Day: June 13, 2022

Female Founders: Thea Myhrvold of Getbee On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

I believe you are your own hardest boss and critic. A myth is that its easy to be your own boss however no one is guiding you, clapping for you, giving you feedback. It is in fact very lonely. It requires a lot of tenacity and persistence. Ultimately, we are our own toughest critic.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Thea Myhrvold, Founder of Getbee.

Thea is the Founder of Getbee, a software enabling brands to bring the human touch into the online sales process — from live product recommendations to purchase, via a branded video call. “Throughout history, commerce has always been about people buying from people. With Getbee, we are bringing back this experience to the digital era. Our vision is to transform the way billions of people buy and sell online.” Speak with your e-commerce clients and 10x your sales conversion rate.

Thea is a globally recognized founder and CEO with a record of accomplishment in technology and innovation for more than 10 years. With both Arabic and Norwegian heritage, her international experiences and perspective has shaped how she aims to scale global impact. From coding one of the first edtech game-based apps, to launching a global marketplace for learning with TeachMeNow, and now scaling a global B2B technology that digitally transforms the future of work with Getbee, she has a proven track record of delivery, impact and results.

Securing partnerships with Microsoft to Expo2020 and One Million Arab Coders. Thea has been recognized with numerous awards including being an Expo2020 Global Innovator, The Cartier Woman’s Awards, INC. Arabia’s Top Female Startups, Mercedes Benz Brand Ambassador and top 10 Linkedin Power Profile all under the age of 30. Regularly quoted in international media in Forbes, Bloomberg, Skynews, The Financial Times, The BBC, Gulf News, to name a few.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

It was always about impact. As a young person navigating larger organizations, like the UN, I was frustrated at the lack of impact I had. I saw much more potential in doing my own thing and finding my own way. Leveraging technology I saw I could make a real difference faster than in other ways.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

I am proud of a lot of our team accomplishments. A recent big win for us was officially being supported by Expo2020 and winning a $100 000 grant. Out of thousands of global applications only 100 top global innovators have been selected as well as the Cartier Woman’s Awards. This is a great achievement in terms of global validation of our work and our business.

LinkedIn published their top 40 “Power Profiles” in terms of influence on Linkedin. I was one of the top 10 influences in tech in the Middle East. I was the only woman on that list and I am so proud to represent women in tech — it is a great measure of our influence of the work that we do and the need to amplify more voices.

My last big event before covid was an audience of 10000 people. Was a contract going from those events to covid.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I believe you should always be learning. I continue to grow and learn all the time, if not then I am truly failing.

Especially as women, we sometimes have this paralysis by analysis. We need to realise that done is better than perfect. I believe when most people start we have this need for being perfect which comes from some deep insecurity somehow. However it is important to start, keep going, and keep iterating/learning.

And once you start — keep going. You will be surprised how far you come. And to you, the reader, I can’t wait to read YOUR story one day too!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

So many! I am forever grateful to my mentors and colleagues. At the end of the day, they all took a chance and paid it forward to me.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

Representation matters. That is why it is so important to amplify the voices of diverse leaders and founders. When I was growing up I didn’t know tech was even an option for me. If you think about tech founders (still today) the typical names come to mind: Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg , etc. how many female / diverse founders can you name?

Studies have shown that representation matters for the whole ecosystem: inspiring future founders but also changing the perception of investors. Most investors will spot trends or patterns and continue to invest in traits that they see are successful. If they don’t hear/see/ recognize alternatives routes to success, it becomes harder to spot those opportunities. Hence there are some great funds like pink salt ventures, a fund that is focused on female founders, who is tapping into this massive potential and business opportunity.

Female run companies are more profitable, sustainable and if you look at the unit economics, usually much better investments. However only 2% of VC funding goes to female led companies. This is a massive untapped potential.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

Unconscious bias is real and it is also based on lack of representation.

Awareness is the first step. Every situation is different however on a personal level — education is key. There are some amazing ted talks — recommended list: https://theriveter.co/voice/9-inspiring-ted-talks-you-have-to-hear-by-female-startup-founders/

As an individual be aware of how you are hiring and what kind of services or products you are buying and how you are sourcing them. We make economic decisions everyday — your buying power can make an impact.

As a society and as government I can also use the example of maternity leave and support for working mothers and fathers. In studies that have come out of countries like Norway, the fact that both mothers and fathers have the chance to take leave, makes hiring more fair across the board too. The childcare policies in Norway has grown the economic GDP on par with the oil fund, which is one of the largest in the world.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

I believe we can see and problem solve differently. In general, and this is a generalization, we are

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

I believe you are your own hardest boss and critic. A myth is that its easy to be your own boss however no one is guiding you, clapping for you, giving you feedback. It is in fact very lonely. It requires a lot of tenacity and persistence. Ultimately, we are our own toughest critic.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

Persistence and perseverance. It requires a lot of grit and continuous learning and problem solving. I like to call myself a professional problem solver.

Ultimately you will be knocked down more times than you can count, however the best, are those who keep going. This mindset is key.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Just start. — you will figure it out as you keep going.
2. Trust yourself.
3. Hire and find people who inspire you and that you can learn from.
4. Failure is not final.
5. Understand how to manage your energy — what drains you and what gives you energy so that you can show up as your best self for your team, clients, partners, family, etc.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

Yes, tech for good is a core competent of what we do. We donate our software to an impact project that can deliver personal live consultations online. We recently supported an amazing project in Latin America called Mujers en Action, an NGO that crowdsources volunteers like coaches, therapists, lawyers for women to speak to who are experiencing domestic violence. Via Getbee, they can track and measure impact, and deliver a branded and safe service. We are proud to pay it forward with our technology as well.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I believe it is important to pay it forward. I heard something beautiful from Christine Lagarde : invest in love. When you have love (be it from a partner, child, parent, etc.) you help support and grow confidence. When you have confidence you can give it to others and empower others. The capital of confidence is key in how we pay it forward. If you can empower and inspire someone in your network and pay it forward, it will inspire a network and exponential affect.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow, I see you investing and working in tech building out platforms like Goop and The Honest Company. I see massive collaboration with what we are all building, shared values and supporting women. Let’s talk!

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Female Founders: Thea Myhrvold of Getbee On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Modern Fashion: Fashion Designer Annaiss Yucra On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today

An Interview With Candice Georgiadice

… It will be a movement towards enjoying each day on its own. I think we live in a world that doesn’t focus on mental health, in Latin America it’s still a taboo, and we have such a chaotic lifestyle, always on the clock that sometimes we forget to enjoy the process of it, and start working on being grateful of each day step by step–and sharing that knowledge will make more people blessed of their everyday achievements

Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?

In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”

As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Annaiss Yucra.

Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Annaiss studied at Central Saint Martins and graduated with honors from (BA) Fashion Design at Nottingham Trent University. Annaiss began to make a name for herself globally thanks to her different international recognitions in competitions and social programs in Peru with creative workshops with indigenous communities, men in prison and aspiring students. Today, the colors and speech of the eponymous firm continue to expand internationally.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

My childhood was always about that connection to my heritage and traditions from a family that was from the landfill, immigrants from the Sierra to the Capital. It was an injection of colors, textile work of weaving, and culture. I am a third generation indigenous woman, and that really made an impact since I was very little, in the way of the respect to the Pachamama (Mother Earth in Quechua) to the love of the textile work in Peru.

Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?

From a very young age my connection with my environment was what allowed me to open myself to a world full of creativity. My family always pushed me to follow my dreams and I grew up in an environment full of color, fabrics, customs and heritage. Art and fashion are extensions of my thoughts and values–it is what I reflect through this exploration.

I started my homonymous project in 2018, on my return to Peru from university. I had no contacts in this area, so I applied to the Young Creators to the World contest. From that moment my work began to receive media attention and I was able to create a real network. As a result, international platforms began to see my work–during the years since then, I have had the honor and opportunity to not only represent my country but also Latin America as a whole, putting my continent in the eye of emerging fashion.

Within my work, I also aim to touch on social issues and create projects that stem from uncomfortable but necessary issues–by using fashion to tell a story, I feel we can grow as a community and have positive repercussions. I consider what I do “Artivism” or activism + art. Because my heritage is such a big part of my work, I want stories and issues from Peru and Latin America to be part of my designs. Fashion has given me the opportunity to communicate through clothing and enhance my career in a positive way by creating awareness in my country.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I think it’s the impact I have in my society and how I’ve helped change the perspective about fashion in Peru. I would never in a lifetime think that, through my creativity and my purpose in life, that I’d be able to help create a movement in my country and a change towards female empowerment and body positivity.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

PURPOSE: I created a business that comes from my core, my purpose is my real motivation and making a true change in the fashion industry and perspective of Latin American Fashion.

PERSISTENCE: There is no “No” for me–when people see struggles I always see an opportunity, I will carry on innovating persistently.

