Have you ever started something just to make people happy — and accidentally built a business? Have you ever landed your biggest dream moment (hi, Oprah) and found yourself on the other end of it crying... because the crates broke?

Marissa Allen knows both sides of that coin intimately. She didn't set out to be a founder. She was an NFL wife, a former college soccer player, a stay-at-home mom of two tiny humans (one of whom was six months old, crawling around the kitchen), and someone who just really loved baking cookies for her husband's teammates on the Houston Texans. It was a teammate trying to buy those cookies that planted the seed. She was reluctant. Her husband wasn't.

What followed wasn't a clean, linear launch story. It was a $5,000 website (the ancient kind where you still typed in your credit card), a rented commercial kitchen at $20 an hour, Sunday baking marathons, and Monday morning 6 AM flights back from Kansas City with two kids in tow. Today, Cookie Society is a multi-location, nationally shipping, Oprah's Favorite Things-certified, cult-followed gourmet cookie brand with 88 employees — and a breakfast-only March menu that people literally line up overnight to get. They didn't build it by throwing money at it. They built it by doing every single job themselves first, scaling incrementally, and trusting the data.

Tune In For:

How Marissa accidentally launched a business by baking for NFL locker rooms and getting an offer she almost turned down

Why opening during a global pandemic was actually grace — and what would have happened if they'd gone full send without it

The Taylor Swift ticket strategy: how Cookie Society created a holiday around scarcity, seasonal drops, and Cinnamon Roll Sundays to drive demand most brands only dream about

Daily tears behind Oprah's Favorite Things — the collapsed wooden crates, the angry emails, the call from New York, and the lesson that even your biggest win can bring you to your knees

Why Marissa knows less now than when she started — and why that's actually a sign you're scaling right

How she went from hiring people to execute her vision to hiring people to expand it (and why she voluntarily demoted herself from CEO)

The LinkedIn mirror strategy: how to find someone five steps ahead of you and reverse-engineer their path when you can't afford to hire yet

Why knowing your numbers is a power move, especially for women founders — and how data turns "maybe we can" into a hard yes or no

Comparing vs. Inspiring: the one question Marissa asks herself to figure out if she's in a confident season or an insecure one

About Marissa Allen

Marissa Allen is the co-founder of Cookie Society, a Dallas-based gourmet cookie brand with multiple brick-and-mortar locations, a national shipping operation, and a deeply loyal following built on bold flavors, seasonal exclusivity, and an authentic story. A former college soccer player turned NFL wife turned entrepreneur, Marissa bootstrapped Cookie Society from a rented commercial kitchen to Oprah's Favorite Things — and is now scaling toward 10 locations with a team of 88. She runs the business alongside her husband Jeff, who heads up marketing, while Marissa focuses on operations, systems, and the creative vision that started it all.

Resources & Links

Cookie Society: cookiesociety.com

Ship the breakfast box or classic bestsellers nationwide

Follow Marissa on Instagram: @cookiesociety (and her personal brand!)

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Produced by Walk West - Making It with Jess Ekstrom

? Soulful Sidebar: The Scarcity Mindset vs. The Abundance Play

Most product businesses default to scarcity thinking — I need to keep selling what works. Cookie Society flipped it. By pulling their most beloved items off the menu seasonally, they didn't lose customers. They created a holiday. People mark their calendars. They show up overnight. They order more because they can't choose just one.

The lesson? Abundance isn't about always having more available. It's about confidence that demand will be there when you're ready. That takes trust in your product, your team, and your ability to recreate the magic. Marissa and Jeff saw it first with Cinnamon Roll Sundays. Then they scaled the principle. Now it's a March tradition.

That's not luck. That's a brand with a backbone.

Visit walkwest.com to see more!

We spend our entire lives avoiding "goodbye." We trade Instagram handles, promise to "catch up soon," and say "until next time"—all to protect ourselves from the discomfort of a finished chapter. But what happens when you lean into the finality instead?

In this reflective solo episode, Jess Ekstrom breaks down a chance encounter at a Colorado campground that changed her entire perspective on presence. When an older traveler told her, "You kids have a nice life," it didn't feel like a well-wish—it felt like a gut punch.

Jess explores the beauty of impermanence and why acknowledging that a moment will never happen again is actually the secret to enjoying it.

