Female Founders: Carlena J Evans of Kidsplosion USA On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Be a self-starter and self-reliant. Others will not see nor understand your vision. However, others will eventually catch on if you do the work and stay the course.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Carlena J. Evans M.Ed
Carlena J. Evans M.Ed. is a philanthropist, business owner and mother with a passion to enable children to DISCOVER, DEVELOP and DISPLAY their gifts and talents. She founded Kidsplosion to give back to underprovided communities and allow children to reach their fullest potential. Carlena is also the daughter of late actor/writer Mike Evans and the intellectual property owner of 70’s hit series Good Times.
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 began with Communication/Strong English skills. I have always been very good at articulating myself. My skills caught the attention of a college professor who asked me to tutor incoming first-year students in writing. Soon after, I was teaching high school (all before obtaining my bachelor’s degree.) While in grad school for education, the concept that later became Kidsplosion came to me in a dream. It was AMAZING. I could mix my business and entertainment talents into one definitive cause. I decided to pursue the calling I saw. My education and strength in communicating gave me the proper foundation to push the cause I am so passionate about.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
There are more stories than I can count.
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?
My only mistakes were listening to others and not adhering to my expertise and intuition. Those mistakes weren’t funny but costly. Fortunately, I’ve learned!
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’m grateful for a loyal team who have worked with me for several years, particularly my summer camp family. In addition, I have several teachers and educators who return each year.
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?
Unreasonable fear and intimidation. Women hold back because they think they can’t do something but in actuality, they CAN! It’s kind of like teenagers wearing sweatshirts in the summer. (Still trying to figure this one out!???) They wear sweatshirts because they think it’s “cool,” but it’s HOT…
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the governmet, to help overcome those obstacles?
Be a self-starter and self-reliant. Others will not see nor understand your vision. However, others will eventually catch on if you do the work and stay the course.
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?
A woman’s touch is needed in everything. Women are often detail oriented, more socially cautious, and do things with care. Every business (regardless of field) requires all of the above.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
OMG, so many people believe that a FOUNDER/CEO is so cool and comes with unlimited money and power. But in actuality, we are the ultimate volunteers! We work whether there is profit or not. We have no paid holidays, no weekends off, etc. Every CEO earns that title with blood, sweat, and tears.
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?
Everyone is not built to be a Founder. There is a lot of personal strength, resilience, and persistence needed.
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.)
Listen to your intuition
The sacrifices are constant
Your success will hurt others, not for any literal reason, but jealousy is very real.
Despite the work and sacrifice, it is worth it.
Your impact (on children, women, families, etc.) is not able to be measured
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Absolutely! My personal reward IS GIVING. I continue to do extensive work throughout Africa and in other high-need areas. Visit www.kidsplosionusa.com to learn more
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.
Well… I’d enable youth to Discover, Develop, and Display their gifts and talents, then create platforms for their abilities to be shared and united globally. I would call it KIDSPLOSION!
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.
Magic Johnson! It is scientifically impossible for us to sit down and not get back up without making money! Our minds together would be insanely ingenious. I have massive respect for all he has done in business!
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Female Founders: Annie Hopper of The Dynamic Neural Retraining System On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
That passion provides focus and energy. A lot of founders probably complain about the long hours and hard work. It is hard work, but that pales in comparison to the joy, focus and energy that comes from “working” on something that you are passionate about. My work is an extension of who I am, so it doesn’t feel like “work”. It just feels like I’m engaging in something that I like that provides me with great joy.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Annie Hopper.
Annie Hopper is the founder of Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS) and author of Wired for Healing: Remapping the Brain to Recover from Chronic and Mysterious Illnesses. Annie’s mission is to “take the mystery out of mysterious illness” and provide knowledge and neuroplasticity based tools for shifting the brain out of a stuck “fight, flight or freeze” response and cycle of chronic illness. The DNRS program has helped thousands of people recover from limbic system impairment related illnesses such as multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, long Covid, and many other chronic illnesses.
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?
Before developing chronic and debilitating mysterious illnesses like multiple chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, brain fog and more, I was a successful counselor, newspaper columnist, teacher and talk show guest. I was known as an expert in emotional wellness and led an extremely rewarding life. But that all changed after working in an office where I was exposed to toxic cleaning chemicals and mold. Despite seeing countless doctors and specialists, no one had any answers or treatments that worked for me. As I grew more ill and increasingly more sensitive, I had to withdraw from life. I could no longer work, go shopping, go to church, or be with my friends because my nervous system was so heightened that I was reacting to almost everything in my environment. For example, if I walked by someone who was wearing perfume, I might go into central nervous system convulsions. It was like living a science fiction nightmare. The scent of perfume or anything with chemicals (even laundry detergent) morphed into something that I can only describe as toxic bug spray. I literally felt poisoned by everyday things in my environment and understandably it became harder and harder to navigate my world. Intuitively I knew that my brain was not functioning properly and that it was not filtering information accurately anymore. I did a lot of research on brain function and deduced that I was suffering from a brain injury that was affecting the limbic portion of my brain. It was as if my brain got stuck in a trauma induced protective state that was initiated by the toxic exposure to the dangerous blend of cleaning chemicals and mold, and my sensory perception (especially sense of smell) had morphed in a misguided attempt to protect me. I achieved full recovery from these “unexplained” illnesses by implementing my own daily program of brain-based rehabilitation, which focused on “rewiring” faulty neural pathways in the brain — the program is now known as the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS). Fortunately, my nervous system regulated, my sensory perception returned to normal, the chronic pain and other symptoms eventually disappeared and my immune system went back to regular function. I now find myself in the most fortunate position of providing tools for healing and educating patients and the medical establishment alike about applied neuroplasticity and how rewiring limbic system function can be the missing key in healing for many people with chronic and hard to treat illnesses that don’t seem to respond to regular treatment.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
A highlight of my career is when I met Dr. Norman Doidge, author of the best selling books The Brain That Changes Itself and The Brain’s Way of Healing. All I can say is that he is one of my biggest idols and he had a huge influence on my own recovery process. When I read The Brain That Changes Itself, it dawned on me that the illusive and debilitating symptoms that I was experiencing could indeed be the result of my limbic brain being stuck in a fight, flight or freeze response that was keeping my body in a cycle of chronic illness. I felt very honored when Dr. Doidge interviewed me about my story and the DNRS program. He attended the DNRS program back in 2012 for research purposes when he attended a program that I was teaching in Toronto.
Understanding how neuroplasticity was involved with my illness turned out to be the missing link in my recovery. It was this understanding and personal experience that allowed me to develop a self directed, applied neuroplasticity based program that has helped thousands of people around the world recover from a host of chronic illnesses related to limbic system impairment. People with illnesses like multiple chemical sensitivities, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, food sensitivities, chronic pain, brain fog, anxiety, depression and long covid have been able to reclaim their lives through implementing the program. To be able to serve humanity in this way is such an honor. To empower people with tools to transform their health and be a part of this transformation is nothing short of miraculous on a number of levels.
When I really understood that my brain was stuck in a protective response, even though the threat was no longer present, something just clicked for me. It finally made sense to me that despite my exhaustive search for answers and treatments I had tried with seeing a ton of health care providers and specialists, the treatments were largely ineffective because my nervous system was stuck on high alert and it was impossible to make lasting gains until my brain function was addressed. It was this new understanding of the brain and retraining my brain that led me to developing the DNRS program.
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?
While our current website is www.RetrainingTheBrain.com, our first website was MCS Cure. Using the word “cure” in any of our materials was one of my biggest mistakes. MCS stands for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and the term “cure” did not go over well with an audience of chronically ill people who were told that there is no cure for their condition by the medical establishment. Some also thought that the term “brain retraining” was a way of saying that the illness was in their head, which was the farthest thing from the truth.
What I learned is that I would need to educate people about an entirely new paradigm of treating chronic illness through neuroplasticity and relate the science in an easy to understand format.
I also grew to realize that the medical system would not quickly embrace this new paradigm but that the “proof” would come in the form of the number of people recovering. I would need to provide evidence by providing more stories of real people who had recovered. They would be the evidence that reversing symptoms of illness and returning to full health was indeed possible. Doctors around the world began to take notice and many refer their patients to the program before they begin any other forms of treatment as they realize that regulating the nervous system is the first course of order. They realize that sometimes retraining the brain and regulating autonomic nervous system function can be enough to reverse symptoms, or at the very least will calm the nervous system enough to allow other treatments to take better hold.
I also understood that promoting a message of environmental awareness is pivotal in getting people to understand and recognize that toxins in our everyday life can cause debilitating illness and affect brain function. I had my work cut out for me.
We had another learning experience when we initially offered the program in an instructional video format. At that time it was only available in a DVD format (it is offered digitally through streaming video now).There was a lot of excitement in the community leading up to the launch and we were all excited about bringing the DNRS program to the world. I remember how thrilled and happy I was on the day that we finally launched when I saw the orders coming in from near and far. I was so thrilled for the opportunity to help people. Okay…that was the fun part…here comes the mistake part. We had hired an environmentally aware printing company to create our printed materials. They produced a beautiful product and told us that they could also ship our orders. That all sounded great to me. Although my excitement quickly turned into anxiety when our customers started complaining that they were not receiving their orders. I couldn’t believe it! Without having tracking numbers on the orders, I did not know why our customers had not received their orders and our shipping company could not provide any answers for us. We ended up double shipping all of our initial orders and spent over $10,000 to re-ship the orders to our customers asap. What I learned is that you should always have a tracking number if you are shipping products! Lesson learned!
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 would never have been able to do what I do without the loving support of my husband James. James was my rock when I was ill and provided the grounding, love, support and stability that I so desperately needed at that time. Despite a very rocky and uncertain time, he chose to stay in the relationship during this chapter of my life and was willing to sacrifice his job and home to be with me. I know that many people who suffer from limbic system impairment and chronic illness do not have that kind of support and I am deeply grateful for it. James also had his own experience with neuroplasticity in a different way. James was profoundly deaf when we first met and two years into dating, he was the lucky recipient of a cochlear implant. His brain had to learn how to hear all over again, so he understood the principles of neuroplasticity first hand. James also had a background in video editing (even when he was profoundly deaf) and is extremely skilled in internet technology. His skillset was invaluable with the production of the instructional video program and designing our first website. It truly feels like there was a greater purpose to our union and our lives have intersected in a special way to help millions of people recover. He likes to say that I had the message and he is my messenger. I’m immeasurably grateful to have him by my side!
