Her Story Of Success

Marcie Allen and Maria Aspan joined host, Leah Hayes for a lively and fun conversation recorded live in New York City where they discuss starting, running and growing a business from a woman’s perspective. They cover the types and amounts of financing needed as you start and grow a business, common struggles of entrepreneurs, unique challenges women face as business owners, and why you need to start planning for your exit early.  Marcie Allen is the Founder and CEO of MAC Presents, a music sponsorship and experiential agency that connects artists, brands and fans. She’s built an impressive portfolio of programs for brands including Sony, Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Microsoft, Capital One and more, and she’s worked with artists like Chance the Rapper, Lady Antebellum, Green Day and Billy Joel.  Maria Aspan is the author of Startup Money Made Easy: The Inc. Guide to Every Financial Question About Starting, Running, and Growing Your Business. When we recorded this episode, she was working as the editor-at-larg

Joy Altimare is a successful brand strategist who worked with companies like L’Oreal, Verizon, Colgate-PalmOlive and Conde Nast. Her took her skills to EHE Health where she became the Chief Engagement and Brand Officer. As the only woman and the only person of color on her company’s executive team, she knows how hard it can be to deal with discrimination in the workplace, but she hasn’t let that stop her. She’s built her life and career on her own terms. As a working mom in NYC, Joy understands the importance of surrounding herself with a tribe of amazing women and has learned that the choices she makes for her family might look different than how she was raised. Joy is passionate about mentorship and connecting kids with great opportunities, and she’s such a great example of strength and resilience. In this episode, Joy explains how mentorship shaped her career, and she shares about her passion for mentoring others (3:39). She opens up about dealing with racism and sexism in the workplace and encourages lis

Terry Humphrey, CPC is an executive coach that helps people develop the skills and mindset they need to adapt and compete in today’s constantly changing business world. Terry’s story is great for anyone focused on leadership or personal development. She is passionate about helping people find deeper satisfaction and personal fulfillment. For Terry, that includes taking time to rest and enjoy life while still achieving great results in the workplace. She’s full of so much wisdom and practical guidance, which allows her to help leaders find new levels of success, whether they’re stepping into a position, dealing with organizational change or just looking to get better results. In this episode, Terry describes some of the most important lessons she took from her time as a manager, such as  the value of finding mentors, learning to slow down and engage with people, and making smart hiring decisions (6:15).  After her mother’s passing and a period of feeling exhausted, Terry decided to  shift her career in a di

Sarah Giblin has seen firsthand the power of a great education, and she’s passionate about helping a diverse community of students have access to a great education. As the Managing Director of Schools at Valor Collegiate Academy, Sarah and her team are proving each day that any student can be successful no matter their ethnicity, socio-economic status, or background.  Today, Sarah oversees three of Valor’s five public charter schools, where she’s helped students achieve incredible academic results. Her school was one of only 15 in all of Tennessee to rank in the top 5% in both academic growth and academic achievement. Valor also focuses on developing students and teachers holistically, growing in mind, body and spirit. In 2018, Sarah was honored for all of her amazing work as the Tennessee Charter School Center’s Administrator of the Year. She’s a passionate educator, driven achiever, and her story is a great example of what can happen when you find your life’s purpose and pursue it everyday.  In this episode

When Dr. Lamees Hamdan struggled to find a safe and effective stretch mark oil to use while pregnant, she decided to make her own. That project grew into Shiffa, a luxury, organic skincare line that focuses on healing the skin from within. Dr. Lamees took a major risk when she left her job in the medical field to launch Shiffa, but her efforts paid off. Today, the brand is sold in Sephoras in the Middle East and in Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s in the U.S., and Dr. Lamees’ products are also used by spas around the world.  Dr. Lamees recently re-entered the medical profession and is now working with the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Health, promoting integrative healing. She also launched a new company, DL.MD, where she used her knowledge to develop a liquid multivitamin. Dr. Lamees has achieved so many things while also raising her four children and committing to continue learning about holistic health, and she serves as a huge inspiration. In this episode, Dr. Lamees tells her story of discovering a new p

