I believe in regulation of cannabis, but think it does this plant a disservice to compare it to tobacco. This plant has been around for thousands of years as a medicine. I believe it should be looked at like a preventive wellness tool and medicine.
As a part of my series about strong women leaders in the cannabis industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Olivia Alexander.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the cannabis industry?
When I was 18, I tried cannabis for the first time. I had a lifetime of mental health issues and severe relentless insomnia. With my first puff, I slept like a baby and knew cannabis would be a part of my life forever. A few months later, my boyfriend’s friend opened a medical cannabis shop and I got hired as a budtender. Behind the counter, I realized everything everyone knew about cannabis was wrong.
The majority of the people who came into the dispensary weren’t there to get high, but to feel better. A significant portion of our customers were dealing with severe diseases and disorders. I didn’t understand why people in cannabis didn’t want to focus on the medicinal and medical benefits. Over the years, I built a following online as an influencer and content creator while I worked at cannabis companies well before legalization hit. I always felt alone, as there were few women in the industry.
Cannabis has long been a boys club filled with misogyny and toxicity. Between my experiences with people who used cannabis for wellness and the lack of representation of women in cannabis, I decided to launch my own company in 2015. It’s sort of been a ride to the moon ever since.
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?
There’s not one story in particular that sticks out, but my entire journey.
First and foremost, I am one of the few people who literally grew up in this industry. I started at the most entry-level position and now am a CEO.
I have been in cannabis for so long, I used to lie about my entire life. Everyone told me I was ruining my life by posting my cannabis use on social media but I knew I was changing the stigma. Then, things slowly changed and I was there to ride all the waves: the OG medical days in California, the hemp CBD boom of 2017, legalization in 2018, and now the next chapter in cannabis.
I did it all with my own funding, having only had a single angel investor back in 2018. For me, the lesson is longevity and commitment.
This industry has insane turnover and there’s always a new hot brand with tons of funding (who inevitably goes bankrupt). I am here to be the antithesis of it all and to show people that if you carve out your own lane, pay your dues, and frankly never give up, then you can do it too.
The industry has few people here for passion for the plant and the people that use it. For a lot of cannabis brands, its all about the bottom line and being the biggest company. For me, it’s about innovation, inspiration, and bringing people the best products every single day. I just want people (especially women) to know that you don’t need billions of dollars. All you need is passion. The cannabis space needs more people with a true passion for the plant.
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?
The funniest moment I can remember was when we got our first $30,000 order. It was back in the early days of medical cannabis and we got picked up by a large dispensary chain Med Men. At that time, we had only been in business as Kush Queen for 6 months and our monthly sales were $30,000.
At the time we were still doing every part of the bath bomb process by hand. Our batch only made 12 bath bombs at a time. Needless to say, we had to stop everything we were doing, purchase equipment, and then begin the painful process of scaling our batches.
For weeks, every single batch failed. We had broken bath bombs and powder everywhere. Everyone was crying all the time, for about 3 straight weeks. I made a sign that said, “DON’T CRY OVER BROKEN BATH BOMBS” and another ”X days since broken bath bombs” (like the work accidents sign).
Everyone sort of broke down laughing and crying as I put them up. It literally shifted the energy in the production room and it’s almost like after that moment everything began to click.
For me, the lesson I learned was the value of humor and having fun, especially when your team is frustrated and down. It’s crazy because 6 years later, we don’t really have broken or rejected products from our line. My current product manager was an original member of our product team and we always laugh about it. He brings that spirit to our workflow and we pride ourselves on having fun in everything we do. Legal cannabis and hemp is actually an incredibly challenging industry to survive and thrive in so at Kush Queen, we put an emphasis on having fun.
Do you have a funny story about how someone you knew reacted when they first heard you were getting into the cannabis industry?
The funniest story is that as soon as I got into the industry, my mom joined me. My mom was my first employee and still works for my company to this day. I tell people that she’s the real Kush Queen.
Back in the medical days, she was the only mom at the Cannabis Cup. She would literally be at these festivals with people dabbing their faces off and she would be dancing at the booth. She was front and center in the cannabis community.
She would bring me pounds of weed, glitter pipes, and has never once judged me like the rest of the world. Who would have thought a pageant queen southern belle mother would be so eager to join me in cannabis?!
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?
Back when I was just a content creator, I got a LinkedIn message from a girl named Rachel Wolfson. She was a comedian, meme creator and had a degree in marketing. She was pitching me to work for a marketing company, pre-Kush Queen. I met her in a strange work lunch in Studio City and we smoked a blunt in my car after. She was one of the few people I ever met that was making cannabis content from a female perspective. We just shared this passion for cannabis and this belief that women were being misrepresented in our community.
I immediately put her on my Youtube Channel The Budd and we started a podcast. Over the years, Kush Queen became relentless in its need for my time and she started being busier with her comedy.
Once we got in the Rolling Stone Cannabis Gift Guide and we couldn’t figure out how it happened. Weeks later, we realized she had done it. She did events for me, she helped roll joints, modeled in photoshoots, promoted KQ, and really just put me on to everyone at all times since the moment she met me.
Now, she’s the first woman to join the Jackass crew and is in the number one movie in America. You never ever know who that person is sliding into your DMs or your LinkedIn messages. So many people walk all over people, burn bridges, and get to the top in a non-collaborative way.
I am forever grateful to Rachel for believing in me and Kush Queen. I have always believed in her genius from the moment we met.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Were always hard and at work in research and development. We’ve been developing our transdermally psychoactive cosmetics for years, which is undoubtedly the biggest undertaking of my career.
Our latest launch, BARE+ made with acidic cannabinoids is near and dear to my heart. Along with the latest study that came out a few weeks ago, which showed acidic cannabinoids have the ability to prevent covid-19, there is also a ton of other science to back acidic cannabinoid benefits.
As many in the cannabis industry continue to significantly focus on cannabis for recreation, at Kush Queen, we are instead staying focused on the wellness and scientific approach because that’s what will truly transform people’s lives.
Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. 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?
I recently saw this Instagram post that summed up this question perfectly for me. It was on a page called “The Future is Flower” and it said, “There is a battle going on for the soul of the cannabis industry. And every cannabis consumer is a soldier in that battle, consciously or unconsciously. Vote for your values. Vote with your dollars. And support companies that support our communities”.
We need consumers to be armed with the knowledge they are in control. In my new book, The Essential Guide to Cannabis for Women, I have a short guide on how to be an ethical cannabis consumer. It’s all in your own hands to support women-owned, BIPOC owned, independently owned, and LGBTQIA+ owned brands.
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.
Putting The Plant First Doesn’t Always Happen — With large corporations entering the market, having to answer investor demands, and remain competitive in the market, it’s easy to lose sight of honoring the plant and keeping her benefits front and center.
The Cannabis Industry Is Not That Different From The Tech Industry — As a woman in the industry for 16 years, at some point, I expected there to be more women and diversity at the proverbial table. Five years into legalization in California and there are now fewer women in leadership positions then when I began my career. Although we want things to be different, expect a “bro” like culture similar to the tech industry.
Your Ethics & Morals will be tested — This seems obvious however, you might think you have clear values, morals and a personal code of ethics. This industry will require you to speak up and call things out like you’ve never experienced before.
Not Every Smokes Weed — This used to bother me and calling people out for being a cannabis CEO but not smoking weed even turned into losing a potential investment deal. Be prepared to interact with people that are far removed from the actual plant medicine or don’t take the time to learn about the plant, its delivery methods, and the benefits of use.
Do This For You & Your Passion — The cannabis industry is full of challenges and unoriginal ideas. You couple those two things together and it can make your courage and strength to continue on the hard days very challenging. Before entering this industry, REALLY ask yourself why you are doing this and don’t ever lose sight of your passion.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the cannabis industry?
The first thing that most excites me about the cannabis industry is seeing more women, POC, and LQBTQIA+ people joining the space. The second is the hope of federal legalization within the next 5 or so years. And the third is the global expansion of the hemp market, I am so excited to see Kush Queen products making their way around the globe.
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?
Monopolization. My first major concern for the cannabis industry is monopolization. Currently, the price of licensing is so high it is keeping so many small businesses from existing in the space. This creates problems for consumers and is especially bad for workers. The consolidation of the industry has begun and it’s truly scary to think the entire space could end up being owned by a small few. Cannabis should be an industry where businesses big and small can exist. Where the stakeholders represent the vast amount of people who use cannabis. Instead, it is owned by a few corporations that simply have the ability to lose billions in order to own the entire supply chain, cultivation, extraction and retail.
Taxation. Currently, in California, both consumers and businesses are being taxed to death on legal cannabis. The state has been warned repeatedly by the industry, activists and consumers that this is a house of cards. Over 80% of the cannabis market in California is still illicit and untaxed. Legal cannabis is failing in California because consumers are choosing unlicensed dispensaries to save money. By simply lowering the taxes they would drive both consumers and businesses to join the legal market.
Product Quality. As companies sought vertical integration, we saw the creation of massive operations. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of low-grade cannabis sit on the market in both California and Canada. Overall it’s all the same problem: poor product quality because commercial cultivation at a mass scale may be good for their business plans, but it leaves customers with a low-quality product. Conveniently (in the name of safety) large producers and corporations lobbied for regulations that do not allow the customer to be able to smell, touch, or even open the product they are buying. This is another thing driving people to the illicit market because frankly, you can get better cannabis at a lot of the unlicensed dispensaries.
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?
The biggest reasons we need legalization at a federal level is banking and advertising. Without federal legalization, this industry will always be struggling with access to fair banking and advertising.
Even to this day, CBD companies do not have access to SMS texting platforms. To outsiders, the states legalizing is enough, but they do not see the issues around banking. What is also concerning is that we are so far behind other countries like Canada.
In fact, a good portion of the U.S. market is already owned by Canadian cannabis companies because they have had federal for some time. Ultimately, cannabis is a true American export and a huge part of our history.
Our industry shouldn’t be owned by Canadian cannabis companies because we couldn’t get progress at a federal level. The lack of federal legislation also goes back to the monopolization problem.
Currently, only large and extremely well funded companies can exist as multi-state operators. The need for a business to be licensed in each state, unable to cross state borders with products is another way to keep the small businesses out.
Today, cigarettes are legal, but they are heavily regulated, highly taxed, and they are somewhat socially marginalized. Would you like cannabis to have a similar status to cigarettes or different? Can you explain?
Cigarettes are poison. They cause cancer, disease, and do not interact with any system inside our body.
Cannabis is medicine. You, me, and animals all have a system inside our body called “ the endocannabinoid system” which interacts with our central nervous system, has receptors all over the body, and modulates our most important body functions.
Our body also produces endogenous cannabinoids (naturally occurring molecules). We have cannabinoid receptors all over the body and in the skin.
Cannabis is also generally psychoactive, so comparing it to cigarettes or even alcohol does not work for me.
I believe in regulation of cannabis, but think it does this plant a disservice to compare it to tobacco. This plant has been around for thousands of years as a medicine. I believe it should be looked at like a preventive wellness tool and medicine.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
In 2016, I lost 1.5 million followers on Instagram due to censorship.
At any given time, a social media platform can take your profile away for violating the TOS (which posting cannabis and cannabis content do).
My world was sorting burning down all around me. This is when I truly pivoted everything I had into Kush Queen.
The mantra and quote that guided me every day is, “They can’t stop you if you don’t stop”. For me, the greatest accomplishment I’ve had as an entrepreneur is never giving up. It’s my biggest advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and is my personal key to success. The only thing that can stop you…is you.
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. 🙂
If I could inspire a movement, it would be a movement to inspire people to be their own medicine. I really believe that we are the cure and the cause of our own disease. That if we change the way we think about disease and sickness it could cause a great shift in the world.
Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you only continued success!
Women In Wellness: Shawnda Dorantes of Beauty Lounge Medical Spa On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Not all money is good money. As an entrepreneur, it’s always been very important for me to consider longevity and for my team and I to be able to deliver an exceptional customer service. Even though we’ve experienced a very rapid growth fast, I’ve put boundaries in place to not grow too quickly that could destroy the ethics of my brand. That includes having to turn clients away when their expectations are not realistic or offering too many new services at once that can sacrifice quality.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shawnda Dorantes, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, co-owner of Beauty Lounge Medical Spa in San Marcos, a suburb of San Diego, California.
