Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

By Lindsay Pinchuk | Female Founder & Small Business Marketing ExpertBusinessEntrepreneurshipMarketingCareers
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Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners episodes

  • Important Entrepreneurship Lessons from the First Year of Her Second Pivot with Dear FoundHer... host, Lindsay Pinchuk

    It's been exactly a year since Dear FoundHer... host, Lindsay Pinchuk, exited the corporation who bought the company she founded.  In this episode, Lindsay celebrates the last year having no regrets and knows that she is exactly where she is supposed to be. Today, Lindsay shares with our community: 

    • How she made the decision to leave. (3:06)
    • The first step she took after her exit. (10:19)
    • How she launched her consulting and coaching business and the difference between the two. (14.30)
    • How the launch of the Dear FoundHer... podcast impacted her business. (16:20)
    • Her exact approach to building your community. (24:30)
    • Knowing when to make a shift or change in your business. (28:05)
    • The importance of knowing your product and how you can position it correctly. (27:02)
    • Understanding where, when and how to reinvest in your business. (32:30-35:20)
    • Her proudest moments over the last year.  (35:30)
    • Her greatest achievement she wants to celebrate with you from the first year of her second pivot.  (38:20)

    Sign up for Lindsay's newsletter to learn something each week to help you grow your business AND to get today's top takeaways sent straight to your inbox. 

    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk


    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside small business services mentioned in today's episode. 

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

    45 min
  • How I Built a Community of Support for Female Founders, with Jaclynn (Jax) Brennan, Founder of Fyli

    “Fyli stands for ‘tribe’ in Greek and ‘family’ in Latin,” explains Jaclyn “Jax” Brennan, founder of Fyli, a private support network for female founders. Just as the U.S. locked down, Jax acted as a conduit for connection, reaching out to every mastermind she knew to create 150 online masterclasses, and offered them to beginner founders at no cost. Fyli soon evolved into its current model, and when collaborating with new businesses, Jax asks herself not only how they align with her mission, but what she can offer them. Leading with an abundance mentality means recognizing that there is room for everyone, and the more people who elevate a vision, the better the results.

    Certain boundaries are crucial, though. Your own community should hold you accountable to the boundaries you’ve set for yourself. Young women need to make ‘intentional asks’ for what they want. Keep your expectations realistic. Success doesn’t happen overnight.

    Join the conversation to find out why the word ‘no’ shouldn’t hurt, how to execute a partnership properly and to hear what Fyli does to help find you support even if their network isn't for you. Don't miss this episode that every female entrepreneur should get in on. 

    Quotes

    • “When we all bring our best to the table together we move mountains.” (7:30-7:34 | Jax)

    • “When you are a startup founder, you can’t expect to take a salary in Year 1, 2, or even 3. It takes time to build. If you come from an abundance mindset and you have a plan and strategy, step-by-step is how you get there. It doesn’t happen overnight.” (18:21-18:39 | Jax)

    • “The way I approach partnerships now is ‘How do we both win?’ The most important thing to know when building a partnership is their win. Of course, they care about what you want, but it’s really about what they want and what success looks like to them." (22:11-22:27 | Jax)

    • “The power of saying ‘No,” and respecting your time and your boundaries when you’ve got to put blinders on, because there are only a certain amount of hours in a day, it’s hard. But it’s something we need to talk more about.”(26:11-26:23 | Jax)

    • “You have to show up to a partnership ready to give and deliver.” (22:38-22:45 | Jax)

    Connect with Jaclynn (Jax) Brennan:

    Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/jaclynnbrennan

    Website | http://www.fylitribe.com


    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk


    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

    38 min
  • How Press Can Impact Your Launch, with Elizabeth Rees Founder of Chasing Paper

    “People want to be your advocate. They want to be your helper,” assures Elizabeth Rees, Founder of Chasing Paper, a company that pioneered removable wallpaper. As the third-generation in a family printing business, Elizabeth saw a need for peel-and-stick wallpaper made of traditional materials, designed with original imagery. Without a PR or marketing team, she networked relentlessly, attending every dinner and coffee meeting she could. She researched the top 50 women’s magazines and personalized her communication with editors and reporters. Most importantly, Elizabeth sent an email introducing her product and explaining her vision to everyone she knew. This network quickly spread the word, which ultimately led to a writeup in a major design blog, and a huge surge in sales early on.

