Superwomen With Rebecca Minkoff

This episode is sponsored by Capital One Spark Business. It happens all too often. You get the job you’ve been wishing for, hoping for, knowing it suits you perfectly – only to find out that it doesn’t. Such was the case for Monique Bernstein. Working in market research in the first few years out of college, Monique realized her dream job wasn’t that dreamy at all. And so she did what many dissatisfied employees do. She surfed the internet to pass the time. It was there she came across an inspiring article touting the importance of flexing creativity like a muscle, and she began the practice of writing down ten new ideas each day. They could be ideas for anything – home improvement, recipes, poems to write – but Monique found herself focusing on companies she could launch. Specifically companies she could start in one day, with her existing capital, with her existing skill set. Soon after, the concept of Universal Yums, a subscription snack box from a different country each month, was borne. The company that

It’s not difficult for most women to think of a time in their careers when they wanted to ask for more money but didn’t – or maybe they did and were denied a raise or a higher starting salary on questionable grounds at best. Enter Claire Wasserman, whose company, Ladies Get Paid, is helping women around the world to advocate for themselves by hosting workshops, coffee hours and webinars to help women find a strong voice in a culture where men still make way more money for the same amount of work. It wasn’t so long ago that Claire avoided the word "feminism" due  to other people's reactions to the word. These days, however, she’s  proud to call herself by “the other F word,” helping women to shake their moneymakers however they see fit. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas Steps to ad

Cat Lee grew up with the intention of following in her father’s footsteps, and she did, for a while. After graduating from Stanford she immediately began work at Lockheed Martin where her father had made his career for 40 years. However, it wasn’t long until she realized that working in the defense industry was not kindling her passion for life. After pursuing an MBA, Cat graced the halls of Google, Facebook, and then Pinterest before realizing that what really gets her excited is angel investing and variations thereof. Now a partner at Maveron, an investment company that funds startups, Cat gets to do what she does best, breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship and helping to fund the next big rocketship! Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The cultural implications of not following your p

This episode is sponsored by Capital One Spark Business. Special note: This episode contains a short discussion of eating disorders that may be sensitive for some listeners. Anne Mahlum isn’t going to sugarcoat things for you. She tells it like it is, and that’s probably one of the reasons she’s been so successful, first starting a non-profit to benefit the homeless and then starting her line of wildly successful workout studios, [solidcore]. People thought she was out of her mind when Anne, upon befriending some folks outside of a shelter in Philly, got the idea to start a running club to boost the spirits of those living there. Now, over ten years later, the non-profit is active in 13 cities and has a strong partnership with multiple companies that gets participants employed across the country. Anne took that same can-do attitude with her when she started [solidcore]. After trying a pilates workout on a business trip, she realized she could pair that with strength training to give the slow burn workout of a

When Kerry Cooper was hired as a consultant for sustainable footwear company, Rothy's, she didn’t think she’d be sticking around. After working for multiple successful companies, Kerry enjoyed the flexibility that consulting gave her. It wasn’t long, however, before the company culture won her over. Built upon a strong foundation of eco-minded operations, Kerry enjoyed the work the company was doing as much as the people doing it. Rothy’s loved her too. In her second year there sales soared to $140 million in direct to consumer sales. Even more impressive, however, is the fact that that those shoes were made from 38 million plastic water bottles saved from a long, slow demise in a landfill. They’re proving you can drink your water and wear it too. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas How to sc

As employee #213, Karen Cahn joined Google relatively early in the game. Back in the day she was an account executive covering ad sales in New England and the entirety of Canada. A seemingly monumental task, Karen was up for the challenge, building keyword lists from scratch to help develop the system that we now have to thank for targeted advertising. After Google acquired YouTube and Karen was tasked with creating lucrative deals for the largely male user platform, she began to wonder, “How can I fund these deals for women?” While her ideas were not received well by her co-workers, and even her first company built upon these goals struggled, Karen was undeterred. Her passion for female leadership and equality led her to start again, this time founding iFundWomen, a startup funding platform for female entrepreneurs. Not only does iFundWomen help raise capital, they offer coaching and mentorship services, and perhaps best of all, a community of likeminded individuals. Thanks for listening! We love our listene

We are a country built upon a foundation of slavery, and the truth is that that has affected every aspect of our culture. We live in an era of #blacklivesmatter and #metoo, spurred by the need to, once and for all, stare down the face of inequality, of institutionalized racism, sexism and fear – issues that should have been resolved years ago but still lurk in every strata of society. Even hospitals. Maternal mortality rates in the U.S. are alarmingly high, having more than doubled since 1991. Even more alarming is the fact that women of color are over four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. Latham Thomas is a doula who has made it her life’s mission to advocate for mothers and their babies, working to ensure safety and support for all families. Period. The Continuum Conference is  an intergenerational gathering for women and gender non- conforming  people who identify with the female experience, to evoke, embody and  amplify what it means to be a woman at various phases