Pat Shea knows firsthand the power of mobilizing a tribe to work toward a common mission. She learned this skill through her experience in corporate America, when she started and ran three consulting divisions at the largest for-profit healthcare company in the U.S.. Pat then took her skills to the nonprofit sector, where she became CEO of YWCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee. During her time there, Pat implemented new initiatives like MEND, the YWCA Advocacy committee, the junior board and more. By bringing people together for a common goal and then allowing those people to take action in their own ways, Pat helped turn the fight against domestic violence into a city-wide campaign, where individual leaders have stepped up to create even more widespread change than she could have on her own. Today, Pat serves as CEO and president of Givful, a technology startup that provides employers and their associates with the opportunity to support a culture of giving. She’s been honored for her years of important work w

After selling her company, Jennifer Faught found herself with a loss of identity. Through internal work and with the help of a women's mastermind group Jennifer found her passion in helping others succeed and became an executive coach with PETRA Coach. Jennifer finds fulfillment in helping business owners develop themselves and their employees personally as well as professionally to see the impact on the success of the business.  Jennifer is a great example of what can happen when women take the time and effort to invest in themselves through coaching, finding a community, and doing the work of getting out of their comfort zones. She has so many great things to say for any leader or person who’s looking for new ways to grow and develop. In This Episode: In this episode, Jennifer explains how she helps leaders develop a growth mindset through her coaching work. She shares her journey of moving from healthcare to entrepreneurship to coaching, including the difficult process of finding her identity and her tribe

Ginger Jones developed her passion for helping others at a young age. Growing up with two deaf parents, she saw firsthand how valuable speech pathology and other therapy services could be for individuals with special needs. After working as a speech pathologist, Ginger decided to further her impact by starting her own company, Jones Therapy Services. Today, that company includes nine locations that offer a wide range of pediatric therapy services.  As founder and CEO of Jones Therapy, Ginger gets to help change lives every day, but she hasn’t stopped there. She also runs her own consulting service, speaks about her experiences and writes about parenting, business and therapy on her blog. Ginger has been recognized for her work with honors like Nashville’s “40 under 40” and Enterprising Women’s 2018 Woman of the Year Champion. Most recently, she was named a Woman of Influence in Nashville by the Nashville Business Journal. Through all of her experiences, Ginger has learned the importance of investing in yourse

From making clothes for 30 customers when she was a senior in high school to founding four successful companies, Sharon W. Reynolds’ whole life is a testament to the power of hard work and not taking no for an answer. Today, Sharon runs four companies: DevMar Products, DevMar Global Healthcare Solutions, DevMar Manufacturing, and Bryla J Couture Clothiers. In everything she does, Sharon is driven by a passion to help others, whether that’s through her companies, community service or her work to empower other women business owners. Each of Sharon’s companies is devoted to making the world a better place in its own way, from creating environmentally-friendly janitorial products to providing breast milk for premature babies in the NICU to empowering women with fashion that’s for a purpose. She also serves on boards of directors such as Second Harvest Food Bank, the West End Home Foundation and Women’s Business Enterprise National Council South. Sharon has received many honors and awards for her incredible work,

When Jessi Baker opened a moonshine business with her husband Joe and two of their friends, she never expected it to grow into a nationwide phenomenon. But almost 10 years later, Ole Smoky is the most visited distillery in the world, and its moonshine is sold in all 50 states and 53 countries. After leaving her career as an attorney, Jessi has found her passion in developing Ole Smoky food products, and she recently released a cookbook called Shining: Ole Smoky Moonshine Family Cookbook, which features delicious cocktails and family recipes for true Southern food.  Jessi and her family didn’t stop with Ole Smoky, going on to open businesses like Bootleggers Homemade Wine and Yee Haw Brewing. Most recently, Ole Smoky opened its fourth distillery in Nashville, which features tastings, food and live entertainment. Though growth has not always been easy, Jessi has seen the rewards for her family and community, and she loves getting to carry on her family’s legacy of entrepreneurship and tourism.  In this episode,

