Podcast appearances and mentions of Julie Smolyansky

If you've ever passed kefir in the grocery store and wondered, “Is that stuff actually good for you?”—you're not alone. In this episode, I talk with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Kefir, who shares how this tangy, probiotic-rich drink became a lifeline for her immigrant family—and a powerful tool for mental and physical wellness.Julie dives into the science behind fermented foods, the gut-brain connection, and why kefir might be one of the most underrated health foods on your shelf. We also talk mom-to-mom about raising adventurous eaters, the role of dairy in women's health, and the importance of modeling self-care for our kids.In this episode, you'll learn:Why kefir supports gut health, immunity, and even mental healthHow fermented dairy reduces inflammation, and why that mattersWhat women should know before cutting dairy from their dietHow to introduce kids to kefir and other healthy foodsWhy kefir is 99% lactose-free (yes, even for sensitive stomachs)How food, family, and culture shape our health journeysPractical self-care tips for busy parentsWhether you're curious about the benefits of kefir or looking for real-life tips on raising healthy kids, this conversation will leave you inspired.Resources We Mention for a Healthy LifestyleSign up for #LifeSkillsNow Season 4Information on Dr. Elie Metchnikoff's studies on fermented milk and kefir from 1904Read more about the effects of antibacterial everythingHere's a study on fermented milk and colon cancerA kid's perspective on going dairy-freeFind Lifeway onlineFollow Julie on social media: Instagram, LinkedInCheck out Julie's cookbook: The Kefir Cookbook: Amazon, Bookshop, eBookJoin us for free #LifeSkillsNow camp this summer! Register at https://www.kidscookrealfood.com/lifeskills4! Kitchen Stewardship Kids Cook Real Food follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates YouTube shorts channel for HPH Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at kidscookrealfood.com/podcast Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

"Microbiome" is a buzzword these days--but many people don't know what it means. As we re-assess the lasting impact diet may have on our health, researchers are examining the role of gut health as possible causes for the dramatic uptick in colorectal cancer in young people. Katie Couric, founder of Katie Couric Media and Stand Up To Cancer, hosts an expert-led panel including Dr. Nancy You, a surgeon and director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Program at MD Anderson, Dr. Susan Bullman–an Associate Professor of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, to discuss the impact of diet on the gut microbiome.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Summary:Join Sarah Nagle as she explores the fascinating world of Lifeway Kefir, uncovering the story behind this probiotic powerhouse and its impact on gut health and overall wellness.  We sit down with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway, to discuss the brand's journey from a small family operation to a leading voice in the probiotic movement. Discover how Lifeway balances ancient traditions with modern innovation, staying true to its roots while appealing to today's health-conscious consumer.  Plus, we introduce GooBerry, the ProBugs Vurb, and explore what happens when products gain a voice.Key Takeaways:The Lifeway Story: Learn about Lifeway's origins, its mission to bring the 2,000-year-old tradition of kefir to America, and its evolution into a lifestyle movement. Hear Julie's personal story of taking the helm as the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company and leading Lifeway's remarkable growth.The Science of Kefir: Explore the health benefits of kefir and its impact on gut health, digestion, and overall well-being. We discuss the vital connection between gut health and other aspects of health, including mental wellness.Innovation and Tradition: Discover how Lifeway blends its heritage with modern trends, incorporating consumer feedback and collaborating with health professionals to create products that resonate with today's consumers. We delve into their flavor innovation, drawing inspiration from popular trends like matcha lattes and pink dragon fruit.The Voice of the Consumer: Hear from Lifeway consumers about what they'd want to discuss with their favorite gut health companion.Meet GooBerry: We introduce GooBerry, the ProBugs Vurb, designed to engage children in healthy habits. Listen in as GooBerry shares advice for parents, discusses a dream brand collaboration, and reveals surprising facts about gut health.The Future of Product Interaction: Imagine a world where products can talk. We explore the potential impact of talkable products on marketing and user feedback, and how AI can shape the future of brand-consumer relationships.Guest:Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway KefirVurb Spotlight:GooBerry, the ProBugs Kefir VurbLifeway:https://lifewaykefir.com/Join us every Tuesday for new episodes of AI Powered by People!Vurvey.com

Many cultured dairy products like kefir and skyr have established a growing presence in the U.S. market. What makes these products popular among U.S. consumers? What market trends lie ahead for these products?Tune in to this week's episode of The Dairy Download to hear insights from two experts driving cultured dairy brands: Julie Smolyansky, president and chief executive officer of Lifeway Foods, and David Greci, brand director for Siggi's, as they talk about the journey to bring these cultured dairy products to U.S. consumers and how the market continues to grow.If your company is interested in sponsoring a block of episodes of The Dairy Download, contact IDFA's Lindsay Gold at lgold@idfa.org.Like the show?Rate The Dairy Download on Apple Podcasts!

In this episode, I had the honor of sitting down with Julie Smolyansky, President, CEO, and Chairwoman of Lifeway Foods, a pioneering brand behind the kefir movement in the U.S.   We dive deep into Julie's incredible family story, from escaping the Soviet Union with just $116 to building a nearly $200M company that now owns 95% of the global kefir category. Julie shares how her father's dream, her mother's entrepreneurial spirit, and her own grit helped turn a probiotic-rich dairy drink into a wellness staple for millions. We also discuss the science behind kefir, staying innovative while running a public company, and how Julie is standing strong in the face of a hostile takeover attempt. This isn't just a conversation about dairy; it's about resilience, passion, legacy, and the powerful connection between gut health and life. Key Moments in This Episode: *

We have a very exciting guest on the podcast today, the CEO of Lifeway Foods, Julie Smolyansky. Julie became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Since then, Julie has continued the company's growth trajectory with creative product development and marketing. She has been named Fortune Business ‘40 under 40,' Fortune's 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter and Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business 1000. In this interview, Julie shares her origin story, Kefir's health benefits, work life balance, how she grew the company's revenue from $12 million to $200 million, and much, much more. Learn more about Julie's first book here: The Kefir Cookbook: An Ancient Healing Superfood for Modern Life, Recipes from My Family Table and Around the World   5x #1 Bestselling Author and Motivational Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 55 countries and reached over 50 million people this past decade. He was voted the 2nd Most Likable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling.   Have Erik speak at your conference: eq@equalman.com   Motivational Speaker | Erik Qualman has inspired audiences at FedEx, Chase, ADP, Huawei, Starbucks, Godiva, FBI, Google, and many more on Focus and Digital Leadership.   Learn more at https://equalman.com

On this episode of The Kara Goldin Show, we're joined by Julie Smolyansky, the powerhouse President and CEO of Lifeway Foods. At just 27 years old, Julie became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company, stepping in after her father's sudden passing. Since then, she has transformed Lifeway Foods from a $6 million family business into a nearly $200 million global leader, making kefir a mainstream health essential.During our conversation, Julie shares how she scaled Lifeway, the power of probiotics in gut health, and what's next for the brand. We dive into the challenges of educating consumers, expanding into global markets, and staying ahead in the wellness space. Julie also opens up about her work as a documentary producer and advocate, tackling important social issues and driving meaningful change.Whether you're an entrepreneur, a wellness enthusiast, or someone passionate about mission-driven leadership, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration. Tune in to hear Julie's incredible journey and learn why gut health is the future. Now on The Kara Goldin Show. Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks. To learn more about Julie Smolyansky and Lifeway Foods:https://www.instagram.com/juliesmolyanskyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-smolyansky-05304612https://www.instagram.com/lifewaykefirhttps://www.facebook.com/lifewaykefirhttps://www.twitter.com/lifewaykefirhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/lifeway-foodshttps://www.lifewaykefir.com Sponsored By:Range Rover Sport - The Range Rover Sport is your perfect ride. Visit LandRoverUSA.com and check it out. Check out our website to view this episode's show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/653

Julie Smolyansky became CEO of Lifeway Foods at age 27 after her father (the founder) died. She's taken the company from a nice, small business to the category leader.  The story of Lifeway Foods is a real-life story about the American Dream. The success and category leadership of Lifeway Foods today is based on the remarkable heritage of a company started by an immigrant who escaped ethnic persecution, built a home in the United States and embraced all of the values of this great country. #lifewayfoods #kefir #naturalhealth #healthyfoods #healthylifestyle #ceo #naturalhealthindustry #americandream 

Julie Smolyansky became CEO of Lifeway Foods at age 27 after her father (the founder) died. She's taken the company from a nice, small business to the category leader.  The story of Lifeway Foods is a real-life story about the American Dream. The success and category leadership of Lifeway Foods today is based on the remarkable heritage of a company started by an immigrant who escaped ethnic persecution, built a home in the United States and embraced all of the values of this great country. #lifewayfoods #kefir #naturalhealth #healthyfoods #healthylifestyle #ceo #naturalhealthindustry #americandream 

Lifeway Foods' CEO Julie Smolyansky joins John Landecker on the show totalk about how her Chicago-based company has initiated efforts to provide criticalsupport to those affected by the fires in California. Listen in while Julie talks about whatLifeway is, their mission, and how people can get involved locally in order to help outpeople facing the […]

Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the new products Lifeway Kefir is offering, their global reach and their involvement in the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Smolyansky discusses how Lifeway started the kefir craze and how the probiotic product has gone international.

Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the new products Lifeway Kefir is offering, their global reach and their involvement in the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Smolyansky discusses how Lifeway started the kefir craze and how the probiotic product has gone international.

Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for John Williams, to talk about the new products Lifeway Kefir is offering, their global reach and their involvement in the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Smolyansky discusses how Lifeway started the kefir craze and how the probiotic product has gone international.