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 one thing that holds many people back is the need to have it all figured out before you start and the need for perfection. It takes a great deal of courage and persistence to chase your dreams. You need to believe in what you do and stay the course, no matter what other people say. For instance, I don’t have a PhD and I’m not a doctor, but that does not stop me from having the dream of changing a medical paradigm. Being successful means showing up every day for what you believe in. This also means that you need to believe in yourself. Sure, everyone has doubts but day after day, you continue to show up and think of your big dream as your North Star, even during the times when it feels like you are not moving forward. Don’t take temporary setbacks as signs from the universe that you are on the wrong path. Success takes work and not all things will come easy. That does not mean that you change direction, lose faith or give up your dream. It just means dig in more…lean in more and take steps on a daily basis to keep your dream alive.
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?
As individuals we need to understand that the brain is the control center for optimal health. If your brain is not working functionally, your body will not be operating efficiently. With self directing neuroplastic changes in the limbic system, we have the power within us to transform our health. Your story of transformation can and will positively affect people in ways that you cannot even imagine.
As a society, we need to understand that our medical system has largely placed people in a passive role, where we rely on other people or outside interventions for answers to our health concerns. We must be willing to take an active role in our recovery process and move from feeling like victims to a medical system that cannot provide assistance or may not fully support us to feeling empowered with our ability to be in the driver’s seat of personal change.
Great medical ideas do not make it into mainstream medicine for many years, sometimes even decades, if ever. For a treatment method to be supported, it would need to have a lot of research behind it. The medical system has this archaic bar for treatment recommendations that requires years of testing and money to fund the research. There is nothing to gain for academics or pharmaceutical companies in researching self-directed neuroplasticity as there is no pay off for them. It would be ideal if the government could provide funding for research for alternative treatment interventions that illustrate great promise in assisting people to overcome complex and chronic health conditions. This could save billions upon billions of dollars in the long run and also empower people to play an active role in their health and well being. Ultimately, it would be a dream come true to have brain/body centers for optimal health that have the functional equipment to measure brain changes and various body system changes as the brain is rewiring itself. A new paradigm requires new ways of measuring health.
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 think that a feminine and nurturing touch and determined grit is needed now more than ever.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
A myth that I am currently busting is that a special business degree or a PhD is needed to be successful in business or a leader in the healthcare field. You don’t have to have all the answers, you just need the courage to take the next right step and continue to show up for your dream of helping others. The other steps will present themselves in time.
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?
Success in anything takes courage, dedication and belief in what you do and who you are. Not everyone needs to be a founder to make a difference. In fact, founders themselves do not create success in a vacuum. It takes a team of people to support their vision. You can make a huge difference by supporting the vision of a company that aligns with your beliefs and values. Choose something that you believe in and join their team. Founders are only as successful as the team who supports them.
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.)
That passion provides focus and energy. A lot of founders probably complain about the long hours and hard work. It is hard work, but that pales in comparison to the joy, focus and energy that comes from “working” on something that you are passionate about. My work is an extension of who I am, so it doesn’t feel like “work”. It just feels like I’m engaging in something that I like that provides me with great joy.
Be bold and be brave. You need to step outside of your comfort zone to reach people who need to hear your message. At my first presentation at a medical conference, there were people that felt so threatened by my message that they tried to have me banned from speaking at the event. It didn’t work…I was scared but I spoke anyway. I have been invited to many medical conferences since then and some of those same people who initially resisted my ideas have since given me a standing ovation.
You don’t need to have all of the answers. Work with others who will help support your vision and message.
Money does not provide happiness, but purpose does. Money can make your life more comfortable, but purpose is the only thing that I’ve found so far that provides lasting happiness.
Follow your North Star. Always think about the reason why you started your business and hold that vision as your barometer for making business decisions.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
In ways greater than I ever imagined possible. Thousands of people from around the world have regained their health and reclaimed their lives through implementing the program. I think the most touching stories come from Moms who say that they are so grateful because they now get to be fully present for their children and that they can engage in life in joyful and fulfilling ways.
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.
That people who are suffering from symptoms of a brain stuck in a “fight, flight or freeze” response seek help sooner rather than later. I want to inspire people to not give up hope and have the courage to give the program a try. They have nothing to lose because our team feels so confident in this program that we offer a money back guarantee. Sure, it takes dedication and effort, but that is nothing compared to the energy and time that it takes to try to survive. It’s frustrating when you keep sling-shooting back into a cycle of chronic illness, despite your best efforts with endless health practitioners and specialists.I remember what it was like when people would say “have you tried this, or have you tried that?” and honestly, having hope sometimes felt like a luxury that I could not afford because time after time it left me feeling disappointed when treatment efforts would fail…not to mention my dwindling pocket book with trying so many treatments. If you are suffering from a chronic illness related to a brain that is stuck in a fight, flight or freeze response, and have not felt true relief from your suffering, I understand that it takes courage to try “another” treatment. I want to eliminate the hard work for people trying to decide if this program is worth it for them and get them to jump in. The results will speak for themselves. The key to effective recovery is early diagnosis and the right treatment that addresses limbic system function. Early research findings from Sweden suggest that the DNRS program is very effective for people suffering from Long Covid and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). An upcoming clinical trial in Canada holds equal promise, but research needs to happen in a more timely fashion to help the millions that are suffering now. The medical system is stumped by this, but we have been working with limbic system impairment since 2008. The brain and nervous system is a central player in Long Covid and when this is addressed, it can ease suffering for millions of people.
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.
People like Dr. Norman Doidge who are trailblazers in the field of neuroplasticity.
I’d also love to have breakfast with Maria Shriver and Oprah — Maria has actually heard of my work before. Based on six-degrees of separation–I believe we are more connected than we realize. We actually had a past client who used to be a speechwriter for the White House and is also a good friend of Maria Shriver’s.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Modern Fashion: Lindsay Rando of Bobbles & Lace On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
You need to have what I call “hutzpah.” It is a Yiddish word that means having the confidence or courage to do or say things that may seem shocking to others. We live in such a digital, tech age that is all about email and live chat. I find that picking up the phone and solving a problem the old fashion way is much more effective. Get right to the root of every challenge and as I mentioned before, find another door when one is locked.
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 Lindsay Rando.
Lindsay Rando grew up on the counter of her grandmother’s consignment shop, the Treasure Chest, and was instilled at a young age with a love of fashion. After attending the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Lindsay moved across the country to Los Angeles, CA. There, she modeled for a time before deciding to tap into her eye for style by curating collections of items to sell, and ultimately finding her passion for providing women with high fashion that’s fun and affordable. Upon moving back to Massachusetts in 2008, she teamed up with her aunt, who already had a jewelry store, and together they created a new clothing and accessory store: Bobbles & Lace. Once her aunt retired, Lindsay kept her foot on the gas and continued expansion of the brand, building it to eight locations, and then franchising the brand in 2022. Lindsay loves the concept of thoughtful curation, and attributes the success of her brand to her natural gift for it, whether it comes to the products or the team who runs her stores. She lives in Marblehead, MA, with her musician husband and two sons.
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”?
I come from a family of fashion entrepreneurs. My grandmother had a consignment shop that I used to go to often. It wasn’t until after my college years when I moved across the country to Los Angeles, CA that I started following my passion for style and fashion.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
My entrepreneurial journey started when I was living in Los Angeles after college. I bought a cart and started selling jewelry on the sidewalks! Every day, I was selling out. I moved back to Massachusetts in 2008 where I teamed up with my aunt, who already had a jewelry store. We decided to create a new clothing and accessory store: Bobbles & Lace. My aunt has since retired but I’ve kept expanding the brand. We are now in 8 locations and I’ve just launched the Bobbles & Lace franchise to make it possible for other women to open their own turnkey boutique.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Wow….to condense this down to one story is near impossible. Every single day brings a new adventure to add to the B&L story. From filming the Real Housewives in our store, to catching weekly shoplifters, to a ceiling literally falling in. I could go on and on here!
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?
When I was young, my mom anointed me with the nickname “the pitbull.” I had a head full of ideas and I would not let up until I found a way to make them happen. Especially being a woman in business, I have learned you cannot let a “no” stop you…you simply have to find another door. I also find that no one else cares more about your success than yourself. I was told that opening a high fashion store in Marblehead was going to be a mistake. It was too preppy and conservative of a town and they did not want affordable fashion if they could afford the designer stuff. But I forged ahead, using myself as my guidebook. I had no where to shop growing up and was certain that I was not alone. One week into our Marblehead opening, our racks were empty and I had to scramble to buy a new collection overnight. What a great problem to have! Everyone will have an opinion on what they think you should do with your business, but ultimately, that decision is up to you. So keep on looking for new doorways to enter, trust in yourself and keep on dreaming.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
With pieces for every season, Bobbles & Lace combines the everyday needs of a modern woman with stylish pieces that make a statement. Attention to detail is vital to our brand and our goal is to curate one-of-a-kind collections for every guest. Each store has a unique look and feel, and even inventory, while still clearly embodying the Bobbles & Lace brand and personality. Our company focuses on thoughtful curation and we treat every client like family. We make sure clients walk out of our store feeling like they were taken care of and empowered. We don’t just want to sell clothes, we create relationships and make sure our clients have a better understanding of their own personal style.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
It was my grandmother who said to me, “find whatever it is that you love, and the money will follow.” I whole-heartedly believe in this. Passion is my driving force to succeed, it’s like natural gasoline. After 25 years of being in this business, I am still as in love with all things fashion as I was back then. I still get the goosies when I get my hands on the latest boot style or jacket arriving at our stores. It makes working such a joyful experience on a daily basis.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
Since starting the business, my team and I have developed vendor and supplier relationships and have learned the business from the inside out. Now, we’re using our expertise to provide new entrepreneurs with the tools they need to open and manage their own Bobbles & Lace franchise. Franchises are not common in the fashion space so this is really a unique opportunity. New franchisees will be provided with everything they need to open a successful store, including operational strategies and ongoing training to help maintain new storefronts. With this franchise opportunity, I hope to build a community of entrepreneurs, provide other entrepreneurs with the tools they need to make their dreams of owning a store come true and make business-ownership accessible to more women in a time when women need flexibility and crave a chance to be a breadwinner in a fun and creative way.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
My #1 ethical standard is price point and accessibility. I grew up with a love of fashion, and learned early on that looking great does not have to come at a high price. Fashion should be available to all and gives women the freedom to express themselves and dress in a way that makes you feel great. I have personally been a vegetarian for over 25 years, and I am thrilled to carry only vegan leathers. This concept fits within my mission to provide affordability as well. Although sustainability is a hot item and I personally hope to carry more sustainable lines, they currently do not fit within my pricing parameters….YET. I look forward to the future when sustainability is able to be priced for all.
