When a friend was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and presented with a long list of foods to avoid, cookbook editor Shaun Chavis thought there had to be a different way to approach planning a nutritious, customized diet. In this episode, she talks to Izzy about the journey of building her company, LVNGbook, created to serve folks with unique dietary needs, the “why” that drives her business, and the community she hopes it will serve for generations to come.

In this issue of Real Quick, Izzy chatted with four founders about four different traits that contribute to authentic leadership: confidence, self-awareness, transparency, and consistency.

Tune in to hear how this issue’s featured founders have mastered these elements of authenticity and fostered them within their teams and businesses.

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When Shelly Omílàdé Bell created Black Girl Ventures, she set out to empower a whole new generation of entrepreneurs to change the world. In this episode, she talks to Izzy about confidence: how to build it, what it means for company culture, and the difference between being confident and being self-absorbed.

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Through her own cancer diagnosis and treatment, Kathleen Brown learned firsthand what kind of real support cancer patients need: support from those who have been in their shoes. In this episode, Kathleen talks about the early days of her business, Buddhi, and how self-awareness led her to leave a 9-to-5 job to become a founder.

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Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, Kelley Cambry learned at a young age that being open and honest is instrumental in building a business. In this episode, Kelley covers how her transparent leadership style at Blue Studios encourages the team to be the best versions of themselves.

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Dave Bolotsky has kept a few things consistent throughout his life and career: a strong set of values, a commitment to his community, and a frugal lifestyle to name a few. In this episode, Dave talks about the role consistency has played in his personal life and his decades-long founder journey and how it helped him grow Uncommon Goods and gain credibility with partners. 

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 Hey! In this issue, I talked through four traits of authentic leadership with four amazing founders who each brought a different, honest perspective to the table.

While recording and editing these episodes, authenticity started to take on a completely new meaning for me. I had been thinking about authenticity as it relates to building a strong business, but these four traits — confidence, self-awareness, transparency, and consistency — are much bigger than that. They add up to being the best version of yourself, whether that’s at work or outside of it.

Here’s my recap. Thanks for listening!

—Izzy

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Izzy reflects on his conversations with founders about their overreactions, what they learned, who it affected, and the red flags to avoid while growing and running a business.

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