Podcasts about midday squares

Summer running is here, and if you're drenched in sweat by mile 2, it's time to level up your hydration game. Spoiler alert: just drinking more water isn't the fix. In this week's podcast episode, I'm breaking down how to hydrate smarter—not harder—so you can beat the heat without bonking or bloating. Here's what we're covering: ✅ The science of sweat + why electrolytes matter ✅ How to tell if you're underhydrated (without relying on pee color alone) ✅ Simple tweaks to your fueling plan to stay energized + cramp-free ✅ Real talk on salt, sports drinks, and hydration myths Listen in before your next steamy run—you might be just one bottle away from feeling so much better out there. This is a repeat episode from April 22, 2024. Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

 Off-season doesn't mean off-identity. In this episode, I'm diving into why embracing your identity as a runner year-round is essential—especially when the world is pushing bikini-body narratives hard. We talk about how to set intentional goals in the off-season that support your metabolism, training, and body image, so you're not just "getting by" but laying the foundation for stronger, more empowered fall racing. Your future PR starts now—and it definitely doesn't start with a 1,200-calorie meal plan.   Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

Watch out documentary on the Future of the CMO from this link

In this week's podcast episode, I'm diving into the psychology behind why ditching diets can feel so uncomfortable—and why those freak-outs are actually a sign that you're doing something right. We'll talk about:  ✅ Why guilt shows up when you stop controlling food ✅ How your brain got wired to equate dieting with survival ✅ What to do when the food freedom panic hits   Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

I did it… I hired a running coach.

I am answering the question, "How do you know when you can trust your body when it is asking for rest?" This was asked from a member in Eat Like An Athlete Community on our monthly team call. I share how I have been working through this as well since having my baby. I give you questions to ask yourself to test this question and figure out if you are really needing a rest day. I also give you tips on how to change up your workout when you are struggling with this question. I talk about Maaree sports bras. Here is the link! If you use code SBMFFTQMZW8 you will get 15% off!   Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

Nutrition Nugget! Bite-size bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about Mid-Day Squares, the functional chocolate snack that claims to satisfy your sweet cravings while offering a healthier alternative to traditional chocolate bars. Are they as good as their marketing suggests? What's inside these snacks, and do they live up to the hype? Tune in to find out! Like what you're hearing? Be sure to check out the full-length episodes of new releases every Wednesday.  Have an idea for a nutrition nugget?  Submit it here: https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/index.php/contact/       RESOURCES:Become A Member of Salad with a Side of FriesJenn's Free Menu PlanA Salad With a Side of FriesA Salad With A Side Of Fries MerchA Salad With a Side of Fries InstagramReal People, Real Results: Paul and CaylaReading Labels: What Are We REALLY Looking for?Reading Labels Part 2: Learning In Action

I am answering the question, "Is it okay to eat bread 3 times a day?" I posted something recently and someone made a comment on how eating this certain way could be harming your metabolism and that eating bread 3 times a day is not healthy. I go over the science as to why we need to eat more food as female athletes and what I was trying to explain in my social media post.   Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

We are diving into body image and how to be kind to your body. I share my experience with body image and how I have had to work through it again after pregnancy. I want to help you go from a place of hating/repulsed/depressed about your body to a place of accepting and neutrality. I give my top tips on how to move to accepting your body.   Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

I am talking about gut health. I explain what healthy/good bacteria is, why we need it in our colon, what it can do for you when you have it in your body, and when to focus on supporting your healthy gut microbiome. I share some foods that have probiotic and prebiotic in them to help contribute to your gut health.    Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

“Transparency and authenticity are the new currency. If you don't figure that out, you won't be able to get the purchases because consumers today want to understand what the brand is about … They want to see the humans behind the brand.” -Jake Karls   Transparency and authenticity are the new currency in today's business landscape. Consumers crave genuine connections with the brands they support, valuing honesty and vulnerability over polished perfection. In a world saturated with noise, the brands that dare to be unapologetically themselves will rise above the rest. Jake Karls is the co-founder of Mid-Day Squares, a modern-day chocolate company redefining the way we indulge. As a passionate advocate for transparency and innovation, Jake has built a brand that prioritizes both functional nutrition and emotional connection. Revisit this insightful conversation as Jake shares Midday Squares' journey of growth, legal challenges, and the power of staying true to your values in a rapidly evolving industry.     Connect with Jake:  Jake Karls is an actuary turned modern-day Willy Wonka. He co-founded Mid-Day Squares in 2018 along with his sister and brother-in-law. They manufacture the world's first Functional Chocolate Bars: “Everything a chocolate bar isn't, everything a protein bar wishes it was.” The social skills he acquired from running run a clothing brand (Chase & Hunter) became a strength for Mid-Day Squares, his role being the Chief Rover Officer and Resident Social-Personality. He makes a noise, builds relationships, and spreads love.    Website Podcast Facebook  X Instagram LinkedIn   Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram  X LinkedIn YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:26 What's New with Jake?  04:50 Giving the Ownership to the Consumers 08:17 Transparency is the New Currency 10:50 Trust is the Key  

I am sharing about my experience with food, nutrition, and some disordered-ish behaviors that came up for me post-partum. This episode isn't just for mom's, but the advice I am giving is more broad for anyone who has struggled with disordered behaviors.   Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

We are living in a climate where people are spreading a lot of misinformation around food and making people feel really scared to eat. Since we are female runners and have high energy needs and need to have enough fuel, I am going to talk about processed foods and the toxins in our food. I share the differences between what the United States and the European Union allow in processed foods. I talk about ways to add nutrient dense foods with the processed foods for a balanced meal or snack.   Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.

I have been going on a journey for the last two years of learning about women's hormone health. I am sharing about syncing your workouts, nutrition and long run fueling with where you are in your menstrual cycle. I give you tips on how to work with your hormones and nutrition ideas to adequately fuel during each phase of your cycle.   Save 15% off your MidDay Squares order with this link! If you have questions about this episode DM on Instagram @runnergirldietitian.  

Why do most brands struggle to create good content nowadays? We talk about three things that often times hold brands back and how to overcome those barriers.This episode isn't just nostalgia; it's a playbook on the power of storytelling in marketing. We unravel the narrative threads that brands weave to connect with us and the delicate balance of authenticity. From the evolving landscape of social media platforms to the first gripping seconds of content that make or break viewer engagement, we're dissecting it all. We talk about creators and brands such as , Leo Olsson from Lucky Egg and the team at Midday Squares and how they share their maverick marketing tales, proving that sometimes the most bizarre challenges lead to the most compelling stories.Buckle up for a conversation that's as enlightening as it is entertaining, marrying personal anecdotes with insightful wisdom on brand growth. We're talking about the unfinished narratives that keep us hooked, the organic content that feels like a chat with friends, and the emotional resonance of a well-told story. It's an episode that celebrates the shared human experience, from those 'oh no' moments to the triumphs, reminding us why we're all just suckers for a good yarn.Please connect with Trevor on social media. You can find him anywhere @thetrevorcrump

I'm thrilled to share with you the latest episode of our podcast, Uncensored Advice for Men, where we had an enlightening conversation with Mike, a high-school dropout turned millionaire entrepreneur.Mike's journey is nothing short of inspiring. From being an overweight teenager to building a $100 million business, his story is a testament to the power of determination and resilience. Now, he's an investor, advisor, and mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success.Here are some highlights from our conversation:The Sweet Taste of Success: Mike's favorite chocolate bar is Midday Squares, a nutritionally balanced, low-sugar treat that's part of his investment portfolio. It's a new age of chocolate that's as delicious as it is healthy!Hitting Rock Bottom: Mike's transformation began when he decided to take control of his health. His journey to wellness involved regular workouts, a healthier diet, and a strong will to change.The Best Day Ever Plan: Mike's strategy for those feeling stuck involves a focus on nutrition, exercise, positive relationships, personal growth, and quality time with family. It's a holistic approach to wellness that can help anyone, regardless of where they're starting from.Spiritual Awakening: Mike's spiritual journey involved exploring mindfulness, spirituality, and psychedelics. Incorporating yoga, meditation, and breathwork into his routine helped him become more mindful and connected to his flow state.Monk Mode: After hitting rock bottom, Mike went into "monk mode," focusing on self-improvement and reflection. This period of introspection led him to his current role as a mentor and advisor.Imposter Syndrome: Mike shares his experience with imposter syndrome and how he overcame it. His advice? Share your experiences and learnings, and don't take it personally if not everyone connects with them.Videography Venture: Mike's current focus is on videography, a new skill he's learning as part of his personal growth plan for 2024.Podcast Insights: Mike's podcast, "Founder to Mentor," shares the growth stories of world-class founders. With 70 episodes already published, it's a treasure trove of insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.I hope these snippets pique your curiosity and inspire you to tune in to the full episode. Mike's story is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to turn your life around and chase your dreams.Support the showNext Steps Share your thoughts with a review - https://www.uncensoredadviceformen.com/reviews/ Let's connect on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/ Subscribe and Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI11BikVb5CbEwIwjmR89Iw

