Entreprenista

Kiya Tomlin is a fashion designer and entrepreneur. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Pre-Medical Studies at the College of William & Mary, Kiya pursued her lifelong love of fashion by studying Fashion & Apparel Design at the University of Cincinnati. She later established her own brand and line of clothing for women, dedicated to helping her customers live their stories purely and fully, without restrictions or limitations.

Kiya joins us today to share the story of how she started her fashion brand. She discusses her background and what led her to the fashion industry. She explains how she found her first customers and describes how selling online contributed to their growth as a custom design business. Kiya also outlines how she managed her team through the pandemic and highlights the power of email marketing.

“There is no perfect time nor set of circumstances. Be confident and take the steps.” - Kiya Tomlin

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• Kiya’s background and her path to fashion design and entrepreneurship
• Deciding what she wanted to design and how Kiya found her first customers
• How Kiya got the word out about her business
• Launching her website and how she got her first storefront and studio space
• Getting into the wholesale business and how Kiya learned to work with a factory
• The first steps Kiya took to find manufacturers
• How Kiya knew the number of dresses to order from manufacturers in the beginning
• Her initial marketing strategy and trying her luck in trade shows
• How Kiya’s fashion brand has evolved over the years
• Driving traffic to your website, attracting customers, and the power of email marketing
• Building Kiya’s team and making her first hire
• How Kiya managed her team through the COVID-19 pandemic
• The Kiya Tomlin team’s role in producing one million face masks and collaborating with the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Kiya’s go-to fashion tip and her advice on growing a business while staying present with the family

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “The responsibility of providing for someone’s livelihood is serious—it is not something to be taken lightly.” - Kiya Tomlin
• “The apparel timeline is stressful. But with selling online and direct-to-customer, you can have your own timeline.” - Kiya Tomlin
• “Being an Entreprenista means I get to live my story — and create with it.” - Kiya Tomlin

Connect with Kiya Tomlin:

• Kiya Tomlin
• Kiya Tomlin on LinkedIn
• Kiya Tomlin on Instagram
• Kiya Tomlin on Facebook
• Kiya Tomlin on Twitter

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Introducing… Startups in Stilettos Podcast

Have you recently started a business? Are you considering taking the leap to start? Do you find yourself alone and overwhelmed in the whirlwind of early challenges in your entreprenista journey?

Then our newest podcast – brought to you by the Entreprenista Network – is for you.

The Startups in Stilettos Podcast helps you learn what it takes to grow your startup from your peers in the startup world and those who are in your shoes… or your stilettos, if you will. Each week, you’ll hear from startup founders from the Entreprenista League who are in the trenches and building their businesses from the ground up.

Learn more about the Startups in Stilettos Podcast by visiting www.entreprenista.com/startupsinstilettos/ and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Startups in Stilettos launches on March 8, 2022 – on International Women’s Day. We can’t wait to share everything we have in store with you.

Become An Entreprenista!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for female founders, by female founders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.

Kiya Tomlin is a fashion designer and entrepreneur. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Pre-Medical Studies at the College of William & Mary, Kiya pursued her lifelong love of fashion by studying Fashion & Apparel Design at the University of Cincinnati. She later established her own brand and line of clothing for women, dedicated to helping her customers live their stories purely and fully, without restrictions or limitations.

Kiya joins us today to share the story of how she started her fashion brand. She discusses her background and what led her to the fashion industry. She explains how she found her first customers and describes how selling online contributed to their growth as a custom design business. Kiya also outlines how she managed her team through the pandemic and highlights the power of email marketing.

“There is no perfect time nor set of circumstances. Be confident and take the steps.” - Kiya Tomlin

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Kiya’s background and her path to fashion design and entrepreneurshipDeciding what she wanted to design and how Kiya found her first customersHow Kiya got the word out about her businessLaunching her website and how she got her first storefront and studio spaceGetting into the wholesale business and how Kiya learned to work with a factoryThe first steps Kiya took to find manufacturersHow Kiya knew the number of dresses to order from manufacturers in the beginningHer initial marketing strategy and trying her luck in trade showsHow Kiya’s fashion brand has evolved over the yearsDriving traffic to your website, attracting customers, and the power of email marketingBuilding Kiya’s team and making her first hireHow Kiya managed her team through the COVID-19 pandemicThe Kiya Tomlin team’s role in producing one million face masks and collaborating with the Pittsburgh SteelersKiya’s go-to fashion tip and her advice on growing a business while staying present with the family