A 24/7 A.Y LIFESTYLE: I am always on a clock, working 24/7. For me it’s not even working, it is always about creating, making garments, being involved in exciting projects. It has become a lifestyle.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

That each garment we produced is unique. We have a small team in our family studio where we are constantly innovating and moving forward to create a piece that is not only unique, but also a piece that will be in your wardrobe for a lifetime.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD (Bienvenida al mundo real, in Spanish)

That’s a quote my mom would always remind me about, how living in a world full of struggles was real, and how I should always make my rules to thrive within it.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?

Definitely the development of digital fashion to complement real-life fashion. It’s been incredible seeing the different people in digital worlds bring their own perspective to my looks and onto their own avatars, wearing the garments in a completely different way. Seeing my designs through their eyes makes me think, how can I approach creating a garment in a different way, and see it from a different perspective. I love the way that people are expressing themselves, using the clothes so differently, in so many different ways that I was not expecting at all. That is why I have partnered with VMOD.

With VMOD I am able to explore new methods of bringing my collections to life that are more inclusive and democratic, such as techniques like AR try-ons where my customers can see how they look in something prior to purchasing; or creating virtual fashion shows or lookbooks using 3D; plus, as a designer I am able to see which of my designs customers like and engage with more, which helps me decide how to adjust a design, or what to put into production. 3D fashion is definitely gaining popularity, and while I don’t create in 3D now, VMOD makes it incredibly easy for designers to get started, and they are able to save a ton of time and pre-production costs on sampling etc, by fine-tuning fit in digital.

Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?

I think first it’s the visual impact from the joyful palette, but the main focus is the message behind each garment and how it’s helping to create a conversation towards different subjects around society.

Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?

I am a 3rd generation textile manufacturer. My grandmother was an artisan who would do exhibitions with her textiles and sell her hand crafted work. After that, my parents started a business with Peruvian cotton, and now I work with local artisans to create my handcrafted looks, often creating new textiles with them. My childhood was about going to the factory and seeing this community of artisans making the garments, expressing themselves through their work so magnificently. I am carrying on a legacy, a history, and that’s so important to me, while also championing the incredible work of local artisans that is often overlooked.

When I do source materials outside of Peru, I like working with SwatchOn and VMOD, because they are the only company that is connecting real life fabrics with 3D counterparts–which is pretty incredible. SwatchOn also vets each of the fabric vendors on their platform (the majority within Korea) so I know I can trust that the IRL fabrics I search for are of the utmost quality. If I’m ever looking for something specific and can’t find it, I just reach out and they’ll help me source it through their vendors. That kind of 1-on-1 attention makes me confident in the quality.

Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?

The desire for fresh looks will, I think, always be–but that doesn’t mean it can’t be sustainable. I’d go back to the onset of digital fashion–to add to what I was saying earlier, new generations have so many different ways they want to engage with fashion, and it’s not only about wearing real life clothes anymore. It’s about being able to tell your story in new ways, and give people new ways to express themselves. That’s why I’ve been excited to be on VMOD for their launch, because it’s a totally new way to connect with people–and to communicate my messages of Artivism. With platforms like VMOD and other digital players, now we as fashion designers have the choice to create in real life, or create in digital, filling a need for “fast fashion” in a more sustainable (and even faster) way.

Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.

HAVING A TRUE PURPOSE IN YOUR BRAND WILL MAKE A TOTAL DIFFERENCE WHEN COMMUNICATING THE VALUES OF YOUR STORY.

Listening to your consumer and being active into what they truly want from sizing, custom services, and an experience when visiting your brand.

Communication, a true channel of authenticity in your social media will truly make a connection with your community–people don’t want a perfect story, they want the truth and being able to tell it from your own channels helps with the engagement.

Small drops all around the year. In my case, giving my customer these types of drops truly makes a difference in our sales. It’s important to know what your customer needs and observe them when it comes to the items you will launch. Form follows function.

Being clear with your supply channels, and making a positive impact in your industry will lead into a more conscious brand and connection with your core and community.

Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?

There are so many areas of improvement. I think one of the most important comes when thinking in inclusivity. Being able to create garments for all body types and recognize that everyone in our community is different will truly make a change in the impact of women wanting to have a significant piece without limitations.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

It will be a movement towards enjoying each day on its own. I think we live in a world that doesn’t focus on mental health, in Latin America it’s still a taboo, and we have such a chaotic lifestyle, always on the clock that sometimes we forget to enjoy the process of it, and start working on being grateful of each day step by step–and sharing that knowledge will make more people blessed of their everyday achievements

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Vmod.com

Annaissyucra.com

VMOD instagram

Annaiss Yucra instagram

VMOD x Annaiss Yucra

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Modern Fashion: Fashion Designer Annaiss Yucra On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Modern Fashion: Lindsey Mallon of Nadjarina On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today

An Interview With Candice Georgiadice

A unique vision and a (healthy) obsession with that vision. It’s not an easy path, so you really have to live and breathe it. And you have to stand for something unique and of value… and really know what sets you apart so you can carve your space in the market.

Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?

In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”

As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Lindsey Mallon.

Lindsey Mallon, founder of Nadjarina, is a RISD graduate whos career spans over a decade in fashion & blockchain spaces. Nadjarina was launched in response to the (lack of) labour standards she witnessed in her career, and inspired by the desire to see a collection that embodies modern femininity, as told through the lens of a woman (rather than the male-dominated lens of the fashion industry).

The Nadjarina aesthetic is inspired by the modern renaissance women, unapologetically defining and evolving the role of femininity for the future.

The brand is both a conscious luxury collection and a platform to advocate for the future we need for both our communities and our planet. Transparency & awareness towards the true impact of our decisions are the core of Nadjarina.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

Oh gosh. I grew up in a small town by the ocean in Rhode Island. So small, that I still no where to find people on a Friday night when I make trips back. . I was always very focused on self expression and was always very particular about curating my own aesthetic. I remember always having strong opinions about our Catholic school uniforms and how they suffocated individuality and self expression. I loved dresses and unrestrictive knit pants. I liked to have my aesthetic, but not be contained by it. That still holds today. You see a strong, feminine aesthetic contrasted with relaxed fits and the lux comfort of silks in Nadjarina. I love the tension between opposition. I think that is where the beauty is, and I think that’s what modern femininity is- the juxtaposition between our soft maternal energy, our history as sensual muses, and empowered voices and visionaries in the workplace today. Life, and balance, exists in the gray area between. As a kid, I felt like an outsider because of that mindset, because I didn’t fit in a neat box.

Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?

I moved to NYC right after college, as many did. The economy was recovering from the 2008 financial crisis. Design jobs were far and few. I didn’t have the option to intern until a paid position opened, so I looked at the bigger picture. I knew that I wanted to launch a brand of my own eventually, so I took the opportunity to understand each aspect of running a fashion business. I took a job in development that was massively underpaid- I had to bartend on top to pay rent- and climbed my way up from there, wearing many hats along the way.

What I saw was appalling- inhumane labor and manufacturing practices, brands ripping off other brands, toxic behavior amongst peers. It was an industry built to empower, was built on the backs of slave labor and destruction. That is what inspired Nadjarina. Building a brand that would begin to challenge these systems and begin to forge a more optimistic future for our industry. At the time, labor standards and conscious mindsets were really a beta-test mindset. One beautiful thing about this pandemic, is that it’s brought a lot of things into the light and these are becoming more normal conversations.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Motherhood, really. I’m a single mom, so it is the biggest curve ball in my life- and my career my biggest challenge, my biggest reward, and my biggest motive. I think that gave me the courage to really stand up for what I believe in. It put a fire in me to create a world for her and I that would be beautiful and limitless. Nadjarina is actually named after my daughter- it’s her middle name. The brand, just like the next generation, stands for a higher level of consciousness.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Self-awareness, My personal evolution is the most critical aspect. Learning to embrace the journey, approach the good days with gratitude, and a meditation practice to get me through the harder days. Dropping ego and replacing it with a healthy curiosity to nurture a collaborative workspace.

Intuition. I think the more I’ve tapped into a more intuitive approach to leadership, the more successes I’ve found (which is traditionally a more feminine characteristic not embraced in the workplace). Of course, understanding data and metrics is massively important, but that informs your intuition, so learning to align and tap into that intuitive

Authenticity. The ethics the brand stands for, the narrative the collection creates around modern femininity as defined through the female lens, and, of course, the creative vision. There was a point when I bent too much to outside feedback, and lost pieces of my authentic vision, and it showed. When I returned to that authentic voice, that’s when the vision really resonated with people.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

I think that it’s both our community-focused ethos and the story we tell as an aesthetic. Nadjarina’s aesthetic is an open dialogue around modern femininity. What it means and what it looks like to feel empowered, feminine, sensual… as defined by a woman. Most brands are designed by men, so it is a man defining how he thinks it looks for a women to feel sexy, empowered, comfortable. The way we communicate ourselves visually is almost always through the male gaze.

