"Find mentors and accountability partners" with Taty Fittipaldi

Photo Credit: Jackie Koscinski, JDK images

Taty Fittipaldi is a global leadership expert with an MBA and is a certified professional executive coach. She is passionate about developing global leaders and seeing them succeed at their full potential.

• Can you tell our readers about your background?

I have a pretty convoluted background: I am a Brazilian with Armenian heritage who studied in a German school and worked for an American company during a significant portion of my career.

I worked for General Electric for over 16 years, and I also worked for other Fortune 500 companies after that. My main professional specialties were Finance, H.R., and global talent development.

I was born and raised in Brazil, but I legally moved to the U.S. at the age of 38 with my husband.

I have one bachelor’s degree in business administration and another one in Accounting. I also hold an MBA and several other certifications.

I enjoy studying and exploring new things, so I am always looking for learning opportunities. That’s a characteristic that I have held since a kid. For example, my first international exchange program was at the age of 11, when I convinced my father to send me to England to learn English.

As I said, my background is a bit convoluted, with a mix of cultures, but it helped me develop a passion for learning and understanding about other cultures and about different people around the world. 

• What inspired you to start your business?

I was a global executive working for Fortune 500 companies all my life. I have a strong educational background, holding several degrees and higher degrees.

So, when I moved to the U.S., I thought that finding a new job would not be a problem at all.

To my surprise, not only I encountered a lot of discrimination, but I also saw a lot of misunderstandings about foreigners in the hiring market.

When I finally landed my first job, it was far from what I expected. I was working as a high executive in my country, a CFO, and here I was only able to land a job as a contractor, not even in Finance or H.R.

After working for five months on that job, I was quickly promoted to a Director job, as leaders saw the competence and experience that I could deliver.

However, the contrast of going from contractor to Director – being a foreigner - triggered a lot of resentment in other employees. I saw an ever-increasing display of micro-aggressions, non-inclusive behavior, and blunt discrimination from all over the place and departments.

At some point, I came to the conclusion that I should seek a better work environment and something to work on that would give me true pleasure. I love to develop and coach global leaders. And my work at that time was very distant from that.

After long consideration, I decided that I could open my own business to share my unique global experience and develop global leaders worldwide.

I thought, “I can teach aspiring global leaders that there is more to leadership than people leadership. Global leadership has 4 success pillars, and I can teach them that and create a happier world.

Most leaders out there only learn how to lead people. Some leaders go a step further and also gain some organizational leadership skills. But I rarely see leaders getting educated in all 4 success pillars in global leadership.

The 4 pillars are:

·      Personal Leadership

·      People Leadership

·      Organizational Leadership

·      Cultural Leadership

It was shown that Leaders who learn and master all the 4 pillars above could become more impactful, influential, and inclusive. And create better and happier workplaces.

By creating a company that could develop this kind of mindset and leadership, I would be helping people like me in the future, and companies make better working environments.

• Where is your business based?

My business is based in Denville, New Jersey. But I remotely service my customers worldwide and offer digital products that anyone in the world can purchase. 

• How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

My first step was defining what kind of services I could provide with excellence. What were the things that I was really good at and that would WOW people? I spend a long amount of time defining and drilling down on that.

Another recommendation I got that was very useful was to fine-tune who I wanted to work with. Who my ideal customers were? Everything else was derived from these 2 things.

• What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Content marketing. Expatriate entrepreneurs, like me, are unknown. Nobody knows you, so how will potential customers know you are the real deal? You need to demonstrate that you know what you are talking about.

By creating relevant content that educates, inspires, and guides people, you can establish your reputation bit by bit.

Business awareness does not happen overnight, though. It takes time to create brand awareness, and the best recommendation I can give is to keep consistency.

Be consistent in whatever strategy you define for raising awareness.

For that, you will need plenty of personal leadership, which is one of the things we teach on our free Blog and our paid Online course. 

• What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge has been keeping my cool and being resilient in the face of all the adversities.

For example, I officially opened my business six weeks before the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. All my plans suddenly went down the drains, and I had to adjust quickly.

Roadblocks like this will happen all the time in the lives of entrepreneurs. That is why having a resilient mind and a personal leadership strategy is essential.

I overcame this by 1) having my own long-term executive coach, who functions as an accountability partner and a sounding board, and 2) a support system.

I cannot stress enough how a support system is vital for every entrepreneur, no matter where in the entrepreneurship journey you are. 

• How do you stay focused?

I have a personal leadership and productivity system that really works for me. It’s based on planning, self-discipline, a control center, and time-blocking.

Everyone is different. Everyone’s bodies work differently. My opinion is that every entrepreneur has to find their own system and balance. Even if you work with my system, you still will have to make some tweaks to make it work for your own uniqueness. Knowing who you are, what you need, and what works for you is critical.

• How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

My determination to WOW every person who gets in contact with my company and me is my best ally.

I think a lot of people focus too much on differentiation as a physical thing, something that has a name, but in fact, that’s not what people want.

 People want to be seen and heard. Clients and customers want you to understand what your services are products will do for them. And they expect them to be excellent.

Entrepreneurs (me included) make many mistakes on this topic, especially in the beginning. We think our products or services are good, and we have this or that which differentiates us. And we often forget to listen to what the real feedback is. What do people want from us, and what do they need.

• What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Right now, I am focusing on content marketing and SEO. It’s a long road, I know, and results from this strategy take some time. 

• What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

My roadmap for new entrepreneurs is:

1.    Find out what you can deliver with excellence plus love to do.

2.    Define who your ideal customers for this excellence would be.

3.    Create a business plan. I cannot stress enough about this.

4.    Find mentors and accountability partners.

5.    Create a support system. One that will survive time. You are in this for the long run; remember that. So people and resources in your support system must stay around you as long as you need.

These 5 things have been working well for me. And here is my moto, from The Witcher, that I recite every day to keep me going:

“You can either be too strong to fail or too weak to try.”

(The Witcher, Season 2 Episode 7)

Remember that being strong or weak is a choice, not a fact. The right choices are what make you become whatever you want. 

• What’s your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Currently, my favorite App is Click Up. It’s where I plan, organize and store everything, both professionally and personally. It’s a kick-ass App for productivity.

My favorite Blog is, of course, mine. Not because it’s mine, but because I talk about relevant things related to the global leadership that nobody else seems to want to talk about.

In terms of books, it’s difficult to choose only one. I really love to read, and my personal digital library is quite big. One that I am reading right now and that I recommend is The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations, by Robert Livingston. It’s quite thought-provoking. I recommend it to all global leaders who want to become more inclusive and instigate a better workplace. 

• What’s your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

It’s really hard to choose. Besides Click Up, I love Filmora Pro, which is where I edit all my videos. I also love Wave App, which is where I keep all my company’s bookkeeping. As a CPA, I found it to be very resourceful, and it’s completely free. If you are an entrepreneur literate in Finance and Accounting, it’s an excellent option to keep costs down but still get organized and professional.

• Who is your business role model? Why?

I like Russel Brunson. I’ve been reading his books, where he tells his stories and his frustrations on the entrepreneur’s road to becoming successful. And it’s very inspiring.

I think it’s very bold of him to share his failures, what he went through, what his deep feelings at the time were. And still, see that a person that went through all that still succeeded by being resilient and determined to win. It gives us all hope that one day we can get there too.

