High Five Success Stories by Steph Hayden

I am beyond excited and honored to share my podcast with my friend Ariel Okin, founder of Ariel Okin Interiors. Ariel's New York-based, full-service interior design firm specializes in luxury residential, commercial and hospitality projects across the country. She is based in West Chester, NY where she resides with her husband and 2 beautiful daughters. Ariel has had an incredible amount of success since launching her firm in 2016 and she handles it with the utmost humility - to the point where she probably wouldn't tell you that she has been featured in renowned publications such as Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Domino, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine, among others. In 2022, she was recognized as one of House Beautiful Next Wave Designers, an exclusive list of the top interior design talent in the country. She has also worked on some pretty cool projects such as Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP NYC headquarters. Her firm has also grown and evolved over the years – she has launched multiple capsule collections, including wallpaper lines with Chasing Paper and The Mural Source, accessories with One Kings Lane, and most recently, a lighting line with Mitzi. In 2020 she launched Fenimore Lane – an editorial and e-commerce site which is a collection of interior design inspiration, interviews and a shop focused on all things home and lifestyle. And as part of Fenimore Lane, In 2023 she launched her 1 st podcast called Talk Shop with Ariel – which you should definitely check out – I have listened to every single interview and I LOVE it – I not only learn more about interior design industry but also leave every conversation feeling inspired! And finally, Ariel is in the process of writing her first book – she just signed a book deal with Rizzoli. Ariel is beyond inspiring and I am so excited for you to hear her story! please enjoy! Links: Fenimore Lane: https://www.fenimorelane.com/ Ariel's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/arielokin/?hl=en

I am super excited to share my conversation with my first mother-daughter duo Megan & Bailey Gorelick of Megan Gorelick Interiors! MGI is a full-service interior design firm with projects spanning the East Coast from studio apartments in NY to estate homes in Florida. They are often recognized for their coastal projects, especially in Avalon and Stone Harbor, NJ. I have been following them on Instagram for a few years now and it is beyond impressive what they have built! My conversation with this dynamic mother-daughter duo is nothing short of fun (lots of laughs!), entertaining and informative! Together, they do a fabulous job telling us how MGI has grown and evolved since Megan initially launched the business in 2008. We talk about the ups, the downs, and everything in between. I left our conversation feeling inspired by their work ethic, success, and positivity toward life and I know you will too! Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/megangorelickinteriors/?hl=en

I am so excited to share my conversation with Maggie Gavigan, the founder of the jewelry brand Mignonne Gavigan. My favorite part about Maggie is her kindness and humility – two traits which I believe have made Maggie so successful. Over the past 9 years, her jewelry has been showcased in 250 stores and she has been featured in several different well-known publications including Harper's Bazaar, InStyle, Oprah Magazine, Forbes, Elle & The Knot to name a few. But just like every entrepreneurial story, it took an incredible amount of grit and perseverance to get to where Maggie is today. In our conversation, we start at the very beginning – Maggie tells us about her childhood growing up in North Carolina with her parents and 3 brothers and how she early on was introduced to her creative side. Maggie then went onto UNC-Chapel Hill, Parsons in Paris and finished up at Parsons in NYC. For her first 10 years out of school, Maggie worked at several fashion companies including Rachel Roy and Loeffler Randall to name a few. In 2007, by happenstance, she was experimenting with a beaded couture vintage gown and an embellished piece of fabric fell to the floor. She picked it up and fastened it around her neck as a cool scarf. On her walk home from work, she was stopped by several people inquiring her about the scarf.  Slowly but surely she experienced a demand for her scarf necklaces. While working fulltime at her day job, she started to make and sell scarf necklaces on the side. Finally, in 2014, she decided to launch her own jewelry brand Mignonne Gavigan (MG). Over the past 9 years, Maggie has worked tremendously hard to make MG what it is today. We talk about the setbacks, milestones and everything in-between. Please enjoy!