Nadjarina reclaims that context, and builds a community of women around that. It’s a strong aesthetic, balanced with relaxed fits for comfort and function. I want to feel like a strong woman, but I also want to feel feminine, and I need to be able to move between roles from the workplace to motherhood to a social life. And still feel good when I’m having hormonal bloating… or after having kids, too. A man can’t speak to that in the same way because it’s not his experience.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Be firm in your goals, but flexible in how you get there.”

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?

Definitely, and I supposed with a natural bias (as I’ve previously launched a business in this space), blockchain. With more transparency comes more accountability. There’s a lot of positive impact in this industry that that can bring about. Especially as you go down the supply chain. And this is an industry that needs to pivot fast to pull the reigns in on global warming.

Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?

One thing I’ve been told a few times in my career, is that I have an ability to take progressive ideas or concepts that feel out-of-reach or overwhelming, and break them down so that they feel accessible and understandable. Whether that’s through panels I’ve spoken on about easing into a more sustainable lifestyle and the realities of what sustainable consumerism means, or intimate conversations with women around our experience today… that to me feels like the most important work. I’ve heard from many that a sustainable living can feel a bit overwhelming, so if I can help build a bridge to help people take the first steps towards that, that is an honor. I really believe that if we break it into micro goals and small habit changes, and build on that, it is much more achievable. We have to be easy on ourselves.

Then there’s the female experience, as well. The female experience, often peppered with stories we’ve felt we couldn’t talk about, can be isolating. The more we come together and highlight these struggles, and share our stories, the stronger we become collectively. The #MeToo movement made a lot of women feel heard and seen, but that’s just the beginning of these conversations, in my opinion. There’s a lot more to bring to light. Even just the concept that many women really overcompensate in their masculine energy to excel in their careers, then feel imbalance in their romantic relationships and personal life. Most don’t consciously recognize that it a masculine energy they are tapping into, so they struggle to rebalance themselves, or learn which energy to tap into in which situations. Creating conversations so that we don’t feel alone in these experiences, and creating “toolkits” to navigate these experiences with is important. The first step in creating a solution is recognizing the problem.

Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?

Yes, we actually have a sourcing map on our website that discusses each region we source from and why. We try to source locally, where possible, but and intentionally, looking at quality and the environmental impact of each material. For example, we use plant-dyed leathers, silks woven here in the US, and novelty fabrics from a family-owned manufacturer in Italy. Eventually, I’d like to bridge my blockchain and luxury backgrounds and build these into digital ID’s that go with each product.

Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?

The price of a product isn’t always the number on the price tag. There is the environmental and humanitarian cost, too. Every dollar spent is a vote to support an ethos and vision.

As a brand, it’s a challenge because in a perfect world, ethically made products would be accessible to all, but it’s difficult to accomplish that and apply fair trade labor and high-quality materials and construction. But I do believe in the original traditions of craft and creating something with intention and impact. Personally, it’s hard to justify purchasing something that stands for environmental damage or near slave-labor.

As consumers and a collective community, it ultimately comes down to a mindset shift. Shaking the Hollywood ideas of wear-it-once, and replacing that mindset with a quality over quantity mindset. What most people don’t see, is that most celebs and influencers are pulling pieces from brands, not purchasing them, giving them limitless wardrobes. Rental platforms are a great option if you want to have more options without the trail of waste.

I really hope that as technology advances, sustainable options will be accessible at any budget.

Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.

A unique vision and a (healthy) obsession with that vision. It’s not an easy path, so you really have to live and breathe it. And you have to stand for something unique and of value… and really know what sets you apart so you can carve your space in the market.

Malleability. My biggest mantra as an entrepreneur is “be strict in your goals, but flexible in how you get there”. That mindset has been especially valuable through this pandemic for me personally. Nothing ever happens as planned, but we have to trust and embrace the process. When we get caught up in the micro details, or the momentary obstacles, we often lose sight of the end vision and stand in our own way. Stay focused on the bigger picture and how you can pivot to make something positive out whatever is in front of you. Then there’s a literal application- business landscapes are constantly changing, and you have to have foresight and malleability to stay ahead.

Ethics. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but with where we are moving as an industry and the consumer’s growing interest and knowledge, you have to stand for something. And with how technology is advancing, we as brands will be held accountable to the sustainability and positive impact efforts we preach. Transparency and business ethics, I think, will be unavoidable as blockchain tech becomes a normal part of our industry.

A healthy curiosity. That’s what keeps you inspired, but also creates malleability as a leader. We are in an intersecting time of undoing a lot of old mindsets. Ego-centric leaders who create a negative workplace are being called out. We are unlearning and relearning, and that requires a healthy curiosity for people and opinions. A constant hunger for evolution will keep. You ahead of the curve.

Community. And not just from the traditional networking and influence aspect. Community is something Nadjarina has been focused on since day 1, because I really believe in impact and human connections. But community, in a sea of brands, is becoming the new brand longevity and the new brand currency, which I think is very refreshing. You have to reach people, not just sell something to them, if you want to maintain a relationship with your audience.

Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?

I think continuing on this path towards sustainable, ethical business models is really key. I think this pandemic allowed for the industry to slow down, take a step back, and assess its faults and systems that haven’t evolved at all, mostly due to the rapid pace of the industry. Now we (as an industry) are having those conversations and consumers are demanding better. And that’s amazing.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

In many ways, that’s the vision of Nadjarina- to bring positive impact to people’s lives. It’s both a luxurywear brand and a community-driven platform to support progressive conversations around both the female experience and sustainable consumerism + ethical business. Educating people around sustainable consumerism and lifestyles in a way that feels accessible and approachable. Setting standards for ethical business. Creating conversations that connect us over our human experience; giving people emotional, psychological, and verbal toolkits to express themselves and better themselves. So, in short, creating a global platform to level up the human experience… that’s the vision!

How can our readers further follow your work online?

We have our online store, nadjarina.com, which is both a storefront as well as information about the brand and our practices. We’re on social media (of course).

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Modern Fashion: Lindsey Mallon of Nadjarina On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Heidi Steele of Surface Resources On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Find time for yourself and your personal passions. I myself love gardening, collecting art and traveling to different countries. You never know when or where inspiration might strike!

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Heidi Steele.

Heidi Steele is the founder of Surface Resources, a rising leader in sustainable solutions for design and construction professionals on a national scale, with roots in the Southwest and Intermountain Regions.

After a career as an architect and interior designer made clear the challenges of sourcing sustainable finishes, Heidi identified a gap in the market for an agency to provide material and methods expertise to AEC professionals for resilient flooring and tile solutions, amplifying the climate positive movement. Her past career in the design industry gives Heidi comprehensive insider’s knowledge and solidifies her reputation as a valuable resource.

Backed by a dedicated and experienced team (including Heidi’s sister Cindy), Surface Resources fulfills much needed dual roles by offering materials and mentoring for industry professionals on resilient surface and tile collections that bring innovation, reasonable pricing, outstanding material availability, and enduring beauty to customers — responsibly.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I am a serial entrepreneur. I’ve worked for myself far longer than I ever worked for anyone else. I’ve now owned seven businesses in total, and currently run two. Technically, the first business I ever owned began at age three, when I collected rocks and sold them door-to-door in my neighborhood. This business was strictly off-the-books, so I hope no one from the PRC or taxation and revenue departments are reading this article!

I founded Surfaces Resources after years of struggling to source sustainably-certified, high quality finish materials in the Southwest and Intermountain regions of the U.S. Therefore, our core mission is effortless sustainability. The collections we represent are produced by companies that continue to make global, climate-positive commitments as proven by their independent, third-party sustainability certifications. Setting an even higher standard, Surface Resources insists on representing innovative, high-performing resilient surface and tile collections that bring meaningful value with reasonable pricing, enduring beauty, and outstanding availability.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

There have been so many interesting moments! My proudest day as the founder of Surface Resources was the day that I received a cold call from a brand called Mosa. They were looking for a new exclusive distribution partner in the Southwest and heard there was no better option than Surface Resources. Mosa produces the most high performing, aesthetically pleasing commercially-rated tiles in the world. They are the only tile manufacturer to have achieved Cradle to Cradle certification. This label is recognized for promoting the most stringent, international sustainability standards. What makes their tiles so beautiful and different comes down to manufacturing with 100% organic materials, created to an incredibly exacting standard. Every single unglazed, porcelain tile is unique, like a fingerprint, due to the random distribution of organic pigments on the tile face. Their glazed and unglazed field tile collections are backed by a full range of tile accessories giving every installation a tailored, precise look. It is truly an honor to partner with this brand.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

As a business owner, I will say that mistakes are not usually very funny. However, I think the funniest moments happen through brief miscommunications amongst our team. We’re all working 100% remotely so occasionally two or more of us will have a full conversation without realizing we were talking about completely different projects or situations. Once the discrepancy is discovered, it provides a good chuckle as we all jump to the same page. It really proves just how important clear communication is to a business, especially with a 100% remote workforce.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My husband is 100% integral to my success. I call him “Saint Dave.” His unconditional support throughout my entrepreneurial journey has been unwavering — and this includes the two years we knew each other before we began dating. From the day we met at a weekly project meeting, he has been my rock, supporting me with intimidating decisions when I needed help clarifying the best path forward.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

I think lack of confidence is the biggest thing holding women back. The belief that you can make it happen is critical to becoming a business owner. I’ve always had a gambler’s nature and I’m extremely ambitious, which outweighs any shortage of confidence I may feel from one day to the next.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

One of the most important things you can do as a prospective entrepreneur is to surround yourself with people that outpace you in your chosen field. This creates a network of people who will motivate and educate you, proving that your ambitions can be achieved.