• How do you balance work and life?

I have a set of rules and boundaries that I try to follow to the letter. It’s part of my Personal Leadership system that I mentioned. One of these rules is that I have to honor my relationship with time.

How we balance our work and life all depends on how we relate to time. Once you realize that time is an asset and you can never recover once lost, you start to be more cautious about using your time.

Another thing that happens too is that you go back to the drawing board to re-check what your values are. You cannot honor your relationship with time without knowing your honor system. In other words, what is really important to you?

• What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I love my “alone-time.”  I need some alone time to decompress.

During that time, I do several things to help me disconnect from the world and connect with myself to reduce my stress levels. I read, self-care, play with my dog, play online, spa, or meditate. These are my favorite things.

• What do you have planned for the next six months?

I am the planner type, and I could spend another interview just talking about that. But let me keep it short (laughs).

I will launch my signature Online Course Program for global leaders in April. It’s a program to help global executives make impactful business decisions. So from now to then, I am fully on top of that.

Right after this launch, it’s in my plans to become an executive contributor to a Global magazine.

These 2 projects will require a lot of smaller tasks around them, which are also all planned.

• How can our readers connect with you?

I love to make new connections! Anyone who wants to connect with me can visit my website and go to the contact page. You can also follow me on social media. I respond to all comments and engagements.

https://www.coachingexpatriates.com

Amplifying the Voices of Storytellers with Lauren Eckhardt

Photo Credit: Jack Rodriguez

Lauren Eckhardt is the CEO and Founder of Burning Soul Press. An award-winning, and best-selling author and ghostwriter, she is passionate about helping impact-driven writers capture their life stories in a book. Lauren founded Burning Soul Press in 2020, after 12 years in the human resources field, to work with aspiring and career authors in pursuit of sharing a powerful and deeply impactful story or message. When she's not helping writers launch their author careers, she's reading, writing, and trying her hand at various creative outlets.

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

A book nerd through and through, I knew since I was six years old that I wanted to be an author someday. Constantly reading and writing, whether stories, poems, or songs, was my outlet. As I got older, I struggled to share that side of me freely, buying into the starving artist belief, and eventually tucked it away to pursue more of the expected life path. I’ve always loved learning new things so took on different jobs and industries to expand my knowledge and skills. I spent 12 years in the human resources field, chasing degrees, certifications, and promotions, always successful, but never fulfilled. I kept going for what I was supposed to have to elevate myself versus the things that actually felt purposeful. After years of feeling restless and not quite myself in the corporate world, I eventually left once my first child was born. I could no longer pretend I cared about stuff that didn’t matter to me. I had to step back into who I truly was to be the best I could be for my kids. 

What inspired you to start your business? 

My boys were born exactly two and a half years apart and a lot changed within that period, most notably was my lens on my life and the world. I knew I wanted them to have big dreams and not let anything get in their way of reaching them. But you can tell someone something with little success or set the example through actions. Wanting that for them was the final push for me to go after everything I dreamed about for my own life. I wrote and published my first book which had been a work in progress for a decade and immediately followed it up with four others within a short time. Once I became an author, other people asked for my help to write and publish their books. Every time I helped someone, my soul was lit on fire, and a new dream emerged: helping people share their stories and overcome the challenge of writing about their own personal journey and struggles.

Ever since I was a young girl, random strangers would open up to me, telling me about their life. That never changed. I’ve always been a safe space for people to be themselves. It wasn’t until I started Burning Soul Press that I realized there was a reason behind it. My entire life had been preparing me for this. I started Burning Soul Press in April 2020 as a one-woman show and within months, it quickly grew to a six-figure company with an amazing team that supports all of our global clients in helping them reach their author goals. Now we’re on track to becoming a seven-figure company in 2021. It's been an amazing experience exploring new dreams and goals that have come into my path and I now lead a life I couldn't have imagined a year ago.

Where is your business based?

Burning Soul Press is 100% virtual due to the pandemic, but we may eventually put down roots and open up a writing retreat center. For now, our employees work throughout the United States and our clients are global. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I first tested the waters to make sure people were willing to pay for what I could help them with, and once my first few paying clients were secured, I made it all official with the LLC paperwork, a website, and social media accounts. We’ve been fortunate to grow with just word of mouth over the past year, so it was just telling people what we’re doing and utilizing the power of connections to reach the right clients.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

Connecting with people. Networking is huge and if it can happen during a pandemic successfully, it’s proven that it’s a timeless technique. I always take the time to meet with people because you never know who they know or what ideas they generate from hearing about our mission. The ease of sharing posts and information through social media has also been a huge advantage for raising awareness. 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

The biggest challenges have arisen every time we start to drift away from our original values. It’s easy to get caught up in the snowball of growth or start to move away from the core of your business when you see the potential for new opportunities. There have been a lot of new ideas we’ve come up with and have been quick to implement because of the excitement, only to realize (after we’ve already invested a lot of time and money) that they don’t align with our core values. Every time it’s happened, I’m just very honest with my team about it and we simply reset what we need, even if it means swallowing our pride, making tough decisions, or losing money and time. Every risk we take and choice we make is an opportunity for learning, so it’s just keeping that in the forefront of our minds and as we keep moving forward. 

How do you stay focused?

Focusing on moving the needle ahead one step at a time instead of consuming the entire pie all at once. This is something that I admittedly struggle with because I like to devour what I can. But when I focus on the chunks in the order that they come instead of only moving on the ones that excite me and that’s it, it helps me complete projects faster and not feel like I have a million irons in the fire

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

We operate from a more intrinsic motivation standpoint—for both us as a company and for our authors. There are many other companies offering what we’re offering just like there are many other authors writing books. However, we focus on the long-term fulfillment and satisfaction of a lifelong goal. It’s not about writing a book fast or getting someone’s name on the cover of a book or simply owning the title of being an author—it’s about truly writing a book with a message and story that they are proud to have last long after their time on earth is finished. We help people fulfill their purpose and we care about their journey to reach that just about as much as they do. We support the author not because that’s what we’re getting paid to do, but because we’re fans of the incredible journey they’re dedicating themselves to.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Celebrating our authors. We focus more on what our authors are doing than what we’re doing and that naturally draws in people who are like them or doing similar cool things as they are. They’re not just writing a book, they’re making a huge impact in this world and we love showcasing that. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

Own yourself. Own your dreams. Own your quirks. Own your strengths. I wish I didn’t try so hard to fit in the boxes I thought I should fill through most of life, whether boxes determined by schooling, socially or by the corporate world. Many times I felt awkward, but I wished I realized it wasn’t because I was awkward, but because those boxes are awkward. Many systems early in life try to contain you to a heightened sense of average instead of allowing you to embrace your strengths and talents and soar in the unique areas you were meant to rise in. A part of me always knew that, but it takes independence in who you are regardless of the circumstances around you to fully embrace it.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is Slack because it allows my team to communicate effectively while keeping our conversations fairly organized and easily searchable. My favorite business-related book is Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield-Thomas. It’s a reminder to not let work drive your life but to focus on life and the work you can do to help other people. When I start feeling like I’m drowning in work, I go back to that book to reset my focus.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Clickup is my favorite tool because it helps me and my entire team stay on track. I use it to keep track of my personal to-do list as well, but my favorite part is the professional custom templates that my team can share as clients are working through the pipeline from writing to publishing. It helps us stay organized and set clear dates for when things are due.  

