Real Talk with Ladies Who Launch

Tiffany Pham is the founder and CEO of Mogul, a company that supports diverse individuals and organizations to achieve their goals and cultivate meaningful success. Pham discusses the phases of her career leading to Mogul, the importance of staying true to oneself, and the importance of representation in all facets of our world. You can keep up with Mogul on twitter, @onMogul, and keep up with future Real Talk episodes at https://www.ladieswholaunch.org/realtalk.

When a spark in Maxine Clark's ignited the idea for Build-A-Bear, there was no stopping her. In this episode, Clark describes her transition from President of Payless, to developing the seed that eventually grew into Build-A-Bear. Aimed at creating the ultimate field trip experience, Clark breaks down how she turned some of her wildest dreams into a global experience still beloved today. Maxine can be found on twitter, @chiefexecbear, and you can keep up with future Real Talk episodes at https://www.ladieswholaunch.org/realtalk.

To Grace Cheng, founder and CEO of Kintsugi, access to mental healthcare is a top priority. In this episode, Grace dives into the history of her app, Kintsugi, and how her innovative technology uses the tone of one's voice to score clinical depression and anxiety. Grace can be found on twitter, @grehce, and you can keep up with future Real Talk episodes at https://www.ladieswholaunch.org/realtalk.

We are starting off Season Two of Real Talk with a jam-packed episode! Rosie Rios, CEO of Red River Associates, 43rd Treasurer of the United States, is also a member of our board! Rosie talks about her many transitions in her career, her campaign to get a woman's head on our federal currency, and the many layers of her engaging career. On top of all of that, Rosie reflects on the transfer of power in the United States government we are currently experiencing from her unique perspective. Rosie can be found on twitter, @RosieRios, and you can keep up with future Real Talk episodes at www.ladieswholaunch.org

To close out Season One of Real Talk, Rani is joined by Sarah Friar, Co-founder of LWL and CEO of Nextdoor. In this episode, Sarah acknowledges the many pivots required this year and dives into what this meant for her personally, Nextdoor, and Ladies Who Launch. Listen in to hear her vision for LWL, her advice for all business owners today, and why she always carries lip gloss with her!

Jasmine Jones is the CEO and co-founder of Cherry Blossom Intimates, designing diverse intimates as well as prosthetic breasts for breast cancer patients - or, what she calls "the Warby Parker of Boobs." In this episode, Jones lies out how she builds community for her customers even when she can't always meet them personally for fittings. After hearing her pivot to perseverance, learn from her pageant experience that will make you stand out for any pitch competition and her honest take on canned soup!

Shan-Lyn Ma is the CEO and Founder of Zola, a wedding company reinventing everything from the planning to the registry. In this episode, Ma discusses how her team pivoted to meet the challenges of 2020, as more couples canceled their special day. After hearing her pivot to perseverance, listen in to learn about Ma's favorite song right now, her ambition since childhood, and what keeps her motivated day after day.

Cadran moved to the West Coast and called herself a "Y Combinator fan kid." As a former women engineer, she was keen to build a virtual community for more female engineers like herself.. enter: Elpha!While Elpha started as a side project, the online community for women in tech has hosted over 35,000 women worldwide. Listen now to hear Cadran's journey from building and rapidly the Elpha community, how they have pivoted during the pandemic, and her message for Michelle Obama!Tune in to more Real Talk episodes for community, inspiration and education at www.ladieswholaunch.org

Think you know what it takes to hack your career growth? Think again. In this episode, Vivian details her mindset on how she went from a junior role in the Beauty industry to pivoting to Technology to working directly with C-level executives.Additionally, get the inside scoop on Vivian's business, Rise, and why flexible, work-from-anywhere projects and opportunities are the future of work & career advancement.

Theresa began her career in the US Army, serving during the 2008 Iraq war and led the Only Ground-Combat Brigade during the Iraq Surge to bring every soldier home safely. As an Army Veteran, she discusses how she defines leadership and reflects on the recent passing of Vanessa Guillen who also served at Fort Hood.In this segment, we learn about Theresa's pivot from the US Army to founding her own business, Puppy Mama. Get an inside look on how Theresa has built her stealth community and the inner work we must do to be truly resilient.

Mimi is the CEO and Founder of Perfect Strangers, a team on a mission to band together to serve the most vulnerable members of our communities through meal delivery. Mimi is not new to the entrepreneurial space and was formerly working on her startup Willo that focused on fixing the complex problems of financial aid.In this episode, Mimi shares her pivot from Willo to Perfect Strangers, experiences as the daughter of refugees, and how we can all think about uplifting communities during these challenging times.

Sushi, Rihanna and wine can lead to amazing ideas. LWL sits down with Kalina, founder of The UnapologeTECH Podcast, to learn how she gained the experience and courage to go and launch her new platform for women of color and allies in tech."To be Black, a woman, and a marketing leader in Tech. Dare to see the world through my lens?" We are all in. Tune in to her her story, subscribe to her podcast, and heads up! She is looking for some ladies willing to help her out with her passion project!

As a professional goalkeeper, Olympic medalist, and 2-time world champion in Water Polo, Jaime shares her unique insight in the pressures of perfection and her liberating journey to living a fulfilling and authentic life on one's own terms.Now, Jaime focuses her time on her business: Happy Vibes, with the vision of elevating well-being with tangible reminders for mindful living, through one on one sessions, group workshops, and public speaking. Listen in to hear about Jamie's journey from the Olympics to running her own business and how her definition of fulfillment changed along the way.