I am excited my podcast with my sister Patrice Hayden Meagher - the founder and CEO of MilkMate! We touch on the ups, the downs and everything in between! We start at the very beginning by having Patrice tell us about her upbringings in the Philadelphia suburbs and the influence our parents had on shaping her into the person she is today. Patrice then takes us on her career journey prior to MilkMate which included 3 years in the non-profit industry followed by almost 15 years in the commercial real estate industry. During these years, she also met and married her now-husband Mike, moved to New York City followed by the suburbs of New York, and had 4 children. But most importantly, we touch on how Patrice juggled being a full-time working mom one at of the top leasing teams in Manhattan at CBRE. One of the major pain points she experienced was how to manage breast pumping in the workplace when returning to work after maternity leave. It was the single most inefficient thing she did as a working mom and she knew there had to be a way to make it easier. This inspired Patrice to invent the MilkMate - an all-in-one breast pumping solution providing working moms with everything they need to successfully pump at work. Since launch, they have had a couple major milestones including closing on a $5M series seed round in January and receiving FDA approval in March, which allows them to officially sell the MilkMate! To learn more about the MilkMate product, be sure to visit their website www.milkmate.com or follow them on social media: Instagram: @milkmateinc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/themilkmate/ I also wanted to give a shout-out to our sponsor who is another female entrepreneur and working mom, Maureen Sullivan (Patrice's sister-in-law!). Mo, as her friends and family call her, is taking the residential real estate business by storm. Named the “Rising Star of 2023” for the Connecticut region, she is proving to have an incredible ability of finding deals for her clients in one of the most competitive markets in history. Part of a global network, Mo can help you with your real estate needs no matter where you live. Follow her @mosullivanrealty on Instagram or visit her website at maureensullivan@bhhsneproperties.com

  I am so super excited to share my most recent podcast with Lindsey Johnson, co-founder and CEO of one of my most favorite brands - Weezie Towels. Lindsey tells us the story of how she and her co-founder Liz built Weezie Towels into one of the fastest growing luxury towel brands and has won the support and like from people like Gwentyth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon. But just like any start up story, it took an incredible amount of hard work, grit and perseverance to get to where they are today. In our conversation, we start at the very beginning where Lindsey tells us about her career in the financial industry in NYC where she was on track to end up in venture capital. However, while at Columbia Business School, her best friend Liz approached her about starting a towel company. Lindsey was skeptical at first but after a year and half of customer research and product development, Lindsey agreed with Liz that there was a hole in the market. They officially launched Weezie Towels in 2018 and were off to the races. Fast forward almost 5 years, they have hit several major milestones such as opening their first brick and mortar in Atlanta, growing their team to 60 people and expanding into other products such as bath robes, baby towels, and beach towels. I can't wait for you all to learn more about their inspiring story. And before we dive into the interview, Lindsey was kind enough to provide the listeners with a 15% discount off weezie towel purchases – you can use the code HighFive15

I am super excited to share my podcast with life-long friend Caroline Fenkel! Fun fact – Caroline was my 5th guest on the podcast over 5 years ago and it was one of the most downloaded episodes! Caroline (34) became sober 15 years ago and since then has made a tremendous impact in the recovery industry. Simultaneously, she also earned her master's degree from Bryn Mawr College and later earned her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of her career, Caroline has worked at several national credible companies, such as Newport Academy, where they offered l lifesaving treatment for adolescents. However there was one issue that slowly began to frustrate her: 93% of the adolescent population do not have access to high acuity care – it was impossible to reach everyone that needed help when running brick and mortar facilities. There are major limitations such as insurance, transportation, limited beds, and financial barriers. As a solution, Caroline co-founded Charlie Health with Carter Barnhart and Justin Weiss over two years ago. Today they are the largest provider of virtual IOP (intensive outpatient) programs for teens, young adults, and families navigating mental health challenges. They are immediately accessible to any adolescent in need of help, given that they are virtual and accept both commercial insurance and Medicaid so that finances aren't a barrier. In addition, what separates Charlie Health from your traditional brick and mortar facilities is that rather than group patients together based on their physical location, Charlie Health customizes comprehensive treatment plans by carefully matching patients in groups of peers with similar backgrounds, preferences, and needs. It has been incredible to watch the company expand and disrupt the mental health industry. Link to Charlie Health website: https://www.charliehealth.com/

