Wonder Podcast: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Change the World

Erin Tauscher is an executive producer at BODEGA, a content creation studio based in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. After starting her career in the industry right out of college, Erin and her business partner Taylor Ferguson built their own production company, Trio Films, which was later rebranded as Splendid & Co., and eventually merged with BODEGA in 2018 to lead the studio's Los Angeles expansion. In this episode, Erin reflects on the moment that finally pushed her to start her own company, how a master's degree in psychology changed the way she leads on set and in life, and why, in an age of AI and rapid technological change, the future still belongs to the humans who know how to tell a story.

Ryan Crownholm is an army veteran, serial entrepreneur, and founder of MySitePlan.com and DirtMatch.com. He is also the president and founder of Crown Capital Adventures Inc. When a runaway truck left him with a shattered femur and punctured lungs on a California hillside, he almost lost everything. Watching his business thrive without him from a hospital bed, Ryan discovered the leadership lesson that would change everything: Knowing firsthand how broken the construction industry was, he turned that experience into technology that now serves over 70,000 customers nationwide. Listen in as Ryan shares his incredible journey from living out of his car to building AI-powered companies and why he believes the entrepreneurs who thrive in the next decade will be the ones who learn to work smarter, not just harder. His book, "The Hustle Trap," is a guide for how to do less work while making more.

Timestamps:

01:25 The Accident That Changed Everything

03:35 Beginnings in Construction

05:53 Exiting

07:38 MySitePlan

08:19 The Hustle Trap

10:25 Capitalizing On AI

17:30 AI Disruption

22:07 The Human Touch

24:35 Leadership Shift

25:51 Volunteering for Purpose and Mentorship

27:43 Staying Calm

29:45 Freedom Through Travel and Adventure

32:35 Books Beliefs and Entrepreneur Advice

34:31 Work for Yourself Mindset

Links:

Ryan's Website: https://www.ryancrownholm.com/

The Hustle Trap: https://a.co/d/07LOoCEo

Julie Smolyansky is the CEO of Lifeway Foods, an Illinois-based dairy company that is the leading U.S. supplier of kefir. After her father, Michael Smolyansky, passed away in 2002, Julie took over the company at 27 years old and became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm. Julie and her parents immigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union in her infancy and credits her upbringing with her success.

Under her leadership, Julie transformed the company into a multinational firm, growing their revenue from US$12 million to US$212.5 million in 2025. She is also an activist against sexual violence and the co-founder of Test400k, a non-profit whose goal is to eliminate the backlog of over 400,000 untested rape kits in the U.S.

Timestamps:

01:27 Resilience

02:54 Stepping Up

10:13 Early Growth Moves

12:08 Kefir Story and Science

17:07 Trusting Your Gut

21:42 Values

25:55 Leading Through the Pandemic

28:12 Culture

28:45 Legacy

30:53 Purpose From Pain

31:33 Ending Sexual Violence

35:30 Rape Kit Reform

37:37 Community Giving

39:04 Motherhood and Leadership

41:59 Wellness and Reading

46:36 Finding Joy

50:42 What is Wonder?

Links:

Julie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-smolyansky-05304612/

Lifeway Foods: https://lifewaykefir.com/

Gayle Jones, an Emmy-winning sports producer for two decades, founded FuelBoxx, which offers snack kits for student athletes. After realizing that her own teen athletes depended on junk food for energy, she thought there must be a better way to get them the nutrition they need to perform. FuelBoxx helps bridge the gap between professional and student athletes by providing kits developed by sports dietitians to optimize performance. For every kit sold, another is donated to communities without equitable access to healthy food. Gayle shares her experiences with fundraising, her goals for scaling the business, and her mission to deliver food equity nationwide.

Timestamps:

00:52 What is FuelBoxx?

04:10 Leaving TV

06:18 Education and Equity

09:54 Reality Check

11:37 Translating Producer Skills to CEO

13:56 Authenticity And Cash Flow

18:00 CPG Surprises

24:42 Game Day Meals

26:17 Building FuelBoxx

28:40 Boundaries and Purpose

31:27 Food Deserts and Access

32:54 Looking Forward

34:56 Funding Challenges for Women

Links:

FuelBoxx: https://fuelboxx.com/

Gayle's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylesjones/

Erin Fletter is the founder and CEO of Sticky Fingers Cooking, which offers fun, informative, and healthy cooking classes for children. In this episode, learn how Erin grew her kitchen-table idea into a business that has taught over 200,000 kids. She shares her journey from running cooking classes without kitchens to building and sustaining growth, and how she empowers women with her franchising model.

Timestamps:

00:21 Meet Erin Fletter

01:56 Sticky Fingers Cooking

04:52 Cooking Classes Without Kitchens

07:55 Scrappy Beginnings

10:21 Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

11:35 The Franchise Model

15:21 Challenges

25:25 Advice

36:41 Balancing Business and Family

40:46 Passion for Food and Cooking

45:40 Tech-Driven Success at Sticky Fingers Cooking

55:06 Empowering Future Business Leaders

Links:

Erin's Website: https://www.erinfletter.com/

Sticky Fingers Cooking: https://stickyfingerscooking.com/

Morgan Wijay is the founder of After the Game, a life coaching program for young athletes and their families. In this episode, Morgan shares insights from her journey in the world of youth sports. She has been a player, a coach, a mentor, a parent, and a business owner. Listen in as she shares how her experiences shape her methods and how she uses that experience to help young athletes become the best version of themselves. Through After the Game, she guides athletes and their families through the trials and tribulations of youth sports and prepares them for life after sports.