Today, I have the immense privilege of walking with one of the most influential thinkers, authors and teachers of our time, Seth Godin. Seth is the author of 21 best-selling books that have transformed how we think about marketing, leadership, and the power of creative work. His books have been translated into over 35 languages, helping readers across the globe learn to challenge the status quo and make a lasting impact. In addition to his writing, Seth is the founder of several successful businesses, including the groundbreaking altMBA, an online workshop that has revolutionized the way people learn to lead and create meaningful change. He also invented email marketing, so we can thank him for that. Above all, Seth is a teacher. He's taught at some of the most renowned business schools, founded one of the most successful online learning platforms, and spends his time sharing wisdom on everything from business strategy to life philosophy.  In this episode, Seth shares his insights from his new book, This is Strategy, on how to embrace systems, time, empathy, and games to create change—not just for business, but in any aspect of life. As Seth says in the intro to the book, this is for someone who wants to make things better—which I know is all of us. --  Big thanks to our partners at Brooks Running. For over a century, Brooks has been propelled by a never-ending curiosity with how humans move. It drives their every decision and every innovation. Because they believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. And we're all moving towards something. It could be the top of a mountain, a first-ever 5K, or peace of mind after a stressful day.  So… let's run there.   With gear and experiences specifically designed to take you to that place. Whether it's a headspace, a feeling, a finish line, a cure for Parkinson's, more ethical treatment of animals, or even a stormy day on the New York City Aqueduct. Let's run there.  Head to BrooksRunning.com to learn more. -- Also big thanks to our partners at Lifeway Foods. Lifeway is more than just a company that makes delicious, probiotic-rich kefir—it's a forward-thinking brand committed to improving the health and well-being of people around the world.  Many of you are well familiar with Lifeway Kefir.   But in case you're not, Kefir Kefir is an ancient healing superfood from the Caucasus Mountains that has provided microbiome support for over 2,000 years. The villagers who consumed it often lived past 100 years of age and attributed their longevity to their consumption of kefir. It's like a tart and tangy cultured milk smoothie that's packed with probiotics and bioavailable nutrients like high-quality protein, calcium, and Vitamin D to help you feel your best inside and out. Lifeway's commitment to making a positive impact is part of their DNA. Their CEO, Julie Smolyansky, is someone who I think embodies the spirit of what Seth talks about in this interview. She has a deep passion for social causes, from advocating for wellness to tackling issues like the maternal healthcare, hunger and social justice. Julie was also one of the first people to take a chance on Charity Miles, after we met at SXSW over ten years ago. It's safe to say that we wouldn't be where we are today without their support.  So huge thanks to Julie and Lifeway for being such an important part of the Charity Miles story.

Jon (JonDavids.com) sits down with the President and Chairwoman of Lifeaway Foods; Julie Smolyansky. Listen in as Julie tells us about the wild path of her career which has seen its share of loss, massive innovation, and her battle to have her product available in every grocery store. And follow Jon across social: X (Twitter) | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | YouTube 

Today's interview is with Dana Snyder, founder and CEO of Positive Equation, where she helps charities grow their communities and monthly giving programs. This interview will be helpful for anyone that works at a charity—which some of our members do. But, more than that, this interview will provide all of us with insight – and empathy – for how hard our charities work to fundraise in support of the missions we all care about—and, therefore, how we can better support them in that endeavor. Most crucially, I hope Dana's insight will help us all think less transactionally, and more relationally, about how we support our favorite charities. I also want to give a huge shoutout to our partners at Lifeway Kefir. Lifeway was one of our first sponsors, and their CEO, Julie Smolyansky has become a friend and has been on the pod before too. Lifeway Kefir is purpose-driven brand and a champion for many social causes, supporting initiatives that promote maternal health, girls education and empowerment, the environment, mental health and well-being, and more—all things we care deeply about here at Charity Miles. Speaking of mental health, did you know that what you eat can have a profound effect on your mind? It turns out that the gut and brain are connected in ways we're just beginning to understand. Lifeway Kefir, with its rich probiotics, supports your gut biome, which plays a crucial role in regulating mood, stress, and overall mental health. It's a simple, delicious way to nourish your body and your mind. So, whether you're fueling up for your next walk, run, or bike ride—or just looking for a way to take care of your mental well-being— head over to lifewaykefir.com to learn more and get started today.

More and more research is being conducted around the gut microbiome than ever before, proving what generations of Julie Smolyansky's, CEO of Lifeway, ancestors already knew. The secret to good health and nourishing yourself from within is to drink their sacred recipe of kefir, a cultured dairy product, which has been passed down for over 2000 years. A child of Soviet immigrants, Julie and her family immigrated to Chicago where Julie's father founded Lifeway in 1986, becoming the first Soviet immigrant to take a company public. After the sudden and tragic death of her father at the age of 55, Julie took over the company at just 27 years old. When she was forced to prove herself over and over again and stand up to those who didn't believe in her, Julie held her head high and knew it was her job to carry on what her father had started. With Julie's leadership, Lifeway grew from $6 million to just under $200 million and is the leading kefir brand in the United States today.  Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/superwomen/support

Learn from the brightest minds in food science in the July episodes of the Omnivore podcast. Julie Smolyansky, CEO and president of Lifeway Foods, talks about her decision to keep manufacturing in house after her father, a mechanical engineer, started the company in 1986. Rob Dongoski, global lead for food and agriculture at Kearney, shares … Continue reading EP 40: DIY Food Manufacturing, Responding to Market Disruption, Unlocking Formulation Secrets →

“Step after step, it's like climbing a mountain. You don't necessarily get to the peak really fast—it's consistent, steady growth.” In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, a company specializing in kefir to support the gut microbiome.  Born in Ukraine, Julie immigrated to the US and watched her parents pioneer the introduction of kefir to the American market, taking over Lifeway foods as CEO at 27 years old. After her father's sudden death, she expanded the company's reach globally, introducing innovative products and promoting the importance of gut health. Julie's resilience, innovative business approach and strong intuition have made Lifeway Foods a household name in the probiotic industry. Tune in to hear Julie's advice on scaling a company from $12 million to 8 figures,  why it pays to follow your gut, and her incredible journey to becoming CEO of Lifeway Foods. We talked about:  The challenges she faced when taking over as CEO of the company her father founded when she was just 27 years old (09:35) The importance of community and mentorship (14:24) Trusting her gut instinct led to Julie's innovative packaging solution for delivering kefir to children (18:34) Becoming a trendsetter and a tastemaker (24:05) The power of word of mouth (29:56) Connect with Julie: Lifeway Foods Website Lifeway Foods Instagram Julie's Instagram Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results?    Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders at entreprenista.com/join! You'll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can't wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!   Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay   Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for Bob Sirott, to talk about Lifeway’s partnership with the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. She also shares details about what they offer and their new holiday menu, the health benefits of Lifeway, and the celebrity that will be riding the Lifeway float in this […]

At just 27, following the tragic loss of her father, Julie Smolyansky took the reins of the family business, Lifeway Foods. Under Julie's leadership for the past 20 years, Lifeway's annual revenues have grown from $12 million to more than $140 million in 2022. She created these results slowly and steadily by following her gut instincts, relying heavily on organic, strategic marketing tactics and with the support of an amazing team that has grown right along with the company's success.Julie shares her insights on the genuine power of word-of-mouth marketing and how she leveraged strategic partnerships. By authentically connecting with communities, from expectant moms to athletes, she has amplified the awareness of kefir as a wellness product and Lifeway Foods brand. Lifeway was early in organic social media marketing, and it still heavily leverages social media influencers and organic brand advocacy to be in front of the health and wellness aware community. There is so much to learn from this episode, highlighting the importance of following your passion, making intuitive decisions, and building strong relationships within your industry. Listeners will gain valuable insights into the power of slow and steady growth, the benefits of organic marketing, and the significance of creating a supportive and passionate team.Key Takeaways:Slow and steady growth can lead to long-term success. Passionate employees are key to a successful team.Delegate as much as you can to others so that you can do what you are uniquely qualified to do.Quotes:"My goal is really to make Lifeway to kefir or what Tropicana is to orange juice or Hershey's is to chocolate - really build a global iconic brand that really heals people's bodies from the inside out." (27:08 | Julie Smolyansky)"I keep everyone who's super passionate. I think passion trumps everything else. When I see somebody who's passionate, I want them on my team." (39:27 | Julie Smolyansky) Don't give up. I mean, number one, don't give up. There are going to be challenging days, but that just comes with the territory." (51:51 | Julie Smolyansky) Connect with Julie Smolyansky:Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lifewaykefirInstagram:http://www.instagram.com/juliesmolyanskyIf you like what you're hearing, please leave a rating or review at https://ratethispodcast.com/dearfoundher You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build and monetize your community through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.Make sure you sign up for Lindsay's newsletter and have all of the takeaways from every podcast episode sent straight to your inbox. PLUS, you'll get a tip every week to help you grow and scale your own business.Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchukPodcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm at the age of 27 when she took over leadership of Lifeway Foods in 2002. The company was founded by her refugee father over 30 years ago with the mission of bringing Kefir, an Eastern European product, into the U.S. mainstream. Under her leadership, the company has boosted revenues to over $140 million today from $12 million when she took over. https://lifewaykefir.com/ https://www.instagram.com/juliesmolyansky/

ulie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Julie is Ukrainian- American and she shares her refugee story and how she is now living the American Dream. Her story is inspiring! Learn more about Julie at: https://lifewaykefir.com/leadership/Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPodOutro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by anelehDavis Davis and Harmon LLC:http://ddhtax.comSales Tax Experts2100 LBJ FWY #770Dallas, TX 75234Phone: (972) 488-5000

A business's true test of survival is based on their ability to learn from challenges. By adapting to changing times, today's guest found a sweet spot in the market for their product to thrive. Today we're sitting down with Julie Smolyansky, who became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Over the ensuing years, Julie has continued the company's growth trajectory with creative product development and marketing, bringing an Eastern European product into the US mainstream. Under her leadership, the company has grown annual revenues from 12 million in 2002 to over 119 million in 2021. During Julie's tenure, the company has expanded distribution throughout the United States, and has expanded their reach internationally. Julie serves as a member of the United Nations Foundation, Global Entrepreneur's Council, and was part of the 2015 Class of Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum. She's produced several documentaries, co-founded a non-profit test 400k, and she released her first book, a cookbook in 2018. On this episode we have a great conversation about taking over her family's business, the health benefits of kefir, and overcoming business hurdles.Highlights: Lifeway Foods' history and introducing kefir (2:57) Julie's transition to CEO (4:37) Gut health and kefir health benefits (7:28) The growing probiotics market (10:37) How the pandemic affected business at Lifeway Foods (12:08) Lifeway Foods' marketing strategies (16:13) Scaling the business, and future expansion (18:00) Manoeuvring in the current economy and supply chain concerns (20:26) Current products and new projects (22:20) Charity work and supporting Ukraine (24:12) Links:ICR TwitterICR LinkedInICR WebsiteJulie Smolyansky on InstagramJulie Smolyansky on LinkedInLifeway Foods on LinkedInLifeway Foods WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