In this episode, we discuss:

The "Until Next Time" Trap: Why our digital age makes it impossible to have true closure and how that prevents us from being fully present.

The Japanese Tea Tradition: A lesson from a matcha bowl about noticing the "foam at the bottom"—the unique shapes that only happen once.

Hurry Up and Relax: Jess’s struggle with "sprinting" through the day to get to the "good part," only to find her brain won't shut off once she gets there.

The Turtle Pace: How walking with toddlers (who stop for every sidewalk flower and power-line bird) is the ultimate masterclass in noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Don’t Miss It: Why we shouldn't get so focused on creating a "good life" that we forget to actually have a "good day."

Key Quotes:
"The reality is, a 'next time' is never guaranteed. But the comfort in saying next time makes it easier to move on because there's a chance the story isn't over."

"Impermanence isn't a sad thing. In fact, it's the opposite. It's a reminder that all we have is now. So we might as well just enjoy it."

"Sometimes relaxing isn't the reward. It's the work itself."

Featured in this Episode:

John Acuff: Author and friend who provided the "Don't Miss It" mantra.

Andy Bernard (The Office): For the bittersweet reminder about knowing you're in the "good old days."

A Challenge for Your Week:

Next time you're in a conversation or a beautiful moment, try to find your "matcha foam." Identify one tiny, specific detail about this exact moment that will never be replicated again.

Visit walkwest.com to see more!

Have you ever had a dream job—the kind people tell you is the "coolest job in the world"—only to realize that your identity has become so wrapped up in it that you don’t know who you are without the title? How do you walk away from a legacy to build something entirely your own?

Welcome to Making It with Jess Ekstrom. This week, Jess sits down with Lindsay Shookus, the legendary former producer and head of the talent department at Saturday Night Live. After 20 years of discovering stars and managing the chaos of live television, Lindsey made the "wobbly" decision to leave 30 Rock and redefine what success looks like on her own terms.

In this candid conversation, Lindsey opens up about the grit required to survive 20-hour days, the lonely reality of hyper-fame, and the epiphany that led her to co-found Women Work Fing Hard*—a community built on active support rather than just "mentorship."

Tune in for:

The SNL Hustle: How a girl from Buffalo with "Southern-adjacent" roots at UNC-Chapel Hill landed a job at SNL and worked her way from assistant to talent mogul.

The Fame Pedestal: What Lindsey learned about success by watching the world’s most famous people up close, and why "street cred" isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The "Wobbly" Transition: The identity crisis that follows leaving a high-profile career and how to navigate the "data" of who stays in your life when the power of your position is gone.

Receive the Motherfing Data:* Lindsey’s viral-ready advice on relationships and business—how to stop "waiting to be chosen" and start looking at people's actions as objective information.

Women Work Fing Hard:* The accidental origin story of her women’s community and why the goal is always "How can I help you?" rather than "Who can help me?"

The Curse of the Good Girl: Why Lindsey normalizes "bombing" for her 12-year-old daughter and the importance of being uncomfortable to get better.

Building a Boat: What it’s like for an ambitious woman to find a partner who asks, "How can I best support you?"

The Art of the Question: Why being a curious mind is the most undervalued skill in networking and life.

About Lindsay Shookus:

Lindsay Shookus is an Emmy Award-winning producer, speaker, and coach. Best known for her two-decade career at Saturday Night Live, she now uses her expertise in talent and trust to advise hedge funds, produce documentaries, and empower women through her community, Women Work F***ing Hard.

Resources & Links:

Lindsay Shookus’s Website: https://lindsayshookus.com

Women Work Fing Hard:*

Follow Lindsey on Instagram: @Shookusshookus 

The Curse of the Good Girl by Rachel Simmons:

Making It with Jess Ekstrom is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

How to "Receive the Data" in Your Career

Lindsey talks about treating feedback-and even rejection-as objective data. This shift moves you from an emotional participant to a strategic scientist of your own life.

Visit walkwest.com to see more!

Walking pads, cat butts and a pool-float presentation—Zoom meetings have gotten… weird. From executives presenting from pool floats to bosses dialing in from bathroom stalls, we unpack the wild world of remote-work camera chaos—and what it says about how workplace culture has changed.