Who is your business role model? Why? 

I love the teachings of James Wedmore. His growth as an entrepreneur is inspiring and he operates from the whole mind, heart, and soul behind running a business and not just business or financial modeling. He’s very honest about his mistakes and humble about his successes, always taking time to help people regardless of whether they invest in him.

How do you balance work and life? 

Truthfully, I don’t really balance anything. When I try, I fail. I blend it all. Who I am as a mom, wife, and friend is the same person that I am as an entrepreneur and CEO. My kids are right next to me as I do things with my company. I’ll cook dinner while I’m talking with clients. It’s simply remembering that we have 24 hours in a day every single day and every hour may be dedicated to a different realm to life. It doesn’t mean 8-5 has to be dedicated to working. Flexing based on priorities as things change every day and being okay with that is the key for me. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

Browsing a used book sale or bookstores. There’s no such thing as too many books and being surrounded by them is incredibly peaceful. 

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

We have some incredible books being released over the next six months so will be working closely with our authors to help them launch and celebrate! We are also making big changes to our core program, The Soul Writer Journey, and I’m writing a book based on the framework for it. We’ve also added a Children’s publishing division, partnering with some hugely talented illustrators, and will be offering upcoming workshops to help people write their stories. 

How can our readers connect with you?

You can send us a message at hello@burningsoulpress.com or visit any of our sites: 

Website: www.burningsoulpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/burningsoulpress 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/68302732/ 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLAn5XIVMkqPKnjR8mc4RVQ/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burningsoulpress/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BSPSoulWriter 

"Building an Authentic Business in an Inauthentic Industry" with Kat Spangler

Photo Credit: Maggie Kirkland

Kat Spangler has been a certified personal trainer and holistic health coach since 2011. At just 19 years old she opened doors to her business, Eat N Run Fitness which she thought would be a simple 1:1 personal training business. Little did she know that she had her own health battle ahead of her which would lead her down a path to help hundreds of women get to the root of their weight struggles and discover the incredible healing powers of food and fitness. Kat’s business has since grown to an online weight loss and wellness brand that offers a variety of programs focusing on gut health, mindset transformation, and lifelong habit change.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I grew up as a dancer and as such struggled a lot with body image and my relationship with food. I basically experienced orthorexia by day eating incredibly clean and working out 1-2 hours a day and binged at night. As fate would have it, I got a 3rd-degree ankle sprain that ended my dance career, at which time my older sister Autumn Calabrese (you may know her from Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix) invited me to intern with her in California as a trainer. I fell in love with the business and the idea of owning my own company one day. So at 19, I got my certification, and after struggling with my own health issues (namely hashimoto’s thyroiditis and leaky gut) decided to get a certification in nutrition as well. At that point, I made it my goal to help as many women as possible lose weight without hurting their bodies with extremes as I had.

What inspired you to start your business?

Watching my sister hustle and build her brand, relying on a lot of creativity, problem-solving, and grit, always really excited me. Plus the frustration I experienced looking at the dieting world filled with pseudoscience, quick fixes, and unhealthy extremes that I knew were causing more harm than good really made me passionate about making a change. I felt like we needed different voices and perspectives in that space and I wanted to be one of them, leading the charge. 

Where is your business based?

I still do some 1:1 personal training in Dallas, but most of my coaching (whether nutrition or fitness) is done online now.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I feel like my business had 2 different starts. The first was in college where I did what I thought was important: I registered my trademark for Eat N Run Fitness, built myself a very basic website, ordered some business cards, and tried to talk about my business as much as possible to friends and classmates. I got a few clients here or there but nothing that would support me. After I graduated and started my business in earnest (aka earning a livable paycheck), I threw up an ad on Groupon and shifted my focus to building my network and getting as many referrals as possible.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Referrals, referrals, referrals. I always tried to make sure my clients had an outstanding experience with me. Even from a young age, I understood the importance of personally connecting with my clients and making them feel heard, understood, and seen. Anyone can give you a workout routine or nutrition plan, but I think that deeper connection is what had people actively recommending me to their friends.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was creating consistent leads. I was beyond grateful for all of the referrals, but it wasn’t something I could rely on to grow my business consistently. I wanted a system in place where I knew I could get x amount of new clients each month. My solution was to hire coaches to teach me what I didn’t know. I got coaches who taught me challenge funnels, email funnels, mastermind funnels, freebie funnels, and everything in between so I could play a more active and intentional role in building up my clientele. 

How do you stay focused?

I can’t help but chuckle at this question because for me staying focused has never been my problem. I get tunnel vision once I start on a project. My struggle is breaking out of that hyper-focus state to make sure I’m making time to take care of myself and enjoy the life this business has helped me create. But also, for anyone who does struggle with focus, my recommendation is to GET A PLANNER. If I don’t have my big projects written down, broken down, and mapped out day-by-day, they will NOT get done.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I never follow the crowd. I see so many coaches and trainers who take the easy way out and jump on whatever trend is hot at the moment (keto, paleo, vegan, etc.). But that just goes against everything I believe in. I dig deeper with my clients and go further with my research than I think most wellness experts are willing to go. I don’t just read nutrition books or fitness magazines. I do deep dives into psychology, trauma, hormones, gut health, habit change, motivational interviewing, anything and everything that could make me a more effective, more well-rounded, and more compassionate coach.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

A few years ago, I reached out to a popular influencer in my area to see if she’d be interested in working together. At first, I heard nothing back. But when I reached out a second time she happened to be looking for a trainer to get fit for her daughter’s wedding.  Not only did she feature me in her blog, she documented her entire journey on Instagram stories, and brought me on to host an IG Live with her. 3 years later that relationship is still getting me regular clients.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

I know you probably hear it all the time but shows up consistently (I did a post every single weekday for years before I got ANY social media traction). And stop letting perfectionism keep you from getting in the game. There is no shortcutting the process of messing up and going through multiple iterations of your business. It’s going to be messy. You’re going to screw up. There will be days where you are crying in the fetal position wondering why on earth you started this business. It’s OKAY. Feel the fear, feel the frustration, feel the struggle, and then KEEP GOING.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is Canva. It has been a gamechanger in helping me make absolutely beautiful, professional marketing materials from social media posts to flyers to business cards. I’m going to say my favorite podcast (since I honestly don’t really read blogs) is The Brendon Show; it just has such powerful content on health, productivity, habit change, AND business. You really can get it all right there. Asking my favorite book is like asking a mother who is her favorite child. But if I HAD to pick one it would be Jen Sincero’s ‘You Are a Badass’ largely because that was the first book that really changed the way I approached my life and mindset. It put the power in my hands to create whatever outcomes I wanted for myself regardless of what was happening around me. Plus, I find her dry humor and wit endlessly entertaining.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I love the app ‘Spending’. It’s not necessarily specific to entrepreneurs, but I can’t tell you how much my business improved when I started tracking and taking control of my finances. Instead of hoping I would make enough and praying I wouldn’t spend too much, I could actually start making investment and saving decisions that would give me enough cushion to get me through slower months and enough freedom to make bigger investments like masterminds, business coaches, and copywriters.

Who is your business role model? Why?