Timestamps:

02:07 Morgan's Story

09:56 Creating a Positive Team Culture

13:50 Challenges and Adversity

19:43 Preparation and Team Dynamics

22:36 Choosing the Right Coaching Staff

29:16 Managing Parent Expectations

35:08 Personal and Team Performance

37:00 Locking In

40:49 Gratitude and Being Present

46:06 After the Game

54:10 Balancing Parental Guidance and Athletic Goals

01:03:42 Sports in Personal Development

Links:

After the Game: https://www.aftrthegame.com/

Matthew Pollard, aka the Rapid Growth® Guy, joins the podcast to talk about how introverts can excel at sales. As an introvert himself, Matthew provides insights into how introverts thrive through continuous improvement and structured processes. His own personal success is proof -- having been responsible for five multibillion-dollar success stories of his own. He's the founder of the Small Business Festival, which is listed by Inc. as one of the top five business conferences in the U.S. He is also an international keynote speaker, author, and podcast host. Listen in!

Timestamps:

01:17 The Rapid Growth® Guy

01:59 The Power of Introverts in Sales

05:02 From Introvert to Sales Expert

09:03 Sales Systems

12:45 Micro Goals

18:27 Revolutionizing Your Business Approach

34:36 The Death of the Elevator Pitch

36:34 The Power of Storytelling

37:47 Sales Techniques and Strategies

46:22 Specialization and Niching

48:33 Networking and Client Acquisition

51:19 Success Stories

Links:

Matthew's Website: https://matthewpollard.com/

Matthew's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewpollardspeaker/

Matthew's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Matthewpollard

Iva Chen is the CEO of IOC Design & Consulting. She is also the Chief Development Officer of Lady Luck Gourmet, which owns and operates Go Bistro and Mama Go's Filipino Cuisine (formerly Goldilocks Filipino Cuisine) in the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Her team also opened the first independently owned Panda Express in SFO. As a mother of two children, an Army ROTC bootcamp grad, ex-Deloitte CPA, and triathlete, Iva has a unique perspective on discipline, creativity, and balancing business and life. Listen in!

Timestamps:

01:08 Meet Iva

03:43 Family Business

09:22 Experiential Marketing

11:23 Panda Express at SFO

20:18 Integrity in Business

23:03 Financial Experience in Entrepreneurship

28:48 Navigating Airport Business Complexities

30:50 Expanding

31:22 Introducing Filipino Cuisine to Airports

35:40 Balancing Family and Business

37:10 Health and Fitness

41:40 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

44:50 Looking Forward

46:39 Joining EO

Links:

Iva's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivachen/

Iva's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrs.ivachen

IOC Design & Consulting: https://iocdesignconsulting.com/

Mama Go's: https://mamagos.com/

Dr. Valerie Karno is a professor and a tech entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of Ambience Search™, the very first mood-based search engine. Valerie opens up about how her time in academia drove her to tackle the growing issue of mental health and wellbeing. Dr. Karno talks about how Ambience Search™ helps people tailor their online experience based on how they want to feel. She touches on why things like personal control, being mindful, and building connections hold so much weight in our digital world today. Listen in and discover insights on coming up with new ideas, pushing through tough times, and seeing concepts from start to finish.

Timestamps:

01:11 – Meet Dr. Valerie Karno

02:32 – The Mental Health Crisis and Digital Intervention

03:57 – Mood-Based Search

05:37 – The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health

07:37 – Ambience Search™ Features and User Experience

09:28 – Building the Team

11:32 – From Academia to Tech Entrepreneur

15:33 – Modeling Behavior

17:14 – Mindfulness and Self-Care Practices

21:11 – Navigating Instability and Building Resilience

24:28 – Maintaining Human Agency

27:11 – Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

31:19 – The Power of Kindness

Links:

Dr. Karno's Website: https://drvaleriekarno.com/

Ambience Search™: https://ambiencesearch.com/

Susan Nichols is the founder of SWAND®, a 4-in-1 candle care tool. She is also the inventor of Yogitoes, a renowned yoga mat towel brand. With a focus on sustainability, Susan shares her experiences in building Yogitoes and SWAND. Listen in as she talks about the challenges of entrepreneurship, from securing patents, navigating manufacturing hurdles, and building a strong brand with a strong sense of identity.

Timestamps:

01:21 Yogitoes to SWAND®

02:22 Starting Yogitoes

04:09 Patenting

25:18 Inspiration Behind SWAND®

31:50 Candle Care Tips and Tricks

32:54 The Philosophy

34:25 The Journey of an Entrepreneur

39:00 Intuition

40:39 AI and Its Impact

42:44 Tradition and Technology

48:11 The Future

Links:

Swand: https://swand.com/

Susan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-nichols-b49841312/