    So much press at once can be overwhelming if a new business isn’t prepared to meet the response. But as Elizabeth explains, no business is perfect right away. Receiving the same questions or complaints repeatedly from new customers presents an opportunity to address issues you’ve overlooked. Always to listen to your customers, and to be consistent in all of your efforts.

    At the end of the day, one of the best ways to launch your business is to spread the word. Meet Elizabeth and learn how she deals with supply chain issues, the value of keeping your team lean, and the myth of overnight success.

    Quotes

    • “With those two things, a thoughtful design and a high quality product, we were off to the races.” (6:35-6:43 | Elizabeth)

    • “Truly, sending an email is probably the most important thing you do.” (16:24-16:27 | Elizabeth)

    • “There’s just no way that you can build a perfect business right away. Once you can get over that, you can recognize that what it’s about in the beginning is how quickly you can shift, how quickly you can pivot, how quickly you can make small adjustments to be more in line with what your customer is asking you to do.” (20:26-20:45 | Elizabeth)

    • “You have to share your story over and over again, because when you share it, other people will start sharing it for you.” (26:33-26:40 | Lindsay)

    • “Business is hard 70% of the time. I think people like to think that it’s the opposite, that it’s easy and fun and whatever. But when you have those successes and you have those days where something is really good, really memorialize them.” (47:40-47:58 | Elizabeth)

    Connect with Elizabeth Rees:

    Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/chasingpaper

    Website | http://www.chasingpaper.com


    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk


    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

    53 min
  • JFDI: Motivating yourself to Just F*ing Do It with Jenn Sherman from Peloton

    “What’s the worst that can happen?” Jenn Sherman asked herself when she sent an email to John Foley, who was looking for people to join his new company called Peloton. She thought the last thing anyone in the youth-obsessed fitness industry would want was a 40-something mother of two. She and John hit it off instantly, and soon she became Peloton’s original  instructor. The Peloton community is equally drawn to her warm, approachable nature, and her willingness to show that she isn’t perfect. The resulting fame has its challenges, but it's far outweighed by her blessings.

    Jenn never expected to have a second career. She simply fell in love with “spinning.” It combined her two competing obsessions: exercise and music. The rest was putting one foot in front of the other. She encourages anyone who feels stuck in life to JFDI (Just F***ing Do It).

    Living the life of your dreams is closer than you’d ever imagine, you just have to take a chance on yourself. Join Jenn and Lindsay in conversation to hear the difference between a big connection and a big following, living a life unexpectedly in the public eye, and Jenn’s eternal love for Rob Lowe.

    Quotes

    • “I didn’t have to create a brand, this was the brand: very into pop culture, music, all things happening in the world, very much like a talk show kind of vibe. That’s kind of the personality that I am.” (31:03-31:24 | Jenn)

    • “The one piece of Peloton that I’ve gotten used to but I am still not comfortable with is this public piece, honestly.  I’ve taken some missteps at Peloton. I’ve said the wrong thing or done the wrong thing– I’m human– and I was not prepared for the onslaught of what happens.” (34:40-35:11 | Jenn)

    • “I’ve just tried to keep some things for my family and not have everything be out there, but for the most part, this Peloton journey has brought me so many blessings that I don’t even feel comfortable complaining.” (38:07-38:33 | Jenn)

    • “It’s so meaningful to me to be able to show my kids that I could do this. At 40 years old, playing tennis and meeting my girlfriends for lunch just isn’t cutting it anymore. I want to do something. What am I good at? What do I love? Let me do this. Let me give it a shot.” (40:13-40:31 | Jenn)

    Connect with Jenn Sherman:

    Jenn Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/pelotonjenn/

    Peloton Instagram | http://www.intagram.com/onepeloton

    Peloton Website | https://www.onepeloton.com/

    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consult.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

    57 min
  • Top Tactics to Drive Traffic and Monetize Your Online Business with Camille Styles, Founder of CamilleStyles.com

    “Our mission is really to give our audience the tools and the inspiration and everything they need to design and create the life of their dreams,” says Camille Styles, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of CamilleStyles.com, a digital publication that covers a variety of topics such as food, events, lifestyle and beauty. With her site, Camille became one of the first influencers. And though the digital landscape changes constantly, in its 13th year, her website brings in 15 million views and 1.3 million unique viewers each month.