My business coach Jo Konecny. I’ve admired her since before she was a business coach and she was just a fellow nutrition coach I knew through Instagram. She not only is brilliant at marketing, sales, and scaling, but she does it all with such authenticity. Nothing about what she teaches feels slimy or ‘salesy’. She isn’t like a lot of other business owners I know who are all hustle and no chill. She sets the example to work hard AND take time for yourself which I value deeply.

How do you balance work and life?

I was bad at this for a long time, but it comes down to setting hard boundaries with yourself and being real with yourself. I used to act like every single thing I did in my business was life or death and like everything was equally important. It wasn’t. I had to start going through my daily tasks with a fine-tooth comb to figure out what was actually creating a measurable impact vs what was just extra work I was creating for myself with little to no return. As far as boundaries go, I block off an hour a day for lunch to make sure I’m feeding myself, I do NOT work weekends in any capacity, and unless I’m mid-launch I have a hard cut off at 8 pm (though usually try to be done by 6).

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Either a long walk outside in the sunshine while listening to really upbeat, empowering music or a killer workout with a playlist that makes me feel like a badass.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

My 1:1 coaching is almost at capacity so the next 6 months will be heavily focused on building up my online group programs so I can create more time, income, and freedom for myself while also creating a bigger impact.

How can our readers connect with you?

I post a ton of free content on TikTok and Instagram @katspanglerunleashed and on my podcast, Life Unleashed with Kat Spangler. They can also book a free call with me at 

"Just start" with Kelsey Eyers

Kelsey Eyers is the CEO & Founder of Sweat CBD, host of “Figuring it Out with Kelsey Eyers”, CEO & Founder of BOSSBOXX, and business mentor. Kelsey has grown multiple businesses to 6 figures and beyond in just a few years. Her company Sweat CBD has been given recognition such as “Top 10 CBD Oils”, and she has grown businesses from 4 figures to 6 figures per month in under 30 days. Kelsey’s new venture, BOSSBOXX will be bringing aspiring entrepreneurs the convenience of a full service, “business in a box”. 

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I was born and raised in the small town of West Salem, WI. I am the firstborn and only daughter. My little brothers and I were all athletes and sports were a major foundation of our family. After graduating high school, I attended UW- La Crosse which was only about 20 minutes from where I grew up. I was on a very self-destructive path which delayed the process of finding my passion and purpose in life. Even through college, I worked 2 jobs because there has always been something so fulfilling to me about having financial freedom. After college, I knew I needed a drastic change in my life, and relocating seemed like the next step. I packed up my bags and headed to Austin, TX. While moving so far from home forced me to dig deep and get to know myself, Texas was not for me. I took my first opportunity to move on and headed west to California. California really slapped me in the face with the overwhelming cost of living and I found myself working 3 jobs, 6-7 days a week. I was filling up my schedule hoping for my passion and purpose in life to just “show up”. I had been taking anxiety medication for a good portion of my life. I always knew I hated the way it made me feel, but I never knew there were other options. After meeting my (now) husband in California, and he suggested that I try CBD to help with my anxiety. The first day I gave it a shot, I knew I had not only found the natural solution to my anxiety, but the lightbulb went off and I immediately knew I was ready to make my first leap into entrepreneurship. Fast forward 2 years and I have grown Sweat CBD into a multiple 6 figure business. Not only has Sweat CBD changed the lives of so many people, but it has sent me into a very deep discovery of myself and my skillset. I have built a 70-person affiliate team and gotten our products into nearly 150 retail locations. I have now started a podcast called “Figuring It Out with Kelsey Eyers”, where I share my own life lessons and bring on influential and successful people to share their stories. I have partnered with another eCommerce company in need of fresh eyes and a new strategy, bringing it from 4 figures per month to 6 figures per month in under 30 days. My podcast led to several people asking for guidance in business, which sparked the idea to take on a handful of business mentoring clients. Most recently, I have been working on a new project called “BOSSBOXX”, bringing aspiring entrepreneurs the convenience of a full service, “business in a box”. We are expecting to do half a million dollars in our first year. I have been able to ignite this fire inside of myself, and I am grateful beyond belief. This is just the beginning. 

What inspired you to start your business? 

I had always known I wanted to be an entrepreneur and have control of my time and finances, I had just never known how that would look. After struggling with anxiety for a good portion of my life, I was ready to take back control. The day I found Sweat CBD I felt this release of pressure off my chest that I had never felt before and I knew I had found the natural solution to every medication I had ever relied on. At that moment it also clicked that this was the first thing I could really see myself standing behind and promoting from a place of complete integrity. Sweat CBD opened so many doors for me and showed me truly what I am capable of. It has now snowballed into two new businesses and a podcast.

Where is your business based?

My business is based in CA but primarily online. Before covid-19, Sweat CBD had made it into nearly 150 retail locations across the country. The pandemic really forced us to pivot to a primarily eCommerce business. The forced focus helped us to 3x our eCommerce revenue and now it is our lead revenue generator allowing us to reach customers all over the country.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

The most important part of starting Sweat CBD was realizing I had found something I could truly stand behind and had so much passion for because of the way it personally changed me. When it came to starting the business, the first thing I did was Google “how to start a business”. I am not too proud to admit that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Knowing nothing leads me to want to know everything and I believe that because I started from scratch, I was able to absorb anything and everything. Starting my business mentoring program and BOSSBOXX has looked much different. I now have a strategy and knowledge that has helped me expedite the process. 

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

The most effective way to reach my audience and raise awareness of my business has been personal testimonials and word of mouth. In the CBD industry, we are not able to run ad’s on social media, making our referrals and testimonials the most valuable thing we have. In the thick of building Sweat CBD, I would attend 5-6 markets or pop-ups a week, standing outside for sometimes 8 hours giving samples to people passing by and educating potential customers on how my products could help them. I knew that even if I was able to find one new customer, my day was worth it.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

The challenge of having little to no knowledge of how to run a business was my biggest hurdle thus far. That level of inexperience at the beginning also lead to trusting the wrong people, making huge financial mistakes, and putting my attention in all the wrong places. I overcame these mistakes by making them. I truly believe that every single one of those mistakes left me hungrier for success and created lasting knowledge for myself as an entrepreneur, that I will now be able to share with my clients.

How do you stay focused?

I stay focused on keeping my “reason” clear. I am building a life for myself and my family that brings us both freedom of time and financial freedom. When I am feeling overwhelmed, I close my eyes and picture a life where my family can work together, spend quality time together, and have no stress around finances.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

Sweat CBD is different than other CBD companies because of my personal involvement in every part of the business and the dedication to consistency and quality. My business mentoring clients are not buying into a standardized package to “help their business grow”, but each client is receiving a customized plan on how to scale their business and more importantly, build their business around their life.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Our affiliate team has changed the protectory of Sweat CBD. Since we are unable to advertise on social media platforms, we have relied heavily on testimonials created by these affiliates. In April we launched the affiliate program and have grown it to 70 passionate, intelligent, driven affiliates who promote our products with their personal testimonials about our products. My podcast has been the only avenue of marketing to reach potential business mentoring clients and has proven itself to be more exposure than I would have expected.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

Just start. I delayed going “all in” on my business for so long because I was so scared of things not being perfect or of failing because I was not “ready”. What I learned is that by delaying the process of failing, I was also delaying the lesson. By just starting, and going all in, you will be forced to make the mistakes early on and therefore receive a lesson early on as well.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Favorite app: Instagram- This app has allowed so many people to turn their passions and talents into a revenue stream

Favorite blog: I am honestly not a huge blog reader but love reading and absorbing new information

Favorite book: Secrets of a Millionaire Mind- This book changed my money mindset

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I am a big fan of Airtable for my podcast, Slack for business mentoring, and WordPress for Sweat CBD. Airtable allows me to keep my calendar for podcast social media strategy organized. Slack allows an open channel for communication between mentoring clients and me. WordPress has been the foundation for Sweat CBD since day 1 and have learned how to navigate it so well has allowed opened doors for me even beyond Sweat CBD.

