Alina Kravchenko has always loved inventing. 

Alina defines her entrepreneurial success based on one simple factor: how much creativity she’s able to express as a founder. But being raised by a single mom in Ukraine and eventually becoming a single mom herself meant there was no shortage of people who looked down on them both. 

When she drained her 401K and secured a patent for SwipenSnap, her one-hand applicator for baby ointment, people laughed at her. Until the product landed Alina a spot on Shark Tank and propelled her to launch TonerBum, an ergonomic weight designed specifically for glute workouts.

In this conversation, Alina answers questions like: why does she feel so driven to constantly create? How did she persist during times of immense stress as a single mom? And how can we determine our own versions of success as entrepreneurs? 

Alina talks about:

• Growing up in Ukraine
• Overcoming immense self-doubt
• Defining success as a creative person
• Embracing falls instead of giving in to failure
• Why pursuing wealth will never make you happy 
• How she created both SwipenSnap and TonerBum

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Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Correspondence and © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: 

• Chris Zabriskie - "Air Hockey Saloon," "There Are Days That I Don't," "The Lower Third Hall of Fame," "Does It Exist or Do I Have to Create It?"  "Cylinder Six," "Wonder Cycle," "I Am Running with Temporary Success from a Monstrous Vacuum in Pursuit," "I'm About to Do the Second Hardest Thing I've Ever Done," "Short Song 010923," "Another Version of You." 
• Correspondence - "Harp Routine."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License