Career Memos withSarina: Recent Episodes
Sarina Virk Torrendell
Career Memos is your weekly dose of direct, no-nonsense career advice from your host, Sarina Virk Torrendell, founder of withSarina Career Coaching. From human rights activist to leading some of the hottest initiatives at companies like Postmates and Apple, Sarina shares tangible tips and strategies from over 12 years of experience as a career pivoter, business builder, and generalist extraordinaire. From networking to negotiating, to building your solo business, and so much more, you’ll learn the key elements you need to build a successful career. So hit play! It’s time to make things happen.
When Kim Chappell was offered to lead marketing for the infant formula company, Bobbie, back in 2020, she laughed; she didn’t think she had the credentials to take on the job.
Even though Kim had spent ten years in the news industry and done extensive marketing work for tech startups like Weebly and Square, she still felt out of her league. It was a classic case of imposter syndrome.
After some forward-thinking and reflection, Kim did eventually take the job, and today, she is the Chief Brand Officer of Bobbie, an AMAZING company that I personally have leaned on to feed my own babies. Her story gives me chills and acts as a reminder to be willing to bet on yourself.
In this episode, Kim takes us on her career journey, from the newsroom to the C-Suite. She talks about the invaluable skill of storytelling, which she’s leaned on throughout her career, and about motherhood, from infant feedings to the myth of work-life “balance.”
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Kim’s career journey, from her first job making $20,000 a year to her time as a news anchor, to her pivot into marketing
- How Kim leveraged her journalism skills to transform how brands like Weebly and Square communicated their mission
- The scrappiness and resourcefulness needed to build a brand from scratch, focusing funding on product development rather than expensive marketing
- How Bobbie was built from the ground up, driven by a mission to improve the nutritional support and societal perception of formula feeding
- An honest perspective on balancing a C-suite role with motherhood, breaking down myths around work-life balance and recognizing the importance of support systems
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
What happens when you take a big leap into the unknown, betting on yourself before you feel truly ready?
Giovanni Vaccaro co-founded GLAMSQUAD in 2014, inspired by feedback clients had been giving him for years: they wanted on-demand hair services in their homes.
At the time, he’d been working for the renowned French brand Frederic Fekkai, but he knew he wanted more. This was his opportunity to build something new.
Fast-forward to today and GLAMSQUAD is a beauty-tech powerhouse. Giovanni is not only GLAMSQUAD’s Chief Brand Officer and Creative Director, but also a coach and sought-after speaker with amazing wisdom for founders.
In this episode, Giovanni talks about mentorship, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the importance of knowing your purpose, which will ALWAYS set you right when doubt creeps in.
He also opens up about the challenges of leadership, the power of building high-performance teams, and why surrounding yourself with the right people can completely change your trajectory as an entrepreneur.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Giovanni’s initial struggles with hairdressing and how he developed his craft through relentless practice and a commitment
- Lessons from Frederic Fekkai, including prioritizing exceptional service to create raving fans, maintaining brand consistency, and fostering high-performing, inspiring teams
- How your purpose can be a guiding principle for resilience and aligning goals with your true desires
- The importance of mindset and surrounding yourself with inspiring individuals, from mentors to like-minded support networks
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
So many people featured on this podcast have been co-founders. But how do you know if you and your potential co-founder are the right fit? How can you test your working dynamic before making a MAJOR commitment?
Sam Safer Valentine suggests working on a project first. This way, you can see if you have complimentary communication skills. See how it feels to be vulnerable with them – and how you might handle potential conflict later on.
This is exactly what Sam did before she and her co-founders launched Norby, an AI-powered marketing intelligence platform. Knowing she could trust her business partners made ALL the difference while building the company.
From her early days curating fashion history at top museums to running a sales and marketing agency, then pivoting into tech, this conversation with Sam is filled with invaluable insights on co-founder dynamics, navigating pivots, and trusting your ability to figure things out, along with the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
You’ll also hear great advice about collaboration, being a generalist, and trusting your ability to find the answers.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Sam’s remarkable journey from being an assistant curator at London's Fashion and Textile Museum to co-founding Norby
- Why you should tackle a project with your potential co-founder first to test your compatibility, communication styles, and ability to handle conflict
- Norby's evolution from an all-in-one marketing platform to an AI-powered marketing intelligence platform
- The parallels between starting a company and being a parent, requiring adaptability, resilience, and the ability to handle unexpected challenges while maintaining composure
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Check out Sam’s company, Norby.
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Is your market not ready for your product? Here’s an idea: try a different market.
This is what Julia Belt and her co-founder, Margaret Hines did when their company, Mindly, a mental wellness platform focused on delivering digital single-session interventions, wasn’t taking off as fast as they expected it would.
The economy was doing poorly and mental health budgets were being cut. One advisor suggested waiting a few years and trying again. Instead, they floated the idea to the youth mental health network. It took off like wildfire.
So many founders think they need to find their market fit right away. The reality? You might need to try a few things before you get it right.
In this episode, Julia beautifully shares how her brother’s suicide inspired her to leave the chemical engineering industry to create innovative mental health solutions.
She shares thoughtful insights about the challenges of pivoting in business, mental resilience, and the importance of following your why, which she says will guide you no matter the obstacles you meet along the way.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Julia’s background in chemical engineering, and how the devastating loss of her brother inspired her to create BroglieBox, a mental health gifting company
- The genesis of Mindly, a mental health platform that delivers single-session interventions for youth
- The importance of letting go of ego, being willing to learn publicly, and continuously reaching out to experts and potential partners (even when it feels uncomfortable)
- The value of finding two types of mentors: one who has successfully built something similar to your goals, and another who is just a few steps ahead of where you are
- Julia’s advice for entrepreneurs, including scheduling focused work blocks, identifying your most productive hours, and maintaining clear boundaries between work/personal time
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Learn more about Mindly on their website and check out Julia’s favorite book, The Surrender Experiment: My Journey Into Life’s Perfection by Michael Singer.
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
One of the most transformative steps Katy Marshall took in her leadership career was hiring an executive coach six years ago.
At the time, Katy was feeling fried and wasn’t getting what she needed out of her team. The bold first step her coach suggested? Gathering “360-degree feedback” from ALL angles: managers, peers, and direct reports. The impact and learnings were eye-opening and invaluable.
Katy’s career journey has landed her a variety of roles, including coveted C-Suite positions. Now the COO of Thesis, she takes us through her fascinating story from management consulting at BCG to making MAJOR moves at startups and transitioning from CMO to COO.
I’m so excited for Katy to be our guest today, even more so because we worked at a startup together previously. She has so much wisdom to share, and this episode is a must-listen if you’re a mid-career professional aiming for the C-Suite, or navigating a major career transition.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How management consulting at BCG shaped Katy’s versatile skill set and opened doors to her future roles at startups and major companies
- How to maintain and leverage career-long relationships for mutual learning and career progression, and following the people interested in your growth and development
- Insights on Katy's transition from CMO to COO, including the skills and strategic thinking involved
- The indispensable role of executive coaching, feedback audits, and structured problem-solving in Katy’s journey to being a more effective leader
- Creating structure around ambiguity and being open, comfortable, and proactive when it comes to receiving feedback
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
What do venture capitalists ACTUALLY look for in the founders they take on?
For Nisha Dua, co-founder of BBG Ventures, it’s all about great storytelling. What problem are you trying to solve? Why is your team best positioned to solve it? Also: why now?