Today we interview Jake Karls, the co-founder of Midday Squares, a brand that prioritizes storytelling in their social media content. Jake emphasizes the importance of authentic storytelling and emotional connections with customers. We discuss the impact of platforms like Instagram and TikTok, as well as the value of engagement and community-building over follower count. Jake advises businesses to have a clear vision and intention for their content, focusing on authenticity and values. Overall, this episode highlights the power of storytelling in attracting and retaining customers! Follow Midday Squares on TikTok Follow Midday Squares on Instagram Follow As A Creator on Instagram Follow Charlotte on Instagram Follow Charlotte on LinkedIn

We are so excited to have welcomed Jake Karls, Co-Founder of Midday Squares on The SKNKRE Podcast. We moved skincare aside for this one, and chatted with Jake about growing his business, building confidence, taking care of his mental health as an entrepreneur, and showing up as his best, most authentic self.  Jake is so passionate about what he does, and we hope you will take away some inspiration from this different and upbeat episode.  LINKS: Learn more about Midday Squares here. Follow Midday Squares on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Jake on Instagram.  Discover all things Boutique Skin Envie here. 

This episode features an interview with Jake Karls one of founders of Midday Squares, a successful chocolate bar brand. He discusses the importance of staying true to business development and building relationships with people and teams. Jake emphasizes the creation of emotional connections with customers through storytelling. He explains the concept of Midday Squares, a chocolate bar with a functional twist. He discusses their journey of getting Midday Squares products into major retail stores like Target and the challenges that come with it. Jake also opens up about his personal experience with burnout and emphasizes the importance of self-care. He touches on the challenges of hiring the right people and creating a positive company culture

This is Lezlie Karls for Female Startup ClubHello everyone and welcome back to the show!It's Doone here - your host and hype girl. And before we jump in today marks something really bloody exciting for Female Startup Club! As of this week we have joined the Acast podcast network and that means lots of exciting things! Firstly we're going to start introducing some different kinds of episodes, like strategy breakdowns with industry experts, and how-to's for earlystage founders and future founders.It also means you're going to start hearing a new voice on the show - you're going to meet my wingwoman and one of the best humans I know, Josephine. If you've ever messaged us on Instagram or you're part of Majic you'll know just how wonderful Josephine is and she's gonna be joining me in a new series where we talk through insights, questions and what's happening in the world of business.Now something I'm really excited about is the comeback of our Facebook group. It's linked in our show notes and I want you to jump in there and join us asap! Every Monday I'll be sharing who I'm interviewing for that week and this is where you can ask specific questions you want me to answered on the show. You can also drop your own questions and challenges and we'll be shouting those out too. It's a great chance to get your brand featured on the podcast.Phew. Ok! That's all my exciting news for today. Let's get into the good stuff. Today we're chatting with Lezlie Karls from Midday Squares. We actually recorded an episode with Lezlie way back in December of 2021 and sooo much has changed in that time. She's gone through probably the worst time in her business since then and has just come out the other side so there's plenty of great insights and learnings to take away here. I hope you love this episode just as much as I do - and remember if you have some specific questions you want to ask on our upcoming episodes, come join us in the Facebook group.Let's get into it, this is Lezlie Karls for Female Startup Club.LINKS WE MENTION: Mid-Day Squares WebsiteMid-Day Squares InstagramJoin the FSC CLUB & Ask Your Questions: www.facebook.com/groups/femalestartupclubJoin thousands of small business owners who are reading our newsletter every Monday at: www.femalestartupclub.com Join our tool and private community for small business owners, Majic [formerly known as Hype Club]Female Startup Club's InstagramDoone's InstagramDoone's TikTokSay hello to Doone: hello@femalestartupclub.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Lezlie Karls for Female Startup ClubHello everyone and welcome back to the show! It's Doone here - your host and hype girl. And before we jump in today marks something really bloody exciting for Female Startup Club! As of this week we have joined the Acast podcast network and that means lots of exciting things! Firstly we're going to start introducing some different kinds of episodes, like strategy breakdowns with industry experts, and how-to's for earlystage founders and future founders. It also means you're going to start hearing a new voice on the show - you're going to meet my wingwoman and one of the best humans I know, Josephine. If you've ever messaged us on Instagram or you're part of Majic you'll know just how wonderful Josephine is and she's gonna be joining me in a new series where we talk through insights, questions and what's happening in the world of business.Now something I'm really excited about is the comeback of our Facebook group. It's linked in our show notes and I want you to jump in there and join us asap! Every Monday I'll be sharing who I'm interviewing for that week and this is where you can ask specific questions you want me to answered on the show. You can also drop your own questions and challenges and we'll be shouting those out too. It's a great chance to get your brand featured on the podcast.Phew. Ok! That's all my exciting news for today. Let's get into the good stuff. Today we're chatting with Lezlie Karls from Midday Squares. We actually recorded an episode with Lezlie way back in December of 2021 and sooo much has changed in that time. She's gone through probably the worst time in her business since then and has just come out the other side so there's plenty of great insights and learnings to take away here. I hope you love this episode just as much as I do - and remember if you have some specific questions you want to ask on our upcoming episodes, come join us in the Facebook group.Let's get into it, this is Lezlie Karls for Female Startup Club.LINKS WE MENTION: Mid-Day Squares WebsiteMid-Day Squares InstagramJoin the FSC CLUB & Ask Your Questions: www.facebook.com/groups/femalestartupclubJoin thousands of small business owners who are reading our newsletter every Monday at: www.femalestartupclub.com Join our tool and private community for small business owners, Majic [formerly known as Hype Club]Female Startup Club's InstagramDoone's InstagramDoone's TikTokSay hello to Doone: hello@femalestartupclub.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"What is Susan who's 40 talking about with her friends when she picks the kids up from school? Or what is Dave who's 50, who's a builder, sharing in his WhatsApp group? What kind of videos are you sharing that you're seeing online? Or what kind of TV shows are they watching and talking about with their friends?'Subscribe now by hitting the followbutton beside Brand Growth Heroes on your podcast app.As a rule, I don't interview marketing agencies on Brand Growth Heroes, but I made an exception when I reached out to our next guest. Dan Knowlton is one half of Knowlton, a digital and social media market agency that has me in stitches with the videos they create and post on LinkedIn. If you don't follow them yet, I suggest you do.Both Dan and his brother Lloyd Knowlton are hilarious. But why is this of value to you? Well, since I interviewed Jake Carls of Midday Squares and then Teddy and Marissa of Perfect Ted a few episodes ago, I've been exploring how the concept of advertainment works and why it's way more important to you as a grocery brand leader than just posting product shots.Dan knows way more about advertainement than I do, so I thought a good chat with him would be of real value to us all.Here are the top 5 things you'll learn : How to truly understand your Target Audience, in a way you never have before How to Connect with What Really Matters to your Audience How to Trigger their Emotions How to Build Trust and Overcome Objections  Where to Allocate your Budget in your marketing funnel Please leave a review on your podcast app if you enjoyed this episode!Don't miss your favourite brands talk about how they grew their inspirational businesses!Click the Follow button beside Brand Growth Heroes on your podcast appFollow Brand Growth Heroes here on Instagram, Tiktok, LinkedinBecome part of the Brand Growth Heroes community! Sign up here for news and information on Brand Growth Heroes Accelerator ProgrammeEmail Fiona for a 1-1 session: fiona@fionafitzconsulting.comSee how Fiona can group-coach your senior commercial and marketing teams internally: Fiona Fitz Consulting ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In today's episode, Jon talks with Jake Karls, the cofounder of Mid-Day Squares. Jakes tells us how his company started by selling chocolate and how they're building a $1B empire. Visit JonDavids.com for more info. And follow Jon across social: Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | Tik Tok | YouTube 

In this episode, Adam Pearce from Blend Commerce explains the importance of Customer Value Optimization (CVO) for businesses to remain profitable. He discusses siloing and transparency within a business, understanding metrics such as margins and economics, taking baby steps when implementing CVO, using CVO to support marketing channels rather than replacing them, and focusing on customer service after customers have put their credit card details in. Hear his admiration for Huel and Midday Squares and learn how startups can get the right data into the hands of the right teams without relying on expensive enterprise level solutions.