Unhinged Behavior: Remote Work Edition

Do You Know How to Behave?

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This episode kicks off Season 2 of Tweener Madness and sets the stage for what’s ahead. You’ll get:

Why this competition exists (and why founders love it)

How the bracket works

What judges are actually looking for

And of course… the reveal of all 8 competing companies

This isn’t just a competition. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how early-stage investors think.

? What Were the Biggest Takeaways From the Selection Show?

$4M investment from NC IDEA fuels the next phase

50+ startups applied from across North Carolina

Focus on venture-scale, IP-driven companies (not lifestyle businesses)

Real investor judges, real feedback, real decisions

Founders iterate pitches throughout the competition

Episodes drop starting March 31, leading to a live championship

The stage is set. The pitches are ready. Now it’s time to see who can rise above the rest.

Timestamps

 00:40 – Tweener origin story (List → Fund → Media)

 02:40 – NC IDEA partnership + statewide expansion

 04:00 – Why founders love this format

 05:00 – Sponsors + ecosystem support

 06:20 – Meet the judges

 10:10 – How the bracket works

 12:00 – Selection criteria explained

 15:20 – What didn’t make the cut (and why)

 17:40 – The Exceptional 8 revealed

 22:20 – Bracket matchups

 23:30 – What’s next + episode schedule

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This episode of Tweener Talks is hosted by Scot Wingo, presented and produced by NC Tweener Fund, with creative assets and design support from Walk West. 

We couldn’t share posts like this without our amazing sponsors: 

Platinum: 

NC IDEA: https://ncidea.org

Gold Sponsors: 

- Balentine: https://www.balentine.com/triangle-entrepreneurs 

- EisnerAmpner: https://www.eisneramper.com 

- Robinson Bradshaw: https://www.robinsonbradshaw.com 

 

Silver Sponsors: 

- Automated Consulting Group: https://automated.co 

- Bank of America: https://business.bofa.com/en-us/content/technology-industry-group.html 

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The Moore Square Bus Station is a lifeline for thousands of Raleigh residents—but Downtown stakeholders say its current model is outdated, unsafe and holding downtown back. We unpack the growing debate over whether Raleigh should relocate the transit hub and what the future of transit in the city could look like.

Is It Time to Move Moore Square Bus Station?

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What does a go-to-market engineer actually do, and why is this role suddenly showing up everywhere?

In this episode, we unpack one of the fastest-evolving roles in modern startups. Evan shares how he went from using ChatGPT as a college student and new BDR to helping build AI-powered systems inside one of the Triangle’s best-known software companies.

The conversation covers how AI is changing outbound sales, why intent signals matter more than generic research, how tools like Clay, Cursor, Cloud Code, Lovable, n8n, and Supabase fit into a modern GTM stack, and why great go-to-market engineering is about making humans better, not replacing them.

Highlights Covered

How Evan turned experimentation as a BDR into a new AI-focused role at Pendo

Why intent signals + research create stronger outbound outreach than either one alone

How Pendo uses AI to make BDRs faster, more focused, and more effective

The difference between SDR inbound signals and BDR outbound signals

How tools like Clay help enrich leads, personalize messages, and trigger outreach quickly

Why the CRM still matters as the source of truth in an AI-heavy workflow

How Evan builds internal dashboards using Salesforce, Supabase, Lovable, n8n, and Cloud Code

Why GTM engineering is likely to split into multiple specialties over time

How AI can increase sales productivity without replacing the people doing the work

If you’re a founder, operator, or revenue leader trying to understand where AI fits into your go-to-market motion, this episode is a practical look at what that future already looks like inside a fast-moving North Carolina company.

Timestamps:

08:05 — Evan’s background and discovering AI early

10:28 — What a BDR actually does

13:04 — How Evan created his own path into GTM engineering

16:29 — What the go-to-market engineer role looked like at the start

19:05 — Breaking down the BDR workflow

21:40 — Where Pendo is today after nine months of GTM engineering

23:00 — How Pendo uses Clay

24:45 — What counts as an intent signal

26:00 — Inbound vs outbound signals

31:00 — Why CRM still matters

35:20 — Measuring impact and efficiency gains

36:00 — Building dashboards with Lovable, Supabase, and n8n

42:35 — Tools Evan recommends most

43:40 — Driving adoption across the team

45:20 — Where GTM engineering is headed next

48:00 — Why AI won’t replace BDRs

48:45 — Evan’s next big project

Where to Find Scot Wingo:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/

Tweener Times: https://www.tweenertimes.com/

X: https://x.com/scotwingo

Where to Find Evan Inscoe:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evaninscoe/

--- 

This episode of Tweener Talks is hosted by Scot Wingo, presented and produced by NC Tweener Fund, with creative assets and design support from Walk West. 