The second most important thing is to align yourself with business mentors who are successful entrepreneurs themselves. They will have been in the trenches and understand what you are going through. To find these mentors, keep your eyes and ears open, join professional organizations, and network, network, network.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

We are experiencing a huge change in the workforce, transitioning from being in the office 100% of the time to a remote or hybrid model. Juggling a personal life with professional demands while working from home is a set of skills that I believe is very innate to women. While this isn’t strictly true across the board, women are often more nurturing and emotionally resilient which often leads to a more successful workplace. Emotional support is so important for employees’ mental health and overall wellbeing.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

The myth that women can’t have it all — work and family — deserves to be shattered. There are always sacrifices, but it is possible.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

No, I don’t believe that everyone is cut out to be a founder. Aside from confidence, emotional restraint is one of the most important traits a founder can have. If you cannot be in control of your emotions then you should not be in the founder’s seat. Emotional restraint takes practice and is something that many people struggle with. It’s obvious to me that if you can remove emotions from a charged situation, you will get to resolutions much more quickly.

Another important character trait is the ability to see both the big picture and the granular details. Some people can only see one or the other. A founder needs to know how to connect the two and balance them every day. This is what will move your company forward.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. I wish someone would have told me how satisfying it would be, both personally and professionally, to create a successful business. The satisfaction is immeasurable because it’s not just about one person — so many more people are added along the journey. It’s an incredible opportunity to impact people and elevate the quality of their lives.
2. Continue paying attention to all of the details even after your business becomes successful. Failure happens when a founder takes their eye off the ball. If you become complacent and distribute your authority for overseeing the business, before you know it you will be disconnected and unaware that problems exist.
3. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of surrounding yourself with successful business mentors that genuinely wish to see you succeed.
4. Focus on being the change you wish to see in the world. If you are committed, confident and considerate in your mission, success will follow.
5. Find time for yourself and your personal passions. I myself love gardening, collecting art and traveling to different countries. You never know when or where inspiration might strike!

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

As a founder, you are in a unique position to be the change that you want to see in the world. For me, the mission is effortless sustainability. I want to knock down every hurdle to amplifying the sustainability movement. Every day I work to disprove pervasive myths — that sustainable products are not available, are not durable, or are unaffordable. From the partners we choose to the collections we represent, all of our choices come down to refuting these arguments and proving to people that sustainable is attainable.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

The movement I actively seek to advance every day is effortless sustainability. In the late 60s and early 70s, when we discovered that lead paint was toxic and harming infants, people immediately stopped buying cribs coated with lead paint. There is no reason we cannot bring about this same sweeping change within the sustainability movement. When you put two products side by side, one with sustainability credentials and one without, and both are the same price — why wouldn’t you choose the sustainable option?

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

The number one person I would love to dine with is Frida Kahlo — although I might be too intimidated! She had confidence in spades. Despite the overwhelming setbacks in her life, she overcame all of them to become a legend and truly changed the world. Instead of falling into the shadow of being
“Diego Rivera’s wife”, she became Frida Kahlo. Many people, museums, and brand builders would proclaim she surpassed him.

I would also truly love to meet Michelle Obama. She elegantly balances her family and professional life while simultaneously working to change the world and I respect that. She is full of grace; everything about her is thoughtful and down-to-earth yet her goals are understood as a critical priority by many in today’s culture.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Female Founders: Heidi Steele of Surface Resources On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Ashley King of Dermaclara On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Don’t ignore the naysayers. Remember everything they said and use that as fuel. In the beginning, I felt like a glasshouse and every negative comment would leave a crack. I learned to take that criticism and use it to motivate myself. There is a difference between criticism and critique.

As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ashley King.

Ashley King is a wife, mother, and co-Founder of Dermaclara, a San Diego based company that has created a groundbreaking line of skincare that addresses both wrinkles and stretch marks using medical grade silicone patches and complementary skincare that smooths, plumps, and prevents.

Before founding her business with her husband Nathan King and The King family, Ashley worked as a Pediatric Orthoptist and Plastic Surgical Technologist for over 10 years.

King’s passion for helping people, knowledge of the human body, and lack of safe and affordable skin care options, led her to create a risk-free alternative to invasive procedures and expensive products that lack results.

Dermaclara developed a patented, proprietary system of stretch mark and wrinkle reduction utilizing occlusion, which is a microclimate created between skin and silicone. It stimulates collagen production, encourages hydration, and promotes healing, making the appearance of stretch marks blend into the surrounding skin and making wrinkles flatten and diminish, providing incredible results.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

My career path began in healthcare. I was never 100% of sure what I wanted to study, only that I wanted to help people. Starting a skin care brand and being able to make a difference in people’s lives was what I was most passionate about. It had always been my constant even while I was pursuing my career as a surgical technologist and eventually an orthoptist.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

Something that I initially found so interesting and still do, is how difficult it was to relay the message that there actually is something you can do about stretch marks. The pushback was incredible. Genetics are largely responsible for your skin type. You can be genetically predisposed to them like other skin conditions, but it does not mean you are at the mercy of your genetics. Consumers have an easier time understanding that acne, hyperpigmentation, and skin texture can be improved with the right treatment, but somehow stretch marks have this reputation of being a non-negotiable. I’m passionate about educating how our product works to help prevent and reduce the appearance of them. It’s not magic, it’s science.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When you’re starting a business, you want to take advantage of every single opportunity. That means saying no becomes nearly impossible. The day of my first phone interview with The San Diego Business Journal was the day my water broke. I was determined not to cancel it. I ended up giving the interview just before giving birth to my son in between 2-minute (apart) contractions. The nurses probably thought I was nuts. In retrospect, I don’t regret it. It’s something we laugh about today.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I am forever grateful to my father-in-law and mentor Steve King, and the entire King family. Dermaclara would not exist without his support. He has always shared his vast knowledge with me and lent his ear to listen. Learning from someone who wants you to grow is empowering. “Family” isn’t defined by blood or last names. It is defined by showing up for the people you love, commitment, and having each other’s backs. The support has been unmistakable.

According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still must be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?

In my experience, I think perfectionism can sometimes hold you back. There will always be a reason to wait, but truthfully you figure it out as you go. You will never be fully prepared to start a business, and you will always find a reason to wait. You learn along the way and if you don’t know, ask. Find the right people and start asking questions. Having a successful business comes with a series of mistakes that you learn from.

Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?

I think individually we can focus on championing each other as women. Embracing and collaborating with other women in business breeds innovation. As a society, we need to start recognizing that women represent huge economic power and invaluable consumer insight. The unique advantages that a women’s perspective brings to the table is paramount in fostering creativity and growth.

This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder, but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?

There are mountains of research that prove diverse teams perform better. We desperately need more women’s perspectives, particularly in male-dominated markets. Without it, real growth will be stagnant.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?

I think the term “founder “could lead you to believe that this one person creates and sustains the success of a business. It’s an illusion that founders are these lone rangers of innovation. The reality is, it’s all collaborative. If you plan on standing alone, you will fail. I am never afraid to admit someone else can do something better than me and stand aside.

Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?

For a company to excel, the team needs to have enough freedom to plan and execute on their own. You must trust the people you hired. Micromanaging will lead to distrust which will ultimately slow down a business long term.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Stay lean in the beginning. Don’t overspend. A lot of the framework when starting a business cost far less than you’d expect.
2. Have patience with your vision. Don’t expect overnight success.
3. Don’t wait until you know everything. There is never a right time and you’re never going to know everything.
4. Even if your idea is in its raw form, peck at it every day. Sometimes your idea needs polishing until it becomes a gem.
5. Don’t ignore the naysayers. Remember everything they said and use that as fuel. In the beginning, I felt like a glasshouse and every negative comment would leave a crack. I learned to take that criticism and use it to motivate myself. There is a difference between criticism and critique.

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

We started Dermaclara with Mamas in mind. No one should have to compromise their health to get results. Creating a safe and effective product to be used at any stage of your life is something that we are very proud of.