Join us for our very Special LIVE Podcast from our most recent LA, LIVE Coffee & A Good Vibe Event ft a powerhouse panel of iconic Brand Names, Experts and Entrepreneurs in the industry! Meet your panel: Jake Karls - Founder of Midday Squares  Jessica Sepel - Founder of JS Health  Montana Tucker - TikTok Star ⁠Dylan Barbour -⁠ Co-Founder of Vizer App, Former Reality TV Star  Michael Chernow - Founder of Kreatures of Habit This event was our biggest and most elaborate event yet for Coffee & A Good Vibe LIVE in Los Angeles. Since the growth of the show, we have been creating a lot of Impactful events in the LIVE Events space in both Los Angeles & New York City. OUR INTENTION BEHIND OUR EVENTS: To Curate these intentional experiences to foster meaningful connections and relationships amongst Founders/ Entrepreneurs/ Aspiring Entrepreneurs, Tastemakers in various host cities. Keep an eye out for our next Industry Night / Live Event by following our IG - @coffeeandagoodvibe! Special Mentions & Shoutout to our incredible Event Sponsors: Route, AMASS Botanicals, BiOptimizers, Shipbob, JS Health, Dream Pops, KOH, Midday Squares If you want to become a partner for one of our next events, get in touch: pr@growthesocial.com EPISODE SUMMARY: PANEL QUESTIONS How do you continue to strengthen your self-awareness on your purpose that allows you to show up in the way that you do and use your platform for purpose?  What roles do you think authenticity and transparency play when building a successful brand community on social media? How does JS Health approach product innovation?  What do you think are the most important factors when trying to differentiate a brand, and why? Networking & Relationship Building: How to build beneficial relationships for your brand Mental Health: How to get yourself out of a rough mental health / the lowest moments and periods in your life to completely transform your life What is the ultimate for of success and fulfilment in life? What brings you fulfillment? LIVE PANEL Q & A with the audience Share the love & let me know your thoughts over on Instagram,⁠ @coffeeandagoodvibe | @ayeshasehra⁠ EPISODE MENTIONS: Route's free mobile app helps you track, discover and experience the world's brands through a reimagined e-commerce network that connects and empowers both consumers and merchants. Their platform also offers a full suite of features on the B2B side of their business - from helping with their post-purchase experience and offset the carbon of their online orders. Route has built a network of over 20 million app users and 20,000+ brand partners. Download Route for FREE in the App Store! Or if a brand founder / team interested in learning more, email pr@growthesocial.com and we will get you connected with the team! CONNECT: YOUTUBE ➟ Watch & subscribe to our channel here ➟ ⁠Coffee & A Good Vibe Video Interviews ⁠ To connect with Ayesha Sehra ➟ click⁠ HERE⁠ Check out our podcast insta ➟ click ⁠HERE⁠ To learn about my Branding & PR Agency Grow The Social ➟ click ⁠HERE ⁠ To connect with this week's guest click  ➟ ⁠HERE

Kari Pedriana is Co-Founder and CEO of Green Spoon Sales, the national natural food and beverage sales broker, specializing in emerging CPG brands, including Primal Kitchen, Lesser Evil, Quinn Snacks, Smart Sweets, Chomps and Midday Squares. On this episode of ITS, Kari breaks down the broker role, how to best think of relationships with distributors, selling trade shows vs. marketing trade shows, and why Green Spoon launched its accelerator program, take root.In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

Joining YWWL is not the ''average'' decision because you won't get the ''average'' result. Josee brings up the podcast with Jake Karls from Midday Squares and his quest to no longer make average decisions in life! Enjoy!

Jake Karls is the hype man everyone needs! We are so appreciative of his time with us on the podcast. What an amazing story the whole Midday Squares Team has. Make sure to follow Midday Squares on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/middaysquares/ And don't forget their podcast - UNCENSORED! 

Welcome to this week's special episode from our most recent and our first ever Industry Event for Coffee & A Good Vibe! We have been doing our Live Podcast Events in LA & NYC for close to a year, but this was our very first of the Industry-Style Events with a highly intentional guest list of like-minded individuals. This Event Style has always been a HUGE vision of mine to bring to life. I always say on the podcast, that your vibe attracts your tribe. There is such a profound power in this style of event - There is such a profound power and magic in bringing together - when you intentionally bring amazing humans in a room together amazing things can flourish, spark and happen That is where the real fulfillment, juice and magic comes from the relationships we build for ourselves and what honestly birthed our next event series for CAGV, the Industry Dinner Series. And if I can be even just a sliver in your path in sparking one of those abundant connections, then my purpose is being SO abundantly fulfilled with these events and everything I am striving to build for CAGV. So many more of these intentional events to come for 2023 - keep your eyes and ears open on our instagram for the next one! x Share the love on Social --> @coffeeandagoodvibe EPISODE MENTIONS: Special Thank You to our Brand Partners of this event, Still Life - Get in touch with the team to inquire about their program - Emily Gray, e: emily@still.life Shipbob, Live Conscious, AMASS, Rila App, Glonuts, Dream Pops, Deux, Midday Squares, Blk Water and Drink Sound. CONNECT: YOUTUBE ➟ Watch & subscribe to our channel here ➟ Coffee & A Good Vibe Video Interviews To connect with Ayesha Sehra ➟ click HERE Check out our podcast insta ➟ click HERE To learn about my Branding & PR Agency Grow The Social ➟ click HERE

Midday Squares is a Canadian Snacking Chocolate Company based out of Montreal, founded by Jake Karls, Lezlie Karls, and Nick Saltarelli (yes, they are family!)Have you ever wondered what it's like to Build a Family Chocolate Empire, and stay grounded and sane while doing it?(My guess is that NO, you haven't!)But in case you were wondering what it WOULD be like, I decided to bring you an epic interview with the founders of Mid-Say Squares: Jake Karls, Lezlie Karls and Nick Saltarelli.THIS IS THE OFFICIAL KICK OFF OF SEASON 10, BABY!Sitting down in-person with Mid-Day Squares for an interview was a dream come true, but I was also TERRIFIED.You know when you've been following someone online for a long time and then you are about to meet them in-person, and you fear that you'll be TOTALLY star struck?Ya, that was ME!But, I managed to pull my sh!t together and host an EPIC interview. And now, I get to share it with you!In this episode, we talked about everything from...What inspired them to start the company and push through the challenges that presented?What's it like working with family and who they hired for Family Therapy!Is there a new flavour coming down the pipeline?If you're looking for some SERIOUS business inspiration (and maybe even the secret family recipe to keeping a business fun and enjoyable) this interview is for you!These three entrepreneurs took a risk starting their own business.Not only are they following their passion but they're doing it together as a family! Talk about #goals... if these guys can do it, YOU CAN TOO!Go out there and build your own empire! (and don't forget to tell me about it, when you do!)Episode Sponsors:Healthy Planet: Save 10% on any online order over $50.00 when you use the code VISIONARY2022 at checkoutThe Visionary Method: The Fastest Way to Launch Your Services, Go Full-Time, and Become Fully Booked with your Business!Mentioned in our Episode:Healthy PlanetFollow Mid-Day Squares on TikTokFollow Mid-Day Squares on InstagramShop Mid-Day SquaresYou Might Also Like:Episode # 194 w/ Canadian Food Entrepreneur, Peter NealEpisode # 156 w/ Canadian Food Entrepreneur, Leila KeshavjeeEpisode # 199 w/ Canadian Beverage Entrepreneur, Alan Woods of Rally BeerLearn more about The Visionary Method™ - Business & Marketing Coaching: https://www.kelseyreidl.com/tvm Connect with me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/kelseyreidl_____Thanks for stopping by, visionary!I am a Business & Marketing Coach and the Founder of BecomeFullyBooked.com, a platform that I created to help business owners take their business from Half Booked to Fully Booked using growth frameworks and innovative marketing strategiesI also host the Visionary Life Podcast (https://kelseyreidl.com/podcast), a Top Canadian Business podcast that has been producing weekly episodes with some of Canada's Top Entrepreneurs since 2018.I have spoken about Marketing at companies like Google, Salesforce and Bumble - and it is my mission to make marketing FUN again, without relying on Complicated ClickFunnels or Expensive Facebook AdsWhen I am not creating content to inspire the Visionary Community, I can be found adventuring on my Mountain Bike, Paddleboarding down the river in my backyard, or traveling the world with my Husband Dave in search of the best coffee shops and craziest experiences (jumping through Swiss Canyons and snowboarding the Alps are some of my favorite memories, to date)