BBG Ventures’ superpower is in supporting “overlooked” founders, particularly women and diverse groups who are targeting untapped markets. In this episode, Nisha sheds light on how demographic shifts post-COVID are presenting new opportunities for innovation and investment.
Nisha has a fascinating story, too: she’s the daughter of immigrants and grew up in a small Australian town. She worked in corporate law, consulting, and even lead strategy at AOL before co-founding BBG Ventures, launching their first institutional fund of $50 million in 2019!
Today, she shares deep insights into the venture capital world and reveals the evolving priorities within venture capital, the key considerations for investments, and how to create the perfect VC pitch, no matter what stage you’re in.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Nisha Dua's journey from corporate law, to consulting at Bain, managing strategy at AOL, and co-founding BBG Ventures
- The value of storytelling and 3 key questions founders should ask themselves in a VC pitch: Why now? Why this product? Why this team?
- Why non-linear career paths are OK (and sometimes better!) – allowing for serendipity and surprise
- VC pitching advice for pre-seed and seed founders, including common mistakes and red flags
- Drawing in overlooked founders and the importance of understanding the shifting identities, values, and behaviors of the American people
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Learn more about BBG Ventures including their investments in the Polycultural Future of America.
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Gabby Slome’s founder journey is one of passion, resilience, and an unyielding belief in herself.
First, she experienced massive success with direct-to-consumer dog food subscription service Ollie and wasn’t afraid to put in the hustle to get the word out. We cover the gritty grassroots marketing tactics she tried around Manhattan, the impact of direct-to-consumer models, and the surprising results that came with asking for help (including how she ended up talking to the Head of Food Safety at Burger King!)
After stepping down from Ollie, Gabby launched her next venture, Cooper Parenting, a virtual lifeline for parents, featuring expert-led group workshops on everything from sleep, self-regulation, picky eating, and parental loneliness.
As a Mom of 3, Gabby gets raw, real, and honest about the juggle of motherhood, parenting, and running a successful business.
How does she stay present with her kids when an important email comes in? What self-care tactics does she make non-negotiable?
Gabby shares her secrets to “ruthless prioritization” and how becoming a parent made her a more empathic leader and manager.
One of my takeaways? You can almost always figure ANYTHING out if you access the right people. I can't wait for you to hear Gabby's wisdom, resilience, and storytelling!
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Gabby’s background as a first-generation American, the child of two entrepreneurs, and a professional equestrian
- Starting Ollie, which involved grassroots marketing strategies (like distributing samples at dog parks and cold-calling customers for feedback)
- How Gabby honed her prioritization skills and became a more empathetic leader
- The moment Gabby knew to step down from Ollie to focus on Cooper Parenting – plus, her advice for fellow entrepreneurs who are running businesses while raising kids
- Gabby’s #1 tip for founders: the importance of passion and why not every passion project deserves to be a business
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Check out Gabby Slome’s company, Cooper Parenting.
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Emma Bates had the idea for Diem while seeking answers on the internet about her health – and unable to find the kind of advice she wanted right then.
The company she started with her co-founder Divia Singh, Diem, aims to make conversations about women’s health more discoverable through a female-centric search engine akin to ChatGPT and Reddit.
As it turns out, Emma wasn’t the only woman struggling to find what she needed on the internet. Before the company even went public, Diem amassed a wait list of 20,000 and raised $3 million dollars!
In this episode, Emma shares the secrets behind their success and incredible growth trajectory, from TechStars and a viral marketing campaign to their fundraising and extensive beta testing.
What’s helped her most is stepping into confidence and surrounding herself with supportive peers and mentors, which has been more beneficial than ANY professional experience she’s ever had.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How Diem is like ChatGPT meets Reddit, focused on female-centric experiences that she says are like the kinds of information you’ll get in the girl’s bathroom at 1 a.m.
- Emma’s background studying war studies at King College, starting her blog, her work and how Diem was inspired by the morning after pill
- The confidence-building techniques Emma used (including power posing!) to secure funding and get Diem off the ground
- Diem’s trajectory from newsletter to platform, and why looking at market and user data is more important than consumer feedback
- Leaning into community, including the magic of working with an experienced mentor
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Learn about Emma’s company, Diem and follow them on Instagram.
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Lee Rotenberg has exited not one, but TWO companies.
Want to know the secret to her genius? Quick decision-making. If you’ve got an idea, get it out there, perfection be damned. Pivot and edit until you have that perfect market fit.
In this episode, Lee shares her experience of starting and selling two businesses with her partner, Alex Schinasi: Ivy (business management software for interior design firms) and Clay (early childhood AI-powered learning).
You’ll hear a behind-the-scenes look at both ventures from beginning to end, along with great advice about co-founder relationships, productivity, and the importance of just taking the leap and being fluid with what comes next.
If you take anything away from today’s conversation, don’t “kill the idea” by limiting yourself to launching ventures about only what you know.
With Ivy, Lee and Alex infiltrated the interior design market even though they didn’t know anything about interior design!
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The importance of speed in the early stage of start-ups, particularly when it comes to pivoting and finding the perfect market fit
- Building to sell vs. building for the sake of building a great company (which Lee says is kind of similar to finding a life partner!)
- A perfect co-founder recipe: respect, trust, equity, and the ability to think creativity and move fluidly
- The process of creating, pivoting, and eventually selling both Ivy and Clay, and the lessons Lee and Alex are taking with them on their next venture
- “If you’re waiting for something to be perfect, you’re killing the idea” – and other thoughts from Lee about the power of action in building a business
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Have you ever been intrigued about angel investing, but unsure where to begin?
The path to getting started can feel incredibly daunting. How much money do you need? How can you “break in”?
Jaclyn Johnson is an inspirational trailblazer in the world of entrepreneurship and angel investing, and she’s here to demystify it all, while giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the process.
With a portfolio that includes 25 companies (!), Jaclyn is also the founder of Cherub, a platform that uses dating app mechanics to connect angel investors with entrepreneurs.
The investing world can be fragmented, but Jaclyn breaks it all down with beginner tips from the average check size, to safe notes, what special purpose vehicles are, and how to get started.
You’ll also hear about angel investing from her perspective: what captures her attention as an investor, and the power of having a unique marketplace advantage, plus a truly compelling story – one that speaks to the heart of why your amazing product needs to exist in the world.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Jaclyn’s inspiring founder journey, and why she launched Cherub to bridge the gap between angel investors and entrepreneurs
- What angel investing is: who does it, what it looks like, and the benefits of angel investing as opposed to venture capital
- What to look for if you’re an angel investor, including founder credibility, unique marketplace advantages, and the potential for long-term returns
- Jaclyn’s experience with angel investing: why she does it (and it’s not just to make money!) and how her approach has evolved
- Tips for entrepreneurs funding through angel investing (be wary of taking little checks from lots of people!) and how to find investors who provide strategic value beyond just financial support
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Check out Cherub and sign up for their newsletter. Also, be sure to take Jaclyn’s fundraising masterclass if you’re a founder raising capital.
Sarina is a consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Welcome to another episode of Career Memos! I am thrilled to welcome Allison Messner, the Co-Founder and CEO of Yardzen, an online landscape design platform. Allison’s career journey has taken her from PR to a budding tech startup, where she witnessed their growth from 10 to 200 employees.
In partnership with her husband Adam, Allison’s mission at Yardzen is to make landscape design beautiful and affordable for the everyday homeowner. She shares the wild way she came up with the idea, and what it was like to build her startup from the ground up. Hint: it was a lot of bootstrapping at first! Her advice and wisdom about raising capital and working with VCs is absolute gold, and there are so many takeaways in this conversation. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Yardzen
Careers at Yardzen
TechCrunch Disrupt
OpenDNS
The Job Seeker Lab withSarina - Enrollment Is Now Open!