In 2014, mother/daughter duo Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons realized there was something ineffective about the way we network at events. Out of their frustrations, the pair came up with the idea for Mixtroz, a highly customizable tool for that increases attendee engagement and collects data for event hosts and sponsors. In less than five years, Mixtroz has revolutionized the way companies and individuals approach & execute networking at events.  Because of Mixtroz, Ashlee and Kerry were invited to join Alabama’s prestigious Velocity Accelerator, won the Birmingham Rise of the Rest pitch competition led by AOL Co-Founder Steve Case, and even starred in an episode of A+E’s “Rooster and Butch.” In 2018, Ashlee and Kerry became just the 37th and 38th black women to ever close a million dollar round of funding. The company has also been featured by Forbes, Inc., The New York Times, Business Insider and more.  In this episode, Kerry and Ashlee break down how Mixtroz works, where it is today and where they ho

When looking for a new challenge Morgan Canclini-Mitchell took a leap of faith at 28 and started Two|PR, a publicity and marketing firm that has worked with best-selling authors, professional athletes and Grammy award-winning artists. After working on a mutual client with marketing consultant Kristin Carver-Smith, Morgan asked Kristin to come on as Two|PRr’s marketing principle. Since then, the company has seen enormous success, building an impressive roster and earning bookings with CNN, Fox & Friends, Forbes, PBS and more. With Morgan and Kristin’s combined marketing and publicity experience, they’ve been able to develop great relationships with reporters and clients alike, and they do it all without even having to advertise other than by word of mouth. In this episode, Morgan shares her story of building a company at such a young age (2:48), including how she decided to bring Kristin in because of her complementary strengths (8:13). The pair describes the difference between public relations and marketi

When Mary Hooper and Amy Stroup were looking for alternatives to the traditional career path in each of their fields, they decided to take their friendship to the next level by going into business together. The result, Milkglass Creative, is a unique blend of a design company and an independent record label, which works with everything from recording artists to authors to lifestyle brands. Since it started in 2010, Milkglass has evolved as Amy and Mary have learned to lean into their individual strengths and be open to new changes and experiences. They both keep busy doing creative work in their respective fields, with Mary running the art and design side of the company and Amy heading up the record label while also pursuing her own music career. Because Milkglass is a values-driven company, Mary and Amy are also intentional about giving back to the community around them, both through volunteering at Y-CAP and by mentoring younger women in their fields. They’ve learned important lessons along the way about ta

Laquita Stribling knows the value of engaging in a wide variety of experiences. She works as senior vice president for Randstad USA, the number one staffing company in the world, and serves as a district governor for Rotary International in Tennessee. Laquita does all of this on top of being a mom, an active member of her community, a mentor, and a lifelong learner. In all of those roles, she strives to be a leader who opens doors for others. Professionally, Laquita worked her way up over 22 years at Randstad, where she started as an entry level associate. She accomplished this by always being willing to tackle new challenges. That same attitude led her to engage with Rotary, starting out as a young woman in a club that was mostly made up of older white men. Rising to become the first African American district governor, she now uses her position to create greater diversity within the organization. In this episode: In this episode, Laquita explains why she decided to stay at Randstad for so many years and how

As a mom of two kids, Courtney Jones started MomSource Network to help other women find opportunities she felt like she didn’t have when her son was born. Courtney is passionate about helping other women find a healthy work-life blend, and she knows that looks different for everyone. Whether you’re planning to become moms, looking to shift your work schedules to spend time with your kids or want help re-entering the workforce after a career break, MomSource Network helps women find flexible work options that fit with their schedules and their personal ideas of fulfillment. Since its launch in 2013, MomSource Network has grown to include 10,000 women in 48 states. The company also partners with progressive organizations who want to find the best talent and helps them to create flexible work options for potential employees. Because of her work, Courtney has been featured by CNN, Bloomberg, Working Mother and more. In this episode: In this episode, Courtney explains how she recognized the amount of talent that