Our Favorite Quotes:

“The responsibility of providing for someone’s livelihood is serious—it is not something to be taken lightly.” - Kiya Tomlin“The apparel timeline is stressful. But with selling online and direct-to-customer, you can have your own timeline.” - Kiya Tomlin“Being an Entreprenista means I get to live my story — and create with it.” - Kiya Tomlin 

Connect with Kiya Tomlin:

Kiya TomlinKiya Tomlin on LinkedInKiya Tomlin on InstagramKiya Tomlin on FacebookKiya Tomlin on Twitter

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Introducing… Startups in Stilettos Podcast

Lindsey Laurain is the Founder of ezpz, an organization revolutionizing the feeding industry with their Happy Mat mealtime tool. Lindsey is an operations, management, and sales professional with extensive experience in start-ups and the medical industry. Before launching ezpz, Lindsey served as the Director of Operations for Humana. She had also served as an operations manager for Pfizer, a company she has worked with for over eight years.

Lindsey joins us today to recount her journey from working in corporate America to launching ezpz. She reveals the lessons she learned from prototyping, designing a physical product, and appearing on Shark Tank. She outlines the process of starting and running a Kickstarter campaign and discusses building the proper infrastructures to protect your products. Lindsey also highlights how a grassroots community of moms helped ezpz grow and offers advice to Entreprenistas.

“Anything is possible. If you believe enough in what you’re doing, you can make it happen.” - Lindsey Laurain

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• Lindsey’s background and her beginnings as an Entreprenista
• How long it took Lindsey to decide to quit her job and launch her business
• The first steps Lindsey took toward turning her business idea into a product
• How much money Lindsey invested in her products before launching a Kickstarter campaign
• The initial production run for ezpz products and the process of doing a Kickstarter and other crowdfunding campaigns
• Lindsey’s appearance on Shark Tank and what has surprised her about running ezpz
• How the ezpz team has grown since its launch
• The process of getting into retail
• What Lindsey has learned from working with retailers
• How Lindsey’s marketing strategies evolved over the years
• Her advice on reaching the mom community

Resources Mentioned:

• QuickBooks

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Accepting those hard times as part of our journey has made it so much easier.” - Lindsey Laurain
• “It’s possible for anyone to follow entrepreneurship.” - Lindsey Laurain
• “Trade shows are a great place to meet retailers.” - Lindsey Laurain

Connect with Lindsey Laurain:

• ezpz
• ezpz on LinkedIn
• ezpz on Instagram
• ezpz on Facebook
• ezpz on Twitter
• ezpz on Pinterest
• Lindsey Laurain on LinkedIn

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Improve Your Customer Support with TextExpander

Every minute counts when running a business. That's why we are so excited to introduce you to an amazing, time-saving customer support solution - TextExpander! TextExpander gives you an edge over your competition by speeding up your customer support and communications with easy-to-format snippets that save you time when typing. With TextExpander, your customer communications will have less repetition, fewer errors and consistent messaging that will keep your growing team aligned and working more efficiently.

Here's how it works…

1. Drop commonly used content (like email templates and FAQs) into TextExpander to create a snippet and assign an abbreviation.
2. Type the abbreviation to trigger your snippet and see your content expand.

It's that easy!

TextExpander is available on Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone and iPad so you can use your snippets on any device, in any program, and share them with your growing team.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to save valuable time and get more done with the power of TextExpander. To start your journey toward better, faster, more consistent customer support and save 20% off your first year with TextExpander, visit www.TextExpander.com/Podcast.

Become An Entreprenista!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for female founders, by female founders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.

Lindsey Laurain is the Founder of ezpz, an organization revolutionizing the feeding industry with their Happy Mat mealtime tool. Lindsey is an operations, management, and sales professional with extensive experience in start-ups and the medical industry. Before launching ezpz, Lindsey served as the Director of Operations for Humana. She had also served as an operations manager for Pfizer, a company she has worked with for over eight years.