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?
If longevity is a top priority and you are hoping to purchase a classic piece that will last you years and years, high and fast fashion is not for you. The fashion world evolves season by season and even month to month. Many of our items such as our knits, jeans and jackets can absolutely stand the test of time! However, our new gold platform booties for example will most likely not be in style next year. So have fun with your $60 booties and next year get the next hottest pair.
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.
1.Work hard. There are no shortcuts to success. It takes a lot of time, dedication and perseverance. As a business owner, you can never totally turn off. Even on a chill night at the movies, I am putting earrings onto B&L cards. Or checking the stats from each store for the day. The number 1 secret isn’t much of a secret. It’s simply HARD WORK.
2. Surround yourself with people who know more than you. I have an amazing team that helps to guide many of my big decisions. These people include my accountant, lawyer, and even my Father! Whenever I open a new location, I always include this group in the discussion. They have been with me for 15+ years and really understand my brand and also have expertise in areas that I do not.
3.You need to love fashion. I never mind the hard work, if it is in my area of expertise. I can not imagine dedicating myself and my time to something I didn’t believe in.
4. You need to have what I call “hutzpah.” It is a Yiddish word that means having the confidence or courage to do or say things that may seem shocking to others. We live in such a digital, tech age that is all about email and live chat. I find that picking up the phone and solving a problem the old fashion way is much more effective. Get right to the root of every challenge and as I mentioned before, find another door when one is locked.
5. The realization that I am not saving lives and that fashion is fun! Although I take my business very seriously, finding the fun and joy in it all is so important.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
Inclusivity!!! On many many levels. From pricing to sizing to dresses for all ages. Fashion should be fun and available to ALL.
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. 🙂
Fashion feels good. When you are dressed in a great new outfit that flatters your body and you feel comfortable in, you walk with your head a bit higher. There is a quote that says “I am nicer when I like my outfit.” This is not frivolous…this is confidence. I think it’s important for women to spend a few minutes on themselves in the morning to put together a look that expresses themselves and makes them feel great.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @bobblesandlace
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Listen to your “positive” inner voice — I think most of us have that “little voice” inside our heads telling us what we should or shouldn’t do. And, most of us, once we reach a certain level of maturity have a reasonably well-informed sense of right and wrong. When you face a difficult challenge and you’re thinking about quitting or giving up, listen to that nagging voice in your head that reminds you to keep going because this thing you’re trying to do is right and important and then — keep going!
David Pruitt is a first-generation college graduate from UNC-Greensboro and previously served on the advisory board for their Bryan School of Business. A licensed CPA and a member of the AICPA and NCACPA, Dave started his business career in an entry-level accounting position before advancing to first CFO, then CEO, of Performance Bike, for a time the largest cycling retailer in the United States. He is an avid reader, a happily married husband for over thirty years, a proud father of two successful children, and currently resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?
Ok. I’ll start at the beginning. I was raised in a southern, blue-collar, lower-middle-class, and, unfortunately, dysfunctional family. My father was physically and verbally abusive and my mother was mentally ill, I suspect schizophrenic. I had two siblings who eventually became homeless — one of them for over twenty years — more importantly, they’re doing well now.
In any event, partially because I was the youngest of three kids and witnessed the struggles of my older siblings (who I love dearly), I managed to pay for college, graduate, became a CPA, and after a few years land at Performance Bike. When I started, we had 12 retail stores and revenue of $40 million or so. Over the next roughly twenty years when I served first as CFO, then later as CEO, we grew to well over 100 stores, $250 million in revenue, and at our peak employed 2,000 people. As mentioned above, we were the largest specialty cycling retailer in the United States when I left the business.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
My project is a book!
I retired from Corporate America a few years back, and began writing a memoir — “Relative Distance.” It will publish in October 2022. It’s the story of my siblings and me and our journey beyond a difficult upbringing. A large focus of the book is on my successes and failures in the business world and my brother’s story of traveling across America for twenty years as a homeless person. The commonality to our individual stories is the psychological challenges we each faced in moving our lives forward — though we were able to do so successfully. This is a challenge many adults, who were abused as children, face. The goal of the book is to show the different paths one can follow in finding their life purpose — even when raised in the most difficult of circumstances. I hope someone who needs to put a difficult past behind them and reach their full potential will gain some inspiration from our story. That is certainly a person I want to help! But I believe anyone who enjoys an inspirational, well-paced story will enjoy the book and take away something for themselves they can use.
Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?
In my business career, there are many stories. One short one: A firm that bought majority control of Performance, soon after taking control fired our CEO. A team member and I went to New York to pitch them on us running the business, directly stating what we thought we could do to make things better. But they told us we weren’t ready and unceremoniously blew us off. They eventually hired someone from the outside (for three years), then fired them — and then — they finally handed the reins to me. Within two years we had turned things around and had one of the best financial performing years in company history! While there would be challenges ahead as many retailers faced in brick and mortar in those days (and still do today), I had my moment in the sun.
But, that’s not my most important naysayer story. My most important naysayer was my father. Ok — I’m NOT the first person whose parents told them they would never amount to anything when they were growing up. I fear many people carry that scarring memory inside them — and are bogged down in their life pursuits because of it, People don’t understand the implications when a child is told that by a parent — it’s an almost insurmountable thing to overcome. After all, if the person in the world that you, as a child, most love, respect, fear, look up to, etc. doesn’t believe in you — how can you possibly believe in yourself? But that’s the challenge I was faced with post-adolescence — and I suspect so many others are as well — but it can be done!
In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂
I’m extremely proud of the successes I’ve had in life — but I’m equally humbled by my failures. I believe, for a disadvantaged child who grew into a “novice” parent (as all parents are initially), the goal of “generational lift” is the ultimate redemption — and perhaps the very definition of serving your family and community well. My kids, one a 2nd-year medical resident soon to be a cardiologist, the other educated at one of the best business schools in the country — Kenan-Flagler at UNC-Chapel Hill — are the fruit of whatever successful labors I’ve had in life. I always wanted them to be better than me -and the very good news is I think they are!
I also think most people who knew me when I was young (but didn’t know what I was going through at home) would be very surprised by my life story. It’s also very true that they aren’t thinking about me these days — they have their own challenges!
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?
There were many, including several business mentors.
But I will give you a different one, a wonderful teacher named Dorothy Ross! After rewarding me with straight A’s, she took me aside at the end of the fourth grade and told me she thought I would do great things one day! I was already a damaged little boy and her positive declaration meant the world to me. But, sadly, in the short term, her faith couldn’t propel me forward. Not long after, mainly because of things at home, I began to fail badly in my studies. I barely finished High School!
But I never forgot her example — she was a strong, competent, caring woman. I respected her so much and again, she saw something in me when I desperately needed it. For some reason, her voice stayed in my head through the years. Maybe I needed that voice of faith to plant the seed of possibility- or maybe I just needed a strong and capable mother figure. I’m not sure. I can only say I thought of her often as I was making my rise in corporate America. For some crazy reason, I didn’t want to let her down — even though I knew she would have no idea how my life was going.
Regardless, one thing is certain, I’m not the first person whose life has been positively impacted by the good work of a caring teacher!
It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?
I’ve already outlined probably too many things above.
Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)
Carry a “measured’ chip on your shoulder — I’m not advocating that you linger in vengeful resentment toward your naysayers. But the truth is we are human beings who remember the bad things that have been said or done, the negative people we experience in life. But pragmatically file the memories away. Use them to fuel effort, desire, and drive! Satisfaction at beating back a naysayer is quite enjoyable! The person who was better at their job than anyone I’ve seen in my lifetime is Michael Jordan. Watch his Pro Basketball Hall of Fame acceptance speech on YouTube to get a sense of how he used “slights” as “logs on the fire.” It’s not the primary tool in your toolkit — but properly harnessed, the “measured chip” is a powerful thing!
Listen to your “positive” inner voice — I think most of us have that “little voice” inside our heads telling us what we should or shouldn’t do. And, most of us, once we reach a certain level of maturity have a reasonably well-informed sense of right and wrong. When you face a difficult challenge and you’re thinking about quitting or giving up, listen to that nagging voice in your head that reminds you to keep going because this thing you’re trying to do is right and important and then — keep going!
Several years back, I was negotiating to complete, what I believe at the time, was the largest retail acquisition in U.S. specialty cycling history and I was dealing with a brilliant but difficult individual on the other side of the table who fought me tooth and nail on every business point — large and small. After much time and effort, negotiations stalled and it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen. Our board of directors and the other senior leaders in our business had given up. They’d moved on to other things! But my “inner voice” kept telling me to push forward, it could be done. I flew out, met with the seller face to face, pulled in the lawyers, and got the deal done. And it helped fuel our growth for several years to come.
Zealously enforce accountability– In life, it’s easy to quit hard things. And important things, things of value are generally not easy to achieve. But if you set achievable and important goals (see below), don’t let yourself off the hook because meaningful results don’t come quickly or easily. Hold yourself accountable — and persevere!
As I’ve said, after I retired, I wanted to help those raised in a difficult environment, an obvious goal, given my personal history. I thought about volunteering in my community, a very good thing for some. But I am by nature an introvert. I didn’t think that would work well for me. But what would work? How could I hold myself accountable to help others like me? I stewed on it for a time until an idea coalesced.
I’ve been an avid reader since I was twenty years old. Like many, I love a good book and over the years I’ve occasionally wondered if I could write one of my own. In addition, I’d pretty much hidden the story of my difficult upbringing from friends and family my entire life. I began to realize if I could tell my story (and my brother’s story) well, maybe awareness could be raised and people brought up like me could be inspired to reach their full potential.
Zealously enforce accountability….to goals that are both meaningful and possible — Attempting the seemingly impossible can sometimes lead to greatness but it can also drive you crazy as you labor to reach the unreachable. You can make yourself very unhappy in abject failure. So, it’s a delicate balancing act. I’m driven in the goals I chase — but sometimes pragmatic in the outcomes I define as success.
My wife asked me one day if I only sold 10 books and 10 people were helped — would all my efforts be worth it? I decided that, yes, it would be. I’m now in position to be successful with the upcoming October publication. It’s been a long and challenging journey. I consider it to be the 3rd hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But I’m quite proud of the finished product — but yes, I have to admit I hope to sell more than 10 books and, most importantly, help more than 10 people — so many more!
But most importantly I held myself accountable to achieve a worthy goal.