After a little hiatus, my podcast is back! I am super excited to share my conversation with Brad Ingelsby – an American screenwriter and film producer from right outside of  Philadelphia! Many people may be familiar with his recent success with HBO hit show Mare of Easttown which was nominated for 16 Emmys.

Johnno tells us about both his setbacks and awesome comebacks, such as his role on Disney's hit show Raven's Home, getting called out to two Saturday Night Live auditions, and upcoming Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes this fall!

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share my podcast with my friend Johnno Wilson—my very first comedian/impersonator/actor! Johnno grew up in Shrewsbury, MA with his parents and younger brother, Pete. He then journeyed onto DC... The post Episode #64: Johnno Wilson: Comedian/Actor/Impersonator appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Tony Maginnis: CEO of Global Packaging, where they design and manufacture health and personal hygiene products, household products, food (fresh, frozen, snacks, baked goods), paper goods, pet food and more.

I am so excited to share my podcast with my uncle, Tony Maginnis: CEO of Global Packaging, where they design and manufacture health and personal hygiene products, household products, food (fresh, frozen, snacks, baked goods), paper goods, pet... The post Episode #63: Tony Maginnis: CEO of Global Packaging appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Gwenn founded Mother Compost in 2018 with the goal of making composting simple and easy for her fellow Philadelphia Mainline residents. For those of you not familiar with what composting is, it is the next evolution of recycling.

I am super excited to share my podcast interview with my friend Gwenn Daniels Nolan. I am especially excited about this podcast because Gwenn is a fellow Notre Dame Academy alum, she is one of... The post Episode #62: Gwenn Daniels Nolan: Founder and CEO of Mother Compost appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

I am so excited to share my podcast interview with my friend Caroline Wright Turnipseed who just launched her very own company – CWT Consulting Group!

I am so excited to share my podcast interview with my friend Caroline Wright Turnipseed who just launched her very own company – CWT Consulting Group! Prior to launching her company, Caroline spent 10 years leading teams in all... The post Episode #61: Caroline Wright Turnipseed: Marketing Expert appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

The amazing sister-duo Lauren Dudley Stephens and Kaki Dudley McGrath, the two co-founders of Dudley Stephens. They launched the company with their iconic flagship Cobble Hill Turtleneck Fleece in 2015 which immediately had success because they are comfortable, timelessly stylish, eco-friendly, durable, and last upon wear.

Hi everyone! I am super excited to share my second podcast interview with the amazing sister-duo Lauren Dudley Stephens and Kaki Dudley McGrath, the two co-founders of Dudley Stephens. They launched the company with their iconic... The post Episode #60: Entrepreneurial Journey of Two Sisters: Lauren Dudley Stephens & Kaki Dudley McGrath (Part II) appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

The second episode of how my past podcast guests have navigated COVID-19 is now live! This episode includes Maureen Doran of Skirt Boutique (1:12), Liz Finegan McKee of LSF Pilates (27:40), Christine and Nick Kondra of Cornerstone... The post Episode #59: Navigating COVID-19: Part 2 appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

I had so much fun reconnecting with these past guests and I continue to be blown away by their resiliency and creative responses to COVID-19.

