In today's conversation, Carly sits down with SONNI co-founders Eliana Field-Marsham and Megan Black, who share the journey they took to start the SPF brand. Eliana and Megan share how bad sunburns and a family member's melanoma scare plus a frantic business-school text between each other led them to starting SONNI. They also unpack the realities of founder life, why 24/7 grind isn't effective, and how they navigate leading a company together with clear, clean division.

We also discuss:

• The health scares that led to SONNI being created
• Why "You can't be everything to everybody" in CPG
• Why daily SPF was a product experience problem, not an awareness issue
• Fundraising, bootstrapping, and when founders should pay themselves
• The case against the 24/7 founder grind

References:

• Beauty of Joseon: https://beautyofjoseon.com
• Cheryl Strayed: https://www.cherylstrayed.com
• Estée Lauder Companies: https://www.elcompanies.com
• Factfulness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factfulness_(book)
• Hans Rosling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Rosling
• Heyday: https://www.heydayskincare.com
• Kellogg School of Management: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu
• KIND Snacks: https://www.kindsnacks.com
• Little Spoon: https://www.littlespoon.com
• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com
• Stanford University: https://www.stanford.edu
• Thrive Market: https://thrivemarket.com
• "Tiny Beautiful Things": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiny_Beautiful_Things

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:40 Growing up as family friends in Toronto

06:10 Eliana's path: sociology, McKinsey, and a love of operating

08:10 Megan's consumer obsession, from USC to Estée Lauder

11:35 The sunburns and a sister's melanoma behind SONNI

13:20 Finding a formulator who starts with metal, not powder

16:45 Eliana's business-school panic and reaching back out to Megan

21:00 "Best text to ever receive": hiring her co-founder

25:05 Right brain, left brain: splitting the company cleanly

32:55 What no one warns you about building a CPG brand

35:15 Mineral vs chemical: what does the FDA actually back?

39:15 How the name, brand, coloring, packaging was born

41:05 Learning to bask in the wins, not just the lows

45:15 Fundraising vs bootstrapping, and just paying yourself

50:25 What 24/7-grind startup culture gets wrong

Dr. Yuthika Girme took one undergrad course on interpersonal relations, which completely altered the trajectory of her career and led her down the path of researching relationship science. In this episode, Dr. Yuthika unpacks the science behind close relationships and singlehood. She also covers the impact of online dating, how social scripts impact relationships, and how to build a balanced relationship with yourself before—and during—a romantic one.

References:

- Dr. Yuthika Girme: https://www.sfu.ca/psychology/about/people/current-faculty/ygirme.html
- SECURE Research Lab: https://secureresearchlab.com
- SECURE Research Lab on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/securelab.sfu/
- Simon Fraser University: https://www.sfu.ca
- University of Auckland: https://www.auckland.ac.nz

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
01:15 From clinical psych to relationship science
03:48 What relationship science actually explores
05:50 Predictors of lasting relationships
08:50 How communication changes depending on relationship type
10:15 Does dating change as you get older?
11:55 The biggest misconception in dating
13:18 How social media distorts our perception of relationships
14:48 What singlehood science examines
16:33 Validating singlehood without devaluing partnership
20:09 The toll of singlehood
22:42 How different generations approach marriage
23:59 Does the biological clock impact dating?
25:48 How online dating impacts connection 
33:46 The science behind partner selection
36:32 Balance between self and relationships
42:55 Dating scripts and gendered norms

Inbal Shani dropped her PhD for a job offer she never expected to recieve, and it set off a career spanning Amazon, AWS, Microsoft, GitHub, and now Twilio, where she serves as CPO and Head of R&D. In this episode, Inbal explains how curiosity is really a leadership trait, why introverts can be the most connected leaders in the room, and how the future of product management is being rewritten.