    Her secret to success? Camille Listens to her audience and delivers them quality content in a digital age, which people are clamoring for, especially in long form. So she continues to focus on her original site rather than pivot toward social media. At any time the algorithm can change and drastically reduce a website's reach. To keep her audience happy, Camille focuses on her email list, which also provides the opportunity for readers to give feedback and ask questions.

    Now more than ever, you can monetize your business online. Join the conversation to hear Camille explain how to monetize your online business and the pros and cons of each method, why it’s important to be picky about the brands you partner with, and a hint at the new product line she is developing.

    Quotes

    • “Discovery is so important for anyone who works online. Whether it’s running a small business online or a content business, everyone wants discovery and it’s so hard in the current world that we’re living in where there’s so much fighting for everyone’s attention.” (14:38-14:57 | Camille)

    • “I’ve seen a lot of my peers rely solely on one channel for getting traffic. And the problem is when one algorithm changes, it can be really destructive to the business.” (15:20-15:36 | Camille)

    • “As a general rule, you can’t try to trick the system in any way. You just have to create good content and write what your audience is searching for. That’s really the only way to be successful with Google.” (16:41-16:53 | Camille)

    • “My litmus test for when a new brand approaches me about working together is always, ‘Can I tell a better story with this brand than I would have been able to tell without the brand?” (25:52-26:03 | Camille)

    Connect with Camille Styles:

    Website | http://www.camillestyles.com

    Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/camillestyles

    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

    51 min
  • Building the Foundation for Future Female Leaders, with Kelly Fair, Founder of Polished Pebbles

    Kelly Fair is known as “The Mentor.” Thirteen years after founding her mentorship organization, Polished Pebbles, Kelly now serves 1,300 girls annually at over 50 schools and sites in the Chicago area and beyond. With of four core programs, young women of school age develop the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. The core school day/after school program provides social-emotional learning and mentoring. Here, the girls learn how to S.H.I.N.E. (Smile, say Hello and Handshake, Introduce themselves, Nod, and End the Conversation), set goals, and dress for success. Kelly's organization offers additional programs that include a work/study program and job shadowing with partnering businesses, particularly in the trades where young women are underrepresented.

    Kelly understands the need for young women to be mentored. Though an enthusiastic and successful primary school student, once she entered sixth grade, like many girls of that age, Kelly found her self-esteem and enthusiasm for school plummeting. Luckily, she was an avid reader of Essence magazine, where she saw Black women lead rich lives and have successful careers. So, she sought out a summer internship at a local salon, where she overcame her shyness and learned about running a business. Later, when her dear mentor Reverend Doctor Linda Shepherd passed away, Kelly realized she wanted to continue Linda’s mission—to mentor other girls to success.

    It is our responsibility to set the foundation of success for our future women leaders. Join today’s conversation to hear Kelly explain why you should always let your mentees see you sweat, why you should stay humble but always let people know how much you’ve scaled, and the importance of staying true to what you actually want to do.

    Quotes

    • “I think people really underestimate how it really doesn’t take that much to engage young people. I think we underestimate how impressed they are that people care that much about them to show up.”(17:57-18:15 | Kelly)

    • “We need male allies as well who are affirming for girls that ‘Yes, this is important; yes, you will work with me; yes, there are not a lot of women but you can be here.’” (33:55-34:05 | Kelly)

    • “Everybody wants to be part of a winning team. If your idea is winning, you’d better not block people from being a part of supporting you.” (51:03-51:12 | Kelly)

    Connect with Kelly Fair:

    Kelly on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/kfairthementor

    Polished Pebbles on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/polishedpebbles

    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

    56 min
  • Teen Entrepreneurship with Alyson Zeller, Founder of Ally Brooke Designs

    “My business model is powered by ADHD,” says Alyson Zeller founder of Ally Brooke designs, “You can turn your disability into an ability.” And Alyson certainly has. At just 18 years old, she has created a successful design business where she designs personalized items ranging from blankets to phone cases with her signature designs. And since the designs are so Instagrammable, she’s been able to promote her products without spending a cent on marketing. Alyson says that because of her ability to hyperfocus with her ADHD, she has been able to find success, and she is proud to spread the message to other young people that they can do the same. Recently, Alyson was accepted at 21 out of the 22 schools she applied to, and is now using her business earnings to pay for school.