Choose your role models well — Emulate the tenacious behavior of the talented people around you. The intelligent application of energy and commitment can drive success. It’s right in front of your eyes. Find those people, learn their methods and behaviors — and then press forward with your important agenda.
What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?
With an acknowledgment that we live in an increasingly secular world, my bootstrap philosophy is:
“Let no one but you, and God, define the outcome of your life. No one.”
I’m not saying we shouldn’t listen to good advice — we should. We should actively seek the support and counsel of people we love, respect, and trust. In addition, things will happen to us in life that are not our fault. But how we react to those things, the decisions we make, the behavior we exhibit, and the actions we take are our responsibility — period.
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.
You won’t be surprised by my answer.
I think we as an American society need to be more aware and protective of the quality of life of our vulnerable children. Over four million children are reported to child protective agencies each year and four hundred thousand kids wind up in foster care annually — with an average stay of twenty months! There is a real link, along with mental illness and other factors, in the growth we’ve seen in homelessness in this country because we fail to adequately support and protect our youth. I’m still coming to grips with possible solutions — though I fully understand the cost of failure. My book “Relative Distance” is my initial attempt to raise awareness and hopefully fuel discussion of this issue.
Women In Wellness: Dr Kavita Desai of Revivele On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Follow your passion. If you are interested in something and passionate about it, do it without hesitation. Don’t second guess your knowledge and talent. If you aren’t an expert, you can always read up on it and take courses. Information can be learned; passion is within you. And passion is what will make you successful.
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Kavita Desai.
Dr. Kavita Desai is an accomplished pharmacist and the founder of female-focused health and wellness brand, Revivele — a company dedicated to educating women about disease prevention and cognitive health and providing tangible solutions and resources. Originally from Ontario, Canada, Dr. Desai earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University in 2000, after which she went on to pursue a career spanning hospital and community-based pharmacy settings — ultimately launching her private integrated clinical pharmacy and medical center in 2006. After 13 years in practice, Dr. Desai was faced with the unimaginable when her mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. After witnessing the decline of her mother and prioritizing her own cognitive health, she redirected her clinical skills and decided to focus on brain health, neurologic disease prevention and how these diseases affect women. Today, she’s a tireless advocate for women and strives to consult with leaders in the field to help women address the many contributing factors in their lives and within their bodies that can impact their risk of developing diseases that affect women to a greater extent than men. In 2021, Dr. Desai launched Revivele, a company with a mission to give women a sense of community while focusing on disease prevention, education, and long-term health. Revivele is bringing various products and solutions to market. In early 2023, the first product to launch will be a specially formulated, comprehensive supplement line designed for women. Kavita is also completing her first published book on the topic of women’s health.
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 am originally from Canada, but went to Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio to obtain my Doctorate in Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.). I have been fortunate to have had a varied career ranging from clinical hospital work, founding a cardiac risk-factor prevention clinic, to opening my own integrated medical center with an in-house clinical pharmacy.
Amidst all of that, I lost my beautiful mom to early onset Alzheimer’s. Although one of the hardest things I have faced, her illness also shaped me into who I am today. I started Revivele because of her, my concern for my own brain health and long-term wellbeing, and also because her story is not dissimilar to most women. Women need to prioritize their health, feel heard when they are experiencing symptoms that are worrisome, and deserve solutions that are designed specifically for them.
I am also extremely fortunate to have an amazingly supportive husband (of 20 years!), and three beautiful children on this journey with me.
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?
When I look back, I see such a difference in how I was perceived at the start of my career compared to now. I obtained my Pharm.D. at a very young age. I was recruited within a year of graduating as the clinical coordinator and educator of the pharmacy department in a large teaching hospital. The pharmacy department chief left on maternity leave literally a couple of weeks after I started (which I had not been told prior to starting my position), and I found myself not only taking on the daunting role I was hired to do, but also oversee her obligations as department head, such as running the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. I was the youngest person on staff, and I got a firsthand look at reverse ageism. Although I was essentially running that department and adding value to the team, I was often treated as a subordinate and too young to matter. Being a young female in the workplace is hard enough, but when you are in a position of authority it is particularly challenging. It certainly didn’t feel like I was in a management position at times. But I knew I had to be tough, and it taught me to be assertive and stick to my principles and skills — despite having almost constant resistance from higher ups as well as the rest of the staff. I learned so many useful skills from this experience. I really had to know myself and trust my instincts. It also gave me insight into dealing with varying personalities and inspiring my team to find areas of interest in their own practice and helping them hone their experience and knowledge to suit those interests.
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?
The biggest mistake I tend to make when I embark on a journey is listening far too closely to the opinions of others. If it is beneficial advice, that’s wonderful. But oftentimes, especially in business, it’s not. When I first conceptualized Revivele, I knew I needed and wanted to come up with convenient solutions for women. So, the first product that I am currently working on is a comprehensive supplement line with over 40 vitamins and herbs blended down into the fewest capsules and tablets as possible, in an easy-to-follow system. But it was a huge, uphill climb to find a manufacturer that would agree to make it exactly as I wanted with the doses that I had researched and requested. I also wanted glass bottles and finding a company that could make me beautiful bottles that avoided the use of plastics was challenging. Along the way, I was repeatedly told that I should reduce the number of ingredients I wanted to include or use standard formulas that already existed which aren’t beneficial to long term health at all. I was told my concept would never work, and that I should just use the same plastic bottles we find at the grocery store. I almost listened to this negative feedback numerous times. I second guessed myself repeatedly because over 100 manufacturers refused to even give me a final quote, and I struggled to find a company that could custom make my glass bottles in an era of post-Covid supply chain issues. But my gut instinct was that this was worth pursuing. I knew that I needed this product to be exactly as I envisioned, and anything less was a disservice to women’s health. After a year of contacting many companies and hitting dead ends, I found the perfect manufacturer and an amazing bottle company that can not only create my vision but also believe in it. So, I would encourage any female entrepreneur who has a gut instinct that she is on to something to follow that feeling and tune out the naysayers. It might take a little longer, but the end is so rewarding when you accomplish exactly what you set out to do.
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?
The women’s care doesn’t fit into a single, tidy checkbox when it comes to their health. We truly are complex organisms, with biological systems that fluctuate from day to day and week to week. I am on a mission to help change this blanket approach that has been taken on women’s health. The healthcare system has been broken for women and we must no longer accept this situation.
Women make up half of the world’s population (and in certain age groups, the majority of these populations). Peri-menopausal women (between ages 35–55) will make up about 15% of the global population by 2030, so I am really focused on the unique needs and concerns of this group. The hormonal changes that perimenopausal and menopausal women experience can be so uncomfortable and even debilitating. And yet, we dismiss these symptoms as normal, or oftentimes even mock them. That’s incredibly heartbreaking. There are solutions available, and women should be educated and aware of these solutions.
I am set on combining the very best in nutraceuticals, education, medical devices, diagnostics, artificial intelligence and data analytics all with the goal of making a big impact on women’s overall wellbeing and long-term health. And of course, making it elegant and accessible for all women.
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.
Change your diet! Probably one of the most challenging things we face is the idea of giving up the foods we love. We are constantly being lured to processed foods because they are easy to grab and consume, but those foods contain many chemicals and inflammatory ingredients that make us sick. Sometimes we don’t even realize how poor they make us feel until we stop eating them. We need to be consuming more whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, healthy fats, and clean sources of protein. So, try your best to make smart choices you can stick to for the long term, even if it’s just small changes at first. Maybe make a salad with supper each night or try a green smoothie each morning. These little modifications in diet will make you feel so great!
Know your body and advocate for your health. We need to be aware of when we feel well and when we don’t. And when we don’t, we should be noting what feels “off”. No one knows your body better than you, so it’s important that you understand what you might be experiencing and then advocate for yourself when you see a healthcare practitioner. If you know something is amiss and not normal for you, it’s okay to seek help, or even get a second opinion if you feel you aren’t getting the answers or solutions you need. Your health matters!
Build Muscle. Incorporating strength training is essential at all ages for boosting metabolism, and for maintaining posture, vitality, and bone health. For women who reach their perimenopausal years (ranging anywhere from age 35 and up), the body is already under a great deal of stress, so it’s often beneficial to avoid strenuous workouts that leave you feeling exhausted and injured and do lower impact strength training with weights or yoga. Even just taking the stairs at work or doing a few standing push-ups against the counter while cooking supper is a great start!
Prioritize your Sleep. Chronic poor sleep is linked with reduced productivity and long-term disease risk. Getting a good night’s sleep is so important for the brain to function effectively and for the body to recuperate after a hard day. So, take the time to create a healthy sleep routine and aim for at least 7 hours of restful sleep. Turn off devices at least an hour before heading to bed, and if possible, leave devices out of the bedroom altogether at night. Reduce or avoid caffeine and alcohol later in the day, as both substances are very disruptive to sleep. And lastly, try to make a list of tomorrow’s “to-do’s” before heading to bed to make sure your mind is clear, and you can achieve a more restful, worry-free sleep.
Get your probiotics. Probiotics are no longer optional. We now know that our gut microbiome, or the healthy bacteria that live in our intestines, are necessary to prevent illness. Everything you consume will impact your gut microbiome. Heavily processed foods, refined sugars and alcohol negatively impact our healthy, protective bacteria. So, it’s important to incorporate prebiotic foods into your diet that feed the good bacteria (e.g. bananas, onions, asparagus and garlic), and probiotics which help rebuild your gut microbiome (e.g. fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, yogurt and sauerkraut, or probiotic supplements).
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
As I stated earlier, I believe it’s time we put women back into the center of their health story. Women constitute half the population and the healthcare system up until now has not been geared to specifically study and treat women and their nuanced needs. Throughout my career, I have seen so many women struggling to find answers and solutions to their individual, unique problems. So often, if a woman has anxiety, she is told she is depressed and put on medication. Or if her menstrual cycle is irregular in any way, birth control is given to help regulate it. But we haven’t looked into why these issues are occurring and how we can actually help and prevent it from happening in the first place. It is time women’s health needs are prioritized.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
I am incredibly grateful for the varied career I have had, and have learned so much along the way, not only about my goals and aspirations, but also about myself as a person. These are just a few pieces of advice I wish I’d had early on and would pass along to others now.
Follow your passion. If you are interested in something and passionate about it, do it without hesitation. Don’t second guess your knowledge and talent. If you aren’t an expert, you can always read up on it and take courses. Information can be learned; passion is within you. And passion is what will make you successful.
