Takin' Care of Lady Business®

Waiting doesn’t work. Women are often taught to wait until they’re qualified, polished, certain, and approved before putting themselves forward. Meanwhile, the people getting opportunities are usually the ones willing to move first.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 152

In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Aliza Licht — brand strategist, author, and the original voice behind DKNY PR Girl — to talk about visibility, momentum, personal branding, and why waiting for permission is one of the biggest mistakes women make professionally.

Before “personal branding” was even a term, Aliza was building one of the earliest and most influential anonymous brand voices online. Now, she’s once again experimenting publicly by releasing a novel in real time on Substack before it’s fully finished.

Together, they discuss why momentum matters more than perfection, how reputations are built in rooms you’re not in, the evolving role of AI and discoverability, and why clarity often comes after action — not before it.

What you’ll learn:

• Why visibility matters more than waiting to feel “ready”

• How to build a reputation that creates opportunities before you’re even in the room

• How to use AI and content strategically without losing your voice

  
  

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Aliza Licht

(02:16) The nostalgia that sparked a nineties fashion novel

(04:37) Why Love Story convinced her to publish on Substack

(10:35) The DKNY PR Girl origin story

(15:29) How to make AI find your content first

(17:50) Why Aliza has AI write her own prompts

(29:16) What content pillars are and why they matter

(30:03) Don't confuse likes with success on LinkedIn

(34:46) The worst advice women are still being given

About Our Guest:

Aliza Licht is a brand strategist, author, and former fashion PR executive best known as the voice behind DKNY PR Girl — one of the earliest digital fashion personas that helped reshape how brands show up online.

Long before “personal branding” became a business buzzword, Aliza was exploring how visibility, authenticity, and a strong point of view could create opportunity. Today, she continues to build publicly and in real time, using her latest novel and Substack as an experiment in momentum, audience-building, and creating before you feel fully ready.

Check out her new live manuscript on Substack: Off the Record: Secrets of a 90s Fashion Insider in New York

Aliza Licht’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alizalicht/

Aliza Licht’s Substack: https://substack.com/@alizalicht

Aliza Litch’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alizalichtxo/

Explore Aliza Licht’s website: https://alizalicht.com/

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

The financial system wasn’t designed to fail women. It was designed to exclude them.

Takin' Care of Lady Business Episode 151

The wealth gap isn’t an accident. It’s the result of decades of women being told to leave the money to the men. To stay in their lane. To be grateful, not ambitious.

And we internalized it. The hesitation, the over-saving, the flinching when someone asks what you make. That wasn’t weakness. That was conditioning.

Kimberly Palmer joins me this episode to name it, dismantle it, and give you the tools to stop leaving money on the table.

Her message: stop treating money like it’s someone else’s problem. It’s your power. Start acting like it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why avoiding risk is costing women more than making mistakes

• The real reason money feels overwhelming (and how to fix it fast)

• The first financial move every woman should make—and why most don’t

  
  

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Kimberly Palmer

(02:00) The girlfriend who wouldn't talk salary

(03:06) Why financial systems feel so overwhelming

(03:36) The fear of making a money mistake

(11:07) The letter Kim's mom wrote that changed everything

(14:00) Why tracking your spending comes first

(15:00) The 50/30/20 budgeting breakdown

(27:10) Why women invest too safely

(33:47) Giving back while making money

(34:50) The worst advice Kim ever got

About Our Guest:

Kimberly Palmer is a personal finance expert at NerdWallet and the author of three books, including her most recent, Smart Mom, Rich Mom. Before building her career around making money less intimidating, she was the friend in her social circle who refused to let money stay a taboo subject, pushing girlfriends to talk salaries, negotiate raises, and face their finances head-on. After watching women freeze up around money decisions not from lack of intelligence, but from decades of being told it wasn't their domain, she made it her mission to change that. Today, she breaks down everything from emergency funds and the 50/30/20 budget rule to the investing risks women are leaving on the table, translating complicated financial systems into language that actually makes you want to act.

Kimberly Palmer’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyspalmer/ 

Explore NerdWallet: https://www.nerdwallet.com/ Explore Kimberly’s website: https://www.kimberly-palmer.com/ 

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Most women are flushing their supplements down the toilet. Literally. 

