Fierce Lab

Do you have an idea that you want to turn into a business?   Are you a solopreneur ready to build a team?  Do you need advice for getting funded?  Strategic Business Coach and Advisor, Desiree Younge, breaks down the truths for starting and scaling a business on this episode.

Desiree is a third generation entrepreneur who has leveraged her experience to help thousands of women scale their companies.  In 2015 she was tapped by the Tory Burch Foundation to develop the Fellows Program which connects US women entrepreneurs with capital, education and digital resources to advance their vision beyond early stage startup.  Later she evolved the Capital Program and secured a partnership with Bank of America which provides women access to affordable loans through Community Lenders.

As an advisor Desiree offers customized business and leadership coaching through strategic and tactical methods that are measurable through financial and social returns. 

Does the thought of buying a car feel intimidating to you?  Have you ever wondered if there are secrets to negotiating the best deal?  And what about those warranties and maintenance packages - should you buy them?

Kelly Lurz has spent that last six and half years in the luxury car business in just about every sales role to be found in a dealership.  She joins me on this episode to teach us the steps to buying a car.   We cover everything from developing a relationship with the dealer before you buy to getting the best price at the service department and all the steps in between.  Kelly breaks down the myth about cash buyers, shares why you should always finance through the dealership, and teaches you how to secure dealer incentives.

Her tips will leave you feeling confident, informed and powerful - putting you in the driver seat that next time you negotiate for a car. 

For this episode of Fierce Lab, Sade Balogun and I dissect risk, rejection and reward through the lens of a corporate career.  Sade's career path has been intentional, starting with an early opportunity at Kohl's as a Business Analyst to now as a Senior Brand Manager at Starbucks.  Between the two she went to business school at NYU and then worked in the fast-paced start up world at Groupon.  With each career move, Sade has honed her skills and evolved as a leader.

Here she shares her insights for taking calculated risks as well as facing rejection and turning it into growth opportunities.  Sade's tips include doing mini post-mortems on decisions that didn't work out and to surround yourself with people who will help you evaluate your decision tree.  Sade is also a big believer in going where you're valued and shares how she has learned to establish professional boundaries to protect her mental health. 

This is an episode you won't want to miss, especially if you're the climbing the corporate ladder. 

Dr. Krista Austin is a woman you want on your team.  A sport scientist, currently serving as a performance specialist for professional and Olympic sport athletes, Krista has spent her career studying and coaching elite athletes for peak performance.  A large part of her body of work is focused on mental health in pro sports, but you don't have to be a professional athlete to benefit from Krista's experience. 

On this episode, we discuss many of the key areas that impact a woman's mental health including body image, financial strain as well as professional stress.  Krista shares stories of how she has coached female athletes through personal and professional highs and lows, helping them find or regain their confidence.   During our discussion Krista shares ways we can improve our mental health, tips for finding a psychologist, how our friends impact our success in life and why, now more than ever we need to raise a red flags when we're struggling emotionally.  Her advice is applicable to any woman, pro athlete or not, and is especially timely as we face the impact of a global pandemic. 

Cate Luzio spent over 15 years in corporate banking and during that time she observed a lot of women's careers stalling - not from a lack of desire to advance but from a lack of knowledge and resources to help them advance.  As Cate learned to navigate networking, new skill development and speaking up for opportunities, others - both men and women - took notice and sought out her guidance.  Before long Cate realized she had a desire to do more; to share what she knew with more women across many industries, not just banking.  Enter her launch of Luminary, a collaboration hub for women-identified who are passionate about professional development and expanding their networks.  Just over a year in and Luminary has recruited the support of major businesses including Unilever, WW (formally Weight Watchers), JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, to name a few. 

In late February I sat down with Cate in her New York location to chat all things women and career advancement.  Some questions we tackled for this episode include: What are the building blocks for advancement? How can women help one another succeed? Why is it imperative women get comfortable raising their hand for new opportunities, even if they don't have the experience? And my personal favorite, why must women start talking openly about money?

In mid March, with the outbreak of COVID-19, Cate was forced to pivot Luminary to a fully virtual/digital hub.  She and her team took the challenge head on and have excelled.  If you're a woman looking for resources to help you grow your career, this podcast points you in the right direction.  To learn more about Cate and Luminary, visit www.Luminary-NYC.com.