Who is your business role model? Why? 

I really look up to Chris and Lori Harder. Chris’ podcast, “For The Love Of Money”, was the first podcast I had ever listened to and it encouraged me to go “all in” and start investing in myself and my business. I look up to Chris and Lori because they have leveraged their businesses to build a financially abundant life for themselves that allows them to give back in so many ways. They do an unbelievable job at finding exactly what their audience needs and bringing that to them in transformative ways. It all came full circle for me when I was recently able to interview Chris for my podcast.

How do you balance work and life? 

I have built my businesses around my life. The reason entrepreneurship is desirable to so many people is the idea of creating your own schedule and being your own boss, in order to be in control of your time. As entrepreneurs, it is easy to lose sight of that and instead of working for someone else you become a slave to the job. Whenever I am feeling an imbalance in work and life, I prioritize whatever it is that will fill up my cup. From years of experience, I now understand that unless I am taking care of myself, I will never be the business owner, mentor, or partner that I need to be.

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

My favorite way to decompress is exercise. Having come from a very athletic family, sports or working out has been a staple in my day for my entire life. In my adult years, exercise has been my outlet after a busy day or a guaranteed way to center my thoughts before a heavily work loaded day.

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

My focus for the next 6 months is building BOSSBOXX. I have found the perfect team members and we are running full speed into building this new concept. I already am so passionate about what we are creating and I can’t wait to see this business flourish. 

How can our readers connect with you?

I am very active on social media on both my personal account (@kelsey.eyers) and my business account (@sweatcbd). You can listen to my podcast “Figuring It Out with Kelsey Eyers” on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also visit my websites: www.kelseyeyers.com, www.sweatcbd.com, and www.figuringitoutpod.com.

"It won’t happen if you don't do it" with Chrissa McFarlane

Chrissa McFarlane is the Founder and CEO of Patientory, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta. McFarlane founded Patientory in December 2015 after seeing the need in the market for more personalized and secure consumer-driven health information management solutions.  Chrissa has over 10 years of experience as a healthcare professional and has written the book Future Women encouraging women to take the next step in starting their business.

Can you tell our readers about your background?  

I am a startup founder with extensive experience in the healthcare industry. I graduated from Cornell University and later earned my Masters in Business Administration and Strategy at Wake Forest University. Before founding Patientory, I worked at a telehealth startup and played a key role in some of the healthcare infrastructures we have today.

What inspired you to start your business?  

After witnessing the shortcomings of our healthcare system when trying to receive care and through professional experience, I envisioned that Patientory would empower end-users to own, manage, transfer, and share their healthcare data securely using blockchain technology and unique machine learning algorithms. Particularly, I started out in the healthcare industry conducting research and went into healthcare IT consulting. After my experiences with an early stage telemedicine company, I experienced first hand the lack of data access that made it difficult for individuals to receive care. After leaving that company and delaying my plans to go to medical school, I started Patientory. I started Patientory with a hunch and through the unique knowledge, I had accumulated. I would say I was uniquely positioned to start this company.

Where is your business based?

Patientory, Inc is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Specifically, we are at the Atlanta Tech Village! Atlanta is a wonderful community for fintech and healthcare. It fits perfectly with what Patientory is trying to accomplish. Atlanta is somewhere in which Patientory can really leverage the network of investors, accelerators, and fellow founders.  

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I joined an accelerator program, specifically the Boomtown Healthtech Accelerator in partnership with Colorado Permanente Medical Group. I already had experience learning the ropes at a previous telehealth startup; however, the accelerator paved the way for me to start Patientory towards success.  

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Patientory, Inc created Patientory Association, a global conglomerate encouraging the adoption of blockchain in healthcare. As the founding member, Patientory gained recognition and over 45,000 subscribers.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Access to funding when starting my company - Our company successfully raised a crowdfund.

How do you stay focused?

I remind myself of the bigger picture. Founding a startup is uncharted territory, let alone a startup in the blockchain. I am now a leader in this space, inspiring other women to pave their own paths. This motivates me to stay focused. I stay focused to inspire others to come to the table.  

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Patientory believes people come first. In this way, we really differentiate ourselves from our competition. Unlike competitors, Patientory uses blockchain technology and APIs to transfer information from the EHR and medical devices. Hospital readmissions and penalties can decrease by 85% with 0 breaches. This technology allows the patient to control who sees their data and how it is managed, which has always been important but is especially important today.  

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

We create newsletters with educational pieces and key partnerships we have acquired to move healthcare toward a more equitable future.  

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

It won’t happen if you don't do it. Don't put off what can be done today! 

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Future Women is my favorite book. I might be biased because I wrote it, but it is a new accomplishment I am very proud of. This book was recently released and shares lessons learned as a woman pioneering the 4th Industrial Revolution of blockchain and crypto.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Calendly - makes life easier to manage!

Who is your business role model? Why?

Jeff Bezos - for his ability to successfully build something out of nothing and have the vision to execute one of the world’s most successful companies of our era.

How do you balance work and life?

On a practical note, I work with 100% of my energy during the week. The weekend is my time to recharge and relax, so I can remain focused for the next week. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Travel (pre-pandemic) - now I enjoy making culinary meals from around the world.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Patientory is planning on launching! We will be launching our consumer app and our enterprise solution, Neith. Stay tuned and look for us on the app store. We are pioneering a safer, more personalized way to manage your healthcare using blockchain technology.

How can our readers connect with you?

Follow me @chrissatenelia and Patientory @patientory on Twitter. You can also find me and Patientory, Inc on LinkedIn.

"Just get out there and do it" with Mariko Ichikawa

Mariko Ichikawa is born of mixed heritage (her father is Japanese and her mother is Italian- American). The New York City native and former Dubai resident started her line of up-cycled kimonos after spending almost a decade as a womenswear buyer for stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. An avid equestrian and veteran burner, Mariko currently resides in East Harlem, NY with her dog Coco and her cat Koney.  https://marikoichikawa.com/

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I grew up in New York City and graduated from UPenn in 2006. Despite studying Fine Arts, I went on to become a womenswear buyer for major department stores in New York City and Dubai. Buying was thrilling, but the travel was taxing! Then, I tried my hand in merchandising before starting my line in 2019.  

What inspired you to start your business?

I had always wanted to design clothes since I was a child, but I wasn’t sure I had the chops to make it a career. I first came up with my kimonos while at my last corporate job as a merchandiser for a luxury home goods brand. I wanted to turn second-hand kimonos into jackets that I could wear in NYC and so I made a couple of samples.  My fashion friends responded positively, and when the steel tariffs came around, I was laid off! I took that as an opportunity to pursue my dream of designing. 

Where is your business based?

New York City, but the kimonos are all produced in India.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

The very first step was to make my first samples, and then show them, my mentors, for their honest feedback. Honestly, I was so nervous about how the fashion industry might not value me as a designer since I had previously been a buyer.  I really needed the initial validation and I was lucky to get it!