Alyssa Kuchta launched f.y.b jewelry right after graduating from undergrad. From trunk shows to partnering with retail stores, Alyssa dives into her journey of creating a vision for her business, simplifying her focus, and executing on it.Alyssa also looks back to how she was able to embrace hardship, develop her confidence as an entrepreneur, and find the beauty in her journey, all of which made her more focused on growing f.y.b. Put in a pair of headphones to hear about Alyssa's advice on how to think about competitors and more!

Shiloh Johnson is the CEO and Founder of ComplYant App. As a practicing CPA & scholar in tax law, Shiloh realized a unique opportunity to assist small business owners understand relevant tax rules and requirements.Shiloh also unpacks the key steps for businesses to get ahead of their taxes and champion financial planning. In this segment, we talk about Shiloh's journey: from being a teen Mom, believing in her idea, to leading ComplYant!Promo code: LWL50 for 50% off first 3 months subscription.

From investment banker to lacrosse coach - that’s right, lacrosse coach!- to office assistant, Cassie Abel has worn many hats during her career and learned about the magic of teamwork very early on. Cassie’s leap of faith into entrepreneurship came after an unexpected relocation to what she thought was her dream job. Now, Cassie is the founder of Wild Rye, a women’s clothing brand focused on serving outdoor women. Cassie also leads Women Led Wednesday and encourages all entrepreneurs to spend thoughtfully to support women-led businesses.In this episode, we sit down with Cassie to hear about her journey founding WildRye, her experiences as a covid survivor, journey as a new mom, and most recently, being selected as a Tory Burch fellowship recipient.

Part 2: Equator Coffees was founded 25 years ago by couple and co founders, Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell. Their journey as a lesbian couple has inspired many and set a precedent for what it means to question the status quo within the coffee & LGBTQ+ communities.In this 2-part special that celebrates Pride month and our support of the LGBTQ+ community, Rani sat down with both Brooke and Helen, asking them the real questions of working with your partner. In addition, we discuss their experiences with challenging the Small Business Administration, perspective on racial inequality in the United States and how they have remained focus on their #1 goal: serving their customers.

Equator Coffees was founded 25 years ago by couple and co founders, Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell. Their journey as a lesbian couple has inspired many and set a precedent for what it means to question the status quo within the coffee & LGBTQ+ communities.In this 2-part special that celebrates Pride month and our support of the LGBTQ+ community, Rani sat down with both Brooke and Helen, asking them the real questions of working with your partner. In addition, we discuss their experiences with challenging the Small Business Administration, perspective on racial inequality in the United States and how they have remained focus on their #1 goal: serving their customers.

As part of our 2020 Pride features, Adelle Renaud, Founder of Peau De Loup shares her founder journey from the department stores looking for a great fitting shirt to where she wants to take Peau De Loup next. Dive in with us as we cover her proudest moment, her advice for other queer founders and how to fight for your brand and keep going.

From banking to her very first restaurant, there is nothing more rewarding to Deirdre Tshien than doing something new and challenging. Deirdre founded her very first shop called The Choc Pot, inspired by her boyfriend at the time and their love of molten lava cakes (can you blame them, really?!). While they had a rocky start, it took one Instagram post for their lines to head out the door.Deirdre’s journey didn’t stop there. Her and her partner continued to expand into burgers, eventually moving to New York. She ventured into fashion and also gives back to the founding community through advising & media consulting.In this episode, it was my pleasure to interview Deirdre Tshien in this 2-part segment as we discuss diving into the hospitality industry, managing trust with her team, her ambition to give back to the founding community through the Growth Route and what keeps her going.

Milly Fotso used to be part of big tech company, Facebook. It wasn’t until her friend suggested she take her passion project from a dream to reality that she considered leaving it all behind.Fotso embarked on her journey founding Peace of Home, focusing on improving the home improvement relocation process. As someone who had moved 10+ times in her childhood, Fotso knew the process of starting fresh had a great deal of room for improvement. As a solentreprenuer, Fotso found herself wearing every possible hat and yearning for more opportunities to work and grow a team.In this episode, LWL had the pleasure of sitting down with Milly Fotso and discussing her newest venture, Centric. Listen in to hear more about her experiences leaving big tech company Facebook, honest reflection on being a team of one, her definition for being a CEO, and how her team at Centric is preparing for launch.

Lauren Fennema used to have a pretty cush job working at Huckberry, a discovery-first online retailer for guys. She got to work with hundreds of emerging brands, telling their story and getting their products into the hands of new fans.She always loved her job, then had this moment when she realized, "wait, how rad would this be if it existed for women, too?" That voice grew stronger until she left after nearly 5 years to go build Confidants, a discovery-first online retailer and digital magazine for women.LWL had the immense pleasure (over a glass of sauvignon blanc) to sit down with Lauren and grill her on the first 12 - 18 months of launching her business. Pop those ear buds in and take a listen and hear what her experience was like, how she leaned on her community for favors and what was her high moment (as well as her “Oh. My. God. moment”. A few other tips and tricks from Lauren below as well!https://www.ladieswholaunch.org/featured-founders-blog/2020/3/17/confidants