Julie Smolyansky was born in Kyiv, Ukraine to Jewish parents. Her family immigrated to the United States in 1976 where her father founded the Kefir company, Lifeway Foods in 1986. Smolyansky joined the company in 1997 after graduating from University of Chicago with a degree in psychology. After her father died of a heart attack in 2002, Smolyansky became the youngest CEO of a publicly traded firm in the history of our country. She then transformed Lifeway Foods into a multinational conglomerate, growing its annual revenue from 12 million to over 130 million in 2015. Even more impressive than her tenure as a corporate executive, is her service as a board member to organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.Additionally, Smolyansky has been very active in the conversation on sexual violence of women and girls, both as an advocate and a survivor. In 2015, she served as an executive producer or the award winning documentary, The Hunting Ground, an award winning exposé of rape crimes on U.S. College campuses.Smolyansky is yet another powerful woman that has made a difference with her outreach and involvement, and why I feel lucky to have her join me on the show.Watch Episode: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit truethirty.substack.com/subscribe

Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, joins Lisa Dent to preview The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on Saturday, November 19 that the company is a part of, and to share some limited edition Lifeway Kefir products. You can sample Lifeway Kefir starting at 11am within Lights Festival Lane on Michigan Avenue and then look for […]

Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Julie is Ukrainian- American and she shares her refugee story and how she is now living the American Dream. Her story is inspiring! Learn more about Julie at: https://lifewaykefir.com/leadership/Learn more about Chanel Christoff Davis at www.ddhtax.com or on social media @SalesTaxHelp @FollowTheLeaderPodOutro music: "Everyday Sunshine" by anelehDavis, Davis and Harmon, LLC:http://ddhtax.comSales Tax Experts2100 Valley View Lane #330Dallas, TX 75234Phone: (972) 488-5000Fax: (972) 488-5001

When her father passed away, Ukrainian-born Julie Smolyansky stepped into his role as CEO of Lifeway Foods. Julie shows what it was like taking over that role in her twenties. Plus, Julie shares her close perspective on Ukraine, and how we can all help. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Science & Story Behind Kefir Kefir originated in the Caucasus Mountains region where Julie Smolyansky's ancestors lived. When her family left the Soviet Union in 1976 they were refugees and immigrated to Chicago. A couple of years later, Julie's mother opened the first Russian deli in Rogers Park. In 1985 while attending a trade show in Germany, Julie's father bought some kefir and realized that the delicious dairy beverage was not available in the United States. The rest is history! Tune in to this episode with Lifeway CEO Julie Smolyansky to learn about: Lifeway Kefir's story – from the basement to NASDAQ What is kefir and what products are available in store Key physical and health benefits associated with kefir A variety of ways to incorporate kefir into sweet or savory recipes The Kefir Cookbook Full shownotes and resources at www.SoundBitesRD.com/200  

Thank you for tuning into "Starting Small", a podcast about brand development, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the modern world. In this episode, I am joined by Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, America's largest manufacturer of kefir. Lifeway began in 1986, when Julie's parents, Russian immigrants Michael and Ludmila Smolyansky began making Kefir in the basement of their Skokie, IL home. The cultured dairy drink had been popular in Eastern Europe for centuries, but the Smolyansky family was determined to share their delicious health secret with their newfound home. While finding massive success with Lifeway, Julie's father ended up passing away in 2002, which led her to take over the position as CEO... With the new position, Julie became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm at age 27. Under her leadership, the Company has expanded distribution throughout the United States, Mexico, the UK, and Ireland as well as portions of Central and South America and the Caribbean. Continuing the companies growth, Lifeway went from $12 million in annual revenue when Julie first took over to surpassing $120 million in annual revenue.  Make sure to check out Lifeway Foods at: https://lifewaykefir.com/   Follow Starting Small: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingsmallpod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Startingsmallpod/?modal=admin_todo_tour LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/cameronnagle   Support for Starting Small comes from Humanscale, the leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance ergonomic products that help create a healthier work life. All of their products, from chairs to standing desks and more, are comfortable, easy to use, and sustainable. And great for either the office or the work from home environment. With an increase in shifting workplaces, comfort can be especially hard to find. As I run the podcast, I am in front of my desk for hours a day; from scheduling, researching, interviewing, and more. Humanscale allows me to remain productive, without the consequence of body stress to follow.  Make sure to check out Humanscale at humanscale.com, and use code: STARTINGSMALL at checkout to save 20% on your purchase.    

Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, shares her journey of becoming the youngest woman CEO of a publicly traded company at just 27 in 2002. It's a journey that taught her many lessons along the way about the power of family, wellbeing, and staying true to who you are. Listen to hear more about Julie's story and how she finds meaning outside of work to contribute to a safer, more equitable society. 1:09 – original career path in psychology and social work//lessons learned 4:20 – behavioral economics and marketing 6:45 – how Julie got her start as CEO, personal journey 11:45 – Pivotal decisions to grow the business exponentially – labelling, hiring, networking 15:00 – training others to take your job/delegating 15:47 – COVID impacts on the business 22:45 – self care and investing in the wellbeing of your workforce 30:15 – Modeling leadership from the top down and customizing wellness for employees 34:00 – CEO Burnout 38:45 – Chicago as a business partner – positive 42:08 – Chicago as a business partner – challenges/changes 45:25 – something not everyone knows about Julie 47:20 – Julie's life hacks 50:27 – forecasting, intriguing future things 53:15 – proudest moments Follow Julie on Instagram @juliesmolyansky and Lifeway at @lifewaykefir Check out Lifeway's website. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Shure Incorporated. For nearly 100 years, Shure Incorporated has developed best-in-class audio products that provide high-quality performance, reliability and value. Headquartered in Niles, Illinois, our history of innovation and expertise in acoustics, wireless technology, and more enables us to deliver seamless, transparent audio experiences to a global audience. Our diverse product line includes world-class wired and wireless microphones, networked audio systems and signal processors, conferencing and discussion systems, software, a loudspeaker, and award-winning earphones and headphones. Find Shure on: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram  

One of the most fascinating LeadingShe podcast guests, Julie Smolyansky was the youngest CEO of a publicly-traded firm after she took over the family company upon her father’s sudden death. Julie’s grandmother’s survival during the Holocaust, she believes drives her to be a social justice advocate.  Her company Lifeway Foods has 95 percent of the Kefir market. Kefir is a 2000-year old product and a live bacteria, probiotic, healthy dairy food containing mind and body benefits. Julie’s family came to this country in 1976 from Russia with little money and no familiarity with U.S. culture or the English language. Having experienced sexual assault herself, Julie’s produced the movie “The Hunting Ground” about on-campus college sexual assaults which was responsible for over 300 Title IX investigations across the country. Julie also began the non-profit, “Test400K” which has put a spotlight on advancing the testing of the country’s untested rape kits. What a powerful and inspiring podcast! LeadingShe.com Instagram.com/LeadingShe Facebook.com/LeadingShe https://www.linkedin.com/company/leadingshe/

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.

You can plan for the future, but sometimes life has a different idea. When the unexpected happens, the best you can do is follow your gut. On this episode Jen Fisher talks with Julie Smolyansky, humanitarian, activist, and CEO of Lifeway Foods, on how resilience and a passion for gut health helped her lead through tragedy when she became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held organization.

You can plan for the future, but sometimes life has a different idea. When the unexpected happens, the best you can do is follow your gut. On this episode, Deloitte chief well-being officer Jen Fisher talks with Julie Smolyansky, humanitarian, activist, and CEO of Lifeway Foods, on how resilience and a passion for gut health helped her lead through tragedy when she became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held organization.

I think you’re going to really enjoy hearing from my inspiring podcast guest. I’m speaking with  Julie Smolyansky, who is the President and CEO of Lifeway Foods, Inc. Julie made history when she became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27. Since then, Julie has continued the company’s growth trajectory with creative product development and marketing, bringing kefir into the United States mainstream and boosting annual company revenues to over $100 million. Julie is also the author of a beautiful cookbook titled, The Kefir Cookbook: An Ancient Healing Superfood for Modern Life and Recipes from My Family Table and Around the World, where she shares over 100 sweet and savory recipes made with kefir.   My conversation with Julie shone a light on so many interesting things, but here are some of my favorites: The health benefits of kefir are impressive, and they extend beyond gut health. Kefir -- a 2,000 year old probiotic yogurt drink -- supports our mental health as well by suppressing anxiety, stress and depression. The process of healing is an ongoing journey; it’s not about diet, but rather about feeling good inside and out, and making good choices about your wellness. Food can serve as a unifier, as it tells a story that transcends time. Health living means feeling good about how you treat yourself and your body, physically and mentally.   Want to learn more about the many health benefits of kefir? You can connect with Julie and Lifeway via the Lifeway Foods, Inc.website (https://lifewaykefir.com/), Lifeway’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lifewaykefir/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LifewayKefir), Twitter (https://twitter.com/lifeway_kefir?lang=en), Julie’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/juliesmolyansky/), and Julie’s book The Kefir Cookbook: An Ancient Healing Superfood for Modern Life and Recipes from My Family Table and Around the World (https://www.amazon.com/Kefir-Cookbook-Ancient-Healing-Superfood/dp/0062651307/ref=asc_df_0062651307/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312069235624&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13909804341371986398&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013457&hvtargid=pla-464841057094&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=58874700621&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312069235624&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13909804341371986398&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013457&hvtargid=pla-464841057094).   

  In this week’s episode, we interview Julie Smolyansky, the CEO of Lifeway Foods. She became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Since then, Julie has continued the company’s growth trajectory with creative product development and marketing to bring kefir, the company’s flagship product, into the U.S. mainstream. Under her leadership, the company has expanded distribution throughout the United States, Mexico, the UK, and Ireland, as well as portions of Central and South America and the Caribbean. She has been named to Fortune Business ‘40 under 40,’ Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter, as one of the Best Instagrammers of the 40 Under 40 list, and was recently named a 2020 Champion of Wellness by VeryWell.