Acclaimed female entrepreneur, Shawnda Dorantes, MSN, APRN, FNP-C (family nurse practitioner) is a master nurse injector, cosmetic tattooist and co-owner of Beauty Lounge Medical Spa, a leading, full-service aesthetic destination in San Marcos, Calif., a suburb of San Diego. A powerful force in the beauty industry for the past 14 years and registered nurse of over 11 years, Dorantes’ tailored expertise and innovative service offerings have paved the way for Beauty Lounge’s proven success. With an impressive 36,000 followers on Instagram, the popular med spa is best known for their non-surgical PDO thread lifts as well as their lip and nose transformations. Beauty Lounge’s service offerings include botox, fillers, laser treatments, microneedling, non-surgical face lifts, body contouring, teeth whitening and results-driven skincare treatments. In 2021, Beauty Lounge won four San Diego Union Tribune’s “San Diego’s Best” Reader’s Poll awards for: “Medical Spa,” “Cosmetic Dermatology Individual: Shawnda Dorantes, MSN, FNP-C,” “Cosmetic Dermatology Office,” and “Day Spa.”
A recipient of San Diego Metro Magazine’s “Women of Influence” and “40 Under 40” awards, both in 2021, and listed as a “Best Aesthetic Injector in America” in the Best Aesthetic Injectors in America’s National Directory of Recommended Providers, Dorantes is making a huge name for herself both locally and on a national level. In 2021, San Diego Business Journal announced Dorantes as a finalist for three of their prestigious community awards, “Rising CEO of the Year,” “40 Next Top Business Leaders Under 40” and “Business Women of the Year.” The acclaimed family nurse practitioner has treated thousands of patients including famed reality TV star, Farrah Abraham, Heather Minch of MTV’s “Young Moms Club,” Heather Martin of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” runner-up of season four of “MasterChef,” Natasha Crnjac and many more. Dorantes’ approach is to seamlessly enhance the natural beauty and self-confidence of all of her patients.
The renowned beauty expert’s entrepreneurial spirit was ingrained in her at an early age when she began helping her parents run their family-owned business, and she attributes their guidance to her robust career as a Latina entrepreneur. A longtime former in-demand makeup artist, Dorantes began as a Beauty Advisor for Estee Lauder and later became a freelance professional makeup artist for several other prestigious cosmetic lines. After securing multiple credits in film, print, and television for her work, she then joined Estee Lauder’s Regional Artistry Team while working her way through college. Upon triple majoring and earning baccalaureate degrees in Biological Sciences, Women’s Studies and Nursing from Cal State University San Marcos in 2007 and 2010, Dorantes worked as a nurse in the acute care setting for over eight years and specialized in medical, surgical, telemetry and hospice care before entering the permanent makeup industry and opening Beauty Lounge in 2018.
Since merging her background in cosmetics and nursing, Dorantes has become a licensed and certified cosmetic tattoo artist, has earned her Allergan Master injector certification, and has received aesthetic training in several advanced and masters level injector courses led by famed industry injectors, Kelly Choi NP-C, Rio Calvert, Dr. Gideon Kwok, Dr. Thuy Doan and Erika Berry NP-C. A huge proponent of education, Dorantes participates in ongoing seminars and attends medical conferences throughout the year to stay up to date on the latest non-surgical aesthetic techniques and evidence-based practices. Dedicated to expanding her already well-rounded skill set, Dorantes recently earned her Masters of Science in Nursing in April 2021 from the United States University in San Diego to become a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). As an FNP, Dorantes provides additional advanced services to her clients, including medical weight loss, medical management of acne, cryotherapy, and more.
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?
Thank you for this amazing opportunity to share my story. I’ve currently been a nurse for 12 years. I originally started my career in the beauty industry as a professional makeup artist, dabbling in film, print, television, and special event makeup. This was all way before Instagram and YouTube makeup artists were even a thing. Upon graduating from Nursing School I hit pause on the beauty industry and focused on my nursing career. I specialized in Hospice, Palliative Care, Med-Surgical, Telemetry, Ortho, Stroke, and Neuro Nursing for 9 years. I spent most of my bedside nursing career working on my hospital’s float team, requiring me to float to 20 plus units across three hospitals and additionally be competent in multiple specialties of Nursing. In 2017 I returned to the beauty industry simultaneously training in aesthetic medicine and cosmetic tattooing. I opened a small permanent makeup studio in early 2017, slowly building a clientele and following. Taking a huge leap of faith my husband and I signed a lease on a 1000 sq foot space and opened Beauty Lounge Medical Spa in the fall of 2018. I officially retired from bedside nursing in the summer of 2019 and never looked back. In just two short years we experienced tremendous growth and success leading us to building out our dream location. In November of 2021 we opened our beautiful state of the art 2100 sq. ft location featuring nine treatment rooms and a film studio. Since beginning my career in aesthetic medicine I have had the privilege of training under the best of the best in the aesthetic industry. In addition, I graduated in April 2021 earning my Masters of Science in Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner degree. I am a huge proponent on education and have also devoted myself (and staff) to ongoing trainings so we can continue to provide the most innovative services and in-depth insight to our clients.
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?
As a nurse entrepreneur I have had to unfortunately learn some lessons the hard way. First and foremost you cannot trust anyone. Never hire friends and family. Invest in a good lawyer and HR consultant. Always protect your hard work, money, and business. Develop solid employment contracts from the start. Clearly state all expectations, minimum length of employment required, reimbursement for training and other expenses. It is better to be “corporate” from the start. Unfortunately, getting burned along the way comes with the territory. However, what’s important is that we learn from these mistakes, and we refine our hiring processes and employment contracts as your business grows and evolves.
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?
In hindsight I feel that I took on too much too fast. I was juggling my business full time, graduate school, and working part time nights at the hospital my first year in business. I wish I would have quit my hospital job sooner and put all that energy into growing my business and my family. If I could do a few things over I would have kept my business expenses low and waited to invest in lasers. I’m lucky that it all worked out for me despite how challenging it was at the time.
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?
I would like to think I’m showing other young women, especially my fellow Latinas that there is space for them in healthcare and wellness. I recently founded Lifted Aesthetics Training Academy LLC with the goal of providing training and mentorship for aspiring aesthetic injectors, in addition to business and marketing consulting for my fellow aspiring aesthetic entrepreneurs. I love that the industry I am helps people feel more confident and beautiful.
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.
Get your butt off the couch! Start moving! C’mon you can scroll Tik Tok literally while walking or riding a peloton. We all know exercise is good for our cardiovascular health, but it also helps prevent osteoporosis. We as a culture need to shift how we engage and spend time with one another. Instead of meeting up for happy hour with your friends, get your group together for a walk on the beach!
Nourish your body with what the Earth intended us humans to eat. It wasn’t until I embraced this concept that I was finally able to maintain my weight and not yo-yo. Although, I admittedly enjoy fried foods, sweets, and an adult beverages like the next person, these types of foods are not my primary diet. They are enjoyed as treats or on date night. Everything in moderation, right?!?!
Water! Drink up! It’s so vital for our overall health. And let’s not forget to mention its effect on our skin! Plus, all the other sugary drinks we sip on are nothing but empty calories! I make it a rule to drink a full glass of water with every meal. And let me tell you I feel a difference when I don’t get my water in!
Take time for you. Self-care is so important in reducing burn out and depression. Its ok to say NO and stay home in your PJs all weekend. Take your dog for a walk, read a book, get a facial, or whatever self-care looks like for you. My husband and I both own our own businesses and work long hours. We prioritize travel and taking off just the two of us or with the kids for an extended weekend every few months. It’s important that we disconnect from work and be present with one another and our kids.
Sleep. I can’t tell you how many times I thought my depression was creeping back in, but I was really in fact burning myself out and was sleep deprived. Coincidentally, as I’ve gotten older it has become glaringly apparent gone are the days of functioning well off little to no sleep. To be our best and give our best, we must prioritize sleep.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Beauty Lounge Medical Spa is actually launching our brand new medical weight loss program in the next few months. I am so excited for it. As someone who has struggled with weight and obesity, majority of my life, I know firsthand how hard it is lose weight and to keep it off. We are very excited to be offering Semaglutide which was recently FDA approved for weight loss. The clinical studies have shown an average weight loss of 12.4% of body weight per person. Losing just 5% of your body weight has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease! I’m excited to be able to help my local community achieve their weight loss goals and in turn improve their quality of life and self-confidence.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Not all money is good money. As an entrepreneur, it’s always been very important for me to consider longevity and for my team and I to be able to deliver an exceptional customer service. Even though we’ve experienced a very rapid growth fast, I’ve put boundaries in place to not grow too quickly that could destroy the ethics of my brand. That includes having to turn clients away when their expectations are not realistic or offering too many new services at once that can sacrifice quality.
Its ok to say NO. Stand firm on your decisions (this applies both personally and professionally.) Don’t ever let anyone manipulate you into agreeing or doing something that you do not want to do.
Fill your own cup. We are in a culture that glamourizes hustling and burn out. To succeed and remain creative and passionate, it is imperative that you take time for yourself and your family.
There will be bumps in the road. It’s inevitable. Take everything as a learning experience and advance from it.
Always keep a sense of humor. Being able to stay positive and have a good laugh has helped keep me strong even through dark times.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Definitely mental health. Coming from a household where the attitude towards depression was that it wasn’t an actual condition, and people just need to get over it and carry on. I did not feel comfortable sharing my mental health struggles with my parents. I had high functioning depression and anxiety and those closest to me did not have a clue how much I was struggling. It wasn’t until my eating disorder and depression were really bad that I opened up asking for help as I was struggling so bad. I don’t even think my parents had a clue I had been on medication for almost two years for my depression. I still don’t think they truly comprehend the depths of my despair and how much I was hurting at that time. Looking back I definitely think I was already struggling with anxiety and depression in high school which continued into college before finally realizing what I was going through was more than I can handle and got the help I needed. I think as a society we are much more aware and educated about mental health than we were 20 years ago. Information and resources are more accessible. Having a good suppoe
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Female Founders: Isabel Echeverry of Kontakto On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Keep overhead down. No fancy offices in the begging. Chanel a sense of humility and being humble are the best. I found myself spending way too much on networking. It’s worth it but also a balance.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Isabel Echeverry.
Isabel Echeverry is the founder of Kontakto. She started her career in representation at ICM working with Jeff Berg and went on to become a respected director’s representative of A-list talent in the industry. In 2009, recognizing the vast potential in the Hispanic market, Echeverry opened Kontakto Talent Management and Entertainment Company. Now she is established as the market leader in Latinx Entertainment with an impressive roster composed of award-winning directors, actors, and powerhouse production companies. As a big believer in the concept of giving back and ‘paying it forward,’ her ability to navigate the Hispanic and global market has proved invaluable to all her clientele.
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?
First of all, thank you for having me! I was born in Queens, New York to Colombian immigrant parents. I grew up between New York Miami and Columbia. I started dreaming of being an actress in my teenage years watching Jessica Lange, Maryl Streep, Victoria Vaccaro, and Mexican star Veronica Castro. I dreamt of being a movie star. I didn’t know how to go about it and for years I looked up acting classes in the yellow pages everywhere I lived. I attended all that I found but still did not know what I needed to do to be on the big screen. When I moved to Miami in my early 20s, the same thing, I went to all the acting schools there. Then when I was 25 I met a real actress that told me I needed to move to New York. I was at Stella Adler then went to William Esper. So moving to Los Angeles as an actress helped me learn the trial and error back in the 1990s / the early 2000s about what being Latina in Hollywood was like. I was then given an opportunity to work as an agent trainee in one of the biggest talent agencies. So I left acting and instead became a talent manager helping Latinos in Hollywood.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
I was able to book a series regular for a Latin Colombian actor who always played the drug dealer roles. And now he was playing a detective opposite, Bill Pullman. A role that had nothing to do with being Latin He was just playing an American detective. That was a big interesting Breakthrough for his career and I think Latinos in Hollywood
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?