I am so excited to feature my former track coach, Ken Abney, on the podcast—someone who has made a tremendous impact on my life and the lives of so many others. For over 20 years, Coach... The post Episode #58: Coach Ken Abney – Making an Impact appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Hi everyone! I did several interviews in the fall/winter of 2020 with past podcast guests on how they have navigated the business effects of COVID-19. I have had so much fun reconnecting with these past... The post Episode 57: Navigating COVID-19: Part 1 appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Hi everyone! I did several interviews in the fall/winter of 2020 with past podcast guests on how they have navigated the business effects of COVID-19. I have had so much fun reconnecting with these past podcast guests and I am blown away by their resiliency and creative responses to COVID-19.

I am super excited to share my podcast with Buck Buckley, an incredible and powerful Philadelphia entrepreneur! Buck grew up in Bethlehem, PA and went to Episcopal Academy for high school and UNC for college. He now... The post Episode #56: An Incredible Philadelphia Entrepreneur: Buck Buckley appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Buck began his career as a loan officer and then joined Safeguard Scientifics at age 27 where he started from the bottom and quickly climbed the ladder to Vice President of Acquisitions.

I wanted to share my podcast with past guest Janie Winchester Paradis, the owner and founder of Jane Win Jewelry. I interviewed Janie exactly 3 years ago in October 2017 when she had just left Lilly Pulitzer and was weeks away from launching her company.

Hi everyone! I thought it would be super helpful and informative to interview a handful of my past podcast guests to see what sort of impacts COVID-19 has had on their business and how they... The post Episode #55: Navigating the Business Impacts of COVID-19: Janie Winchester Paradis appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

So excited to share my conversation with my friend Mike Vaughan, Former Chief Operating Officer of Venmo. Mike was born and raised right outside of Philly where he went to the Hill School and then graduated from Penn in 1997. He currently lives right outside Philly with his wife and two sons.

So excited to share my conversation with my friend Mike Vaughan, Former Chief Operating Officer of Venmo. Mike was born and raised right outside of Philly where he went to the Hill School and then... The post Episode #54: Former Chief Operating Officer of Venmo: Mike Vaughan appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

In light of COVID-19, I did a last-minute special podcast interview this past Monday, March 23 with Father Rob Hagan of Villanova. He is most well known for being an incredible asset to the Villanova University Community, where he is both the basketball and football Chaplain and Senior Athletic Director.

In light of COVID-19, I did a last-minute special podcast interview this past Monday, March 23 with Father Rob Hagan of Villanova. He is most well known for being an incredible asset to the Villanova University... The post SPECIAL EPISODE: Father Rob Hagan on Navigating the Effects of COVID-19 appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Hi everyone! Super excited to share my podcast conversation with my friend Erik Strid, co-founder and CEO of Concentus Wealth Advisors. This was my first financial advisor to come on the podcast so not only was it interesting to learn about Erik's entrepreneurial story, but it also was a very informative podcast (especially in light of the Coronavirus and its effect on the market).

Hi everyone! Super excited to share my podcast conversation with my friend Erik Strid, co-founder and CEO of Concentus Wealth Advisors. This was my first financial advisor to come on the podcast so not only... The post Episode #52: Erik Strid: CEO & Co-Founder of Concentus Wealth Advisors appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Hi everyone! I am very excited to share my podcast conversation with my friend Mike Blanche who is an expert in the alcohol and substance abuse recovery industry in Philadelphia. Mike has been clean and sober for 26 years (high five to that!).

Hi everyone! I am very excited to share my podcast conversation with my friend Mike Blanche who is an expert in the alcohol and substance abuse recovery industry in Philadelphia. Mike has been clean and... The post Episode #51: Overcoming Addiction: Michael Blanche appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

My 50th episode is with NY Times Bestselling Author and Philadelphia native, Kelly Corrigan! You may have seen Kelly appear on the Today Show or have come across her pieces in the New York Times. If you haven't read her books, definitely do so — they will make you hysterically laugh and cry!