As CEO of Milepost Consulting, a sustainability-focused strategy and engagement firm, Sabrina Cowden exemplifies leadership and the value of finding a career you’re passionate about. While her path was not easy Sabrina shares how starting out her career as a receptionist at a computer software company that had great leadership and a culture of learning, she was able to take a seven-year career break to raise her kids, and still come back confident in herself and abilities. When it was time to return to work and after turning down many jobs Sabrina settled on a temporary position that ended up lasting for six years. She eventually got her MBA and rose to the rank of CEO. In this episode Sabrina explains the lessons she learned at her first job out of college that shaped the rest of her professional life (4:20). From creating a space where people can feel safe to fail (8:19) to finding good mentors (12:46), Sabrina unpacks helpful advice, both for leaders and for those who are just getting started in their care

Sarah Scarborough CEO of Firepot Nomadic Teas took the path less traveled to becoming the successful business owner she is today. Spending summers off the grid and living on the land with her family in Finland led her to realize that when all of her friends were buying suites and going on interviews in college, she just wanted to be somewhere farming. This led her on a journey across the world and introduced her to a passion for practicing and sharing the ritual of tea. In this episode Sarah shares how her aversion to being a “business person” led her on a journey of finding her purpose, confidence, and how she realized being successful in business can help you make an impact in the world. Sarah shares how following her passion for fair trade and sustainable farming led her to tea and across the world from Nashville to Montana to California and New Zealand. Sarah believes incorporating a rituals such as tea, yoga, or medication can help you make the room in your life to realize what you love and the next step

Her Story of Success... As an award-winning business journalist and editor-at-large at Inc Magazine, Maria Aspan strives to ensure that the pieces that she writes are both practical and enjoyable. She’s written about startups, technology, finance, and gender in her roles at the New York Times and American Banker, and in her book Startup Money Made Easy, she creates an inclusive entrepreneur guide to show how success can happen to anyone. In this episode… We dive into the key take aways from the book that make this a great guide for entrepreneurs in all seasons of their business from idea to exit. Maria also shares the importance to find joy in the job you’re in right now, and how she looks for a place that will challenge her out of her comfort zone, where she can engage in work that’s meaningful to her, and where she can work with people she trusts.   

Leslie DiPiero’s job is to find and develop talented songwriters through her role as General Manager at Tree Vibez Music, and even after being in the music industry for the past 25 years, she still wakes up excited to go to work each day. She grew up in the entertainment world as the daughter of a singer and a comedian, but she decided to start her own business at age 14 after her mom was diagnosed with cancer. Leslie finds meaning in being able to give back to an industry that has given so much to her, and she enjoys creating a safe space for her songwriters to thrive. The main qualities she looks for in people are a willingness to live in both fearlessness and vulnerability, and she lives both of these out in her own life. She believes that everyone has their own unique skillset and that sometimes they just need someone to take out the highlighter pen and help them see it.

Danielle Ontiveros had the mindset of an entrepreneur from a young age. As a 16-year-old, she created the recipe for a delicious and filling gluten-free protein bar. Though her Grab the Gold bars were a hit, Danielle’s entrepreneurial spirit generated “10 ideas a day” for other endeavors — she became a massage therapist for the New Orleans Saints, started an aromatherapy line and launched a cleaning business, all while making and selling her popular protein bars. It was only when she committed to “choosing one road and taking it” that she was able to lead her business to the next level. Today, Grab the Gold products have thousands of enthusiastic fans and are sold in more than 5,000 stores across the U.S.   In this episode Danielle tells us how Hurricane Katrina forced a dramatic turning point for her New Orleans-based business. After losing her home in the storm, she responded to offers of help and support from the Nashville area and moved to Franklin, Tennessee.  She recalls the deep emotional upheaval of t