This week Natasha sits down with Amanda Luu, founder of Studio Mondine, to explore the art of designing with intention. Drawing inspiration from the Japanese practice of Ikebana, Amanda shares how slowing down, embracing simplicity, and finding meaning in every detail has shaped both her creative philosophy and her approach to floral design.

Together, they discuss the power of storytelling through flowers, building a creative business rooted in authenticity, and why the most memorable designs aren't always the biggest or most elaborate—they're the ones that make people feel something. This is a thoughtful conversation about creativity, purpose, and the beauty of designing with intention.

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In this episode, Natasha sits down with Virginia Frischkorn, founder of Partytrick, to explore the power of human connection and why building a business that brings people together has become her mission. Inspired by growing up in an entrepreneurial family and the lasting impact of her father, Virginia shares how purpose, community, and legacy have shaped both her life and the company she's building.

Together, they discuss creating a mission-driven business, building systems that scale, embracing AI and innovation without losing the human touch, and why the most meaningful companies are the ones that solve real problems while helping people feel like they belong.

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Meet Virginia here

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In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with Rumaiza, co-founder of Wedy, to explore what it really means to start again. After making the difficult decision to close one business, Rumaiza took a leap of faith and went all in on a new venture—betting on herself, her vision, and a problem she believed was worth solving.

Together, they discuss the realities of early-stage entrepreneurship, why founders should focus on getting their first customer instead of chasing perfection, how AI is shaping the future of the wedding industry, and why sometimes the biggest risk leads to the greatest opportunity.

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Learn more about Wendy here

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This week, Natasha sits down with Julie Novack, founder and CEO of PartySlate, to explore the journey from dreaming up a bold idea to building one of the world's leading event discovery platforms. Julie shares what gave her the confidence to leave a successful corporate career, why founders shouldn't be afraid to dream out loud, and how that leap of faith led to creating a category-defining business.

Together, they discuss how AI is transforming the future of event planning, what it takes to build and scale a trusted marketplace, raising capital, and why execution will always matter more than ideas. Julie also shares practical advice for entrepreneurs navigating rapid technological change, the importance of listening to customers, and how AI can become a powerful tool for creativity rather than simply another search engine.

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Find venues, vendors, and ideas for all event types with PartySlate

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In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with Michelle Elaine, luxury wedding planner and founder of Michelle Elaine Events, to explore a career built on resilience, reinvention, and taking chances. From training under industry icons David Tutera and Robert Verdi to navigating the pandemic, joining the startup world, and returning to weddings with a fresh perspective, Michelle shares the lessons that shaped her journey.

Together, they discuss the power of shooting your shot, building genuine relationships, breaking into competitive industries, and why the best opportunities often come from staying curious, adaptable, and willing to reinvent yourself. Whether you're a founder, creative, or entrepreneur navigating your next chapter, this conversation is packed with practical insights and inspiring career lessons.

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In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with Hannah Roze to explore the realities of building a startup through life's biggest transitions. After leaving a high-growth unicorn startup, Hannah set out to solve a problem she experienced firsthand while planning her own wedding—transforming a personal frustration into a business opportunity.

Together, they discuss the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship, building with conviction when the path isn't clear, navigating motherhood alongside startup life, and why resilience matters more than having all the answers. This is an honest conversation about starting from scratch, trusting the process, and finding the courage to keep going when things get hard.

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Nora Sheils built her first company at just 22 years old after winning a college business plan competition—and she's been building ever since. In this episode, Nora sits down with Natasha to share the journey from founding Bridal Bliss, one of the Pacific Northwest's leading wedding planning companies, to co-founding Rock Paper Coin, a software platform transforming how wedding and event professionals manage contracts and payments.

Nora opens up about growing up in an immigrant family, navigating entrepreneurship as a mother, finding the right co-founder, and the lessons she's learned from building businesses in an industry often underestimated by outsiders. From scaling teams and avoiding micromanagement to raising investment and balancing family life, this conversation is packed with practical insights for founders at every stage.

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In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with Elizabeth Wexler, a hospitality veteran and the founder of Emlan Events, a bespoke wedding and event planning agency, and Spennie, a curated wedding registry platform connecting couples with independent boutique retailers. Drawing on more than 15 years in the events industry, Elizabeth shares how she turned her experience into two thriving businesses at the intersection of weddings, hospitality, and entrepreneurship.

From the pivotal moment that gave her the confidence to launch her own company to building a tech startup without outside investors, Elizabeth reflects on why some founders move quickly while others stay stuck. She and Natasha discuss decision-making, networking, motherhood, AI's impact on the wedding industry, and why some of the best business ideas come from identifying a problem and taking action before you feel fully ready.

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Join Natasha Yuhjtman for another episode of The Hard Launch as she sits down with Luciano Barajas, co-founder of His & Hers Events. In this episode, Luciano shares the story behind building one of the most immersive luxury event brands. From growing up in a traditional immigrant household to leaving a secure corporate role and launching during COVID, Luciano opens up about risk, identity, and betting on yourself when no one else fully understands the vision.

He reflects on co-founder dynamics, using Instagram to fuel early growth, learning to say no to protect quality, and the moment he realized he had truly "made it." This episode is about creative courage, partnership, and redefining what success really means.

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Watch the full episode on YouTube

Timestamps:

00:00 – Meet Luciano Barajas + the story behind His & Hers Events

04:45 – Leaving corporate life & proving his parents wrong

09:52 – Six years in business + the Super Bowl "pinch me" moment

11:30 – From high school drama to co-founders

19:34 – Building a co-founder partnership that actually works

25:20 – Their luxury design process + trusting the vision

30:16 – When events don't go as planned

43:44 – How Instagram fueled 80% of early growth

50:37 – Scaling without sacrificing quality

55:43 – The moment he realized he had "made it"

58:57 – What's next: interior design, travel & building a design house

In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with Dylan Petro, founder of WedPing, and Morgan Kennedy, the newest member of the WedPing team, to unpack what building from zero to one actually looks like in an underserved industry.

Dylan shares his journey from launching a real-life dating app in NYC to building wedding tech, breaking down the hard distinction between traction and true product-market fit. and why "good" isn't good enough if no one is obsessed. He opens up about luck, timing, knowing when a business model doesn't work, and why staying alive long enough is sometimes the only strategy.

Morgan brings the wedding industry perspective, revealing the communication gaps planners face daily and what it takes to introduce new tech into a fragmented, relationship driven space. Together, they dive into selling innovation before the market fully understands it, simplifying AI so it feels invisible, and why building for intensity, not volume, changes everything.

This episode is for founders chasing product market fit and wedding pros thinking about the future of events.

Learn more abourt WedPings at Wedping.com

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Timestamps:

05:13 – Traction vs. Obsession 08:01 – The Audacious Hypothesis Test 10:16 – Great Product, Bad Business 28:38 – The 2-Minute Demo Rule 36:03 – Stay Alive Long Enough 38:16 – When to Quit vs. When to Pivot 47:16 – AI as an Ingredient, Not the Dish 50:26 – Founder + Parent Perspective 57:25 – Advice for Non-Technical Founders