Lindsey joins us today to recount her journey from working in corporate America to launching ezpz. She reveals the lessons she learned from prototyping, designing a physical product, and appearing on Shark Tank. She outlines the process of starting and running a Kickstarter campaign and discusses building the proper infrastructures to protect your products. Lindsey also highlights how a grassroots community of moms helped ezpz grow and offers advice to Entreprenistas.

“Anything is possible. If you believe enough in what you’re doing, you can make it happen.” - Lindsey Laurain

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Lindsey’s background and her beginnings as an EntreprenistaHow long it took Lindsey to decide to quit her job and launch her businessThe first steps Lindsey took toward turning her business idea into a productHow much money Lindsey invested in her products before launching a Kickstarter campaignThe initial production run for ezpz products and the process of doing a Kickstarter and other crowdfunding campaignsLindsey’s appearance on Shark Tank and what has surprised her about running ezpzHow the ezpz team has grown since its launchThe process of getting into retailWhat Lindsey has learned from working with retailersHow Lindsey’s marketing strategies evolved over the yearsHer advice on reaching the mom community

Resources Mentioned:

QuickBooks

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Accepting those hard times as part of our journey has made it so much easier.” - Lindsey Laurain“It’s possible for anyone to follow entrepreneurship.” - Lindsey Laurain“Trade shows are a great place to meet retailers.” - Lindsey Laurain

Connect with Lindsey Laurain:

ezpzezpz on LinkedInezpz on Instagramezpz on Facebookezpz on Twitterezpz on PinterestLindsey Laurain on LinkedIn

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Improve Your Customer Support with TextExpander

Every minute counts when running a business. That's why we are so excited to introduce you to an amazing, time-saving customer support solution - TextExpander!...

Rachel Katzman is the Co-founder of P.volve, an omnichannel fitness brand that features a global on-demand platform, live virtual classes, a growing line of patented equipment, and studios in multiple cities. Launched in 2017, P.volve is known for its functional fitness philosophy and remains a leading force among women-led companies. Rachel also founded the haircare brand, Cuvée Beauty, in 2015.

Rachel joins me today to share her experience running two companies at once and the lessons she learned from selling her business. She discusses why it’s important to be unafraid when asking questions and explains how a strong community supported P.volve’s launch. She describes how she has evolved as a leader throughout the years. Rachel also underscores the importance of listening to learn and outlines the rebranding process.

“There’s no better feeling than having a vision come to reality and change peoples’ lives for the better.” - Rachel Katzman

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• How long it took Rachel to decide on selling Cuvée Beauty
• The power of asking questions and Rachel’s learned lessons from the acquisition process
• What the experience of selling her company was like
• What P.volve is and how the company has grown
• The world of functional movement and low-impact exercise
• The inspiration behind P.volve and the first steps she took toward launching the company
• The most exciting and challenging parts of growing a team
• How Rachel has evolved as a leader over the years
• Learning to outsource and delegate and Rachel’s day-to-day responsibilities at P.volve
• The story behind P.volve’s reimagined brand
• The process of rebranding
• Testing influencer marketing, how macro-influencers benefitted P.volve, and working with niche influencers
• How the P.volve team traversed through the COVID-19 pandemic
• Rachel’s tips on keeping a team personally connected while working remotely
• Her advice for Entreprenistas who are about to start their own company

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Listening to learn and not listening to respond is something that has served me well.” - Rachel Katzman
• “Don’t ever be afraid to ask a question for more clarity or information; that’s how you’re going to get the best results.” - Rachel Katzman
• “Creating a team that shares the same passion and dedication is rewarding. Learning from team members and hearing their own transformation is powerful.” - Rachel Katzman

Connect with Rachel Katzman:

• P.volve
• P.volve on LinkedIn
• P.volve on Instagram
• P.volve on Facebook
• Rachel Katzman on LinkedIn
• Rachel Katzman on Instagram

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Introducing… Startups in Stilettos Podcast

Have you recently started a business? Are you considering taking the leap to start? Do you find yourself alone and overwhelmed in the whirlwind of early challenges in your entreprenista journey?

Then our newest podcast – brought to you by the Entreprenista Network – is for you.

