 2021. She now works with individuals in her practice, and educates on metabolism and circadian optimization through her online courses.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Alexis:* Website: https://dralexisjazmyn.wordpress.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralexisjazmyn/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Breezy Griffith is the founder and CEO of SkinnyDipped, a good-for-you snack company looking to reinvent some of our favorite snacks. Breezy launched SkinnyDipped in 2016 with her mother after losing their dear friend to cancer. This life-altering event made them take a hard look at their own priorities and how they wanted to make an impact in this world. As a tight-knit family, they wanted to spend more time together and ultimately decided to start a business. They decided to revolutionize the snacking industry and launched with their thinly-dipped chocolate-covered almonds, and now they have expanded to multiple product lines from chocolates to peanut butter cups. Breezy went from selling nuts out of their backpacks to securing a presence in over 25,000 retail doors, including major outlets like Target, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Starbucks, airports, and more. They also recently closed a Series A round and have investors like David Grutman, Amy Schumer, and Mark Wahlberg to name a few. In this week’s episode, Breezy talks to us her unconventional career path after college from starting businesses like a sorbet company where she would sell at farmers markets to then creating pastries & hustling to make ends meet living in New York. She shares why those businesses didn’t work but why they were the best experience for her when it came to understanding financials and creating sustainable business models. She then walks us through SkinnyDipped’s origin story, what she was doing to create and produce the product in the early days from her kitchen to then finding manufacturers and why she believes being scrappy helped the company grow brand awareness. She shares what it’s like to have her mom and also two best friends as co-founders, how they were able to fund the business in the early days, how she secured a deal with Target very early on, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Breezy about:* Breezy’s childhood and upbringing. [03:08]* Breezy’s post-college ventures. [05:12]* Learnings from business setbacks. [07:08]* Iteration of SkinnyDipped’s first product. [14:35]* What it’s like working with close friends and family. [20:32]* Managing pressure and emotions as a founder. [27:30]* Entering Target and securing the opportunity. [31:11]* How Breezy’s role has shifted as the business grows. [41:36]* SkinnyDipped’s fundraising journey. [46:10]* SkinnyDipped's rebranding story and its message. [51:47]* Breezy's personal and professional plans. [54:50]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Breezy:* Website: https://skinnydipped.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinnydipped/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinnydippedfounder/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cathryn Lavery is the founder of BestSelf Co., a productivity tool-based business that sells journals, planners and conversation decks to help people achieve their goals and be their best selves. Cathryn moved to New York City from Ireland with only $758 and after the challenges she faced in her role as an architect and not making a livable wage, she was forced to find other means of income on the side. Despite having 7 years under her belt she realized this line of work was not the path for her. She eventually decided to go off on her own and transformed herself into an 8-figure founder. Going back to the early days, her side hustle eventually grew into something much bigger and that’s when Cathryn launched her Kickstarter campaign in 2015 to crowdfund her first product. BestSelf Co. sold $45 million in products before getting acquired in 2022, but recently Cathryn repurchased back her company to do things differently. In this week’s episode, Cathryn walks us through how she was forced into entrepreneurship because of necessity when she received a massive pay cut and the steps she took to figure things out when it was the most challenging for her. Cathryn shares how the idea for BestSelf was born, what she did to build up her confidence to take the leap, the early days of the business, and how she and her team managed to raise over $300,000 on her Kickstarter campaign with the goal only being $15k. We talk about her top productivity tips and lifestyle hacks that can help all of us be our best selves. She tells us about steps in finding the right business partner, why she decided to repurchase her company after 2 years of it being acquired, what it’s like to juggle being a new mom and founder, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Cathryn about:* "100 Days of Doing Challenge" impact on Cathryn. [02:59]* Cathryn’s childhood and upbringing. [08:15]* Where Cathryn got her self-confidence in taking the leap. [11:34]* From New York to first job journey. [15:27]* Preparations before entrepreneurship leap. [20:01]* Cathryn's productivity system shifts. [24:02]* Importance of structure and managing one’s energy. [29:22]* Starting BestSelf Co. as a side hustle and how it flourished. [32:31]* What resonated with BestSelf Co.’s product. [35:00]* Lessons from having a business partner. [40:02]* Selling and repurchasing BestSelf Co. [47:04]* Embracing change in entrepreneurship. [52:25]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Cathryn:* Blog: