How She Went Global

Marilyn Pianelli, president of Headlight Harness, discusses the near-tragedy that led to the founding of the company, what products the company offers (including its signature harness), how the company has been affected by the recent tariffs, and how a website helps her save more than 40% on shipping costs.

Jeanne Foley, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of SuitShop, discusses what inspired her to start her business, what SuitShop offers, how Shopify makes her international transactions seamless, and where she intends to focus her business during these turbulent times,.

Dr. Pam Nelson, CEO/President, Bracane Company Inc., discusses what inspired her to start her business, who her customers are, how minority certifications have helped her, what her global footprint is now versus pre-COVID, and where she wants to make her next impact.

Felicia Jackson, CEO/President of CPR Wrap, Inc., shares the near tragedy that inspired her to start her business, how she invented CPRWrap™, what countries she sells to, how she ships her product, and what it was like to be on Amazon's "Shark Tank"-style show.

Jules Weldon and Stacey Pierce, co-founders and co-CEOs of OME Gear, discuss why they started the company, how they turned adversity into opportunity, how patents and trademarks protect their intellectual property, how they are preparing for incoming President Trump's tariff plans, and why funding for women business owners is a challenge and what they plan to do about it.

Aneesa Muthana, president of M&M Quality Grinding and Pioneer Service, Inc., discusses the difference between her two companies, the importance of being AS9100 and ISO9001:2015 certified, her best sales channels, and the countries where she sells.

Julie Austin, inventor, author, keynote speaker, and CEO of HydroSport, discusses how she came up with the swiggies, jumped into entrepreneurship, and garnered spectacular media attention for her business. She is also among a small percentage of female inventors. Don't know about trade dress protection? Julie explains why it is an important protection to consider.

Anu Menon, co-founder and chief of product of Driftaway Coffee, discusses her Indian roots, where her products are made, from what countries she sources her beans, what is distinctive about Driftaway Coffee, and why and how she practices safe ecology packaging.

Beau Wangtrakuldee, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of AmorSui. She discusses where her products are made, how she is creating a holistic circular solution for medical supplies, what countries she sells to, and how she is on a mission to protect people and the planet.

Lin Chen, a second-generation Taiwanese American, is a certified Reiki practitioner and CEO/founder of Pink Moon, a woman-owned wellness skincare company. She shares what inspired her to start her business, where her products are made, how she ships globally, how she overcame setbacks, and her favorite personal healing ritual.

Dr. Cynthia Kankeu is founder and CEO of Dr. Kanks, a woman-owned brand dedicated to empowering you to embrace your natural beauty while using organic and plant-based skin and haircare products. A scientist, Dr. Kankeu discusses what inspired her to start her business, how her Cameroon roots impacted her business trajectory, where her products are made, what percentage of her business is international, and whether there is a science behind what she is doing.

Bloomers Intimates is a female-founded company that designs sexy lingerie for women with ever-changing bodies. Mother-daughter team Noa Arias, co-founder and CEO, and Shaula Yemini, co-founder, discuss what inspired them to start the company, where their products are made, what overseas markets they sell to, how they ship, and their industry trend predictions for the next five years.

Phantila Phataraprasit, CEO and co-founder of Sabai Design, a female-founded company that's setting a new standard for earth-friendly, affordable, and design-forward furniture, discusses what motivated her to start her business in the U.S. after immigrating from Thailand, how she practices the circular economy, why Sabai Design is B Corp certified, and what led to her decision to open the company's first retail store.

Scientist and entrepreneur Diana Yousef, founder and CEO of change:WATER Labs Inc., a mission-driven cleantech venture developing disruptive technologies to increase safe, sustainable, and scalable access to clean water and sanitation, discusses how she came up with a low-cost and entirely waterless portable toilet, where it is made, what countries she plans to serve, and how women and girls will benefit the most from her innovation.

Allison Maslan, founder and CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, a company that helps founders scale their business, fast-track their success, and create a more meaningful life, discusses the difference between scaling a product-based versus a service-based business, the one thing people get wrong when it comes to scaling a business globally, and how she was able to involve Magic Johnson, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Barbara Corcoran in her enterprise.

Ruth Hughes is founder and CEO of MVP One, a woman-owned cloud software company that is revolutionizing how the world does maintenance. In this episode, Ruth discusses her company's offerings, the industries she serves, the 25+ international markets she has entered, and why maintenance is essential to business growth and excellent customer service.