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Emailing all of my personal contacts when I started my business really helped me gain initial awareness. I try not to annoy my friends with too many emails, but ultimately, it’s been friends helping me all of the ways! For example, my kimonos were recently featured on Season 5 of Queer Eye on Netflix, and this happened through a friend, who just happened to read one of my email updates.  

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

I think my biggest challenge initially was a lack of self-confidence. Creating a new product that is so deeply personal and doesn’t fit into what is already out there is most definitely a blessing, but in the wrong mindset, it can seem like a curse. If I am not careful in taking comments and conversations in context, I can easily get swept up in negative thinking.  Luckily, I have an intelligent and supportive network of friends who graciously ground me when needed.

How do you stay focused?

If the pandemic taught me anything, it’s to be patient. I will admit, though, that it is difficult for me to stay focused when things slow down! So, when that happens, I set small goals for myself too - like, today, just send 3 emails and be proud of yourself. Taking a step back (and celebrating the small wins) is usually enough to help me find my focus again.  

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I think that my kimonos are a reflection of my biracial heritage is a big one. There may be a lot of other kimono producers out there, but I’ve had so many people tell me that they can see both the Japanese and Italian influence in mine. Not to mention the sustainability aspect- all of my kimonos are up-cycled from discarded, traditional Japanese kimonos. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Ha! I am working on my strategy, and I can’t say there has been any real strategy per se thus far. I suppose my best marketing idea was to create a newsletter for my brand and sending it to all of my personal friends because that is what led to Queer Eye.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Just get out there and do it. No one ever feels ready and it’s easy to get caught up in researching until everything feels perfect. While there are times that I regret putting myself out there a little too soon or a little under-prepared, I also know that starting my own fashion brand and business is a huge learning curve for me, and it’s impossible to always get it “right.” I also think that starting small and diving in allowed me to remain open to how my new business would best grow. And anyway, nothing ever goes the way you planned, so it’s best to just get a sense of where you want to go and get out there!  

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Not fashion related, but my favorite app is Flo for menstrual cycle prediction. If you are religious with documenting your period, along with any symptoms, I’m sure you will be shocked at how accurate it is! My favorite book of all time is Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollen- it really opened my eyes to the history of food production in this country.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Shopify- I am always in awe at how much they do to make managing your own website easy and successful- from customizable themes to third party apps (like Shopping Gives, which I use to easily send donations from online purchases on my site to 501(3)c charities), Shopify makes a fabulous product that is also affordable and easy to use.  

Who is your business role model? Why?

Elizabeth Von Der Goltz, who is the Global Buying Director of Net-A-Porter. I had the pleasure of working for her at Bergdorf and she showed me that it’s entirely possible to have it all! I think sometimes women can feel that in order to be taken “seriously,” you may have to make some compromises in who you are at work. Working for Elizabeth showed me that you could be smart, beautiful, stylish, hard-working, down-to-earth, honest, and kind, while still being respected and taken “seriously” as a skillful business leader. She showed me that I didn’t need to sacrifice anything if I wanted to become a successful woman in business. I’ve only realized now how important it is for young women to have role models like that in the work-place.

How do you balance work and life?

I use my calendar on my phone and a block out time for everything- work and play. As a visual person, this is the only way I can get things done without burning out or being habitually late to everything. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

A night of drinking and laughs with friends!

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I’ll be getting my Master’s degree in Marketing next Spring from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, so hopefully, finally, get that marketing strategy in place!

How can our readers connect with you?

I’m in the following boutiques; Curio at Faena Bazaar in Miami, Mikel Hunter in Martha’s Vineyard and Hudson NY, Yuta Powell on Madison Avenue, Matriark in Sag Harbor, and Elizabeth Anthony in Houston.  You can also see Karamo Brown wearing my kimonos on Season 5 Queer Eye in episodes 2, 3, 7, 8, and 10. You can also find me online at marikoichikawa.com or on Instagram at @marikoichikawanyc.

"Reading the right books can save you five years of trial and error learning" with Muadi B. Dibinga

Muadi B. Dibinga is a consultant and life coach. Before launching her company, she served as the first associate director of Citizens for Safety (Boston, MA), the first associate director for the Southern Center for Human Rights (Atlanta, GA), and the Development Manager for City Bar Fund. She was also an Adjunct Professor at New York University's Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising and Temple University's International Nonprofit Training and Leadership Program. Her current and past consulting clients include Partners in Health, Harvard University/Phillips Brooks House Association, Clinton Health Access Initiative, and TJX Companies. Inc. Muadi's work is fueled by her deep appreciation for the strength of the human spirit and a sincere desire to help people transform their lives. To learn more about her work visit www.muadidibingaunlimited.com

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I'm a first-generation Congolese-American born to two political refugees who emigrated to the United States in the mid-sixties.  I was the first child on either side of my family that was born in this country.  I grew up in Roxbury,  MA, went to college in Evanston, Illinois.  Before starting my consulting business, I worked exclusively in the nonprofit sector, with a focus on social justice, community organizing, and community-building work.  I entered the workforce as an administrative assistant when I was 21  and went on to hold more senior-level positions over the next 15 years.  I also worked as an Adjunct Professor at New York University and Temple University.  I launched my consulting business in 1999, providing strategic planning, organizational assessment, meeting facilitation, and event planning services to nonprofit organizations throughout the East Coast.  I officially added personal and executive coaching to my service offerings in 2010, and it's now the main focus of my work.

What inspired you to start your business?

Truthfully,  I had no intention of becoming a coach.  In fact, I didn't find out what a 'life coach' was until I found myself on the floor of my Brooklyn, NY apartment crying my eyes out because my 10-year 'relationship' (which really wasn't an actual relationship, but a 10-year drama-filled 'entanglement that caused me an insane amount of stress and grief) had finally come to a traumatic end.  I laid on my floor for three days, wondering what happened to my life.  I was 35, never married, had no children, and hated my life.  At the beginning of the fourth day of my meltdown, I told myself I had a choice:  Change my life or TAKE my life.  I decided to change it and began my search for any and every resource I could find that could help me end my suffering.  It took time, support from a few good friends, and a LOT of work. Eventually, the changes slowly began to take hold.  It got to the point that others started to notice the changes in me and ask me for advice.  I started sharing my resources.  Eventually, I began to creating healing frameworks and leading small workshops and coaching people (mostly women) informally.  Seeing the changes in others and knowing that I was able to support them in their healing inspired me to develop my coaching practice.  It's been almost 20 years since that fateful day in Brooklyn. I'm happy to say that, although it's far from perfect, I love my life AND what I do!

Where is your business based?

Most of my corporate clients are in Boston, MA and Washington, DC.  However, I do most of my coaching work virtually.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I really didn't know what I was doing when I started my business.  I began by holding small workshops in Boston, where I had somewhat of a following from my consulting work.   In the beginning, I did EVERYTHING myself including designing my own flyers, marketing, and outreach.  I had already had a website for my consulting work.  Over time I changed the format and content on my website and social media to gradually introduce my business.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Social media is the most effective tool that I have used to raise awareness for my business and build my client based. I primarily rely on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to reach new markets and stay in touch with current and past clients.  I'm a sole proprietor and use contract support as needed.  Social media is easy to use, relatively inexpensive (I do use sponsored ads from time-to-time), and convenient.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was shifting my mindset and really stepping into my identity as a coach.  I was a hot MESS before I turned things around (with TONS of support).  I call myself a recovering 'drama queen' because I was a slave to my negative emotions and had an anger problem.  When I started coaching I was afraid that people who knew me 'back in the day' would judge or ridicule me for daring to think I could help others given my past.  Overcoming that mindset was not easy.  So I started taking workshops and classes from leaders in the field (such as Tony Robbins, Iyanla Vanzant, Michael Bernard Beckwith) and other teachers to learn how to make the shift. 