When Jenna Alessandrini, while gaming with her dad Steve, found out she couldn't make a female character for the video game, Madden NFL 20, she was discouraged.  She didn't want her player to be male; she wanted a female player that looked like her.  While most would simply let this be a fleeting disappointment, Jenna decided to take action and wrote a letter to the CEO of Electronic Arts (EA), the maker of the video game.  Her letter garnered a response from Andrew Wilson who assured Jenna the company is working to add gender selection to the game.

On the surface, Jeanna's outreach to EA may not sound unusual or noteworthy, but when you learn Jenna is 14 years old, her story becomes even more inspiring!  Already she is using her voice to advocate for gender equality, combat stereotypes and surface biases by brands.  On this episode of Fierce Lab we talk about how girls can find the courage to speak out, who inspires her and why (hello Emma Watson!) and the responsibility she feels brands have to reflect and respond to their consumers.

Jenna is a very bright young lady with so much poise and maturity.  Talking with her left me inspired and motivated to support and encourage this next generation of leaders.  With young ladies like Jenna speaking truth to power, we have a bright equitable future ahead.  I can't wait to see how she and her peers change the world.  You can bet I'll be watching, cheering and telling their stories!  

Andrea Karnes is Senior Curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.  She describes her role as a steward for all artists and their work.  She likens pulling together exhibitions to being a lawyer, selecting an argument and defending her position throughout the run of the exhibition.  

On this episode we dig in to how Andrea was first exposed to art and how that lead her to a career at The Modern.  She discusses her desire to make art accessible to all and how that lead to exhibitions of such prolific and culturally relevant artists as KAWS, Laurie Simmons and Takashi Murakami.   In our discussion it is evident Andrea is passionate about curating art that is reflective of all museum patrons and it is no more apparent than when she talks of the exhibition she curated with conceptual artist from Mexico.

And our chat concludes with career and life advice and what Andrea hopes for the future.    

Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno and Aparna Rae are the co-founders of Future For Us, a platform dedicated to advancing womxn of color at work through community, culture, and career development.  Last fall, in partnership with The Riveter, they criss-crossed the country on their State of Womxn of Color tour - bringing together data, storytelling and solutions for women of color.  I attended their event in Dallas and immediately knew I wanted to invite them to share their story through the podcast.  Shortly after their final stop of the tour, I talked with Sage and Aparna to learn more about their work and what's next for their organization.  

In this episode they share how they're creating change in the workplace and key tips for being an ally to women of color in our communities.  (Step one:  Do the work through educating yourself.)  We talk about what motivated them to launch Future for Us and how they've built a highly engaged community of over 8,000 women in one year.  We also discussed the work that still needs to be done to close the gap for women of color in the workplace and how everyone can contribute.  

To learn more about how you can get involved, including participating in their crowdfunding campaign, visit their website, futureforus.co or @futureforus.now on Instagram.  

Do you ever feel stuck?  Do you have a hard time taking action, especially when that action will propel you rapidly toward your big goals?  Amber Dodzweit Riposta, women's circuit training expert, fitness model and all-around truth teller, knows this feeling well.  On this episode, she shares her journey from "just another girl" to a "woman with a purpose" and she's quick to explain how you can be too.    Amber wants women to stop talking themselves out of opportunities and to step into their true power.  She offers actionable tips for breaking these habits and opens up about her own struggles to become the woman she knows she's called to be.  You can follow Amber on Instagram at @amberdodzweit.

Ivy Awino knows what it takes to lead the way; she's the first female Team DJ for the Dallas Mavericks and only the second woman DJ in the NBA. In 2018, Ivy was asked to provide music for the NBA All Star game — again, a first. But working hard and smashing goals are not new for Ivy. As a teen, she was a ball kid for the Mavericks and an intern at a radio station, K104. As an adult, she has parlayed both of these experiences into her career.

When she’s not on air, in an arena, or behind the turntables in a nightclub, Ivy is an advocate for causes close to her heart and works to empower youth pursuing careers in the arts and sports. Ivy was also a guest at Fierce Lab LIVE 2021 on the Risk Taking panel.

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