Jenny Jing Zhu, founder and CEO of Lush Décor Home and author of the forthcoming book "OVERCOMING," discusses how she went from a small, electricity-challenged village in China to the founder of Lush Décor Home, now a $100 million enterprise; how she navigated the various stages of business growth; her international expansion plan; and what makes her most grateful.

Gina Diez Barroso is president and CEO of Diarq Holdings, a Mexican company of construction and design with 9 affiliated companies and more than 700 employees. A self-proclaimed "serial entrepreneur," Gina discusses why she started her companies and educational organizations, the advantages of being a Latina in business, how she navigates cultural challenges, why failure does not matter, and how women already have the power within them to succeed.

Mercedes Enrique, president and owner of CMS Corporation, a Department of Defense construction contractor with worldwide contracts, shares her customer-first philosophy, her international business experiences, why being a Latina business owner has its advantages, and her single greatest life-changing business moment.

Dee Dee Martin, founder and owner of Soothe Our Souls, a luxury loungewear brand that believes by changing one life we change many, discusses where her products are made, how her products are packaged, how many countries she sells in, and what is possible for women of a certain age.

Merrilee Kick, CEO and Founder, BuzzBallz / Southern Champion LLC, the only woman-owned combination distillery, winery, and brewery in the United States, discusses how she manufactures ready-to-drink cocktails as well as spirits such as rum, vodka, gin, and bourbon; comes up with her cocktail formulations; sells the products in all fifty states and twenty-seven countries; and offers different languages on her website and product labels.

Lisa Sun, CEO and founder of New York-based GRAVITAS, a company offering innovative size-inclusive apparel, styling solutions, and content designed to make over women from the inside out, discusses what it means to be on a mission to catalyze confidence, how her clothes are made and sold, what percentage of her business is international, and why she wrote the book GRAVITAS: The 8 Strengths That Redefine Confidence.

Seasoned engineer, market and technology executive Valarie King-Bailey is founder and CEO of Chicago-based OnShore Technology Group, an independent consultancy specializing in validation and verification services and solutions in the life sciences industry. In this episode, King-Bailey discusses the experiences that became game changers for her business, her customer base, the sectors in which she operates, and how OnShore tracks progress.

Caron Ng, CEO of Los Angeles-based NU-SET Inc., the only woman-owned global lock manufacturing division formed to digitally transform a third-generation business empire, discusses what it is like to take over a family business, how she sources and manufactures products, in what top three international markets she conducts business, and what lessons she has learned amidst global marketing disruptions and fluctuations.

Brittany Scott, CEO and Export Coordinator, SMART Reproduction, a cutting-edge, woman-owned animal sciences enterprise that is the first and only U.S.-based business certified and licensed for multi-country export of goat and sheep semen and embryos, discusses why she started her company, what countries she serves, how she packages frozen semen and embryos, and what it was like to win the Arkansas Governor's Award 2022 for Woman Owned Small Business Exporter of the Year.

Hannah Kain, president and CEO of ALOM, a supply chain company that operates out of 19 global locations spanning 5 continents, shares why she started her company, how she generates revenue and finds customers, where she operates, and what certifications have been helpful in achieving operational excellence.

Ashley Nickelsen, CEO and Chief Snack Officer, B.T.R. Nation, a maker of good-for-you snacks with a mission to take the junk out of junk food, tells us what B.T.R. stands for, what makes her product distinctive, where she sources her ingredients, and how she sells her products.

Julie Meyer, Founder and Co-CEO of Eat Well Global, a communication and consulting firm whose mission is to empower global change agents in food and nutrition, discusses how she attracts new business, who her global clients are, how she gets paid, how B-Corp. status and Certified Woman-Owned Business help with growth, and offers her superpower mantra.

Katherina (Kat) Borve, founder and CEO, Brassy, Inc., producers of a unique 97% cotton blend waterproof breast tape that lifts, shapes, and supports so you can rock a low-cut dress with ease and comfort, talks about why she started her company, where her products are made, and how she dealt with global supply chain issues during COVID-19.

Dr. Andrea Wagner, co-founder, Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, a company that provides the safest sterile drug products for clinical use and small-scale requirements, talks about how she finds international customers and manages tremendous global growth, and why more women leaders like herself are needed in STEM.

Lauren Greenwood, President and Co-Founder of YouCopia, a company that creates magically-helpful organizers, discusses how she ships, collects payments, prevents knockoffs, finds international customers, and sells to more than twenty markets overseas.