Poorly absorbed pills mean your body can't use what you're taking — you're just making expensive pee. And that's before you factor in the 18 different bottles, the pill fatigue, and the fact that none of it was designed around your body to begin with.

Takin' Care of Lady Business Episode 150

In this episode, Liz Zwillinger, founder of Biologica and former divorce lawyer, breaks down why the supplement industry has been failing women — and what she built instead. One powder. 18 supplements. Formulated specifically for women's hormonal life stages, from pre-perimenopause through menopause and beyond. No pill pile. No expensive pee. And it actually tastes good.

This is not a story about having the perfect background to start a company. Liz had no science degree, no product development experience, and no roadmap. What she had was a pantry full of supplements that weren't working and the nerve to ask why no one had solved this yet.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why most supplements pass right through you — and what bioavailability actually means for your health

• How women's nutritional needs change at every hormonal life stage and why a one-size-fits-all vitamin was never going to cut it

• What it actually takes to build a company from scratch when the product you needed never existed

• The biggest ask Liz ever made — and why it changed everything

  
  

If you’re done piecing together your supplement routine, you can try Biologica here: https://go.shopmy.us/p-5460353 for Perimenopause

https://go.shopmy.us/p-54603956 for Postmenopause

https://go.shopmy.us/p-54603980 for Primary Essentials

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Liz Zwillinger

(01:41) What is Biologica and how does it work

(04:17) Why women have unique nutritional needs

(08:14) Powder vs. pills: the bioavailability difference

(12:32) Taking care of your health shouldn't be this hard

(14:26) The hero ingredients in each formula

(22:53) From divorce lawyer to supplement founder

(23:35) The audacity to believe in yourself

(27:41) Balancing entrepreneurship with being a mom

(32:47) The big ask that changed her business

(37:32) The worst advice she ever received

About Our Guest:

Liz Zwillinger is the founder of Biologica and a former divorce lawyer who spent a decade watching women navigate some of the hardest moments of their lives. After years in family law and a front-row seat to her husband's journey building Allbirds from the ground up, she identified a gap that the wellness industry had never bothered to close. Women were piecing together their health routines from products designed for everyone, which effectively meant designed for no one. Today, she leads Biologica's mission to simplify women's nutrition through formulas built specifically for each hormonal life stage, from reproductive years through perimenopause and beyond.

Liz Zwillinger’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethzwillinger/ 

Explore Biologica: https://biologica.com/ 

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Most women aren't lacking persistence. They're missing the map — who to ask, who to trust, and who actually has the power to move things.

Motorsport doesn't hand you that map. You build it, race by race, setback by setback, until you figure out which rooms matter and which people in those rooms are worth your ask.

Takin' Care of Lady Business Episode 149

In this episode, Susie Wolff — Managing Director of F1 Academy and former professional driver — talks about what two decades in one of the world's most male-dominated industries actually taught her. Not just how to push through. How to find the right people to push with.

This is not a story about one big moment. It's about the long game: staying yourself across years of rooms that didn't expect you, knowing when to ask and — more importantly — who, and why committing fully means letting go of the safety net entirely.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why persistence without the right relationships only gets you so far

• How to identify the people worth asking — and stop wasting your ask on the wrong ones

• Why holding your identity over a 20-year career is harder, and more powerful, than any single negotiation

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Susie Wolff

(03:53) When gender bias became clear

(08:43) Femininity, image, and being taken seriously

(14:30) How she asked for more

(19:04) When she finally asked for help

(21:21) Mom guilt and making time count

(24:56) What F1 Academy is building
(27:09) Creating the pipeline to Formula One

(29:10) Making the business case

(33:07) Why she rejected the backup plan

About Our Guest:

Susie Wolff is the Managing Director of F1 Academy and a former professional racing driver who has spent her career challenging what power and performance look like in motorsport. After competing in karting, Formula Renault, Formula 3, and DTM with Mercedes Benz, she became the first woman in 22 years to take part in a Formula 1 race weekend at the 2014 British Grand Prix. Today, she leads F1 Academy’s mission to develop young female driving talent and expand women’s access to the sport, on track and off. 