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Educate yourself on what ingredients you put on or in your body. I was never more aware of my health than when I was pregnant with my son. I felt this overwhelming responsibility to protect him from anything harmful or toxic. Why should that end after he is born? It shifted my thinking and I realized health is adding a level of intention to every part of your life. Your health is wholeness.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?

I would absolutely love to have lunch with Sara Blakely! I admire her hugely as a businesswoman and philanthropist. Despite having no experience in business leadership or retail, she has managed to create a billion-dollar brand. Her story and perseverance are truly inspiring. It’s a testament to anyone with an idea who’s been turned down. When someone tells you “You can’t,” they are showing you their limits, not yours.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Female Founders: Ashley King of Dermaclara On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Antiques and Vintage Items — Find something old and make it new again. We love antique sourcing and we love a time worn vintage piece for your home. By purchasing something old that speaks to you — you are able to add layers and texture to your home and make it rich with character.

As part of my series on the “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kalah Talancy.

Kalah Talancy is the principal residential interior designer at KT2 Design Group, a full service Architecture and Interior Design firm based in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and serving most of the New England area. Kalah prides herself on her ability to hear clients wants and turn them into a well designed, original home.

Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Kevin and I have always both been very artistic in nature. We actually took painting classes together in high school and worked on our college portfolios together. For us a balanced and well designed home is like a work of art. We also are both fueled by human connection — and being able to help our clients live a well designed and beautiful home is beyond rewarding.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since

you started this career? One of the most interesting things that I was not anticipating with this career is growing with a client’s family. Some of our favorite clients are ones we have worked with for over 10 years. To design a home for them when they are expecting their first baby, to then be asked to help them carve out a space for that baby-turned-teen’s hockey gear, to then be asked to help them dream up a forever family vacation home for when they have grandkids — those are the relationships that fuel us. We are always honored to help set the stage for all of life’s evolutions.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

A mistake I made once that will never be made again was when a client’s curtains that had a horizontal stripe in my presentation showed up as a vertical stripe in person. Never again did I fail to call out the directionality of a stripe on a purchase order.

I also learned that dropping off a bottle of wine with an apology note makes a world of difference.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

One of the most interesting projects we are currently working on is designing a second home for a client in the mountains. Designing a second home is thrilling because you are often designing for different daily habits. Instead of worrying about where all the backpacks are going to go — you get to carve out artful spaces that have moments of peace and solitude. A second home is where a client goes to recharge — where they escape their stresses.

Often times a second home has the backdrop of the mountains or the sea — and adding moments in the home where those can be enjoyed in all seasons is always beyond rewarding.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“You do you.”

Is a big quote both in our business and in our family. In a world where we are bombarded with what our professional peers are doing — you really have to be able to turn off that comparison mode. The creativity that they have is theirs, and the creativity that we have is ours. My creativity might help inspire somebody, but it should never be used as a measuring stick.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

We are both forever grateful to our roster of professionals we work with daily. From carpenters to painters to photographers. Our business is a team sport — one that has to have many moving parts that work in sync — and we are beyond thankful that we get to work with the people we work with.

Thank you for that. Here is the main question of our discussion. What are your “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

From my point of view — five things you can do to spark more joy all have to do with enhancing your surroundings to be a reflection of your happiest self.

1. Antiques and Vintage Items — Find something old and make it new again. We love antique sourcing and we love a time worn vintage piece for your home. By purchasing something old that speaks to you — you are able to add layers and texture to your home and make it rich with character.

2. Splurge — you know that wallpaper/fabric/light you have always dreamed of using, but the price point makes your heart beat too fast? Save up and do it. Home projects can wear on people, and if you’re not careful you can be stuck on budget and making safe design choices. A splurge in one part of the home can be a constant reminder of how happy a design element makes you.

3. Durable and Washable — Life can be busy and chaotic and a forever clean up act. Putting durable surfaces around your home lets you live your daily life without fear. Picking a tile for your Mudroom floor? Think about what winter looks like in your region — if you are always coming in with salt and sand on your boots from a snowy winter — a lighter more textured slate will help hide things more than a dark surface. Same goes for fabrics. Don’t be afraid of using light tones on upholstery if it is what you have your heart set on — just make sure it is a slipcover or a sunbrella fabric. I always say — houses get a lot of wear and tear — kids have messy hands and pets have dirty paws. Let that dirt exist without fear — just make sure you are able to clean it up afterwards.

4. Travel finds — If you are on a trip and return home with a new tapestry, or a vase or a clock — that item will forever remind you of your trip and those visceral memories are priceless.

5. Art — Don’t be afraid to buy art. Not all art has to break the bank. Go to farmers markets and frame shops. Poke around on Etsy. Find a artist that speaks to you and support them. Even if the piece is semi-precious in the end, there is nothing as authentic as having an original piece of artwork in your home.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

In this industry we can see a lot of waste. Clients often take out functional items (cabinets or countertops) to trade up for something new. We work hard with our contractors to make sure usable items can find a home somewhere. In a perfect world — we would be able to find a new home for every single item that gets swapped out of a client’s new home.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

They can visit our website, KT2DesignGroup.com, to see our portfolio and learn more about us and our services. We are also on Facebook and Instagram.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

Kalah Talancy of KT2 Design Group: 5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Women In Wellness: Karen Ballou of Immunocologie On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Being artfully aware — social media has taken away so much from our lifestyle, so much so that we’re not taking the same amount of time out of our lives to be aware of ourselves and the world around us.

As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Ballou.

Karen Ballou is Founder and CEO of Immunocologie and a partner at Lucas Brand Equity, an equity firm that acquires beauty brands. A beauty industry leader, entrepreneur and master esthetician, Karen founded Immunocologie after battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Immunocologie is an innovative, fully natural skin health, skin care company, which strengthens the skin’s microbiome and immuno-skin protection system through mineral and vitamin science.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

I’ve always been passionate about health and wellness– I’ve been a master esthetician for close to 40 years, curating thousands of skincare and wellness routines for clients around the globe. My career has spanned from working with top brands like Redken to Elizabeth Arden, developing curriculum for fellow estheticians, and collaborating with top doctors and dermatologists to create my skincare line.

In 2008, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma– a diagnosis that caught me completely off guard. I’ve always eaten healthy and prioritized working out, despite being a busy mom to four kids. Surrounded by chemotherapy and radiation, I was inspired to develop products that would eliminate toxins from our day-to-day skincare routines. During remission, I felt it was important to give back. From there, Immunocologie skincare, skin health was born.

How I got here. With my early days at Elizabeth Arden, to Redken, to then growing into more Entrepreneurial positions and growing brands, I’ve been able to not only see the dynamic change within our industry, but also contribute to it. At the outset of my career, there were little to no spa or esthetic licensing — I was a part of this forefront to advocate for change. This change created the ripple effect that helped form our cosmetic/skincare landscape today!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

I’ve always been on a very specific path with regards to my career — skincare. Something that’s interesting to me is that at the beginning of my career I created a wheel much like a mood board. Each facet of the wheel had various functionalities of things I wanted to do, and interesting enough as I look back, each piece of that wheel has come true.

Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I believe mistakes are all perceptions, they can be taken as a negative or a positive. I can say this, it hasn’t been an easy road pioneering change. I’ve always been about change. Mistakes have ultimately been learning lessons for me.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

Sustainability is such an important part of our lives today and beyond. Things that we couldn’t do in the past are possible now. Ultimately, we’re in such a better place in terms of availability to make conscious decisions for your brand and ultimately your consumer. We can do our part to make these changes, however we also have to be the receiver of these changes, and be conscious of these changes. We must continue to be mindful about how we can push the sustainability angle of our brand even further.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.

Mindfulness — we tend to get caught up in our everyday lives and pause mindfulness towards ourselves or others.

Acting consciously — consider where you can present yourself more consciously to those around you both professionally and personally.

Being artfully aware — social media has taken away so much from our lifestyle, so much so that we’re not taking the same amount of time out of our lives to be aware of ourselves and the world around us.

Community — we have all this culture around us, how much are we actually bringing in?

Learning — making a conscious effort to learn something new every day.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Banding a community together and having a ripple effect of important conversations. Dirty Wellness is a big issue in our industry, the dissemination of this information and having conversations around the protection of Clean Beauty ethics is paramount.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

Short & long term planning.

Building a community — It’s about “doing it”

Talent — how to hire properly.

Growth of a business and scaling a business.

What it takes to grow a business.

Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?

Sustainability, if you can get this right — it covers all areas, sustainability in your ingredients, your packaging. I really believe sustainability is an Important part of our future and our world!

What is the best way our readers can follow you online?

I have the Ballou Review! It’s a “full circle resource” with the latest health and wellness tips you can apply to your lifestyle.

Keep up with me on instagram and LinkedIn

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

Women In Wellness: Karen Ballou of Immunocologie On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Beaubble’s naissance stems from Jordan listening to my nonsense for weeks. He never passively ‘listens’ to anything I ever have to say and I, and I deeply appreciate that. On the flip side, knowing that he is the best listener, it subconsciously made me be much more intentional about how I communicate. Every couple is different, but I think for us, listening has been the solution to every challenge we’ve encountered. Listening with intention, patience, and above all, love for each other!