Sarina’s Free Networking & Job Search Tracker
Chandra Caridi is the VP of Human Resources at Oatly, the delicious, go-to oat milk brand. Chandra shares about her career journey, how to build a strong workplace culture, and how she ended up at a fast-growing, trending company like Oatly by embracing failure and curiosity and welcoming the unknown.
Today, Oatly has over 165 employees and is widely known for having an incredible workplace culture. I’m thrilled to bring this conversation to you.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Oatly
The Job Seeker Lab withSarina - Enrollment Is Now Open!
Sarina’s Free Networking & Job Search Tracker
Claire Knebl is the VP of Brand at Ritual, a fan favorite company supporting women's health. Kicking off her multifaceted career as an Online Editorial Assistant at Teen Vogue and even working for Glossier in the early days, Claire’s career journey is so fascinating and she offers all of her insights of what it’s like to work for a fast-growing startup, plus many gems of career advice you won’t want to miss.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Claire would love to offer Career Memos listeners 20% off your first month of Ritual using the code CAREER20.
The Job Seeker Lab withSarina - Enrollment Is Now Open!
Sarina’s Free Networking & Job Search Tracker
If you’ve ever heard of the Enneagram and the Myers Briggs personality assessments, or just love learning and discovering new things about yourself, this episode is for you. Molly Owen’s career path went from a self-proclaimed aimless circle to becoming CEO and founder of one of the most scientifically-sound personality test companies, Truity.
With a passion for people, psychology, and problem-solving, Molly’s mission is to make personality tests that are reliable, affordable, and accurate. In this episode, you’ll learn how these fascinating assessments can offer you unique insights for your career path.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Truity
Career Personality Profiler
TypeFinder Assessment
The Job Seeker Lab withSarina - Enrollment Is Now Open!
Sarina’s Free Networking & Job Search Tracker
The Holland Code Test Is a Key Tool for New Job Seekers (and is free to take through June 2021 at this link)
My Guest Post on Truity’s Blog: How To Overcome Your Blind Spots by Enneagram Type
Today I’m sitting down with Amanda Rosenberg, the Brand Director for Allergan Aesthetics, a leading pharmaceutical company that creates cutting-edge products in the area of medical aesthetics, such as Botox and cool sculpting. Amanda’s career has had elements of glamour that skyrocketed her from London to New York working at many different companies all grounded in beauty and fashion, and it’s also been dotted with multiple leaps, jumps, pivots, and risks, too.
Amanda has truly done it all, from PR, to communications, marketing, and brand and in this conversation you’ll learn how she navigated burnout, what the work culture is really like in New York, and how relationships and having many advocates in her corner helped build her career.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Allergan Aesthetics
Amanda’s LinkedIn Profile
The Job Seeker Lab withSarina - Enrollment Is Now Open!
Sarina’s Free Networking & Job Search Tracker
Seven years ago, Cherie Hoeger saw a real need for better reusable period care products – and after starting Saalt in 2018, it became clear how big that need really was.
In their second year, Saalt products were stocked in all Target stores nationwide. By their third, Saalt had reached eight figures in revenue! Their company has since donated more than 100,000 products to help women and girls worldwide and has funded 600,000 days of school for girls.
What’s noteworthy about Cherie’s story is that her background wasn’t in business. It was in writing. But she did have five daughters, and the news from relatives in Venezuela – that political instability was causing a pad and tampon shortage – kept her up at night. Wasn’t there a reusable product that could prevent girls in developing countries from missing school?
In this episode, Cherie takes us behind the scenes of starting this very successful company with her husband. For them, conducting the research and pinpointing their mission has been crucial, offering them fuel while navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and helping them effectively create something that consumers wanted.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Cherie’s background as an English major, writer, and editor, and the conversation with her husband’s aunt in Venezuela that kept her up at night and provoked her to start Saalt
- The beginnings of the company, starting with the creation of a 3D CAD model of their first period cup, and how they differentiated themselves in a saturated market
- Their first years of business, which included a product recall and a buyer from Target who changed everything, helping them reach 8 figures in year three
- Becoming a B Corp-certified business: how to get certified, the impact it can have socially and environmentally, and the importance of mission for Gen Z/Millennial consumers
- Using market research to literally create a company that consumers wanted and the importance of surrounding yourself with other entrepreneurs
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Learn more about Saalt and the story of how the company came to be.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Fearlessness in putting yourself out there is Adriana Carrig’s secret to success.
Adriana is the inspiring Founder and CEO of the Little Words Project, a community built on the back of bestselling affirmation bracelets worn by A-listers like Taylor Swift, Lance Bass, and Alicia Keys.
After years of bullying, Adriana was inspired to launch her jewelry company as a way to build sisterhood in her college sorority. After college, the Little Words Project was intentionally built without capital by listening to her gut, the market, and her brand’s impact-driven values.
Sometimes it can be uncomfortable putting yourself out there, but discomfort is where growth happens. You never know who is going to get you into what space. You never know who is going to be interested in your product.
This conversation with Adriana is incredibly powerful as she weaves in stories of resilience and empowerment and insights around motherhood and entrepreneurship. The result of her hard work isn’t just a business, but an entire community built on kindness and self-love.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The origins of the Little Words Project in Adriana’s college sorority, which was then a side hustle that she worked on in her parents’ basement
- Getting the business “on sale” by hiring friends to help her with her website and create video content – and why she wouldn’t change those first steps even 10 years later
- “Baby stepping” her way into working at her business full-time and only growing when it was necessary, hiring her first employees carefully and strategically
- Allowing all the imperfect moments to be seen on their social media accounts and the impact this had on the Little Words Project community
- How to find the right people who can give you confidence in your business and help champion your brand, plus the importance of putting yourself out there
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Join the Little Words Project community and shop their bestselling jewelry.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Slow and steady is the BEST way to build a business, laying the foundation brick-by-brick.
Sabena Suri is the co-founder and board member of BOXFOX, an ecommerce gifting destination, curating elevated, thematic boxes for all occasions. The company is tremendously successful, and yet, Sabena and her co-founders never raised capital. Instead, they learned to wear lots of hats and built their business slowly with no outside forces dictating the direction.
After 8 years, Sabena made a bold and unconventional decision to pivot and step down from BOXFOX, realizing her “zone of genius” is actually in establishing the foundations for a new business from scratch.
Today, Sabena takes us on her fascinating career journey: her early experiences, what it was like to grow BOXFOX with friends, and the work she’s done since. She shells out great advice for fellow entrepreneurs, from the importance of being open, to knowing when it’s time for something new.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Sabena’s early work experience writing for CNET and working as an associate at Ogilvy and Mather, where she became fast friends with one of her future co-founders
- The benefit of focusing on problems instead of products and the birth of BOXFOX, a curated platform for gifting
- Sabena’s advice for deciding whether to start a company with a co-founder, plus things to consider, from your vision and commitment, to the skills you each have
- Why BOXFOX decided to not raise capital (an unconventional decision!) – and advice for entrepreneurs going that route
- Leaving a thriving company in order to pivot, pursue personal growth, and find more opportunities that enable you to use your “zone of genius”
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Check out BOXFOX’s elevated gifting options on their website.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
What is it actually like to be a co-founder of multiple companies? Today’s guest Stephanie Cartin is spilling her secrets as a multi-passionate entrepreneur and how she went from selling Girl Scout cookies to launching her first company, Socialfly, a full-service social media marketing agency.
