Sheventures

Most people move once or twice in their life, but the move is seldom across continents. Following her now husband, Carice Anderson undertook a journey that led to much more than just a new location. Her book, Intelligence Isn’t Enough: A Black Professional’s Guide to Thriving in the Workplace, outlines how to overcome such big changes, remain authentic, and much more. As a Black woman and the first member of her family to enter the corporate world, Anderson isn’t a stranger to facing challenges in the workplace. Though many businesses are slow to make progress, you don’t need to be. As Anderson points out: Change starts with the individual. Discover how Anderson turned these obstacles into lessons for women of color, on this episode of SheVentures. Timestamps: 2:00 Anderson’s move from the United States to South Africa  5:30 Culture differences between the U.S. and South Africa  8:18 Challenges Anderson experienced as a first-generation corporate worker 9:47 The framework of Anderson’s book 12:56 Anderson exp

Swank A Posh CEO Ebony Swank pivoted from being a high school dropout and teen mom to building a $40M+ year fashion empire that sells body-positive clothes for women in a little over a decade. Swank bootstrapped her company with $12,000, and the first iteration of her online business failed. She attributes her success to grit, determination, hard work, being data-driven, and trial and error.  The next time you think you can’t accomplish something or there are too many cards stacked against you, listen to this episode of SheVentures for inspiration, as we take a deep dive into Swank’s life, her wins, and her trade-offs.  Highlights: Swank reflects on her childhood and the sacrifices her own mother made to provide for her family. Swank describes her sudden pivot to becoming a teen mother. Swank’s first job was an entry-level position in accounting and she worked her way up. Trial and error: Swank’s first retail business failed, as did a hair salon.  Swank reflects on how this taught her invaluable lessons on p

Do you struggle to monetize your business, need guidance on setting boundaries, and find sales to feel, well, sleazy? In this episode of SheVentures, Annie Ruggles, founder of the newly rebranded Quirk Works Consulting, speaks about coaching 200+ solopreneurs and small business owners who struggle with sales, much like Ruggles did in early entrepreneurship. You’ll listen to her tips on relational sales, the value of investing in personal and professional relationships, and the importance of finding your community. Highlights:  How her musical theater background helps her read a room  Why she understands the plight of creatives when it comes to selling The importance of rebranding a business  Ruggles’ mental pivot: “I am not only a sales coach but a marketer.” How to build authentic relationships with clients, listen, collaborate, and understand their needs  Why it’s essential to contact clients for testimonials and referrals — and how to do it Book recommendations: Joy-Full AF: The Essential Business Strateg

A successful podcast entrepreneur, as well as the founder and CEO of Ginni Media — a podcast strategy and creation company that serves both big-ticket clients and fledgling entrepreneurs with quality audio strategy, monetization, community building, and production tips — Ginni Saraswati, is the audio authority. After all, Saraswati, who has hosted a few morning radio shows, has embraced audio since….what? Radio?! Saraswati shares her journey from Sri Lanka to Australia to the U.S. and details her experiences in radio and podcasting. She also discusses the challenges she faced with racial intolerance and what it was like to come out as queer to her traditional family. Not for nothing, but Saraswati is keen on all creators staying true to their values — and preaches the power of authenticity in business. With characteristic authenticity, she recalls the business idea that failed and how she learned invaluable lessons from her mistakes as an entrepreneur. Listen to Saraswati delve into gender imbalance in podcas

Marjorie Radlo-Zandi is an accomplished entrepreneur, board member, and angel investor who started her career in sales and marketing and continued as a business development executive for decades. One major professional accomplishment: She grew a life science diagnostic company with angel funds, expanded it to more than 100 countries, and sold it to a multi-billion-dollar publicly held firm. Do you think she may know a thing or two about how to scale a business? Radlo-Zandi also reflects on timing and work-life balance. Learn which company she did not become employee number 3 at because she was becoming a mother, and knew she wasn’t willing to spend 18-hour days at a promising startup and sacrifice her chance to show up for her daughter.  Radlo-Zandi is pragmatic about other work-life balance decisions she and her husband made, and she emphasizes the importance of finding equal opportunities for both spouses when making career moves. In her case, both she and her husband took turns putting their job first.  Th

If you’ve ever suffered from anxiety and depression so debilitating that you knew you had to slow down to focus on your mental, physical, and spiritual health —  and uncover your career and life purpose —  this SheVentures episode is for you.

Franny Tacy, the owner of Franny’s Farmacy, a cannabis franchise, shares her journey from pharmaceutical sales to cannabis farming. She discusses her struggles with student loans, disillusionment with the pharmaceutical industry, and love for farming. Tacy’s story is one of perseverance and reinvention, and she encourages other women to follow their passions and take advantage of opportunities like the USDA loan for beginning farmers. Tacy acknowledges the challenges she’s faced in the male-dominated cannabis industry, and how she still became one of the few female hemp farmers in North Carolina.    Listen to how Tacy’s business began as a destination for community events, weddings, and goat yoga. She explains how she pivoted to hemp and cannabis farming, an unregulated industry (at the time). Tacy emphasizes the importance of building a strong brand and culture for her franchise. Learn how she measures her success with product safety, e-commerce, and her cannabis franchise model while remaining committe