Because we are Hamil-nerds, sometimes we start with a quote: “Immigrants, we get the job done”  basically tells the story of Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, who moved from Russia to Chicago as an infant. Her parents brought with them a centuries-old tradition used in their homeland for generations — kefir, the hard-to-pronounce probiotic that does wonders for the gut — and began to share it in the community. A business was born, and in 2002, Julie became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over the company at the age of 27.  Since then, Julie has continued the company’s growth trajectory, bringing an Eastern European product into the U.S. mainstream and boosting annual company revenues to over $120 million in 2017 from $12 million when she took over.  She has been named to Fortune Business ‘40 under 40,’ Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business 1000. Today, Lifeway is working to promote their BioKefir product line, which supports immunity, which could not be more timely given the current state of our global health!   Julie talks about... What kefir is and how it impacts our health--and it's not just about the gut Bringing mental health into the mainstream conversation The struggles of being a young female immigrant entrepreneur Clearing obstacles for the next generation   Resources: lifewaykefir.com https://www.instagram.com/lifewaykefir/ Visit earthandstar.com and use code HTW for 15% off at checkout   Highway To Well is a production of Crate Media

Julie Smolyansky Shares How To Find Joy Through Trauma & Tips For Being A Bad Ass Business Woman

Grounded in mindfulness, today’s podcast guest Julie Smolyansky, is passionate about empowering the mind-gut connection through making healthy food choices, community and business innovation.  In this episode Julie inspires you to follow your gut not only with food and health, but in all areas of your life.   Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Since then, Julie has continued the company’s growth trajectory with creative product development and marketing, bringing an Eastern European product into the U.S. mainstream and boosting annual company revenues to over $120 million in 2017 from $12 million when she took over. Under her leadership, the Company has expanded distribution throughout the United States, Mexico, the UK, and Ireland as well as portions of Central and South America and the Caribbean. She has been named to Fortune Business ‘40 under 40,’ Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business 1000.   She is a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Julie serves as a member of the United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneurs Council and was part of the 2015 class of Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum. She has produced several documentaries, including “The Homestretch,” “Honor Diaries" and “The Hunting Ground.” In 2013 Julie co‐founded a non‐profit, Test400k, an organization dedicated to advocating ending the backlog of 400,000 untested rape kits in the United States. She released her first book, The Kefir Cookbook: An Ancient Healing Superfood for Modern Life, Recipes from My Family Table and Around the World in March of 2018. She lives in Chicago and is the mother of two girls. In this episode we discuss:    Julie shares her journey in life as a mother, author, activist, humanitarian, and the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company in 2002, Lifeway Foods. The origin story of Lifeway Foods and Julie’s parents’ incredibly inspiring story to making this traditional fermented food a staple in the American grocery store What is kefir and the benefits of drinking a fermented beverage like kefir How Julie lives a life that is aligned with her your own mind-gut connection How Julie ensures Lifeway Foods continues to be a value based company Tips for women who want to be CEO’s in their field and the most important character traits to be a successful, value based CEO How Julie practices wellness without obsession   Thank you to Ned for sponsoring today’s episode! I am thrilled to have Ned as a new podcast sponsor. I have been waiting to share about my love for CBD oil until I could find the right brand that aligned with my beliefs. Ned produces the highest quality full spectrum CBD oil, extracted from organically grown hemp plants in Colorado. One of the things I love most about Ned is they do not cut corners in their production. Their CBD oil is made from gentle, slow extraction with no high temperatures or high pressure, and zero isolates and synthetic ingredients. If you want to check out Ned and try them out for yourself, Ned is offering 15% off AND free shipping to my listeners by using the link included here in the shownotes or you can use the code NOURISHINGWOMEN to receive the discount.    Click here to download my free e-book, How to Eat for Hormones.   My online course on intuitive eating, Permission Stage Playbook, is currently closed for enrollment but you can join the waitlist by clicking here. Enrollment re-opens later in fall!   Resources for you: Learn more about our services at Nourishing Minds Nutrition. Read testimonials from our amazing clients here.  Join our FREE support group for like-minded women, the Nourishing Women Community. Live Q&As are hosted every week.   Let’s hang out! Connect with Victoria and the staff at NMN: Victoria’s Instagram Victoria’s Website Nourishing Minds Nutrition Instagram Nourishing Minds Nutrition website

CEO of Lifeway Kefir, author, activist, and humanitarian Julie Smolyansky. Julie’s family brought ancient superfood kefir to the states decades ago and has been providing drinker Koop s a tool for increasing immunity and gut health ever since. Beyond the benefits of the tasty probiotic, we learn about how Julie has used her influence to become an advocate for sexual assault victims. She is an impressive woman inspiring us all to take action!Links:Lifeway Kefir InstagramJulie Smolyansky InstagramTest 400KOn the RecordRAINN Hotline - 800 656.HOPE (4673)

Julie Smolyansky became the youngest CEO of a publicly held firm when she was 27 years old. Julie and I talk about how she became a CEO so young, her family's story and how that has influenced her, how to positively influence the world through business, her leadership philosophy, and much more. 

Julie Smolyansky is a mother, author, activist, humanitarian, and is the youngest female CEO of a publicly-traded company as she became the CEO of Lifeway Foods at the age of 27. Grounded in mindfulness, Julie is passionate about empowering the mind-gut connection through making healthy food choices, community and business innovation. Julie joins Yola to talk about her family's journey of turning an ancient superfood, Kefir, into a multimillion-dollar sensation loved by so many Americans. Once Julie took over as company CEO she was able to take the company valuation from $12 million to over $120 million in a few short years. Yola and Julie also discuss her advocacy work with sexual assault and abuse victims including her latest documentary "On The Record."  About Lifeway Foods: The Lifeway story begins in 1986, when Russian immigrants Michael and Ludmila Smolyansky began making Kefir in the basement of their Skokie, IL home. The cultured dairy drink had been popular in Eastern Europe for centuries, but the Smolyansky family was determined to share their delicious health secret with their newfound home. Two years later, they took the company public and it debuted on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol LWAY. Since its humble basement beginnings many years ago, Lifeway Foods has now grown into the largest manufacturer of Kefir in the United States and has brought the delicious taste and probiotic health benefits of Kefir to a whole new generation. Visit Lifewayfoods.com to learn more about Kefir.  Connect with Yola: @yolarobert Connect with the pod: @isuckatlifepodcast  

Julie Smolyansky, chief executive of Lifeway Foods, tells WSJ's Veronica Dagher how she's coped with crises and adapted her family's cultured milk business amid the coronavirus.

Julie Smolyansky: “We all have our our grandmother’s recipes, our ancient superfoods. And there is science supporting those functional foods made from the earth.” Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, joins mbg co-CEO, Jason Wachob, to discuss why functional food is returning to comfort food, plus: *Why kefir is the champagne of dairy* *How to help loved ones healing from trauma* *How she triumphed as a 27-year-old CEO after her father's sudden passing* *Why we are only as strong as the weakest links in our community* *Why we should always invest in our guts* Thanks to Lifeway Kefir for sponsoring this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. Visit LifewayKefir.com for more information, recipes, and stockist information  Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com.

Tapping both personal experience and intuition, Lifeway CEO Julie Smolyansky has embraced action amid uncertainty. Before the pandemic reached full throttle, Lifeway stockpiled seven weeks worth of product, secured supply chains, and reached out to all their customers. Mask on, Smolyansky personally visited her Chicago warehouse, made in-person donations to the food pantry at Wrigley Field, and went to dozens of stores across the city searching for thermometers for her team. The crisis, she says, has evoked her early years in the Soviet Union and her family's fight, as immigrants, to live the American Dream.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dlirtXSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tapping both personal experience and intuition, Lifeway CEO Julie Smolyansky has embraced action amid uncertainty. Before the pandemic reached full throttle, Lifeway stockpiled seven weeks worth of product, secured supply chains, and reached out to all their customers. Mask on, Smolyansky personally visited her Chicago warehouse, made in-person donations to the food pantry at Wrigley Field, and went to dozens of stores across the city searching for thermometers for her team. The crisis, she says, has evoked her early years in the Soviet Union and her family's fight, as immigrants, to live the American Dream.

This week’s digital content is sponsored by our friends at Lifeway Foods, the leading US supplier of kefir. Kefir is a cultured dairy drink with protein, vitamin D, and 12 live and active probiotics, which may support a healthy digestive and immune system. Show your guts some love with Lifeway Kefir!   Welcome to the Daily Distance, a new daily series from the creators of #WeGotGoals. In these short episodes, we’re bringing you one daily goal you can set for yourself during this chaotic time- one actionable thing you can do to move your body, connect with a friend, prioritize your mental health, get some work done, and practice a little bit of self-care. Today, Kristen chats with a familiar podcast guest—Julie Smolyanksy, CEO of Lifeway Foods, whom you may remember from this past #WeGotGoals episode. Julie shares how she's prioritizing her health during the pandemic, and she surprises Kristen with several unexpected uses for kefir in your quarantine recipes (one word: prosecco. Six words: not as weird as it sounds). She also shares her wealth of knowledge on the intersection between gut health and brain health, as well as what fascinating findings are being discovered in that area. Want more Lifeway in your life and your kitchen? Join us on Thursday, 4/16 at 6pm CDT for a smoothie social hour! More details here. Resources: Julie's previous appearance on #WeGotGoals Julie's cookbook, The Kefir Cookbook Lifeway's website and Instagram channel If you love this episode as much as we do, subscribe to the #WeGotGoals podcast wherever you like to listen to podcasts, including on Apple and Spotify (and hey, leave us a rating while you’re at it!).

Lifeway Foods President and CEO Julie Smolyanksy joins Anna to discuss how nutrition is so important in keeping your immunity up and how Lifeway Kefir helps with immunity. Julie also talks about how Lifeway can help keep your family healthy and what the company is doing to keep employees safe amid the coronavirus crisis.

Kefir is a cultured, fermented milk drink that can work wonders for our gut health. Liz is joined by the CEO of Lifeway Kefir, Julie Smolyansky to discuss the health benefits of kefir and why it's so good for our gut. She also reveals why dairy-free kefir options aren't all that they seem and ideas for how we can all incorporate more kefir into our cooking. You can find the show notes with all the resources mentioned in the episode at https://lizearlewellbeing.com/kefir-with-julie-smolyansky/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Boss School is the only podcast that introduces you to the best business minds in the world and then…makes them teach us something. In this episode host Nicole Lapin talks to Julie Smolyansky, the CEO of Lifeway Foods.

