LEAVE YOUR MARK: Freshly Brewed Career Advice with Aliza Licht

When we talk about career changes, we don't normally talk about someone going from a media role to becoming the founder of a beauty brand, but that's exactly what Sophia Chabbott did as the founder of Testament Beauty, a skincare line known for being the Mediterranean diet for your face. Testament Beauty is centered around the simple and stunningly beautiful garden-grown ingredients core to her family heritage and traditions. How did she come up with her tagline of being the Mediterranean diet for your face? She was tired of opening her medicine cabinet and being bombarded with messaging like prevent, correct, and repair. 

Before founding Testament Beauty, Sophia was a journalist, and we worked together during her years at Women's Wear Daily and Glamour. I remember when Sophia told me she would launch a brand over dinner. Six years in the making, most notably because of her imposter syndrome, Sophia finally got out of her way and made her dream possible at the pivotal age of 40. 

"I was telling my brother somebody should do a skincare line that is, you know, sort of like how we grew up, like the Mediterranean diet but for your face, and he was like, why not you?"

In this episode, Sophia shares her story and experience rising in her career to become a top-tier journalist and then saying goodbye to her media life to embrace the hustle life of being a start-up founder. She shares her fears, obstacles, and, ultimately, what made her move past her self-doubt to create something uniquely her own. 

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Stacey Stevenson dropped out of a rural high school in the South when they were pulled out of the closet. They worked at fast food restaurants to save enough money to move to Dallas to "do something with their life" because they were intent on making it in the corporate world. Stacey achieved just that with a long history of senior defense, technology, and finance roles. But in 2021, they turned their business acumen, lived experience, and passion to work for LGBTQ+ families and those who wish to form them.

As the first Black Chief Executive Officer at Family Equality, Stacey is a trailblazing leader, selected as one of Out Magazine's Out100 list — a compilation of the year's most impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people — in the fall of 2022.

Stacey has already ushered Family Equality through a tremendous chapter of growth. From expanding the organization's work to protect LGBTQ+ youth and families in schools to deepening the focus on lowering barriers to parenthood in our community, they have prioritized not only advancing lived and legal equality for LGBTQ+ families but also advancing racial and social justice for BIPOC communities, those living in rural areas, and those living at or below the poverty line. And they are just getting started. 

A powerful speaker and motivator, Stacey regularly shares their experiences growing up LGBTQ+ in the rural South, being pulled out of the closet, and navigating life as a Black queer parent.

Stacey's advocacy has helped propel Family Equality further into the national spotlight with multiple appearances on The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart, a bipartisan panel discussion hosted at the U.S. Capitol, collaborations with movement partners, countless speaking engagements, and media appearances including an op-ed in USA TODAY. In the op-ed, Stacey shared their family's story of moving from their home state of Texas in search of a more welcoming community. Stacey, wife Cheralyn, and 8-year-old twin boys, Duke and London, enjoy the life they are building in Washington, D.C.

In this episode, Stacey shares their journey, which is, at times, heartbreaking but equally inspiring. We discuss their work and mission at Family Equality, the importance of being an ally, and why people cancel themselves when they don't speak up for their beliefs. We dive into work-life balance, mindful Mondays, ruthless prioritization, how they leveraged transferable skills to crush an interview for a job they had no experience in, and so much more.

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Dubbed by the New York Times as the Queen of Hoops, Jennifer Fisher's accessories brand is coveted by top celebrities and the fashion set. But Jennifer Fisher's creativity doesn't fit neatly into a box. As a former wardrobe stylist for commercials, this jewelry founder's exceptional eye has graced other categories like home and interior design, and her expert kitchen skills have made her custom salts the new must-have accessory to meals across the country with @jenniferfisherkitchen. How does a jewelry designer branch out into salts? Jennifer is laser-focused on creating what she feels deep in her gut and not caring what others think.

In this episode, Jennifer shares her personal story of motherhood and serious health struggles and how her son's unexpected and miraculous birth quite literally gave birth to her jewelry collection. The baby gifts being sent to her just weren't cutting it. Her famous personalized stamped dog tag was the talk of the photo shoots she was on, and all it took was making one necklace for Uma Thurman (who wore hers on the cover of Glamour), and the rest is history. Founded 18 years ago, her brand is now omnichannel and just getting started.

Jennifer shares her mentality around brand-building as an individual, being super direct, and why you can't attract everyone. Note: That's ok with her. Her energy and style are contagious; you'll leave this one inspired to be yourself.