The Startups in Stilettos Podcast helps you learn what it takes to grow your startup from your peers in the startup world and those who are in your shoes… or your stilettos, if you will. Each week, you’ll hear from startup founders from the Entreprenista League who are in the trenches and building their businesses from the ground up.

Learn more about the Startups in Stilettos Podcast by visiting www.entreprenista.com/startupsinstilettos/ and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts..

Startups in Stilettos launches on March 8, 2022 – on International Women’s Day. We can’t wait to share everything we have in store with you.

Improve Your Customer Support with TextExpander

Every minute counts when running a business. That's why we are so excited to introduce you to an amazing, time-saving customer support solution - TextExpander! TextExpander gives you an edge over your competition by speeding up your customer support and communications with easy-to-format snippets that save you time when typing. With TextExpander, your customer communications will have less repetition, fewer errors and consistent messaging that will keep your growing team aligned and working more efficiently.

Here's how it works…

1. Drop commonly used content (like email templates and FAQs) into TextExpander to create a snippet and assign an abbreviation.
2. Type the abbreviation to trigger your snippet and see your content expand.

It's that easy!

TextExpander is available on Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone and iPad so you can use your snippets on any device, in any program, and share them with your growing team.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to save valuable time and get more done with the power of TextExpander. To start your journey toward better, faster, more consistent customer support and save 20% off your first year with TextExpander, visit www.TextExpander.com/Podcast.

Become An Entreprenista!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for female founders, by female founders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.

Rachel Katzman is the Co-founder of P.volve, an omnichannel fitness brand that features a global on-demand platform, live virtual classes, a growing line of patented equipment, and studios in multiple cities. Launched in 2017, P.volve is known for its functional fitness philosophy and remains a leading force among women-led companies. Rachel also founded the haircare brand, Cuvée Beauty, in 2015.

Rachel joins me today to share her experience running two companies at once and the lessons she learned from selling her business. She discusses why it’s important to be unafraid when asking questions and explains how a strong community supported P.volve’s launch. She describes how she has evolved as a leader throughout the years. Rachel also underscores the importance of listening to learn and outlines the rebranding process.

“There’s no better feeling than having a vision come to reality and change peoples’ lives for the better.” - Rachel Katzman

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

How long it took Rachel to decide on selling Cuvée BeautyThe power of asking questions and Rachel’s learned lessons from the acquisition processWhat the experience of selling her company was likeWhat P.volve is and how the company has grownThe world of functional movement and low-impact exerciseThe inspiration behind P.volve and the first steps she took toward launching the companyThe most exciting and challenging parts of growing a teamHow Rachel has evolved as a leader over the yearsLearning to outsource and delegate and Rachel’s day-to-day responsibilities at P.volveThe story behind P.volve’s reimagined brandThe process of rebrandingTesting influencer marketing, how macro-influencers benefitted P.volve, and working with niche influencersHow the P.volve team traversed through the COVID-19 pandemicRachel’s tips on keeping a team personally connected while working remotelyHer advice for Entreprenistas who are about to start their own company

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Listening to learn and not listening to respond is something that has served me well.” - Rachel Katzman“Don’t ever be afraid to ask a question for more clarity or information; that’s how you’re going to get the best results.” - Rachel Katzman“Creating a team that shares the same passion and dedication is rewarding. Learning from team members and hearing their own transformation is powerful.” - Rachel Katzman

Connect with Rachel Katzman:

P.volveP.volve on LinkedInP.volve on InstagramP.volve on FacebookRachel Katzman on LinkedInRachel Katzman on Instagram

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Santhi Ramesh is the CMO of The Hershey Company. A senior global marketing executive, Santhi’s career spans several years and across powerful brands such as Colgate-Palmolive, McCain Foods, and Walmart. She completed her Master of Business Administration degree at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Madras. A staunch advocate for women, Santhi is also a proud member of Chief, an organization for women leaders.

Santhi joins us today to discuss what it takes to launch a global campaign to uplift women. She shares her background and explains how her father inspired her to have a career in marketing. She outlines her strategies for leading and championing a global team. Santhi also provides her insights on reaching out and marketing to women globally and describes why Hershey’s “Her for She” campaign is close to her heart.