In this highlight episode culled from interviews with six innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs who joined us on Taste Radio during the first half of 2019, we explore the role that innovation plays several for category-leading brands. Our guests include Vita Coco co-founder Mike Kirban, Lifeway Foods CEO Julie Smolyansky, Justin’s founder Justin Gold, Sailor Jerry Rum and Hendricks Gin creator Steve Grasse and WTRMLN WTR co-founder Jody Levy. This episode is presented by BevSource, an integrated provider of beverage development, production, sourcing, and logistics solutions to new and established beverage visionaries. Show notes: 1:36: Justin Gold, Founder, Justin’s -- We kick off the episode with Justin Gold, who we featured in Episode 153. Gold is the founder of Justin’s, a pioneering maker of better-for-you nut butters and snacks that was acquired by Hormel Foods for $286 million in 2016. In the following clip, Gold shared his perspective on the keys to innovation and improving the food system, the first thing he tells new entrepreneurs and the way he wants consumers to perceive Justin’s. 7:51: Jody Levy, Co-Founder, WTRMLN WTR -- Next up is Jody Levy, the co-founder of beverage brand WTRMLN WTR. An artist and serial entrepreneur, Levy has overseen the evolution of WTRMLN WTR from a single product to a platform brand that sells products at over 25,000 locations nationwide. In this clip from Episode 155, she discussed the similarities between art and entrepreneurship and chronicled the history between her brand and music icon Beyonce, who is an investor in WTRMLN WTR. 14:45: Steve Grasse, Creator, Sailor Jerry Rum/Hendricks Gin -- We continue with Steve Grasse, the creator of iconic spirit brands Sailor Jerry Rum and Hendricks Gin. In a clip from our interview, which we featured in Episode 144, Steve spoke about the influence that bands have on his creative process and why an early focus group that panned the initial idea for Hendrick’s Gin turned out to be a good thing. 18:56:  Julie Smolyansky, CEO, Lifeway Foods -- We continue with Julie Smolyansky, the CEO of Lifeway Foods, a pioneering brand of kefir drinks. In this clip, pulled from Episode 147, Julie spoke about why Lifeway was one of the first brands to market the health benefits of probiotics and discussed how she dealt with the criticism and pressure that came with taking on the role of CEO at a relatively young age. 24:11: Chieh Huang, Co-Founder/CEO, Boxed -- From an interview included in Episode 152, Chieh Huang, the co-founder and CEO of online bulk retailer Boxed, discussed the evolution of mobile and e-commerce and explained why he believes the future of online food shopping “will feel like Netflix.” 29:57: Mike Kirban, Co-Founder/CEO, Vita Coco -- Last, but certainly not least, we have Mike Kirban, the co-founder and CEO of coconut water powerhouse Vita Coco. As part of an interview featured in Episode 164, Mike discussed why he takes a hands-on approach in his day-to-day leadership of the company, why he hires based on attitude, why he’s looking at potential brand acquisitions “all the time,” and his belief that Vita Coco can be the “better-for-you beverage company for the next generation.” Brands in this episode: Justin’s, WTRMLN WTR, Sailor Jerry Rum, Hendricks Gin, Lifeway Foods, Vita Coco

There is some disagreement about the correct pronunciation of spelled kefir. Yet, whether you pronounce it KEE-fur or kuh-FEAR, there’s no question about how to say the name of the leading brand in the category: LIFEWAY. Founded in 1986 by the Smolyansky family, Lifeway helped pave a path for mainstream consumption of kefir, a fermented dairy milk beverage that originated in Eastern Europe and is prized for its probiotic benefits. Since taking the helm as CEO of Lifeway in 2002, Julie Smolyansky has led the publicly traded company to a nearly 10-fold growth in sales and a significant expansion of Lifeway’s product offerings, which include a variety of kefir drinks, yogurts, kids’ foods and frozen desserts. In an interview included in this episode, Smolyansky spoke about the origins of Lifeway, which was launched in Chicago eight years after her family fled the former Soviet Union. She also discussed taking on the role of CEO at a relatively young age and how she deals with persistent criticism, how the company’s innovation strategy and why Lifeway releases some new products as “a marketing expense.” Show notes: 2:58: Interview: Julie Smolyansky, CEO, Lifeway Foods -- Recorded via weblink, Smolyansky spoke about a recent meeting with entrepreneur Richard Branson and offered her perspective on the current political climate for refugees based on her on experience coming to the U.S. in the 1970s. She also discussed the origins of Lifeway, which was launched from the basement of her family’s Russian deli in Chicago, and how it was initially marketed to Russian communities in U.S. cities before later finding resonance among health-focused consumers. She also explained why protecting the legal definition of kefir is critical, how she overcome personal tragedy and quieted the naysayers after taking the reins as CEO, and what the company learned about the launch of its kids’ line when it debuted  at the height of the recession. Brands in this episode: Lifeway

Lifeway – In 2002, Julie Smolyansky took over her Lifeway Foods, becoming the youngest female CEO of a publicly held […]

In this episode of The Failure Factor, Megan talks resilience, sexism, and changing the world with Julie Smolyansky.  Julie became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002 after the tragic death of her father.  Even through her grief, she managed to send the company's growth trajectory and revenues soaring, while considerably expanding distribution.  She has been named to Fortune Business ‘40 under 40,' Fortune's 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter and Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business 1000.  Listen in as she and Megan talk about the challenges she has faced, the strength she has acquired, and the world she hopes to build for her two daughters as well as women everywhere.