As a part of our series about lessons from Thriving Power Couples, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jun Young (Jordan) Lim and HeeKyeong Seo.

Jun Young (Jordan) Lim and HeeKyeong Seo are Co-Founders of Beaubble, the first community-driven beauty studio that launches brands with influencers and brands alike. Recognizing that influencers have become the true leaders of beauty conversation, Beaubble gives influencers a platform to communicate with their already engaged audiences and work directly with their communities to create the beauty products that they actually want and need. Beaubble’s mission is to bring about truly inclusive, community-driven beauty, democratize the product development process, and to become a “full-stack” platform and service provider in beauty.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you two to your respective career paths?

Jordan: I’m fortunate to have had friends and mentors who are far more visionary and entrepreneurial, who served as inspirations for me to also fall in love with building products and companies. I always give the co-founders of Byline and Radish, Seung-yoon and Daniel, their due credit. If it weren’t for those two, I don’t think I would’ve jumped into the startup world as early as I did back in 2014.

If I have to pick just one person who stands out in terms of impact, without a doubt, it has to be the late Jung-ju Kim (Nexon and NXC). From VC investing to being a part of his corporate-backed venture and later spinning out to found a startup, it really is a challenge to sum up in a few sentences what I gained from his mentoring and all the learning opportunities he had provided. Most importantly, while working with Jung-ju, I met HeeKyeong, who at the time was working at NXC. Professionally and personally, his influence is quite profound.

HeeKyeong: I graduated college with far too many interests, and wanted to experience many different career options instead of being pressured into picking one. I didn’t feel rushed because I knew that I owed it to myself to discover what truly excited me.

So I did it all! I worked for a non-profit that helped North Korean refugees settle into South Korea, I was an art director for independent films, I worked in advertising/social media marketing at an agency in Paris. My visa finally expired in France, and the day before I flew back, my best friend called and asked if I would meet her boss who was looking for someone who has worked in film, speaks English and Korean fluently, and has worked in non-profit (a very random list of criteria, but it was a perfect fit for me)!

Hours upon arrival, I met her mysterious boss, Jung-ju Kim, and my life changed from that day on. Working with both Jung-ju and Jae-kyo (current CEO of NXC) has opened so many doors in the tech, startup world, and that is how I met Jordan!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you two got married?

HeeKyeong: We co-founded Beaubble soon after we got married! Beaubble started with my lifetime obsession with beauty. I yearned for a safe, embarrassingly personal and honest space where I could share a photo of my painful ingrown hair and ask for help. As it casually became our coffee, then a dinner, then a stay-up-all-night conversations, Jordan (definitely the ‘business guy’ between the two) started calling ‘it’ a digital playground for beauty enthusiasts.

A conversation became a business plan and one day it became a company! I still remember laying down on the floor of our SF apartment and screaming “BEAUBBLE.” The name just came to me without having to think about it, it’s a portmanteau, ”beauty” + “bubble”!

This is still our ongoing story, and so much of our life revolves around our “first born” (we adopted a cute fluff ball since), and we are growing with Beaubble every day.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

HeeKyeong: It wasn’t too funny back then, but I have extremely sensitive skin, and our first product was a high dosage lactic acid and niacinamide serum. Although recommended for bi-weekly use, I had to test the samples daily on different sections of my face, so my entire skin’s barrier broke down after a few months. The silver lining to it all is that we made a product to help combat sensitive, irritated skin as our second product; perks of being a beauty founder!

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Jordan: Instead of pushing undifferentiated products to their audience, we connect creators with their community for meaningful engagements, to collaborate and co-develop more targeted products catered to their specific needs. More than ever, consumers want to be part of the creative process, they don’t want to be just your consumer or be entertained.

At Beaubble, we truly believe the future of beauty lies with creators and communities co-developing and distributing products directly to consumers — and every partnership we take on, every beauty product we co-develop, and every website feature we build are measured against this belief.

What else makes Beaubble special?

Well, I’d like to think that we were the first to take the next step in beauty product development and genuinely involve our audience and empower them to have meaningful input into the outcome.

Also, we can launch a beauty brand and new products in just a few months. Partially that’s possible because we leverage our close relationships with world-class labs for quicker turnarounds. The accelerated timeline can be attributed to our more conscious and sustainable approach to building enduring brands, too — instead of launching multiple SKUs all at once (and potentially running into the problem of overproduction and outsized risk), we focus on launching one to three SKUs at a time, products that consumers truly want.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Jordan: Yes, but unfortunately it’s confidential, so I don’t think I can share more details at this point. We want to level the playing field even further and democratize beauty — imagine digital creators having the same if not at least similar access to resources that only top celebrities like Rihanna once had when thinking about launching a beauty brand!

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive?

Jordan & HeeKyeong: We are still figuring this out ourselves, we wish we had great advice to give, but if anything, we’d love to hear advice from other CEOs and founders on this topic!

How do you define “Leadership”?

Jordan: As mentioned for the previous question, we are still figuring this out ourselves!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Jordan: Other than the obvious (my family, including my amazing wife HeeKyeong), I think I already mentioned a few folks in my earlier responses. If possible, I’d like to take this opportunity to ask people to learn more about Jung-ju Kim and his contributions — I genuinely believe he warrants more recognition!

He inspired and mentored the new generation of Korean and Korean American entrepreneurs. Jung-ju and his team at Nexon are often credited as the first team to launch a commercially successful MMORPG game, and they are also often hailed as the first team to architect, operate, and popularize the modern freemium business model that we now see applied almost everywhere in the digital space. Zynga, Supercell, and even Tencent all are devotees of the freemium model that Nexon has pioneered.

There is one other person I’d like to additionally mention. Beaubble is fortunate to have the support of amazing investors who breathed life into Beaubble, and Ben Ling at Bling Capital was among the first to make a bet on us. He and his team have invested a tremendous amount of time helping Beaubble wherever we needed support. I’ve already done so a few times, but for any founders who are considering a seed round or fortunate to be in conversation with Bling Capital, I’m always happy to serve as a point of reference.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Jordan: Well, to any founder or aspiring founder within our network who reached out and cared to listen to our input, we’ve always openly shared our anecdotes to let them know where we also made mistakes, how we managed to resolve conflicts and problems, etc. We hope we can continue to pay it forward.

What are the “5 Things You Need To Thrive As A Couple”? Please share a story or example for each.

HeeKyeong: Beaubble’s naissance stems from Jordan listening to my nonsense for weeks. He never passively ‘listens’ to anything I ever have to say and I, and I deeply appreciate that. On the flip side, knowing that he is the best listener, it subconsciously made me be much more intentional about how I communicate. Every couple is different, but I think for us, listening has been the solution to every challenge we’ve encountered. Listening with intention, patience, and above all, love for each other!

You are people of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Jordan & HeeKyeong: Sustainable and mindful consumption. In fact, at Beaubble, not only do we utilize our business model and product drops in our attempt to validate the demand from consumers as much as we can to avoid overproduction and waste, but we also dedicate quite a lot of our time educating our audience the importance of sustainable and mindful consumption.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Jordan: I wouldn’t say I have a favorite life lesson quote, but lately I’ve been drawing quite a lot of inspiration from Steve Jobs.

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance. It is so hard. You put so much of your life into this thing. There are such rough moments in time that I think most people give up. I don’t blame them. It’s really tough and it consumes your life. If you’ve got a family and you’re in the early days of a company, I can’t imagine how one could do it. I’m sure it’s been done but it’s rough. It’s pretty much an eighteen hour day job, seven days a week for a while. Unless you have a lot of passion about this, you’re not going to survive. You’re going to give it up. So you’ve got to have an idea, or a problem or a wrong that you want to right that you’re passionate about otherwise you’re not going to have the perseverance to stick it through. I think that’s half the battle right there.”

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

Jordan: This is a tough one, but right now, it’d have to be Mark Zuckerberg. He’s at another pivotal point of his career, would love to get a more private, sneak peek into the sweeping transformation he has in store for the next phase of his company. I’m quite curious!

HeeKyeong: Wes Anderson! His creative world fascinates me. Not to be creepy, but my friend lived in an apartment next to him in Paris, so I may or may not have over-visited her flat hoping to ‘run into him’ during my time in Paris.

How can our readers follow your work online?

You can find us @beaubble across all social media channels and also visit our web app beaubble.com to participate in our drops!

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

Lessons from a Thriving Power Couple, With Jun Young Lim & HeeKyeong Seo of Beaubble was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Disruptors: Skyy Haarsma of The It Girl Guide On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Be consistent. In today’s day and age where there is such a voracious appetite for content, you must be consistent. I needed to take time off from TIGG to do my finals. Up until that point I had been experiencing amazing growth, but even a two week break affected that. I realized that being consistent was going to be a crazy task, so I’m learning how to schedule and delegate if I’m going to grow my brand.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Skylar Haarsma.

