Category: Featured

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

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You do you.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How can our readers follow you on social media?

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

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

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

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

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Short & long term planning.

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

Talent — how to hire properly.

Growth of a business and scaling a business.

What it takes to grow a business.

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

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

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

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

Keep up with me on instagram and LinkedIn

Thank you for these fantastic insights!

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

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What else makes Beaubble special?

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

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

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

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

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

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

How do you define “Leadership”?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How can our readers follow your work online?

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

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

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

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

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How can our readers follow you online?

Instagram: @theitgirlguideofficial & @skyhaarsma

TikTok: @theitgirlguide

Pinterest: @theitgirlguideofficial

Twitter: @theitgirlguide_

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

Thank you so much for the opportunity!

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

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Believe in yourself no matter what — no matter what anyone says or does, no matter what old tapes are playing in your head, you need to believe in yourself — that YOU can do it! I use daily affirmations to help with this.

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

Beverly Price, founder of Nastava Jewelry, is an intuitive designer whose custom creations reflect the journey of self-empowerment, self-expression, and beauty. Inspired by the elements, Beverly lets the internationally sourced stones speak to her when crafting her bespoke pieces. Through her methodology and endless style options, the artisan jewelry she creates energizes and connects to her clients, reflecting their true self while empowering them to try different looks.

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 was a financial services and advertising corporate executive for most of my career (and also a single mom). When I started my career in corporate America, women were taught to dress similar to men and identical to other women. There was even a book called “Dress for Success” to guide us. There was almost a basic uniform, a gray or navy suit with skirt, rounded collar blouse, little bow tie and black low-heeled pumps. There were no accessories, no makeup, no jewelry except for a small string of pearls! Everyone looked the same scattering around the workplace.

I went along for several years, until I moved to an advertising agency where everything was creative, colorful and exciting. But I was insecure because I didn’t know how to dress. So, I made an investment in myself, and visited a fashion stylist who showed me that color, style, accessories and jewelry could change the look of any woman from drab to exceptional, professional elegance. I could express myself in bold statements and feel empowered.

I had always done something creative on the side of my leadership and managerial roles. Being creative let me create visible tangible outcomes that my corporate life could not. I gave my daughters a gift certificate to a jewelry making shop, and they had fun, but I loved it and became obsessed. I began making bold statement jewelry to accentuate everything I wore.

One day a woman that I worked with said — “Is that your piece?” and I said yes it was. She said, “it’s gorgeous, you need to sell your jewelry.” That was just the nudge I needed, and Nastava Artisan Jewelry was born. Named after the three women I admire most — my daughter Natalie, my daughter Stephanie, and my mother Virginia — Nastava fueled me with energy and excitement. After a year or so, I decided to take a leap of faith and move full time into my jewelry business selling to boutiques and stores. Creativity fueled my choices.

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

I was hosting a jewelry sale as a part of a fundraiser for a non-profit, and I got to meet the daughter of Reverend Martin Luther King. She was inspiring. And she fell in love with my jewelry. She modeled several pieces. I felt so blessed. I’ve gotten to meet so many impressive women on my journey. Meeting Cokie Roberts was another thrill.

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

I was in MBA school studying entrepreneurship, and we had two international summer study abroad trips — one to South America and the other to Asia. Since I made all one-of-a-kind pieces, unusual beads were essential to my strategy. So, on both of these trips, I looked everywhere and found lots and lots of unusual beads. So much so that I couldn’t fit them all in my suitcases. I asked all my fellow students to put some in their suitcases. As we were leaving at the airport — one by one, each suitcase went over the weight limit. The heavy bag fees mounted up! Then when we reached the airport on our return, I had to get beads from over 10 people! Looked pretty silly actually, but those beads let me create some very unique pieces.

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 are so many. I would say most of all it would be my daughter Natalie who encouraged me every step of the way, even when times were tough. She’s an intelligent, capable creative woman who has developed strong business acumen and strength. She’s also provided me with a lot of her marketing expertise and a sounding board to bounce things off of. I’m very proud of her.

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 there are three reasons that women are held back from founding companies. The first is a lack of self- confidence and fear. So many women have old tapes playing in their head that they can’t do it, entrepreneurship is too risky, they are not talented enough, etc. There is fear of the unknown and fear of failure. This is a great deterrent because as we know, entrepreneurship takes strength and belief in yourself.

The second reason is financial. With the gender pay gap continuing to exist, many women do not have the financial resources to create a company and be financially stable while it’s in its early years. Also, single parent homes shouldering the entire financial burden don’t have excess resources to get a strong start. In addition, women may have a difficult time raising the funding necessary for the business set-up

The third reason women are held back from founding companies is time. Many women have their hands full with raising a family and a full-time job. There is little time left for the investment of time required for a start- up.

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?

