There’s a lot of attention on rapid weight loss at the moment, but we need to talk about the long term impacts. In today’s episode, we sat down with Michelle Shapiro, a functional registered dietitian who shares her experience of losing over 100 lbs and what she wishes she knew.

In this episode you’ll learn: 

* The biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose weight

* How rapid weight loss impacts the body in the long term

* The truth about acid reflux and how to overcome it

* What menstruating women need to know about carbs

* The connection between blood sugar and anxiety

Michelle Shapiro is an Integrative/Functional Registered Dietitian from NYC with over 8 years of experience serving more than 1000 clients. She specializes in reversing anxiety, healing longstanding gut issues, and approaching weight loss lovingly and in a body-neutral way. Michelle aims to bridge the gap between functional nutrition and body positivity, working with clients one-on-one in her virtual private practice. Utilizing humor, nuance, and compassion, she helps clients access their liberating self-awareness.

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Michelle:

* Website: https://michelleshapirord.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelleshapirord/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sara Happ is the founder of Sara Happ Inc., a beauty company that creates luxury lip products and is best known for launching the first-to-market lip exfoliator called the Lip Scrub.

While lip scrubs are a no-brainer for all the beauty gurus out there, it wasn’t always this way. Sara began experimenting with the "lip scrub" recipe while working for ESPN, where the freezing Connecticut winters left her lips chapped. Seeing that there was a massive hole in the market, Sara drained all $10,000 from her savings account, started formulating her lip scrubs with sugars and edible essential oils bought from Whole Foods, and created the first batches of her new invention in her own kitchen. She was doing all of this as a side hustle until one day in 2006, her products were featured in People Magazine, and she came home to thousands of orders. That’s when Sara realized that she was on to something that would completely change the trajectory of her life.

In this week’s episode, Sara talks to us about how she managed moments of adversity over the past two decades of running her company, how she made a complete pivot from her stable corporate job at ESPN to creating her infamous lip scrub. She dives deeper into the early vision for the brand, how she creatively got it into the hands of celebrities like Reese Witherspoon in the very early days when she was still making it out of her kitchen, and what it was like to have her website crash while getting thousands of orders. Sara also shares how she managed the competitors that came into the space and what she did to build momentum for the brand despite more players entering the market. She also opens up about how she dealt with burnout, the challenges and lessons that COVID brought into her life, the eventual sale of the company in 2023, and so much more. 

In this episode, we’ll talk to Sara about:

* Managing low moments and adversity. [03:35]

* Influence of Sara’s upbringing. [07:05]

* Breakthrough moment and ESPN lessons. [08:59]

* Origin of the lip scrub idea. [11:48]

* Sara’s early vision for the brand. [15:05]

* Reese Witherspoon trying the product and gaining attention. [22:40]

* Major inflection point: thousands of orders. [24:04]

* Leaving her job to focus on the brand. [24:58]

* Gender dynamics in the corporate realm. [28:48]

* Creating the next best-selling product, Lip Slip. [32:48]

* Handling competitors in 2012. [41:31]

* Dealing with burnout and advice to her younger self. [48:26]

* Journey through COVID and selling the company in 2023. [51:05]

* Embracing the founder role and controlling her time. [58:26]

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Sara:

* Website: https://sarahapp.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahapp/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahappherself/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sabeena Ladha is the founder and CEO of Deux, a better-for-you snack brand that includes vegan and gluten-free donut bites, cookie doughs, and dessert spreads.

Sabeena has a deep relationship with junk food. Some of her earliest memories date back to the time she spent at her father’s gas station and convenience store, which her parents bought after immigrating from India and Pakistan. After graduating from college, Sabeena entered the workforce and started her career working for the giant food conglomerate Frito-Lay at PepsiCo. She credits her knowledge of the industry today to her time spent at the junk food mecca. Despite where she started her career, Sabeena also had a love for wellness and wanted to create products that could satisfy her health-minded sweet tooth.

The concept for Deux began in June 2020 when Sabeena started experimenting with chocolate chip cookie dough in her kitchen. The company has since expanded its offerings from cookie doughs to dessert spreads and donut holes that are vegan, gluten-free, and preservative-free and contain "functional ingredients" like vitamin B12. While Deux first started as an exclusively direct-to-consumer brand, the company has expanded to have a significant retail presence in Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and many other stores nationwide.