References:

• AWS https://aws.amazon.com/
• Github: https://github.com/
• Inbal Shani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inbalshani/
• Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/
• Technion: https://www.technion.ac.il/en/
• Tel Aviv University: https://english.tau.ac.il/
• Twilio: https://www.twilio.com/
• Uber: https://www.uber.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:47 Inbal's childhood: introversion and learning to build

06:00 Being one of six women in aerospace engineering

07:06 Fostering a strong belief in yourself

09:36 Why Inbal dropped out of her PhD

13:27 Learning to lead others as an introvert

15:24 Why curiosity is a core leadership trait

16:45 Two books that shaped Inbal's career

18:27 What determines a great team member

22:40 Empathy is a prerequistie to success

26:36 How Inbal made her career choices

28:31 Advice to younger women navigating their career

31:14 Inbal's journey to CPO at Twilio

34:04 The future of product management

39:42 Could the app era be over already?

In today’s episode, Carly sits down with Scarlett Leung, Chief Brand Officer and Co-founder of Pretty Tasty, a collagen tea company. Scarlett shares her unconventional path from accountant, to turnaround CEO, to CPG founder, and how growing up around intense family entrepreneurship shaped her views on work. This conversation covers Scarlett’s experiences navigating parental expectations, making big career pivots without a rigid 5-year plan, and the stripped-back, unglamorous reality that is founding a consumer brand.

References:

• AllSaints: https://www.allsaints.com/
• Carolina Herrera: https://www.carolinaherrera.com/
• Deepak Chopra: https://www.deepakchopra.com/
• Deloitte: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en.html
• Estée Lauder: https://www.esteelauder.com/
• FreshDirect: https://www.freshdirect.com/
• Gucci Group / Kering: https://www.kering.com/
• Honest Tea: https://www.honesttea.com/
• L’Oréal: https://www.loreal.com/en/
• Lancôme: https://www.lancome-usa.com/
• LVMH: https://www.lvmh.com/
• MIT: https://www.mit.edu/
• Philip Morris International: https://www.pmi.com/
• Pretty Tasty: https://www.prettytasty.com/
• PwC: https://www.pwc.com/
• Sugarbreak: https://www.sugarbreak.com/
• Target: https://www.target.com/
• Uniqlo: https://www.uniqlo.com/
• University of Waterloo: https://uwaterloo.ca/
• Virgin Group: https://www.virgin.com/
• Waterloo Sparkling Water: https://www.drinkwaterloo.com/

Timestamps:

(01:17) Growing up with an entrepreneurial family
(06:59) The decision to study accounting
(09:47) Should you choose a risky career path?
(13:39) Unpacking Scarlett’s unique career journey
(18:12) Lessons learned from a travel-heavy role
(22:51) Why you need to advocate for yourself
(23:39) Why Scarlett went to MIT business school
(26:11) Scarlett’s superpower in business
(31:10) Pretty Tasty’s culture manifesto
(32:55) The journey to founding Pretty Tasty
(36:16) Developing the collagen product
(38:44) The one thing most CPG founders miss
(40:05) Advice for someone starting a company
(42:15) Scarlett’s scariest founder moment
(44:41) How to navigate a quarter-life crisis

Carly sits down with Swati Vauthrin, co-founder of Recess, a new parenting app built by two former Instagram leaders. Swati shares how growing up in New Jersey with early access to computers led her to computer science, how she navigated being one of the few women in engineering, and what she learned building and leading teams at Disney, ESPN, BuzzFeed, and Instagram. She opens up about career pivots, motherhood in intense tech environments, and the decision to leave big tech to build Recess.

References:

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com
• BuzzFeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com
• ESPN: https://www.espn.com
• George Washington University: https://www.gwu.edu
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com
• Recess: https://therecess.app/
• Swati Vauthrin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swativauthrin/
• The Cobalt Group: https://cobaltgroup.com
• The Walt Disney Company: https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com

Timestamps:

(01:40) Swati’s childhood introduction to computers

(04:25) Developing a natural sense of curiosity

(06:19) Being a woman in a STEM field

(09:25) Working for the Cobalt Group

(12:57) The shift from building product to leadership

(15:32) Advice for job switching in your late twenties

(17:45) How to build a strong company culture

(20:57) The reality of being a working mother

(24:02) Swati’s journey to starting Recess

(30:03) Surviving the “un-sexy” startup moments

(32:55) Being the only female founder in the room

(35:25) How Recess was pitched

(37:56) What every young woman needs to hear

Michelle Zatlyn is the Co-founder and President of Cloudflare, a global internet infrastructure that keeps the world safe and secure online operating 20% of the global web with over 4,000 employees.

Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, Michelle began her career studying chemistry, aiming to become a doctor. But a pivotal turning point during a hospital internship set her on a new path - one that eventually led to Silicon Valley.

In this episode, Michelle shares the formative experiences that shaped her, the unexpected pivots in her career, and dives into the tough decisions she’s had to make. She also unpacks the gritty realities of early-stage startup life, the challenges of scaling, and what it really takes to lead a high-growth tech company.

For a deeper dive into the episode, check out Carly's Substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/

Referenced:

• Cloudflare: https://www.cloudflare.com
• Harvard Business School (HBS): https://www.hbs.edu/
• Lee Holloway (Cloudflare co-founder): https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-holloway-159152/
• Matthew Prince (Cloudflare co-founder & CEO): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mprince/
• Project Honey Pot: https://www.projecthoneypot.org/
• Toshiba: https://www.toshiba.com/tai/
• WIRED Article about Lee Holloway: https://www.wired.com/story/lee-holloway-devastating-decline-brilliant-young-coder/

Timestamps:

(1:46) Growing up in Saskatchewan
(6:04) The decision not to pursue medicine
(9:51) Falling into business and technology
(13:39) The first taste of entrepreneurship
(16:27) Finding community and clarity at HBS
(17:28) The “essay line” that guided her
(19:28) Turning down LinkedIn to start Cloudflare
(25:05) How to improve your decision-making
(29:15) Choosing a meaningful mission
(32:18) Being the non-technical founder
(34:33) Early team challenges
(38:24) The grind from 1 to 100M
(41:32) Getting product-market fit
(44:23) The slow burn of success
(47:49) Being a founder impacts personal life
(51:52) Raising up the next-gen tech leaders
(54:12) The power of small teams and shared purpose

Jess Rosen is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Raw Generation, a leading wellness brand known for its juice cleanses and plant-based products. Jess launched the company with her father in 2012, after watching both her grandmothers battle cancer.

With a background in architecture and a certification in holistic health, Jess has grown Raw Generation into a multimillion-dollar brand while also launching spinoffs such as Little Sippers (children’s nutrition) and Functional Mother (for postpartum women). In this episode, she discusses how her personal health journey, entrepreneurship, and motherhood all intersect.

Where to find She Leads:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• X (Twitter)
• Substack

Where to find Carly:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Where to find Raw Generation Juices:

• Website
• Instagram

References:

• Gary Vaynerchuk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyvaynerchuk/
• Hippocrates Health Institute: https://hippocrateswellness.org/
• Institute for Integrative Nutrition: https://www.integrativenutrition.com/
• Jess Rosen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-rosen-raw-generation/
• Lisa Testa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-testa-m-s-16514036/
• Raw Generation: https://www.rawgeneration.com/

Timestamps:

(01:13) Childhood creativity and early ambition
(04:10) Growing up in an entrepreneurial family
(05:00) Quitting architecture after just 9 months
(09:37) How cancer shifted Jess’s view on food
(19:17) Raw Generation was a family affair
(21:30) Burning out and battling Lyme disease
(24:55) Advice for stuck 20-somethings
(27:32) Why Jess ditched social media
(28:25) Balancing business and Instagram
(30:19) Raw Generation’s slow early days
(31:22) The Skinny Cleanse breakthrough
(35:58) Pivoting fast during COVID
(42:43) How Little Sippers was born
(47:45) Motherhood’s impact on her work
(56:01) Learning to listen to her body

Margueritte Aozasa is the head coach of the UCLA Women’s Soccer Team and a  star in collegiate coaching. In just three seasons, she’s led the team to a historic national championship in her rookie year and two conference titles.

A former assistant coach at Stanford during their championship runs, and a standout player and captain at Santa Clara University, Margueritte brings a rare mix of tactical brilliance and emotional intelligence to her leadership.

In this episode, she reflects on her journey, from being a competitive 10-year-old to coaching on the biggest stage in college soccer.

