Trailblazers by Erica Wenger

This week we chat with Erin Levine. Erin Levine is a California-based attorney specializing in Family Law since 2005. Erin was an undergraduate student at the University of California in Santa Barbara and attended law school at the University of San Francisco. After owning and managing the Levine Family Law Group in Oakland, CA for over a decade, Erin became disillusioned with the broken, inefficient and expensive system and set out to change it. In 2018, she founded the online platform Hello Divorce. Hello Divorce was created to help people navigate the divorce process on their terms, quickly and affordably with less stress. Its services are currently available in California, Utah, Colorado, and Texas with plans for immediate expansion into additional states in 2021. As Founder and CEO of Hello Divorce, Erin’s goal is to provide everyone who wants a divorce access to easy, affordable, and ethical legal assistance. 

Her passion and approach to family law has been guided by her own experience with the legal system. As a child, Erin was the victim of violence and as a teen, she was the plaintiff in a civil action and a witness in a criminal action. It was stressful, intimidating, and confusing and Erin was determined to not let anyone else feel that way. Her goal is to leave clients ready to embark on a fresh start and feeling empowered.

Erin has been recognized by James I. Keane Memorial Award for Excellence in eLawyering, Women Founders Network, American Bar Association “Women in LegalTech”, and the Duke Law & Tech Accelerator’s Grand Prize Winner to name a few. And featured in publications such as; Vice, TechCrunch, Entertainment Tonight, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Women’s Health.

Follow us!

Erin Levine: @erinlevine (and on Fireside here)

Hello Divorce: @hellodivorce (and website here)

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week we chat with Ali Kriegsman. Ali is the Co-founder and COO of Bulletin, a B2B wholesale marketplace backed by Y Combinator, Kleiner Perkins and other top venture funds. Her mission is to help founders and small business owners, and especially women, redefine the word "success." As a first-time founder, Ali felt like she couldn’t relate to the glamorous entrepreneurs on her Instagram feed who were peddling typical markers of success like glossy magazine covers, getting verified on social media, or hitting massive revenue milestones. In reality, she thought, building something from nothing is a confusing and emotional challenge you sign up for every single day, and it's a journey filled with more failures than wins. It's unglamorous, taxing, and endlessly stressful, and fuels the intense fear that if things don’t work out, you've failed miserably. Ali believes that if you're launching a business from scratch and sign up for that struggle, you're already ahead of so many others who would prefer to defer a dream, stay stuck, and wonder "what if?"

A recipient of "Forbes 30 Under 30" and named one of Fast Company’s "Most Creative People in Business," Ali has helped thousands of brands expand their distribution and sell in both offline and online stores all around the US and. Canada. She is a salesperson, self-taught publicist, marketer, and growth strategist and has experience scaling both bootstrapped and venture-backed businesses. Her first book, How to Build a Goddamn Empire, is the no bullsh*t book on entrepreneurship you've always needed, and it is now available in both hardcover and audiobook formats. Using the questions she's most frequently asked as her guideposts, Ali writes about her experience launching and growing Bulletin directly from the trenches, and features words of triumph, failure and wisdom from 30 other women-owned businesses. The book has been featured and lauded by The Today Show, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine and more, and her publisher, ABRAMS, has doubled down on the project and expanded publication *globally* to the UK, Australia, Finland, Denmark, South Africa, Germany and other European countries. The book, which just came out in April, is already in its third print run in the US.

Since the book's release and aspart of her digital book tour, Ali has partnered with Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and The Female Quotient, Rebecca Minkoff and The Female Founder Collective, Yelp, Meetup, Shopify, TaskRabbit and more. Through her work, Ali has cultivated an extensive network of entrepreneurs including Ally Love, Sophia Amoruso, Jaime Schmidt, Jaclyn Johnson and others, and her digital book launch yielded over 15,000 attendees for her panels, workshops and fireside chats.

Follow us!

Ali Kriegsman: @alikriegs (and on Fireside here)

Bulletin: @bulletin.co (and get involved here)

How to Build a Goddamn Empire by Ali Kriegsman: buy here

Wanting by Luke Burgis (mentioned in conversation): buy here

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week we chat with Sabeena Ladha. Sabeena is the founder and CEO of the good-for-you cookie dough company, DEUX. DEUX is a food brand that is completely revolutionizing how we view traditionally sweet desserts because they’re making them HEALTHY for you with immune boosting and stress relieving ingredients like zinc, elderberry, maca, ashwagandha, and more. Made to be baked or eaten straight from the jar, their enhanced cookie dough is an absolute game changer! Because it’s vegan, gluten free, and full of healthy ingredients, you can eat as much as you want!! DEX has been featured in publications like Forbes, Who What Wear, POPSUGAR, CNBC, and more. You may have even seen her pitching DEUX to the sharks on Shark Tank last Friday! But of course, Sabeena had a long career in various business roles before embarking on her journey as a food entrepreneur.

Follow us!