The funniest mistake was that I had long nails and I had to quickly write a letter for the CEO of the company where I was an agent trainee. I didn’t even have time to look at it and notice it didn’t make any sense. Everybody was laughing. A big producer read it and couldn’t believe it. Of course, that has always reminded me to check my work.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
So many people have helped me. I wish I could name them all. I think my family and my parents have helped me by believing in me and supporting me. Especially with my kids as I was building my business. I really appreciate the support and faith my parents have for me. My family as a whole and my parents, my sister, my brother. They would take care of my kids while I would travel for screenings, seeing clients, business meetings while I traveled around the country and world. They were always there to help with my kids. And the kids always loved the homemade soups. A family win-win.
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 what may be holding women back is the fear of making the big leap and letting go of the comfort zone that they live in.
It’s important to have confidence in your experience, work ethic, and time and effort you put into your line of profession and career. Then you know that you have all the tools to have a successful business.
It may also be the fear of the unknown. But it’s also important to have a good support system and have people cheering you on. It takes a village. I would encourage any woman who wants to, to take the leap. If I can do it, you can do it.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
Yes, I think there should be a forum for small business owners for women. An organization to help provide tools and support. For example, provide help with necessary documents, and checklists. It is essential that the government have programs to offer to women and others on entrepreneurial ventures.
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?
More women should become founders to inspire the younger generation that gender equality is important. That women are capable of reaching tremendous goals. It shows that being a business owner gives independence and the power to control your life. You don’t want to underestimate a woman’s perspective.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
I’ve heard that with any business, you either make it or break it in the first year. The truth is, if it doesn’t work one way, find a different strategy to reach your goal. This is why keeping your business open and successful is important. If it doesn’t work one way, then change your strategy. That is the equation of success. Change your strategy over and over until you reach your goal. That is a success. Your goals are different than mine. Another person’s business goals are different from mine. It’s your own personal business goals that are the focus.
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?
I believe that a person that loves people, shares their experience, can motivate and encourage people could make a good leader. The trick is to find the best in every person. When people are given encouragement, It can give them the power to take the leap they have always wanted to take.
It’s OK if people decide to just have a 9-to-5 job. and just observe leaders and admire them. I mean not everyone is meant to run a company or be a leader. They can be leaders in other ways. A leader in the home or being a parent. Maybe someone prefers to work 9 to 5 and not have to be stressed out because of their company. It is demanding to run your own company. But I love the challenge. I also love to expand and give opportunities to Latinos in Hollywood. That is my main goal. That will be my legacy. For example, today an actress that I helped book a lead role for a short film, Is now part of a film nominated for an Academy Award. That is what it means to be a leader. Helping others. That’s what I like to do with people’s careers. Help them reach their goals and achieve their dreams.
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.)
Don’t be scared! (Giggling).
But seriously, do your due diligence when hiring staff. My experience was hiring a disgruntled employee for example. The association can be a problem. I wish someone would have told me not to hire just because someone was referred.
Keep overhead down. No fancy offices in the begging. Chanel a sense of humility and being humble are the best. I found myself spending way too much on networking. It’s worth it but also a balance.
It’s never too late to start and the time is always now. I had always wanted to do what I am doing now and wish I would have started sooner. That advice would have been helpful because I was insecure. It’s true, the time is now.
I wish someone would have told me to see my value at a company I was working for before I went on my own. To notice how much income I was generating earlier than when I did. I wish I would have heard Tony Robbins say that work should be seamless with your life.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I have spoken on panels, love being a mentor to young people and I have sponsored lots of organizations for Latinos in Hollywood that help further their careers. For example, right now I am helping a young filmmaker, he’s 17 years old, to shadow a director on a big advertising campaign. Every day is an opportunity to help others and inspire them with my story. Share the notion that anything is possible. If I can do it, you can do it.
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.
To empower kids with the idea that they can be business owners. Teaching kids how to be conscious of money, and to start that education early. Education is very important but it’s also important to start dreaming early in life. For example, if it’s in the visual arts if it’s acting or athletics. Children should be able to understand that their dream could be a business. In other words, to help children discover their passion early and not wait until college. For example, I have my 13-year-old son who’s passion is art, and is with private art teachers and mentors. He now has one of his paintings in a museum in Norway. I would never pressure him but it is his dream and it would be amazing to see these types of opportunities for all children. Encouragement is very important.
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, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Ari Emmanuel. He is a visionary, who has made a huge impact in the entertainment business. And that’s why I would love to sit down and ask him for lots of advice based on some of my bigger ideas. I admire his leadership and expansion successes. companies. It’s his success in the entertainment business that I admire. His ability to manage success and integrity at the same time.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech: Samantha Du of Zai Lab On The 5 Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Have endurance and be tenacious, never giving up through the inevitable ups and downs in entrepreneurship.
As a part of my series about “Lessons From Inspirational Women in STEM and Tech”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Samantha Du.
Driven by her passion for drug development and entrepreneurship, Samantha Du, Ph.D. founded Zai Lab in 2014 with the goal of bringing innovative, transformative medicines to patients around the globe. Prior to founding Zai Lab, Samantha spent two years at Sequoia Capital China where she led four healthcare investments and served on the boards. From 2001 to 2011, Samantha co-founded Hutchison MediPharma and Hutchison China MediTech and served as their Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, respectively, since their inception. Samantha began her research career with Pfizer in the United States from 1994 till 2001 after receiving her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Cincinnati.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My career has always been driven by a need to help others. From developing multiple early and late-stage products that treat a variety of bacterial infections to working on myriad innovative medicines at some of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, I have always been driven by the need to strengthen access to treatments for the patients who need them the most. China is the largest population in the world and accounts for nearly 24% of newly diagnosed cancer cases globally. When I founded Zai Lab, I was inspired by the opportunity to close the healthcare innovation gap between the U.S. and China. It’s something that should be available to all and should not be limited by where you live or what you’re able to pay.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
As a “drug hunter”, I’ve been called the “Godmother of China’s Biotech Industry,” which has always been interesting to me because what I want, first and foremost, is to advocate for patients in need to bring them innovative therapies that make a difference in their lives. Since co-founding Hutchison Medipharma, I’ve learned so much about how the biopharmaceutical industry can be more collaborative and nimbler in its approach to innovation. I took that with me when I established Zai Lab in 2014, and I’m so proud of how we’re living that approach and the progress our global teams have made in accelerating global innovation.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Zai Lab has built a very innovative pipeline which can serve patients not only in China, but also potentially globally who have significant unmet medical need.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Zai Lab is in a unique position as a fully integrated global biopharmaceutical company. Our mission has always been to bring transformative medicines that address unmet medical need. Our open innovation model has attracted the biopharmaceutical companies to partner with Zai Lab to advance clinical stage product candidates and bring them to market. We’re excited to be working on a number of new collaborations within oncology, autoimmune diseases and neuroscience.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Are you currently satisfied with the status quo regarding women in STEM? What specific changes do you think are needed to change the status quo?
One of the things I have always loved about research is that scientists are — and always should be — recognized in this industry and by society by virtue of their research contributions rather than their gender.
We also need to “forget” gender roles and encourage others to be curious, to be problem-solvers and explorers, to wonder “what if.” Explore the sciences and become creators. The opportunities are limitless along the journey of exploration when we are supported and encouraged by those around us.
When I look at the biotech industry, I see so many opportunities for change. Within Zai Lab, women represent 57% of the workforce, with 53.8% of women in key management positions, including the Chief Compliance Officer, Head of Operations for Oncology, Head of Global Corporate Affairs, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and more.
I also encourage women entrepreneurship. I encourage everyone in STEM to dream, regardless of gender — then plan, execute, review, adjust and, ultimately, you will achieve.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a woman in STEM or Tech. Can you explain what you mean?
I think everyone has equal potential for STEM, regardless of gender. People should be recognized by their talent and contribution, regardless of their gender.
What are your “5 Leadership Lessons I Learned from My Experience as a Woman in STEM or Tech” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
Have a clear vision in what you want to do and what you are passionate about
Have the courage to start with limited resources
Have endurance and be tenacious, never giving up through the inevitable ups and downs in entrepreneurship
Be confident in your ability to achieve great things and don’t let anyone stand in your way.
The higher your responsibility is, the bigger pain you must be able to take
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 father was my greatest advocate and guide. From the time I was very young, he instilled in me the confidence, drive and compassion to go out into the world and to make a difference. For this, I cannot thank him enough.
As I was leaving China for the U.S. to study, my father gave me two plates with ancient Chinese quotes. The first one says, “The fragrance of plum blossoms come from the bitter cold,” which always reminded me that you need to earn your respect and success. The second plate says, “Always be noble and act with integrity” which reminds me how important integrity and ethics are and how they will guide you along the way.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
For my almost 30 years of experience in the biopharma industry, I was able to serve patients with unmet medical needs by the innovative medicines we developed.
Also served as a role model to inspire male and female scientific entrepreneurs. I take mentorship seriously and feel a responsibility to invest in the next generation of scientists and leaders.
You are a person of enormous 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. 🙂
We’ve made significant strides at Zai Lab to accelerate the access of innovative drug to patients in China and worldwide. I will continue to do this at Zai Lab and encourage everyone in biotech to drive innovation forward to save more lives around the world.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Leadership defines your own position.”
When I first joined Pfizer, one of the R&D leaders said to me, “Leadership defines your own position.” He asked me not to limit myself by my gender, title, my position on the team or my background.
As I grew in my career, I came to realize that more and more, the only limitations you have are set by yourself, not others. Although it perhaps will take longer as a female executive, continue to aim high and do not impose limitations on yourself.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders 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 🙂
There are two leaders I greatly admire — Michael Jordan and Elon Musk.
I’m a huge basketball fan and when I came to the US in the 80s Michael Jordan’s game was truly inspirational to watch. I love his competitive spirit and his perseverance. He inspired his teammates to push forward when faced with obstacles and he made those around him better at what they do. That’s what successful leaders strive to do.
Elon Musk is a transformational leader who pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. He’s constantly innovating and improving. His work has purpose. He sets a bold vision and he inspires others to join him. Watching his vision come to life is both inspirational and motivational.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Think outside the box. The normal marketing playbook doesn’t really work in cannabis because of the many legalities and restrictions. It is necessary to spend time thinking, experimenting, and failing at new ideas. You may find a nugget of inspiration from experimenting that will help grow and transform your business.
As a part of my series about strong women leaders in the cannabis industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shannon Reed.
Shannon Reed is a brand marketer with a decade of experience building global consumer focused brands. She’s worked on some of the largest brands in the world including Samsung, Google, Tinder and Bacardi. Throughout her career Shannon has focused on marketing based on deep consumer insights, helping to launch first of its kind digital experiences for Google Star Wars as well as Tinder’s Swipe Night. She believes deeply in the power of cannabis to transform people’s lives and as CMO of Omura, she is focused on education and making cannabis more accessible to new consumers.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the cannabis industry?
Thank you for having me! It’s wonderful to be a part of a series highlighting women in the industry. Cannabis and CBD have been a part of my wellness routine since I moved to California in 2014. I’ve truly seen the power of the plant work wonders for family members who were sick and in pain, and I’ve been an advocate for what it can do in my personal life as well. I spent over a decade at marketing and advertising agencies and one of my last roles before joining Omura included bringing the Cresco Labs brand to California. I realized during the project that I truly loved this industry and the people working in this business. When the chance to work with Omura popped up, it was a fantastic opportunity to blend my previous marketing experience in food and technology with my love for a plant and culture that I am truly passionate about.
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?
Our customer feedback often provides the most interesting insights. It’s amazing hearing from consumers and learning how Omura products help them in their everyday lives. We have consumers who use our products for their daily medical conditions and hearing their stories about how Omura’s heat-not-burn technology offers them fast onset relief is the most rewarding part of my job. This can be a volatile industry with a lot of change, but it’s fulfilling to know that you are positively impacting someone’s life.
Do you have a funny story about how someone you knew reacted when they first heard you were getting into the cannabis industry?
When I started going to cannabis events and bringing home new samples from brands my partner was so excited! He has been incredibly supportive throughout this career change. Now whenever I get home, it’s always about what new innovations I’ve seen and what goodies I have. We also started home growing together and being able to ask amazing farmers and cultivators for growing tips has been so helpful and cool. Everyone I’ve spoken to in the industry has been very kind and open about teaching us how to get the most out of our plants.