“It’s all about creating a sisterhood. We need to be in it together and support each other. We can all rise together.” - Santhi Ramesh

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• Santhi’s role after business school and the key lessons she learned while working at Walmart
• Key lessons she learned while working at Walmart
• The 20-Foot Rule and the power of packaging
• Situational leadership and her thought process on championing a global team
• Her advice on collaborating on projects virtually
• Creative problem-solving skills and brainstorming techniques for success
• The “Her for She” campaign and what it’s like to launch a global movement
• Santhi’s tactics for reaching out and marketing to women globally
• Why the “Her for She” Campaign is important to Santhi
• Santhi’s efforts in uplifting women
• The importance of loving what you do and Santhi’s advice on balancing work and life

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t by Jim Collins
• Book: Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
• Book: Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Look at what the shopper wants. We often look at what the consumer wants but overlook the dynamics in a retail environment that drives a purchase.” - Santhi Ramesh
• “Empower teams to unleash their creativity.” - Santhi Ramesh
• “Going through the life of a woman: understanding that experience and solving the problems she has is most important in serving her needs and maximizing the potential for you as a business owner.” - Santhi Ramesh

Connect with Santhi Ramesh:

• The Hershey Company
• The Hershey Company on LinkedIn
• The Hershey Company on Instagram
• The Hershey Company on Facebook
• The Hershey Company on Twitter
• The Hershey Company on YouTube
• Santhi Ramesh on LinkedIn

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Introducing… Startups in Stilettos Podcast

Have you recently started a business? Are you considering taking the leap to start? Do you find yourself alone and overwhelmed in the whirlwind of early challenges in your entreprenista journey?

Then our newest podcast – brought to you by the Entreprenista Network – is for you.

Santhi Ramesh is the CMO of The Hershey Company. A senior global marketing executive, Santhi’s career spans several years and across powerful brands such as Colgate-Palmolive, McCain Foods, and Walmart. She completed her Master of Business Administration degree at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Madras. A staunch advocate for women, Santhi is also a proud member of Chief, an organization for women leaders.

Santhi joins us today to discuss what it takes to launch a global campaign to uplift women. She shares her background and explains how her father inspired her to have a career in marketing. She outlines her strategies for leading and championing a global team. Santhi also provides her insights on reaching out and marketing to women globally and describes why Hershey’s “Her for She” campaign is close to her heart.

“It’s all about creating a sisterhood. We need to be in it together and support each other. We can all rise together.” - Santhi Ramesh

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Santhi’s role after business school and the key lessons she learned while working at WalmartKey lessons she learned while working at WalmartThe 20-Foot Rule and the power of packagingSituational leadership and her thought process on championing a global teamHer advice on collaborating on projects virtuallyCreative problem-solving skills and brainstorming techniques for successThe “Her for She” campaign and what it’s like to launch a global movementSanthi’s tactics for reaching out and marketing to women globallyWhy the “Her for She” Campaign is important to SanthiSanthi’s efforts in uplifting womenThe importance of loving what you do and Santhi’s advice on balancing work and life

Resources Mentioned:

Book: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t by Jim CollinsBook: Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm GladwellBook: Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Look at what the shopper wants. We often look at what the consumer wants but overlook the dynamics in a retail environment that drives a purchase.” - Santhi Ramesh“Empower teams to unleash their creativity.” - Santhi Ramesh“Going through the life of a woman: understanding that experience and solving the problems she has is most important in serving her needs and maximizing the potential for you as a business owner.” - Santhi Ramesh

Connect with Santhi Ramesh:

The Hershey CompanyThe Hershey Company on LinkedInThe Hershey Company on InstagramThe Hershey Company on FacebookThe Hershey Company on TwitterThe Hershey Company on YouTubeSanthi Ramesh on LinkedIn

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step,

Mara Smith is the Founder and CEO of Inspiro Tequila, an additive-free tequila brand owned, created, and inspired by women. After graduating from Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern University, Mara worked as an attorney for Mayer, Brown, & Platt and later as a corporate attorney for McDonald’s. Mara and the Inspiro Tequila team seek to support and inspire women founders while making women feel seen and relevant in industries where they have long been underrepresented.