We couldn’t share posts like this without our amazing sponsors: 

Platinum: 

NC IDEA: https://ncidea.org

Gold Sponsors: 

- Balentine: https://www.balentine.com/triangle-entrepreneurs 

- EisnerAmpner: https://www.eisneramper.com 

- Robinson Bradshaw: https://www.robinsonbradshaw.com 

 

Silver Sponsors: 

- Automated Consulting Group: https://automated.co 

- Bank of America: https://business.bofa.com/en-us/content/technology-industry-group.html 

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This episode is a special one. We’re replaying NC IDEA’s Ecosysteming Podcast episode featuring Scot and Robbie following the announcement of the new North Carolina Tweener Fund, powered by NC IDEA. (Check out the announcement.) 

The conversation covers the “why” behind the partnership, how the Tweener model works, why statewide startup data matters, how founders can connect with the fund, and why this effort could attract even more outside capital into North Carolina. It’s part ecosystem strategy, part founder playbook, and part invitation to think bigger about what’s possible for startups across the state.

Highlights covered

Robbie shares his own story of receiving an NC IDEA grant in 2009 and how that support helped launch his startup journey

Scot explains the origin of the Tweener List and how it became the foundation for the fund’s index-style approach

The fund is designed to invest in a basket of promising North Carolina startups, helping reduce risk through diversification

The discussion reinforces the idea that North Carolina has a uniquely broad startup base across sectors like AI, healthtech, agtech, aviation, manufacturing, ecommerce, and more

Thom Ruhe highlights how better startup data helps ecosystem builders, policymakers, and funders make smarter decisions

Scot and Robbie explain how increased visibility and deal activity can help pull more outside capital into the state

Founders are encouraged to reach out directly, the approach is intentionally founder-friendly and operator-led

The episode also outlines how accredited investors can participate, including through AngelList and, in some cases, retirement vehicles like self-directed IRAs

North Carolina’s startup ecosystem has been building toward this moment for years, and this conversation makes one thing clear: the next chapter is going to be bigger, broader, and more connected than ever.

Timestamps:

2:00 – Thom Ruhe introduces the episode and announces the NC Tweener Fund powered by NC IDEA
2:49 – Scot and Robbie react to the early excitement around the statewide expansion
4:00 – Why the NC IDEA and Tweener relationship makes sense from an ecosystem perspective
6:17 – Thom explains the bigger mission: creating a virtuous cycle for North Carolina’s economy
7:20 – Robbie’s background, his 2009 NC IDEA grant, and why NC IDEA mattered to his startup journey
11:05 – Robbie on joining Scot and helping grow the Tweener Fund
12:08 – Thom sets up the fund thesis and why the Tweener model stands out
14:03 – Scot’s background, startup history, and “pay it forward” approach to ecosystem building
16:47 – Scot explains product-market fit and why “tweener” companies are such an important stage
18:59 – The origin story of the Tweener List
20:18 – How the Tweener Fund grew out of the list and why diversification matters
22:50 – The index-fund analogy and how the Tweener model works
23:30 – How AI is changing startup timing and why Tweener is selectively moving earlier in some cases
25:07 – Why the Tweener List matters for policymakers and ecosystem builders
28:03 – Why mapping startups is harder than most people think
29:12 – What North Carolina startup formation data says about the state’s momentum
30:50 – Why becoming one of the most active funds matters for attracting attention and capital
33:20 – How outside VCs discover North Carolina through Tweener’s activity
35:28 – The case for bringing more outside capital into North Carolina
37:30 – How entrepreneurs can approach the North Carolina Tweener Fund
38:47 – How LPs and accredited investors can get involved
41:44 – Fund structure, fees, and why the model aims to be accessible
44:10 – Where to learn more and how to invest through the website
46:53 – Final thoughts on ecosystem impact and investment opportunities
47:52 – Quarterly LP webinars and using retirement vehicles like Alto
49:10 – Closing reflections on building a statewide startup ecosystem

Where to Find Scot Wingo:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/

Tweener Times: https://www.tweenertimes.com/

X: https://x.com/scotwingo

Where to Find Robbie Allen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbieallen/

Where to Find Thom Ruhe:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasruhe/

--- 

This episode of Tweener Talks is hosted by Scot Wingo, presented and produced by NC Tweener Fund, with creative assets and design support from Walk West. 