Jennifer is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a nominee for the 2019 Accessory Designer of the Year at the annual CFDA Awards, a recipient of the 2018 Town & Country Jewelry Award for Retail Innovation, the 2016 Influencer of the Year at the annual Accessories Council Excellence (ACE) Awards and was a nominee for the CFDA Swarovski Accessories award in 2014. She speaks frequently about strategic leadership, brand building, and empowering the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs, most recently at Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Columbia, Savannah College of Art & Design, and Northeastern University.

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What does it take to get on television and succeed in media today? Jaclyn Levin knows. As an accomplished media executive, executive producer, showrunner, advisor, and consultant, she has led network news broadcasts, content development, show creation, and the building and developing of modern, multimedia, and digital-first businesses. Jaclyn earned four Emmy Awards, four Gracie Awards, an Edward R. Murrow award, two Daytime Emmy Nominations, and was named to Variety's 2020 Power of Women Impact Report.

Throughout her career in network news, Jaclyn has produced and overseen award-winning, quality content with the highest level of journalistic and production value. With a front-row seat to history in the making, she has led top-tier teams of journalists delivering millions of people their news daily. Her versatility is key to pivoting from breaking news coverage to features, entertainment, lifestyle, and short-form storytelling.

As one of the first female Executive Producers at TODAY, Jaclyn ran the business behind the multi-million dollar hour of television she oversaw, managing relationships with not only high-profile news anchors and entertainment talent but also partnering with all internal teams. Jaclyn spent 15 years at TODAY, and 26 total at NBC News, leaving in the fall of 2020.

Today she is the president of Shriver Media, working alongside her former colleague Maria Shriver, running The Sunday Paper and all aspects of Shriver's media organization in addition to consulting with other media clients. In this episode, Jaclyn takes us behind the scenes of broadcast journalism, what it takes to break through, what it means to be a discerning executive, and how she thinks about media today.

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Success is a tricky thing. For starters, what does success even mean? Everyone has their own definition of success, yet we are often held to society's standards. In this unique live event, three notable authors, Aliza Licht, Laura Gassner Otting, and Christina Wallace, discussed this topic from their experienced perspectives and respective new books, ON BRAND, Wonderhell, and The Portfolio Life. 

Each author brings decades of experience and fascinating stories to the table:

Aliza Licht is an award-winning marketer, 2x author, host of the Leave Your Mark podcast, and personal branding expert with over twenty-five years of experience in the image-making fashion industry. Her new book, ⁠ON BRAND: Shape Your Narrative. Share Your Vision. Shift Their Perception.⁠ is part career book, part personal growth guide, and a comprehensive roadmap to building your personal brand so your name is dropped in rooms you're not in and that you're recommended for opportunities other people haven't even heard of yet.

In the WSJ bestseller, Wonderhell: Why Success Doesn't Feel Like It Should . . . and What to Do About It, Laura Gassner Otting leverages her 30-year-plus resume, defined by her entrepreneurial edge, to introduce the idea that success is often both a wonder and a hell. She answers the question: Why doesn't success feel like it should? What do we do with this confusing feeling, and how do we learn to live with this newfound potential that's both exciting and exhausting?

In The Portfolio Life: How to Future-Proof Your Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger than Your Business Card, What Color Is Your Parachute? meets Out of Office in this inspiring, practical playbook. Christina Wallace, serial entrepreneur, podcaster, and Senior Lecturer of Entrepreneurial Management at Harvard Business School, shares her solution for anti-hustle culture and how having a "portfolio life" (rather than pouring yourself into one single full-time job) will help you future-proof your career and achieve a sustainable work-life balance while optimizing your happiness, personal growth, and bank accounts. 

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What doesn't kill you makes you stronger could not be more true for Natasha Miller. As the multi-hyphenate CEO of Entire Productions, Inc. and Poignant Press, Natasha is also a celebrated jazz artist with seven records released on her label, Poignant Records. Her success is in spite of an upbringing so unreal and tragic that it's in the process of becoming a feature film.

As the WSJ best-selling author of Relentless, Natasha has gone from living as an Iowa homeless teen to achieving the entrepreneur dream. But unlike a typical homeless teen story, Natasha was not living in squalor. She was a classically trained violinist studying with a professor at Drake University. Her whole young life, however, was defined by living with a mother with mental illness and a father who did not do his part to protect her. At age 16, Natasha's father and, sadly, her younger brother dropped her off at a homeless shelter after her mother attempted to kill her. That was the culmination of years and years of verbal abuse. After that, she was unofficially emancipated.

In this extremely moving and inspiring LEAVE YOUR MARK episode, Natasha shares her story with unbelievable understanding and perseverance. She shows how her positive outlook and always seeing the best in people directed her path. While Natasha will always have to carry the heartache of her childhood with her, she has not let it stop her from achieving her dreams.