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 have had so many amazing female mentors in my life who pushed me to evolve, grow and become a better leader. My previous bosses Yen and Rhea helped me find my voice in large boardrooms filled with executives. They encouraged me to get executive coaching and even made me take vacation time when I needed it. Their guidance and support has had a truly large lasting impact that I can pass on to my own mentees.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Omura is working on several new exciting products this year. We are releasing a new Home Fill system to make it easier for consumers to fill multiple empty flowersticks at once. This new offering will make Omura more accessible and easy to use for consumers who may home grow or buy flower in bulk. I’m really excited to see users experiment with their own recipes and see how they fill their flowersticks.
Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. 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 important to remember that Individuals all have the ability to make more space for women in the industry. Sometimes that’s as easy as making sure there’s space at the table for them, asking their opinion or insisting they join the big meeting to weigh in. Companies can also make female representation a priority by creating a top-down culture that values their input. Omura pursues partnerships with female-owned brands, influencers and content creators. We established a set of criteria for our brand partners and amplifying businesses run by women is a big part of that. As a society, I believe we need to find more ways for female-led businesses to secure funding. The cannabis industry is quite capital intensive. Licenses, permits, and inspections are so time consuming and expensive that it prices people out. We need to find accessible ways for women to operate in the cannabis industry and business world at large.
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.
Get comfortable with change. Regulations are constantly changing in this industry and being able to embrace and pivot is hugely important. Last year, we had a plan to launch in Michigan and unfortunately the products got caught up in the state’s testing process. It significantly pushed our launch out, but we persevered and will now be launching this year.
Pick Others Up. This industry is still relatively new and small. It can be overwhelming and being able to help someone make a connection or help them out of a difficult situation with skills you’ve learned in your own development always ends up being paid forward.
Keep some CBD on you for events. This is a pro-tip I learned at my first cannabis event. All the OGs had CBD tinctures in their pockets to help keep everything grounded during the event.
Think outside the box. The normal marketing playbook doesn’t really work in cannabis because of the many legalities and restrictions. It is necessary to spend time thinking, experimenting, and failing at new ideas. You may find a nugget of inspiration from experimenting that will help grow and transform your business.
Talk to People. Nearly everyone I have met in this industry is kind, thoughtful and will take time to have a conversation with you. Whether it’s farmers with their grow operation or budtenders at dispensaries telling you what consumers are really interested in. Take 5 minutes and ask some questions. You will be amazed at what you will learn.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the cannabis industry?
Expansion, education, and research. As more states legalize, more people are gaining access to safe and consistent products and recognizing the power of the plant. At this moment, many new consumers are still struggling with understanding the cannabis plant. I think as more people have access, we will need to improve education so people understand it and use it correctly. In the industry, we already have conversations around more nuanced topics like major and minor cannabinoids and terpenes. As consumers become more familiar with the industry, we should bring them along the journey and help them learn about the complexities of the plant. As legalization becomes more of a reality, we will have more significant scientific research on cannabis. With that knowledge, I believe we will see reforms in our criminal justice system that will undo many of the damages created by the War on Drugs.
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?
Considering how expensive it can be to operate on the plant-touching side of the industry, it’s important to find new ways to make this space more accessible for entrepreneurs who don’t have access to capital.
I would also love to see reforms put in place so that businesses can operate with more freedom. Whether it’s the SAFE Banking Act, allowing the use of credit cards at the dispensary or posting images of cannabis online without accounts being removed from social media. These are the issues that really matter for a lot of small businesses just trying to make it.
Sustainability is a growing issue for brands, and we should start developing more forward-thinking solutions to comply with certain packaging and cultivation regulations that further contribute to the waste created by the industry. As a brand focused on sustainability, Omura is consistently trying to make sure that we offer high-quality products and safe packaging that also minimizes our environmental footprint.
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?
I believe that we need federal legalization in order for this business to be sustainable and economically viable. The benefit of living in California is that both our senators are pro-legalization. However, I think the more important issue is how we legalize this industry. When the time comes, regulators need to ensure that small farmers and brands aren’t priced out of the market or unable to participate because of licensing and regulatory barriers.
Today, cigarettes are legal, but they are heavily regulated, highly taxed, and they are somewhat socially marginalized. Would you like cannabis to have a similar status to cigarettes or different? Can you explain?
In my personal opinion, I think we should look at cannabis in a holistic way since there are so many applications. Many forms of cannabis (and hemp CBD) are not inhalable and have medical benefits, unlike cigarettes. Additionally, taxes and regulations for adult-use products share more similarities with alcohol. Lawmakers should implement a broader framework as the industry’s knowledge of cannabis’ medical and adult-use benefits deepens and adapt these regulations accordingly.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Don’t believe everything you think.” In the cannabis industry, everything is changing constantly. It can be tough not to get bogged down or disappointed based on what happens. It is important to realize that your internal narrative may not be a reflection of the whole external narrative. Focus on what you can change and influence and don’t worry about the rest.
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 am part of the movement I feel most strongly about. The growth of the cannabis industry continues for both medical and adult use purposes and has real potential to heal people and offer better alternatives while creating new jobs and stimulating local economies. I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years in the industry looks like in the US and globally! We are so lucky to be where we are today in California, and it is our aspiration and passion to promote the growth of the cannabis industry and legalization in the rest of the world.
Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you only continued success!
Lillee Jean: Five Things We Can Do To Develop Serenity And Support Each Other During These Anxious Times
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Make yourself available. While it may be easy for us to get caught up in our busy lives, when someone experiences distress, they need to know they can rely on you no matter what.
Lillee Jean is best known for her content on YouTube and for being an Instagram digital celebrity. Her accomplishments include modeling, acting, writing, producing, directing, makeup and lifestyle vlogging. Based on her own experience of online cyberbullying, she is currently working on a passion project called “Project Bullyish.”. She’s a longtime advocate of mental health awareness, online bullying, and global warming, educating the public through her online presence. She is currently filming the third season of “Lillee Jean TALKS!” Live, which is IMDB credited. Past shows can be viewed on her YouTube channel as well as her media website.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I’m a bit of a ham at heart, bringing enjoyment to people, through my artistry, has always been a passion of mine. There is nothing more satisfying than interacting with people, and making them smile.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
So far in my career, I have had the privilege of meeting so many people. A highlight of my career has to be the creation of my show, “Lillee Jean TALKS! Live”. It has brought me in contact with many fascinating multi-talented entertainers and artists, such as Don Most, the well-known and beloved actor, or Academy Award winning director and writer Alan Swyer. I often reflect on how lucky I am to be able to meet such amazing people who have brought such joy to the public so far. Our upcoming shows will introduce people to some pretty amazing people, so I can’t wait for people to see them.
What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?
Generally speaking, entertainment is a labor of love. You must learn to make time for yourself, or you will indeed lose steam. While I am always thinking of the public and wanting to please them, you must also be aware of yourself. It is highly recommended that everyone takes a few minutes to relax, and refocus. Meditating or taking a power nap can help me feel more energized, even for just ten minutes.
What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?
You need to put your energy into yourself, and what you want to manifest in the world. In general, the work environment has been redefined rapidly since the pandemic, which is a good thing in my opinion. Change is good. Making the workplace a more diverse and healthy environment will improve everyone’s self-esteem and mental health.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
One of the most inspiring books I have ever read is “The Art of War”, written by Sun Tzu. The book was published in 1772 in English, and I refer to it frequently when dealing with issues in my life. It was written by one of the greatest military strategists of all time, Sun Tzu, back in the 5th century BC. Throughout the book, different skill sets are discussed in relation to warfare and how they apply to military strategy and tactics. You probably did not expect me to say that, but this is something that can be applied to business and legal strategy as well as lifestyle, and in my opinion, this book is one of the most important books in history. In the past, I have been relentlessly cyberbullied online by a group of people, without rhyme or reason. A favorite chapter of mine is Weak Points and Strong, in which the importance of grabbing opportunities is explained. Other than the military, The Art of War has been applied to many fields. Through it, you learn how to out-smart your opponent and avoid physical confrontations with them. This strategy has saved my mental health many times.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Many people have become anxious just from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. The fears related to the coronavirus pandemic have only heightened a sense of uncertainty, fear, and loneliness. From your experience or research what are five steps that each of us can take to develop serenity during such uncertain times? (Please share a story or example for each.)
As humans, we live in a real world with highs and lows, so uncertainty will always exist. The pandemic is just another experience we have all endured, or maybe I should say continue to endure, in our lives. During this period, I know a lot of people have felt extremely isolated, alone, and anxious, which has seriously affected their lives. What you will do in the face of a moment in time, in your life, such as what we all have experienced and continue to experience, is entirely your decision. To avoid sounding cliche and giving the usual answer, I will offer this on this subject. Talking to people you trust is important, even if it takes you out of your comfort zone. You should contact the people who know and love you best if you feel something isn’t quite right within you. Whether they are family or friends, the sooner you recognize this, I believe, the better. I found that taking the time to just breathe, as simple as that, and fill yourself with the moment that is causing you distress, helped a great deal. Just one breath, one moment at a time. Especially when facing anxiety, or uncertainty due to the stress of what we are all still going through, you can’t rush things. Fear will cripple your progress if you let it. I believe in the power of our own will to get through difficult situations.
From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?
Take care of those around you. Make sure they are doing well. Watch out for problems and do not allow them to spiral out of control. If you love someone, sometimes it is best to intervene, instead of backing away from what you see might be a problem;
Assist the person in focusing. I learned this technique throughout the years. In order to overcome my anxiety and fear, I shrink the world in my mind when it feels too chaotic. It’s an easy technique to teach someone who feels distressed;
Make sure you are there to hear them out, no matter how long it may take. Fear and anxiety are real emotions, that can seriously affect your health, and make you unable to perform tasks;
Recognize that they need permission to experience this moment and provide it to them. Despite the fact that most people don’t talk about it, this is a normal reality we all face;
Make yourself available. While it may be easy for us to get caught up in our busy lives, when someone experiences distress, they need to know they can rely on you no matter what.
What are the best resources you would suggest to a person who is feeling anxious?
As well as your family and friends, you need to retrain yourself to rely and trust yourself. Everyone feels anxious from time to time. It is important to learn how to recognize those signs, and how to soothe ourselves when necessary.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
As Sun Tzu said, “Know thyself, know thy enemy.” “A thousand battles, a thousand victories.” When you think about it, he doesn’t mean it violently. Understanding the person you are up against and being prepared for what lies ahead will enable you to win without violence.
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. 🙂
No matter how good or how bad times are, the world remains unpredictable. Seeing people who ignore the feelings of others makes me sad. Many people refuse to move forward with their lives, as if they are the sole authority, the moral majority. I am saddened by the growing intolerance among people in the world today. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a new generation of mindful individuals? In my opinion, the digital age has exacerbated some forms of mental illness, regardless of how wonderful it has been. Using social media, while a great way to contact your friends and family, has been known to affect people’s judgment skills, as well as their social behavior in general. For example, people feel free to do things they wouldn’t usually do, like harassing someone online, just because they believe that they can do so anonymously. I believe that we should educate ourselves more about the effects of what we do online, digitally, so that we can use our social skills more in real life, instead of online. I believe we will continue to suffer a downward spiral with mental health if we don’t recognize we have become numb and do not believe we are not restricted at any time. In the future, I hope our country takes this issue more seriously. Despite this, I believe that this is an epidemic of immense proportions that has grown far worse than I had ever imagined. I believe that we should not use digital technology to controlour lives; instead, we should use it to improve them.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Create a Triple Win — The first thing I wish someone had shown me was how to create a Triple Win. You have to make sure that your company is winning and that your customers are also winning. Plus, all the people who do business with you. And your team. We all have to win.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders,” I had the pleasure of interviewing JB Owen.
JB Owen is a fearless female leader and a believer in the power of empowerment. She is a world-class speaker, 17-time bestselling author, and powerful business owner who has published over 700 authors, turning them into international best-sellers. JB’s true focus is on helping others, which is why she started Ignite Publishing, the leader in empowerment publishing, in 2018.