Sixteen-year-old Sky Haarsma did not want to return to her high school in Southern California when it opened back up during the pandemic. Instead, she enrolled in an online school and started her own fashion site, The It Girl Guide (TIGG). She was tired of hearing from out-of-touch fashion writers featuring topics for people older than her or designers that are out of reach for the average Gen Zer. Now TIGG is the go-to resource for attainable, trendy Gen Z fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I’ve always loved fashion and playing in that world. I knew that as I got older and started to think about a career and my future, I wanted to make sure I was in an environment I loved — fashion. When my high school went online during COVID, I was able to use my time the way I wanted, and I loved being able to do that.

So my dad and I made a deal — I could stay online and at home as long as I started my own business. That’s when I came up with The It Girl Guide (TIGG). I love TIGG because it became a creative outlet for me where I could show people what’s hot, not only in fashion, but in my life as well. In a way, it’s a really personal blog — just me, sharing what I like and what I know.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

The big fashion blogs fail to connect with my generation, so I provide a service for an unmet need. In my experience, no one has been aggregating the fashion trends that I see my favorite it-girls wearing. I took what they were wearing, my own personal style, and my own budget, and I combined those to create the advice I give on The It Girl Guide. I think there are a lot of girls out there looking for the same things I was searching for.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I wouldn’t call this funny — it was actually quite stressful. For the first rendition of my website, I hired a designer who I really respected. The design was great, but it wasn’t TIGG. I really had to dig deep and ask myself what I liked. In the end, the site you see is what I came up with, and I’m really happy with it. Even my dad fought me on it, but he’ll admit this is the best version. It taught me to trust myself, trust my vision, and stand up for what I know is right for TIGG’s brand.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

My dad has been my biggest mentor, 100%. I couldn’t have done any of this without him, from brainstorming ideas at coffee shops together, to him helping me make a website, and everything in between. I’m very fortunate to have someone who helps me in any way he can.

I’ve also learned a lot from him. He teaches me how to think about my business and be confident, and he even helps me stay up to date on trends. It’s funny to me because I’m always like, “How did you know the new Lexxola just dropped?”

In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?

There’s a lot to unpack in that question, but in short, being disruptive can be good when there is like a product or an industry that needs disruption, for example, Harry’s Razors or the iPhone. This is usually a good thing for consumers, since we get a better way to experience or purchase a product.

But I feel there are times when you have a disrupter that is net positive for humanity but has negative consequences. Take Uber or Lyft for example. They disrupted the taxi and delivery industry, but they also underpay their drivers to keep the user prices down and don’t give them necessities like insurance. Is this good? Most companies now have to deal with the “how” to handle these issues. Those that do tend to last longer than those that don’t.

Can you share 3 of the best pieces of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

1. Think deeper. Our first ideas are usually influenced by the obvious. Even when you say, “I like that.” Why? Why do you like that? Digging deeper was difficult for me in the beginning, but now the answers help me guide people that I work with, whether it’s my website, for socials, or anything else I do for TIGG.
2. Be consistent. In today’s day and age where there is such a voracious appetite for content, you must be consistent. I needed to take time off from TIGG to do my finals. Up until that point I had been experiencing amazing growth, but even a two week break affected that. I realized that being consistent was going to be a crazy task, so I’m learning how to schedule and delegate if I’m going to grow my brand.
3. Confidence is key. But a great pair of shoes also helps. Nuff said.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

I want to expand beyond fashion and provide a more holistic approach to The It Girl Guide. I want to include what to eat, where to go, what to watch, who to see. I want to create a cheat sheet to living your hottest life.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

I feel when a woman uses her sexuality in a confident manner, they can easily be dismissed. When a guy is confident, even arrogant, it is often praised in our society. Women don’t get the same privilege.TIGG is unabashed in the clothes we choose. My body, my clothes. If you have an issue with how I’m dressed, understand that’s your issue, not mine.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

I loved Emily Ratajkowski’s book, My Body. She talks about objectification and empowerment, and I love it because you can learn a lot from it. But I also think it’s super cool that Emily has this amazing mind and wrote this amazing book because people would just kick her smarts aside, and she proved everyone wrong. It taught me about being in charge of your own body and your own self; I really like that. I think I could be her best friend, or her kid’s babysitter.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I hate it when people hurt animals. I wish I could teach people to be kinder and more respectful to the other species we co-inhabit this planet with.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” I love this quote because it keeps me motivated and reminds me of the bigger picture, which can be applied in all aspects of my life, not just for TIGG.

How can our readers follow you online?

Instagram: @theitgirlguideofficial & @skyhaarsma

TikTok: @theitgirlguide

Pinterest: @theitgirlguideofficial

Twitter: @theitgirlguide_

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

Thank you so much for the opportunity!

Female Disruptors: Skyy Haarsma of The It Girl Guide On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Be Proactive, Not Reactive: In my market here in Texas, we don’t have recreational access to cannabis yet, so we’re still defining what cannabis looks like in our state from a hemp perspective. As such, I see a lot of brands that wait for the law to change and react when regulation shifts. But what I hope to inspire to see more of are brands that are proactive in helping shape those laws and regulations. I encourage you to call your policy makers, figure out who is setting the parameters, show up to meetings, and involve yourself in the discussion. Help drive the industry in the direction you want it to go instead of passively waiting for change to happen. Be the change!

As a part of my series about strong women leaders in the cannabis industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shayda Torabi.

Shayda Torabi is the Co-Founder and CEO of RESTART CBD, Texas’ premier cannabis brand. In addition to founding RESTART CBD with her two sisters in 2018, she is also the host of popular cannabis and marketing podcast To Be Blunt, where she interviews leading brands and marketers on their strategies for success when navigating the cannabis industry.

Shayda also sits on the executive board of the Texas Hemp Coalition, is a Cannabinoids Council member for the Hemp Industries Association, and writes a recurring column for the Texas Hemp Reporter.

Shayda is passionate about helping build great consumer brands in the cannabis industry, and leverages her background in technology and marketing to help navigate the cannabis industry connecting the consumer to high-quality cannabis products and education.

Shayda holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Concordia University in Austin, TX.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the cannabis industry?

I’ve always been attracted to cannabis. Fortunately for me, I grew up in the “live music capital of the world,” and in my personal opinion, music and cannabis go pretty hand in hand.

It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that my journey started to course me into professionally working and operating in the industry. When I was twenty-five years old, I was hit by a vehicle as a pedestrian, which fractured my pelvis in two places. That accident pushed me into navigating what would become a life of chronic pain, to which I initially leaned on western medicine (opioids, steroid injections, physical therapy, etc.).

About a year after the accident, my mother actually suggested I try CBD because she heard it could help with inflammation and bone growth. At the time, in 2016, no one was talking about “CBD” so I thought she was a bit insane. But as the first born child, I have an innate reaction to do as my parents say, so I started taking CBD in high doses consistently and within a few weeks noticed a distinct relief in how I was able to manage my pain.

The original products my mother was formulating for me would go on to become the foundation for our product line that we launched as RESTART CBD officially in August of 2018. As a family, we became so familiar with the medicinal properties of this plant that we knew we wanted to help educate others along their journeys and be a resource for high-quality products and education.

We’re about to celebrate four years in business, and I’m proud to say we have grown our business to be one of the leading cannabis brands coming out of Texas.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The most interesting story I can share is the experience we navigated pretty early on in the business. Prior to getting into cannabis, I worked professionally as a technology marketer for a platforms company. I can’t code, but I speak tech and web pretty fluently.

So naturally, when we were setting up our website and payment merchant services, I thought, “Okay, great, I can set up a website, I can apply for a processor.” We originally intended to set RESTART CBD up as an eCommerce-only business. However, that specific dream was deflated pretty quickly. Not only were we one of the first to market in terms of timing (we launched Aug 2018, Hemp was federally legalized Dec 2019, and Texas legalized June 2019), but we quickly realized navigating all of the components mentioned above was going to be extremely challenging for a myriad of reasons!

Customers weren’t familiar enough to have confidence transacting for cannabis online, and they were cautious that CBD was a scam or would get them “high” like THC. Also, without proper industry infrastructure, there was chaos trying to find payment merchant solutions to power our eCommerce. Fortunately, we were able to find a merchant solution willing to take on high-risk businesses in our industry.

We also learned that we had to leverage in-person retail to some capacity and would later open up a small brick and mortar to allow for a more intimate and educational retail experience. The lesson I learned from that initial confrontation was the limited availability of solutions on hand for cannabis-related businesses, whether it’s operations, platforms, commerce, transacting, or marketing.

There were going to be roadblocks, so learning the art of a fast pivot would be an increasingly important skill to master if we were going to continue in the industry. I think we’ve learned from that initial shift and the hundreds of changes we’ve had to make after.