Julie Smolyanksy is a tough woman to nail down. Not in terms of her schedule — although she is all over the place, having recently published her first book, The Kefir Cookbook, while running Lifeway Foods full-time as CEO and President. Instead, over the course of our conversation on the #WeGotGoals podcast, I found myself trying — and repeatedly failing — to put Smolyanksy neatly in a box that I could easily write 500 words on in a blog post. Smolyanksy is a CEO/President, sure. But she's also been the first female CEO of a publicly held firm (when she took over Lifeway Foods in 2002 after her father's unexpected death). She's a mother and a feminist activist, identities that drive her decisions as a businesswoman who wants to set a strong example for her daughters. She's an immigrant who came to the United States as an infant with her parents, who brought kefir with them as a taste of Eastern Europe and later turned it into a $12 million business (up to $120 million in 2017). She's sharp as a tack and incredibly organized and detail-oriented, but she's a believer in holistic health and says things like "the universe is going to give me what I need" without a hint of irony. Needless to say, my head was spinning as we sat down to talk, knowing there were so many dimensions to this woman. But interestingly, one of the things we talked about was the benefit of ignoring your brain and listening to your gut, something Smolyansky got a crash course in when she lost her phone in Mexico for a few days. "It was like sort of the universe doing a wake up call like 'Julie, stop, stop, slow down, stop, listen to yourself, listen to your body, you're spinning out of control,'" Smolyanksy revealed. Without her phone to distract her outwardly, Smolyanksy spent her days doing yoga, meditating, and journaling, only to find that hip pain she had dealt with since pregnancy had mysteriously disappeared after a particularly cathartic meditation. "I think that was this moment of following my intuition," mused Smolyanksy, noting how after that realization, she was able to look back in her life at times she had ignored her gut instincts only to regret it later. Today, Smolyanksy hones her intuition through regular SoulCycle classes, running, enjoying the occasional glass of red wine — and of course, incorporating kefir into her diet regularly. "What we're learning now about the microbiome, I am blown away by how important it is having that gut, which we call a second brain now, how important it is to have one that's running well. When it's healthy, it's like magic." Listen to Smolyanksy's episode of #WeGotGoals wherever you get your podcasts to learn more about taking over the family business during a tumultuous, grief-filled time, plus how she feels her identity as a feminist impacts her daughters and what it's like to be the only young, immigrant female CEO in a room full of old, white males. To get more of #WeGotGoals, make sure you subscribe and leave a rating or a review so others can hear these stories, too. Psst... don't stop listening when the interview portion is over. We saved a few minutes at the end of the podcast to devote to real-life goal-getters like you, and we'll hear from one inspiring goal-getter each week.     Start Transcript: _______ JAC: Welcome to #WeGotGoals, a podcast by aSweatLife.com on which we talk to high achievers about their goals. I'm Jeana Anderson Cohen and with me I have Maggie Umberger and Kristin Geil. KG: Good morning, Jeana. MU: Good morning, Jeana. JAC: Good morning and today Kristen, you talk to a real boss. KG: Yes. I talked to Julie Smolansky who is the president and CEO of Lifeway Kefir. JAC: And Julie was not the first president and CEO of Lifeway Kefir. She sort of stumbled into or was thrust into that role under some not so ideal circumstances, but really thrived there, right? KG: Yeah, exactly. So Lifeway Kefir is Julie's family business. It was started by her father. Her mom contributed a lot as well, and she and her brother actually both grew up working for her father and learning the ins and outs of running Lifeway Kefir. Then in 2002, her dad passed away very suddenly from a heart attack and at that time Lifeway Kefir was about a $12,000,000 business. Julie took over the next day as CEO and president and began running the company. It made her the youngest female to be the CEO of a publicly held company at that time. She was somewhere around 27, so very young, but since she's been in that role, she has grown Lifeway Kefir to $120,000,000 as of last year, 2017. So we talked a little bit about how tough it must have been to be thrown into the CEO role in such dark circumstances, but she actually had a really unique perspective on it. She thought that having to take over as CEO right away was her father's way of leaving her a project where she could direct her energies and help work through her grief without being totally consumed by it. MU: And we've gotten to speak to many different CEOs and entrepreneurs on this podcast and one thing that has come up as a theme that I found pretty interesting is how certain people have talked about the importance of their intuition and how they have really, really leaned on it and making decisions. And so it's obviously not something that they take lightly and Julie is one of those CEOs as well. Is that right? KG: Yeah, so a little bit of backstory. We obviously talked a lot about Lifeway Kefir and how kefir is so good for your gut health with all of the probiotics, so in the biological sense, Julie's always thinking about the gut, right, but we also talked a little bit about how she's learned to hone her intuition and listen to her other gut, so to speak, and how that served her in the business world and she told a story that you'll hear about losing her phone for a few days in Mexico and how she learned to just figure stuff out without technology and she offers some really good advice for anyone who's looking to disconnect a little bit and really hone in to their inner self and driving their own decision making without outside influences. KG: And I think that's another thing you'll hear come through this podcast a lot is I feel like there's really two sides to Julie. You know, on one hand she's a really sharp business woman. Always thinking about her next move. She just wrote a book that recently came out. So she's very savvy in that sense of the word, but she also speaks really beautifully about listening to the universe and learning how to hone her intuition and she's a little more woo-woo than what you might expect from a CEO, especially someone who is such a young CEO in a tough business world. So I think you'll get a lot out of this interview guys. JAC: And we can't wait to hear Kristin with Julie. It sounds like it was a really great interview. And stick around listener for the end of the episode where you'll hear from real life goal-getters and what they're achieving out there in the real world today. Here's the show. KG: Welcome to #WeGotGoals. My name is Kristen Geil and today I am here with Julie Smolansky, the president and CEO of Lifeway Kefir. Julie, how are you today? JS: I'm doing great. How are you? KG: I’m great. We're so excited to have you on today. Lifeway Kefir has been a friend of aSweatLife for awhile now and we've gotten used to trying your delicious kefir products at all of our SweatWorking events and we're especially excited to have you on today too because we're going to hear more about the book that you've recently published. So thank you for being here today. First of all, we'll start off with the question that we ask everybody who comes on this podcast and that is, what is a big goal that you've achieved in the past. Why was it important to you and what steps did you take to get there? JS: Well, one of my goals for quite a while has been to write a book and I finally did. I just published the Kefir Cookbook and it took me quite awhile to write and it was a challenging for a variety of reasons, but we did it. I'm super proud of it. I share a lot of great stories from my life, my family's life. I touch on a lot of various issues from being an immigrant and a refugee to a female entrepreneur to a mom. Um, so, you know, even though it's a cookbook, it's very personal and I, I think it was sort of like the appetizer to my first kind of entry into publishing and writing. But yeah, that I am right now just kind of sitting back and watching the book have its impact and being able to talk to my customers and various people as I kind of tour around the country and hear about how kefir has improved people's lives. It's been very, very touching to me. So I'm, I'm kind of just enjoying this moment right now. KG: And you mentioned just now that the Kefir Cookbook is more than just an actual cookbook. I've flipped through it a little bit and it seems like there's a lot of stories of your family woven in. How did your family influenced the conception and the actual writing of this book? JS: Yeah, so I mean, you know, my father passed away, which is how I ended up as the CEO of Lifeway. Uh, he passed away about 16 years ago now. And so he, for me, it was sort of writing some of the stories that were important to me to share that I wanted to sort of document and leave for next generations because those stories become diluted over time or lost. And so now these are kind of forever and you know, it seems a very natural platform to use food to tell these stories. It's, it's become natural for me to like share a picture and say something about it. And I actually think social media really helped me kind of find the inspiration and my voice in that. So when I, I feel like I got good at it through social media, then it became very natural to do it in a more formal published way, organized neatly, you know, strategically. And then with my mom, you know, a lot of recipes kind of were hers, you know, there's a handful that were hers that I had to call and ask her, you know, how to make things or I forgot how to do certain Russian recipes that, which is our, our background. We immigrated from the former Soviet Union in 1976. So, you know, kind of grew up with these old old worlds, Russian Ukrainian recipes, and then there were some stories that I'd forgotten that, you know, I didn't even know that she shared with me that were just kind of fun. And you know, and I think about how far we've actually come when I, I'm very humbled by these stories because, you know, my mom and dad both grew up in a country in communist Russia after the war there, experienced lots of challenges, adversities, political persecution, religious persecution, poverty, hunger, sickness. JS: Like when I think about just how far my mom went to the bathroom in an outhouse, you know, and, and when I think about the rooms and the situations I've been so blessed to be in, it's incredibly—I just get filled with gratitude. So to be able to kind of tell those stories. And then like I said, like they’re, I grew up with them, but now they're like neatly organized, indexed official. There's a Dewey Decimal system number two, it, um, it's just, I'm just so proud of it. And then, you know, I think it's a great way to bring attention to certain issues like immigration, like refugees, like why it's important to support diversity and how that impacts and, and you know, the fact that because America, because Chicago opened its arms to us, we were able to bring kefir, which is a staple in eastern Europe here to the United States and the impact of this product have kefir of probiotics, of gut health, of us leading that conversation for the last 30 years. That becomes incredibly rewarding. I think it's a great example. So I think when I think about the conversations that are being had on a kind of a bigger level, I think it's a great example. Hard to argue with it. KG: Lifeway Kefir is a family business. Can you tell us a little bit about how it was founded, what your first role within the company ism and how that has all grown and developed over the past. How many years has it even been? JS: So it's been 16 years. Yeah. My Dad passed away June ninth in 2002. So I'm coming up to his 16th anniversary and my 16 years of being the CEO. So he, he had a sudden heart attack at the age of 55 and died on a beautiful sunny morning in Chicago and the next day my brother and I essentially took over the company. He was 23, he had just graduated college. He had been with us for about six, six months. I had been with my dad for about five years and I had left—I had intended on becoming a psychologist and I was in grad school, but serendipity brought me to the company kind of on a more formal way and I had decided to leave grad school and I didn't come back for my second year and went full time with my dad and worked with him five years side by side, really learned all the elements of business, kind of a lot of his philosophy and whatnot and it was a great time for us because we. I really got a chance to sort of heal our relationship because I had grown up with both of my parents running businesses as immigrants to the new country, they really, you know, they didn't, I think when we talk about balance and whatnot, that's such a luxury because as immigrants you don't even have that conversation. JS: It's just a nonexistent topic because they're just head down working, getting their feet into the country and putting food on the table literally. And I as, as I kind of got to know my dad and some of his challenges I, a different level of respect sort of started to happen or just like an understanding of how much that both him and my mother had taken on. Not that they were perfect, but it's just, uh, a different level of understanding. So anyways, he passed away. I ended up taking over with my brother. I become the CEO. He's the CFO and we just grow it from about 12 million to about 130 today. We're, I feel like on the cusp of another kind of growth spurt right now. Of course, probiotics are having a moment as everyone knows. Gut health is having a moment. I don't think it's going away. JS: We're just learning about the microbiome and the bacteria that that is so critical for our health and wellbeing. You know, it's a 2000-year-old product that's just making its way here to the United States. It's 30 years is nothing actually considering its long 2,000 year history. What our relatives knew in the Caucus mountains in Europe, they said that 2000 years ago when they tried this product that they had a sense of wellbeing when they consumed it, they called it the champagne of dairy and a gift from the gods and they intuitively in their gut, you know, no pun intended, kind of realized and knew that they felt good when they consumed kefir. Well, fast forward to 1908, Élie Metchnikoff did the first science research around kefir and its influence on our health and our wellbeing and he won the Nobel Prize for it. So for now, the last hundred years we've had science and medical research backing up what and our ancestors knew intuitively that kefir is actually really good for you, very beneficial to the body. JS: And so in the last hundred years, we've just advanced on that research and science and it's now, it's like unbelievable what's happening, the incredible breakthroughs that are happening, even we knew that it was good for your digestive and your immunity, you know, your health from a physical perspective. But now we're learning that it's even beneficial for mental health. So we now know that gut health influences your stress, anxiety, depression, all of the mental health and, and like incredible research that's coming out around microbiome and mental health, but all health. And so, you know, we're, we're just really excited about kind of sharing that information. I mean, it survived by word of mouth, by storytelling, by oral history and storytelling, word of mouth. And now with social media, that of course elevates and explodes it and so we can really get the word out around the, you know, when you make certain food choices and certain lifestyle choices, you choose to heal yourself. JS: You choose to love yourself. You choose to love your family or community for a very like, you know, there's no risk. It's not like a pharmaceutical drug that has side effects. There's the only side effect is that you feel good, you know, that's the, that's the impact. So that becomes incredibly rewarding to try to get it into the hands into as many people get this information out and support communities that are trying to do this. Um, I think that's kind of if, if, if that's the purpose, my life purpose, then I think I've lived a good life. Yeah. KG: When you took over Lifeway Foods in 2002, you became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm. But unlike most CEOs who have time to grow into the role, you were thrust into it really unexpectedly. What was that like and what did that teach you about your leadership and goal setting style? JS: Yeah, I mean it was incredibly challenging. Of course, on one hand, you know, I was mourning the loss of my father, but it sort of, it gave me a place to focus and put that energy. It gave me an outlet. I almost think like he was sort of looking over me and like handed this project to me. Like here, instead of feeling sorry for yourself, go work on this. That's very much him. And I really was, I constantly thought about this mantra that failure was not an option, that my parents had gone through so much. My family had gone through so much blood, sweat and tears to get to this point that I wasn't gonna let it all just fall apart. And I mean, I had backlash. I had older men who tried to undercut, you know, my role and prevent this from happening. And it took a lot of courage for me to stand up to a, you know, a bunch of older white men and say no, and I'm gonna run it and I'm going to kick ass at it. JS: I mean, I kind of, I knew that I would. And then I think, you know what? I guess what I thought about was that my parents came with no money, no friends, no language. They didn't have a network. Here I was, graduated, uh, you know, schooled in the United States with a network for the most part, access to network already with, you know, a $12,000,000 business now. It's just like, don't fuck it up. I just, I think that was the biggest thing is that I just did not want it to fail and I knew that we were onto something. I mean I had known that we were really on the cost of some major growth, that the country was sort of ready and just starting to be prepared to make big food changes and food habits and all of that, which all came true and being first to market with so important, which we were and I had grown up in the business. JS: So I had sort of, these were normal conversations in terms of business. It became intuitive to me on how to run a business and I had always been a leader my whole life. I mean I watched my parents be leaders and pioneers and pave the path for other immigrants and lead in their community. And of course in their businesses. You know, my greatest role model was my mother and she had started a deli two years after settling in the seventies, opened the first Russian deli, didn't speak English, really, you know, learned English, watching General Hospital actually, and started doing international deals all over the world and she was so brave and courageous. So I had these great examples and great role models. I thought the least I could do is sort of rise up and show them what they had kind of built. And I learned, yeah, I learned what I was made of. JS: I learned that I could really go through the fire and come out of it OK and come out stronger that I can persevere, that I'm tenacious, that I am resilient. All of those things. I knew that I was. I mean I knew that I was in the past, but I, this was like the challenge. You know, it was interesting because I had just run my first marathon the year before my dad passed away and he challenged me. He was like, you know, it started because we sponsored a lot of marathons and races. So I sort of saw, I was always athletic, but I had seen these people, old, young, all different body shapes running this crazy distance and I remember seeing like an 80, 90 year old man running and I thought, my gosh, if he can run a marathon, I should be able to do this. JS: You know, I'd been a figure skater for 15 years. I played tennis, I rode horses, I was super athletic but I'd never been a runner and not that distance. But picked up some shoes, started running and my dad saw me cross the finish line and he didn't believe that I was going to do it. He's like 26 miles, that's crazy. You would never be able to do it. And once he gave me that challenge I had to prove him wrong of course. And, and I did. And I thought that was a great lesson also for me and that, you know, I learned that I can challenge myself, set goals, that I don't have to be the first. You don't have to win the thing. I can still do it and have a great experience. And seeing him see me cross the finish line was very important for me as well. So I'm happy that he got to see that. I think it's probably a metaphor that at that point he knew that I could probably do anything at that point I think is what he realized. And I don't know, maybe it was just his time and mine. KG: I love the way you talked about yourself so confidently just now. Like I am tenacious, I am this, I am that like you seem to really know yourself and have that inner confidence, but I'm guessing it wasn't always that way. Did you ever have imposter syndrome when you were starting out as such a young female CEO? And if so, like what kind of pep talks did you give to yourself to pump yourself up before going into a room of these white American men and what would you recommend for other young females maybe just starting off in business, who have those same feelings of not being quite as confident as you are now? JS: Yeah, I mean, yeah, I had to work at it. I was not always so confident of course. It was a couple things. I had a few series of success, you know, I had a few wins behind me, so when you get good and sort of master something and you can feel yourself master it, that builds your confidence. So I had done that repeatedly over and over, whether that was, you know, public speaking or writing something or launching a new product or selling a new product. All of those things help build my confidence in business and then I started to realize that every person, no matter who they were, had something to offer to being in the room, that we were all there to learn a lesson from each other and so then it, I feel like it got equalized in my head. Maybe the other person didn't know, but all it took was for me to feel confident. JS: That didn't matter really what the other person felt. I started to see that I would show up in rooms and people wanted to hear from me. People wanted to hear what I thought about things. Think about like social media was blowing up, here I was a woman on social media, dominating social media because women were, you know, at the time when social media was sort of happening, and this is about when I was took over Lifeway, we really carved a place. Our voice really became powerful in, in social media. We're creating content, we're selling merchandise, starting businesses, all these things. And so I realized I had this asset to offer that and a certain skillset that all was very like intuitive that sometimes I saw men struggle with and so I started to feel like, okay, we each have something to offer, like you have a great skill in this area. JS: I have a skill in this area. And I felt like there was kind of greater currency in leveraging both of those and that we're kind of all equal. And I, it was these kinds of small thoughts in my head. And then of course having children really exponentially grew my confidence because now I couldn't even live in fear anymore. It was just absolutely not an option. I had to really rise because, you know, I have two little girls that I want to create a better world for them and the only way to do that is completely to let go of all fear and to live out my true life purpose and show them and model that for them because I really want that for them more than I want anything else is for them to be able to really live fearlessly and fiercely with all the power that they can take and to, to ask for as much power that they can. JS: We have a lot of work to make up for here as genders and, and uh, and for power. And so I spent time with various coaches. I had a group of other executives who, you know, gave me accountability that helped me in certain areas where I was challenged. I leaned on friends of course, and I have a really good support around me of people who help me when I'm not necessarily feeling at my best. And then I feel like, again, I've, I've just tried to learn like I don't think anything's really a failure or a mistake if you've learned something from it and I always want to find those lessons and so then it becomes a nice little dance that you do with the universe to keep building on those skills, keep shedding more, you know, more of that fear and just letting it go and really kind of getting to the essence of who you are, what you want to be, what you want to project out into the world, what you want mirrored back to you. Those are all kind of important things. I think that as I kind of think about the next decade, two decades of my life that I want to think about. KG: You mentioned wanting to be a good role model for your young girls in terms of how you grow the business and in terms of how you live fearlessly. Did you have any other female CEO role models that you looked up to when you were starting out or that you've developed over the past 16 years? JS: Yeah. Actually one was actually Christie Hefner here in Chicago. She so, so when was in college and I came home and my dad was watching CNN with a special of her being featured and my dad turned to me and said, look what she's done. She took over her father's company. I want you to do that. I want you to be like her. And I feel like that was a really important statement that he gave me. JS: It kinda gave me a good push to know that I could do it, that he wanted that for me, gave me a lot of confidence and so I did actually look at her life sort of how she carved out her role as a CEO and then we've become friends. So I definitely lean on her just for friendship, but advice and whatnot, mentorship. Um, and I've sought out many kind of female business groups and communities. Like the Fortune most powerful women community is a great one; here in Chicago there's the Chicago Network and C200 as a national one for females and in business. But there's so many now. I mean it's really great. It is so important, I think, you know, if you can't see it, you can't be at. And it's still so rare. I mean, and I think we just dropped 25 percent on the Fortune 500 list of female CEOs and there's only like, well there were 21 last time I looked. JS: I haven't checked the news in the last couple of days that keeps seeing those headlines. I'm guessing we dropped. So that's nothing. You know, we're less than 20 percent in Congress and there's only been like five female governors. I mean we're really underrepresented. Behind the camera, we’re like less than six percent or something. I mean, don't quote the numbers. It's been a while since I looked at them, but we're, you know, our stories are not really told our, we're not really visible. There's no like, like here I'm on the board of the Women's History Museum. There no single standing museum actually that represents the history of women's accomplishments and we've been doing and building this country and the world from the beginning of time. But there's nothing to point to concretely. And so I really start. I started noticing that there is just a lack of women in power, a lack of women in media, lack of women, you know, running heads of companies, a lack of female titans, a lack of women in every single area. JS: I mean we’re there, but our stories aren't told, but, and we're not there at equal numbers either. And likewise, you know, where are the men raising the kids? I mean they're there obviously, but I think when we reach gender parity, where it’s like 50/50 and equal responsibilities in the household and in corporations and whatnot and throughout government and all of these areas that I think we will have a better, safer, healthier world, a more peaceful world, a more, I don't know, meaningful world. And I think the time has come. I think the last eight, nine months have proved that we are not going to take it sitting down and that we're gonna come together, that we're stronger together. That, you know, when our voice collectively it's fierce, it’s unstoppable. The, you know, when many women come together, when the most powerful women come together and share the truth about their lives, about their accomplishments, about their challenges, about all of it, that the world actually stops and listens and starts to make changes. JS: I think we're just at the very beginning of this reckoning. I think there's going to be so many conversations. So I think the next generation, I have personally acted in a way that I have wanted to evolve, not just for myself but for the next generation. I think I, you know, I've personally been an activist since I was 15. I am exhausted. I am personally exhausted for the last 30 some years and I think it's really great that the next generation has been activated and has been empowered with tools, with social media, with role models, with voices, with many of us pulling them up and saying, yeah, go talk, share, go. You know, go do all the really important things. Hold men accountable. I think that is when we start to change the world. And so if I could have just done that for my girls, if they speak loudly and demand for some of these changes, then that's a good thing. KG: When it comes to being empowered to find your voice and listen to your intuition, I feel like that's a lot easier said than done. And I know that's something that you sort of hinted at it at the beginning of this interview was how kefir can actually help you listen to your gut, not just because it's good for your gut health, but it might help you find your intuition and you know, dive into that mental benefit as well. So I'm curious to know what some of the strategies you've developed for actually listening to your gut are in honing your intuition as a woman throughout the years as a CEO. Yeah. I'm really just interested to hear about listening to your gut as it is. JS: Yeah. That actually listening to my gut has become a really fun way to live. More and more, I feel that there are no coincidences, that everything is sort of happening for a reason, that we're living these sort of alternative universe lives, multiple lives, whatever. I know it sounds so crazy, but whatever. I feel like, well, we're so distracted from these, our intuition. We run such busy lives. We're completely on social media or in our electronics, just in our electronics, actually. We, I personally have sort of lost sight of my own intuition and it took me a minute to stop and actually lose my phone for three days in Tulum. I shared this story in the book and it took me these three days where I lost my phone, had to get in touch with myself, had to rely on friends and community to get me from out of Mexico into New York with no money, no phone, no nothing, and for a couple of days just shut down and think. And I healed parts of my body and it was like sort of the universe doing a wake up call like Julie, stop, stop, slow down, stop, listen to yourself, listen to your body, you’re spinning out of control. JS: And I was, I was completely setting and I was processing a lot of things that were kind of going on in the last couple of years. And finally the world took my phone away and made me pause and a lot of things started to come to me. And I started taking notes and I started journaling and went inward. I meditated, I did yoga, you know, over these three days. And I had had this really bad hip pain for about six years and I kept blaming it on my pregnancy and I started realizing that it had nothing to do with my pregnancy but more to do with a whole lot of shame and all these other various issues. And I remember doing this meditation and just this moment of like release and this feeling just left me and it just walked away into the ocean because we were oceanside. And I started to like cry. JS: Like I was sobbing. And the next day I notice I'm walking around through the sand and my hip doesn't hurt. And I'm like, wait, this is so weird. If my hip doesn't hurt. And then it basically has kind of stayed that way and I think that was this moment of following my intuition where I didn't have time to go to this conference. I went to Tulum to do this, this thing. It was like not the best time for me to do it, but I just said, you know what? The universe just is gonna give me what I need. I don't know what I need, but you know, I'm just going to go and I'm just gonna let it happen. And it did and it, the universe gave me exactly what I needed and it's this thing, this is this, this moment of following my gut. And I started realizing that I'd actually done it all all the time. JS: I just didn't know I was doing it. And as I look back now, hindsight 20/20, I see all these moments where I followed my gut were something intuitively something called to me. And every time when I didn't listen, I made a mistake and I started realizing over and over again that the times that I've talked myself out of things that I have wanted to do, that I, my heart pulled me to. I lived in pain and suffering and when I started to get in touch with those feelings, both not living intuitively and living intuitively, it was night and day and the, I don't want to say luck because everything is hard work. And I—somebody just said this, I think it was Shonda Rimes just that, don't use the word luck. It cheapens all my hard work. And that's absolutely true. It's like I worked really hard to get to this point and now it's just continuing to ask myself these questions, giving myself time to think and feel. JS: Mostly, uh, I think I've mostly lived in my mind, in my head and letting my intuition lead me now is so much more intuitive, but it's, it's very natural. It's, and it's, I think a skill set that women have because we have an amazing intuition. We have this maternal female intuition that is very hard to touch and once you realize it, it's unstoppable and it's, I think a skill that will be leveraged and can be monetized. I think corporations want that because you can go to all the Harvard schools and Ivy League schools and you can run every spreadsheet in the world, but there are some things that you need to like know intuitively in your heart. That's a very magical, special gift and I think many of us have it, which is a lot of intuitives in the world. I think that's a skill that will continue to be important in our world. JS: But yeah, so you know, writing, taking time, processing, making positive food choices, you know, living sorta as clean of a life as I could. A couple glasses of wine never hurt anybody. Taking time to exercise and rest. Exercise, like I love running, I love spinning, or you know, I do SoulCycle. These are the times when I do get to focus on my heart and my emotions and my feelings and what I think sort of are, are things that I want to work on, accomplish challenge, learned from all of it. I think that's really what it's all about. That on I, once I started to realize that impact that food had and specifically key fair because it is just the easiest—when I learned about now what we're learning about the microbiome, I am blown away by how, how important having that second the gut, which we call a second brain now, how important when that's running well, when it's healthy, it's like magic the way that you move through the world. It's really, really special and I think it's a lifelong process. I don't think it's like, OK, I'm going to do this for a week. It's forever. It is for me at least that I think it's like healing myself is sort of healing my community. That again, I think about when I, we’re all just like mirrors for each other. So if I crave a healthy, safe world where you know there's love and there's abundance and there's safety and spirituality, then that's what I need to find in myself so that I can see that. So that became really important to me and yeah, I think there's just these basic elements we have to live for lifestyle, forever, and that's it. Leave the next generation with the same, you know, these lessons and tools. Like I feel like I definitely banged my head against the wall for a long time and it took me awhile to sort of learn this, but I've done it actually fairly early. JS: A lot of people do it much later in life. I was kind pushed into learning this probably a lot quicker than many people do. So I think if I can expedite that process for other people, like I just think, think about the evolution that can happen so much quicker. You know, when younger people are at this level already in their teens or in their 20s, what else can they do when they're not spending so much time healing? Because that it is exhausting. It is absolutely exhausting to get to this place, but it's a lot of work, but there's so many great rewards. I'm almost there, almost reached what I wanted to do. KG: Well, you’ve inspired me to go chuck my phone out a window the next chance I get, but in the meantime I feel like we could talk to you forever about your perspective as an immigrant, as a female CEO, as an activist, as a mom, but we have to wrap this up eventually, so we'll have to save some for the next part, the next part 2 of having Julie on the podcast, someday. We’ll close with the question that we ask everybody who comes on this, which is part two of our intro question: What's a big goal that you have for the future? Why is it important to you and what steps are you taking to get there today? JS: Oh boy, there’s, I mean, just one is too hard. I want to write another book. Eventually I want to write sort of my memoirs. There's still a handful of years I feel that I need to live and a few more chapters left to right before I really do that. Mostly right now I'm focused on of course growing my business, but that's, that's actually not that hard. I mean, it is, it's hard. Of course it's always hard, but you know that I feel like I could do with fairly smoothly. JS: I've mostly spent the last 16 plus, even 20 years if you add at the beginning of my career. I've spent the last 20 years focused on my career and then growing my family. I think right now I'm really focused on my heart and myself and healing myself, healing my community of course, um, was a sort of in a lot that's happened for me personally in the last couple of years. I'm just trying to process it. I want to enjoy the work that I've done and the energy that I've put out and sort of sit back and watch how, how that looks and see all of this effort and celebrate it. And I guess I want to just fall in love in the deepest, most sacred way. And that's probably with myself. That seems to be really important to me right now. I think it's time to really, really deeply, I guess fall in love with myself and the world. KG: I think that's a perfect sentiment to end on. Julie, thank you so much for being here today. Where can we find the Kefir Cookbook? JS: So the Kefir Cookbook is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Whole Foods has it on the shelf. Independent bookstores, you know, all the places that you buy your books. KG: Perfect. Well, I know we're looking forward to trying out the recipes and again, thank you so much for being here with us today on the #WeGotGoals podcast. JS: Thank you so much for having me. CK: Great. Hey goal getters. This is co-host and producer Cindy Kuzma here.We’re about to play another one of your goals. This one was also recorded live at the Hotel Moxy. We've got a few more coming up for you in the weeks ahead that we recorded live at the Michelob Ultra SweatWorkingWeek Fitness Festival a couple weeks ago as well. Stay tuned too because soon we are going to have a way for you to email or call us with your goals and you can be a part of this very podcast. Thank you so much for listening. And here is your goal. JB: My name is Jaime black. I am a podcaster based in Chicago. CK: Excellent. And Jaime, what is a big goal that you have accomplished and how did you get there or what is the goal you have for the future? JB: That's a good question. I was just, I was just told about 40 seconds ago that I'm doing this. So, um, you know, for me a big goal that I have ahead of me this year is a—well I guess I should say this, a big goal I had recently in the last year was setting up a podcasting class. I teach a podcasting class through a few different platforms like AirBN&B experiences and Dabble. And so getting that up and running was a goal in 2017 and now that that is running, you know, the way that it works is people physically come to my studio space in Pilsen and take the class in person. So my new goal for this year is to really get the, um, the online component of that class active. I have it on one platform. There's like three or four other platforms I'm trying to get it on. So just building the podcasting class that people can take it in person or online and you know, like we're here today because of all the podcast stuff, everything I do is just podcasts related. CK: So, but ah, getting that online presence. So that's like a multifaceted goal, right? Because first you have to figure out the technology and then you have to figure out the marketing. So what are some of the things that you're doing to, to bring that all together? JB: Yeah, there's a lot of steps to building an online class and I'm very new to it. I have it on one platform called teachable. And that was a learning experience because I do a lot of audio work, but I don't do a lot of video work. So taking a class that I teach, it's three hours long and building video content around that when again, I'm not a video producer first and foremost, that was a learning experience and now now that it happened on one platform, I've got to reformat in and kind of retool it so that it could live on a few different platforms. Each of which have their own format and model and you know, kind of activation level. So, you know, it's just plugging these things into different platforms. And uh, and then once it's even alive, then of course you have to actually, like you said, market it, get it out there. And that's just the beginning of getting it just posted on a platform. CK: So how do you plan to get the word out? JB: I think I want to tell me like, just promoted on youtube and I'm like, Oh man, it's going to be more video work, isn't it? But I think, yeah, I think that's what it's going to come down to as short video clips that are going, like help promote and talk about the class and you know, how it can help people learn how to podcast because we're here today because podcasting is really great. So this is a really good time to learn how to become a podcaster because there are resources like this booth here at the Moxy Chicago. Um, and it's just in general, it's, we're in this time now where people are really passionate about podcasts and a lot of people are really finding them. CK: It's true, it's true. So how do people find you and your classes? JB: Yeah, great question. So you can look at dynastypodcasts.com, it's plural. So dynastypodcasts.com with the s at the end of podcasts. I'm, we've got links to the class there and I'm always active on twitter. My twitter is Jamie black, jaimeblack. So I'm always posting my links. If you see me go six hours, without tweeting, like call my parents, something's really wrong, so yeah. CK: Awesome Jamie, well thank you for all of your help here today and thank you so much for sharing your goal. JB: Well thank you for letting me help with this podcast. CK: This podcast was produced by me, Cindy Kuzma, and it's another thing that's better with friends, so please share it with yours. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and if you have a chance to leave us a rating and a review while you're there, we would really appreciate it. Special thanks to J. Mano for our theme music; to our guest this week, Julie Smolansky; and to TechNexus for the recording studio.  