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 writing. I started out writing poems and little vignette stories in elementary school. My mom was a working mom, so I would take the bus to her office after school, and to pass the time, I would play on her secretary’s typewriter. I loved seeing the letters show up on the page and the sentence fill up the paper so I could press the ‘return’ button that would make the typewriter zoom across the page and back to the start where I could write more. I always wrote fantastical stories with lots of imagination. It was a way for me to escape and, at the same time, be super creative. I’ve always enjoyed storytelling, and I felt that, as I immersed myself more and more into self-development and personal growth, sharing stories of awakening and transformation would be the true healing path for myself and others. I saw how stories help heal us, especially when working on our own stories and personal journey. It’s the natural path to transformation and inner personal connection, and I wanted to build a company from these principles.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
Every time we launch a book, we head to somewhere beautiful like Prague, Croatia, Los Angeles, Toronto, and San Francisco for a fantastic book launch. At our Book launch for Ignite Female Your Leadership, we rented a 70-year-old wooden, handmade pirate boat and traveled through an amazing stretch of ocean in Croatia. We explored secret underwater blue caves that were hidden and could only be found by the locals. All of the authors, including myself, jumped off the boat to swim through these caves. Once we were inside, we all held hands and made the sound of ohm. The sound echoed throughout the cave, and it was just such a beautiful moment of connection. Everyone there had written their story, achieved a goal, and was on this exciting adventure. That moment allowed us all to connect in this remarkable place that few people on this planet get to experience. We all took a moment to center ourselves and bask in our accomplishment, our glory, the beauty of being alive, and the magic of nature. It was a monumental moment.
From that day on, I saw how vital it was to make a deeper connection and manifest ways to do something unique that would stay in their minds and hearts forever. This showed me that business goes beyond just ‘working’ with people. Business means more than just doing work and should be a gateway to lifelong relationships and epic experiences. You can build a much deeper connection and create memories that touch your very core.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting out? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
It’s not really a funny mistake, but we did have a book published with a spelling mistake on the cover. We went to print, then launched and published thousands of copies of the book. Only after that did we discover the spelling mistake on the front. What was so interesting was that we had the book cover ready and, before we went to print, everyone on the team saw it, all the authors saw it, media outlets saw it, everybody saw it, and nobody for months noticed or mentioned it! It wasn’t until one author caught it and sent us a photo in an email that we realized. From there, it was like a domino effect. As soon as the first person noticed the mistake, everybody noticed the error. All we could do was admit our mistake and have a good laugh about it. We laughed because everybody just read the word as if it was spelled correctly instead of incorrectly for so many months.
The word was ‘adventurous’ spelled ‘Adventrous.’ We eventually went back and found out that it was an error by the factory. We couldn’t blame the factory, though. Human error happens. We decided the only thing to do was own up to our mistake. We put out a fun press release, a video, and then we reprinted all the books and gave the authors new copies. We just owned it, and it was an excellent turning point at the beginning of the company. The lesson we learned from that was not getting upset, not hiding behind a mistake, and not blaming the factory. We didn’t ask them to pay for fixing the error; instead, we agreed to pay for the cost to reprint everything for all our vendors. We decided to make the best out of it and keep good relationships. We always want to supply our authors with everything they could ever need, so of course, we had to make it right for them and all our readers.
That experience reminded me to always live with impeccable intentions, create good business relationships, and serve my customers in the best way possible.
None of us can 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?
It’s been a super joyful privilege to work with the amazing Les Brown, the #1 motivational speaker on the planet. He is a fantastic mentor and supporter. He’s a heart-centered, wonderful, and loving person to work with. He is the kind of person you feel excited and grateful to spend time with. Last year, we worked closely to publish Ignite the Hunger in You, one of our international bestselling compilation books, with 36 other authors. Les was involved in every step of the process to help teach the authors how to become speakers and grow their speaking platform.
Les Brown has been someone I have wanted to work with for years. I kept putting out feelers and asking around to see who knew him so I could connect with him. Eventually, we met, and I started working and mentoring with him; I sent him a proposal and waited to hear back.
One day I got a phone call, and it was an unlisted number, so I was apprehensive about picking it up. But I did, and the person on the other end asked, “Is this JB Owen?” At first, I thought it was a telemarketer, so I said yes in a not-so-pleasant way. I had a bit of an attitude. But I changed my tune when the voice said, “Can you please hold on the line for Mr. Les Brown?” My answer, of course, was “Yes!”
Les got on the phone and started talking to me about my proposal and said he loved it and wanted to work together. I was so delighted. It was a beautiful ‘wow’ moment for me. He then said that he was about to go live on his Facebook page and invited me to talk about my company and what I do. Wow again! I quickly said yes.
When we went live, his producer asked me not to mention anything about the book because the contract hadn’t been signed yet. But when we went live, the first thing Les said was, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Les Brown. Today’s guest is JB Owen, and we’re doing a book together.” He announced it to his 2 million followers right at that moment, and we were off to the races! From then on, it’s been a fantastic experience, and he’s become a close and trusted friend and a father-like figure in my life.
I’m also super grateful to my husband, Peter. He has always been a fantastic support. He always listens to me as I share my thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. Whenever I want to create something more for our authors or have an idea to take the business to the next level, he is always in. I’m forever coming up with new opportunities to give to our authors, ways to have fabulous book launches, design new products, and go that extra mile, and Peter is there consistently.
I have to be honest; it’s so powerful as a business owner to be working with somebody who supports you in your vision and is a ‘yes’ every time you need to make that extra leap to push the business to the next level. My husband Peter is that person. At the same time, he participates in every way possible and does his very best to be an absolute pillar for the Ignite community and all of our authors. He is truly the wind beneath my wings, and I am deeply grateful for him.
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 many things holding women back from founding companies. Some of it, in my opinion, stems from the idea that since the beginning of time, women have been in groups, surrounded by the other women in the village, and doing most of their work as a collective. Historically, women love to be around other people. We love to do things in collaboration; we love to support those in our circle. So when you want to start a company and do something revolutionary and innovative that no one has done before, women need to push out of the group and become the leader. Women need to be willing to do it independently because not everybody will agree with their idea or be ready to go out on a limb and do something that has never been done before.
I think many times, women, in our innate desire to be in a collective, have to push through that to decide they’re going to become a founder. When you’re a founder, you’re often doing it on your own, to begin with. You’re a solopreneur to start. You have to take on multiple roles in your company and wear many hats. You’re not always in that collaborative, co-creative environment until later in your business, when you start bringing on a team and aligning with other companies. There’s that moment in your business where you have to do it yourself. For many women, this is counterintuitive to some of the ingrained habits that we hold.
Being a founder and starting a company requires a woman to push forward and work on her skills, knowledge, and abilities to succeed. It takes a unique individual with great courage, tenacity, and perseverance to step outside her comfort zone. She has to know that she can do this and work on her own until she can grow and create a group of people around her who will support her business. Women need to push past their limiting beliefs and let go of the need to stay in the safety of the group.
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’ve been truly blessed to be an entrepreneur for three decades, and I can tell you that there was a time when being a woman in business was very awkward and not at all easy. When I was younger, I started doing a lot of business in Asia and would travel there to work with factories and business owners. Because my name is JB Owen, they often never expect to meet a woman. I would be picked up at the airport or show up at factories, and the entire company would be in shock that I was a woman. They were not accustomed to someone like me coming to Asia and being in charge.
There are some societal stigmas about female business owners, and I believe it has improved immensely over the years, but we still have to change the stereotypical opinions. It’s no longer women staying home to raise their children and men in the workforce. Women are running great companies in government and pushing boundaries in all industries to indeed make a difference.
What has to happen is that women need to step forth with their business ideas and be willing to speak up at business meetings, in production areas, at legislative arenas, and be the source of the change. I think it’s up to us to put our hands up in the room and speak our minds. It’s a part of the evolution of humanity.
In the time I’ve owned businesses, so many of the barriers women face in business are breaking down, and endless doors are opening up. It’s all possible for women. We can start businesses, lead companies, and inspire people, and we do it from what I call the fierce, fabulous, and feminine mindset. Women bring a very valuable and, I believe, essential female energy to a company. We can lead from the feminine instead of the masculine energy and run companies successfully. We just have to have the courage and willingness to do it and know that every time we make an effort to move the needle forward for women in this generation, we pave the way for women in the next generation.
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?
This goes back to my previous answer on why women aren’t founders is because we love working in groups. That being said, I think one of the reasons more women should be founders is because, intuitively, we love to work in collectives and love to have a lot of people around us. We like co-creation instead of competition. More women should become founders because they come from a place where they ask, “How can we all co-create?”
I feel many women bring the mindset to create what I call the ‘Triple Win.’ How does the company win? How does the client win? How does the client’s client win? How do my products help me but also help others? When I help people, they can help even more people because of the products that I create. Using the Triple Win, you impact 3x the amount of people, and, if you do it well, 4x, 5x, even 6x and more individuals will benefit.
I always ask myself: How can what I do be beneficial for my family, my team, and their family, then my community, my country, and humanity as a whole? Women ask themselves this question frequently in business because of their innate nature to foster success inclusively. More women should be founders of companies because we have this inherent want and willingness for a Triple Win. It’s not about domination or competition; it’s about asking, “How do we create something that is benefiting more than just one person?” Women have that in them. They desire to see the group win, not just the one person succeed. They foster and cultivate those around them and nurture a process until there is a definite win/win/win.
It is very much like a family when it comes to an organization. There is the potential for everyone to go beyond a hierarchy and instead be a unilateral community. I think women, in general, really support that in business, which leads to more business success.
What “ myths “ would you like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
Many people feel like founders just organize and tell everybody what to do when running a business. This is not the case. When you found a company, you need to do every little thing. You need to know what’s happening in the mailroom as much as you need to know what’s happening in the boardroom. You need to be aware of every facet of your company, and you need to know how to do those skills because you can’t hire people, inspire people, or even let people go if you don’t know what their job requirements are. It isn’t good as a leader if you don’t understand all the skillsets and are not privy to the metrics in every position within your company.
Founders have to know how to do many things. When they start their company, they end up doing it all, and they end up putting in the work and putting in the time. It’s not about telling everybody else what to do and just sitting at the top and delegating. Many founders do multiple tasks in their business, especially when they start. They do everything that is required. That is the most important thing as a founder. You need to be aware of every facet of your business and teach yourself and educate yourself on what is needed in that sector of your business.
As your business grows, you want to hire the best people who know more than you in their area so that they can uplevel your business. But you’ve got to know what the requirements are and what the responsibilities are so you can hire the right people. Then you can grow that company’s division by being aware of how to expand because you now understand what is required in that role.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? Can you explain what you mean? 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?
I’m not sure people are born to be founders. Therefore, it’s not for everyone. But I think that anyone can be a founder if they decide to do so. Being a founder is about making that choice wholeheartedly. It does take work, tenacity, and effort. It takes ambition and aspiration. You’ve got to have a cornucopia of desires that will push you forward. You have to understand your “why.” Why are you doing it, and how will it benefit you and others?
I think that anyone can be a founder if they decide to put in the time, the work, and the effort. If you’re willing to teach yourself, expand your awareness and acquire the tools and the skills you need to be a founder, then absolutely anyone can do it. But you’ve got to have the desire. People who want just to punch the clock, have time off, or only put in 50% of the effort, people who don’t see the vision or lack the willingness to try something new, are not the people who will found a company.
I believe anyone can be a founder if they’re willing to put in the effort. If you decide to be the kind of person who chooses to follow their dreams, go after their aspirations, and call the shots in their life so that they and others can have the best life possible, then I think that’s the material for being a founder.
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.)
The five things I wish somebody had told me before I started my company are essential components of running my business. My company has always put heart and authenticity at the core of our work.
#1 Create a Triple Win
The first thing I wish someone had shown me was how to create a Triple Win. You have to make sure that your company is winning and that your customers are also winning. Plus, all the people who do business with you. And your team. We all have to win.
When I started working on my business, I didn’t always understand that. Earlier in my career, I had a very successful seven-figure business, and, as I filled my management team, a very masculine energy and approach began to dominate. The company mandate shifted from supporting our customers to creating profit and cornering the market. As that happened, I felt like the company shifted into a position of “what’s in it for us?” and “How can we win?” and “How can we dominate?” versus how can we be the best in our industry at serving our clients.
I let go of that very successful company because I wasn’t practicing it, and the management team wasn’t aligned with the desire to create a consistent Triple Win. I ended up walking away from that company and shutting it down because the corporate values were not in alignment with me anymore.