Today, Entire Productions is a go-to event and entertainment production company headquartered in San Francisco. With the support of her staff, Entire Productions' trusted expertise is relied upon to execute a slate of corporate special events for an enviable roster of clients, including Salesforce, Apple, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and the like. They have been on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America for three years in a row. Her publishing company Poignant Press works with leaders to create impactful books that build on their authority while inspiring and motivating others.

Natasha's passion and commitment to giving back drive her invariable contributions and participation with numerous charitable organizations. Her current focus is raising awareness and funds for the Covenant House.

While Natasha maintains an active full plate, she always makes time for professional and personal enrichment. She is a proud Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (Babson College) graduate who studied entrepreneurship at the Harvard Business School and MIT. Her other prestigious industry memberships include The Recording Academy (Grammys), ASCAP, and various event industry organizations. She resides in Oakland, CA, and is a member and the communications "expert" for The Entrepreneurs' Organization.

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Jenny Hutt says what she's thinking, what you're thinking, and what you'll never say. As a self-proclaimed anxious optimist, she truly believes that everything will work out, but while she's going through it, she is going to stress every step of the way. That's just Jenny, and from her many years on radio and television, and now in her podcast, Just Jenny, she knows that sharing all of this will help you too.

As a lawyer, podcaster, radio and television host, author, entrepreneur, personal branding consultant, and influencer, Jenny has had a diverse background and career in entertainment, business, and law. She has also cultivated a deep passion for connecting with people.You probably know Jenny's voice from her first co-hosted show From 2005-2011, "Whatever with Alexis and Jennifer," on SiriusXM satellite radio. Jenny also co-authored the 2011 book, "WHATEVERLAND: Learning to Live Here: An Exuberant and Hilariously Irreverent Guide to Life." After that, she hosted "Just Jenny," a daily call-in show on SiriusXM radio, which later gave birth to the Just Jenny Podcast (which I had fun being on.) On her show, she tackles many subjects inviting listeners to engage in honest, humorous dialogue on everything from grieving the loss of a parent to transforming her body and spirit through healthy eating and exercise. 

In this episode, Jenny shares her honest and endearing outlook on life, parenting, and managing day-to-day anxiety. She shows us how to find humor in the worst situations, even death. We learn what it was like to grow up as the daughter of Bunny and Charles Koppelman. Charles was of the most formidable industry executives of the past 50 years. Her father worked with everyone from Barbra Streisand to Prince. Her brother, Brian Koppelman (screenwriter, director, and producer), is the co-creator and showrunner of the Showtime series "Billions. And last but not least, her sister Stacey Fritz is her co-founder and co-inventor of Bunny Eyez®, a revolutionary eyewear company they founded in 2017. 

Jenny's view of the world is honest and heart-warming. Her voice will brighten your day even if you think that's not possible. In her own words, "I have always wanted to make other people feel okay, and that's really it. I just want someone to see me getting through this life, warts and all messy, and let them know that they can do it too and that they're okay as they are. So many people strive for this unattainable thing they think is greatness. But it's all smoke and mirrors. Everybody has something incredibly powerful and special about themselves. But they also have deficits and areas in their lives that aren't so great. There isn't a person on the planet who has everything the way we think they do."

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On September 11, 2001, Hena Doba grabbed her camcorder in Queens and started interviewing neighbors on the street. As a small-town producer rather than an on-air journalist, Hena let her journalistic instincts lead her. When she returned to Watertown, NY, her news director kept her on air.

Tina Greenbaum knows that the ability to think clearly under pressure and manage in high-pressure situations separates great leaders from everyone else. Tina Greenbaum, M.Ed., LCSW, is the Founder and CEO of Mastery Under Pressure, a management coaching program for high-performing executives who must refine and master their interpersonal and inter-departmental skills. She incorporates sports psychology and neuroscience into her work, emphasizing mental skills and mindset.

Mastery Under Pressure gives CEOs and senior-level managers the additional professional and personal tools to excel and empower their teams and associates.

As a licensed psychotherapist and sports psychology consultant with over 40 years of experience, she has long understood that being good at your profession doesn't make you good at your job. Her ability to give high-performing executives the skills they need to work within any corporate culture has made Tina California's #1 Optimal Performance Specialist.

In this episode, Tina takes us through her process of creating a high-performance mindset, unlocking your inner athlete, and thriving in a highly competitive world. She shares her techniques for understanding clients' reasons for seeking help, exploring body sensations and patterns, and uncovering how past experiences shape present responses. She explains how mental toughness and resilience can be developed and taught and how limiting beliefs can be changed through examination and questioning, keeping a journal, recognizing and addressing unconscious biases, and aligning with personal values and truths.

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