In this week’s episode, we talk to Sabeena about her relationship with risk, the importance of learning the rules before breaking them with your own business, and how she has had to unwind her “overachiever” tendencies to go against the grain and start Deux. We discuss why she decided to launch cookie dough as her first product, how she has managed stress during different phases of the company, and steps she took to build momentum on social when they first launched. Sabeena opens up about her Shark Tank experience, how it impacted her and her business, the biggest learnings she’s had along the way, and so much more.

In this episode, we’ll talk to Sabeena about:

* Relationship with risk influenced by parents. [02:42]

* Why money won't bring you happiness. [07:41]

* Managing work and rest in Deux's early stage. [10:38]

* Work experience and health blog beginnings. [16:26]

* Origin of the cookie dough idea and first iteration. [21:24]

* The importance of asking for help. [23:11]

* Creating the first iteration and formula development. [24:22]

* Challenges faced with Deux. [28:50]

* Managing challenges and stress. [32:01]

* Creating brand awareness and joining Shark Tank. [35:13]

* Behind the scenes of Shark Tank experience. [37:04]

* Future plans for Deux. [43:01]

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Sabeena:

* Website: https://www.eatdeux.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatdeux/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabeenaladha/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you imagine a world in which men go through menopause? There’s a chance we’d have a lot more research to understand these changes. Since women spend ⅓ of their life in menopause and postmenopause, we think we deserve more answers and better care. That’s exactly what today’s guest is here to provide—and women of all ages, whether you’re in your 20s, 30s or 40s, should really listen!

In this episode you’ll learn: 

* What women can expect as they age and what they can change

* How to know if you’re in perimenopause or menopause

* Why there is fear around hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

* How menopause impacts our bones, heart, metabolism and libido

* The potential risks of NOT taking hormone replacement

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, CMP, is a board-certified Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and a best-selling author focused on women’s health. After noticing her patients' concerns about menopause-related symptoms, and navigating her own, Dr. Haver extensively researched menopause, aging and inflammation, leading to the creation of The Galveston Diet and her 2023 bestselling book. In 2021, she founded The Mary Claire Wellness Clinic to provide personalized menopause care, integrating medical history, nutrition, exercise, supplements, and hormone therapy. With over 3 million social media followers, Dr. Haver shares advice and learns from her community, aiming to make menopause care accessible and comprehensive through initiatives like The ‘Pause Life and her latest book, “The New Menopause”.

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Dr. Haver:

* Website: https://maryclairewellness.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna Griffiths is the Founder and President of Knix, the innovative direct-to-consumer intimates and apparel brand.

The idea for Knix started after she had a conversation with her mom about what women’s bodies undergo as they age especially when it came to post-pregnancy leaks. After doing research on her end and speaking to more women, she realized there was a massive gap in the market. So in 2013, she launched a Kickstarter campaign that placed Knix on the map not only for its intimates but for talking openly about the reality of women’s bodies. 

A decade later, the womenswear brand has expanded into a variety of categories, including bras, activewear, shapewear, swim, loungewear, and more. Joanna has built Knix into one of the fastest-growing intimate apparel brands globally. In 2022, Joanna decided to sell 80% of her business for $320 million, making it one of the largest exits by a female founder in Canada and one of the most significant sales of a brand by a female founder in US history. 

In this week’s episode, Joanna talks to us about her incredible journey building Knix, what she learned in her career in media & entertainment, and how it actually helped her disrupt the intimates industry despite having no background. She shares how she pivoted early on from wholesale even though they were doing incredibly well, how they ended up launching as a direct-to-consumer company, and why it was one of the boldest decisions she made. Joanna also opens up about how she dealt with depression even when she had major success with the brand, and the steps she took to manage this difficult time. We talk about how she dealt with difficult investors who didn’t believe she could run a high-growth company being a mom of three, what she did to prove those naysayers wrong, and so much more.  

In this episode, we’ll talk to Joanna about:

* Being vulnerable and open on social media. [02:55]

* The reality in entrepreneurship. [04:56]

* Joanna’s coping mechanisms as a founder. [08:31]

* Creating momentum in the early stages. [12:59]

* Working in a record label, getting an MBA, and shifting passions. [16:23]

* The genesis of the Knix idea and testing their first product. [18:12]

* The manufacturing processes. [22:48]

* Launching Knix on Kickstarter. [25:16]

* Joanna’s depression despite the business doing well. [32:12]

* Joanna’s fundraising journey. [39:05]

* Building confidence and managing negativity. [45:03]

* Joanna’s behind-the-scenes in managing her business and motherhood. [46:21]

* Selling the company and buying a house for their nanny. [48:11]

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Joanna:

* Website: https://knix.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knix/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannaknix/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamie O’Banion is the founder and CEO of BeautyBio, a clean skincare and tool brand that leads with transparency and efficacy.