Stephanie has so much wisdom to offer in this episode from how she positioned herself as a thought leader to attain clients to why she hired senior talent as soon as possible (this will help your business grow faster!). She also delves into how to use angel investing to your advantage.
Besides Socialfly, Stephanie is also the co-founder of Markid, a marketplace for parents selling pre-loved items, Pearl Influential Capital, an investing community helping female founders raise capital, and Entreprenista, an online membership and podcast for women entrepreneurs.
If you are starting or growing a business, this conversation is jam-packed with fascinating stories and tips!
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Stephanie’s foray into entrepreneurship (selling Girl Scout cookies and Beanie Babies), her time at Cornell University, and the Disney Vacation Club that inspired her career
- Being at the forefront of using social media for marketing, which inspired the first business she co-founded with her business partner, Courtney Spritzer
- The benefits of bringing senior talent on early in the business as consultants instead of full-time junior talent
- Focusing on what YOU are really great at in your business and partnering or hiring people who can execute what THEY are great at
- Entreprenista, which started as a business podcast that turned into a membership community and media platform that provides content and tools for founders and leaders
- Balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood (and Stephanie’s favorite tool to manage it all, the Big A## Calendar)
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Are you starting a business and still in the trenches? Check out Entreprenista, an online community for founders who are looking to make meaningful connections that will lead to business growth and success, and listen to the Entreprenista Podcast.
Stephanie is also the co-founder of Socialfly, Markid, and Pearl Influential Capital.
Want to learn more about raising capital? Be sure to check out Episode 39 of Career Memos featuring Annie Evans.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
What does it look like to disrupt an industry? Jennifer Ross is giving us a behind the scenes peek into her journey of launching Swoon, an innovative line of zero-sugar iced teas and lemonades.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, much of her motivation for starting the company stemmed from a desire for better sugar-free drink options, for the “young Jens” out there.
In this episode, you’ll hear how Swoon came to be, from coming up with the formula, building a proof of concept, and going door to door to sell it. Now, Swoon is available nationwide!
Jennifer also shares what it’s like running a successful F&B company alongside her friend, Co-Founder, and Co-CEO Cristina Ros Blankfein, and she offers great advice for aspiring founders who have a similar dream of breaking into the food and beverage space.
Before Jennifer became an entrepreneur, she had very little experience in the food and beverage industry – and yet, she credits her previous jobs in banking and operations for teaching her the skills she uses today. It doesn’t matter where you start. No matter the job, no matter the industry, there’s always something you can take with you to your next career or business venture.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Jennifer’s career highlights, from Goldman Sachs, FanVision, Harvard Business School, and the cocktail mixing company she started with her partner, Cristina Ros Blankfein
- How Jennifer and Cristina navigated the crowded food and beverage space in New York by starting small, testing the market, and getting customer feedback early on
- The idea and origins of Swoon, a company that produces sugar-free lemonade and iced tea from monk fruit-based syrup
- What to look for in a Co-Founder and Co-CEO, and the value of working with people who think differently than you
- Working at a large company where roles are fixed vs. a small company where you have your hands in everything
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
You can find Swoon at Whole Foods, at your local grocery stores, at select Targets, Amazon, and on their website.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Most startups fail, but, as today’s guest Jessica Chang reminds us, it’s what you do with the failure that matters. What can you learn from the experience? What will you do better next time?
Jessica is the CEO and Co-Founder of Upwards, the largest childcare network in the United States, which connects families with trusted providers through an online marketplace and partners with government entities to improve access to sponsored care.
Upwards experienced major challenges during the pandemic, losing 90% of their revenue overnight! While they made major cuts and pivots to survive, they came out stronger than ever with a new business model and product.
In this episode, Jessica shares her inspiring story about co-founding Upwards, how she compartmentalizes her time as a Mom, her motivation to work 12 hours a day, plus her advice for fellow co-founders (especially co-founders who are parents!)
At the end of the day, she says it’s not the hardest-working person who wins – it’s the person who is the smartest with their time.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Jessica’s background in finance and the pivotal turning point that made her change paths out of finance and into entrepreneurship
- Her efforts to learn about the childcare industry’s biggest problems, which involved interviewing 200+ providers and becoming a preschool owner/operator while pregnant
- Why the loneliness of entrepreneurship inspired Jessica to bring on co-founders, how they work together, and what each of their strengths are
- The pandemic’s effect on Upwards, dropping 90% of revenues overnight, and how they got through it by making cuts and creating a new product
- How Jessica balances parenthood and being a Mom, the value of compartmentalizing time, and the importance of having a WHY during very difficult days
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Learn more about Jessica Chang’s company, Upwards (formerly WeeCare), which is the largest childcare network in the United States.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Pivoting a business is a risky and difficult decision to make. How do you know it’s the right choice? Today’s guest, Amira Rasool, says you’ve got to listen to the market, to the people around you, and most importantly, to your gut.
Amira is the founder and CEO of The Folklore Group, a supply chain software company that helps retailers access underrepresented brands, particularly from untapped markets in Africa, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean.
She’s been taking business risks since she was a teenager, when she’d skip school to attend New York Fashion Week. In college, she interned at various fashion magazines and launched an online thrift store called Midnight Marauders. When it came time to start her own business, her inspiration came during a trip to Cape Town.
Amira shares all the details of the origin story of Folklore and the MAJOR pivot she made in 2022, turning Folklore into a solely B2B business – and how this has allowed her to build something she is passionate about that supports underrepresented people all over the world.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Amira’s beginning in the fashion space: her blog, fashion magazine internships (Women’s Wear Daily, Marie Clare, V Magazine) and her online thrift store
- Warm introductions and building trusting relationships, which Amira accessed by being a member of the press and through Techstars
- How Amira leveraged Techstars to build relationships and get the intros she needed in order to raise $1.7 million in pre-seed funding
- Direct-to-consumer vs. business-to-business – how Folklore tried to do both at first, but eventually pivoted to focus on B2B in 2022
- The impact the murder of George Floyd had on demand for Black designers, including those that Folklore worked with
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Learn about the work Amira is doing at The Folklore Group and The Folklore Connect, a premium B2B wholesale platform.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
When Victoria Thain Gioia co-founded Perelel Health, she was a self-proclaimed “Type A Millennial Mom” who wanted better maternal supplements – especially after her daughter was born with a nutritional deficiency.
Within 6 weeks of launching, Perelel was shipping to all 50 states! She thinks part of the company’s success is due to their ability to make moms feel seen through every step of their pregnancy – and during pregnancy loss, too.
In this episode, Victoria talks in-depth about what it’s like to run a company with her co-founder and co-CEO, Alex Taylor. Defined roles and communication, both about professional and personal matters, has helped them have tough conversations with a deeper understanding of what the other person is going through.
There were a lot of risks involved with starting Perelel, and Victoria is a self-described “risk-averse” person. But just like with having kids, there never is a perfect time. If you feel passionate about it, you just have to do it and get through, one bite at a time. IN THIS EPISODE:
- Victoria’s career journey, from merchandising at J.Crew, investment banking, and then business school – and her mission to create better supplements after her daughter was born with a cleft lip
- How Perelel broke through the noise of maternal supplements through authenticity and making moms feel seen and were shipping to all 50 states within 6 weeks of launching
- Inside Victoria and Alex’s partnership, including their clearly defined roles and how they navigate tough conversations
- How Victoria built warm relationships with seed investors early on – and using this feedback to propel the company forward
- The unexpected challenges Victoria and Alex faced with funding and bootstrapping at the beginning of the pandemic
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Learn more about the company Victoria Thain Gioia founded with her co-CEO Alex Taylor, Perelel Health.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
What are you good at? What is your “secret sauce?” And more importantly, what are you not good at? What should you get help with so your company can grow?