At Ignite Publishing and Ignite Moments Media, it’s mandatory that we as a company win by doing what we’re good at; Igniting others. But we can’t be the only winners. Our authors win by telling phenomenal stories. Our readers win by reading stories that will help transform their lives. The people around those readers will win because they live their best lives. By my count, that’s a 4x win.
We’ve continued to grow this ideology and added another layer. We’re creating even more wins by donating our online book sales to build Cambodia’s Ignite Possibilities School of Hope. We’re helping to provide support and education to underprivileged children who need opportunities and education to better their lives. The children benefit, but so do their families, community, and even their country because we’re creating a generation of kids who have the training and literacy to support their communities and lift themselves out of poverty. When those kids grow up and make a massive change, the planet and humanity will win also.
The Triple Win, or perhaps now the 4x, 5x, 6x+ win, is something I wish I had known about all along. A Triple Win has become a mandatory thing in our business.
#2 Make it transformational, not transactional
The work you do has to be transformational, not transactional. For a long time, especially working in the service industry where the main goal is to exchange products for dollars, I was drained by the very transactional experience of it all. I’ve learned in my business now that when you transform the customer, you make a customer for life because, inherently, each of us as human beings has the desire to evolve. That desire is encoded in us. We love the feeling of expansion and evolution. As a business owner, when you create a product or a service that gives the customer an experience of transformation, that they’re going from one place to the next, people will love it. When you focus on transformation over transaction, there’s this expansion; there’s a feeling of progress. Now you’ve created an emotional and visceral experience in your customer instead of just a transaction of goods.
One of my favorite books, The Science of Getting Rich, by Walter D. Wattles, talks about how you must always give your clients more ‘use’ value than the ‘cash’ value they spent. You work toward increasing the use value 100 times more than what they spent with you. For example, when we create a book, it may cost a specific amount based on the paper it’s printed on, the quality of the book jacket, and the materials used to produce it. We put a price tag on it, and that’s the cash value of the book for our customers. But the use-value is10x times what they paid. We make sure all our products, services, and training yield unlimited use-value, and we work hard to keep increasing it. Use-value is the most crucial aspect of any product or service, and that is how a founder must think when being in business.
Everything you do must transform your customer, not just transact with them.
#3 It’s not what you say, it’s how you make them feel
It isn’t what you say; it’s what you do and how you make your customers feel. At Ignite, we do everything in our power to feed our customer’s positivity. We make sure they feel supported, inspired, and awakened. We want them to feel happy. We want them to feel joyous. We want them to feel accomplished.
We don’t offer products and services to our customers without a purpose. We make sure we follow through and give them something valuable every time. We focus on community, so it’s part of our company’s purpose to inspire our clients and uplift them emotionally. We focus on transformation, so it’s part of our company mandate to educate our clients and motivate them internally. We focus on providing our customers with the most incredible and memorable feelings that will last a lifetime.
I’m always so delighted as a founder and business owner when we have authors whose whole lives have changed at the end of a book project. For example, we had a fantastic author who felt that she was not in a good place in her life. Her house had been burned down in a fire. She had left her toxic marriage, was starting from scratch, and healing from that trauma. She started working with us, and within a year, she had moved to England, had stepped into a fantastic new relationship, and was engaged! She started writing a trilogy of children’s books that have been published and won numerous awards. One of her books is currently being vetted to become a movie.
We’ve had hundreds of clients start businesses, create projects, build brands, and step into a greater version of themselves; why? Because through working with Ignite, they felt the necessary feelings to catapult them forward and prove that they could do it. They saw it was possible and felt the joy of getting there, and those feelings inspired more motivation to go after the next goal and reach it.
How you make people feel will motivate them to make a difference when they feel better about themselves. Their cup is full, and they have more time to go out and help others fill their cup.
#4 CEO means clear, excited, and organized
I like to think that being a CEO is all about being Clear, Excited, and Organized. You’ve got to be clear about what you want and about your vision. You have to have clarity in your decision-making. When you focus on what you want to achieve, you make that happen. You attract success when you have a conscious mindset, not one rooted in ego or competition. You can’t be distracted by what other people are doing, but instead, you have to be consistent in going after your goals and be clear about only that.
You’ve got to be excited. People love aligning themselves with those who have an energetic attitude. If you’re going to start a business, you’ve got to be excited about it. You have to have that passion. It has to be something that you would do whether you were paid or not. You have to throw back the covers every day, wanting to do it, and be excited doing what it takes to get there. That effervescence and enthusiasm makes people around you excited and energizes your customers because like attracts like. Energy wants to be around more energy. When you provide that consistent kind of energy as the leader of your company, your customers, your team, and your community will rally around you to make an impact.
Most importantly, you’ve got to be organized. Organizing allows you to build lasting systems for success. We’re currently working with Michael Gerber, the author of The E-Myth, who will share his ‘Ignite Moment’ in our next book: Ignite Legacy. His entire philosophy centers on creating structures and systems to organize your business for success. Organization is a pivotal quality for a CEO because there are so many things happening every day, that you need to be ready to quickly and effectively make the best decisions for your business. Being organized is also the only way to scale, advance, and succeed.
You have to practice and work at being organized every day. Being organized comes via training yourself, learning new tools, creating new ways to be efficient and productive. Explore different tools that will help you be organized and empower your team to build off what you have made. Take the time to empower yourself with apps or computer programs that foster systematization.
I wish someone would have told me how it’s not about being a boss or a manager, but the true embodiment of a C.E.O. You’ve got to be clear and excited, and organized every day in your business.
#5 Hire people who are experts in their field
Hire people who know more than you in their area of expertise. I always ask people in a job interview, “Tell me about your zone of genius.” because I believe that every single person has their niche knowledge and intelligence. John Maxwell talks about the ‘law of the lid,’ which means you have to be willing to hire people who know more than you to lift the lid on your mindest and expand what you do.
Sometimes business owners hire people who don’t know as much as they do because they want to feel safe knowing more than their team members. But hiring people who know less than you doesn’t challenge you or push you, and there is no one with the expertise to elevate some of your decisions and teach you what you don’t know, you don’t know. You want to hire people who know more than you in their area so that they can help you expand your business.
As a founder, I can’t be an expert in everything. I can be good at what I do, but if I want my business to grow, I have to find incredible people and support them to help advance the company. I am a huge proponent of hiring people who have their own ‘zone of genius.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
At Ignite, we have a scholarship program where we support authors who are coming through our program but are facing financial difficulties. We’ve published over 115 authors who have participated in our scholarship and bursary program. We are very proud to offer financial help to allow people with great stories to reach their goals and succeed in their desire to become published. It creates a ripple effect that benefits the world around us. I know this makes the world a better place because when people live in the center of their dream and connect to their purpose, they support and help those around them do the same.
We also believe in providing children worldwide with the ability to become educated and literate. I would want everyone on this planet to get access to education and become the changemakers and visionaries of the world. That vision has inspired us to build the Ignite Possibilities School of Hope in Cambodia. This school will provide access to education and literacy to hundreds, even thousands of impoverished children. This is our passion project, and it means so much to us to use our work to create an impact on this scale. We currently take all the online proceeds of our books and fund the materials needed to build the school. Every dollar brings us one brick closer to building this school of dreams.
Our next initiative will be building 12 schools in Southeast Asia through our upcoming Ignite Legacy book series. I believe strongly in this mission, and I am so committed to it I can see it unfolding. I know many children cannot attend a school or are trying to learn in makeshift schoolhouses where they’re sitting in the dirt without desks, blackboards, equipment, or books to support them. They lack a proper learning environment, which can easily be solved if we work together to make a difference.
I have a vision of building these schools because I know that many of the children who will come through these schools will do great things and significantly impact humanity. These children will be the change-makers in the world if we give them the opportunity. Learning in a safe, clean, academic environment will empower them to go out and tackle some of the significant challenges on this planet. This is why I’m committed to building these schools. I want to give opportunities to children and leave a positive, powerful legacy behind.
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.
We love the written word, but we’re also so excited to transpose that into a film. Another project we are working on to inspire humanity and positively impact the world is Ignite Humanity, a documentary we are currently in pre-production for. This documentary is about igniting humanity and sharing how powerful the human spirit is. It’s about how people are strong and can overcome the trials and tribulations they have in their lives to step into a better version of who they were born to become.
The documentary will feature people who have taken some of their difficult ‘Ignite Moments’ and used them to do good in the world. At Ignite, we are storytellers, and we want to use those ‘Ignite Moments’ that have transformed a person’s life to connect people. We’re excited that people will see the faces behind the stories and recognize the beauty and intention behind the words. People will be able to hear the voices and see the emotion in a way that showcases the story of their Ignite Moment and how it has benefited them in their life. We’re focussing on people who are doing massively inspirational things to help others so that we can move the needle on making all of humanity more compassionate and connected.
We’re also currently developing a way for people to share their Ignite Moments called Igniteapedia. Our goal is that people will freely share their Ignite Moments so that other people can read them. We want to document, create, and collect the stories of people who have experienced a life-changing, Ignite Moment, and became better for it. We want to spark conversations, elicit change, and promote unity. And from that, we want to create opportunities for connection on a global scale. Maybe someone has had an Ignite Moment that was similar to another’s. Perhaps their journey was reflective of something you had been through. We believe people will find hope and healing through similar stories of growth, change, and enlightenment. When you find somebody who’s been on the same journey as you, that creates camaraderie and a possibility for an even greater connection.
I believe creating a space for sharing and connection through Ignite Moments can change the world. We want to be the place for people to find like-minded individuals with similar Ignite Moments so they can uplift and Ignite hope within one another. We want to give people the opportunity to share their experiences with others, so no one ever feels that they are alone.
Our mission is to Ignite a billion lives with a billion words and have 7 billion Ignite Moments shared. Yes, 7 billion! We believe every person on the planet has an Ignite Moment, and every one of them deserves to be seen, heard, feel loved, and belong to something greater because of it.
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? They might just see this if we tag them.
One of our projects, called Ignite Legacy, is all about the world’s Legacy Leaders sharing their Ignite Moments around how they created a global impact that will last for generations to come. We have three Ignite Legacy books coming out: Ignite Legacy Leaders of Impact, Ignite Legacy Women of Impact, and Ignite Legacy Conscious Leaders Creating Impact. The idea is that every one of those books will show the Legacy Leader’s Ignite Moments that was the catalyst for their humanitarian projects. In conjunction with writing the book, they will build more schools in impoverished countries and share their legacy knowledge with the youth through our Legacy Library program.
We genuinely want to uplift and inspire the generations to come. We know if we teach young minds to be thinking about legacy from the beginning, we can instill the principles of creating a lasting future for everyone. The vision is focused on what we can do now to secure a great future for all of humanity; learning from Leaders is paramount for our young.
If I could sit down and have breakfast with anyone, it would be with all the Legacy Leaders on the planet who are working towards building an all-inclusive future. To be even more specific, I would love to get the chance to speak to the Dalai Lama and ask him what his Ignite Moment is. I dream of including his Ignite Moment in our upcoming Ignite Humanity project. I would also love to meet these people, who I believe are some of the true Legacy Leaders of our time: Tom Bilyeu and his wife Lisa Bilyeu, the Queen of Jordan, Evan Carmichael, Angelina Jolie, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, just to name a few people who have gone beyond fame and recognition and are instead working towards impacting people’s lives on a global scale.
Those interested in creating a legacy are the people I am inspired by. I’m a big proponent of the idea of not giving people fish but instead teaching them how to fish to empower themselves and gain the skills, tools, and resources needed to go out and empower other people. This is what legacy is all about: creating a world where everyone can do what they do best.
Everything that gets me excited right now is about creating a massive global ripple effect that touches people’s hearts. We lead by example, and from a heart-centered place, we will teach others how to lead with that same intention. Forbes Magazine called me the leading Heart-centered publisher on the planet, and I am honored by that. My desire to create a geocentric world is what I would love to learn from these fantastic Legacy Leaders. I trust that I will connect with all of them one day.
I have four children, and I regularly think about how we can teach the younger generation to have the mindset of Legacy, Humanity, and Possibilities.
If we succeed in teaching them these valuable tools to success, all the future generations to come will have the chance to shift the paradigm into something utterly magnificent.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Female Founders: Aireka Harvell of Nodat On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Failure is expected and actually celebrated. There is a quote that I love by Robert Kiyosaki that says “Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” I used to be embarrassed to talk about my failures but not anymore. Failure builds character and teaches the greatest lessons. I welcome the failures because that means I’m not talking myself out of trying.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Aireka Harvell.