Today's guest is Jake Karls, a co-founder at chocolate factory & DTC brand Mid-Day Squares.Jake's job goal is to grow their brand by building genuine relationships – with investors, buyers, journalists, and their 80-person team. He's done that with a content marketing approach that he describes as "starring in our own reality TV show" that includes real life therapy sessions and inspiring others to be unapologetically themselves.Though Jake was recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist this year, his self-proclaimed “greatest accomplishment” was learning how to be confident in himself.Show Linksmiddaysquares.comIG/@middaysquaresJake Karls on LinkedInSponsorsFree 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - To get an unadvertised gift, email help@zipify.com and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".Back up your store with RewindTry Bold Product Upsell, free trialPrivy: The Fastest Way To Grow Sales With Email & SMSNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

This episode features Jake Karls from Midday Squares on the Ready.Set.Glo! Podcast

Storytelling is the future of the brand building. How are you telling your story? In this episode, we explore what today's successful companies have in common, why brand is everything, and how to create a network from scratch. Hosts Sahil Bloom & Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Nick Saltarelli, an experienced entrepreneur and co-founder at Midday Squares, the brand that gave the world functional chocolate. Nick is unapologetically himself, and today he offers his raw insight into why everyone should be learning from mentors, how success comes to those that follow their hearts, and his hack to expedite the fundraising process. ►► Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS ►► This episode is also brought to you by LMNT (http://DrinkLMNT.com/HAPPENS). LMNT is a delicious electrolyte drink mix with all of the things you need and none of the junk. It contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio: 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium. LMNT can help prevent and eliminate headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, sleeplessness, and other common symptoms of electrolyte deficiency. It tastes amazing and is great after a workout or one too many drinks :) Right now LMNT is offering our listeners a free sample pack with any order. That's 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT order. Get yours at http://drinklmnt.com/HAPPENS. And it's so good they have a no questions asked refund policy but you won't need it. ►► This episode is brought to you by Fundrise. Fundrise is on a mission to use technology to build a better financial system for the individual. With over $2.4B AUM and 250k active investors, it's the largest direct-to-investor real estate investor platform in America. Their platform is so easy to use and they make it so easy to diversify your portfolio. For a limited time if you sign-up, you can get $10 bonus. Just go to www.fundrise.com/room THIS EPISODE Nick Saltarelli: https://twitter.com/nicksalto Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/ FIND US ON SOCIAL Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih Web: https://trwih.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

Mid-Day Squares is the healthy chocolate bar company that's built a name for itself through its bold content. Today on the pod, Ramon and Blaine are joined by the architect of Mid-Day's brand voice & content strategy, Jake Karls, better known as the “Rainmaker” at MDS. As a Rainmaker, Jake is out there developing critical relationships with multiple stakeholders (i.e., press, investors, customers, etc.), cultivating the brand's personality, and getting people excited about MDS.1:17 - 4:27 Idea for Mid-Day Squares4:55 - 7:38 Forming Mid-Days Content Strategy10:07 - 10:55 Creating a Personality11:48 - 13:32 Highs and Lows of Documenting Everything14:00 - 17:55 Turning customers into fans18:24 - 20:37 Celebrity Package Goods20:58 - 23:42 Jake's background and being a Rainmaker25:14 - 30:46 Misunderstood and Hershey's lawsuit31:26 - 34:00 Getting everyone on board and therapy34:45 - 38:00 Financing Content38:13 - 42:33 Motivating young people43:12 - 47:42 Evolution of MDS & DTC sales This episode is brought to you by OpenStore:Visit https://open.store to get a free, no-obligation offer for your e-commerce business from OpenStore in 24 hours. Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further? Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Follow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTok Jake Karls- CEO of Mid-Day SquaresRamon Berrios - CEO of Trend.ioBlaine Bolus - COO of OmniPanel