We couldn’t share posts like this without our amazing sponsors: 

Platinum: 

NC IDEA: https://ncidea.org

Gold Sponsors: 

- Balentine: https://www.balentine.com/triangle-entrepreneurs 

- EisnerAmpner: https://www.eisneramper.com 

- Robinson Bradshaw: https://www.robinsonbradshaw.com 

 

Silver Sponsors: 

- Automated Consulting Group: https://automated.co 

- Bank of America: https://business.bofa.com/en-us/content/technology-industry-group.html 

 

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Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by:

Have you ever felt like you had to mute your personality, change your style, or "fit the mold" just to be taken seriously in business? What if the very things people told you to tone down were actually your greatest superpowers for building a $100M empire?

Welcome to the premiere episode of Making It with Jess Ekstrom. This week, Jess sits down with Anne Mahlum, the visionary founder of [Solidcore] and Back on My Feet. Anne famously raised $210 million from private equity while wearing see-through crop tops, proving that authenticity isn't just a buzzword—it’s a high-stakes competitive advantage.

In this raw and uncensored conversation, Anne pulls back the curtain on her $100 million exit, why she refuses to be a "one-hit wonder," and how she transitioned from a "starving founder" to a fitness mogul. They dive deep into the "hustle muscle" fueled by early pain, the importance of "happy endings" in business, and the biological shifts of entering her next big chapter: motherhood.

Tune in for:

Why "fake it till you make it" is bad advice and how trying to fit in actually makes you feel smaller and less confident.

Anne’s three core values—Authenticity, Transparency, and Winning—and how they guided her through $100M negotiations.

The "Chip on the Shoulder": Why many high-performing entrepreneurs are fueled by a need to prove themselves and the realization that achievement doesn't equal love.

The $100 Million Exit: How Anne planned her last day years in advance to ensure a celebratory, "non-messy" transition.

Financial Leverage: Why Anne advises founders to take money off the table early so they aren't "starving" when it's time to negotiate an exit.

Radical Responsibility: Why claiming "it's my fault" for everything from low energy to a stalled career is the ultimate power move to regain control.

Relationships and Polarity: Anne’s take on settling into a partnership with her husband as an ambitious, breadwinning woman.

How to find a "game you can win" by sharpening your unique 8, 9, and 10-level skill sets.

About Anne Mahlum:

Anne Mahlum is a speaker, investor, and the founder of [Solidcore], a boutique fitness powerhouse she scaled to 100+ locations before a massive exit. She is also the founder of the non-profit Back on My Feet. Anne is a dedicated advocate for financial literacy and empowers founders to build businesses that reflect their truest selves.

Resources & Links:

Anne Mahlum’s Website: https://annemahlum.com

Follow Anne on Instagram: @annemahlum

Brene Brown’s Values Exercise:

Making It with Jess Ekstrom is produced by Walk West and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

A Note on Radical Responsibility & Starting Blocks

In this episode, Anne and Jess discuss the reality of "starting blocks." While Anne emphasizes taking radical responsibility, she also acknowledges the statistical realities of the business world. For context, women-led startups received only about 2% of total venture capital funding in recent years, and for Black and Latina founders, that number often drops below 1%.

As Anne notes, recognizing privilege or systemic hurdles doesn't mean you stop working; it means you use your position to "lift others up" and change the statistics for the next generation of founders.

Brunch in Raleigh isn’t just a meal—it’s a weekend ritual. Publisher Gina Stephens and Editor-in-Chief Melissa Howsam reveal Raleigh Magazine’s 10 Best Brunches right now, breaking down the spots that actually deliver on food, vibe and the all-important “worth the wait” factor.

10 Best Brunch Spots in Raleigh | RM

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