This episode is sponsored by Capital One Spark Business. Being a mom is hard. There’s no other way around it. It’s beautiful and amazing too, but it comes with challenges. Everyone has an opinion on the right way to parent, and sometimes that advice comes uninvited. It takes a special person to share their family life with the world, knowing they’ll receive positive feedback as well as criticism. Naomi Davis has created an artform by way of documenting her family life. What started as a way to share wedding photos with family morphed into a blog that first illustrated life as a young couple in New York, and then grew as her family did. Now, 12 years and five children later, Love Taza covers family life, recipes, and kid-friendly travel guides to NYC. Naomi mixes entertainment with practical advice, and best of all injects her personal experience into the lesser-discussed aspects of parenting that all moms could probably use more support in. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give u

We’ve all been there. In search of the perfect product that is holistic, natural, and good for us, only to be torn between brands that seem to veer to the very luxe or the "crunchy granola." Not that there’s anything wrong with either end, but it’s clear that the market has been missing a happy medium! Enter Golde, the delicious and nutritious superfood-based supplement and beauty brand that'll wow you with its accessible price point and colorful packaging. The brainchild of Trinity Mouzon Wofford and life/business partner, Issey Kobori, Golde was borne of Trinity’s desire to create products that make taking care of oneself a pleasurable experience. Originally planning a career in medicine, Trinity switched gears as it became all too clear that offering a holistic practice would only be available to the very wealthy. While the method of delivery may have changed, the goal is still the same: making wellness accessible and enjoyable all at the very same time. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us

This episode is sponsored by Capital One Spark Business. Pregnancy  can be overwhelming, especially the first time around. Your body is changing,  hormones are shifting, and you just want to know which nail polish won’t  be harmful to your baby. CEO Ericka Perry found herself in a pickle when her best friend needed help finding pregnancy and beauty products, but there was not one place where she could simply order a gift bag with the necessary items. At a time when subscription boxes were really starting to take off, she couldn’t believe this was still lacking in the market. Thus was born the The Stork Bag. Almost entirely self-funded, Ericka is a shining example of an entrepreneur who sees an opportunity, works what they know and creates a business for the love of the products and who they serve. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice mem

Nicole Lapin may be a financial expert, but that doesn’t mean she was born knowing an index from an S&P fund. Growing up in challenging conditions, not the least of which was being a first generation American, Nicole always knew she wanted to be in news. She took it upon herself to get a job in the industry and slowly started working her way up through agencies in smaller cities around the U.S. A true “fake it ‘til you make it” story, Nicole jumped headfirst into the opportunity to report on finances even though she had little experience in the field. Now in her 30’s and considered a financial expert, she “rethinks conventional financial wisdom,” writing books that educate women and help them to take control of their finances as well as their mental health. Thanks for listening! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram to learn how to win a copy of Nicole's latest book, "Becoming Super Woman." Big Ideas How self-care, boundaries and balance are of the utmost importance to mental health. [10:49] and [2

This episode is sponsored by Capital One Spark Business. If you’ve ever been a teenage girl, or if a teenage girl secretly lives within your heart, you’ve probably lusted after the iconic, candy-colored hair dyes made famous by Manic Panic. Coming of age in New York in the 1970’s, Tish and Snooky were born performers. The sisters have always been artists at heart; they credit their love of color (and glitter!) to their artist mother. Pursuing singing careers and partying at iconic clubs such as CBGB, the pair were constantly complimented on their signature punk style. The persistent fanfare encouraged them to open a punk boutique selling all the items they loved, a first of its kind. Not surprisingly, their wild hair colors were the number one seller. It was a natural progression to pursue production and private labeling of the product. Business women by day and performers by night, Tish and Snooky still turn it up, touring periodically and performing with the likes of Blondie and RuPaul. These women do it al

Laura Brown came up in the 80’s – a period devoid of the internet and Instagram, where fashion inspiration came almost exclusively in the form of magazines. To make things worse for a young fashionista living in Australia, as Laura did, those magazines arrived three months after their release date. Laura was hungry for the glitz and the glam, and made it her goal to one day work and live in the heart of the fashion world. After working a few stints at magazines in Australia and London, Laura arrived in New York. Finding herself at a lavish Marc Jacobs show within days of moving there, Laura finally felt the pulse of the life she had so long been yearning for. After working her way up to Features at Harper’s, she was then hired as Editor in Chief at InStyle. In the three years since, Laura has revitalized the magazine, injecting new life into it, forever showcasing her love of fashion, layouts, and a good dose of creative, hard work. This episode is in partnership with SAP Success Factors. Thanks for listening

We’ll  address the big question first: Christina Stembel of Farmgirl Flowers really did  grow up on a farm. Growing up in northern Indiana, Christina was expected to  fulfill her womanly duties as a wife and mother while her brother went  off to college. But Christina had other plans. She hightailed it to New York within two weeks of  graduating from high school and started working. Christina did not grow up with a lot of people cheering her on and wishing her success, and that made her strive for it all the more. Over some years and many different ideas, she saw that the floral industry held an opportunity to do exactly what she desired in starting her own business: disrupt the status quo, create scalability, and do good in the world. While not without its challenges (who knew the floral industry could be so cutthroat?), Christina has scaled from 56K her first year of business to $31 million 8 years later. As Christina fondly says, success is the best revenge. (In partnership with C