    Of course, she hasn’t totally done it alone. Alyson understands the importance of networking, and of delegating tasks outside of her wheelhouse to people who can do it better than she can. Her mother, for example, works as her “superhero” business manager, while she lets her dad handle the math side of things. She has offered free designs to different companies as a future investment.

    No matter your age, you can always find success. You just have to focus on what makes you shine best. Join the discussion to hear Alyson explain why it’s essential to be specific when asking what you want, the importance of having a plan, and what her plans are to continue her business from her dorm room in the fall.

    Quotes:

    • “My mom, besides emotional support, helps me with pricing because I love making art so much I forget that I need to get paid.” (12:30-12:38 | Alyson)

    • “At the end of the day, art is where I really truly shine. And I think it’s important if you know you’re good at something and you’re fortunate enough to have some help, to step back and not control it as much and let them shine at what they shine at, and let you soar at what you soar at.”(19:53-20:08 | Alyson)

    • “You can’t be scared to ask for help, even though you don’t know the person face-to-face, you’ve got to just try to make a connection and that’s what I’ve done.”(25:30-25:38 | Alyson)

    • “If you keep trying, and you keep doing it, and you don’t take no for an answer, you’ll finally get it. The  most important thing is to just keep chasing that dream.”(26:59-27:07 | Alyson)

    Connect with Alyson Zeller:

    Website | https://allybrookedesigns.com/

    Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/Allybrooke_designs

    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

    32 min
  • From 50 to 4500 Stores During a Pandemic, with Perteet Spencer, Co-Founder, Ayo Foods

    Growing up with her family in Liberia, “food was the focal point of all our happiest memories together,” recalls Perteet Spencer, Co-Founder of Ayo Foods. Perteet began her career as a self-described “career foodie,” working for over a decade at General Mills SPINS. Along the way, she noticed that West African food was not being represented in the grocery store, and realized that this was the contribution she wanted to make to the food and wellness space. She launched Ayo in July 2020 with three frozen items, including her family staple cassava leaf. Since then, Ayo Foods has expanded from 50 Whole Foods stores to 4500 in just two years, and added a line of pepper sauces to the repertoire. Part of the proceeds from Ayo go toward funding the Moonboi Project, which, in partnership with Girl Power Africa, is cultivating 15 acres of farmland in Liberia to be used as seed capital for women affected by war and disease to start their own businesses.

    Launching a product in grocery stores right before a pandemic presented a lot of obstacles, but it also meant that more people were cooking and eating at home. When starting and growing a potential business, Perteet says you have to be all in, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Be willing to change your mind about what you need, and build the community around you that will accelerate your vision.

    Join Lindsay and Perteet as they discuss the importance of leaning into outside partners, and the many hats that we wear as entrepreneurs.

    Quotes:

    • “We knew that the design elements in addition to great food were going to be important because if you think about West African flavors as a platform, it’s relatively young, so we knew we needed to get people invested in the total idea of what to expect.” (11:40-11:59 | Perteet)

    • “It’s scary to leave the security of a full-time job, but it reached a point where I was shortchanging the potential of the business. And quite frankly, I started to feel a little resentment toward my full-time job.” (29:10-29:29 | Perteet)

    • “Particularly today, entrepreneurship can be very glamorized, you get to go on cool podcasts, but no one sees me doing my 6:00 am FedEx run.” (30:06-30:18 | Perteet)

    • “I think sometimes when you start something, you assume you have to figure it out all by yourself, and the reality is your idea has the potential to be much, much bigger if you engage the right people.” (37:59-38:10 | Perteet)

    Connect with Perteet Spencer:

    Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/ayofoods

    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consult.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm


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

    43 min
  • Using Your Retail Background to Create the Perfect Product, with Lindsay Holden, Co-Founder of Odele

    “I’m a firm believer that crazy good doesn’t have to be crazy expensive,” says Lindsay Holden, co-founder of Odele hair products. After leaving her corporate job to spend more time with her family, Lindsay knew she wanted to come up with her own product. Lindsay realized there was a blank space for high-quality organic hair care products that didn’t break the bank. Since launching in the beginning of 2020, Odele has sold exclusively at Target. Her up-close experience with the consumer market was invaluable in developing Odele, not only as it familiarized her with what they want, but how they come to choose products. Through her prior corporate experience, Lindsay has created an organic force of promotion for her products, without the help of multi-million dollar advertising budgets like Odele’s competitors often have.