Susie Wolff’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiewolff/ 

Explore F1 Academy: https://www.f1academy.com/ 

Pre-order Driven: https://a.co/d/0gDnIpus 

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

For decades, women have been told their symptoms are “normal” like sleep disruption, brain fog, anxiety. What that really means? The system was never built to help them. Instead of answers, they’re dismissed or misdiagnosed and left on their own to figure it out. It’s a system failure costing women time, money, and agency.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 148

In this episode, Anne Fulenwider, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Alloy, joins JJ to talk about what it actually takes to build in a category that has been ignored for decades – and why that creates both massive risk and massive opportunity.

Anne left a top role in media to build Alloy, a telehealth company focused on menopause care, in a space most people weren’t paying attention to and many investors didn’t understand. What started as personal frustration turned into a business built around one simple idea: women deserve real information, real treatment, and access to the right expertise.

This conversation breaks down why menopause symptoms are still so widely misread, how fear around estrogen shaped an entire generation of under-treatment, and what it looks like to build inside a system filled with outdated assumptions, regulatory friction, and skepticism.

It’s also about the bigger shift: not just asking for help – but knowing who actually has the power, knowledge, and incentive to give you the right answers.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why women are losing years before getting the care they actually need 

• How asking the wrong people keeps women stuck – and what to do instead

• How misinformation around estrogen shaped a generation of confusion and undertreatment  

  
  

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Anne Fulenwider

(02:04) What Alloy Health actually does

(02:49) Why she started Alloy

(04:54) Leaving Marie Claire behind

(08:32) The healthcare system is not built for this

(09:49) Why menopause care needs deeper expertise

(11:17) Meeting Monica and finding early backing

(13:46) Building a telehealth and pharmacy company

(17:10) Raising money in a misunderstood category

(19:28) Unlearning competition

(21:32) Rebuilding trust in estrogen

(33:23) The worst advice she got

About Our Guest:

Anne Fulenwider is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Alloy, a digital healthcare company focused on helping women in midlife, perimenopause, and menopause get access to expert care, evidence based treatment, and better information. Before launching Alloy, Anne was the Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire, where she spent years covering ambitious women, cultural shifts, and the systems that influence how women live and work. Today, she is helping drive a broader conversation around menopause, estrogen, and the need for healthcare that takes women’s lives seriously.

Anne Fulenwider’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-fulenwider-b367181b7/ 

Explore Alloy: https://www.myalloy.com/ 

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Breaking away from traditional rules and defining your own success can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Kari Chaudhry has built a trusted network for wealth creators centered on real relationships, shared insight, and a more thoughtful approach to investing.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 146

In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Kari Chaudhry, CEO and Founder of Apex Global Forum, to discuss the importance of building wealth, supporting one another, and rethinking how we approach investment. Kari shares her journey of navigating the alternative asset space and how she’s built a trusted network for high-net-worth individuals who are changing the game of private investing.

Kari opens up about how community and mentorship have shaped her business decisions, the power of leveraging expertise, and why women should take charge of their financial futures without waiting for permission. She and JJ explore how wealth creation is a skill that can be learned, the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people, and why women must lead the charge in redefining success in finance.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How creating a community can revolutionize wealth-building
• Why women should be confident in taking charge of their financial futures
• The value of leveraging expertise and mentorship in the world of alternative investments

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Kari Chaudhry

(01:40) What Apex Global Forum is

(04:02) From zero exposure to alternative investments

(11:22) Why you don't need an investment background

(12:18) Building discipline with the right network

(13:53) Why founders should interview their investors

(15:53) Global forums and the wealth capitals of the world

(23:16) Who should run the family money

(27:53) Protecting yourself through life events

(32:47) Don't talk about money

About Our Guest:

Kari Chaudhry is the CEO and Founder of Apex Global Forum, a private network for wealth creators and investors. After finding her own way into alternative investments, Kari built a space where individuals can invest with greater confidence, knowledge, and clarity. Through her platform, she connects high net worth individuals and families, creating opportunities for shared learning and co investment. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of wealth creators and helping women approach their financial futures with strategy, integrity, and purpose.