How do you stay focused?

Staying focused is NOT easy! I admit I have a short attention span.  I used to be a terrible procrastinator. The best advice I can offer for anyone who has challenges with focus is to develop a habit of planning and short and long-term goal setting.  I plan out my week (using the calendar function on my laptop).  I use my weekly plan to set daily goals.  I don't always get everything done, but having things written out with deadlines keeps me moving forward.  It also keeps me from getting side-tracked when the unexpected happens.  

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I honestly don't compete with other coaches.  I know that  I am not a fit for everybody.  I have a unique philosophy and approach that gets results for my clients.  Rather than focusing on competition, I focus my attention on honing my skills and working from an authentic place.  I trust the process and know that my 'tribe' will find me.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

I once read that "Connections open doors, but relationships close deals."  That is a guiding principle in my business model.  I rely very heavily on word-of-mouth and referrals from previous clients to grow my business.  Social media helps get the word out, but people who have actually benefit from working with me have provided me with testimonials and leads that have helped me experience steady growth in my business.  In fact, I just wrapped up an 8-week coaching course for a group of 25 students for a nationally known arts organization.  The contract came as a result of a professional relationship that I developed with the program's director over 15 years ago!  Cultivate and nurture relationships with people you meet on your journey as an entrepreneur. They will serve you well!

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

My best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs is to READ.  Success leaves clues.  Some of our most successful entrepreneurs have written books and articles about how they build their businesses and brands. Find out who the leaders in your industry are and ready anything and everything you can about their successes and failures.  Reading the right books can save you five years of trial and error learning!

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is "Hootsuite".  It allows you to post to multiple social media platforms and one time and to schedule a series of posts in advance.  It saves so much time and has been a game-changer. 

'The Budgetnista Blog' is one of my favorite blogs.  The writer presents financial information in a simple and easy-to-understand language. I highly recommend it.   

My favorite book of ALL time is 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle.  This book changed my life and got me on the path to my healing.  It helped me to understand the ego, how we get 'stuck' in our thinking, and provided a clear path to emotional freedom.  It transformed my life.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite business tool is, without a doubt, my iPhone 11.  It's like having a creative studio in the palm of my hand.  The high definition camera and voice recording functions let me record, edit, and upload my video blogs and motivational messages with ease.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Oprah Winfrey has been my business role model (and my aunt in my head) for over 30 years.  I was a student in college in Illinois when she launched the Oprah Winfrey Show.  I have been following her ever since.  In fact, I discovered most of the spiritual teaches and life coaches that I follow today on her show.  I admire the way grew her empire and brand by being her authentic self and following her instincts.

How do you balance work and life?

I have to admit that maintaining work-life balance can be challenging for me because I love what I do so much that it does not feel like work. At the same time,  good mental health is critical to having a healthy life. To promote balance in my life, I make it a rule to only work Monday – Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.  I don't make or receive calls or check my emails outside of that window.  I make exceptions when I'm planning an event or preparing for a speaking engagement. Most of the time I stick to my rule. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Most days, I wake up at 5:00 am to practice yoga, run for 3 miles, meditate, and write in my journal. My daily practice helps me decompress stay grounded.  I also binge-watch old-school murder mysteries on the weekends.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I'm excited to share that I am in the process of launching my first online course!  It's the first time I will create a course that can be accessed 'on-demand'.  I'm facing a lot of my own insecurities with this project - yes, even coaches have insecurities.  I love the feeling of stretching and challenging myself!

How can our readers connect with you?

I can be reached by email at muadi@muadidibinga.com.  You can also find me on Instagram (@mdibinga), FaceBook (Live by Design with Muadi), and Twitter (@ mdibinga).

"Support everything with numbers" with Kylee Guenther

Kylee Guenther is the CEO of Pivot Materials, (https://pivot.eco), an entrepreneur and second-generation her family to work in the plastics industry. Kylee grew up on the plastics manufacturing shop floor and is passionate about finding environmentally friendlier solutions to everyday issues involving sustainability, especially related to plastics waste.

Can you tell our readers about your background?
I’m the second generation in my family to work in the plastics industry. My dad was on the founding team to create the first plastic bottles with handles incorporated – the gallon milk bottles we all use. I basically grew up on the shop floor, learning about the industry from the ground up. After graduate school and working at a couple of jobs where I didn’t feel like I was making a difference, I dove in and started my own business.

What inspired you to start your business?
I finished graduate school during the last recession and couldn’t find a job in my field and also couldn’t find a job where I felt like what I did matter. I always had this deep feeling like I needed to do something that mattered. That combined with growing up in the plastics industry inspired me to start Pivot Martials, which is all about changing the plastics industry. I knew I had to do something meaningful and this is it. Plastic affects everyone on this earth, even animals. And it’s everywhere. When explorers went to the deepest ocean trenches last year, plastic had already beat us there, as they found a plastic bag and candy bar wrappers. I don’t think I’ll ever again have the opportunity to work towards solving a problem that literally affects every single person on this planet – That’s what inspires me.

Where is your business based?

Detroit, Michigan.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I’m very much a numbers person. Math is my favorite sport. So, before I started this business, the first thing I did was make sure I had a problem big enough to solve. By this I mean I knew if I started in a business in this space, enough people would need what I wanted to sell and I could make money. I think this type of research is super important to do because so many business owners just decide to start a business and they don’t really research anything – They just jump in and fail, because they were trying to solve a problem that was either too small or that people didn’t have at all.

I did my research first and realized that I have a $279 billion dollar addressable market and only 9% of plastics globally ever get recycled. See – This is why math is so fun – It gave me the confidence to know that there are a real problem and a huge market to address it in, which can lead to a successful business.
I’d recommend to everyone that wants to start a business approach their idea like this. Read a lot of market reports and talk to people already in the space.   

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

I haven’t had any formal marketing training, so I basically had no idea where to start. However, I did a bunch of research on companies that sell plastics and it seems like none of them really had any type of successful online marketing and I’ve only ever seen one materials company advertise on TV. So, I decided this must mean they do face to face marketing.

When I started my company, I was super shy and really struggled to talk to people. But I knew if my business was going to be successful, I needed to conquer that fear and start talking at conferences and events as part of our marketing efforts.

I worked really hard for two years to get over my fear of talking to people and since then, I’ve been speaking a lot and in front of crowds as large as 2,000. These face-to-face and large crowd speaking events are the absolute best form of marketing for my company because when someone hears me, the company founder, speaking about what we do and why we do it, I really feel like they can feel our passion and connect with our values. It makes all the difference in the world.

Now that I’ve totally conquered my fear, I LOVE being on stage and also become a keynote speaker. This gives me the ability to do lots and lots of talks and share my message with a much larger audience. You can learn more about this at KyleeGuenther.com. (The new site should be up in the next 1-2 weeks.) 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

I’m trying to disrupt the plastics industry. Literally, it’s one of the largest industries in the world and has basically remained unchanged for the last 50 years. Every day is a challenge. Every single day.