https://www.littlemight.com/* Website: https://bestself.co/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestselfco/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathryn.lavery/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you see the Washington Post article about birth control that took women of the internet by storm? The piece, titled “Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion”, discredited the experiences of thousands of women and downplayed the real side effects that can come with taking hormonal birth control. They included an interview with Nicole Bendayan, a holistic women’s health educator, who the writers misled and then misrepresented how she is helping women reclaim their health everyday. Today, we’re getting her side of the story.In this episode you’ll learn: * How women are gaslit about their health concerns* Why women are choosing to come off hormonal birth control* How to choose a birth control method that works for you* Why we need informed consent before taking birth control pills* The real potential side effects of taking hormonal birth control* How we can actually empower women through educationNicole Bendayan is a hormonal health educator on a mission to empower women to reclaim their cycle and thrive through holistic menstrual health. She supports women looking for natural alternatives to hormonal contraception, as well as how to support the body when coming off and lifestyle shifts to experience less hormone-related symptoms overall.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Nicole:* Website: https://enroll.thesyncsociety.com/fam-workshop-coming-soon/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicole.bendayan/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allison Conrad is the co-founder and CEO of Arey, the first functional beauty brand to target aging hair with a proactive, science-driven approach. The idea for Arey came shortly after Allison saw her first grey hairs and was shocked that the only way to address grey hair was with hair dye and that there were no preventive solutions. She was using wrinkle cream and SPF to prevent wrinkles, but there was nothing available to manage and prevent grey hair, and that’s when Arey was born.In 2020, Allison founded the company alongside her beloved hairstylist and friend Jay Small who also saw the demand for such a product. From a daily supplement to topicals, Arey offers a full line of clean, innovative products formulated with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and a clinically efficacious peptide to slow and re-pigment greys. In just a few years, Arey has already been featured on Who What Wear, VOGUE, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health and so many more. In this week’s episode, we talk to Allison about the power of patience, why we shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves, and how every twist in turn in your career will lead you to where you’re supposed to be. Allison also walks through the challenges she had pioneering a new category in the haircare industry, how she thought through funding her business - from bootstrapping to then fundraising and what she did to create early traction & awareness for the business. Allison also shares how Arey is the 12th company that she has been involved in and the 3rd she has founded, so in this episode, she shares a lot of insights when it comes to entrepreneurship, making pivots in your life and career, and so much more.In this episode, we’ll talk to Allison about:* Importance of patience and self-compassion. [02:53]* Being the black sheep in the family. [08:01]* Sewing and selling skirts as her first business venture. [12:23]* Allison's lessons from her first business. [15:09]* Studying in Stanford Business School. [16:55]* What Allison learned about herself. [18:38]* Lessons from the startup fundraising world. [26:33]* Allison's pivotal moment in starting Arey. [32:27]* The concept of hair re-pigmentation. [34:30]* The importance of networking in finding the right manufacturer. [37:02]* Allison’s approach in fund-raising for Arey. [38:37]* How Allison validated the concept early on. [42:17]* How Allison created education around her brand. [45:09]* The messy truth in entrepreneurship. [48:48]* Future plans for Arey. [52:41]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Allison:* Website: https://areygrey.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/areygrey/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonaconrad/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, we're re-airing one of our top episodes with Mimi Ikonn, a serial entrepreneur known for founding Luxy Hair, a DTC hair extension brand, and Intelligent Change, a lifestyle brand promoting mindfulness and gratitude through consumer products. Her inspiring self-made story began with her immigration from Azerbaijan to Canada as a teenager.Taking on the responsibility of financially supporting her family from a young age, Mimi dropped out of college, worked in banking, and took significant risks to pursue her passions and achieve financial independence.Luxy Hair achieved impressive success, reaching 250,000+ customers in 165+ countries before being acquired by Beauty Industry Group. Currently, Mimi is focused on her business, Intelligent Change, selling over 1,700,000+ copies of their flagship product, The Five Minute Journal.In our interview, Mim shares her captivating life story, from being a college dropout to discovering her passions and starting Luxy Hair with limited resources and industry connections. Her