This episode is in partnership with SAP Success Factors. Dee Poku remembers what it was like when she worked for big movie studios. No need to make her own travel plans, or worry about her computer getting fixed. All that was taken care of; just walk out the door and a car will be there to take you where you need to go. All that changed when she decided strike out on her own, and it took some adjusting. Dee could no longer let the weight of her employer’s name bolster her confidence. It took time to be able stand tall and tell people about an enterprise they had never heard of. Her self-assuredness grew, however, and Dee saw how people responded to her differently simply by the way she delivered her message. Today Dee is the founder of multiple ventures aimed at supporting women in business. Her events encourage women to work towards positions of leadership, give them skills necessary to navigate the male-dominated workforce, and let their creativity shine. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us

Bed. We spend a third of our lives there, and yet oftentimes, our beds, or what we put on them, become somewhat of an afterthought. Ariel Kaye sought to change that. After spending some years in advertising, Ariel came to a point where she was looking for more excitement, and more of a direct way to connect with people. She had always been passionate about interior design and home goods, going so far as to maintain her own blog on the subject in her free time. As she was pondering a change in career, it dawned on her that there were little to no direct to consumer options for bedding. That is when the idea for Parachute Home was born. Now in its fifth year and about to open the fifth brick and mortar (!), Ariel fondly recalls the early days when she would drive around in her car, delivering orders directly to buyers in Los Angeles. Growth and success have come with their own challenges. Here Ariel discusses entrepreneurial ups and downs, what makes her passionate about her company, and how at the heart of it

 This episode is in partnership with SAP SuccessFactors. She’s self-described as “messy” and can play the piano by ear – as long as it’s in the key of C. No, we’re not talking about Katy Perry – Katie Couric is here, she’s caffeinated, and she’s ready to sing for you! A household name for decades, it only makes sense that after years in broadcast news, Katie has finally taken the entrepreneurial plunge and started her own media company. Excited to tackle controversial issues and educate the public, Katie is taking the reigns as her own boss to share timely stories in her uniquely sympathetic, yet fearless voice.  One of the greatest interviewers of our time, Katie reflects upon the fact that it is the balance between being kind and being tough that drove her career to its success. Now in a new era, Katie continues to inspire women of all ages to ask questions, be fearless, and learn to move gracefully through moments of discomfort.  Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us

 Jill Kargman is not your neighborhood soccer mom and she doesn’t play one on TV, either. Her dark sense of humor and love of all things goth might put her out of place at most “mommy and me” gatherings, but this is especially true on the swanky Upper East Side where she originates.  However, Jill isn’t one to waste her time worrying about what other people think. Instead, she worked her alchemical writing magic and spun this into comedy gold, using her position in society as inspiration for the screenplay – turned book – turned TV show, Odd Mom Out. She also plays the feature role in the show, utilizing the talent honed from acting in numerous plays during her time at Yale.  Jill’s creative journey has taken her from arduous internships to writing rooms to the confines of her home office and back again. Jill now plans to return to the big screen as she sets out to script a film inspired in earnestness by the life of her teenagers.  Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a li

This episode is in partnership with SAP SuccessFactors. How would your life be different if you were less afraid to make mistakes, to “fail”?  Amy Shecter doesn’t think women let themselves fail enough, and she thinks it’s high time we become less risk-averse. Statistically, she says, women will only take risks when they feel 95-100% confident in a favorable outcome, versus the average man, who will take the same risk at only 50% confidence. And what, really, is there to lose? Most of the time a supposed failure simply means you’re that much closer to the next success.  Amy spent years in fashion and footwear before delving into the world of fitness and beauty. She immediately saw it as an expanding consumer market. Now the CEO of Glamsquad, a company that brings hair, nail and makeup artists to your door, Amy finds excitement not only in great products and services for clients, but also in the fact that Glamsquad gives freelance beauty professionals a platform to support themselves.  Thanks fo

 The fashion world was the last place Rachel Blumenthal envisioned her career. Growing up on Cape Cod surrounded by adults with “practical” careers, it never occurred to her that a job in fashion might be a viable option. However, when a series of internships and a stroke of luck landed her a job at Yves Saint Laurent, Rachel found herself in the midst of it all.  Despite the fact that she was immersed in a creative environment, the job itself was lacking in that aspect, and on a whim Rachel made herself a ring for fun. That ring was noticed by friends who worked at a magazine, and with just one product she was asked to be featured as a designer in the publication. Overnight she was forced to create a legitimate company, find a buyer and create a website or risk losing the feature. This type of resourcefulness laid the groundwork for what became an incredibly successful jewelry line, Rachel Leigh, and what led to multiple ventures beyond that, most recently, Rockets of Awesome, a subscription-based