Don’t take NO for an answer. We live in a world where we hear “no” more often than “yes”. No is the easiest answer, so people tend to give it by reflex. But, as the saying goes, “the squeaky chair gets the grease”. So don’t take no for an answer and demand what you want until you get a yes.
Know who you are. We all evolve over time and change, but it’s essential to keep sight of your own principles and goals along the way. It’s easy to be swayed by others and their opinions. But your opinion and aspirations are unique and equally valid. So don’t lose sight of who you are and what you want out of life and your career.
Seek out mentors more often. Successful people are often genuinely interested in helping others, especially to avoid the mistakes they made in their own careers, or to share their wisdom. Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance!
Pay attention to how others support you when you are experiencing success. It’s amazing how often you may find yourself surrounded by friends in tough times, but then completely alone when you achieve success. It’s okay to walk away from people who cannot be supportive and genuinely happy for you in both good and bad moments.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Without hesitation, it would be mental health. Our mental health and wellbeing, faculties, and consciousness are at the center of our being. My mother lost everything that made her who she was due to a degenerative disease of the brain. If there are simple and effective ways we can prevent and reverse this situation for the currently millions of people at risk, then I can’t think of a better topic to focus on.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
Female Disruptors: Sumaira Ahmed of The Sumaira Foundation On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
From the beginning of my work with the foundation, I was always told to stay true to myself. That advice has stuck with me because of my own ethos and beliefs that being genuine and authentic is far more relatable and personable than trying to be someone you’re not. If someone researches the foundation and checks out our website, they’ll so clearly see me behind it all and my own personality, and they’ll know I’m being true to myself with the work I do.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sumaira Ahmed.
Sumaira Ahmed is the founder and executive director of The Sumaira Foundation (TSF), an international nonprofit she started after she was diagnosed with sero-negative neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD)/chronic relapsing inflammatory optic neuritis (CRION) after experiencing sudden and severe vision loss and weakness and numbness. Prior to her illustrious career in health care and hospital administration in Boston, Sumaira worked as an actor/model in Hindi-/Bengali-language media, primarily in southeast Asia, and she is a classically trained Kathak dancer and has performed in prestigious venues including Madison Square Garden, the Dolby Theatre, Santiniketan, and the Rudolf Steiner Theatre. Sumaira is now working to expand TSF and is dedicated to the foundation’s goals of generating global awareness of NMOSD and MOG-AD, supporting research to find a cure, patient advocacy, and creating communities of support for NMOSD and MOG-AD.
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?
This career path is deeply personal for me. In the summer of 2014, my life was forever changed when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with sero-negative neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD)/chronic relapsing inflammatory optic neuritis (CRION) after experiencing sudden and severe vision loss and weakness/numbness. NMOSD is a rare autoimmune disease in which patients experience vision loss, paralysis, paraparesis, weakness, numbness, spasticity, vomiting and bladder/bowel dysfunction. I turned to the online world to find support and to find people going through similar experiences, but I thought there was a real gap in terms of patient advocacy for those struggling with NMOSD. Less than two months after my diagnosis, I founded the Sumaira Foundation (TSF) to generate global awareness for NMOSD and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOG-AD) and to create a true community of support for patients.
Prior to starting the foundation, I was a major in PR and was working in the health care industry, including various roles such as the marketing and business development manager and the director of strategic marketing and business development at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. I was able to take what I had learned during my time in the health care industry and apply it to my work with the foundation in order to create a better future for patients. I also worked as an actor/model in Hindi-/Bengali-language media, primarily in southeast Asia, and in 2015, was crowned the first Miss Bangladesh-USA advocating for equal opportunity education for Bangladeshi children in efforts to increase tolerance and strengthen the country’s international presence, economy and infrastructure. In addition to serving as the founder and executive director of TSF, I also currently work full time at Mass General Brigham as the business development manager for the global advisory.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
When I was first diagnosed with NMOSD, I was only 25 years old. I was living in the cosmopolitan city of Boston and was savvy with social media, especially after working in PR, so I first turned to the internet to find support, hope and encouragement from other people that were possibly experiencing a similar situation to my own; however, I couldn’t find the support I needed at the time. There were a few existing support groups, but I recognized there was a gap in patient advocacy in general for those with the rare diseases of NMOSD and MOG-AD. So, I decided to give NMOSD a bit of a “Sumaira spin” and created a group for people to feel supported, seen and heard while doing things my own way. The Sumaira Foundation recently celebrated its eight-year anniversary, and in all this time, I have never once looked at how other people were running their foundations for inspiration. I’ve based my decisions about the foundation off looking inward and making NMOSD personal — thinking what I needed as a patient and considering what other people might need as well. I conducted research online to see what other patients were saying, taking into account their fears, complaints and hopes. I saw a need that needed to be filled in the space of rare disease and recognized that we had to start talking about the disease differently and supporting people differently, and I haven’t looked back since creating TSF in 2014.
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 I decided to start the foundation, I actually Googled “how to start a foundation.” Google told me that to start a foundation, all it would take was following five easy steps, and I believed it. I thought to myself, “Only five simple steps? Ok, I can do this!” Of course, I quickly learned that it takes much more than just five steps to successfully start a foundation from the ground up, and I would tell this to anyone else out there that has this same desire to start a foundation. This taught me that there isn’t a “one size fits all” process for starting something, and that although the journey in starting something new can be difficult, it’s absolutely worth it in the end.
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?
I have been very lucky to have had two important mentors in my life. My first mentor was my boss when I was working in ophthalmology in Boston. So much of what I applied to TSF, especially in the early days when I had just started the foundation, were from lessons he taught me and from what he did with his own business. He is a doctor, and I saw how he approached care with a patient-centered focus, and I learned from this and did the same with TSF. I worked with him for five and a half years, and everything I did in the first few years of starting the foundation were based on lessons I learned from him. As the foundation grew, my second boss at Brigham Women’s Hospital became another mentor of mine. He is also a doctor, and he really took me under his wing when I worked there. He was incredibly supportive of the foundation and really wanted to see me grow both professionally and personally. His support was crucial to the continued growth of the foundation.
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?
I have been called a disruptor in both a positive and negative sense, but I’d like to think what we’ve done with the foundation is disruption in a good way. Disrupting an industry is good when there is a need for disruption. We all know there are industries that could always use improvement or that could evolve, but there are also programs that are already successful. If you’re disrupting something that is already strong, it begs the question, “why fix something that isn’t broken?” I think being a disruptor is positive in spaces where it’s welcome.
When I was called a disruptor in the negative sense, I was initially taken aback by the comment. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that my “critic” was right. I need to be a disruptor in order for things to change in the rare disease and patient advocacy space. I think the work we’re doing and the way we operate as a foundation shows that we are authentic. Our unique voice can be seen as a disruption in the nonprofit space. When I started TSF, I wanted to run the foundation my own way and for people to see my authentic voice shine through in the work we do and the content we create. I wanted other NMOSD patients to be able to relate to me and my journey, so we focused on creating TSF’s innovative model in which we possess a distinguished digital presence and brand. We also place the priority on connecting with real people through our “Voices of NMO and MOG” sections on our website, where real patients share their stories, and through our TSF Ambassadors program that consists of patients around the world. My goal is for patients to feel like TSF is truly the peoples’ foundation and that their voices matter and need to be heard. We’re disrupting the status quo for foundations, but that’s part of TSF’s beauty; we’re patient led, patient-focused and always evolving.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
From the beginning of my work with the foundation, I was always told to stay true to myself. That advice has stuck with me because of my own ethos and beliefs that being genuine and authentic is far more relatable and personable than trying to be someone you’re not. If someone researches the foundation and checks out our website, they’ll so clearly see me behind it all and my own personality, and they’ll know I’m being true to myself with the work I do.
I’ve learned that sometimes, I simply must listen. Listening can prove to be the most productive action because that’s truly where you learn, grow and find inspiration. In the industry of nonprofits and foundations, people love to hear themselves talk; however, when I grew into this role of a patient leader, the best advice I received was to instead listen more and talk less. That essential listening has inspired so much of what we do with the foundation today.
When I started TSF, my first mentor told me to always start small and aim to grow scalable and sustainably. I never want to rush a project and have an overnight success just for it to decline the next day. I want the foundation and our work to be sustainable and to make a long-term impact with our stakeholders and patients.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Our docuseries, “Imagine My Life with NMO,” is going to shake things up in the future. We’ve been filming the series since the spring of 2022, and it showcases the experiences of people living with NMOSD around the world. I interview patients, their loved ones and doctors to understand the actual lived experience with NMOSD in different countries and regions. It’s rewarding being able to travel the world to illustrate the full picture of what a patient’s life looks like with this rare disease. Although docuseries have been done before, “Imagine My Life with NMO” is being done differently with a cinematic touch that will attract the masses; you don’t have to be affected by rare disease to relate and to be touched by each story shared in the series. It’s also compelling to see the beautiful and interesting cities, like Munich, Germany in our first episode, where we film become a supporting character in each episode. Through this series, I feel as though my life has come full circle. I’m using my past life of acting and the arts to interview patients and to lead this organization. Hopefully initiatives like “Imagine My Life with NMO” lead to a brighter future for those with NMOSD and more awareness of the disease. Essentially, one of my main goals with the series and with the future of the foundation is to make rare disease cool!
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
Being a female disruptor means you must make tough decisions and put your foot down. In my case, I am oftentimes in a position where I have to be firm and make executive decisions, which can result in people thinking I’m too harsh or too driven by the work. Some insulting words that people may use to describe female disruptors are words people would never use to describe our male counterparts. Instead, men would be labeled as hard-working or seen as simply doing their job. When it comes to being a female leader in this space, I often run into these negative connotations. However, in my eyes, as long as the work is getting done and we’re making a positive impact, I’m fine with being perceived this way.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
The book “Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness” by Susannah Cahalan has made such a large impact on me. The author is a New York Times bestseller, a fellow rare disease patient and now also a friend. The book details her struggle with a rare form of encephalitis and her recovery. I read her book within two weeks of being diagnosed with NMOSD and reading her work completely changed how I saw what happened to me. Our stories were incredibly similar, and the fact that she was able to take her story and experiences and turn them into something that helped thousands of people around the world gave me the hope and courage to be able to do the same. I did not start the foundation for accolades; I started it to make a difference. If I can help one person, then the work of the foundation is a success. Her book not only inspired me as a patient, but also triggered the drive in me to start a foundation and make a difference.