positive energy shines as she discusses overcoming hardships and depression, offering valuable tips for manifesting the life you desire, and promoting meaningful change in both personal and professional spheres.In this episode, we’ll talk to Mimi about:* Mimi's humble beginnings in Baku, Azerbaijan. [03:57]* Mimi's immigration journey to Canada, financially supporting her family at 16. [12:09]* Not going to college, working in a bank, and meeting her future husband. [17:38]* The 4-Hour Workweek" impact on Mimi and Alex's life and business vision. [25:59]* The inspiration behind their first business, Luxy Hair. [27:44]* "The Body Keeps the Score" influence on Mimi's life and traumas. [35:11]* Manifesting life and practicing gratitude, Tony Robbins' program. [42:03]* Selling Luxy Hair and creating the 5-Minute Journal by Intelligent Change. [49:16]* Mimi's passion projects and her sustainability advocacy. [55:19]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Mimi:* Website: https://www.intelligentchange.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intelligentchange/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mimiikonn/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What time do you usually go to bed? Be honest… We won’t judge you for late-night TikTok scrolls, but we have to keep it real. If you want happy hormones and better health overall, it’s time to get serious about sleep.In this episode you’ll learn: * Secrets for the best sleep of your life* Why sleep matters beyond our own health* The impact of hormones on sleep* What shift workers need to know* How sleep quality can impact weight* The truth about alcohol and sleep* And more…Vice President of Performance Science, Principal Scientist at WHOOP, Kristen drives thought leadership by engaging with industry-leading researchers and partners to better understand individual and team biometric and performance data across high-stakes verticals to drive product innovation, strategy, and coaching.Kristen blends her academic and applied background in athletics, coaching, performance technology, psychology, and exercise physiology to drive research, partnership, and product development initiatives to strengthen WHOOP as a leader in Human Performance.Kristen works with hundreds of the best tactical, professional, surgical teams, corporate, and NCAA Athlete Teams in the world, helping them interpret WHOOP data to optimize training, recovery, and sleep behavior. Kristen's research focuses on the temporal organization of circadian influences and their effect on physiological and psychological resilience.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 Kristen: * Research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kristen-Holmes-3* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristen_holmes2126/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Courtney Claghorn is the founder of SUGARED + BRONZED, the nation’s largest all natural sugaring and airbrush tanning destination. Shortly after graduating college, Courtney moved back home without a job and was confused about her next steps. She eventually got a job in Fintech and moved to Santa Monica. Even though she was living and working near the beach, she rarely spent time in the sun since she worked indoors which meant she frequented tanning salons. Courtney was done overpaying for spray tans at underwhelming locations and decided to create a solution that would not only be affordable, but keep people coming back for more, and that’s when SUGARED + BRONZED was born. In this week’s episode, Courtney shares her journey of starting the business as a side hustle, initially with only $500 from her apartment, to now overseeing 23 locations across the country. She candidly discusses how miserable she was in her FinTech job, the pivotal moment when she decided to take the leap, and how she discovered herself when she was the most confused. Courtney dives into how she bootstrapped the business in the first nine years, the stress that came with keeping the business afloat during COVID and what she did to overcome such challenging times. Lastly, we chat about about how not having a detailed business plan was key to her success, and so much more.In this episode, we’ll talk to Courtney about:* Courtney’s impactful childhood memories. [3:04]* Feeling lost in her early 20s and her self-expectations. [07:35]* Graduating college, moving back home, and landing her first job. [10:28]* Working in a FinTech company and discovering herself. [13:19]* How the idea of SUGARED + BRONZED came about. [16:34]* Courtney’s motivation to start SUGARED + BRONZED. [18:49]* Courtney's early business journey. [20:28]* Leaving her full-time job to focus on creating the first retail location. [21:38]* What propelled the business during its early stages. [23:22]* Lessons learned from securing their first location. [25:10]* Advice on having a minimum business plan. [33:6]* Managing SUGARED + BRONZED’s growth. [36:52]* Bootstrapping for nine years and finally bringing on an investor. [38:53]* Being comfortable in the uncomfortable. [40:51]* SUGARED + BRONZED during the COVID-19 Pandemic. [43:50]* The business's toughest challenges. [50:18]* Balancing business and family after having a child. [53:47]* The concept of first principles thinking. [58:27]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 Courtney: * Website: https://sugaredandbronzed.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugaredandbronzed/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyclaghorn/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.