At 27 years old, Julie Smolyansky found herself leading a 12 million dollar public company. Her father had died suddenly of a heart attack, and just 24 hours later she was addressing all of her employees as their new CEO. Over the next decade, Julie would go on to grow the company to one of the most recognizable food brands in the world, earning a spot on Fortune Magazine's '40 Under 40'. Since then she has launched a non-profit, produced several documentaries, and authored The Kefir Cookbook, sharing her entrepreneurial story and over 100 globally-inspired sweet and savory recipes using Kefir.Many doubted Julie's ability to run a public company at such a young age, but her confidence came from having incredible role models in both of her parents. After emigrating to America, her mother opened a small Russian Deli to support the family. This eventually grew into a larger food distribution business working with Russian stores all over the United States, securing exclusive contracts like the right to distribute a then little known brand called Nutella in America. Her parents got the idea to bring Kefir to America after visiting a trade show in Germany to source food for their delis. The Russian population in Chicago was growing, and they knew that their would be growing demand for this staple Russian drink. In our conversation with Julie, we uncover how her parents created their own recipe for the drink, and the steps that they took to turn Lifeway Foods into a public company within only 2 years of inception. We also discuss the importance of having the right mentors in your life, and why a strong network of support contributes more to success than experience. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We do an annual cookbook show in December, intended as ideas for holiday gifts, but it seems like every week there’s another book or two to check out. Coming up on this week’s show, we dive deep into two books. Chef Bill Kim has been the driving force behind such restaurants as Urban Belly and Belly Q. He joins Rick and Steve to talk about his new cookbook Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces. Then we switch to kefir, that glorious fermented milk with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway joins them to talk about her new book The Kefir Cookbook.

