The Mentor Files

Listen in to learn how Jordana created her feminine care product subscription service, and how she is empowering women to live their healthiest lives.

“A lifelong reproductive health brand for your body should exist. Why are we reinventing the wheel every single time?” - Jordana Kier.

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.monicaandandy.blog/41

Listen in to learn more about why Rosie chose to make a retail store so early in Sugarfina's career, and the difficulties inherent in scaling your business.

“At the end of the day, your product should sell itself. It shouldn't need an ad to sell itself. Make sure you have something that people get excited about and that they want to share it and buy it.” - Rosie O'Neill.

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.monicaandandy.blog/40

Listen in to learn more about Jessica Rolph's journey through motherhood, venture capital, fundraising, stating two businesses, and growing alongside her startups.

“These businesses do become your babies, they're like another being in your life.” - Jessica Rolph.

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.monicaandandy.blog/39

Listen in for Michael's thoughts on working with a family member, how entrepreneurs can find balance in their personal lives, and why good content has been so instrumental to FabFitFun's success.

"I think you have to look for ways to be different in some fundamental way so you can stand out. In the consumer world, you want to be able to not only stand out, but then make that into some sort of sustainable competitive differentiation over time." - Michael Broukhim.

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.monicaandandy.blog/38

Sarah LaFleur was working in private equity when she came to a realization that’ll ring familiar to most professional women. “I had a really hard time shopping for work...I’d spend [time] stressing out about what to wear in the morning,” she admitted.  

But that dilemma sparked inspiration: Sarah had witnessed companies like Bonobos, Warby Parker and Cuyana successfully launch direct-to-consumer concepts, and she decided to create something similar geared towards working women — and that’s how her company, MM LaFleur, got off the ground.

Success didn’t come right away. In fact, about a year after she launched, Sarah feared she may have to fold her business. But one seemingly small decision allowed her to triple her revenue overnight...and proved pivotal in her company’s success story.

Listen in to hear about Sarah’s incredible journey, her thoughts on the biggest mistake hopeful entrepreneurs make, and how Sex and the City’s leading ladies informed her approach to her business. 

In this episode, Renata reveals the top qualities she has seen in the most successful entrepreneurs, and also the red flags she’s seen in people along the way.

“Think a lot about how you can make the most of what you got, and be deliberate about that.” - Renata Quintini.

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.monicaandandy.blog/35

While we are on summer break, enjoy this rerun of our first (and one of our favorite) episodes!

 For the first episode, I’m interviewing one of my favorite humans on earth: My brother Andy Dunn. The offspring of an immigrant mother who bucked tradition to marry our dad (he is not Indian, like our mother), we grew up feeling different from the other kids. This difference was our common bond and it made us that much closer.

Andy founded Bonobos in 2007 with the goal of providing men with better fitting pants. In the past ten years, the brand has grown to become a premier destination for men’s clothing. Along the way, Andy and his team have revolutionized the modern retail industry by providing a digital-first shopping experience. Not surprisingly, a lot of other brands have taken notice and followed suit (no pun intended).

Andy was a true pioneer in digital and his advice and guidance have been instrumental in Monica + Andy's growth. Listen in to this first episode for some great advice from Andy, including what five qualities to look for in employees as you’re building your team, and whether there really is such a thing as an expert (and if you should hire them).

“The thing that you think the world wants from you is not actually what the world wants from you - what the world wants from you is to do very difficult work of creating something that can exist and thrive and prosper.” - Andy Dunn

Learn more about this episode of The Mentor Files with Monica Royer at www.MonicaandAndy.com/01

Like many of us, Rachel Drori was trying to fit healthy, nutritious meals into her busy life...but was frustrated by the lack of options. In 2015, Rachel decided to take matters into her own hands: She founded Daily Harvest, a direct-to-consumer brand blending health and innovation to send delicious superfoods straight to your freezer so you can prepare and enjoy them at your convenience.

The business is one of the fastest growing nutritional food brands in the U.S. With more than 100,000 subscribers, Daily Harvest delivers breakfast bowls, ice cream sundaes, and soups to freezers around the country.

Today on the podcast, Rachel and Monica talk about the importance of having a customer-centric business, how to attract high-profile investors early on, and Rachel's plans to reshape how people think about frozen food.

In 2012, Denise Lee was training for her first marathon and went out in search of activewear. She wanted to find modern and sleek styles that were similar to the contemporary designers she wore in her everyday wardrobe — but she quickly realized what she wanted wasn't available.

Noticing this void in the marketplace led her to create her own brand, Alala, inspired by the Greek goddess of the same name. Alala is a luxury workout brand that is now carried in over 100 major retailers including Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Shopbop. The brand offers bold, sophisticated designs that are not just limited to activewear, but can also be worn outside the gym and transitioned from day to night.

In her conversation with Monica, Denise discuses what it's like to launch a digital brand, the role of retail in the business plan, whether founders should take funding or bootstrap, and what both Monica and Denise wish they knew when starting their businesses.

Brad Kopitz knows the power of a photo album. As the CEO of Artifact Uprising, a digitally native company that provides printed photo goods, he understands the value of high quality, good design, and thoughtfully sourced materials. And, it has paid off. When the company launched in 2012 more than 7,000 people visited their site in the first day. Within the first 18 months, Artifact Uprising was a multi-million dollar company.

Brad first joined the brand as an early investor, but shortly after he became chief revenue office, followed by chief operating officer, and ultimately is now CEO.

In his conversation with Monica today, Brad chats about his moves within in the company, why print is definitely not dead, and the operational side of a modern company making beautiful products.