Jamie’s passion for science came at a young age as she watched her father, a cosmetic chemist, in his lab developing products and eventually joined him after college. Ten years later, having witnessed brands using minimal concentrations of active ingredients to cut costs and make false clinical claims, Jamie knew she had to address this issue in the industry. That's when the idea for BeautyBio was born. The aim was to provide clients with what they were paying for and help them understand the ingredients behind the products.

She debuted on HSN that same year and sold out on the first day. Five years later, she launched one of the brand's flagship products, GloPRO, an at-home micro-needling device that generated $4 million in sales within its first 24 hours and has since surpassed the $100 million mark. Fast forward to 2023, BeautyBio is available in over 1,700 stores, including Ulta, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and more.

In this week’s episode, Jamie guides us through the various "breadcrumbs" of life and how every individual experience she had before launching her business led her to exactly where she is today. We dive into her upbringing as one of six children, how she stumbled into entrepreneurship, why her initial business idea failed, and how she quickly pivoted to what eventually became BeautyBio. We talk about all the challenging experiences in her over ten year journey running the business, how they ended up selling the business last year, and so much more. 

In this episode, we’ll talk to Jamie about:

* The concept of “breadcrumbs” in life and how everything happens for a reason. [02:57]

* Growing up with a family of six has influenced the woman Jamie is today. [06:13]

* Managing the challenges of motherhood. [14:41]

* Jamie’s upbringing and what sparked her interest in science. [21:38]

* The importance of team and how they’ve been integral in her journey. [26:17]

* Dealing with challenging experiences as an entrepreneur. [29:03]

* Co-founding Organicare with her physician father in 2008. [32:44]

* Adapting to consumer demand without compromising business ethos. [37:13]

* Pivoting from selling ingredients to launching BeautyBio. [42:50]

* Future plans for BeautyBio post-acquisition. [48:43]

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Jamie:

* Website: https://beautybio.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybio/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieobanion/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite spending more on healthcare than ever before, the majority of us are sicker than ever. You might be shocked to learn that 93% of Americans have some form of metabolic disease, which can be linked to practically any symptom or disease including hormone imbalances, PCOS, infertility and more. Knowing this, there is good news. The steps we need to take are the same, and can transform the way that we feel across the board.

In this episode you’ll learn: 

* The surprising connection between metabolism and health

* Steps to reclaim your power on a cellular level

* How to protect and magnify your energy

* Top foods everyone needs to eat for optimal health today

* How our healthcare system keeps us sick

Casey Means, MD is a Stanford-trained physician, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of metabolic health company Levels. Her mission is to maximize human potential and reverse the epidemic of preventable chronic disease by empowering individuals with tech-enabled tools that can inform smart, personalized, and sustainable dietary and lifestyle choices. Her perspective has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The New Yorker, Men's Health, Women's Health, and shared in her debut book “Good Energy”.

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Dr. Casey:

* Website: https://www.caseymeans.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Moret is the founder and CEO of Curie, a clean deodorant and body care brand on a mission to change the stigma around clean beauty. 

Sarah has been an athlete all of her life and was a very active person, and one thing she could never come across was a clean, aluminum-free deodorant that actually worked and fit her lifestyle. From this frustration, Sarah decided to start Curie as a side hustle in 2019 to solve her own problem.

Sarah then bootstrapped the company and financed it with $12,000 in savings and very early on was hitting six-figures with organic content, word of mouth, and PR. Fast forward to today, the company has scaled to be a $20 million success story and is sold in thousands of stores nationwide, including Walmart, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdales and has sold out dozens of times through live selling on QVC. Sarah also appeared on Season 13 of Shark Tank and landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran and Mark Cuban. 

In this week’s episode, Sarah talks about her transition from accounting to becoming an entrepreneur, the steps she took to turn her side hustle into a full-time business, and how she had remarkable growth with very little money. We also talk about the many rejections she faced when it came to finding manufacturers, getting into retailers, and participating in Shark Tank. Sarah also shares her crazy experience on Shark Tank what really happens behind the scenes that we don’t typically see, and so much more.