These are some of the questions posed by today’s guest, Nicole Wegman, the founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, one of the fastest-growing fine jewelry companies in America, which focuses on designs for women, by women.
Nicole founded her company with just a $2,000 investment in 2013 after ring shopping with her now husband in the Diamond District in Manhattan. At the time, it seemed like every other jeweler was an antiquated, generational, family-run business. Few had any kind of ecommerce presence or understood millennial shopping behavior.
I’m excited for you to hear Nicole’s journey of self-funding her business, to growing a team and how she became profitable. She’s done some pretty badass stuff, and is full of great advice for all the founders out there.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Nicole’s background in the fashion industry (majoring in fiber science and apparel design at Cornell, then working at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s) and how she fell into the jewelry world
- How starting things very small and investing profits back into the business each year allowed Ring Concierge to be fiscally responsible, privately-held, and self-funded
- How Nicole acquired office space, grew to a team of 60, and became one of the first in her industry to utilize Instagram
- The pros and cons of starting a business with funding vs. without, and the power of transparency
- The magic of hiring people who can help you with the aspects of the business you’re not comfortable with, and the importance of relying on your gut
- Why Nicole hired a CMO, and how she’s thinking about leveraging other social media platforms to create a Gen-Z funnel
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn. You can follow Ring Concierge on Instagram and check out their website!
Nicole also recommends The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, which is what she read when she started her business.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
Henley Vazquez, co-founder of Fora, is creating opportunities and jobs for people who love travel and want to turn their passion into income.
One of the worst pieces of advice she received early in her career was to hire a certain kind of person. When you do that, your company becomes an echo chamber, where everyone has the same expertise. There’s no diversity. So when she launched Fora, a modern travel agency helping people plan their dream trips, she started it with two co-founders, each offering a different level of expertise.
In today’s episode, Henley talks in depth about the importance of relationships in a company – between the leadership, staff, and investors – and gives us a peek behind the curtain into her thoughts on failure.
Plus, she shares the ups and downs she’s experienced as a founder, from having to close a company amidst a worldwide pandemic, to finally starting something that has meaning to her. IN THIS EPISODE:
- Henley’s growing up experience on a Virginia farm, attending Princeton, taking a job at Town and Country, and eventually finding her way into the travel industry
- Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable (and the idea you can learn anything by getting on the bike and pedaling)
- How Henley started her own travel agency, Passported, in 2014, and the decision to shut it down in the midst of the pandemic
- The intricacies of travel advising, including its similarities to real estate and what it takes to become an advisor
- How Henley pivoted her career and started Fora with two co-founders, each with clear expertise and roles (from tech, to business, to travel), which took the burden off launching a business solely on her own
- Starting a company “from her bootstraps” vs. going the venture capital route, and the importance of getting answers fast so you can get to that “yes” so much faster
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Follow Henley on Instagram and learn about her company Fora. If you want to turn your travel obsession into your next career move, you can also join the waitlist to become a travel advisor (P.S. Use code CareerMemos to get to the front of the list)!
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
What do you want your life to look like? Can you imagine it? Can you picture yourself there?
According to today’s guest Kat Garcia, imagination has been instrumental in getting her to where she is today – from television actress to co-founder and co-CEO of Ground, an AI-powered assistant for brand owners and growth marketers.
Kat began working at 14, when she was cast in a show. To be a successful actress, Kat says you have to be relentless, and you have to have a strong imagination. As adults, it can be hard to protect our imaginations. There are so many variables coming at you, and so many brilliant people don’t take the leap!
Her advice? Lay out your fears. Our fears are valid, and if you’re acting from a place of constraint, you’ll never be honest with yourself. It’s okay to consider different options. What are you afraid of? And what are the steps you need to take to succeed?
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Kat’s background as a television actress during her teenage years, which helped propel her into the corporate world
- The relentlessness required of acting that served Kat later on in her career – she became well practiced at not taking “no” for an answer
- Kat’s journey to co-founding Ground, from being selected by the startup accelerator Techstars, to a 3-hour conversation with her co-CEO before taking the plunge
- The importance of imagination and visualization, from filling in holes to imagining ourselves in certain places despite the fears we may have
- How Kat’s network eventually led her to where she is today, plus, her advice for potential founders and people who are in the thick of it
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Kat Garcia is the co-founder and co-CEO of Ground. Learn more about Ground’s powerful AI tools on their website and their upcoming collaboration with the Tory Burch Foundation.
Sarina is a career coach and consultant who works with startup leaders and entrepreneurs. Connect with her on her website, on Instagram, via email, and check out more episodes of the Career Memos podcast.
If you’re ready to leverage your influence at work and make a serious impact, you’ll love this conversation with Mary Sheehan, who held a long-time Product Marketing role at Google before becoming a Marketing Lead at Adobe.
Mary shares so many gems of wisdom about growing your leadership muscle on a team, how she built up her product marketing expertise and why she finds it valuable to oscillate between larger companies and startups.
You’ll also hear about her podcast, Women In Product Marketing, and how it’s served as a passion project to give back and be a mentor to others in the industry. Enjoy!
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Adobe
Careers at Adobe
Listen to Mary’s Podcast, Women In Product Marketing
Sharebird, Mary’s peer-to-peer networking company for product marketers
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One by Jenny Blake
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As a huge fan of sci-fi fantasy novels, Chelsea Maclin has always been fascinated by artificial intelligence. And today, she’s the Chief Marketing Officer at Lunchclub, an AI-powered social networking platform for professionals that engineers incredible connections and conversations to help you build your network around the world. If you’ve been listening to Career Memos for awhile, you know how much I value the art of networking and why it’s so important.
Chelsea’s career journey is fascinating. She worked her way up to leading the publisher development team at influencer platform rewardStyle before joining Bumble as a Director of Marketing when they were just a team of 6 or 7. We talk about the rewarding phases of early stage startups, her day in the life as a CMO, how she’s built her team, and why Twitter is an amazing place to start building your network. Enjoy!
Lunchclub
Careers at Lunchclub
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Jiggy is a DTC brand for beautiful puzzles featuring the designs of emerging female artists. Founder & CEO Kaylin Marcotte was inspired to launch Jiggy after enjoying the ritual of finishing a puzzle week after week, but finding the designs dated and ordinary. Self-care was heating up, and it was the ultimate way for her to find presence and unwind without the glare of screens and technology.
As the first employee for trending newsletter company theSkimm, Kaylin quickly caught the entrepreneurial bug, and after bootstrapping Jiggy for awhile, she landed an amazing opportunity to pitch the sharks on Shark Tank at the beginning of the pandemic.
Kaylin shares the behind the scenes details of what it was like to be on the show during the beginning of the pandemic, how she prepared for the influx of attention, and what came out of it, along with the importance of taking bets on yourself. I know you’ll enjoy hearing her story today.
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Jiggy
Follow @jiggypuzzles on Instagram
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Michelle Arnau is the CEO & Co-Founder of Rowan, the first of its kind clean beauty brand for dogs. Disrupting a category that was previously uninspired and desperately seeking change, Michelle went from launching with just 5 products to getting features in Sunset and goop and raising a seed round just a few months in.