My 50th episode is with NY Times Bestselling Author and Philadelphia native, Kelly Corrigan! You may have seen Kelly appear on the Today Show or have come across her pieces in the New York Times.... The post Episode #50: NY Times Bestselling Author: Kelly Corrigan appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Very excited to share my conversation with Mr. Patrick O'Connor who is a lifelong family friend and was one of my dad's very best friends! Patrick is one of the founding partners of Cozen O'Connor law firm, which was founded in 1973 with five lawyers. Today, 47 years later, there are 29 offices globally and 750 lawyers.

Very excited to share my conversation with Mr. Patrick O’Connor who is a lifelong family friend and was one of my dad’s very best friends! Patrick is one of the founding partners of Cozen O’Connor... The post Episode #49: Founding Partner of Cozen O’Connor Law Firm: Patrick O’Connor appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

So excited to share my podcast interview with my friend Allan Domb, one of the most powerful real estate and political leaders in Philadelphia! This was a special one for me because Allan was close to my Dad.

So excited to share my podcast interview with my friend Allan Domb, one of the most powerful real estate and political leaders in Philadelphia! This was a special one for me because Allan was close... The post Episode #48: A Powerful Real Estate & Political Figure in Philadelphia: Allan Domb appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

So excited to share my conversation with my friend Meg Donohue, a USA Today Bestselling Author. This was a super fun podcast for me because not only is Meg a Philadelphia native, but she also is best friends with my cousin Anna Ficken Lesovitz and friends with my sister Patrice Hayden Meagher. Just like me, Meg spends three weeks in Avalon, NJ every — in fact, that's where we recorded this interview!

So excited to share my conversation with my friend Meg Donohue, a USA Today Bestselling Author. This was a super fun podcast for me because not only is Meg a Philadelphia native, but she also... The post Episode #47: Meg Donohue: USA Today Bestselling Author appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

I'm super excited to share my podcast conversation with my longtime friend Marghi Walters Adzick! Marghi was born and raised right outside Philadelphia alongside her three older siblings. She went to Penn Charter for high school, where she met her husband Mark Adzick. She then continued on to the University of Virginia where she played lacrosse for four years.

I’m super excited to share my podcast conversation with my longtime friend Marghi Walters Adzick! Marghi was born and raised right outside Philadelphia alongside her three older siblings. She went to Penn Charter for high... The post Episode #46: Addison Bay: Marghi Walters Adzick appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Tiffani tells us her story of how she built a successful YouTube channel called “Beauty and the Beastons”. It was a ton of fun to also have Chris on the show, given that Tiffani has credited Chris with a lot of the success behind the channel and together, they have built an exploding and thriving business.

Hi guys! I’m So excited to share my podcast conversation with my friends Tiffani and Chris Beaston, a fantastic husband-wife duo! Chris is 33 and Tiffani is 31. They have been married since 2014 and... The post Episode #45: Tiffani and Chris Beaston appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

My very first podcast interview was exactly two years ago in July 2017. I interviewed MaryFrances McCourt who is the Vice President of Finance & Treasure of the University of Pennsylvania (similar roles as a CFO).  She oversees approximately 265 people over ten major offices and several departments.

Hi everyone, thanks so much for tuning into High Five Success Stories! My very first podcast interview was exactly two years ago in July 2017. I interviewed MaryFrances McCourt who is the Vice President of... The post Episode #44: Valuable Business & Life Lessons with MaryFrances McCourt appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

Super excited to share my conversation with Eustace Mita, one of the most incredible entrepreneurs I have interviewed thus far! Shout out to his daughter Molly Mita who was kind enough to help coordinate this interview.

Super excited to share my conversation with Eustace Mita, one of the most incredible entrepreneurs I have interviewed thus far! Shout out to his daughter Molly Mita who was kind enough to help coordinate this... The post Episode #43: An Incredible Philadelphia Entrepreneur: Eustace Mita appeared first on Welcome to High Five Success Stories Podcast!.

I'm super excited to share my conversation with my friend Coach Ashley Howard who is the men's head basketball coach at LaSalle University. This was a really fun one for me because his story connects to past podcast guests Coach Jay Wright and Father Rob Hagan.