Today's episode is with my friend Jenny Stojkovic on the future of food is vegan. Jenny is a passionate entrepreneurial leader who is supporting the rise of women founders who are invested towards a more sustainable and humane future through advancing vegan foods, fashion, beauty, & technology. In the last few years, Jenny has launched the Vegan Women's Summit and has gathered thousands of women all over the world who are supporting a more conscious and inclusive way of leading and who are committed to business being a force for good in the world.   In this inspiring podcast interview, Jenny and I talk about her motivation for this movement, her close relationship with Miyoko Schinner, the founder of Miyoko's Creamery, and the many event opportunities that you will have as a listener to participate with these businesses whom are hiring and/or would love to wow you with their vegan products. You don't want to miss this one.   Guest Links: Vegan Women Summit — https://veganwomensummit.com/ VWS Connect — https://veganwomensummit.com/vws-connect “Why I Think the Future of Food Will Be Women Led” Rolling Stone article — https://www.rollingstone.com/culture-council/articles/future-food-led-women-1202169/   SHINE Links:   Thank you for listening. Want to build a high trust culture and psychological safety at work? Sign up for our newsletter and get the free handout and be alerted to more inspiring Shine episodes   Building Trust Free Gift — https://www.leadfromlight.com   Carley Links   Book Carley for Speaking — https://carleyhauck.com/speaking Leading from Wholeness Learning & Development — https://carleyhauck.com/learning-and-development Carley's Book — https://carleyhauck.com/shinebook Executive Coaching with Carley — https://carleyhauck.com/executive-coaching Contact Carley — https://carleyhauck.com/contact Carley's Patreon Page https://www.patreon.com/carleyhauck   Well Being Resources:   Inner Game Meditations — https://carleyhauck.com/meditations Doterra — https://www.doterra.com/US/en/site/carleyhauck 4 Sigmatic — 15% Discount code Shine — https://us.foursigmatic.com/?rfsn=4405553.d15cc7&discount=SHINE   Social:   LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/carley-hauck/ IG — https://www.instagram.com/carley.hauck/ Website — https://www.carleyhauck.com Newsletter — https://www.leadfromlight.com Shine Podcast Page — https://carleyhauck.com/podcast   The Imperfect Shownotes   0:01 Carley Hauck   Hi, welcome to the SHINE podcast. My name is Carley Hauck, I am your host. This podcast focuses on the intersection of the application and scientific literature of conscious, inclusive leadership, the recipe for high performing teams and awareness practices that you can cultivate to be the kind of leader our world needs now. I facilitate two to three episodes a month.   And before I tell you about our fascinating topic today, can you please go over to Apple podcasts and hit the subscribe button. This way you don't miss any of our inspiring episodes. Thank you.   We are in season six of the SHINE podcast. And we have had some incredible interviews. And the focus of this season is on how we optimize the way we live, work and play. How can we create a workplace culture and world that is mindful of our consumption, our energy leaks, and optimizing for our own well being, our co-workers, our communities and the planet.   Today's episode is with my friend Jenny Stojkovic on the future of food is vegan. Jenny is a passionate executive leader who is supporting the rise of women founders invested towards a more sustainable and humane future by advancing plant based and alternative proteins. In the last few years, Jenny has launched the Vegan Women's Summit and has gathered thousands of women all over the world, who are supporting a more conscious and inclusive way of leading and who are committed to business being a force for good in the world.   In this inspiring podcast interview, Jenny and I talk about her motivation for this movement, her close relationship with Miyoko Schinner, the founder of Miyoko's Creamery and the many opportunities that you will have as a listener to enter virtually into some of the events and ways to learn more about this fascinating industry. You don't want to miss this one.   Carley Hauck 2:33   Hello, SHINE podcast listeners. This is Carley and I am here with my new friend Jenny Stojkovic, the founder of the Vegan Women's Summit. I am so excited to have this conversation. Jenny, thanks for joining me.   Jenny Stojkovic 2:47   Thank you so much for having me. And also nailing that pronunciation.   Carley Hauck 2:55   Haha, thank you. So one of the first questions I usually ask folks and guests on the podcast, because the podcast focuses on conscious inclusive leadership is What does conscious inclusive leadership mean to you?   Jenny Stojkovic 3:15   Conscious, inclusive leadership to me is at the core of everything that I do. I believe that we have an obligation to the planet and our fellow beings to make sure that anything that we're doing in our daily life is conscious of that impact. And so, to me, it's really the core focus of mission driven leadership and what it means to be in a mission driven space. I think that there are a lot of people in the last few years in the pandemic that have started to look inwards, about how they can be more conscious about how they are spending their professional time, and what they're doing for a living. And so to me, I really think that it is finding that purpose driven way to lead your life both professionally and personally.   Carley Hauck 4:04   Hmm, great answer. Thank you for sharing that. And I know that you probably get this question asked a lot. But I feel really curious what started your interest in passion and plant based and alternative proteins.   Jenny Stojkovic4:21   So my journey with the food system started seven years ago now. And it really came from a somewhat unique place when it comes to talking about plant based diets. So lots of people have their story of their why and you know, why did you go plant based. I think as I was telling you earlier before we jumped on, it's the number one question that we all get in this space. And for myself, unfortunately I went through a very deep personal tragedy. When I was quite young, my husband and I, unfortunately had our best man and his best friend murdered at a very young age, and it was a very senseless act of violence that happened to us and going through the grieving process and going through the trials and tribulations of, of the legal system. And there's an entire trial that goes with such a, you know, horrible situation.   And we decided to look inwards. Much like a lot of what you practice, we decided to learn about meditation, to learn about mindfulness, to read a lot of the Buddha's writings to really understand our purpose on the planet, when we were going through so much pain. And through that journey, we ended up actually going to the prison and forgiving the murderer, for what had happened. And we decided that if we were going to find compassion in this situation, we would have to be bringing it to our daily lives in every situation.   And so the most compassionate thing that you can really do is look at your impact that you're doing every single day, three times a day, and that's the meals that you're eating. So we decided right then in there for very much philosophical and ethical reasons that we would go plant based, my husband and I, and that has been seven years since.   Carley Hauck 6:11   Wow, I love that story. Thank you for sharing that. And I feel care hearing about your loss. And it sounds like it's been quite a learning journey for you, if you've really used it as not, why did this happen to me? But how did this happen for me, right? Like, what can I learn and grow from it?   Jenny Stojkovic 6:30   Absolutely, it's the best worst thing that has ever happened. And it has completely shifted my entire, the fiber of my being. That's how I think about myself, the humility that I bring to the planet and the understanding of, of all of the other inhabitants that we have here the responsibility to others, or responsibility to everybody else, human and non human.   And so I think that it's very important for folks that are listening, especially going through the pandemic, to find catharsis for, you know, what might have been trauma that happened to them, there's been a lot of loss in the last few years, there's a lot of loss, it's going to happen, you know, unfortunately, in the world, as we've kind of seen on the news this week, so finding a way to take that trauma and, and heal and use it for good is something that I'd like to talk about often. And something I don't hear talked about in the professional space as much as, as it really should be.   Carley Hauck 7:27   I love that you just highlighted that I agree with you. I mean, I think that we all have trauma. And we all have attachment trauma, I think that's actually one of the the bigger pieces of trauma that is not really talked about, which is, you know, maybe coming from childhood or coming from the attachment or, or non attachment that we have from different relationships in our life, whether it's personal or professional.   And I think part of that we've been seeing and all the mental health concerns that has really just had more light shined on it, I think it's always been there underneath. And when we actually choose to look at something and observe it, I think there's much more opportunity to heal and transform it versus covering it up. And, you know, part of why I wrote Shine my book and why it's called that is because, you know, again, I I like to shine the light on what's really happening on the truth.   And it's not always pretty, you know, it's not always pleasant. But we can't change it, unless we're willing to look at it and see how did it get this way? And that actually brings us to our food system, right? We have a lot of work to do. And you're part of changemakers that's really amplifying this.   So, tell me and the listeners a bit more about the Vegan Women's Summit. I know it's had a lot of growth in the last few years, pretty much the entire time of the pandemic.   Jenny Stojkovic 9:09   Yeah, absolutely. So VWS, Vegan Women's Summit, started two years ago, literally two years ago, February. We're kind of a baby or a toddler still as an organization. And it really started out of a need that I perceived a few years back, being in the tech industry. So I built my career in Silicon Valley. I've been able to work with all of you know, the most exciting, you know, tech brands in the world and help build startups and innovation. And one of the things that was very unfortunate about that experience is that I was often the only woman in the room. It was a very, very homogenous group of folks that have really led the tech industry. It's not really a surprise for anyone to hear that it's not a secret. We all know that FIn Tech has quite a diversity problem.   And I discovered that food tech was really starting to take off. It was something that I had personally seen and followed because of my plant based diet, but I hadn't professionally engaged in the space. And so starting in 2018, I started to do more and more work in the future of food programming, and discovered quite quickly that as the space was gaining more and more momentum and traction, it was unfortunately suffering from a lot of that same lack of representation of the tech industry.   So vegan Women's Summit VWS was founded to empower women to build a kinder, more sustainable world. And so we are here to inspire the nearly 4 billion women on the planet to join the mission driven space, we focus on the future of both food as well as fashion, very much beauty, biotechnology, animal free innovation, and we are inspiring women to create companies build companies invest in companies get jobs in these companies, be consumer advocates for these companies, any way that we can help push a more diverse and equitable future of food and beyond. That's, that's where you're gonna find us.   Carley Hauck 11:01   Awesome. Wonderful. So being that this has really taken off pretty much the entire time of the pandemic, I feel really curious, what are some of the important lessons that you've learned? This is clearly very purposeful for you, this mission, this business, I'm sure there's lots of lessons but maybe like narrow it down to two or three.   Jenny Stojkovic 11:25   So when we went into the pandemic we as as a share, we are a very, very young organization that had just done one in person conference, before we built out a global platform, which we are today, we were faced with this decision of do we put this whole thing on the backburner because we're going into the pandemic? Or do we just go all in on how we can build this global community?   And I have just been blown away, we went from 250 Women in a room to over 40,000 women across six continents in this virtual space, because the barriers that are broken down by the virtual setting are profound. And that was probably the best lesson that I learned was that if you really truly want to be a diverse and equitable organization that is focused on removing the challenges and barriers that women face, women in particular, you're going to have to meet them where they're at. And so many women just don't have the opportunity to network and engage in the types of external opportunities that were so commonplace before the pandemic, because of, you know, financial constraints, because, you know, half of the women in our community are parents or guardians, most of them are the majority caregiver, there's just so many different things that affect women's ability to, to really network and be part of the space. So the virtual setting, to me, was probably the best lesson that I learned.   And the other lesson that I learned is just how profound the networking gap is, too. It is just the constraints that are placed upon us, when we are from a, you know, different walks of life and have a different background that does not match that of, you know, the folks in Silicon Valley that were born on the peninsula. You know, we were just talking earlier before we jumped on the pod that we both kind of came from other places to make our way to the Bay Area. It's a leap, it's a hurdle. And so if you can create virtual spaces that are helping to create that network, and that community that these women, and especially women of color wouldn't otherwise have, you can really, really make a difference. We've had women that have created entire companies after coming to our summits. I have women that write to me every day and say, You inspire me. And look, I just raised X amount of money for this company. I started after we learned from your content.   Carley Hauck 13:43   Beautiful. So what I'm hearing is that the two important lessons were really the aspect of the virtual space allowed women that needed more flexibility to be able to participate in these types of conversations, and also just how important the network was, and that there was a real gap, and giving women women from all over the world, this type of network to learn and grow and actually support each other.   And, you know, one of the things that I love about being a woman, a woman identifying, is that there is such a strong sisterhood of women. It's always been my experience. And it's also something that you have to look for often, you know, and find your people.   I was part of the Emerging Women conference, which was hosted for many years, and then ended in 2019. And then there was also another really incredible organization that actually stopped having their in person events right before the pandemic hit in February 2020. I was actually at the last Conscious Companies Women's Summit, but they were gathering women from all over the world as well. to support other entrepreneurs that were interested in more mission and purposeful, driven businesses, like the one that you have created, and that the ones that you're supporting. So those are great lessons.   