Sabeena Ladha: @sabeenaladha (and on Fireside here)

DEUX: @eatdeux (and website here)

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week we chat with GloZell Green. GloZell Green, 'the Queen of YouTube', is a classically trained performer and hugely popular Internet personality. She has performed at the World Famous Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, and other venues; appeared on Showtime at the Apollo, The Steve Harvey Talent Show, The Dr. Oz Show, 20/20, MTV, and Vstrong; has been featured in Ebony Magazine, Cosmopolitan, People, and on ABC News; and has interviewed President Obama at the White House. GloZell established her YouTube channel in 2008, with video interviews, comedy about her life and song parodies. By 2015, the channel had accumulated more than four million subscribers and more than 700 million total views. Her most popular videos include her cinnamon challenge video, which has accumulated more than 58 million views, and "The Cup Song" video, with more than 29 million views.

Eager to entertain, dedicated to making people laugh, comedian and video superstar GloZell Green is game for any challenge, no matter how silly, gross, or absurd. Her crazy video stunts have propelled her into the ranks of legendary funny ladies such as Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Fey, Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, and Phyllis Diller—and made her an inspiring icon for a new generation. 

Follow us!

GloZell Green: @glozell (and on Fireside here)

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week, we chat with Meg Jay, PhD. Dr. Meg Jay is a clinical psychologist and author who specializes in adult development. She has over 15 years of experience listening to, teaching, researching, writing and speaking about our twenties — the critical period of adult development. Meg argues that our twenties are the critical period of adult development — and that this group is a critical part of the economy and workforce that needs to be better understood. Her TED talk about “Why Your 20s Matter" was named by Forbes.com as one of five bright, inspiring ideas from the 2013 conference in Long Beach, California. Mashable.com chose it as one of 15 TED Talks That Will Change Your Life.

Her most recent book, Supernormal: The Untold Story of Adversity and Resilience, is a revolutionary and illuminating examination of those who have overcome childhood adversity to become high-functioning adults. Dr. Jay’s book, The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now, weaves the latest science of the twentysomething years with compelling, behind-closed-doors stories from twentysomethings themselves. It details what psychologists, sociologists, neurologists, economists, and reproductive specialists know about the unique power of the twentysomething years. The Defining Decade was named a Best Book of 2012 by Slate.com and was nominated for a Books for a Better Life Award.

Dr. Jay is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Virginia. She received a doctorate in clinical psychology, and in gender studies, from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Psychology Today, and NPR.

Follow us!

Meg Jay: no Instagram (website here and on Fireside here)

Meg Jay's Books: Supernormal (2017), Defining Decade (updated, 2021 version)

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week, we chat with Darleen Santore, known to many as Coach Dar. As a Board Certified Occupational Therapist, business executive, author and speaker, she is passionate about helping people break through barriers to achieve their goals. Recently named Senior Fellow of PathNorth – an organization of world leaders and CEOs of Fortune 100 companies, her powerful message continues to reach a global audience. As a mental skills and leadership coach, she blends a knowledge of science, psychology and achievement with her personal passion for life. The result? Individuals, corporate executives and professional athletes & teams aim higher and achieve more. Additionally, Coach Dar is a trailblazer for Phoenix women and was awarded the Most Inspiring Woman from WNBA. It is her unique style and approach during transformational seminars, high impact speaking engagements, and exclusive one-on-one sessions that has helped people say no to the status quo, to raise the bar in their lives, to break free so they can breakthrough, and to reignite their hearts to live a purposeful life.

From her experience as a Board Certified Occupational Therapist, to a healthcare executive, to Chief Operating Officer of a record label, to Chief Performance Officer at a fast growing jewelry company, to a mentor to global leaders, CEOs and athletes, Darleen has a proven track record of leading people and inspiring positive changes that impact lives.

Follow us!

Coach Dar: @thecoachdar (website here and on Fireside here)

Coach Dar's "Raise the Bar" Masterclass: website here (use code DEAR20 for 20% off)

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week, we chat with Poppy Jamie. Poppy Jamie is one of the world’s leading entrepreneurs, podcast hosts and speakers in the mental wellbeing and mindfulness space, on a mission to democratize conversation and tools for emotional and mental health. Poppy is the founder of the award-winning Happy Not Perfect mindset app, host of the chart topping Not Perfect podcast and author of Happy Not Perfect: Upgrade Your Mind, Challenge Your Thoughts and Free Yourself From Anxiety.

Poppy kicked off her career while studying at the London School of Economics when she became the youngest television host at ITN. After graduating, Poppy moved to Los Angeles to work with MTV, ITV and later launched Pillow Talk with Poppy, Snapchat’s first chat show. Then in 2015, Happy Not Perfect was born out of a clear need for a tool to deal with anxiety. Poppy received hundreds of messages from viewers opening up about their stress and anxiety. With her mom being a neurotherapist, Poppy decided something needed to be created to help everyone manage their mental wellbeing better. Whilst developing Happy Not Perfect, Poppy co-founded accessories brand Pop & Suki with actress Suki Waterhouse. The brand celebrates the meaning of friendship. The following year in 2016, Poppy delivered a TEDx talk 'Addicted to likes’, which focused on the harmful effect social media has on our mental health. In 2017, Forbes named Poppy one of their 30 under 30s and she was appointed as the youngest board member of the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital Advisory Board at UCLA to help consult on the well-being of students.