I also love the podcast “Radiolab.” I’ve been listening to the show since 2017, and it has had a tremendous impact on my way of thinking about my diagnosis and about rare disease. The hosts do a deep dive into stories, dissecting stories’ issues and challenges to try to find solutions. They make you think in a different way. For example, my favorite episode is when they discuss the story of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line, one of the most important cell lines in medical history. The way they interviewed all those affected by this was so impactful, and they paint a true picture of a story, which is what I try to do with the foundation and patients’ stories.
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. 🙂
Overall, I think we need more happiness in the world. If I could give people a gift or inspire a movement, it would be the ability to live in the moment. In today’s society, we are so fixated on the past or anxious about things that haven’t even happened yet; I think a large reason for this is because of social media and the obsession with phones never allowing us to feel present. Illness has forced me to live for the moment and to appreciate the present, and I would love to be able to give this ability to other people. It’s a liberating feeling, but unfortunately, it’s a feeling you only come by after going through tough times. I think people being kinder to one another, expressing happiness and living in the moment would generate the most amount of good for the most amount of people.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I enjoy reading and have come across many great quotes in my life, but I don’t believe you can live your life by quotes. I feel the biggest challenge is often maintaining hope in the face of adversity, so I’ll offer this quote from James Baldwin: “The hope of the world lies in what one demands, not of others, but of oneself.” This quote is relevant to my life because it describes the feeling of accountability and how, if you want to see a change in the world, you must first make a change within yourself.
How can our readers follow you online?
Readers can connect with TSF and I through our social media accounts:
Female Founders: Bailey Stockfisch of Eminence On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
It’s not going to be easy. There is nothing harder than working towards a goal with no guarantee of success. It is so hard to invest all of your money into your vision. There’s nothing harder than not getting paid for long days or reinvesting all of the money back. Basically, founding is not easy, and it takes years to be competitive with popular brands, but there is nothing more rewarding, and that’s why it’s so important to support others in their endeavors as well.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bailey Stockfisch.
Young female founder Bailey Stockfisch launched Eminence at the age of 14 years old. Bailey decided early on in her life that she wanted to create a lifestyle and fashion brand that her peers and eventually social media followers would love. She quickly learned how to juggle being an entrepreneur, high school student, and inspiration for other young entrepreneurs.
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 grew up in a small town in North Central Arkansas with a creative spirit and the desire to run a business since I was a little girl. After COVID-19, I knew there was no better time to follow my dream and give myself a creative outlet to inspire others while giving them a product to express themselves with.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
Eminence has not only given me confidence, but a firm financial standing. I’m so thankful as a young woman to have the opportunity to grow and mature into the entrepreneur I hope to be. In starting my business and coming out of my comfort zone, I have learned more about myself, taken risks, and encouraged others to do the same. The best story to me is how Eminence has allowed me to grow through it. It’s the best coming-of-age story I can think of.
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?
Honestly, I can’t quite think of a “funny” mistake. However, one thing I look back on and laugh at is the need for control. In the beginning, I struggled because I knew how I wanted to run Eminence and what I needed to do to achieve greatness. I felt that there wasn’t a need for others to help run the brand or that training others to help would be a waste of time.
After a while, I regretted this wholeheartedly. My busiest time of the year, Halloween, brought a lot of challenges and all-nighters with no help. My ego dropped completely begging for help during this busy time. It can be easy to think that you can handle it all. However, it’s okay to ask for help.
Looking back on the overbearing control I had on the brand in the early months is laughable. And I would highly advise any young entrepreneurs to learn quickly that you can’t control every part of your business.
Asking for help doesn’t make you any less. It doesn’t make your business anything less, and it definitely doesn’t reflect on your work ethic. In fact, my business started to flourish when I was able to recruit help because two minds are ALWAYS better than one.
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 would give a large amount of the credit to my sweet family. They have always listened to my crazy jokes, encouraged my success, watched me grow, and loved me through all of it. It is so nice to know I have a great support system behind me, who do so much for me no matter what. Just this past week, I was preparing for an event in Nashville and my entire family didn’t hesitate to put all of their time and effort into helping me get ready. It is so nice to know I have a great support system, who do so much for me no matter what. My mom is incredibly selfless, my dad is the product quality control and box guy, and my brother is my emotional support go-to.
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 am a huge advocate for future women founders because I know women are just as great at managing businesses as men. I believe that there are gender wage gaps because I see them in my day-to-day life. For this to end, there needs to be a cultural reset of how people think about women and men in the workplace. For example, women are easily oppressed in the workplace not because of their knowledge but because of their ease of oppression combined with their outside features. This is unacceptable, gross, and unfair for the common society combined. In my personal experience, what was holding me back from starting was the lack of financial stability I had combined with the outside opinions of others that sounded like, “Wow! That’s cool, but it’s a big world with so much competition, so I highly doubt you’ll get there.” And if I wasn’t a young, female owner I’m sure there would have been less doubt in me.
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?
Yes, there are definitely laws that could be made by the government to regulate inequality in the workplace. The real problem is society’s stereotypes of women in the workplace. It’s really in our hands as women to prove everyone wrong and go against the grain. We have to reset the theme here for it to be widely accepted.
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?
Honestly, I think women are the coolest, most fun people out there! There’s nothing better than the female touch. I just love the elegance a woman provides. Because of this, women can just add their cute little touch to create a beautifully caring female-founded business. I personally love supporting female businesses because of the added bit of love I receive when I support it!
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
Some things I hear are that it’s “a lot of work,” “it’s unattainable,” and all markets are “crowded.” While life would be a lot easier not to be a founder, unfortunately, being a founder means investing all of your time, money, and creativity to make something cool. It’s far from easy and oftentimes very stressful work. However, with this being said, there’s room for everything in a market and nothing is unattainable if you follow your dreams and don’t stop. Consistency is key for your future.
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?
Not everyone was born to a founder! Some people were born to love firefighting, protecting, and teaching people. There’s no one size fits all, and certainly not with founding, but, oftentimes founders are self-starters, go-getters, activators, persistent, independent, time-sensitive, detail-oriented, and compassionate.
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.)
It’s not going to be easy. There is nothing harder than working towards a goal with no guarantee of success. It is so hard to invest all of your money into your vision. There’s nothing harder than not getting paid for long days or reinvesting all of the money back. Basically, founding is not easy, and it takes years to be competitive with popular brands, but there is nothing more rewarding, and that’s why it’s so important to support others in their endeavors as well.
People are going to frown. Starting isn’t cool. You have to put yourself out there for others to scowl. Detach yourself from the thoughts and feelings of others, and stay true to yourself. What do you want to create? If no one knew about this, what would you do to become successful?
It will completely change your concept of time. It can be hard to give myself time off because I am always thinking about what I can do to improve my brand, and it floods my thoughts and dreams and can make me cranky when my time gets wasted since I am not a scheduled employee. Give yourself breaks so that you don’t get burned out.
People will treat you differently once you’re successful. There will be those who stay through it all or who join specifically at the end! Hold your loved ones close and rejoice in your big moments so hard! Stay true to yourself and don’t boast about your successes because they can all be gone in a day!
It’s so worth it. There’s nothing more rewarding than the final draft of your beautiful hard worked blood, sweat, and tears. There’s nothing better than your comfortable space filled with your coolest inspiration for people like you!
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I love to inspire other young girls with my story! It’s such a blessing to be driven and find motivation easily, and I would love to encourage other young girls to start and be girl bosses!
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.
Sometime in my lifetime, I would love to start a non-profit organization that would speak to young girls in elementary schools. I would advise on girly stuff and how to become a successful female! I would love to give scholarships, job help, internship advice, and other real-world aid!
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 founders of Daily Drills are so cool and such an inspiration to me! They are spot on with marketing, growth, brand awareness, and product quality. I am obsessed and influenced when it comes to their branding and business model.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Stay true to yourself. My ideas come from my heart and are influenced by my experiences. When you stay true to yourself and roots, it’s easier to create unique pieces that others will love, too.
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?
It’s always great to have an impact, great work ethic, and be you.
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 Romeo Hunte.
Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Romeo Hunte grew up surrounded by women whose creative approach to fashion inspired him from an early age. Hunte attended the Fashion Institute of Technology after turning down two full athletic scholarships in Track and Field. Hunte launched his namesake brand Romeo Hunte New York while also working full time as a personal shopper in luxury retail and in editorial styling. Through his experience working in the industry, Hunte strikes the perfect balance between creativity and practicality, which plays a primary role in each collection he designs.
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”?
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York and was inspired by the creative women that surrounded me. Being from Brooklyn, hip hop has always been a major inspiration for me too. So, when attending public school I managed to somehow turn my uniform into a streetwear-preppy hybrid. I’ve always loved mixing traditional formal wear with streetwear, it comes natural to me. To me streetwear can be anything from cargo pants to suits, and my sweet spot is a mixture of both. This can be seen in my designs.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
I’ve always had an interest in fashion. My journey started early on in school when I’d play around with different styles.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I think that the most interesting stories in my career involve meeting people I admire. The two that come to mind are Tommy Hilfiger and Diddy. Both of these men inspired me. Both are go-getters. Diddy specifically has done so much for the Black community culturally and professionally. He’s opened doors for people who look like me and his representation means a lot. From Sean Jean, Bad Boy Records, to CÎROC — Diddy has impacted the culture from all angles.
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?
Being ambitious, pushing the status quo, and staying true to yourself. These are all things I’ve had to do throughout my life. Starting out in this industry I felt unwelcomed in some of the rooms I was in. I had to get over that and realize that I belonged in every room I entered. My presence, along with others in my community, is the presence and representation needed to help push the future of fashion forward.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
The versatility of the brand is what makes us stand out. Not only are we based in the greatest city in the world, which gives us flare and an eclectic edge, but we consider the brand to be versatile. Our pieces can be found on A-list celebrities like Zendaya and Beyonce but, we like to have fun and launch collabs like this one. CÎROC Vodka Spritz tapped me to create a limited-time, exclusive collection available in Cocktail Courier kits, and it was fun to design something inspired by Brooklyn and the beautiful design of the can for people to enjoy this summer.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Stay far from timid, Only make moves when your heart’s in it, And live the phrase, ‘Sky’s The Limit’” — The Notorious B.I.G. — Being a Brooklyn Native, Biggie was the soundtrack of my youth. This song really taught me to go after what I wanted and find my own personal freedom.
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! You now see more BIPOC people holding high positions in the fashion industry and creating more jobs for people in their communities. It’s exciting to see and be a part of.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
Through this collab, we’re encouraging people to enjoy their summer in style #LikeOnlyCirocCan. My limited-edition collection features a Canary Yellow Bucket Hat, a Silk Bandana, and a Nylon Tote Bag, mimicking my own classic collection that marries luxury with modern just like CÎROC Vodka Spritz ready-to-drink cocktails.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
I try to source here in New York as much as possible. I’m a young designer so I’m always looking to evolve and see how I can improve and make changes for the better.