I have seen you highlight Miyoko Schinner, the founder of Miyoko's Creamery. And for those folks listening that don't know what Miyoko's Creamery is, it's it's a wonderful company based in Petaluma only about an hour from where I am currently in Marin County, that specializes in dairy free products, different types of cheeses, typically using the traditional cheese making cultures but with cashews, oats, chickpea flour. And Jenny, you may even have more to say on that, because I know that you're close with the founder, but she, at least from the outside represents one of the first women of color in the plant based and alternative protein space, it's really made some traction.   And I know that she was an early supporter of VWS. But you've also been a supporter of hers, and she's one of the speakers for the upcoming VWS Summit this April, which I know will speak to a little bit later. But I've just had this intuition that the two of you have a strong friendship and partnership. And I could be completely wrong. But I just feel curious, how did that relationship evolve to where it is now?   Jenny Stojkovic 16:27   So the intuition was right. Absolutely. So I have been fortunate to know Miyoko for, say, five or six years now perhaps, and she has very much been an early champion of myself, of VWS. I'm really fortunate to call her a friend and a mentor and, and she really represents in my opinion, what a conscious 21st century leader is.   One of the things that's so inspiring to me about Miyoko's story and this is something that needs to get out, I think in the public much more. She created three, four, maybe five companies before she launched Miyoko's Creamery, which has now raised, you know, $60- $70 million, is one of the fastest growing plant based dairy companies in the world. Massive, massive company that's hugely disrupted the industry.   And she went through so many businesses over and over and over again, before she, you know, hit the nail on the head. But this one, she was 57 years old when she started her company. And so her story is not some 25 year old, you know, white tech bro whiz kid that just like invented an app in, you know, Palo Alto, she, she really, to me exemplifies one of the many, many stories of what an entrepreneur is. And that's what is so unique and so incredibly important in this space is we have this idea and this archetype of who a founder is who an entrepreneur is. But in reality, all of us can be entrepreneurs, all of us can be founders. And the more we have women like Miyoko, that can speak out and explain actually, here's all the times I failed forward, before I created me, oh, goes are actually at 57, you can start a business at 21, you can start a business, it's never too late. It's never too early. Those are the types of lessons that have been really important for me to learn myself and for us to teach to the women in the VWS community.   Carley Hauck 18:25   Wonderful, thanks for sharing all of that. And I've listened to her talk about her path. And it's, it's quite inspiring. I'd actually love to have her on the podcast and give her a little bit of light here.   So I also know that you, having this network of women from all over the world and really understanding some of the challenges that women and marginalized communities have to really struggle with around resources and capital. I was wondering if you could share what the current stats are right now that you're privy to.   Jenny Stojkovic 19:06   This is an unfortunate turn of the conversation, it is not trending in the right direction, to put it succinctly. So we actually were making quite a bit of gains for capital investment into women founders up until about the pandemic or so. And we are now in a downward trend, because in the pandemic, many investors invested more heavily into male founders, because the going kind of story in the industry is that male founders are seen as more trustworthy backs, unfortunately. And that really gets into an entire conversation of the types of bias that women face in this space.   So VWS conducts the only industry wide survey in the future of food and animal alternative space. So we speak to hundreds of women CEOs and founders every year and collect data around their experiences, their challenges and opportunities in the industry. And unfortunately, we saw increase reports of bias from investors. Gender bias is still a very significant factor of the women wait, about half the women reported experiencing bias from investors and of the women who did report it, like 80% stated gender bias, just a shockingly high amount. Close you close a close second to that was racial bias. And then of course, there's ageism and appearance bias and other things as well. We found that women of color founders in the community were experiencing rates of bias and discrimination that was one and a half times that of the white founders in the community, which was also very troubling, especially considering much of what has happened culturally speaking, since you know, the the George Floyd murder as well. So that's, that's really scary to see that things have made that turn.   Globally speaking, of all venture capital that was invested last year, food tech and other industries included, less than 3% went to women founders and about 0.5% went to women founders of color. So the the results are still quite staggering.   Carley Hauck 21:08   Thank you for sharing that. Well, it's not surprising. And I think the more that we talk about it, the more that we bring it to the surface, that's where we can change it. And I don't know if Curt's gonna like me, outing him in this way. But one of my friends, because I'm very passionate about amplifying plant based and alternative proteins into the market, so that we can really have a more harmonious relationship with the planet and all beings and be eating in a way that is supporting life is one of my friends is Curt Albright, who is one of the founding partners of Clear Current Capital, and they have several portfolio companies that they're supporting in this space.   And for those women listening, I just wonder if there's any opportunity within his investment firm, he's actually a vegan investment banker, which is super exciting. And Unovis Partners is also doing a lot to fund the space as well. And so those might need just institutions, organizations that folks can reach out to. So just something that I'm plugging at the moment.   Jenny Stojkovic 22:32   I know both of them well. Unovis is is a very big supporter of VWS and has been since the beginning as well.   Carley Hauck 22:38   Mm hmm. They're incredible. I imagined to you did, but I'm happy to hear. So let's shift a little bit into how well you're supporting yourself in this, you know, fast paced time that you're in as an entrepreneur, but also as VWS is getting a lot more momentum, one of the things that I like to ask guests on the podcast is really about their inner game. And so the inner game really refers to some of what I've talked about in my latest book, but also, you know, one of the things that I've really watched in leaders and observed and helped cultivate and the 10 years of supporting lots of different companies and some of the students that I've worked with at UC Berkeley and Stanford. And so it refers to self awareness, emotional intelligence, well being resilience, love, authenticity. And so I imagine you have pieces of all of these Jenny, but I feel curious, which is the one that's really supporting you to rise and, you know, be able to be courageous. And what I imagine is the roller coaster of entrepreneurship.   Jenny Stojkovic 23:56   Each of these elements which you listed certainly play a role in any founder's journey. But for myself, the one that sticks out the most at this current juncture in time is certainly authenticity. I think that authenticity is something that people really crave from those around them and it is something that is really lacking in the business space in particular.   We have so many people that have been kind of putting on this professional me face you know, like wake up in the morning, put the professional me clothes on but the professional smile and you know, the professional facade and then there's the personal me. And for folks in the pandemic I think over these last few years, it started to blur quite a bit in a good way. And so I decided, a little while ago, that I would start to become more outwardly authentic to my personal self and less concerned with putting on that professional Jenny suit and smile and it has led to some really, really fantastic conversations and partnerships. And really drawn the attention of so many people that I think otherwise would have perhaps glazed over and what I'm speaking about, I think that people are getting very interested even from the non, you know, Future of Food, food tech plant based space, I received so many remarks from people that are inspired by by some of the work that I'm doing simply because I'm just connecting with them in a way that is authentic to them as a person.   And I think that's very important, because it was kind of a niche industry, and still is a niche industry in so many ways. And so for us to redefine what it means to be a leader in the future of food, and to be a plant based leader. I think it's really important. And that's what's going to really spread the message beyond just the 1% of vegans, but to the 99% of other folks.   Carley Hauck 25:47   Wonderful. Yeah, so I am going to dig a little bit deeper. And I know, because you're really leading with a lot of authenticity, I imagine you'll meet me here. So in the moments that you might feel fear, you know, to, to put on your red lipstick, let's say, which is awesome, love it. Or to really kind of just share a part of yourself that you're not used to sharing in the public eye, take off the mask, so to speak. How do you support yourself to step into that arena? Even when there's fear, even when there's maybe a thought of Oh, my gosh, what if I have backlash for doing this? What if I, you know, I just feel curious, how are you navigating that maybe inner talk?   Jenny Stojkovic 26:34   There's a quote that I've actually been repeating to myself as a mantra very recently, this one, it just sticks out- Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one. It's Bruce Lee. And I think that that's the most important thing to me is just building up that resilience and that grit. I think that that is the difference between the people that never get off the starting line, and those that just go for it. And it can be very vulnerable and very lonely. And, it is very difficult at times to put yourself out there to build something on your own to have no idea if people are going to receive what you're putting out there. And I just think about, you know, most people have ideas, and they have talk, and they never take action.   And that is so so important that we realize that and for us, I think that women in particular, we lack representation. So it's easy to not believe that you belong in the space to begin with, we suffer from imposter syndrome at much higher rates than than some of our other counterparts, particularly those of us that do not come from these types of networks and alumni groups. And so if you've never seen someone in this space, then you might think that are never seen someone that looks like you in this space, you might think that you don't belong.   So just remembering that being resilient, you know, leading in a way that you are fearless, but calculated and and just prepare for the fact that not everyone is going to receive what you're doing the way you want them to. And at some point that's out of your control.   Carley Hauck 28:20   Love that. That's great. Thank you so much. Yeah, I think that also, you know, one of the aspects of authenticity, the inner game of authenticity is really knowing what your yes is, what your no is, you know, really owning your truth. And then that's how we can actually lead from the outside with it. And that takes time to cultivate. And then you have the vulnerability of really bringing your whole self and being the fact that I facilitate and bring a lot of opportunities for teams and leaders to showcase their vulnerability. Because that's going to support more trust, more psychological safety. It is really something that we are all craving. And I think we've had more opportunity to bring our whole selves to work and to life in the midst of the pandemic, because we're all in each other's living rooms, right or in our, in our bedrooms, or there's a toddler running across the street, or we're shoving food in our mouth on a zoom call, right? It's just it's just kind of removed barriers in a way that we didn't have access to.   And what I feel really excited about in the future of work and how we're going to lead and team together is how do we create a workplace that really does work for everyone and supports for inclusion, and this authenticity and this vulnerability, where there's not as much posturing and there is a lot more flexibility for women and people of color, to be able to work in a way that fits their lifestyle.   I think, you know, we're not going to go back into the office in the way that we used to. And I, I'm really hoping that we pause and take all the lessons we've learned, because we're in this incredible time where we get to build it, we get to redesign and shift what wasn't working into something that does work. And I, that was not something that I was gonna ask you about. But what do you think about that? How does that land for you?   Jenny Stojkovic 30:32   I totally agree with you, we have a unique opportunity right now, where we are completely, you know, rebuilding it, it's like a whiteboard, right? We can, we all and all these companies very much are, my husband's an HR executive. And so all these companies are facing this completely new paradigm of how people live in work and in their organizations. And they're all kind of throwing stuff at the wall, like, what does this one fit? Does this one fit, some companies are saying we're staying fully zoom, other companies are saying, come back to the office, other companies are saying somewhere in the middle, you know, we're redistributing the workforce, we're decentralizing the talent and skills and the opportunities, that's the thing that really really excites me the most about this in the way that our virtual community at VWS was able to decentralize by going online, and reaching women across six continents, women in Mumbai, and Manila and places where they would otherwise never get access to Silicon Valley investors.   We are seeing that with talent, too, right? You and I both know, being in the Bay Area, that the barrier is an extremely expensive place, it's about $4,000 for a one bedroom or a two bedroom as of this month, that's the median rent right now. And so it was seen as a place that many people could not ever, you know, have as a feasible place to live and work. And now that we are redistributing where these jobs can be, we're able to hire all over and reach these marginalized communities and folks that would otherwise never ever get this opportunity. So that's what excites me the most and, and I think that that is an amazing, amazing opportunity. Yet also the challenge of how you have a cohesive culture that is threaded across screens is also a little bit difficult. And what did the hours look like? Because I think we all know now, being in this virtual setting, we kind of mesh our life and work together. I don't know about you, do you find yourself working longer hours, but you do. You break it up more? That's what my experience has been.   Carley Hauck 32:42   I've been an entrepreneur for over a decade now. I am definitely a high performer. And I tend to work a lot of hours, but make sure that I'm taking breaks. And that may mean that I'm working for hours on Sunday, you know, because I give myself more of that time during the week because I'm tired, or my creative juices just aren't firing. So it's, you know, it's getting the work done, but doing it in a way that's optimizing my well being and giving myself a chance to recover.   