Follow us!

Poppy: @poppyjamie (and on Fireside here)

Happy Not Perfect: @happynotperfect (and buy the book here)

Not Perfect Podcast: on Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week, we chat with Shaniqua McClendon. Shaniqua has worked in politics for a decade and currently serves as Political Director for Crooked Media, home to the popular podcast, Pod Save America. In this role, Shaniqua led the creation of their voter engagement program, Vote Save America and volunteer engagement program, Adopt a State, which has educated millions of voters, recruited hundreds of thousands of volunteers and raised millions of dollars for progressive causes and candidates. Prior to Crooked Media, Shaniqua worked on Capitol Hill, serving as a policy advisor to Senator Kay R. Hagan and Congresswoman Alma S. Adams. Shaniqua earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She serves on the Register Her Board and was a fellow at the USC Center for the Political Future.

Follow us!

Shaniqua: @shaniquam (and on Fireside here)

Crooked Media: @crookedmedia and website here

Vote Save America: @votesaveamerica and website here

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week, we chat with Vanessa Dew who is the Co-Founder of Health-Ade Kombucha. Vanessa founded Health-Ade Kombucha in 2012 alongside her best friends and husband-and-wife team, Justin and Daina Trout. As Chief Sales Officer, Vanessa brings an invaluable knowledge of sales and marketing amassed from years spent at a major pharmaceutical company before leaving to help start Health-Ade Kombucha. Through her expertise in channel penetration and people management, Vanessa has led Health-Ade’s sales team to boost availability in key channels and markets, while cultivating the Health-Ade brand as a whole. The brand is now available in 35,000 stores including Whole Foods, Target and Trader Joes.

Originally from Los Angeles, Vanessa is a first-generation Asian American who has always had an interest in science as well as the entrepreneurial bug, even as a little kid. She received her BS in Biochemistry from UC San Diego and an MBA from the University of Southern California. One of her passions is to give back to the community and other entrepreneurs and serves as a USC Marshall Mentor, advises several young CPG companies, and is an active member of the Female Founder Collective, Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) and Asian Business Association (ABA). Further, she’s an advisor of GoldHouse with the goal of helping to uplift other Asian American entrepreneurs. She has been awarded the NextGen Innovation Award and has spoken on her entrepreneurial journey from Singapore to NYC. Her interests and hobbies include cooking, travelling, experiencing the food scene in LA and beyond, staying active and hanging out with her husband, Kevin, their son, Oliver, and pup, Dubu.

Follow us!

Vanessa: @v_dew (and on Fireside here)

Health-Ade Kombucha: @healthade and website here

RAPID Decision-Making (technique mentioned during show): more info here

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)

This week, we chat with Tracy Tutor who is a luxury real estate agent and star of Million Dollar Listing LA. Continuously being ranked in the top 10 at Douglas Elliman, Tracy Tutor is an integral part of their Sports & Entertainment division. She has an undeniably strong presence and a confidence that has propelled her into the rooms of some of the most powerful people in LA, representing some of the most noteworthy brands in real estate, and iconic architects such as Frank Gehry, John Lautner, and Pierre Koenig. Tracy has consulted for the luxury five-star hotel and resort, Amangiri in Canyon Point, Utah on the sales of over $400 million dollars in branded real estate. From being the first female real estate broker on Million Dollar Listing LA, Tracy’s on-screen persona is revealed in her Instant Wall Street Journal bestselling book: "Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word." A 21 year veteran in luxury real estate sales, Tracy is currently leading an exclusive virtual series intended to empower women using her raw and always uncensored attitude with one singular mission: provide a no-nonsense guide to analyzing big egos, deflecting power plays, and taking control of any room.

Following the successful launch of the West Hollywood Edition, Tracy has exclusively represented the luxury development which has 100% sold in 2021 with sale prices ranging from $4M - $26.5M totaling nearly $200M, breaking records in Los Angeles for price per foot. Other significant sales in 2020 include Kristin Tutor's Holmby Hills Mansion, listed at $29,000,000, followed by $40,000,000+ sales in December alone.

A native to California, Tracy has lived all over Los Angeles, from Hidden Hills to the Hollywood Hills. Growing up the daughter of Ronald Tutor, one of the most successful civil and building contractors in the country, Tracy was introduced to Real Estate at an early age. Shortly after graduating from the University of Southern California, she went to work for her father, acquiring a wealth of knowledge and a steadfast work ethic. After almost three years at Tutor/Perini, Tracy transitioned into a career in residential real estate and has never looked back. While expanding her business worldwide and taking on more new developments, Tracy strives to maintain a work-life balance by spending time with her family and friends.

Follow us!

Tracy: @tracytutor and website (and on Fireside here)

Fear Is Just a Four-Letter Word (book written by Tracy, mentioned during show): book here

Dear Twentysomething: @deartwentysomething (and on Fireside here)