Kari Chaudhry’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-chaudhry/ 

Explore Apex Global Forum: https://apexglobalforum.com/ 

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

When you stop following someone else’s playbook and create your own path to success, amazing things happen. Today’s guest built a thriving wellness business by focusing on authenticity, simplicity, and balance, ignoring the noise of fleeting trends and extreme advice.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 145

In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice chats with Dria Murphy, CEO and Founder of bydria, to discuss building a wellness empire that meets the needs of real people, not just the latest trend. Dria shares her journey from working in the fashion industry to founding a global wellness membership community, and how she recognized the need for a space that offers curated, intentional content and events for women.

Dria opens up about the power of trusting your instincts, the importance of mental health in wellness, and how she keeps her business grounded in balance, not extremes. She and JJ dive into the power of finding what works for you, not chasing every wellness trend, and the value of saying no to things that don’t align with your core values.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of trusting your instincts and staying true to what works for you

• How authenticity and balance can help you build a wellness empire without following the latest trends

• Why setting boundaries, and prioritizing mental health are crucial for personal and professional success

  
  

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Dria Murphy

(01:17) What by dria is and why she built it

(02:48) From fashion PR to entrepreneurship

(06:46) Why balance beats extremes in wellness

(08:48) Dria Water and how she tests products

(13:05) The meditation practice that changed everything

(15:41) Wellness doesn't have to cost anything

(16:09) Multitask beauty moments and morning non-negotiables

(18:22) Why consistency matters more than any product

(27:00) Turning down money to protect her reputation

(28:34) The worst advice she ever received

About Our Guest:

Dria Murphy is the CEO and Founder of by dria, a global wellness membership platform. After transitioning from the fashion industry to wellness, Dria created a space that inspires women to navigate the overwhelming wellness landscape with intention and balance. Through her platform, content, and events, Dria shares her expertise on curating wellness rituals that focus on mental health, authenticity, and simplicity, helping others build lives and businesses grounded in clarity, well-being, and purpose.

Dria Murphy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandriamurphy/ Dria Murphy’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/driamurphy/ 

Explore by dria: https://www.bydria.com/ 

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

The quickest way to lose confidence with money is to ignore the fundamentals. Today’s guest explains how to take control of your financial future, build wealth, and stay aligned with your values.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 144

In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice chats with Catherine Valega, founder of Green Bee Advisory, to dive into the importance of financial literacy, especially for women. Catherine talks about her journey from Wall Street to founding her own firm, and why she’s so passionate about helping others to take charge of their financial trajectories. She shares her background working in government trading, her time at Lehman Brothers, and her mission to support women in finance.

Catherine gets real about the lack of financial education in the U.S., the difference between men and women’s approach to investing, and how she helps women understand personal finance without shame. She explains the importance of being comfortable with risk, making smarter decisions around retirement accounts, and the need for solid tax strategies. She also sheds light on the value of partnering with the right advisor and how to navigate complicated tax and investment scenarios.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why understanding personal finance is crucial

• How to help women to take control of their financial futures without the shame

• Why balancing risk is crucial for long-term growth

  
  

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Catherine Valega
(03:42) From Wall Street to helping women with money

(06:43) When she realized women were being sidelined

(08:36) Own it cause you're smarter than most of the room

(10:21) Why most people lack financial education

(13:56) Making finance personal, not jargon-heavy

(16:38) Common misconceptions about financial advisors

(20:45) Why women invest too conservatively

(26:28) The huge tax bill waiting in your 401k

(33:00) Three things W2 employees must do now

(36:53) The S-corp trap entrepreneurs fall into

About Our Guest:

Catherine Valega is the founder of Green Bee Advisory, a firm focused on empowering individuals, especially women, to take control of their financial futures. With a background in Wall Street and a passion for financial literacy, Catherine helps clients optimize their wealth while minimizing taxes. She is dedicated to bridging the financial knowledge gap, supporting women’s financial independence, and making complex financial concepts accessible. Catherine is also committed to guiding her clients through smart investment strategies and tax planning for long-term financial success.

Catherine Valega’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinevalega/ 

Catherine Valega’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerwealthandtax 

Explore Green Bee Advisory: https://www.greenbeeadvisory.com/ 

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 143 

What happens when you stop asking whether the odds are in your favor and start moving forward anyway? Today’s guest built her life and leadership philosophy on that exact move, turning adversity, uncertainty, and other people’s limitations into fuel for power, growth, and scale. 