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?
I think the way people consume needs to change. We should not be spending money constantly on clothes we know will not last us till next year. With my brand, I hope to bring people timeless pieces that will last them for years to come.
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.
Staying ahead of ever evolving trends. With my partnership with CÎROC Vodka Spritz, we merged two worlds that you might not particularly see mesh. However, taking the inspiration of how CÎROC is innovating the spirits world with the ready-to-drink cocktail and how my brand is evolving fashion, it was easy for me to collaborate with CÎROC and create a collection that is fashion-forward, trendy, and true to both brands.
Staying ahead of ever evolving trends. With my partnership with CÎROC Vodka Spritz, we merged two worlds that you might not particularly see mesh. However, taking the inspiration of how CÎROC is innovating the spirits world with the ready-to-drink cocktail and how my brand is evolving fashion, it was easy for me to collaborate with CÎROC and create a collection that is fashion-forward, trendy, and true to both luxury brands.
Stay true to yourself. My ideas come from my heart and are influenced by my experiences. When you stay true to yourself and roots, it’s easier to create unique pieces that others will love, too.
Never comparing yourself. Our differences are what set us apart from each other and how new trends are birthed.
Stay connected. I love getting the chance to meet and connect with different people. You learn so much from others and you never know who could potentially change your life.
Build a strong team. To have a successful fashion brand, you must have people on your team that you believe in and that believe in you.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
The fashion industry can improve itself by continuing to open doors for others that usually get left out. Everyone’s presence is needed in order to see a better future.
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. 🙂
Not to sound cliché, but my movement would be to spread love and acceptance. I love working with others from all walks of life and have learned so much about myself and others in turn.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can follow my brand on Instagram at @RomeHunte and myself at @Mr.Rh
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Radical Self-Responsibility. Choose who you want to be. Choose healing. Choose to love yourself. Choose to trust yourself. Choose to listen to yourself. Know who you are and live into being the best of who you are. Have boundaries. But most of all, take responsibility for your experience of life. We can’t control what has happened or what is happening. Still, we can always control whether we are growing into a version of ourselves that knows who we are, honors who we are, and loves who we are, in the face of any external factor, situation or circumstance.
Rebeccah Silence is an advocate and leading coach in emotional healing and relationships. As a survivor of childhood trauma and abuse and diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer while pregnant, Rebeccah has successfully led countless individuals, couples, and families to process even the most intense traumatic experiences — and heal!
An accomplished TV and radio personality with over a decade of experience speaking to millions about doing the inner work, Rebeccah is a groundbreaking voice in the space of healing and self-development. Her life’s mission is about supporting people in moving through their healing so that they can allow themselves to truly thrive.
Rebeccah is the author of Coming Back to Life, host of the Healing IS Possible Experience and the Tougher Together Breakthrough Podcast, and the creator of the on-demand The Emotional Survival Kit course. Through her coaching, seminars, books and online courses, Rebeccah teaches us how to become our own healer, love and trust ourselves, and be our best for others and the world.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
The belief that “healing is possible” has shaped my life and who I have become. Growing up, there were people in my family that I loved that I sensed were emotionally unhealed and mentally unwell. I saw firsthand the cost of addiction, self-harm, shutting down, lashing out, anxiety, depression, low self-worth, and poor boundaries. And it broke my heart. At a very young age, I wanted to be a helper and a healer.
Then, as an adult, I had a relationship in which I experienced those same issues of addiction, self-harm, shutting down, lashing out, anxiety, depression, low self-worth, and poor boundaries. I had an eating disorder and was clinically depressed — and even suicidal. I fell into abusive relationships and had no boundaries or self-respect. I realized the healing would have to start with me. I knew there had to be a better way. This is how I started my own journey towards healing.
Back then, I didn’t know that my story would become an example of healing as a possibility. Not only did I get my life back, but my experience and my clients’ results have shown millions how to take their lives back.
My education includes bachelor’s and master’s degree programs covering human behavior, psychology, and music therapy. My Master’s in Counseling eventually led to me becoming a certified Integrative Holistic Life Coach and Facilitator.
My professional experience includes working at a psychiatric hospital, inpatient psychiatric center, drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, working in school districts as a school counselor and counseling coordinator, and about 15 years of private practice work.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
At age 31, I was offered a weekly morning radio show on my hometown’s local TOP 40 station. The response was incredible. Called “Confession Tuesday,” the show became #1 in the first two months. For nearly a decade, we aired every Tuesday morning. My voice became synonymous with a way for people to learn and know that they could be more and better.
As the show evolved, it was played on school buses and waiting rooms. I repeatedly heard how listeners would remain in their cars until the segment ended because they didn’t want to miss one word of heartfelt advice.
From there, my private practice, group retreats, couples’ intensive workshops, podcasts, books, and courses were born. Confession Tuesday gave me a platform to reach a community full of people that longed for hope and healing.
As my private practice grew, I was hired by businesses, school districts, couples, families, and individuals seeking more for themselves and their life’s purpose.
Because of my public and private practice experience, I knew I was destined to serve at the highest level; that has been my mission ever since.
Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?
The most humorous mistake I made early in my career was thinking that it was my job to help people heal and grow. I thought I was a superwoman for years and tried to be everything to everyone. That was not only not my job but inhibited clients from understanding their power and abilities. Cancer at just 34 years old while I was pregnant reinforced that I am not a superwoman. I look back and laugh at my naivety. Today the superwoman myth is happily retired.
After cancer, I let go of thinking that my job was to do the healing work for others; these days, I show people how to become their own healer, in their own way.
My focus is now on helping people help themselves create their lives from a healed place. There is an end to the pain and our unhealed emotional wounds. There is life on the other side of trauma, but it is not my responsibility to get anyone there. Instead, I show anyone that wants it how to get themselves to their own healed place — a new way of living!
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?
In 2019, I participated in a small yearlong Mastermind group with Brendon Burchard. I learned the power of building out an authentic message into products. Brendon took time with me to listen and encourage my vision that I could be a leader in emotional healing for anyone willing to set themselves emotionally free. His guidance gave me everything I needed especially as the pandemic hit. I needed to reach out to the masses in a whole new way: I expanded my private practice, created an online community, built on-demand courses, began writing books, gained media appearances, got a new radio show, started my own Youtube show, and a paid podcast. I had no idea that the Mastermind and Brendon would significantly change my life. Still, I have expanded my team, my first book is being published, I am on local television where I live in Colorado, and my podcasts continue to serve beyond my private practice and retreat work.
What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?
Serve people and enjoy every minute of it. Every new client is precious and needs you at your best.
And don’t forget that you are your most important client. Know how much you deserve all the good you pour into others. The more you pour into yourself, the better you will pour into the world. Your commitment to service and impact can go as far as your commitment and service to yourself. You will inevitably burn out if you don’t pay attention to and listen to your soul, body, needs, and wants.
What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?
Show gratitude every day. You must want your team to have a great experience working with you, each other, and the company. It’s so important to care about how everyone is experiencing themselves and the culture they come to work in every day.
Also, make sure they understand the mission and vision of the company. Put people in roles where their unique skills make a noticeable difference to that mission and vision. Encourage ongoing communication about what’s working and what could be better about their job experience. When I do this with my team, the feedback I get about their job satisfaction is exceptional.
Work can and should be enjoyable and an experience that enhances the lives of everyone on the team. When people are expected to have a great experience at work and are given the space to communicate and thrive, the culture becomes such that people not only want to be there but enjoy being at work.
On a related note, I also encourage couples to pay attention to what they model for each other and their communities. Our work is so much more than the results and deliverables on the table at any given moment.
Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Mental health is often looked at in binary terms; those who are healthy and those who have mental illness. The truth, however, is that mental wellness is a huge spectrum. Even those who are “mentally healthy” can still improve their mental wellness. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to improve or optimize our mental wellness. Can you please share a story or example for each.
Mental wellness is not possible without emotional wellness. I have included five pieces of my daily routine that have allowed me and my clients to stay emotionally well, promoting and providing for true mental wellness. (This topic is critically important because we have many silently struggling with anxiety and depression — trying to pick up the pieces of living through a global pandemic.) We always have control over emotional wellness in the face of any circumstance. When we are emotionally well, we automatically have better mental wellness, which means we can live and lead our lives happier and healthier.
Radical Self-Responsibility. Choose who you want to be. Choose healing. Choose to love yourself. Choose to trust yourself. Choose to listen to yourself. Know who you are and live into being the best of who you are. Have boundaries. But most of all, take responsibility for your experience of life. We can’t control what has happened or what is happening. Still, we can always control whether we are growing into a version of ourselves that knows who we are, honors who we are, and loves who we are, in the face of any external factor, situation or circumstance.
Remember that you are always a choice. You are choosing all the time. Every choice is either powerless, draining, and stressful or powerful, energizing, and empowering. Starting now, choose powerfully — and then notice how often your mind tells you that you can’t do what you want, get what you want, or have what you want. None of that mental chaos must be real or true. That’s just fear trying to convince you that you don’t have a choice. Choose powerfully, for you, as your own greatest ally and advocate because no one else can do that for you.
Practice Impeccable Self-Care. Create your own personalized impeccable self-care plan. Give up all forms of self-betrayal by deciding what 1–3 ways you will take care of yourself, in your own way, every day. Maybe it’s journaling, meditating, or creating art. Perhaps it’s moving your body, adding in naps, experiencing nature, or cooking your favorite meals. Create your own self-care combination of your favorite ways to care for yourself. Deep down, you do know what takes care of you and what honors your highest and best self.
Know that your best is enough. Your best is and always has been enough. You’ve done your best with what you knew and had available to you at the time. Give yourself permission to grow and reinvent yourself any time life feels stressful or when you start noticing that your mental health and wellness are not as strong and straightforward as you desire them to be. Have compassion and demand that you do not let fear or stress get the better of you. The good news is that you can keep progressing, committed to becoming a better version of yourself that is happy and free, that you are proud of.
Let yourself feel. Use your voice. Let’s face it, taking on our mental health can feel scary, even terrifying. It doesn’t have to be complicated and facing it won’t make things worse if you get out of resisting how you feel and what your truth is. You know how you feel in every single moment, and you can be brave enough to feel. Communicate that truth first with you and those around you. You are being honest about how you feel, what you want, and what you need to be in healthy leadership role of your life. And when the emotions come, they are not bad or wrong and don’t mean something is wrong with you. Feel fully. Tell your truth unapologetically. From there, you will get more clear, more relaxed and more confident.