 Team, yesterday, I a took a walk on the NYC Highline with my friend and CEO of Lifeway Foods, Julie Smolyansky. I met Julie five years ago at SXSW.  She was (and still is) a major supporter of our friends at Every Mother Counts.  And, as she was training with Charity Miles to run the Boston Marathon, she decided to become our first major sponsor! Since then, I have had the honor of becoming friends with Julie personally.  She is someone that I truly admire. Julie is a great mom, an accomplished marathoner, and one of very few women CEOs of a publicly traded company.  She is leading a mission-driven business that is leading the way for other mission-driven businesses (like Charity Miles).  She leads by example, as someone who doesn't have to do the hard thing, but chooses to do it anyway– because it's the right thing to do. Julie is also a new author of the Kefir Cookbook, which is not just a Kefir recipe book, but also a story about family, entrepreneurialism, and leading a purposeful life. I'm ever grateful to Julie– not only for her support of Charity Miles, but for her friendship and inspiring me personally. #EveryMileMatters Subscribe on iTunes / Subscribe on Stitcher / Subscribe on Google Play   The post Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods: Trust Your Gut! appeared first on Charity Miles.

In this episode, Stew talked with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of LifeWay Foods. Julie became CEO of LifeWay at the age of 27 and has since grown it to over $130 million in annual revenue. Her dedication to community impact and her commitment to health and fitness are among the creative ways she has found to integrate work and the rest of her life. You’re sure to be inspired and informed by her story. For more information about this and previous episodes, check out www.workandlifepodcast.com/blog/julie-smolyansky , where you can find show notes, links to resources discussed in the conversation, and the roster of Stew’s guests you can look forward to hearing soon. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Live Live Thrive is a women's Empowerment hour featuring women who are doing amazing work in the world to inspire others to do the same. Producer 360 Karma's ideology is about women helping women so as to catapult females into more positions of influence

Julie Smolyansky talks about high-protein kefir. She also shares her inspirational story about using technology and innovation to improve her probiotic range. Lifeway Foods started in the basement of a family home selling a 150-year-old Eastern European cheese delicacy to Chicago area Russian immigrants. Some years later and following the untimely death of founder Mike Smolyansky, his then 25-year-old daughter, Julie, took over the business and a dramatic reinvention began. Celebrating 30 years this month, Lifeway has become known for being one of the first to bring the probiotic craze to your grocery store isle. Her protein rich drink, Kefir, is guzzled by everyone from toddlers to body builders, and its popularity has made them $150MM company traded on the NASDAQ. Guest Info Twitter - @JulieSmolyansky Website - http://lifewaykefir.com/         

CEO of Lifeway Kefir Julie Smolyansky joins Lisa to discuss her path to becoming CEO of the company, growing the sales to $130 million, and finding balance among the chaos. We also discuss her work with the UN and her work to end violence against women.