The Mentor Files

As an advisor, investor, and entrepreneur, Sari Azout wears many hats. Early on in her career she worked as an investment banker in the consumer and retail division of Lehman Brothers. From there, she took the leap to start her own company Bib + Tuck — a peer-to-peer apparel marketplace — which was acquired by Crossroad Trading in 2015.

Now, as a Partner at Level Ventures and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Rokk3r Labs, Sari advises dozens of early stage companies. In this episode, Sari talks about what she looks for when choosing companies to invest in, the importance of language market fit and why storytelling is imperative to any company’s success. She also reveals the best resources to help any brand begin to craft their message.

“Let’s not look at the demographics of the people that are buying from you, let’s get into their psyche.” - Sari Azout

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.blog/11

If there is a female millennial entrepreneur that is shaking up their industry, chances are Vivienne Decker has covered them for Forbes.com. She has interviewed some of the country’s most successful female entrepreneurs and has some fascinating insight into the similarities between these powerhouse women.

On today’s episode, Vivienne gives valuable and candid insider advice on how to get press coverage from the top business outlets (hint: the right subject lines matter BIG TIME!).

When Heidi Zak couldn’t find a quality bra that fit her right and looked great, she realized there was a hole in the market and ThirdLove was born. The data-driven bra company now offers 15 styles in 59 different sizes (they’re the only company to offer half cup sizes!) and provides a “try before you buy” model that encourages women to try the product on in the comfort of their own homes.

On this episode Heidi discusses product market fit, exactly how her company collects and uses data to target sales, how to create demand (and a waiting list!), and how their values inform their hiring process. She also reveals the number one platform ThirdLove relies on to track customer service.

In 2011, bloggers Danielle Moss and Alaina Kaczmarski teamed up to launch a website with a budget of less than $8k. Since then, The Everygirl has become a household name and the ultimate online resource for creative, career-driven women with more than 1 million unique visitors each month and 660k+ Instagram followers. Just a few months after launching, The Everygirl was named by Forbes as one of the “Top 10 websites for Millennial Women” and as one of the “Top 100 Websites for Women.”

In this episode, Danielle explains how she got started and the steps she took to launch The Everygirl. She also shares her number one tip for taking great Instagram photos (bonus: you don’t need to be a professional photographer!) and her go-to apps, filters and editing tricks to make photos look their best. Danielle and Monica also discuss how to delegate as you grow and why sometimes you just need to throw ideas to the wall and see what sticks.

“Sometimes you have to let go of a few things to focus on what’s really important.” - Danielle Moss

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.blog/08

Jessica Herrin was on a mission when she set out to create the direct sales accessory company, Stella & Dot. For her, it wasn’t as much about the product she wanted to create, but rather a movement. At the time, Herrin had already launched a wedding gift registry site which sold to The Knot for $78 million. She balanced being a mom of two daughters as she worked tirelessly to build her second company. From there, it was clear to her that she wanted to create a company that would empower and provide entrepreneurship opportunities for the modern woman.

Fourteen years after launching, Stella & Dot has paid more than $300 million in commissions to more than 50,000 stylists and Herrin has been named by Forbes as one of America’s Richest Self Made Women.

In this episode, Herrin fills us in on why she stopped trying to do it all and why women need to make a change and stop feeling guilty about their choices(“mom guilt” anyone?). She also discusses the importance of being soulfully connected to your work, how to get started building a business when you don’t have the right mentors and the importance of acting as your own venture capitalist. Herrin also shares what she calls “The 6 P’s of the Entrepreneurial Spirit” to achieve success in business and lives a happy life. More on that can be found in her latest book, Finding the Extraordinary (which we highly recommend!).

“Often times when you have the biggest struggles, it’s your greatest opportunity.” - Jessica Herrin

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.blog/07

Daphne Oz is a healthy lifestyle expert, entrepreneur, New York Times Bestselling cookbook author, chef, Emmy award-winning TV host and mother of two (with another one on the way!). If anyone has effectively mastered the art of multi-tasking with style, it’s Daphne Oz.

In this episode, Daphne discusses the importance of investing in yourself and reveals one thing everyone can do each day to feel more confident. Monica and Daphne also discuss “being real” on social media, why you shouldn’t compare yourself to others and how you can use the “picture perfect but totally staged"”images from your favorite bloggers as inspiration.

She also fills us in on how she manages to make healthy meals for the kids while working full-time. Her third cookbook, The Happy Cook, is all about balancing healthy foods with all the comforting meals you and your family actually want to eat. Read on for two of our favorite (and kid approved) recipes from the book (and do yourself a favor and get a copy!).

“Everyone has this moment in their life where the thing that they thought was holding them back, is actually a huge asset.” - Daphne Oz

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.blog/06

When Payal Kadakia went online one day in 2011 to book a ballet workout class, she was “miserably frustrated” with how difficult it was to find and attend the right type of class. After realizing her friends had similar frustrations, she created ClassPass — a monthly membership fitness-class booking company — as a way for people to reconnect with their passions and fitness.

Listen in to learn more about how Payal’s passion for dancing led her to create a nearly $400 million company and being named on Forbes 40 under 40 List. Payal and Monica also discuss the importance of product market fit, how a CEO’s role (and the roles of those on your team) evolve as the company grows, how to create the right type of culture and why it’s so crucial so solidify your company’s vision and mission.

“The only thing that mattered was getting people to class.” - Payal Kadakia

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.blog/05

Sam Yagan holds quite the entrepreneurial resume. During his college years, he co-founded SparkNotes, which sold for $30 million to Barnes & Noble just one year later. He then co-founded a little dating site called OKCupid and from there went on to run Match.com. He’s currently the CEO of ShopRunner, a members only online shopping site with more than 4 million members, and runs the venture capital firm, Corazon Capital.

As a regular advisor to Monica, Sam is never short on game-changing advice. Listen in today as he reveals insider tips on how to pick the right investor and the number one thing you should do after you raise your first round of capital.

He also reveals the number one book he swears by that completely changed the way he looks at hiring employees (and what to do when a hire doesn’t go well) and gives invaluable insight into how to maintain culture as you scale.

“Understanding what mountain you have to climb to sustain your business and raise more capital is critically important.” - Sam Yagan

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.blog/04

Famed designer Cynthia Rowley is perhaps most well known for her namesake clothing brand. However, since she launched her label in 1983, she has expanded from clothing into everything from home furnishings and tech accessories to surfing apparel. A true artist at heart, Cynthia is constantly innovating, networking, and paving the way in the fashion world. Did you know she was one of the first designers to do a collaboration with Target?

Listen in as Monica and Cynthia talk about choosing the right partners to collaborate, starting a network from scratch, how to stay relevant with your brand in an ever-evolving industry, supporting other female entrepreneurs and how to motivate employees. They also discuss what they've given up along the way to achieve success and how to balance being a parent and entrepreneur.

“For anyone who wants to start a company, it’s never been easier: you don’t need a store, you don’t even need an office space.” - Cynthia Rowley.

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.blog/03

In 2010, Katia Beauchamp started Birchbox and revolutionized the way we shop for beauty products. The subscription-based company now has over 1 million global subscribers and has managed to stay relevant in the ever-growing market for subscription services and in the digital retail world.

Listen in as Katia explains why she thinks one of the biggest opportunities in the consumer space is to tap into what she calls "passive consumption." She also chats with Monica about word of mouth marketing, raising capital as a female entrepreneur and explains how cold emailing can help you get ahead regardless of your business or industry.

“Our vision is to be powerfully relevant through deep respect.” - Katia Beauchamp.

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.blog/02