Many of the changes that need to be made need to happen at a variety of different levels — changing laws, changing social norms and changing perceptions passed down from generation to generation. The deepest change needs to be how society sees men and women — a change to see them as equal but different. This could change the double standard by letting the men in power see women as an asset rather than a threat. This could then create changes in work distribution at home, acceptance of stay-at-home parents being men or women, more affordable day care, and pay equity. There’s also a crucial need to provide greater physical, emotional, and financial support for single parent households.

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?

1. Creativity — many women have a high degree of creativity for start-up ideas.
2. Tremendous work ethic — many women have a voracious work ethic.
3. Determination to prove themselves — women who have grown up being told they can’t do something that is more a man’s role, develop the motivation to prove themselves by proving others wrong.
4. Empathy — research has shown that women have the capability for a higher degree of empathy allowing them to build strong teams, relate well to customers, etc.

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

1. That entrepreneurism is only for those who can’t get a “real job.”
2. That you have lots of free time.
3. That life is much easier if you don’t have to answer to anyone.

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 is cut out to be a founder or an entrepreneur. Founders and entrepreneurs can handle uncertainty and are willing to take risks. They can survive without the security of a regular paycheck and healthcare benefits. They have stamina and patience for the long haul and a stellar work ethic to tackle the times that the amount of work seems insurmountable. They are willing to take leap of faith to see their vision through and reap the benefits.

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

1. That you need a support system — as a single working mom, I didn’t have time for developing friendships and support systems, but creating your own business has a significant emotional rollercoaster that you need a strong support network for. I had to build my support system after I started my business. I could have benefitted greatly from a support system when I first started.
2. Believe in yourself no matter what — no matter what anyone says or does, no matter what old tapes are playing in your head, you need to believe in yourself — that YOU can do it! I use daily affirmations to help with this.
3. It will take longer than you might think — patience is a virtue. Most startups don’t have rocket ship revenue. It takes time to build a strong and stable business. Hard work pays off.
4. You need to delegate things you don’t like and aren’t good at — You need to let go of doing everything. You can find help, even if you’re on a tight budget, to help you do things you’re not good or expert at, and for things you really hate to do.
5. Emotions are a rollercoaster — They never teach you in business school about the emotions involved with staring a business. Moods can swing up and down with revenue. Fear can paralyze you. I know that I wondered why I had a down day; then I realized I hadn’t earned any revenue the prior 5 days.

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

I have supported a number of non-profit agencies with causes near and dear to my heart. I have worked on fundraisers, donating my jewelry products for live and silent auctions, donating a portion of my proceeds to the cause and providing jewelry for awards at large fundraising events.

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.

1. Self-expression is key to women’s self-empowerment — I’m creating a program that helps women walk through insecurity and doubt with the use of self-expression to become empowered to lead different lives.
2. Believe in yourself, no matter what — if we could inspire these beliefs in all children, we could drastically increase their success but also reduce greatly many forms of depression and anxiety.

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.

1. Cate Blanchett — her sense of style is the essence of what my jewelry brand offers.
2. Oprah Winfrey — her accomplishments in the face of all odds is heart stopping.
3. Amal Clooney — her style and grace combined with intelligence and efforts to make the world a better place is amazing.
4. Melinda Gates — her dedication to making this world a better place is inspirational.

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

Beverly Price of Nastava Jewelry: “Believe in yourself no matter what” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Female Founders: Megan DeCrosta of Cut the Fiscal On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

If you can afford to outsource, do it — I built our website from the ground up, filmed the online course, and edited and produced it myself. While it saved us a ton of money, it was time-consuming, and as a mother of two, it took its toll on my marriage and the amount of time I could spend with our children.

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

Megan DeCrosta is the CEO and founder of Cut the Fiscal which provides financial education to kids, teens, and women in an effort to help end poverty and economic disparity. One of the company’s goals is to raise enough money to educate one million children by the end of 2022 through its GoFundMe platform. Cut the Fiscal Fat’s financial literacy curriculum, titled “Need To Know Life Guide (Level 1),” equips participants with information on how to make the most of the money they have and how to use it to achieve maximum success in life.

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 upstate New York in a lower-middle-class family of six. While my parents worked hard to provide us with a good life, they had poor financial behaviors and habits. Habits my parents didn’t particularly try to discourage in me. Then when I was 15 years old my father was killed, leaving mom a single mother of four kids, with me as the oldest. We had to sell our family home and scramble to try to cover the expenses of his sudden death.

Towards the final years of my father’s life, he very much lived with the mentality that “You can’t take it with you,” and I in turn repeated that same behavior. Maybe it was because I idolized my father after his death. Or, perhaps it was because my mother never knew or tried to correct my poor financial practices.

It wasn’t until I met my husband, Eric, and became familiar with his exceptional credit and money habits, that I realized how much I didn’t know when it came to money, finances, and credit. I always found myself saying, “I wish I knew this sooner,” and “Why didn’t anyone ever teach me this?” I became upset with my parents for not teaching me better until I realized they couldn’t teach me what they didn’t know themselves.