Mara joins us today to discuss Inspiro Tequila’s mission to meet the needs of women consumers. She describes how she pivoted from serving as a McDonald’s corporate attorney to following her entrepreneurial spirit. She highlights the importance of knowing your customers and innovating marketing strategies to meet their needs. Mara also outlines the digital strategies Inspiro Tequila used to build brand awareness before launching and shares her advice on taking the risk to reach out and network.

“As a founder, you have to have an understanding of every aspect of the business enough to make decisions, but you don’t have to be the expert in every area.” - Mara Smith

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• What lit Mara’s entrepreneurial spirit and inspired her to launch Inspiro Tequila
• Creating and innovating customer-centric products
• The first steps Mara took toward turning her idea into a thriving business
• How her legal background helped her build a business
• How long it took Mara to research the liquor industry and its customers
• The most surprising things Mara learned after launching her business
• Mara’s advice on funding your business and alternatives to seeking VC funds or giving away equity
• Her tips on working with agencies or freelancers and delegating parts of the business
• The Inspiro Tequila launch strategy and how learning about their customers helped the company build a brand community
• Why Mara moved away from using Google Drive and the alternative she’s currently using
• Working with influencers and ambassadors and how Inspiro Tequila measures the efficacy of their brand strategy
• Mara’s networking and community-building strategies
• Her thoughts on balancing work and life as an Entreprenista

Resources Mentioned:

• App: Airtable

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Find small agencies and freelancers to help you; being new, I wanted someone who cared about the brand and wanted to see Inspiro Tequila grow.” - Mara Smith
• “Be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all.” - Mara Smith
• “Supporting other women-owned businesses is essential for any woman in business to be successful.” - Mara Smith

Connect with Mara Smith:

• Inspiro Tequila
• Inspiro Tequila on LinkedIn
• Inspiro Tequila on Instagram
• Inspiro Tequila on Facebook
• Inspiro Tequila on Twitter
• Mara Smith on LinkedIn
• CODEWORD: Entreprenista10

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

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Become An Entreprenista!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for female founders, by female founders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Mara Smith is the Founder and CEO of Inspiro Tequila, an additive-free tequila brand owned, created, and inspired by women. After graduating from Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern University, Mara worked as an attorney for Mayer, Brown, & Platt and later as a corporate attorney for McDonald’s. Mara and the Inspiro Tequila team seek to support and inspire women founders while making women feel seen and relevant in industries where they have long been underrepresented.

Mara joins us today to discuss Inspiro Tequila’s mission to meet the needs of women consumers. She describes how she pivoted from serving as a McDonald’s corporate attorney to following her entrepreneurial spirit. She highlights the importance of knowing your customers and innovating marketing strategies to meet their needs. Mara also outlines the digital strategies Inspiro Tequila used to build brand awareness before launching and shares her advice on taking the risk to reach out and network.

“As a founder, you have to have an understanding of every aspect of the business enough to make decisions, but you don’t have to be the expert in every area.” - Mara Smith

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

What lit Mara’s entrepreneurial spirit and inspired her to launch Inspiro TequilaCreating and innovating customer-centric productsThe first steps Mara took toward turning her idea into a thriving businessHow her legal background helped her build a businessHow long it took Mara to research the liquor industry and its customersThe most surprising things Mara learned after launching her businessMara’s advice on funding your business and alternatives to seeking VC funds or giving away equityHer tips on working with agencies or freelancers and delegating parts of the businessThe Inspiro Tequila launch strategy and how learning about their customers helped the company build a brand communityWhy Mara moved away from using Google Drive and the alternative she’s currently usingWorking with influencers and ambassadors and how Inspiro Tequila measures the efficacy of their brand strategyMara’s networking and community-building strategiesHer thoughts on balancing work and life as an Entreprenista

Resources Mentioned:

App: Airtable

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Find small agencies and freelancers to help you; being new, I wanted someone who cared about the brand and wanted to see Inspiro Tequila grow.” - Mara Smith“Be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all.” - Mara Smith“Supporting other women-owned businesses is essential for any woman in business to be successful.” - Mara Smith

Connect with Mara Smith:

Inspiro TequilaInspiro Tequila on LinkedInInspiro Tequila on InstagramInspiro Tequila on FacebookInspiro Tequila on TwitterMara Smith on LinkedInCODEWORD: Entreprenista10

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you,