I just keep pushing forward. I know our team works hard, we have an amazing product and the world needs our products to help reduce the plastics crisis. I can’t leave a problem this huge alone, so I just keep pushing. 

How do you stay focused?

I think being very focused is just part of the core of who I am. I’ve very driven and goal-oriented so the losing focus hasn’t ever been too much of a concern for me.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
Our products are new to the industry. We use plant waste and combine it with traditional plastics and biomaterials to create new materials, without using harsh chemicals. We can provide a material that makes the same or better quality final product, without all the plastic. It’s a win-win for anyone looking to create a high-quality product, without all the plastic waste.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Person to person marketing and speaking at conferences and events has been the most effective for us. Our team is small and scrappy, but we have an amazing story and are hard workers. People see that, plus see sample products made from our material and they know we have an amazing product that can help them.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Support everything with numbers!!! Do your research, understand your findings, and be able to support those with facts and figures. It’s a lot easier to explain why you want to do something when you can explain that your potential market size is X, it’s projected to grow X percentage in X years, X companies have a similar product, and using this product can solve X problem.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
I’m obsessed with OneNote. I use it for my daily to-do list, team management, and notes. It’s an incredible product!

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
My incredible mentors – I love them!!!! Most of them started supporting me when my business was only an idea and I had no clue what I was doing. However, they believed in me as a person and have been by my side this entire time. They are all different and all have their strengths but one of the coolest things is one of them was on the founding team to work on the Mars Rover project. For a nerdy girl like myself, this is just like getting to work with Justin Bieber.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Honestly, I don’t have one. I want to be myself through this process, instead of emulating what someone else is doing.

How do you balance work and life?

Honestly, don’t have the best handle on it. It’s also been far more challenging to balance due to COVID. I certainly shouldn’t be giving out advice here…

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I’m a champion napper. I also recently got Hulu and Netflix and I’m trying that out. I’m watching Superstore night now.  When I’m able, I love to travel, spend time with my family, and write my book. It’s a book of short stories about my experience as a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated field.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

My first and most important priority for the next six months is making sure everyone in my life survives COVID and is well, mentally. It’s been exhausting for everyone thus far, but I think we have a long way to go still.
Other than that, my team and I are working on some interesting research on new materials that should be available for trials in about six months. I’m working on my book and growing Pivots customer base too.

How can our readers connect with you?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleeguenther
@pivot_materials

Pivot.eco

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pivotmaterials

@KyleeGuentherSpeaks

KyleeGuenther.com (New site laughing in 1-2 weeks)

"Listen to your customers" with Courtney Ruth

Photo credit: Lisa Woods: https://www.rapportgroup.co/

Courtney Ruth is one of the co-founders of KOYA Innovations, a company aiming to initiate moments of meaningful connection. She is also a samba admirer, marketing fanatic, and adventure enthusiast with a background in Psychology and Global Communications.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I was fortunate to grow up in an innovative household. My dad started his first company at our kitchen table. As such, I believed that entrepreneurship was a normal job title.

While I have always loved business, I set my sights on a degree in Psychology. Without furthering my education, my degree didn’t provide many viable career opportunities. To make ends meet, I took on any job that came my way and fell into marketing where I helped several entrepreneurs launch their businesses. Having my hands in other’s literal business is what steered me back into entrepreneurship.

In my mid-twenties, I helped the communication department at a global nonprofit. Traveling opened my eyes to a relational richness that I missed whenever I returned. The years I spent abroad gave me the necessary resilience to embark on my recent venture.

In 2018, I transitioned from the not-for-profit sector into tech and co-founded a startup with my family.
 
What inspired you to start your business?

As a family, we used to hide notes in each other’s bags before long trips. When I moved away, I began doing this with my friends as well. We would all get creative to extend love from afar. This is the origin of KOYA Innovations, Inc. We wanted to create a digital experience that replicates the feeling of in-person spontaneity.

Where is your business based?

The founding KOYA team resides in Austin, TX.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

First, we created and filed a patent to protect our IP. We followed this up with a design sprint and development. The product has gone through several iterations and will continue to evolve.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Doing things that don’t scale. Although our app is free, it’s difficult to break through the noise to win a download. Having touchpoints with our customers has helped us raise awareness.

When our customers are happy and feel as though we provide a solution to their problem, they become our biggest ambassadors. It might not seem sexy to spend hours on Slack, LinkedIn, or other social sites, but it has led to incredible friendships and super fans.

 What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

As a geo-location app, we realized that staying safe at home makes using the KOYA app challenges. To help, we made it possible to schedule KOYAs using time-windows.

While making it possible to schedule a KOYA did help, COVID revealed a bigger issue. Social has distancing amplified the loneliness epidemic. Our recent pivot seeks to make KOYA more accessible. More on this later.

How do you stay focused?

I wake up early each morning to paint for an hour before work. It feels invigorating to have something small to look forward to. While I can’t change what is happening in the world, I can choose where I invest my time. This daily rhythm is grounding and helps me stay focused throughout the day.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

According to one of our users, “Zoom is good to reconnect, texts are fine for updates and cat videos, but KOYA actually makes me feel seen and loved and KNOWN by my people.” – Anna

KOYA isn’t a communication platform, like Zoom or FaceTime, or a payment platform, such as Venmo. Instead, we make it possible to send memorable moments and gifts that arrive at the right place and time.

The closest competition we have is friend CRM apps. Although, we straddle between intelligent message delivery and personal CRM. We aren’t trying to compete with existing technology. Instead, we are attempting to forge a new category.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Aside from doing things that don’t scale, we partner with like-minded businesses to help us grow. Our friends are incredible and often post on their social channels as well. We embody the definition of bootstrapped and rely on organic traffic.

As we continue to scale, I favor quality campaigns and steady growth over a big splash. It’s important that our product offers value and our marketing strategies focus on solutions overselling a product. This strategy also leads to the path of least resistance.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Listen to your customers. Let your customers inform the solutions instead of informing customers about your product. This means that you will conduct adequate market research before building your product.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite book at the moment is “Play Bigger” by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, and Kevin Maney. This book explores the idea of becoming a category king. It pushes you to find and refine your niche until it can stand alone and dominate a new market.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I love Slack. It’s a helpful tool that enables me to communicate with my colleagues with ease. I consult other companies on the side and Slack also keeps me organized. The search bar is my favorite feature within Slack.
 
Who is your business role model? Why?

Bozoma Saint John is definitely my business role model. She if fiercely herself. I have a high value for authenticity and am inspired by her choice to show up in this world.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Aside from painting each morning, I make it a habit to read before bed. This is the surest way to wind me down before my head hits the pillow. I like having routines that bookend my day and provide a healthy balance between work and life.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Earlier, I mentioned that pivot seeks to make KOYA more accessible. KOYA 2.0 is an approachable guide with thoughtful prompts, content from relational wellness and mental health experts, enriched profiles, and a platform to help people meaningfully show up for their loved ones.

Along with this, we are working on a new offering. I can’t go into detail, but this new feature will open up an unsaturated and highly personal marketplace.

How can our readers connect with you?

You can find me on LinkedIn and learn more about KOYA over at www.getkoya.com.