Then the ultimate question came, “Why didn’t I learn this in school?” Which led me to create the website and our online course to teach financial literacy. We designed the “Need To Know Life Guide (Level 1)” to be a fun, engaging, and easy to absorb introductory course to personal finance. Intentionally created to inspire further self-education in all aspects of money management, especially finance.

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

We recently were endorsed by a retired NFL player who is a two-time Super Bowl champion; Jeremy Shockey! Financial education is something everybody can get behind and it is always welcoming and heartwarming to see the support.

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?

We first started out as a YouTube channel until we discovered that not many people cared to watch videos about financial literacy! So we switched gears to really target a specific subset of people: teens and young adults. However, teens do not actively go looking for this information and education until it is too late! That knowledge led us to call on the adults in their lives to help get this information into their hands.

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?

Before my husband, it was my mom. She has always been a source of profound support and unconditional love, especially after my father’s death when I was 15.

When I was 18, I competed in the Miss New York U.S.A. beauty pageant. The final round was held in Albany, NY, a 10-minute walk from where I grew up, and where most of my family members lived. I had 10 aunts and uncles and one grandmother (plus scores of extended family members) and only my mother and younger brothers showed up to support me. There have been many moments prior to that event, and many after, where my mom was the only source of support. No matter the endeavor, no matter the path I choose, she will always be there.

Now I also have the unconditional love and support of my husband, who shares both my dreams and my passion.

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?

In my opinion, for many women, it is the lack of education they receive regarding business and finances. Compounded with the fact that women, especially women of color, suffer from the gender wage gap, entrepreneurship seems unattainable at worst, and at best, a long and uphill battle. And if you’re a woman with kids, it is exceptionally difficult to run a successful business and raise a household.

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?

We as a society have to recognize and acknowledge that fundamental change has to happen, and it starts with education. Giving students and young women a fair education from the start will increase the knowledge and confidence they need.

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?

To me it’s simple: Be the change you wish to see. We cannot fall victim to the “bystander effect” where we wait for someone else to make the change for us.

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

One myth is that being a founder is easy. The truth is that it’s hard, constant work! Social media can be very deceiving in making us believe that one can go from a “nobody” to an overnight success with relative ease.

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?

It all comes down to your personality and your passion! While you might not have the skills and knowledge to complete certain tasks, you can absolutely bring people to the table who can. But no matter how much money you have and/or can make, that cannot and will not make up for personality traits or passion. A brand above all else is genuine and authentic.

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.)

If you can afford to outsource, do it — I built our website from the ground up, filmed the online course, and edited and produced it myself. While it saved us a ton of money, it was time-consuming, and as a mother of two, it took its toll on my marriage and the amount of time I could spend with our children.

Be prepared for the hustle — When you are first starting out, you are building your brand’s authenticity and trustworthiness. And this does not come overnight, so be prepared to put in the necessary time to build your brand.

Success takes time — When I say this I mean it! For many entrepreneurs, “success” didn’t come until after two years of the grind. Prepare yourself to work with what feels like no progress! But if you are taking steps to move forward, and are really dedicated to building your brand, you’ll get there!

Prepare yourself to hear “no” — Working my entire adult life in sales, a male-dominated industry, I’ve learned you have to always be ready to hear the word “no.” So when I started my own business, I was not afraid of that word, knowing I can always overcome and readjust my approach! What I was not prepared for was the number of times I have heard “Yes! I love it,’ with no follow-through. Be ready to outmaneuver this!

If it were easy everyone would be doing it — This is really self-explanatory! Even if you see an “overnight success” know that there are MANY years of hard work and dedication put in that you cannot see.

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

We are here to disrupt the way that teens and young adults approach money and credit! Financial illiteracy is one of the largest contributing factors to income inequality and I want to inspire young adults and teens to further self-educate in areas of personal finance. The “Need To Know Life Guide (Level 1)” is an introductory, 48-minute, online course covering the five keys to financial literacy: Earn, Save and Invest, Spend, Borrow, and Protect. The 5-hour course is a more in-depth look at each key.

We created a crowdfunding campaign, #12to1million, to get our intro course into the hands of one million teens by the end of 2022.

We started it in our own community with the Boys & Girls Club, and hope to spread across the state and then the country. Our end goal is to make financial literacy education a main part of the high school curriculum, which would have a direct and significant impact on the wealth gap as more teens equip themselves with the knowledge and protection of their financial futures.

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

The earlier we start to teach our kids about money, the better off they will be in their adult lives. Money and credit have been taboo subjects for far too long.

We are hoping to be THE MOVEMENT to demand more for ourselves, our younger generations, and for the generations to come!

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.

Eli Manning. He’s a two-time Super Bowl winner and MVP, and I am a huge Giants fan. Eli is amazing off the field too. He is a businessman, he is a husband and father, a philanthropist, a comedian, and a total class act. For a man who was born into a famous family and blessed with talent and success, he seems just as genuine and relatable as the next guy.

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

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