I want people to see opportunity in cannabis, but I also want to be realistic about the hardships ahead. It’s not for the passive entrepreneur; you have to be plugged in daily and prepared to make quick decisions to continue to drive your business forward.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I already mentioned my mother above, so I just wanted to take an opportunity to reiterate how invaluable she has been on this cannabis journey for us. We are a family-owned brand, so I get to see my sisters daily, and I know not everyone is as fortunate to have an open relationship with their family about cannabis. But I don’t take it for granted and try to leverage our opportunity to inspire and normalize the cannabis consumer journey for the next person looking for education and relief.

Despite great progress that has been made we still have a lot more work to do to achieve gender parity in this industry. According to this report in Entrepreneur, less than 25 percent of cannabis businesses are run by women. In your opinion or experience, what 3 things can be done by a)individuals b)companies and/or c) society to support greater gender parity moving forward?

It’s a shame that this stat seems to be on the decline instead of the adverse, but as a female in cannabis, I see the disparity all too frequently. From executives to speaking panels, brands on shelves, and business ownership, fewer women are in those positions, and I appreciate any opportunity to advocate for other females.

To me, there are only a handful of tangible resolutions, and that is first, as a consumer, to support women-owned brands and businesses, point-blank. If you want to see more women thriving, then supporting them with your dollar is the best way to do that, and I’ll add the best FREE way to help women-owned businesses is to write them reviews, tag them in social posts, and refer your friends.

As a female-owned business myself, and one that employs a predominantly female team, we have the opportunity to reflect on our hiring decisions and how we can include more diversity to offer opportunities to women. I encourage others in similar positions, not just on your team, but specifically in leadership or decision-making roles that allow females to make a bigger impact.

The final observation is to help bring women up and create space to celebrate. As a podcast host of To Be Blunt, I try to elevate women’s voices above all because I know women are not given as many opportunities as men, especially in our industry. If I can help be someone to shine a light on other women, then maybe we will have more women inspired to see themselves in our shoes and rise to the occasion. Final thought, don’t wait to be invited, show up!

You are a “Cannabis Insider”. If you had to advise someone about 5 non intuitive things one should know to succeed in the cannabis industry, what would you say? Can you please give a story or an example for each.

1. Be Proactive, Not Reactive: In my market here in Texas, we don’t have recreational access to cannabis yet, so we’re still defining what cannabis looks like in our state from a hemp perspective. As such, I see a lot of brands that wait for the law to change and react when regulation shifts. But what I hope to inspire to see more of are brands that are proactive in helping shape those laws and regulations. I encourage you to call your policy makers, figure out who is setting the parameters, show up to meetings, and involve yourself in the discussion. Help drive the industry in the direction you want it to go instead of passively waiting for change to happen. Be the change!
2. Be Comfortable with Chaos: We do not have the luxury of planning ahead. We can do our best, but the puck will always feel like it is moving. You can get frustrated, or you can get motivated, and I think cannabis welcomes the opportunity for creative solutions. So rather than feeling like a door is shut, figure out what is in your control versus reacting to what is out of your control. The sooner you are at peace with the chaos, you will find your flow and rhythm and continue on the course. I believe it will get worse before it gets better, so if you’re getting into cannabis because you think it’s going to be a green rush, then you’ll be waiting for a long time. You have to absolutely love what you’re doing and believe in the power of the plant for the people.
3. Be a Sponge: There will never be a day where I say “I know it all,” and personally, I don’t know anyone who does. This industry is too new, and we have so much more research to be done, so living in explicits doesn’t help the situation. Be open to new perspectives and ideas, be curious, and ask questions. Most everyone I meet is more than willing to share their thoughts, and you just have to ask and pay attention. It also doesn’t mean you have to subscribe to everything you’re hearing. Do your homework, and then do your homework again. We are still researching this plant, and there is so much more to unpack!
4. Relationships Matter: I find that the industry is a really small community once you get into it, and how you treat people matters. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be human and operating with kindness will get you farther than making a quick sale on the front end. I mean it with consumers, partnerships, vendors, and every aspect of operating in the industry. Humility will take you far, and treating people like human beings will earn you respect. And remembering that we sell consumables for consumers, the relationship we build with them is what will power this industry towards further adoption!
5. Remember Who You Are In Business For: For me, we are in business for the consumer at the end of the day, and we are making and selling products for consumption. The quality of those products matters, how you educate and empower consumers matters, and how you navigate the aforementioned matters. Look, cannabis is a brand new industry and it’s not 100% clear what is going to unfold as this industry opens up, but we see it with regulatory changes to things like testing and THC caps, FDA warning letters, and the list goes on. When you’re considerate about the consumer, all of those are easier to navigate and be a guide forward.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the cannabis industry?

1. Giving consumers plant-based alternatives to recreation and wellness.
2. Making history and seeing laws be re-written and wrongs being righted.
3. Contributing to building an industry from the ground up and being a leader in an emerging market!

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

I sit in an interesting position since I professionally work and operate a CBD brand in the hemp industry, but also do business, especially through my podcast, and facilitate conversations about the cannabis industry. I would say there are concerns that overlap both sides of the industry, and at the same time, hemp is federally legal while marijuana is not, so I look at it if we are still having these issues with hemp, how do we tackle them with marijuana and specifically cannabis in general.

1. No standards for testing: It’s wild when you can send a product to multiple tests and get different results. If we can’t set a standard, then how do we standardize the end product sitting on a shelf for a consumer? I know there are organizations like ASTM worldwide that are helping establish standardizations across the board for our industry, but until we agree on a baseline, we will continuously be chasing our tails and pointing the finger.
2. Emerging minor cannabinoids and the confusion around cannabis chemistry: The plant has over 100 different naturally occurring cannabinoids, and we’ve been watching them come to market: CBD, THC, but also CBN, CBG, CBC, etc., and now we’re also seeing the market introducing minors and synthesized cannabinoids like Delta 8 and HHC. Is that right, is that wrong, who is regulating that, should someone be regulating that, and where does the line get drawn? I think it comes down to research and education, and we have so much more to do in those areas!
3. Dosing. How much, how often, is there a limit?: Should we place caps on concentrates? Is 10000mg of THC appropriate to be selling to consumers in a medical market? Again, I defer to research and testing. Yes, everyone’s biochemistry is different, so dosing will always vary from person to person, but we are really flying blind right now with products from a dosing perspective, and we have more work to be done. We always take the approach to do your own research and document how much you are taking and when etc., to help give you some guidance on pursuing this. Still, to me, we throw mg numbers out, and customers are buying based on the highest number of mg present in a product, and that isn’t always what is going to be the most effective for them at the end of the day. I sound like a broken record, but we need more education!

What are your thoughts about federal legalization of cannabis? If you could speak to your Senator, what would be your most persuasive argument regarding why they should or should not pursue federal legalization?

My tune has changed over the years on what “legalization” means to me. On the one hand, we are pushing forward faster than ever before that some sort of amendment to cannabis being a Schedule 1 drug has got to end for so many reasons: the war on drugs, the criminalization of so many people, and especially minorities, and probably the most challenging from a business perspective, the effects it has on securing banking and performing marketing strategies.

However, we have a lot of work to do to open up federal legalization by way of standard testing, regulation, dosing, and on top of it, sorting out licensing. We see the impact these already have on the industry, and it’s heartbreaking watching states like California struggle with over-taxation or states like Florida and my home state of Texas impose limited licensure.

Legalization for who and for what, for consumers, for businesses, well, it’s a bit more delicate these days. It isn’t a “blanket legalization cures all” feeling from me. On top of that, it’s hard to point to any other industry and say, let’s do it like them; pharmaceuticals, alcohol, tobacco, those industries all have their plusses and minuses. Like I said, the ball is in motion, but how we get there and who will benefit the most is still undetermined.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I feel so completely blessed to be on this path and be doing what I’m doing, and I just want to end on a high note. There are a lot of challenges and concerns, yes, but there are also a lot of opportunities to make an impact. If something is wrong, say something, if you see a way to do something better, then implement it and challenge others.

We only believe what we believe about the industry because it’s what we know, but the reality is that we are just getting started, and a lot of change is happening and will continue to come. Good and bad. Now is the time to ask questions, gain new perspectives, and learn and grow from mistakes. I am not perfect, and I hope you don’t take what I’ve shared as explicit truth but rather feel inspired by it, and continue to do the hard work, continue to show up and make it better for the next person.

I am so passionate about building a better tomorrow today, and when you get into the industry, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Where do you begin? You can’t change everything right now, but you can be conscious of the steps you are taking. I’ll never forget the saying, “how do you eat an elephant?” … “one bite at a time.” So look the elephant head-on, and take it one day at a time, one step at a time. We’ve got this!

Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you only continued success!

Wisdom From The Women Leading The Cannabis Industry, With Shayda Torabi of RESTART CBD was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.