Stephanie Kim, co-founder and CEO of Moonlit Skincare, a company dedicated to nighttime skincare and sleep wellness, discusses her method of selling internationally, what countries she sells to, how she overcame global supply chain challenges, and what is different about selling beauty items worldwide.

Omotola Akinbiyi, founder of Chicago-based bon femmes, discusses how she set up her ecommerce store, why she wanted to conduct business worldwide, and how she is making an impact with female creatives.

Gabby Kusz, CEO of the Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association (GDACA), discusses her role at GDACA, how cryptocurrency is an acceptable form of payment for ecommerce businesses, what the key emerging trends are in cryptocurrency, and her global business experience, which spans fifty different countries and five continents.

Dr. Chris Wachira, founder and CEO of The Wachira Group, discusses how her Kenyan roots influenced her business, what percentage of her revenue is global, what component parts she sources, and where she plans to expand next.

Gwen Jimmere, CEO of Naturalicious and Good Hair Bar Salons, discusses the most common enemy women face when it comes to their hair, why she obtained a patent, her company's method of sales, and what percentage of her revenues are international.

Meg Wirth, founder of Maternova, discusses how she came up with her company name, what percentage of her revenue is global, what countries she is selling to, and how partnerships and licensing arrangements accelerated growth at her business.

Adria Marshall, founder of Ecoslay, discusses why she founded her company, where her top international markets are, how she gets paid, and how she leverages social media for the world to find her.

Francine Farkas Sears, President, Francine Collections, discusses what inspired her to become a global entrepreneur, why relationships matter, how she designs her products, and the one piece of advice she would give to every woman in the world.

Dr. Deb Waterbury, founder of My Malonda Girls LLC and the nonprofit Project Malonda, discusses how she trains women in third-world countries to be financially independent, why she launched the Elizabeth doll collection, and how e-commerce fuels the growth of her global small business.

Valeria Aloe, a native of Argentina, founder of Abundancia Consciente, and author of Uncolonized Latinas, discusses why she started her global business, how the right mindset fuels opportunities for Latina entrepreneurs, and what can be done to encourage more Latina entrepreneurs to start and run global businesses.

Lena Phoenix, co-founder and president, Feel the World, Inc. (www.xeroshoes.com), discusses how she has grown her organization to more than $23 million in annual revenue; appeared on the television program Shark Tank; and ships to more than 97 different countries.

Angie Yu, founder and president of Kentucky-based Two Rivers Fisheries, discusses her business of catching, selling and distributing Asian Carp globally; how she used SBA and Exim Bank to fuel her business growth; and where she sees the future of carp as an industry.

Michelle Hayward, founder and CEO of Bluedog, discusses what it takes to work with scale organizations and how small enterprises can, too; how to manage complex contracts; the winning formula for global success; and where she sees the next wave of change and growth.

Cherry Miyake, founder and CEO of China Electronics, discusses why she started her business on September 11, 2001; how her company promotes commerce between USA and China; which industries are booming in China; the competitive advantages with product customization; and her strategy for success in China.

Betsy Hamm, CEO of Duck Donuts, discusses how her company set out to solve a serious problem besides people hungry for something tasty, warm and delicious; her plan for international expansion; and how she is taking donuts around the world.

Heather Acerra, co-founder of Lux Blox, a Galesburg, Illinois, family-owned business, discusses what promoted her to start selling globally, why her company is considered more for the 21st century, what overseas markets look promising, and why occupational therapists and parents of children on the autism spectrum have had success with Lux Blox.

Debra Dudley, president and owner of Oscarware, Inc., discusses how she uses governmental organizations to boost her global growth, ships, gets paid, and rides on the coattails of big global companies to fuel additional global growth.

Kara Goldin, Founder and CEO, Hint, Inc., Author, Undaunted. Overcoming Doubts & Doubters, discusses growing her unsweetened flavored water business to more than $150 million in annual sales, the challenges to going global, the advantages to selling a Made In USA product, and what prompted her to write a best-selling book.

Katrina Markoff, founder and CEO of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, talks about growing her luxurious chocolate brand worldwide to more than $30 million in annual sales with 5% international, understanding the healing power of chocolate and rituals, and how to find your power in life.

Julie Smolyansky, president and CEO of Lifeway Foods, maker of the delicious kefir drink and other products, talks about taking over the company after her father passed away, taking kefir international, and her efforts on behalf of rape victims.