Learn how 11 years at method shaped Michelle’s career journey and honed her leadership skills and style, and the importance of having trusted mentors early on.
Michelle describes what it was like to raise capital for the first time and shares so many helpful tips about pitch decks, tapping into the investor community, and how to find the right investor. This conversation is jam-packed with so much inspiration! Enjoy.
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Rowan
Follow Rowan on Instagram
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Annie Evans is an early stage investor, advisor, and mother who launched Dream Ventures as a way to connect founders to capital and create game changing partnerships.
Hustling her way into an experiential marketing role at Esquire and then to Oprah Magazine, Annie later poured her energy into entrepreneurial ventures The Society and Beautified before launching Dream Ventures. There, she furiously built her network from the ground up, connecting with incredible founders and investors. So much transparency is shared in this conversation, to what an advisor relationship looks like, to the three qualities investors like Annie consider when evaluating opportunities.
If you’re building something exciting and looking to accelerate your growth and secure capital, you’ll learn so much from this conversation.
Cameron Hardesty is the CEO and Founder of Poppy, a vibrant marketplace unlike anything out there, connecting floral designers and flower growers with customers seeking wedding flowers.
You’d never imagine Cameron would land where she is today after you hear her fascinating journey working for Customs and Border Protection, and later, the White House, supporting communication efforts to combat the opioid crisis. Setting herself up with an apprenticeship at the White House flower shop sparked a passion for surrounding herself everyday with beauty and flowers.
You’re going to love every bit of this conversation with Cameron, and I have no doubt it’ll inspire you to follow your passion, take risks, and open up the world’s possibilities to yourself.
Poppy
Techstars
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Christine Yi’s career journey is fascinating and full of twists and turns. Currently, she holds down three unique positions, as Senior Venture Architect at BCG Digital Ventures in New York City, Scout for Vice Ventures, and Co-Founder/Advisor to premium cannabis-infused ingredients company Potli.
Tune in to hear how Christine ventured into a completely new-to-her industry, landed features in New York Magazine and The Cut, and raised capital for the first time. She also shares with honesty what it was like to hit burnout and make the difficult decision to step down from the day to day operations of Potli.
If you’re navigating the early stages of a startup, you’ll appreciate all the wisdom that Christine shares today.
BCG Digital Ventures
Careers at BCG Digital Ventures
Vice Ventures
Potli
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Amanda Raines is the Senior Director of Growth Marketing at Maven, the largest virtual clinic for fertility, pregnancy, and parenting. A mission-driven organization, Maven is changing the world of women’s health, offering on-demand telehealth appointments, clinical content, and community forums, powered by employer-provided benefits.
Amanda is a passionate B2B marketer who held prominent roles at Shutterstock and later ClassPass, before unexpectedly losing her Head of B2B Marketing role there at the beginning of the pandemic.
This conversation is filled with gems on the importance of networking, advice for succeeding in a growth marketing role, and how to navigate the transition from a fitness startup to a healthcare company.
Maven Clinic
Careers at Maven
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The Sill is the first “digitally native” houseplant brand and they’re on a mission to connect people with beautiful plants. Eliza Blank was, in her words, a typical young professional living in a small New York apartment, desperate to make it feel like home.
Going from a communications degree and working in brand strategy on both the agency and client side for Living Proof, to choosing a path in plants was certainly unconventional!
Eliza reveals the importance of resilience on her entrepreneurial journey in a niche she didn’t know a lot about at first, how she navigated early challenges without any funding, and the benefits and downsides to working with a co-founder. You’ll love the raw honesty shared in this conversation!
The Sill
Careers at The Sill
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Azora Zoe Paknad’s goal is to get millions of people around the world excited about sustainability. Goldune is an ecommerce retailer offering sustainable products for home, life, and your medicine cabinet, with an emphasis on supporting women and BIPOC-owned brands.
It wasn’t until Azora quit her full-time job at Food52 and moved across the country where the open space and quiet proved inspirational and pivotal in ultimately launching Goldune.
In this conversation you’ll hear it all from a new founder’s perspective: what it’s been like running a growing business as a solo founder, the importance of finding a “business therapist”, and avoiding the pitfalls of the comparison trap.
Goldune
Careers at Goldune
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Chao Wang has scaled teams and companies for over ten years, leading operations, customer experience, business development and strategy at venture-backed companies. She’s now the Co-Founder and CEO of Dopple, a next generation e-commerce platform and subscription service for brands to reach modern parents.
After taking a style quiz on their website, parents receive a curated selection of clothing every month for their kids. Dopple also has a B2B arm for brands which includes a fulfillment data marketing platform.
In this episode of Career Memos, Chao shares her untraditional career journey and so many gems of advice for new founders that are carving out their entrepreneurial path.
Dopple
Dopple Style Quiz
Careers at Dopple
Y Combinator
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Emily Merrell built her business on the value of networking. Six Degrees Society is a membership, mastermind, and coaching community for strong, independent, and fierce women that has grown into more than 10 cities and 300 digital events worldwide.
In this conversation, you’ll hear how Emily launched Six Degrees Society as a side hustle (and what it took for her to take the leap to full-time). She explains the pivots she had to make when the pandemic hit and the new revenue streams that came out of it. We also talk about fundraising and how the traditional ways of raising money aren’t the only ways to go about it.
This is an enlightening conversation and I know you’ll love how vulnerable and open Emily is about her entrepreneurial journey. Enjoy!
Six Degrees Society
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, by Michael E. Gerber
Alt Summit
THEPRBAR
Episode 30: Closing the Fundraising Gap with Sarah Sommers, Co-Founder & VP of Brand Strategy and Partnerships at IFundWomen
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Meha Agrawal is the Founder & CEO at SILK + SONDER, a self-care membership experience for modern women that makes the art of daily and proactive mental wellness easy and fun, from the comfort of your own home.
In this episode, you’ll hear the inspiration behind the company and how Meha was actually a software engineer for many years before developing her unique journaling framework.
SILK + SONDER has since raised over $4 million dollars, grown to a full-time team of 8, and seen double digit growth for the past couple of years.
SILK + SONDER
Redpoint
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Sarah Sommers is the Co-Founder & VP of Brand Strategy & Partnerships at an incredible company, IFundWomen, that helps women kickstart and grow their businesses. They close the funding gap for women-owned businesses, by providing them access to debt-free capital. It’s crazy to believe that less than 3% of all venture capital raised last year went to female-founded companies.
Sarah and I unpack the unexpected challenges she faced when growing IFundWomen, the importance of the customer discovery process, one of the greatest gifts you can have as a founder, and how profound networking can be to your overall success.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
IFundWomen
IFundWomen’s Free Crowdfunding Course
IFundWomen’s Free Community, The Network
Careers at IFundWomen
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Welcome to another episode of Career Memos! I am thrilled to welcome Allison Messner, the Co-Founder and CEO of Yardzen, an online landscape design platform. Allison’s career journey has taken her from PR to a budding tech startup, where she witnessed their growth from 10 to 200 employees.
In partnership with her husband Adam, Allison’s mission at Yardzen is to make landscape design beautiful and affordable for the everyday homeowner. She shares the wild way she came up with the idea, and what it was like to build her startup from the ground up. Hint: it was a lot of bootstrapping at first! Her advice and wisdom about raising capital and working with VCs is absolute gold, and there are so many takeaways in this conversation. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Yardzen
Careers at Yardzen
TechCrunch Disrupt
OpenDNS
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I am thrilled about today’s guest who has built an impressive career in the healthcare industry by taking risks and believing in herself. Jess Horwitz is the VP of Clinical Operations & Virtual Care of Tia, a hip, new, venture-backed company that is transforming and modernizing women’s health.