Aireka Harvell is the founder & CEO of Nodat, the first all-in-one geo-targeting mobile marketing and loyalty platform that helps small businesses get more from their marketing budget by targeting and retargeting consumers in their service areas or specific geographical locations wherever they are on mobile. Aireka is passionate about local businesses and helping to create access to the tools and resources they need to be more competitive. Aireka has a decade of experience in high-scale customer loyalty with national brands like AT&T and American Express Plenti Loyalty. Aireka is an advocate for women and minority entrepreneurs which led her to co-found Twende, the first accelerator for founders of color in Nashville.
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 Nashville native, a graduate of Cumberland University, and a proud mom. Before becoming an entrepreneur, I spent 10 years with AT&T in their Nashville-based Customer Loyalty and Retention Organization. This experience helped me to understand what it takes to turn consumers into brand loyalists even when they are not happy with the company.
While I am also very passionate about the small and medium business (SMB) community, I often overlooked local businesses by shopping exclusively with big name brands. However, that all changed in 2016 when I discovered that my son was upset about not going to a new water park that opened in our city. He found out about the waterpark after his friends were teasing him with videos and pictures of themselves on Snapchat. I had no clue that the water park existed. So, I started asking my family and friends if they knew about it. Only one person in my entire network knew it existed.
This experience made me wonder why so few people knew about this amazing new business. Then I started to examine what could be done to help small businesses promote their products and services within their local communities. I knew Yelp was out there, but I wanted to find a way to help people learn about and connect with more exciting businesses in their local areas. I also wanted to figure out a way to encourage people to share positive experiences versus all the negative ones, like you see on other apps. I mentioned to my son that it would be cool if someone developed an app that rewarded locals with points for sharing what they knew about businesses with other locals. My son looked at me and said, “Why don’t you do it?” I thought to myself, “Why not me?”
At the time I wasn’t aware of many women, let alone Black people in tech that were building marketing technology. So I made the decision to give it a shot. Since I had no idea how to develop an app, I started doing research and hired some developers. After a lot of hard work and testing of the beta version of the app, we launched the initial version of Nodat in the summer of 2017.
That’s how Nodat came to be, and how I became an entrepreneur.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
I had been working on Nodat for six months while still in my position at AT&T. I chose to hire a team of developers from India and while we had to communicate via Skype, we got to know each other pretty well. They invited a friend and I to fly out to talk and discuss the future plans of the company. I couldn’t resist their invitation to visit India.While my family and friends thought I was crazy for going to another country to meet with people that I didn’t know, it didn’t stop them from rooting for me.
While in India, we submitted Nodat to the app stores. I can still remember how it felt getting the approval for the iOS app while boarding the plane to go home. I forgot where I was and screamed out as loud as I could, “YAY! WE GOT APPROVED FOR APPLE!” so loud.
We immediately gained a lot of traction. So when I got an early investment from a close friend, I made the decision to leave my corporate career to work full-time building my company.
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 made the mistake of telling my children that we were going to be rich. They immediately started looking for mansions and even found a specific one they liked. My babies started telling everyone we were moving to Governor’s Place.
My children believe in me so much that even years later they are still asking “How close are we to moving into Governor’s Place?” I am starting to think that they will never let me forget this promise. I am hustling everyday to make sure I fulfill that promise of building generational wealth to pass down to them and their children. I’ve also learned how to have faith in my dreams by watching them have faith in me.
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 people that come to mind, I am truly blessed to have had a long list of supporters. In previous interviews I’ve made mention of how people like Sherry Deuestchman, Kimmy & Sergio Pauluch, and Robert Jewell are some of my biggest supporters. They believed in me enough to either invest, offer advice, give mentorship, or to introduce me to people that could help me with my business. The list of support is long.
With that being said, I must add Becky Sharpe to the list. Becky and I serve on the host committee for the DealMakers Conference in Nashville, TN. We immediately bonded over our experiences as women founders in male dominated spaces. Becky did not waste any time making connections for me to potential customers, advisors and investors. Thanks to her networking skills, she was able to put us in touch with some of the largest franchises in Nashville. Beckys’ efforts helped to catapult my business and subsequently we closed our first local franchise customer and I got to meet and build relationships with some amazing and influential entrepreneurs.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I am seeing more women starting and growing companies every day and the EY report reflects this. We should be celebrating that the ratio has been on a steady increase. The ratio has doubled from 10% of startups having one woman founder to 20% over the last ten years, and that is great progress. I look forward to the day when the headline reads ”40% of Startups Have At Least One Woman Founder.”
As an advocate for women entrepreneurs, I often talk about the challenges we face growing sustainable businesses after we overcome our initial fears of failure, existing responsibilities, and commitment. In my opinion, the greatest challenge that women founders face is funding. It’s interesting to note in the EY report that when a woman has a male cofounder, funding happens more often versus when she raises as the primary founder. It astounds me that this ratio hasn’t changed since 2016.
The focus should be on what’s causing that number not to move forward. While women now have more rights and our involvement in business and entrepreneurship has increased, there are issues at the root of the problem that still need the world’s attention. One of those being the need for more diversity in the venture space. It would allow new ideologies, and processes for deal considerations to be created and people at the top of the venture space should reflect that.
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?
Women-owned businesses are pillars in our communities and support is a key factor for them to continue to thrive. So, as a society we should make it easier for communities to support and advocate for the success of our businesses. In order to grow the pipeline, we should foster collaborative environments that encourage and empower women to become founders. One of the ways that we can create that environment and increase equality for all is by creating programs that incentivize those investors that are the first to financially support women founders.
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?
Much like other founders, I’ve spent years building, failing, pivoting, and rebuilding. However, it took an interaction with a male investor that solidified the fact I was already equipped with the resiliency needed to be a female founder when a male investor advised me to, “quit because men before me have tried to solve the problem I aim to solve, and failed.”
The data has already been collected to validate why the world needs more women founders. Many reports have proven that companies founded by or led by women outperform our all male counterparts by 63%. It has also been proven that women funders are investing more than our male funders. That is primarily due to the fact that most women funders are investing in women founders.
I am amongst a small number of women tackling the gaps created by larger players in our space that ignore the complex needs of a very vulnerable but important demographic of businesses. The small and medium business and the local marketing space is about community, relationships, and loyalty. It requires someone with patience who cares about solving their problems and not a quick pay day. So who better to have that patience while being diligent, scrappy, and resilient than a female founder?
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
Entrepreneurs are not motivated by money alone. Most of the successful founders I have met, myself included, have a bigger why behind what we do. It’s the excitement of creating something new for the world to use while overcoming obstacles, breaking down barriers, and testing new products or services.
The personal and spiritual aspect of being a founder is also valuable. We get to see the world from different lenses and it helps us grow to become better human beings. After all of that and we finally get our formula just right, the money is a great reward.
There’s also the myth that only founders who come from certain backgrounds or graduated from certain universities can grow companies that will one day become a Unicorn. This misconception has led to a lot of great founders being bypassed. I know this to be true because I had first hand experience. Early in my journey an investor recommended that I work for an entrepreneur instead of becoming one. His reasoning was that I didn’t look a certain way and I didn’t come from a specific background. Thankfully those old ideas are rapidly being proven wrong.
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?
While anyone can become a founder, not everyone is cut out to remain one. Founding a company is the easy part. Once there’s a solid idea you go through the process to create it, name it, register a birth certificate and boom you’re officially a founder. In my opinion, It’s the work that comes after the birth certificate that’s not for the faint of heart. I liken it to parenting because every business is like a child, they each have their own personality and its own set of unique challenges. Now if you’re a great founder, you will possess certain qualities and traits that equip them to go through those growing pains until the company matures enough to fly on its own.
We treat our new companies the same way every parent invisions themselves raising the perfect children who never make mistakes and grow up to be amazing successful adults. If you have children then you know that sometimes they will go astray and choose their own path to becoming amazing adults. While holding on to that vision it’s our duty to be loving, patient, insightful, determined, and a resilient parent while allowing them room to grow. As parents, we take risks and make sacrifices for our children to be successful.
The criteria is the same for a founder. We have to be willing to birth the vision, nurture it, see it through its tests and trials, pivot, and allow it to grow through its failures. We often have to set our egos aside and seek help by joining supportive communities and seeking advice and mentorship. If an individual from our community doesn’t possess the necessary traits, then they may be better suited to be in a supportive role that helps build the vision and that’s ok because every role is vital for its success.
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.)
Focus on building the right relationships.
For a long time I thought I had to do this alone and I didn’t see much point in doing it. Once I finally understood the value of relationship building things got easier. There’s a definite value in building a network of people who believe in you and your vision, will vouch for you, won’t just praise you when you’re doing amazing things but will sit you down and give it to you straight when you’re not doing so amazing. This lesson allowed me to learn that relationships are just as important as the product itself because it’s those relationships that will open doors and help you grow into maturity.
2. Don’t compare your journey as a founder to any other’s.
I remember reading an article in 2016 about the two men who founded Instagram and became an overnight success. The journalist literally referred to it as a “fairytale.” The article went on and on about how it only took two months to build it and how quickly they gained momentum. When I started my company I did not have the “fairytale” experience and I felt awful because I began to compare myself to the stories of other founders.
Then one of my developers decided to send me a message of encouragement stating, “Remember at first not a lot of people understood what Instagram was. You don’t remember when they kept changing it?” I looked at that message and said to myself, “I thought they were an overnight success story?” I immediately began researching and learned that they pivoted a couple of times before they found the right formula two to three years later. I then realized I wasn’t there for the early versions and I just saw the final product. I was comparing my early versions to their final product which was a dangerous thing to do. I”m grateful for that message to this day because it put me in the right mindset to keep going. I remind myself of it often and I share it with the founders I mentor.
3. It’s okay to be myself.
There’s a lot of stereotypical ideologies about the right way to be a founder. One day I had plans to meet a potential investor for dinner for the first time and someone gave me advice on how to dress and suggested that I rent a car so it appeared I came from wealth. I declined that advice. Well, on my way to the restaurant I got a flat tire that made me about 10 minutes late. When I finally arrived he looked at me and said “You want me to invest in your company and you make me wait for you?” I explained the flat tire and he responded with a stern face “Early is on time, on time is late and late don’t ever think about it again?” I looked at him, faked a smile and shook my head ok. At this point, I’m thinking “I should have rented the dang car!” He then let out a loud laugh and said “I’m BSing you!” and we laughed about it. I’m not sure if that was the best way to break the ice but it made me forget how nervous I was to begin with. I relaxed and we had a great meeting.
To me authenticity is everything and it’s important that stakeholders, investors and team members know the real me so they know what they are getting themselves into from the beginning. I perform my best when I am allowed to show up as my authentic self.
4. Failure is expected and actually celebrated.
There is a quote that I love by Robert Kiyosaki that says “Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” I used to be embarrassed to talk about my failures but not anymore. Failure builds character and teaches the greatest lessons. I welcome the failures because that means I’m not talking myself out of trying.
5. Trust your gut.
In the beginning, so many people tried to tell me that what I am building would not work. However, I felt it in my gut that video reviews and user generated content was going to be huge in marketing one day. Today user generated content has created an entirely new economy that grew from a $20B industry in 2021 to now a $104B industry in 2022 and it’s only going to continue to grow. My gut tells me we’re in the right space.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I love to share knowledge so much that a few of my colleagues have nicknamed me the “info warrior.” I get a twinge of excitement when I share something new that I’ve learned and someone confirms that they didn’t know it either. I mean after all, I did name my company Nodat (know that) because I seriously love to find new information and share it with the world.
I get excited because I know that piece of information could possibly be what that person needed to know to improve a process, get a job, heal an illness, buy the perfect gift, etc. The first time I launched a crowdfunding campaign, I realized not a lot of people in my community even knew businesses used crowdfunding as a strategy to fund themselves. So, I started educating the community on the various non-traditional ways of getting the funding an early entrepreneur may need to get to their next milestone. I partnered with two other entrepreneurs to co-found Twende, the first accelerator for Black and Brown entrepreneurs in Tennessee.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I have always wanted to partner with a restaurant to create a program that helps early-stage entrepreneurs raise a small quick round of funding. The entrepreneurs would be waiting tables and pitching to customers. While serving tables, the entrepreneurs would pitch themselves and their businesses to the customers and then based on how well they convinced the customer to believe in them and their business idea the customer would decide how much they want to contribute to that server’s campaign. I would call it Pitch House!