    According to Lindsay, once your product shows up on shelves, you want to keep it there, bearing in mind shipping issues and making sure it’s creating a disruption in its shelf space. When the product delivers what it says it’s going to do, it earns its own media, which is irreplaceable social proof.

    Learn how to break things down into sizable chunks when you’re overwhelmed, why contractors and part time help are just as valuable as a team of full time employees, and why staying curious enough to ask the right questions is more valuable than having all the answers.

    Quotes

    • “I went to the large company for the experience but I never saw it as the end all/be all for me. I knew I wanted to do something on my own terms eventually.” (6:06-6:15 | Lindsay Holden)

    • "I realized that I was at this point in my career where I was giving to the company more than I was receiving back and it was coming at the cost of time with my kids.”(6:34-6:45 | Lindsay Holden)

    • “I’d say it was really the experience at Target and being so close to the consumer, putting the consumer first and understanding how to execute and what makes it successful. It’s one thing to get it on the shelf, it’s another to make sure it’s successful when it gets there.”(23:09-23:27 | Lindsay Holden)

    • “We were profitable out of the gates. We built this in a kind of old school way. (29:04-29:10 | Lindsay Holden)

    Connect with Lindsay Holden:

    Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/odelebeauty/?hl=en

    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consult.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

    • Follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk

    Use code FoundHer for 50% off your first month with both HiveCast and Fireside

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm


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

    45 min
  • Create Opportunities for Longevity with Your Own Personal Brand, with Jessica Zweig, Founder of SimplyBe

    “The point of a brand is to provoke emotional affinity, and no one can do that like a person,” says Jessica Zweig, founder of SimplyBe. In 2008, with no business experience, Jessica co-founded Cheeky Chicago, the largest online platform for singles in Chicago. Despite growing a business that she was one of the faces of, she eventually realized she needed to part ways with her then co-founder.  She sent an email to her network, and before she was earning tens of thousands of dollars a month in retainer fees for her advice and consultation. It was then that she realized SHE was her own best asset and brand. 

    People want to buy from people, and incorporating yourself into your branding strategy not only increases your current growth, but keeps the door open for long term possibilities. Some people are understandably reticent to put themselves out there on social media, but it’s worth the potential impact. As Jessica says, it’s crucial to let go of caring what anyone thinks of you.

    To grow a sustainable brand, it is crucial to create continuous opportunities. Here, Jessica recommends asking 3-5 people in your life to describe your intrinsic value, explains how our vibe attracts our tribe, and the difference between being a business owner and a shopkeeper.

    Quotes

    • “When you create a business that is so intrinsically connected to you, which if you’re an entrepreneur it always is, to say I want to walk away from this is equivalent to saying to yourself I’m going to cut off my right foot. It just doesn’t equate because you’re so connected. But I had to follow the call of my soul.” (7:34-7:54 | Jessica)

    • “I realized that I had an asset called my personal brand. ‘Cheeky’ was not the brand, I was. And I didn’t even realize that.” (13:13-13:27 | Jessica)

    • “People do business with people. That’s my mantra. When a brand message is shared by a person, versus the company sharing that brand message it gets 561 percent more engagement.” (20:06-20:21 | Jessica)

    • “We all have a unique reason for being here, and your product and your business can be manifestations and expressions of that reason for being.”(24:57-25:05 | Jessica)

    • “People want you to win.” (42:51-42:53 | Jessica)

    • “If you have those people who have your back, who are going to lift you up, call you out, but support you every step of the way, you won’t fail.” (44:57-45:08 | Jessica)

    Connect with Jessica Zweig:

    Website | https://simplybeagency.com/

    Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/jessicazweig

    Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Dear FoundHer on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    You can now work with Lindsay 1:1 to build the community for your personal brand or company through the same method she used to grow and scale her business. Fill out the form here and set up a FREE 30-minute consultation.

    You can also:

    • Take Lindsay's FREE 7-Day Social Media Challenge

    • 5 Tips and Tools to Set Up Your Business

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    49 min

About Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

From the publisher's feed

Dear FoundHer… is a How I Built This–style podcast sharing real stories from female entrepreneurs, female founders, and women in business, especially women 40+, who are building companies…

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