I explain these 5 Steps to Achieving Optimal Mental Health on my Youtube channel as well-
How about teens and pre teens. Are there any specific new ideas you would suggest for teens and pre teens to optimize their mental wellness?
To every child and teen, please know that nothing is wrong with you — no matter who you are or what you are experiencing now or this year.
You are a miracle. Decide that you deserve the best out of life and that you have everything you need to create a wonderful life for yourself. Don’t fear becoming an adult. You can “adult” and live your way if you know your worth, follow your truth, and take the time to care for yourself emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Know that nothing outside of you is more powerful than your ability to lead yourself through challenging and even immensely painful times. You can start to heal from past pain and trauma starting now. You can become the leader and creator of your life and your life experience no matter what you’ve been through.
I hope you will own your worth and make that your #1 priority for the rest of your life.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story?
The first personal growth book I read was “The Celestine Prophecy” when I was 17. I read the book for English class and had to write a book report on it and then presented the book and my experience of the book to the class. Until then, I believed that life would be hard and that I would have just to make the best of it. The book opened a window into my soul’s longing for adventure, particularly spiritual adventure. I learned that there was more possibility available to me beyond the lessons I was learning growing up in my family and that there was so much world to see and endless learning about how the world and life could work for me.
My two favorite teachings from the book were, first, about having children and giving each child the experience of getting the full attention of one parent. I loved being present with my children and learning from them as much or more than I could ever teach them. The second lesson was about coincidences. My interpretation of this lesson in the book was that there are no coincidences. This meant that everything is an opportunity to experience a miracle which is another rule I have lived by through all of my seasons, challenges, and growing pains.
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. 🙂
The Healing IS Possible movement, and the teaching of my Emotional Survival Kit is my life’s work and greatest passion. When people connect to their own inner healer, believing that healing IS possible, they can reinvent themselves repeatedly, and they are forever free.
As an Emotional Healing and Relationship coach, I teach people how to connect to their own inner healer, sourcing from their own guidance and wisdom, because everyone deserves to believe that Healing IS Possible. My promise to humanity is that healing IS possible not just for some of us, but for all of us. Everyone deserves to live free and inspired, knowing who they are, where they are going and why. We can be free of our past and live the life of our dreams once we become our own healer with our own answers. And this movement is one that I truly believe will change mental, emotional, marital, family, community, and global wellness.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
Jim Rohn says, “I used to say, I’ll take care of you if you take care of me. Now I say, I will take care of me for you if you will take care of you for me.”
As a recovering co-dependent and as someone who loves fiercely, this quote hit me hard and allowed me to set a new standard of how I want to operate in all of my relationships. This quote is a game-changer in a world where so many are programmed to be co-dependent, believing that love means sacrificing ourselves for other people, and in a world where mental un-wellness is normalized.
Optimal mental wellness requires us to be responsible for how we live, who we are, and our impact. When we choose to be our best, we know we do our best no matter what happens. When I take responsibility for my self-care, including my mental wellness, I have more strength to create the life I want. And my relationships are more fun because I choose to live free, no matter what.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
The best way to stay on top of my latest material is to subscribe to the Rebeccah Silence YouTube channel.
Women In Wellness: Jess Hiestand of Rumble On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Start your day with a win. A win for me may look different than a win for you, but make sure to start your day on an accomplishment. Maybe its drinking a glass of water or taking 5 minutes to meditate first thing in the morning. Start on a high note and try to ride that wave.
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jess of Rumble.
Jess is a group fitness and digital fitness trainer with a passion for movement and helping people feel good in motion. As a former professional dance artist, Jess loves to see people enter wellness spaces as their authentic self and bring out their best confidence. She is a National Talent & Education Manager for Rumble Boxing, helping the next generation of fitness professionals to do the same across the U.S.
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?
While I didn’t always love fitness and working out, I’ve always been a mover. I’ve been dancing since I was a young child and moved to LA to pursue a professional dance career at the age of 18. After years of seeing young dancers injured, retire early, and neglect strength training, I became passionate about learning how to use strength training and mobility work to be a better performer and teach others how to do the same. Wellness quickly became even more of a passion for me than dance which led to a transition to being a full time fitness professional.
And can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
When it comes to my work at Rumble Boxing, I just followed my gut and did what was fun. I had already been teaching strength and conditioning for dancers to my pre-professional and youth students, but I was still very involved in dance when I was dragged to a Rumble class by a close friend. Yes dragged. I did not want to go, BUT I had the time of my life and just started working there to take class. Eventually I realized the amount of people you can reach in group and digital fitness combined my experience in fitness and performing and the reach was wider than I previously had.
At that point, I joined the Rumble Boxing West Hollywood studio as a Clean Team member so I could get more involved with the brand and keep taking classes while working dance jobs outside the time I spent at Rumble. Right before the pandemic hit, I took a break and continued to teach dance and fitness classes elsewhere. I found my way back to Rumble West Hollywood in December 2020 as a Studio Coordinator, moving my way up to the next level of staff support.
The pandemic caused a lot of us to pivot and make more time to prioritize ourselves — Rumble started to hold auditions for new trainers and I realized that I wanted to work at Rumble over other places. In March 2021 I went through the Contender Program (an intensive audition program) and took the Rumble stage as a trainer soon after.
Now, I am very proud and excited to be building the talent team across the US as we open more Rumble studios and bring boxing to new communities. As the Talent & Education manager, I work closely with our trainers across the country (seasoned and new) to continue to build the brand essence and curate new programs that add value to our members lives.
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?
When I was first starting to pay attention to my health and wellness, I tended to narrow in on small details that were so hyper-focused that I neglected the bigger picture. I would consider the absorption rate of proteins before figuring how much I needed and if I was consuming enough or spending so much time writing a new program that I’d miss my workout for the day. While it seemed productive and “smart” to me at the time, I now know that getting 80% of the way there would have been better than getting bogged down in the details and doing nothing.
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?
First, I’m very proud to teach a workout that is FUN in a country where 80% of people don’t meet aerobic and strength training guidelines (health.gov). Rumble is a workout that combines boxing (a great way to do cardio) and strength training, and if people have fun doing our class they’re more likely to come back regularly and lead healthier lives.
Second, I try to work with an intersectional lens so that when I talk about work outs, healthy eating, and general wellness, I consider the limitations and barriers placed upon different marginalized groups and how those intersect. ALWAYS happier than happy to talk more on this 🙂
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.
Start your day with a win. A win for me may look different than a win for you, but make sure to start your day on an accomplishment. Maybe its drinking a glass of water or taking 5 minutes to meditate first thing in the morning. Start on a high note and try to ride that wave.
Have a mantra. Words are so powerful. If you have a go-to phrase for when you don’t want to work out or when you’re stressed and frustrated it can help be your reset to get back at it. Below are some mantras from my friends and I. -Movement comes before motivation so go -I can, I will, let’s get after it -Don’t let Rihanna down (this person is obsessed with RiRi) -I am focused on my goals that I see in my heart and I watch them become reality.
Take a walk, preferably outdoors. Not just for fitness but for overall wellness. Ever since I got a puppy I’ve really felt better mentally, and I’m pretty sure it’s not just the cuddles! Getting outside several times a day and getting a brisk walk in gives me a break from work, sitting, and lets me reset.
Try a bunch of different workouts and diets until you find what works for you. Avoid getting stuck in something because you think its “the best.” If you don’t enjoy it you’re less likely to stick to it. -If you love what you do, it’s a lot easier to get in the mentality of “I get to” instead of “I have to.” So if you don’t like running, try boxing. If you don’t like boxing, try yoga. I’d rather see you moving in a way than you enjoy than not at all.
Eat something colorful every meal. Greens, Great! Berries, Amazing! Most people don’t eat enough fruits and veggies, but this is an easy way to check to see if you have some micronutrients on your plate…. Gushers and Skittles don’t count, sorry :/
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I’d get true physical education out to kids. Imagine instead of 8–13 years of dodgeball, jumping jacks, and sports, more kids learned how and why they should be moving their bodies. Given a resource of properly educated staff, this could prevent lifetimes of disease and discomfort and improve mental health. This would also help overcome barriers to low income families who aren’t able to afford extracurriculars and in areas where girls may be steered away from sports and fitness.
One of the things I loved about when I taught strength and conditioning for young dancers was dispelling fitness myths and helping them cross train. It would be awesome if all kids got that kind of opportunity.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Authenticity over everything. Yes, you should be yourself for yourself. At the same time, if you have causes you want to promote its a lot more believable if your speaking and moving from an authentic place. People will pick up on how much you care and be more willing to follow you and your cause(s).
A lot of fitness professionals that look amazing aren’t even that healthy, so don’t compare yourself to them or stress about your mistakes. Refer to number 1. I wish someone told me to be authentic for the reasons above, sure, but also because you’ll stand out to all of the fake junk out there! Once you get into the industry, you realize plenty of wellness professionals are stressed out of their mind using unhealthy coping mechanisms. Others who are shredded year round are “enhanced.” Still others may be strong but eating fast food 3x a week. If you’re trying, you’re doing fine. Don’t compare because you don’t know what everyone else is doing behind the scenes.
Flashy isn’t always effective.Sometimes what looks cool isn’t what makes result. Sometimes the simplest things, not eating processed food, taking time for yourself, and challenging yourself physically a few times a week is as much as you need. Do your best that you can in this moment. Doing your best everyday does not mean hitting PRs every day or only eating organic food that perfectly fits your macros. It means the best you can do right this second, and sometimes that may look a lot less than your PR or healthiest meal and that’s okay.
Be proactive. It’s helpful in all areas of life, but when it comes to your wellbeing here are some examples -Work on recovery before your injured and you’ll find it prevents injury -Meditate and go on walks before you’re burnt out and you’ll notice it prevents burn out
Avoid waiting until you’re extremely unhappy with how you look and feel about your body to take action. If you notice something isn’t feeling great or looking how it once was, start getting back on your routine today.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
I feel like many of these topics intertwine and influence one another. If I had to pick just one I’d pick mental health. If you’re struggling with your mental health, it makes it extremely difficult to get up and work on your physical health by getting up to work out or cooking your own food. To some they may seem simple, but when you’re struggling with your mental health they can be overwhelming.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
You can follow me @jess.hiestand, you can join me in digital workouts on Xponential Plus or live in studio in Southern California, and you can see the blog we’re starting on rumbleboxinggym.com
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