I would split the restaurant into two sections. One for regular seating and the other section would offer the pitch house experience. I would make it a whole experience. Each founder would get like two weeks to reach their goal. I think that is an exciting way to get more of the community involved in supporting early founders. Access to early capital is often a barrier for a lot of entrepreneurs because many times new entrepreneurs work full-time jobs and have very little extra money to use towards their business. So this would allow the entrepreneurs to raise the money to start their business without the commitment of a part-time job, and help the restaurant with free labor.
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.
I would love to have lunch with Serena Williams! Serena is a change agent and she has experience overcoming the adversity and challenges that come along with that type of goal. Can you tag her please?
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Modern Fashion: Renata Feyen of Seadbeady Blogs On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Blog Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
You also have to try out a lot of different things before you can get to a great result. That’s why the second one would be determination. You have to get out of your comfort zone and if the outcome is not what you wanted, never give up, but keep trying until you find your way.
Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?
In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”
As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Renata Feyen.
Renata is Blogger, Influencer and her blog niche is Fashion and Lifestyle. In 2017, she set up Seadbeady Blogs to initially promote her beadwork, but it became so much more. She loves doing shop reviews and started out by doing Etsy shop reviews. During these past 5 years, she has worked with several shops in the Fashion and Lifestyle space.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
I’m the middle one of 3 girls, and was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium. I have always been very creative, and spent most of my free time on drawing, and singing. Because I was very shy, and also a striver, I didn’t have many friends in school. On top of that I had to start wearing glasses when I was about 6, so I got picked on a lot for being different. Ever since I was a todler, I was also very sensitive, so I cried a lot, which made me the cry baby of the family. Safe to say my childhood wasn’t always the most happy time, but it made me into the strong women I am today. It was only a few years ago I realized I had all the trades of someone highly-sensitive.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
At the age of 44, I started having a lot of joint problems. I was taking piano lessons, singing lessons, and was the singer in a band. Because of a few surgeries together with lots of back problems, I had to quit my music, and needed to find something I could do on my lazy couch. It lead me into a depression, until I discovered the art of beading. I became a regular beadaholic, and opened an Etsy shop to sell my beadwork creations. In order to promote my Etsy shop, I started my blog — Seadbeady Blogs. The Etsy shop closed because it wasn’t worth the effort, but the love for blogging stuck on me. I am not in it for the money, because I don’t earn anything by writing, I just enjoy it a lot.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
In the beginning of my blog career, I found it hard to find shops to feature. That’s why I decided to share a post in a Facebook group with Etsy sellers, saying I would make a blog post on anyone that would apply, free of any costs. At first only a few shops applied, but when I started sharing my blog post, they just kept coming. If the moderator wouldn’t have disabled the comments it would have been lots more than the 35 reviews I did. Still it felt good to help those people.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I would say empathy and a sense of humor at first. The one thing I think is most important is that I try to put myself in their shoes. What would I like if I were them, so I try to be detailed in my descriptions, but still put a lot of humor in it. Another important thing is my creativity. My drawing lessons taught me how to make a composition, which feeling I try to incorporate in the pictures I take.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
I suppose the work I put into it makes me stand out. I always browse the website of the shops I feature and try to take out what I think my readers would find most important. My blog posts are very detailed, but personal at the same time. Making great pictures and finding the right keywords is also crucial.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have my own quote, which is — Be happy, be smart, let the Sun-Shine in your heart. It says a lot about how I try to live. Even though I have a chronic illness, I try to focus on the things that make me happy. No matter what happens, never give up on yourself.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?
I notice that there are a lot of people that have become more conscious about their ecological footprint. There is a huge overproduction and overconsumption of cheaply made clothes which has an enormous impact on our planet. I hope people will get more aware of this in the future.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
On a regular basis I share gift guides on Fashion and Beauty with an occasional DIY or Handmade gift guide. I think it’s important that people still give shops, especially the new ones, a chance to be on a blog post without having to pay for it. You can also find interviews about Fashion Designers, Fashion Stylists and Fashion Influencers on my blog. I don’t ask anything in return for those either. It’s only when you want a full blog post, that I ask for a free item in return.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
I am not the one sourcing materials. However, I only feature shops on my blog that have something interesting that my readers might want to know.
Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?
I love reviewing sustainable items and sharing post on slow fashion, and have a lot of followers who are a fan of my blog posts on this topic. When I see that shops are making efforts, I always point this out to my readers.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.
The first one would definitely have to be creativity. My drawing lessons taught me how to make use of this in my photography.
You also have to try out a lot of different things before you can get to a great result. That’s why the second one would be determination. You have to get out of your comfort zone and if the outcome is not what you wanted, never give up, but keep trying until you find your way.
A third one would be time. Lots of people think starting a blog is easy, but it takes a lot of time and determination to get your blog seen. You need to be consistent and post regularly. You also need to take time to do research on the shops you feature on your blog.
Number four, and this is also crucial. You have to make sure your blog is easy to read. People will get annoyed if your blog would be full of spelling and grammar mistakes.
Last but not least, believe in yourself. Have faith that you did everything you could to make your blog post good enough for your public to read. If you have read what you have written more than once, and made sure everything is in the right place, go ahead and publish it.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
I think we all need to make steps to make that ecological footprint smaller, and that doesn’t only apply to business, but it starts with yourself. Start by using less plastic wrappings, and make use of recycled materials if you can.
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. 🙂
Oh wow, that’s a hard one. The one thing I am most sensitive to is animal abuse. Animals are not something to play with and throw away when it’s not cute anymore. The love of an animal is unconditional, so don’t make abuse of that. We should all put in more efforts to protect all animals around the world.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Irene Stepanenko of AskGrowers: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis or CBD Business
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Hiring and training. I would have liked to know more about hiring, training, and employee retention. You can learn so much from other people’s stories about how much time and tools a new employee needs to succeed. But I am glad that we now have a tool that helps us with that!
Irene Stepanenko is a passionate marketer, teacher, yogi practitioner, connoisseur of natural products, mentor and mother. She has been making worthy projects successful for over ten years. Her latest venture, AskGrowers, a website that educates consumers and provides an in-depth introduction to cannabis for newcomers and experienced connoisseurs alike, was created out of an irrepressible desire to share expert knowledge about cannabis with the public.
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?
I want to talk about an unpopular topic in business — the dismissal of employees. I regret that no one told me about their personal experiences in saying goodbye to unsuitable employees. The growth of any project or business is a process of conquering peaks. Sometimes, it is necessary to say goodbye to employees who do not contribute to the overall progress or even slow down your team.
For myself, I created an algorithm that helps me make this decision. First of all, we have a complex system that shows each employee’s contribution, position, and growth. The results of the work of this system are an individual development plan for the employees, constant feedback and satisfaction with the company/project/management, timely warning about possible burnout, support for their undertakings apart from work tasks, and so on. This system gives us up-to-date data that helped reduce 60 percent of employee turnover. With those who remain, we have meetings where we analyze the reasons for unsatisfactory work or management and prescribe a plan to change the situation with KPIs and deadlines. During this period, we also kept in touch and shared feedback. We recently shared this system with partner companies, which are seeing positive results.
Everyone knows that working on a project without motivation and inspiration is a losing game for both parties, especially startups. My lesson is that you need to do everything to make sure that you and your employees who are not on the same professional path calmly accept when to say goodbye.
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 started AskGrowers because I shared information and answered questions about different cannabis strains, products, and brands with my friends and acquaintances on WhatsApp. One day, I accidentally added my grandmother to this cannabis chat, and she thought I was illegally selling marijuana. I had to spend some time convincing her that I was doing something else. The takeaway, double-check who you add to your private chats!
Are you working on any exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?
At the moment, I am helping to develop an online education project in marketing. We train people in a short amount of time in niche specialties such as link builder, targetologist, SMM and SEO specialist. We see cases every 2–3 months where people with no experience in digital marketing get a job, a decent salary, and opportunities for further development after taking our classes. It is very inspiring!
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 wouldn’t have been able to create AskGrowers without my husband. When you start any new enterprise, you need the support of the people around you. I am a mother, and if it weren’t for him, AskGrowers would not have happened, or at least not now. It’s a generalization, but I know many women who have a disproportionate amount of work at home, usually compared to their male partners. He helped take over many aspects of our life, freeing up my time and energy to create the website. I am extraordinarily grateful for his support.
This industry is young, dynamic and creative. Do you use any clever and innovative marketing strategies that you think large legacy companies should consider adopting?
We are always looking at places where we can improve the form, function, or even the entire service of the product. It is necessary to understand the what, how, time frame, and resources we can use to improve giving our client/buyer what they want in the simplest way. I think legacy companies often miss the little things that significantly impact the user experience. They sometimes don’t pay enough attention to design updates, simplification trends, and speed of interaction with their products.
Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the Cannabis industry? Can you share 3 things that most concern you?
These are three things that I am excited about but concern me if we don’t take significant steps to take them to the next level.
1) Education. The public needs to be educated about how different compounds in cannabis products affect their experience. Products containing THC that have other components of cannabinoids and terpenes in them often have greater therapeutic benefits. The reason is that when multiple cannabis compounds are combined, their medicinal effects are changed and enhanced, creating the entourage effect, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
2) Social equity. The cannabis industry owes an outstanding debt to the pioneers in the LGBTQ+ community. They were instrumental in getting some of the first medical marijuana legislation passed. Cannabis has also disproportionately impacted the Hispanic and Black communities with cannabis prohibition and police action. We want our readers to learn more about these amazing communities’ brands and their inspiring stories.
3) Sustainability. AskGrowers advocates the continuous pursuit of sustainability in cannabis businesses. Sustainable use of resources for producing cannabis products is a social responsibility of each participant in the cannabis market: government, grower, retailer, the consumer. It should be a constant trend, increasing the sustainability and regeneration of production.
Can you share your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business”? Please share a story or example for each.
1) Hiring and training. I would have liked to know more about hiring, training, and employee retention. You can learn so much from other people’s stories about how much time and tools a new employee needs to succeed. But I am glad that we now have a tool that helps us with that!
2) Lack of education. The cannabis industry is a young.. It is necessary to create educational materials for both newcomers and experienced users. People often think that they know everything if they use cannabis for several years. But in reality, it turns out not to be the case. AskGrowers speaks with specialists in the cannabis industry and share their experience and expertise on our website.
3) Stigmatization of cannabis. Society is just starting to get used to the fact that cannabis is normal. We need to fight the stigmatization of cannabis.We can do that by sharing scientific data, real stories and relevant statistics with the public. 4) Lack of cannabis-related specialists. I don’t mean specific cannabis specialists, such as growers, cultivators, breeders. I’m talking about cannabis writers, marketers, SMM specialists, BizDev professionals with experience in the industry. The industry is developing, and new personnel are actively stepping into it, but so far, demand exceeds supply. We are constantly looking for new specialists who will strengthen our team. For example, now it is a BizDev specialist and SEO specialist with experience in the cannabis niche. Maybe just such a specialist is now reading this article, write to us!)
5) Differences in legislation and data on the cannabis industry in each state. We Knew there was a difference, but we underestimated how big it could be.We still wonder how cannabis brands survive under such harsh and restrictive laws when we collect information and talk to owners across the states. AskGrowers has to spend a lot of resources on our content specialists and lawyers to understand what we can do and what not.
What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive?
Treat them like people! I have long been convinced that you cannot treat your employees solely as a resource. Successful employees are motivated, happy and supportive. You must know your employees, their strengths and weaknesses, and allow them to develop and encourage them. Also, remember that as the entire team’s expertise grows, you will need to give them bigger challenges to keep them interested in continuing to work with you. You, your company, and your projects must also constantly develop. It is how great goals are achieved!
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 enjoy creating or being part of something new that can help other people. But sometimes, you need to take advantage of the opportunities of organizations that already exist. My family helps pet shelters that are already functioning and need constant resources. AskGrowers will soon join the Last Prisoner project, whose efforts we deeply support.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
I can be contacted via Twitter @irene_explorer and LinkedIn @AskGrowers.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