In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Shirin Behzadi, former CEO and bestselling author of The Unexpected CEO, to talk about building a life and career on your own terms, even when the path in front of you looks impossible. Shirin shares her journey from leaving Iran alone at 17, arriving in the United States without money or family support, and working as a gas station cashier while putting herself through school, to eventually leading and scaling a private equity backed company operating across 12,000 cities. 

Shirin gets candid about what it really means to hold a long term vision, how adversity became one of the most important forces in her life and leadership, and why women have to learn how to hear advice without automatically accepting it. She and JJ also talk about saying no, trusting your own non-negotiables, navigating rooms where you are not reflected in leadership, and why knowing you “can” matters more than waiting for external permission.  

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why adversity can become a source of power instead of proof that you should stop

• How to build conviction in your vision even when the odds and the voices around you say otherwise

• Why saying no, trusting yourself, and defining your non-negotiables are essential leadership skills

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Shirin Behzadi

(01:40) Why she wrote The Unexpected CEO

(03:37) Leaving Iran and starting over

(07:32) Building toward the life she wanted

(13:31) The brain tumor that changed everything

(15:06) The principles behind resilience

(19:37) Why saying “No” is a power move

(21:32) Hear people out, but do not listen

(26:11) The full circle moment that inspired her

(28:34) The worst advice she ever received

About Our Guest:

Shirin Behzadi is a former CEO, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of The Unexpected CEO. After immigrating to the United States from Iran as a teenager on her own, she built a remarkable career across accounting, finance, operations, and executive leadership before helping scale a company backed by private equity into a major multi-brand platform. Through her book, speaking, and advisory work, Shirin shares lessons on adversity, vision, resilience, and leadership to help others build lives and careers rooted in purpose, power, and possibility.

Shirin Behzadi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-marshall-92836b213/ 

Explore Shirin Behzadi’s Website: https://shirinbehzadi.com/ 

Explore The Unexpected CEO: https://shirinbehzadi.com/book/ 

The Unexpected CEO on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0gdt8XGD  

About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.

JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99

The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/

JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ 

Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/

The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.

If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.

This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 142 

The fastest way to lose your edge is to stop sweating the details. Today’s guest built a category-defining cafe brand by doing the opposite, then scaled it without letting the soul get stripped out.

In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Elisa Marshall, Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Maman, to talk about what it really takes to build a beloved brand, protect the vision, and still grow fast. Elisa shares how Maman started in 2014 as a personal passion project, why the name is a nod to home and French culture, and how a tiny Soho cafe turned into 51 locations in just over a decade. 

Elisa gets candid about the messy middle, what happens when you grow too quickly, how burnout shows up for founders and teams, and the mindset shift from doing everything yourself to building a team that can carry the work better than you can. She also breaks down what partnering with private equity actually felt like, what she was afraid would change, and how to choose partners based on what you truly need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to protect brand integrity while scaling from 1 location to 51

• What to look for in investors and partners so they support the vision, not override it

• Why delegation is a power move, especially when you stop pretending you are good at everything

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Elisa Marshall

(02:12) The entrepreneurship blueprint she grew up with

(04:21) Building the first Soho cafe from scratch

(07:44) Going from Soho to 51 locations

(08:10) Bootstrapping, then the COVID expansion window

(09:17) Taking private equity without losing the brand

(11:22) Why signature details matter more than people admit

(19:09) Community first marketing over chain energy

(21:31) The mistake of growing too fast

(38:09) The worst advice she ever got

About Our Guest:

Elisa Marshall is the Chief Brand Officer and Co-Founder of Maman, the beloved cafe and bakery known for its warm hospitality, thoughtful design, and signature blue and white details. Since launching the first location in Soho in 2014, Elisa has helped scale Maman to more than 50 locations across New York, the Tri-State area, DC, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Canada, and beyond. She is passionate about building community centered spaces, sweating the details that make a brand memorable, and proving that growth does not have to come at the cost of soul.

Elisa Marshall’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-marshall-92836b213/ 

Explore Maman NYC: https://mamannyc.com/

Explore Maman NYC’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_mamannyc_/ 

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