Jess takes us all the way back to the very beginning of her non-linear path to healthcare, starting with a role at a nonprofit and later working for the American Academy of Pediatrics, before going back to school to become a nurse practitioner. All along the way, her passion for public health, scaling clinical teams and helping people live healthier lives was front and center. I’m so excited to share Jess’s wisdom today. Enjoy!
Tia
Careers at Tia
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In today’s episode, we’re exploring what a career in sustainability is actually like. Saskia van Gendt is the Head of Sustainability at Rothy’s, a fast-growing, eco-friendly brand that produces comfortable footwear and handbags made from recycled materials.
Prior to that, Saskia held roles at method in product innovation and navigated government work at the Environmental Protection Agency with a focus on ocean plastics and packaging. Her career has been a natural extension of her passion and there are many different avenues to explore.
I’m fascinated by everything shared in this conversation, and if you’ve ever had a curiosity about working in sustainability, this is the conversation for you.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Rothy’s
Rothy’s Quest for Better (Video)
Careers at Rothy’s
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Fatima Yusuf has had an inspiring career journey that took her from New York, back to Canada to lead Ecosystem Partnerships at Shopify. Having had the entrepreneurial itch herself, Fatima tells all about how she was a customer of Shopify first, running her own ecommerce business, and how a chance networking event in New York ultimately led to the niche role she has today.
This is the perfect conversation to tune into if you’ve ever thought about moving to a new city and are deeply curious about the magic of taking a risk, even when it seems terrifying.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Shopify
Careers at Shopify
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Julia Waneka has had an extensive career in communications, PR, and marketing. And today, she’s the Head of Communications at Faire, an online wholesale marketplace for entrepreneurs, independent retailers and brands, with over 170,000 customers! Faire sells everything from handmade candles to amazing up and coming apparel brands and home goods.
In this conversation, Julia shares her secrets about everything from agency life, to taking risks, being curious, and becoming a mom while holding a leadership role in a fast-growing start-up. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Faire
Careers at Faire
Faire’s Podcast, Brick & Order
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Natalie Sportelli was bitten by the writing bug at a young age, working her way from an Associate Content Producer role at Forbes to becoming the Head of Content at a hot new company called Thingtesting. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have a role in content, this is the episode for you.
Natalie walks us through her content-related roles at Forbes, VC firm Lerer Hippeau, and Thingtesting, while sharing her best advice around leveraging your network to find new roles and how to get that promotion or raise at your current company.
Thingtesting
Careers at Thingtesting
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As the co-founder and CCO of Modern Fertility, Carly Leahy has had an incredible career journey that will inspire you if you’re interested in the intersection of entrepreneurship and being a creative in business.
Carly reveals what her partnership is like with her co-founder Afton - from how they met over an epic email intro, and the key ingredients to a successful partnership, plus she dives into the inner workings of her company, now a team of 30 full-time employees.
There are so many gems and takeaways from this conversation that are sure to spark new ideas, especially if you’re thinking about launching your own company.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Modern Fertility
Careers at Modern Fertility
Y Combinator
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Today I’m chatting with Rashi Birla, the VP of Brand and Creative at Prose, an innovative hair and wellness brand where you can customize and create your own hair care formula. If you’re familiar with Prose, you know how truly awesome their branding is, so it’s such an honor to bring Rashi onto the show.
Before Prose, Rashi was a talented designer who dabbled in prop styling and floral design before deciding to run her own small business for a couple of years. One of her first clients was Payal Kadakia, now the founder and chairman of ClassPass!
I love how Rashi shares a behind the scenes look at what it means to be in a creative role in the fast-paced tech industry. Enjoy!
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Prose
Careers at Prose
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I have such a fun episode today with Cerelle Centeno, who works for astrology app Co-Star, a fascinating tech company that strives to create real human connections. You can use Co-Star to connect better with your colleagues and even yourself, and the data is both human and AI-driven.
Cerelle walks us through her career journey, spilling her best insights on the many variations of product roles, and the invaluable career advice she’s received along the way. I have no doubt you’ll be inspired after listening to this conversation. Visit www.costarastrology.com to get your FREE astrological chart.
Did you enjoy today’s episode? Leave us a rating and review!
Learn more about Sarina here: https://withsarina.com/about
Co-Star
Careers at Co-Star
Episode 16: Unlocking Your Career Path Using Personality Tests with Molly Owens, CEO and Founder of Truity
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Today I’m doing something a little bit different. I’m inviting you behind the scenes of my own career journey!
While I’ve accomplished a lot over the past 13+ years and have had the opportunity to work in senior level roles at Apple and Postmates, I’ve also fumbled through job searches, interviews, and negotiations and had my fair share of twists and turns along the way. So in this episode, I’m having a fun, casual conversation - sharing memos from my career, the mistakes I’ve made, and why I created The Job Seeker Lab withSarina.
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If you love home and clothing retailer Anthropologie, you’re going to find tremendous value in this episode with Callie Canfield Worthington, their Senior Director of Brand Marketing and PR. Starting out working as many as 80 hours per week in the fashion closet at GQ Magazine, Callie hustled her way up the ladder, landing coveted marketing and PR roles at Gucci, Gap, Athleta, David’s Bridal, and BHLDN, before ultimately joining the fan favorite, Anthropologie.
Callie shares gems of wisdom throughout this episode that will inspire you if you’re an emerging leader or entrepreneur. I can’t wait for you to tune in!
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Anthropologie
Careers at Anthropologie
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It was 2001 and Erin Halper was living out of a suitcase in New York on her sister’s couch during the height of a tech bubble burst. She had big dreams to land a glamorous role in the city with a corner office, but ended up dabbling in fashion, beauty, and private equity before venturing into entrepreneurship and becoming the CEO of The Upside, an award-winning community and accelerator for consultants who want to achieve freedom in their work and say goodbye to the 9-5 lifestyle.
It’s a pleasure to chat with Erin today about her career journey and I can’t wait for you to tune in!
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The Upside
The Upside Accelerator for Early-Stage Consultants
The Upside Membership
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If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work at an agency and then go client side in global brand marketing and communications, this episode is for you.
Amy Hufft works for one of the fastest growing companies in the world, Shopify. She shares her career journey from writing celebrity profiles and movie reviews for magazines, working at agencies, working with founders, and then sharing more about her role as Head of Global Brand Marketing and Communications. I am so excited for you to listen in.
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Shopify
Careers at Shopify
Shopify Compass
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If you’ve ever heard of the Enneagram and the Myers Briggs personality assessments, or just love learning and discovering new things about yourself, this episode is for you. Molly Owen’s career path went from a self-proclaimed aimless circle to becoming CEO and founder of one of the most scientifically-sound personality test companies, Truity.
With a passion for people, psychology, and problem-solving, Molly’s mission is to make personality tests that are reliable, affordable, and accurate. In this episode, you’ll learn how these fascinating assessments can offer you unique insights for your career path.
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Truity
Career Personality Profiler
TypeFinder Assessment
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The Holland Code Test Is a Key Tool for New Job Seekers (and is free to take through June 2021 at this link)
My Guest Post on Truity’s Blog: How To Overcome Your Blind Spots by Enneagram Type
Sarah Heck is the Head of Entrepreneurship for one of the coolest companies on the Internet, Stripe. Sarah’s career has had a unique path, landing her in Washington DC working for a strategic consulting firm, the State Department, and even the White House!
