City Cast Austin

There’s a second case of the measles in Austin — and this time, it’s in a vaccinated adult. On today’s Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about how the city is responding to the statewide outbreak amid federal funding cuts, and what Austinites should be doing now to be protected. Plus, the lineup for ACL Festival comes out soon, so we’re sharing our predictions for this year’s throwback band, and sharing our recommendations for what to do this weekend. At the top of our list: Celebrate the Skylark Lounge’s last weekend before the legendary blues bar closes for good.  

If you enjoyed the interview with Austin Bergstrom's International Airport Public Information Office Division Manager, Kimmie Hey, learn more here!

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Introducing From Eczema to Tower 28: Amy Liu on Building with Purpose, Raising Smart Capital, and Owning Your Story from Makers Mindset .

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Amy Liu’s journey to redefining clean beauty started in her own skin. As someone with eczema, she knew firsthand the struggle of finding beauty products that were both safe and effective. The industry was full of promises, but few products delivered results without irritation.  

After years of working behind the scenes at Smashbox, Kate Somerville, and Josie Maran Cosmetics, Amy found herself at a crossroads. She had built brands for others, but what about a brand built for people like her? People who wanted beauty without compromise? At 40, she took the leap and launched Tower 28, the first and only beauty brand 100% compliant with the National Eczema Association’s ingredient guidelines.  

In this episode, Nancy and Amy unpack the highs and lows of entrepreneurship—overcoming the fear of failure, scaling a business while staying true to her mission, and bringing her husband on board as CFO. Recognized as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for Greater Los Angeles and one of Goldman Sachs’ most exceptional entrepreneurs, Amy has proven that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of integrity.  

This is a conversation about resilience, leadership, and the power of collaboration over competition. Above all, it’s a story about turning a personal struggle into a movement that’s changing the face of beauty.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[04:26] Struggling with eczema and the need for safe beauty products

[05:52] Discovering the flaws in clean beauty

[07:38] Why it took her so long to start her own business

[08:54] Getting her first investment and launching Tower 28

[10:42] Why launching at 40 was the right decision

[11:58] The myth of overnight success and why experience matters

[13:21] The role of a CEO and why she chose to stay in the position

[14:47] Challenges of balancing leadership with business growth

[16:32] Bringing her husband in as CFO and working with a spouse

[18:15] Breaking through the crowded beauty market

[19:44] The philosophy behind Tower 28’s product development

[21:18] Why sensitive skin testing sets Tower 28 apart

[22:53] Expanding at Sephora and becoming a top-performing brand

[24:36] When to raise money and how to choose the right investors

[26:24] Private equity, beauty playbooks, and scaling successfully

[28:10] The challenges of hiring and building the right team

[30:28] Leadership lessons and learning from mistakes

[32:42] Creating Clean Beauty Summer School and supporting founders

[34:20] The importance of representation in the beauty industry

[36:08] Why collaboration is more powerful than competition

[38:35] Advice for struggling entrepreneurs in a competitive market

Resources Mentioned:

Tower 28 | Website

National Eczema Association | Website

Sephora Clean | Website

Goop Clean | Website

Credo Clean | Website

Clean Beauty Summer School | Website

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Instagram: @nancytwine

www.nancytwine.com

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Instagram: @makersmindsetspace

TikTok: @themakersmindset

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

It’s that magical, very short-lived time of the year just before it gets scorchingly hot: May! Now is the time to squeeze in that last outdoor activity during Austin’s final gasp of spring, and we’ve got a few ideas for you. Check out Waterloo Greenway! Find a watering hole before the kids are out of school! Explore one of the area’s trails! Local musician Alex Marrero joins host Nikki DaVaughn and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec in sharing our best tips to get outside this month, plus the live music we’re heading out to see (don’t sleep on the Continental Club Gallery), and what we’re looking forward to eating in May (we’re still obsessed with KG BBQ). For even more food recommendations, don’t miss Hey Austin’s guide to our city’s best new restaurants. 

For even more tips on how to make the most of May in Austin, check out Hey Austin’s take on what to do this month. 

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Introducing The Benefits of Bird Nesting for Children's Stability - with Ann Gold Buscho, Ph.D. from Divorce Dialogues.

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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

At the beginning of April, Austin City Council learned that they’d be facing a $33.4 million budget deficit that’s only expected to get larger. Meanwhile, council members finally made a plan to accept $32 million in grant money to replace the bridge over Barton Springs, and add a cool $8 million of the city's own. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Amy Stansbury, editor-in-chief of The Austin Common, to talk about all that — plus why outreach teams are crucial to the city’s homelessness response, what we’re doing with a new batch of EPA money, the future for historic Palm Park, and a new AC rule that will keep all Austinites cool this summer. 

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Introducing Bonus Episode: Building Corporate Culture from Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman.

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Corporate culture is a big buzzword these days, but for our guests it’s integral to how they do business. Bill Koenigsberg, CEO of Horizon Media, feels personally accountable for his employees, while Progressive Insurance CMO Remi Kent shares how the pandemic made her bring her values to the workplace during her time at 3M. WPP’s Christian Juhl shares how the power of culture was a differentiator in business at Group M, while General Motors’ Norm de Greve shares why as CMO of CVS he allowed for a locally-defined culture that varied across stores. Plus, former CMO of Ford Suzy Deering addresses work-life balance.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Austin’s very short-lived patio season is upon us, and now is the time to eat, drink, and be merry under shade trees and umbrellas beneath the not-too-scorching sun. So, executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec is joined by Nicolai McCrary, senior staff writer at The Infatuation, to bring you a guide to Austin’s best patios. We’re getting into which patios have the best food, where to go if you love beer, the best patio for a first date, our favorite spots if you’re working-from-patio, and more. Plus, find out what makes Meanwhile Brewing Co.’s patio Nicolai’s all-time favorite patio in town. 

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Introducing Hugh Howey: “I write for myself.” from Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman.

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Hugh Howey is an international best-selling author whose work has been published in 40 languages. But he’s not just a writer, he’s an entrepreneur in the purest sense. When Hugh self-published a short story, the world demanded more. Soon enough the income from that one story was enough to quit his job to begin work on what became the now-iconic Silo trilogy. Instead of going the traditional route with a publisher, Hugh stuck with his instinct to self-publish, disrupting an entire industry along the way. His conversation with Bob dives into the inspirations and the dollars behind his decision-making. Plus, he talks about turning Silo into the acclaimed AppleTV+ series, how he ended up in a performance of the Nutcracker, and the sailing trip he’s planning to take around the world.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

A few weeks after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all state agencies to have employees get back to the offices “as soon as practicable,” host Nikki DaVaughn checks in with KUT reporter Andrew Weber to find out how things are going. And, spoiler alert: It’s not great. Texas is the largest employer in Austin, and in early March, thousands of employees started swarming into their offices, straining parking and resources. At one agency, employees have to check out computer monitors to get their work done. So why the frenzied return? We have some ideas. 

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Introducing Ron Howard: “Understand the entertainment value of an idea.” from Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman.

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Ron Howard is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Grammy award-winning film director. With work spanning from comedies like Splash and Parenthood to critically acclaimed dramas like Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon and A Beautiful Mind, he is one of the most popular and prolific filmmakers of the last 50 years. His first on-screen appearance was at just 18 months old and he was cast as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show at age five. By the time he was 10, adults on set predicted he would make a great director; but at the time, it was a major challenge to transition from acting to directing feature films. In his conversation with Bob, Ron shares how he leveraged one green light to make that improbable jump, how his feelings about collaboration have changed over his career, and his advice for young people in the entertainment industry today.

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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].