In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:

* Overcoming fears and handling rejections. [03:05]

* The reality of being an entrepreneur. [07:03]

* Building a company from personal challenges. [08:53]

* Graduating from Boston University and Sarah’s initial career path as an accountant. [11:15]

* Starting Curie and Sarah’s risk-taking approach. [16:25]

* Being scrappy during the early stages of Curie. [22:25]

* Committing fully and early awareness-building for Curie. [25:19]

* Leveraging influencers and media outreach. [27:29]

* Pivoting to hand sanitizers during the pandemic which saved their business. [31:51]

* Navigating manufacturer selection. [35:10

* A behind-the-scenes look into Shark Tank. [38:08

* Preparing for the Shark Tank Q&A. [57:52]

* How Curie thought about funding for the business before Shark Tank. [50:06]

* How Sarah overcame scaling challenges with the business. [51:45]

* Managing mental health and avoiding burnout for sustained success. [54:17]

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Sarah:

* Website: https://curiebod.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiebod/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjmoret/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allison Evans is the co-founder of Branch Basics, a brand dedicated to revolutionizing clean living and fostering healthier homes.

Allison's journey began with personal health struggles - she was diagnosed with PCOS at a young age, didn’t get her period for years and was told she could never get pregnant naturally. After another health crisis in college, Allison was desperate to find relief and embraced a toxin-free lifestyle under her Aunt Marilee's guidance, centered on real food, safe products, and a toxin-free environment. The results were nothing short of miraculous— her symptoms completely disappeared, her period came back and she eventually welcomed three daughters into the world naturally. With her best friend Kelly by her side and her aunt, the three of them co-founded Branch Basics in 2012 with the mission to empower others to rid their homes of toxins and embrace a healthier way of life.

In this episode, Allison candidly shares how a few pivotal moments in her life and health journey were the catalyst for launching the business – and she never thought she would ever be an entrepreneur. Allison walks us through the early days of the business, how their first few ideas for non-toxic living didn’t work out, and how they ultimately decided to launch their all-purpose cleaner which eventually took off. She also shares the behind-the-scenes of the business, including how she managed business crises and the process of rebuilding Branch Basics from scratch. Allison reflects on this challenging time when they paused operations, pulled products from shelves, and laid off staff despite the company making millions in revenue. She also shares insights into managing customers, navigating relationships with formulators, balancing career and motherhood, and so much more.

In this episode, we’ll talk to Allison about:

* Allison’s early health challenges. [03:26]

* The influence of Marilee to Allison’s life [07:42]

* Marilee’s two powerful health stories. [13:19]

* Living with Marilee in 2008 and how they started Branch Basics. [21:15]

* The behind-the-scenes of business crisis management. [27:25]

* Allison’s advice on business problem management. [33:05]

* Getting canceled by an influencer and how Allison’s managed the situation. [36:23]

* Balancing business highs and lows. [39:05]

* Learnings in dealing with difficult customers. [41:47]

* Juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship gracefully. [44:57]

* Collaboration with formulators.[47:53]

* Allison’s business strengths and weaknesses. [50:11]

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Allison:

* Website: https://branchbasics.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchbasics/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almevans/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you struggle to lose weight, have low energy, poor digestion or sleep troubles? These can all be signs that you're out of sync with your biology, which is designed to work on nature's clock. In this episode, we dive into science-based practices and ancestral wisdom for feeling our best in modern times.

In this episode you’ll learn: 

* Effective strategies for lasting weight loss

* Alternative ways to energize without caffeine

* How to support your circadian rhythm with light

* Top red light panel recommendations

* Why everyone needs to build muscle

* The best color to eat for better gut health

* And more…

Alexis Cowan, PhD, embarked on her path to health following a childhood marked by recurring illnesses and significant weight struggles. Through her personal battles with an eating disorder and subsequent development of ulcerative colitis, these early experiences sparked her interest in the scientific underpinnings of nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle interventions. Alexis pursued her education fervently, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry and Math from Moravian College, followed by a PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 2021. She now works with individuals in her practice, and educates on metabolism and circadian optimization through her online courses.

This episode is brought to you by Beeya:

* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.

* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Dr. Alexis:

* Website: https://dralexisjazmyn.wordpress.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralexisjazmyn/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.