We explore meaty topics like the art of giving and receiving feedback, choosing whether or not to go to grad school, and knowing when it’s the right time to pivot into a new opportunity. You’re going to love the career gems that Sarah shares in this conversation.
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Stripe
USA Jobs
Human Rights Watch
Council of the Americas
Inter-American Dialogue
Open Society Foundations
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Have you heard of the app Public? If not, you’re in for a treat. I have Katie Perry, their VP of Marketing, on the podcast today to chat about this hot social networking app that is on a mission to open up the stock market to everyone by making it inclusive, educational, and fun.
Katie’s curiosity has shaped a career journey that is rich in experience, with dreams of becoming a journalist, but ultimately landing major roles at large marketing firms, smaller startups, and even running her own business for a time to dabble as a Head of Marketing in different industries. I have no doubt you’ll learn a lot from Katie’s wisdom and insights.
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Public
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Today I’m sitting down with Amanda Rosenberg, the Brand Director for Allergan Aesthetics, a leading pharmaceutical company that creates cutting-edge products in the area of medical aesthetics, such as Botox and cool sculpting. Amanda’s career has had elements of glamour that skyrocketed her from London to New York working at many different companies all grounded in beauty and fashion, and it’s also been dotted with multiple leaps, jumps, pivots, and risks, too.
Amanda has truly done it all, from PR, to communications, marketing, and brand and in this conversation you’ll learn how she navigated burnout, what the work culture is really like in New York, and how relationships and having many advocates in her corner helped build her career.
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Allergan Aesthetics
Amanda’s LinkedIn Profile
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Claire Knebl is the VP of Brand at Ritual, a fan favorite company supporting women's health. Kicking off her multifaceted career as an Online Editorial Assistant at Teen Vogue and even working for Glossier in the early days, Claire’s career journey is so fascinating and she offers all of her insights of what it’s like to work for a fast-growing startup, plus many gems of career advice you won’t want to miss.
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Claire would love to offer Career Memos listeners 20% off your first month of Ritual using the code CAREER20.
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If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to build a career in fashion and ecommerce, then you’ll love my conversation with Amy Tran, the Executive Director of Online and Omni Channel at Le Labo Fragrances, a New York based niche fragrance company owned by Estee Lauder.
Amy’s career is multi-faceted, resilient, and full of zigs and zags. She never thought she could have a career in fashion, until a special events internship at Hermès, the epitome of luxury European fashion, changed everything.
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Le Labo Fragrances
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I’m sitting down with Kate Flynn, a dear friend of mine and the co-founder and CEO of Sun & Swell Foods. Kate has an interesting story not typical of most CEOs of delicious, organic food companies like hers. She kicked off her career in auditing and consulting before hitting burnout and dropping everything to become a bootstrapped entrepreneur in the retail and wellness world.
Kate gets super candid in this interview, and we cover everything from pivoting career paths, to imposter syndrome and doing what you love.
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Sun & Swell Foods
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
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Chandra Caridi is the VP of Human Resources at Oatly, the delicious, go-to oat milk brand. Chandra shares about her career journey, how to build a strong workplace culture, and how she ended up at a fast-growing, trending company like Oatly by embracing failure and curiosity and welcoming the unknown.
Today, Oatly has over 165 employees and is widely known for having an incredible workplace culture. I’m thrilled to bring this conversation to you.
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Oatly
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Have you ever wondered what it’s truly like to work in operations at a fast-growing company?
I’m sitting down with Umaimah Sharwani, the VP of Operations at Bravo Sierra, a military-native performance company that provides high-quality grooming essentials for active military members. Before that, Umaimah was an early member at Glossier.
Having worked at big and small companies and offering mentorship to entrepreneurs, she is so generous in this conversation, sharing about her career journey and decrypting what operations really means.
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Bravo Sierra
Glossier
Fab.com
Google Shopping
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Are you as ready for 2021 as I am? It’s been a wildly unexpected year with a lot of ups and downs, and as we prepare for the new year ahead, let’s talk about one of my favorite topics: mindset.
I know you have big goals, you’re ambitious and want to make things happen for yourself.
But you won’t get very far if your limiting beliefs or lack of confidence get in the way. In fact, mindset is over half the battle to success. You may be the most impressive person on paper, but if you don’t have confidence, you probably won’t get very far.
Here, I’m sharing 4 of my go-to tips to strengthen your mindset and set you up for a successful 2021.
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Sara Blakely on Instagram
I am a firm believer in winding down at the end of the year and making sure that you have ample time to recharge. But at the same time, I also get that you may be thinking, “2021 is around the corner Sarina, I have to start thinking about my goals!”
If you fall into that camp, this episode is for you. We’re going to talk about the art and science of goal-setting and how you can create concrete, achievable goals for 2021 using my super simple framework.
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This week I am thrilled to chat with Meng Li, the VP of Marketing of Native to talk through not only her career journey, but what different roles in marketing mean.
Meng also went through a major pivot in her career, from Brand Management into Marketing.
If you’re a job seeker that’s been scouring the internet for marketing positions and have come across job titles like Growth Marketing, Product Marketing, and Brand Marketing, you might be wondering what exactly are the fundamental differences?
We’re going to dive into all of this and more in this conversation.
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Native
Johnson & Johnson
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If you’ve ever wondered what business development, partnerships, and sales roles entail, then this episode is for you.
Today, I’m speaking with Ellen Da Silva, the Head of Strategic Partnerships at hims & hers. Ellen is going to take us through her fascinating career journey, graduating college at the height of a recession, and how she thrives today in a role at a fast-paced, direct-to-consumer company.
You’ll also learn about the importance of mentorship, taking risks, and how Ellen scored a role at Twitter in their early days, thanks to the power of tapping into her network.
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hims & hers
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Have you ever wondered what non-investment roles look like in the accelerator and venture capital space? Then, you’re in luck. In this episode, Galiza Ozgur, VP of Platform at H/L Ventures walks us through her career path working on program and platform roles in the space. Starting out as a program manager at the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator to becoming VP of Platform at H/L Ventures, Galina shares her great insight into what roles mean in the industry, what the differences are between accelerators and traditional venture capital, and shares her knowledge and career advice from working in the space.
More about H/L Ventures here: https://www.hatzimemoslibby.com/
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H/L Ventures
Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator
Grand Central Tech
VC Platform
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In this episode, Sarina sits down with Smita Satiani, Head of External Affairs for Project Taara at X, Google’s Moonshot arm and the Co-Founder of Alaya Tea. Smita walks us through her journey of building a career in policy, working at places like the Clinton Foundation and the White House, to her career pivot into big tech, to her journey through entrepreneurship while also working a full-time job. Jam-packed with advice for career builders, pivoters, and side hustlers, Smita shares her insight from her multifaceted career journey.
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Use code SARINA10 for 10% off your purchase of Alaya Tea
The Clinton Foundation
Ashoka
Presidential Innovation Fellows Program
X, Google’s moonshot arm
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Chances are that you know networking is important but how do you get started? In this episode, Sarina will cover the framework and tactics you need to kickstart your networking today. From how to craft your story to following-up, you’ll learn everything you need to know to start reaching out and building your network over the next 30 days.
And, to stay organized as you start to build your network, download the FREE Networking & Job Search Tracker: https://withsarina.com/freebie-networking-and-job-search-tracker
The Job Seeker Lab withSarina - Enrollment Is Now Open!
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A sneak peak into the Career Memos podcast with Sarina Virk Torrendell. Subscribe so you don’t miss the premiere!