Wonder Podcast: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Change the World

From receptionist to award-winning entrepreneur, ​Ruby Receptionists​ founder Jill Nelson shares her amazing origin story. Jill explains how her time as a receptionist taught her the value of making connections and building trust with customers. Listen in as she shares how her focus on building a value and culture-focused company helped her grow exponentially. Tune in now!

Timestamped show notes 04:00 - Starting as a receptionist 05:10 - Landing on executive suites 06:13 - Where the name “Ruby Receptionists” came from 06:45 - “We weren’t making a task, we were making a connection.” 08:00 - Coming up with core values 08:45 - “If we’re going down, we’re going down swinging.” 09:33 - The importance of being there for customers 11:11 - Wow-worthy experiences 13:00 - Making a connection with the customer 14:20 - Starting from 2 people 14:51 - Feels like a different job every year 15:16 - Using technology not as a tool, but as an equal part of growth 16:25 - What is the Ruby Ripple Effect? 18:58 - Jill explains the value they provide to their customers 19:28 - Jill names some of her favorite awards she and her company has won 20:15 - What’s next for Jill?

Links: Ruby Receptionists

In this week’s podcast, award-winning entrepreneur and best-selling author Miki Agrawal talks about how to become an outlet for creativity. Her books ​Disrupt-Her​ and ​Do Cool Sh*t​ stress the importance of using creativity to open conversation and change societal behaviors. From the history of toilet paper to mindfulness and meditation, listen in on Miki’s incredible journey. Listen to how Miki uses mindfulness and creativity to disrupt the status quo. Tune in now!

Timestamped show notes 03:45 - How did Thinx begin? 04:35 - Miki explains Thinx’s provocative ad campaign 06:09 - Making lemonade out of lemons 06:30 - Talking about Tushy 07:00 - Changing behavior with creativity 08:15 - The truth behind toilet paper 09:45 - Can you teach creativity? 10:10 - Miki talks about her book, Disrupt-Her 11:00 - Opening conversation to open creativity 12:15 - Stop worrying about what others think and open your eyes 13:22 - Miki’s meditation 15:33 - Miki explains the importance of Pareto’s Law in business 16:15 - Putting one foot in front of the other every day 17:13 - It’s all about the next step 17:53 - Miki’s creative catalyst 18:27 - Accountabili-buddies 19:10 - Miki talks about handling work and family 19:44 - “Iteration is Perfection” 20:42 - Replacing failure with revelation

Links Miki’s Website: ​https://www.mikiagra DISRUPT HER: ​https://www.disrupth Do Cool Sh*t: ​https://www.mikiagraw Hello Tushy: ​https://hellotushy.com/ Thinx: ​https://www.shethinx.com/

A neurological scientist-turned-entrepreneur, Katie Poppe brings a unique perspective to the world of entrepreneurship. CEO and Founder of Blue Star Donuts, Katie’s gourmet donut shop has been featured in Vogue, Forbes, and the LA Times. Listen as Katie talks about the importance of “the virtual word on the street,” the use of psychology as an entrepreneur, and the concept of confidence versus competence. Tune in now!

Timestamps​: 03:45 - Neurological scientist to restaurant entrepreneur 05:50 - Making the most out of the blessings in life 06:30 - The start of the foodie revolution 07:34 - The foundation of Little Big Burger 08:45 - Everyone told me not to do it 10:20 - Success! Now what? 11:00 - What is Blue Star Donuts? 12:00 - Defining moments 13:00 - If Katie were a Blue Star Donut 14:02 - How to use psychology in business 15:00 - “People are psychology” 15:20 - “Focus on one thing and do it well” 19:18 - Cease and desist! 22:00 - Using digital marketing to grow your business 25:00 - “The virtual word on the street” 25:57 - The essence of customer service is like preschool 27:50 - Confidence vs competence 29:39 - Katie’s intro to EO 31:20 - Katie’s most inspirational book, The Entrepreneurial Myth

Links: Blue Star Donuts

Meet Sadie Lincoln, CEO of ​barre3​, a fitness company focused on teaching people how to be empowered and balanced from within themselves. Sadie has been featured on ​Inc.’s​ Female Founders 100 List and stresses the importance of mindfulness not only in exercise, but in business as well. Beginning her journey in a small, Culver City dance studio, Sadie shares the experiences that have helped her grow herself and barre3 into what they are today. Tune in now!

