Tea with Abbie

As the leader of a business that set out to prioritize hiring women of color from the moment of their inception back in 2014, Skill Scout now finds themselves validated and invigorated in a renewed way, as the world shifts its consciousness and Black Lives Matter holds our attention.

Skill Scout is a workplace media company to help tell the stories of work on video as a way to attract, hire, or engage talent.  The passion Elena brings to her company is nothing short of manifested life purpose- and her intentions to lead with empathy shine through.  This episode gets into the ideas of social justice, the importance of empowering and hiring young people, and the advantage of naivete when launching a new product. We discuss the responsibility of taking the weight of a crisis on your shoulders as a leader and making your workforce feel empowered, safe, and confident. All in all, through the challenges, we discuss how being an entrepreneur is a privilege and to creativity is the ultimate gift.

Statement Sip: "Growth vs Grace"

This episode featured the multitalented artist and entrepreneur, Robin  Beltran, the brains behind The Black Vegan Company. Her business is on a  mission to save lives, starting with food.  

After an intense life event rocked her world (must listen in to hear the catalyst for the lifestyle change that started it all), Robin set out to heal the trauma her family was experiencing through a plant-based diet. After seeing positive results in her family's physical and mental health, she made it her mission to educate the possibility of healing trauma through diet in black and brown communities- a demographic of people hit hard by social and economic traumas.   

We discuss the power of plants and the need to change the stigma around vegan foods, how to approach the discussion with friends and family,  balancing motherhood while running a business, and refusing to have the word "CAN'T" in her vocabulary. Robin is currently serving the Austin community with The Black Vegan Company through a partnership with her not-for-profit, The Morpho Effect, by serving free organic produce every  Monday 7am-10am at The Idea School on Palmer.  

Statement Sip: "If it doesn't feel good, let it go." *queue Elsa played  by your host, Abbie*

Last time we sat down with Georgina our CPO and Co-Founder, we had just started the Capital Factory Accelerator and started to build our technology. Now several months later, we come together again to discuss the new beginnings of launching our tech and the process of iteration,  pivoting, and validation that it took for us to get here!   

We go into the challenges and changes as a team from Covid19, the grace of adversity, and coming out the other side stronger.   Georgina opens up about her personal journey to find what she is passionate about and how founding a company has been a big journey on what fulfillment vs what is safe and reliable.  

Statement Sip: "Pivot, Adapt, Iterate"

Passionate about raising bilingual children, Alieen set out to find a  way to do it for her own family- and stumbled into a huge area of opportunity!   

MamaLingua was born from the idea that parents need a better way to engage and learn with their children to teach them Spanish and English during the organic start of language learning. Wanting to reach more parents once their in homegroup sessions started to grow, the founders of MamaLingua set out to create an online business and software that could reach even more families. 

Beyond the benefits of learning another language- especially Spanish,  the third most common language spoken in the world, Aileen and I talk about the value of language breaking down barriers within our own communities, specifically within the U.S. As a first-time founder, we discuss the fears and challenges of launching a new venture and the feeling of not belonging, breaking down small goals to build a business,  spending time outside to regroup, the opportunities COVID-19 has brought, and the very exciting launch of MamaLingua's platform in June! 

Statement Sip: "Raise Bilingual Kids!"

Shifting power dynamics, Bre is on a mission to give women a voice with her online marketplace for women-owned brands called Radicaial Girl  Gang.  

In this episode, Bre and Abigail talk about the journey of the women entrepreneur, going from side hustle to full-time gig, pitching to male dominate audiences, leaning into the data, and never looking back.   

We get honest about the importance for us as the more privileged  demographic of women- to understand our privilege, and how to use it to make sure ALL women have a seat at the table. With the current landscape for business and Covid 19, we discuss the challenges for small business  owners and the best ways we can support them: using our dollars to VOTE  and build the world around us that we want to live in.  

Statement Sip: "Bend the Universe"

Eunice is no stranger to risking it all to make it happen! In this episode, we discuss the personal journey of entrepreneurship that led  Eunice to the opportunity to join the founding team of Open Teams.   

She is a powerful force of adaptation, resilience, and utilizing her disadvantages as advantages. As a co-founder, we discuss the journey of raising capital pre and post-pandemic and the validation of that first big check.   Eunice highlights the importance of selling the big picture and being as bold as a women entrepreneur, never selling yourself short.  Through gratitude and goal setting, Eunice is an inspiring example of taking action to make it happen.  

Statement Sip: "Live in the now"

Ft. Vi Nguyen CEO and Co-Founder of Homads  

The first episode recorded from the safety of our homes, Vi and Abigail have a candid conversation as 'business as usual' came to a halt amid the COVID-19 pandemic.    Refreshingly optimistic and inclined to see the silver lining, Vi breaks down how her company is adapting to the rapid changes happening around us.  Seizing the opportunity to rise to the occasion and be a point of trust, Vi breaks down the power of the pivot in response to a changing consumer.   We get into the grit of finding the right people, using your past to fuel your current state and the dynamics of fundraising with vulnerability.   

Statement Sip: "Know the rules, play the game, then change the rules"

For episode 4 of Tea with Abbie, we invited financial extraordinaire,  Kara Perez, to lift the veil on our personal finances.  

Motivated to share what she learned during her own financial come up,  Kara launched 'Bravely Go' to empower women and underserved communities with access to knowledge so they control their lives when it comes to money. Founded in 2017, this founder is determined to educate others on how they can achieve their own financial freedom.   In this episode, we go into money myths, how far kind and inclusive honesty can go, turning inward, and making sure Bravely Go is actionable, accessible, and intersectional. A Fierce Financial Feminist, and fellow Massachusetts native, Kara is on a mission with her money bag!   

Check out her "Financial Feminism Summit" On June 10th and 11th

Daniela DeStefano Pachon is fearless when it comes to running her group travel technology company, Trip Loop.   

In this episode, we get into what it is like to step out of your comfort zone and into a role that is brand new: an entrepreneur.  We share what the experience is like to pitch to a room full of men, communication and problem-solving with your team, and remembering to take a break.   Daniela opens up about Imposter Syndrome and how she deals with the  little, insecure voice inside her head that says "you can't do it."   And find out the truth of what it's like to work with your spouse, as we both have the pleasure of working with ours!  

Statement sip: "To be Tenacious and Gracious."

When you have a boss babe in your corner, you are winning! This episode features our CEO's bestie and creative visionary, Bex Cleary who owns and operates BEX salon in NY.  

 While visiting her clientele in Austin, she stopped in to sip some tea and dish about how the first year in her brick and mortar is developing! Bex pushes the envelope for what it means to be a stylist, raising the bar on quality, and creating content that supports your dreams. She is a leader in the beauty space for #goinggreen and the convo covers everything from setting boundaries, trial and error, and getting out of your comfort bubble!   

Statement sip: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.