For a deeper dive into the episode, check out Carly's Substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/

Where to find She Leads:

• Apple Podcasts
• Website
• Spotify
• YouTube
• Instagram
• X (Twitter)
• Substack

Referenced:

• Albertin Montoya: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertin_Montoya
• Andi Sullivan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andi_Sullivan
• Margueritte Aozasa: https://uclabruins.com/staff-directory/margueritte-aozasa/6961
• Maricarmen Reyes: https://uclabruins.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/maricarmen-reyes/8929
• Paul Ratcliffe: https://gostanford.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/season/2022/staff/paul-ratcliffe
• Santa Clara University: https://www.scu.edu/
• Stanford University: https://www.stanford.edu/
• UCLA: https://www.ucla.edu/
• University of North Carolina (UNC): https://www.unc.edu/

Timestamps:

(1:44) Growing up with lots of personality
(6:16) The source of a competitive streak
(9:33) Being a student of the game
(10:57) The impact of a great coach
(13:59) Playing for Santa Clara University
(14:48) The path from athlete to coach
(17:15) A career without a 5-year plan
(19:48) Growing out of competitive perfectionism
(24:49) Joining Stanford: Holding people to high standards
(31:25) Why coaches should read the room
(41:30) Starting the UCLA chapter
(47:41) Building culture with a new team
(57:40) Winning a national championship
(1:14:22) What does success mean to Marg?

Sara Cullen is the founder and CEO of GEM, a pioneering brand creating the first real food vitamins. Sparked by her own health challenges and a frustrating experience in the supplement aisle, Sara took a hands-on approach to nutritional science. Before launching Gem, she was part of the Venture for America Fellowship and previously started Plant Water, a CBD beverage brand.

In this episode, Sara shares how her upbringing on a farm shaped her maker mindset, lessons learned from a failed first startup, and why she believes true founders must be “delusionallyvely optimistic.” She talks candidly about navigating solo entrepreneurship, fundraising over $22M, hiring effectively, and the realities of building a company while raising a newborn.

For a deeper dive into the episode, check out Carly's Substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/

Where to find She Leads:

• Apple Podcasts
• Website
• Spotify
• YouTube
• Instagram
• X (Twitter)

Where to find Carly:

• LinkedIn
• X (Twitter)

Where to find Sara:

• LinkedIn

Where to find GEM:

• Instagram
• GEM website

Referenced:

• Sara Blakely: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarablakely27/
• Venture for America: https://www.linkedin.com/company/venture-for-america/

In this episode, we cover:

(1:22) Growing up on a farm and childhood influences
(5:09) Pivoting majors at Cornell
(6:28) Being practical vs. the dreamer
(9:14) Joining Venture for America
(12:33) The lessons from founding Plant Water
(16:25) The health crisis that inspired GEM
(19:28) Finding the conviction to launch
(22:57) Balancing taste with nutritional function
(25:23) Operating as a DTC brand
(26:27) The greatest challenges working on GEM
(28:49) Remote work challenges and culture trade-offs
(33:35) Advice for CPG founders on venture capital
(39:36) Juggling motherhood and leadership
(41:34) Redefining success

Read Carly's deeper dive in her substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/p/wtf-moments-delusional-optimism-failing?r=jt2na 

Celine Halioua is the founder and CEO of Loyal, a biotech company developing FDA-approved drugs to extend the healthy lifespan of dogs. In this follow-up episode, Celine discusses Loyal’s latest milestones, now with three longevity drugs in development and $150M in funding. This conversation covers the rationale behind building a multi-product biotech company, how she raised a Series B during a brutal fundraising climate, and Celine’s insight into building a mission-driven company culture.

For a deeper dive into the episode, check out Carly's Substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/

Where to find She Leads:

• Apple Podcasts
• Website
• Spotify
• YouTube
• Instagram
• X (Twitter)

Where to find Carly:

• LinkedIn
• X (Twitter)

Where to find Celine:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/celinehh/

Referenced:

• Accel: accel.com
• Loyal: loyal.com/
• Moderna: modernatx.com
• SoftBank: softbank.jp/en

Timestamps:

(2:39) Loyal’s stakeholders

(6:28) Going multiproduct

(10:02) How the biotech industry gets funding

(18:30) Lessons from raising money

(20:28) Why constraints are useful

(25:34) How raising money affects you mentally

(29:16) Radical transparency

(33:22) The academic-founder paradox

(35:50) A small fish in a big pond

(43:33) Finding low-ego team members

(46:08) What does success look like?