And actually, that was what I was going to ask you. But before I do, I want to actually go back one more step because you have been privy to some incredible founders. And we talked about Miyoko. But I feel curious, are there maybe two or three others that you'd like to highlight about their company, how they're leading what you're learning about them, they could be upcoming, you know, speakers, or they've been past speakers, I'd love to hear and just give these founders a little light.   Jenny Stojkovic 33:50   So there's so so many, but to pick a few Deborah Torres is a very incredible woman whose name you perhaps have not heard yet, but that will change very soon. She's the founder of Atlas Monroe. She is a you know, single black female founder in San Diego that has built her entire plant based protein company from the ground up without any venture capital funding. She has the largest vegan chicken manufacturing plant in North America. And she's done it all on her own dime, bootstrapping this thing, growing this thing and she famously was on Shark Tank and Mark Cuban offered to buy her company and she walked away.   So just an incredible story, an incredible story. I'm one that you don't hear enough, right. So, she's amazing. She'll be at the summit on April 8, of course, I'm lucky to call her a close friend.   I also am really inspired by many of the women that are in the future of infant and pregnancy space. This is an area where I have a very deep personal interest. I've seen such a huge huge spike in companies that are addressing stainable alternatives to infant formula. So dairy infant formula accounts for 10% of the global liquid dairy market. So it's a massive, massive industry. And nobody has created alternatives up until now. So Michelle, who you mentioned earlier, before we started the call in bio milk, Michelle Egger, she's a fantastic young millennial founder that is creating, sell cultivated breast milk alternatives.   So she is growing real breast milk in a lab so that it can be packaged and sold on grocery store shelves, so that mothers can feel confident that they can give a real alternative to their breast milk to their babies and not feel guilty about, you know, giving them formula that is not, you know, bioidentical and mammalian specific to them. This is actual real breast milk that she is recreating so that women can be empowered. And that is something that I think is so important, because there are just biological challenges that come with being a mother that are barriers for women's success in business. And, you know, you want to make sure that your child has the very best nutrition and, and has the best chance at life yet. How are you going to scale your company, if you're spending three years breastfeeding, then which is what the World Health Organization recommends, like that's a real challenge in modern day life. And she's got an actual product that can solve that. And that's very exciting to me.   Carley Hauck 36:29   Awesome, wonderful. So let's pivot back to well being we were talking a little bit about that flexibility and the hours that we keep, you know, in entrepreneurship, but let's face it, like any people leader, especially in the midst of the pandemic, and probably even before, I mean, there's people that are working in learning and development, HR, like your husband. I mean, those people have been in such service in the midst of the pandemic. And I just think the companies that are still standing owe a lot to them, you know, that they've been really having to care for the people in ways that was never required before.   And so how have you been optimizing for your own well being and you know, please be authentic, where we all learn from one another? What are some of the practices that are really necessary for you, which are the ones that maybe you wish you were able to kind of dial in a bit more.   Jenny Stojkovic 37:33   So I have a few very specific things that I have done to really make myself my best self. So obviously, I eat a plant based diet, 80% probably whole foods, plant based diet and about 20%, you know, garden nuggets or treats like Miyoko's. So diet and nutrition, I think, is very, very important.   But I also typically exercise every day, the last few weeks, I've been a little bit out of it, some healing an injury, but I typically like to make sure that I am physically active. And some of the other things I've done more recently, in the last few years, I don't drink any alcohol. Actually, I don't do any sort of drugs. And so sobriety is something that I think is really kind of starting to catch on. A lot of people are talking more about that. I myself, I never had, I was lucky, I never had an issue with alcohol addiction, I actually would drink perhaps once a month out with friends. And then I realized that alcohol was no longer serving me and it would really kind of reduce my mental and physical capacities. So I cut it out entirely about three years ago. And I really enjoyed being more clear minded and bright eyed in that regard. And I value sleep and go to bed at 9pm every night.   Carley Hauck 38:50   Great. Thank you. Well, I hope others will be inspired by those practices. Sounds like they're serving you well, Jenny. I also eat a plant based diet and I actually just had Miyoko's in my morning breakfast. So giving a little bit of a little bit of their farmhouse chatter. So good. Yeah. Yeah, very good.   Jenny Stojkovic 39:15   It's key. It's key. You have to have a little bit of, you know, I eat lots of vegetables and lots of tofu and stuff. You got to have some of the treats every now and then. I think that balance is extremely important.   Carley Hauck 39:22   Yeah. I'm also a big fan. It's funny. I think I saw you post about this. What is it called? It's like Midday, Midday Squares. Ah, those are so good. And they're full of protein.   Jenny Stojkovic 39:40   Yes. That's another shout out. Yeah. So if you go to the VW Pathfinders podcast, I have a great sit down with their CEO Lez Karls, who's a friend of mine. We were an early supporter, before Midday Square's even got to the US and Lez has a really inspiring story. I'll just do a quick plug for her. Right she has a number of learning disorders, including you know, quite significant dislike and a few others, whose name I can't remember the exact title of but she was told growing up in school that she just in terms of, you know, academics and things like that would would never be able to make it because of having so many learning disorders.   And she has created her role as CEO built around the neuro diversity that she has. And she, you know, she has led in a way where she's honest about having these learning disabilities and she embraces them and it's made her such an incredible CEO. And I just think that we don't really talk about some of these superpowers. And so we have an entire podcast and an entire piece we did on using disability as your superpower.   Carley Hauck 40:48   I also just really felt the love that you had in your voice, just your staunch support of her and your respect and admiration. So thank you for sharing that. And thanks for the energy that you bring in support of so many of these founders and women, it's really, it's really touching Jenny.   So, on that note, let's talk about this passion that you have and how you brought it into the Vegan Women's Summit, but also some of these virtual job fairs. Tell us about the upcoming April 8 Vegan Women's Summit in LA. Whoo.   Jenny Stojkovic 41:21   So for folks that are listening, we would love to have you live in person in Los Angeles at our flagship summit, The Vegan Women's Summit, it is our only big in person summit that we do a year. Our first one was in San Francisco, this one's in LA. I will have more news about our 2023 one, we're going really big because we're about to sell out for 2022 for next year. And so this summit is the only place in the entire world that is focused specifically on how we can build the future generation of changemakers. We've got hundreds and hundreds of women and male professionals flying in from all over the world to come learn and participate in this one of a kind event where we will be featuring dozens of women celebs, athletes, CEOs, investors, all speaking, we've got a really big headliner that we're announcing next week.   By the time this airs, it will be out So Alicia Silverstone will be headlining which is amazing. We also have a number of folks like Deborah, who I mentioned earlier, and then we will have 40 plus plant based brands from around the world for you to come sample. So the future of food, fashion beauty, we are trying to inspire everyone and anyone that is interested in learning how they can be a part of the future of food and how they can create a kind of more sustainable world to come out, engage with the community, listen to who is leading the community, be inspired, try the products, hopefully make some changes yourself get a job in the space.   To your point about the job fair that we do, VWS Connect is our Virtual Job Fair, where we work with all the top employers in the space everybody from Beyond and Impossible to Miyoko's, you know, all kinds of different plant based companies to help fill their roles at their companies, with our job seekers. So we're really looking to fire on all cylinders to help get women's representation at all aspects of this industry, whether it's helping you get a job, found a company, become an investor. That's what we're doing at VWS.   Carley Hauck 43:26   Wonderful, and I'm just gonna give a little plug for Omni foods because I believe they're going to be one of the booths at your VWS. And David is one of the leaders that I've highlighted in my book and Ananda Bhavani has been one of my best friends for like seven years. So I think she's, I think she's gonna be there and she and I and her sister who also work for meat. We all yep, yep. We were all at the food seed and wine conference in Miami. And I was in their booth with them and loved the product and it got an incredible response from the community in Miami. So I hope it'll have a similar response in LA.   Jenny Stojkovic 44:14   Yeah, absolutely. Winona, Ananda, and I was actually, we might have met then the person not realized. I spoke, Pinkie Colin and I keynoted seafood and wine on this past November. Is that the one you're talking about?   Carley Hauck 44:30   Yeah. Yeah.   Jenny Stojkovic 44:32   Cool. Well, there we go.   Carley Hauck 44:34   I was buzzing around but I was in the booth. I was on a press pass. So I was trying to like you know, talk to some important folks there but awesome. Awesome.   So speaking of books, you have one coming out, let's hear a little bit about it.   Jenny Stojkovic 44:50   I do so this is like on the very DL, everybody. We haven't even publicly announced it yet. But The Future of Food is Female will be published in April. It is the first book in the industry that's focused on women's leadership in plant based innovation, cell based innovation, all things animal free. We spoke to women all around the world, everyone from celebrities to a member of the European Parliament, all kinds of women that are changing the food system. And it is just incredible how much is going on, that folks maybe don't realize, and so I am both proud, yet disappointed to say it is the very first book in the entire industry focused on women's leadership. And I can't wait to get it out there.   Carley Hauck 45:40   Well wait to be a trailblazer. And I imagine there will be more after you. So, and maybe you'll have a second book, everyone's like, when are you writing your second book, I'm like, Ah, I need a break. This was a big baby.   Jenny Stojkovic 45:55   I've got ideas, I've already got a lot, a lot of ideas. And the goal of the book is so that anywhere around the world, a woman can pick it up. And we have almost 4 billion women in the world. And you can pick it up and you can see a woman that comes from a place that you came from, or looks like you or just anything out there, the representation out there is so, so scant, there just is not enough.   There's not enough publications and platforms that are highlighting that women from all over of all backgrounds are doing these incredible things. So my goal is that you will find someone you connect with in this book and you will be inspired no matter who you are male or female. But in particular, for women that are reading it, young women, were taking the book to a ton of different universities, they can be inspired to become a leader too.   Carley Hauck 46:45   Wonderful. And on the kind of end of our conversation, although I'd love to talk to you for hours, I feel curious, what is some of the best leadership guidance that you have received?   Jenny Stojkovic 47:00   I think the most important thing is to make sure that you maintain your humility and that you enter every single day with a low ego mindset. That's one of the biggest mistakes that leaders and especially startup founders make, in my opinion, and I assume you're working with a lot of leaders, you've seen the same thing. I think a low ego environment allows for us to be our best selves. And it allows for us to embrace the best ideas and to have a creative workplace where we can really grow from one another. And we don't feel the need to posture or defend ourselves or feel offended by folks that perhaps counter the types of perspectives that we have. And that's really conscious, inclusive leadership as well.   Carley Hauck 47:50   Mm hmm. Humility and low ego mindset. Love that. Well, Jenny, this has been such a delight to talk to you. I love all the common values and passion that we both share for the space. Is there anything else you'd like to leave our listeners with, I will definitely link to all the, you know, the event and the show links will be available for people.   Jenny Stojkovic 48:16   I just encourage everybody that is trying to figure out perhaps what their next big thing is trying to find that North Star, we have an incredible challenge on our hands with what's going on on the planet. And we need every single person's skills, expertise and passion to tackle it. For myself, I focus on the food system. It's the single largest cause of the issues that we're facing with climate change. And so if you're feeling inspired by this conversation, come follow us with VWS, come learn about how you can be a part of these solutions. We need everybody. So everybody's welcome.   Carley Hauck 48:50   Thank you, Jenny for your passion and purpose. Joining me today on the SHINE podcast. I love this conversation. Love this movement, super committed just as you are to seeing it rise and flourish for all beings and for our planet. A link to all the wonderful resources that Jenny and I mentioned are in the show notes including how you can participate in the sold out vegan Women's Summit that will be broadcast for you to participate in virtually from Los Angeles on April 8.   The SHINE podcast has been self sponsored since May 2019. It is freely offered from my heartfelt desire to be in service in support of a workplace and world that works for everyone and is living in greater harmony with the Earth from conscious inclusive leadership and socially responsible business practice.   I would love and appreciate your support so that I can continue to foster wonderful interviews like this one with Jenny, bringing science tips and evidence based articles to your ears. You can donate and support me by going to my Patreon page patreon.com/carleyhauck, the link is in the show notes. Your generosity helps so much.   If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with friends, family or colleagues. We are all in this together and sharing is caring. You can also leave a five star review on any of your favorite podcast carriers. That way more folks learn about shine and may spread the light. If you have questions, comments or topics you would like me to address on the podcast please email me at support@carleyhauck.com. I would love to hear from you.   And thank you for tuning in and being part of this community. I have some powerful episodes coming up through the end of the season, especially as we get closer to Earth Day. So until we meet again, be the light and shine the light.

