Female Founders: Noreen Diani of RODEO Initmates On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Don’t try to do everything yourself — Asking for help when you are overwhelmed is okay. When you need help preparing shipments, ask a friend or family member to help you. If you can not pay them for their time let them have some of your products to try until you can afford to pay them for their time. 9 out of 10 times your mom or dad, even siblings will help you. I had my brother boxing and shipping my amazon storefront in the beginning.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Noreen Diani.
Noreen Taylor Diani is the CEO of Donore Cosmetics and Rodeo Intimates with more than 20 years of experience working in the health and beauty industry. Noreen recognized the need for organic and chemical free health and beauty products that did not compromise on performance or durability. Noreen came across that 95 % of cancers come from the usage of chemicals in health and beauty products.
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 had become so toxic within my body from the over usage of chemically laced products in our beauty products and in our intimate products. Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs 70% of what you put on it. It then becomes stored in our liver and over time we become toxic. 95% of cancers come from chemicals in our health and beauty products that are hormone disruptors. Once I had done all my research, I decided to create organically safe products that are free and clear of harsh chemicals.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
The most interesting thing that has happened to me since I began my venture of creating clean and safe products was that people wanted them because they could not use conventional products on the market due to allergies. I had men and women thanking me for creating products they could use because they were allergic to everything. 54% of consumers are allergic and can not wear products on the market but being able to wear what I was creating was a very rewarding feeling that I was helping others.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
As an entrepreneur you have to think outside the box at times to grasp your audience’s attention. Our name, RODEO Intimates, got us a lot of attention in a positive way. I learned sex sells and if you can be creative as well as funny you can grab your audience’s/customer’s attention. None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way.
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?
You can achieve your goals when you have full confidence in yourself and in what you are bringing to the table. This mindset is important when you are looking for seed funders or business partners. When you believe in yourself and what you are trying to achieve makes it more alluring to investors. I have been blessed with a few business partners, believing in what I am creating in brands. I’ve started creating formulas for other brands so they can have safe products for their clients.
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 feel that the lack of funding is holding back women entrepreneurs. Society sees men as the creators and innovators when in reality it is the complete opposite. Men are more often more desirable to an investor in fields that are considered a man’s environment. Even when it comes down to networking or ethical values in a company people are more inclined to work with men. I see these brands spending unnecessary dollars on being in gifting suites, events or paying influencers to post their brands. These most of the time do not create dollars in the bank account unfortunately.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
I think society needs to come to terms that all job titles are now gender fluid. Men and women can equally own businesses regardless of gender. Investors should see the value of the person presenting the opportunities to the table. It should be about the business and not the gender pitching the business. There should be tax incentives for investors investing in women owned businesses. There should be more financing available to women creating business or a need being fulfilled.
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
A woman founder often makes a better story. A women entrepreneur often takes a different path to entrepreneurship than the male counterpart where their stories are more interesting as well as genuine. Statistically female owners generate higher revenues, have a higher survival rate, and are more motivated than men.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
Women executives are not supportive of other women. It is the exact opposite. Women are dangerously supportive of empowering other women. It’s addictive because we want to see each other succeed and oftentimes succeed together. Sometimes other women have a trait or a talent that we might not have and when you work together to achieve the same goal it is very rewarding.
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?
You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. Anyone can be a founder of a company. If you have a hobby and you love what you do, you can turn it into a business and never work a day in your life because it is something you truly enjoy doing. To be successful you have to have a drive and a passion for what you are doing. If you don’t have a passion for what you are doing then it will not be successful to its full potential. I think we are all innovators in our own way and I try to think positively that anyone can be a business owner. Research the best avenues for what you are trying to achieve and create a goal board and stick to it.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
1) Don’t try to do everything yourself
Asking for help when you are overwhelmed is okay. When you need help preparing shipments, ask a friend or family member to help you. If you can not pay them for their time let them have some of your products to try until you can afford to pay them for their time. 9 out of 10 times your mom or dad, even siblings will help you. I had my brother boxing and shipping my amazon storefront in the beginning.
2) Find like minded people not skill minded people
You want to obtain a goal to look for workers that think like you or in your mindset. Sometimes people with the skill set have a different perspective on things. In my business I like positive minded goal-oriented people whom I can grow with and potentially be business partners with.
3) Ignore the “naysayers”
Not everyone is going to like you or what you’re doing. Sometimes this is often out of jealousy or the fear of not being successful. So do not let others talk you out of your dreams. This is your business not theirs. You decided to start your business on your own, you are taking the risks as well as the rewards.
4) Pay for tools your business needs
Paying for software and services starting out can be a little dent in your finances but will be worth it in the long run. Get that amazon storefront or range me account to be in front of buyers for stores. This only benefits your business and helpful tools to help you make money to grow your business.
5) End a business engagement
Oftentimes we are dealt with this. You may have been doing business with a vendor for years but as your business grows, they cannot perform. Whether it is dates your products are needed, cost is higher than a competitor or the quality of a product. Never be nervous to find another vendor that can meet your needs and terminate the working relationship. If it is not helping your business grow then replace it with what your business needs are.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I try to align my businesses with charities that are helping other women. Whether it’s domestic violence or cancer research. I make sure to donate or support events for these types of charities.
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 see so many people putting others down. I always try to say something positive throughout my day to 5 women I’ve randomly seen on the street. If they look pretty, I tell them they look pretty today. If they are loving parents, I praise their parenting. This always makes people feel good about themselves and I truly enjoy doing it. Just think if we all did this how we can change each other’s perception of ourselves from negative to positive.
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.
JK Rowling would be whom I would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with. I admire her on so many levels. She had so many doors closed on her and then one that believed in her creativity and brought it to fruition. She never gave up and stayed true to her vision.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Female Founders: Noreen Diani of RODEO Initmates On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.