Timestamps​: 03:17 - Sadie’s Origin Story 04:25 - What is barre3? 05:45 - Opening up her first studio 06:25 - Sadie’s alternate plan to creating barre3 07:04 - Location, location, location 08:01 - Buildout blues 09:00 - Sadie’s start in the fitness world 10:45 - Being a good teacher 11:25 - Sadie’s spiritual path 12:30 - “You’re allowed to suck.” 13:16 - Sadie’s nurturing nature 13:53 - How did Sadie get on the path of being a CEO? 14:26 - Fitness is failing me 16:15 - What makes barre3 different? 17:00 - The essentials for growth 18:35 - Sadie’s Core Values 19:08 - Sadie’s EO Journey 20:02 - What is Forum? 20:42 - The importance of a support group 22:05 - Confidence 22:44 - Insecurity 23:15 - External measures vs internal measures 24:58 - Sadie’s day-to-day 25:57 - Next up for barre3 26:52 - “It started from just an idea.” 27:54 - “My power is in my wisdom and my words.” 28:23 - Keeping it real 29:13 - Sadie’s advice for female founders

LinksBarre3 official website

Kim Malek, the founder of the ice cream sensation Salt & Straw, shares how it all began. Starting with just a single push cart, Salt & Straw has expanded from Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and all the way to Downtown Disney in Anaheim. Kim provides insight into the success of their brand and culture, starting with the importance of developing people who will develop and grow the business. Listen in as she shares the sacrifices she’s made and lessons she’s learned on her journey!

Timestamped Show notes:

01:20 - Kim’s Origin Story 02:48 - Kim explains the thinking behind Salt & Straw’s unique flavors 04:28 - What is “Farm to Cone?” 05:04 - Salt & Straw started in a push-cart 06:04 - The first store on Alberta Street 07:21 - Kim explains how Salt & Straw attracted media attention 08:28 - That was my idea! 09:28 - Kim explains how she cobbled together the money to start Salt & Straw 11:25 - Unforseen costs and surprises 12:04 - People x3, cashflow, and partnerships 12:41 - Kim shares the importance of developing people 15:10 - Kim talks about her co-founder, Tyler, and their shared values 16:34 - “An underlying level of chaos” 17:45 - What is a “people plan?” 18:42 - Growth also comes with growing pains 19:44 - Kim shares a story about a mother’s positive experience at Salt & Straw with her children 20:56 - “Happiness in a Cone” is Salt & Straw’s core value 21:40 - Kim believes that they’re able to change the world 22:04 - What’s “Magic in a Box?”

Alia Henson, founder of Exposure Public Relations and digital marketing expert, joins Kalika on today's Wonder podcast episode. Alia talks about the current trends in digital and social media marketing and shares some best practices you can use to leverage in your business. Tune in now!

Having lived with acne growing up, Daisy Jing, CEO of Banish, started her own all-natural and organic skincare line to help other people who experience the same skin problems as her. She also has a successful YouTube channel called Acne Channel that documents a lot of information on skin care. Know more about her journey and how she balances a successful business and personal life in this week's Wonder podcast. Listen now!

Start your next negotiation with the insights and advice of Chris Voss, a former FBI negotiator and the author of "Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It." On this Wonder episode, learn how negotiations can make or break you in business—and why compromise may not be the best option. Listen now!

Cindy Flynn, EO Los Angeles member and the managing partner and founder of Hackler Flynn & Associates joins us on this Wonder podcast episode and shares her expertise and discusses some of the emerging trends and focus points in employment laws that will be highly-beneficial to any entrepreneur. Listen now!

Shirin Laor-Raz Salemnia, CEO and Founder of PlayWerks, joins Kalika Yap on this episode of Wonder podcast. After seeing the Tom Hanks movie called Big, Shirin wanted to work with toys after she graduated with a degree in Child Psychology. She went from learning the business of kids through a career with Mattel, to giving back and making a difference with PlayWerks and WhizGirls, a game focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Listen now to learn more about her journey!