Someone asked if I ever have "off" days where my choices aren't great or I don't do the things I said I would. Um...YES. I sure do! Today on the episode I'm sharing how I manage those days.  We're also diving into your questions about tracking spending, my favorite "healthy" indulgences and more!  Make sure to win to see if you're the lucky winner of GBXFit! If you want to check it out for yourself, use the code BENTON to save $10 on your first order! I also mentioned Midday Squares in today's episode. Let me know what you think if you try them, and use the code BENTON15 to save! 

We are kicking off the new year with some serious weight loss controversy and I can't wait to hear what you think about it!  We are talking weight loss, motivation and all the things that could be on your mind as we dive into a new year! Mentioned In Today's Episode:  Primal Potential FB group Chasing Cupcakes GBX Protein (the code BENTON will save you $10 on your first order) Midday Squares (the code BENTON15 will save you $$)

If you fit what Nick is looking for from an experience level and mentality for growth, you can find him here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-saltarelli-063a5965/ Check out Midday Squares here:https://www.middaysquares.com/

Too many entrepreneurs only show the "pretty picture" version of the business they're building. Nick does not. He tells it like it is and opens up in this episode about everything they've gone through as a company. We're talking about some really devastating stuff- like taking bets with $0 in the bank account, mold appearing on the day investors are visiting, losing a team member and so much more. Life isn't perfect but Nick and Midday Squares are resilient and having a good time while they're at it. If this episode doesn't get you excited to take down the next hurdle, I don't know what will. Press play and Nick will tell you all about it.