Have you ever wished your passion project or side hustle could become your full-time gig ⁉️   Jamila Trimuel did, and though it took years of planning, she eventually transformed her personal and professional life. Today Trimuel is the founder and CEO of Chicago-based Ladies of Virtue, a nonprofit that’s worked with thousands of girls of color on confidence-building, leadership, job-readiness skills, and combating the marginalization young women of color often face.   Listen to Trimuel speak candidly about why mentorship matters, and what it took to pivot from a stable job in healthcare administration to embrace a complete career reinvention. She speaks authentically about her motivations, fears, and wins — and guides listeners through the journey of starting a nonprofit and slowly scaling to where it is today.   Trimuel’s long-term plan is to expand the organization nationwide. Through Ladies of Virtue, Trimuel is instilling confidence and empowering young women of color to succeed in whatever th

Imagine experiencing a range of tropical fruit year-round right in your own home. From pink pineapples grown on farms in Costa Rica to fresh yellow dragon fruit native to Mexico and Central America, Desiree Morales provides exotic, tropical fruit in a box delivered to your doorstep. Morales recognized this niche during the pandemic — and went all in. Morales, CEO and founder of Tropical Fruit Box, a company dedicated to providing fresh, exotic tropical fruit to consumers, is an offshoot of the existing family business, WP Produce, which was started by her father, Willy Pardo. He started out selling exotic and tropical fruit from the back of his truck in Miami to provide the neighborhood staples common to their diet, but tough to find in local markets.  Morales’ business experience helped her identify a gap in the market, which she filled with on-demand tropical and exotic fruit boxes. Inspired by her father’s commitment to building relationships, Morales and her family collaborate with farmers globally to sup

Imagine sourcing hand-sewn original lingerie from the labor of women who work in Ukraine and Russia, and navigating supply chain issues during the ongoing war. This is but one of many hurdles Angelina Mahany, founder, and CEO of Angie’s Showroom, has overcome in her personal and professional lives.  This ex-Russian ballerina studied and worked on three continents before deciding to settle in the U.S. after a two-year long-distance romance with her now husband. Mahany transitioned to life in the U.S., where the culture, people, and food were foreign. She persevered and started an Instagram e-commerce reselling business selling handbags as a proof of concept. Once she realized she could earn money and balance motherhood, she focused on creating Angie’s Showroom, an online store with hand-sewn lingerie.  She is offering SheVentures listeners 15 percent off of any lingerie purchases at Angie’s Showroom. Use the code SheVentures15 at checkout, good until May 31, 2023, 11:59 PM EDT. Cannot be used with other discou

Have you ever struggled with personal finance or worried that you may never attain financial wellness? You’re not alone. Certified financial planner Deanna LaRue is here to help you change your mindset.  LaRue recognizes the need for financial education, something often not taught in childhood or even high school. She started TimeWise Financial in 2009 — and with 18 years of experience — knows the importance of the personal connection between a financial advisor and her clients.  Money management is as much about mindset as it is about finding one’s goals and planning for them. Listen to LaRue describe how she started her first business, at 24 (she knew her professional path earlier than many) and why she is intentional about women learning how to manage their assets. La Rue recalls obstacles and the other common challenges women face with personal finance.  Just in time for financial literacy month, LaRue provides a financial framework for women in each decade of their lives — and most importantly, she provi

Many of us are taught that it will take at least three to five years to crack a six-figure income as a small business. Dr. Karwanna D says it’s possible to earn that amount in three to six months. How? From the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world always has cash on hand: the government.  Dr. Karwanna started in telecommunication sales and earned a high five-figure salary. She soon realized that working for a corporation meant losing agency over her time. She started bidding on small government contracts as a video creator and realized she could win government contracts after experiencing some early wins.  She has now taken lessons learned and converted them into a five-day challenge and a 90-day accelerator where she teaches small business owners strategies to land six- and seven-figure contracts with the federal, state, and local governments.  If you are interested in signing up for the next five-day challenge to pre-qualify your business, use this link. As a speaker, author of Don’t Duck th

How does a South Korean orphan who had difficulty walking grow up to become a seven-figure entrepreneur? One thing’s for certain: It did not happen overnight for Sun Yong Kim-Manzolini.   Suffering from physical and psychological abuse for more than a decade as a child, Sun Yong Kim-Manzolini was adopted by an American family at the age of 14. The United States opened doors to a new life of creativity and hope for her.   While working as a nursing assistant for more than two decades, Kim-Manzolini realized her current salary would lead to a stark economic reality. She would not have enough money to live on in retirement. So she decided to teach herself about options trading. Not only did she succeed at it, but now, Kim-Manzolini wants to share her knowledge and strategies with the world.   A multifaceted entrepreneur, business coach, and mindset mentor, Kim-Manzolini is also the author of Opposites/Opposites, a guide to understanding partnership and compromise in a relationship.   Listen t

Drinking in public can be awkward when you choose not to consume alcoholic beverages — for whatever reason. Becca Gardner, however, is paving the way to diminish this stigma.    Gardner is the founder and CEO of NKD LDY, an innovative company specializing in non-alcoholic spirits and beverages. The mission of NKD LDY is to ensure that delicious non-alcoholic mocktails are available along with wine and spirits. Gardner’s personal experience stems from embracing sobriety after years of working in a high-profile and high-pressure NYC strategy consulting role. She pivoted both career and location and embarked on her purpose-driven business.    Garner hopes NKD LDY will normalize the choice to consume high-quality non-alcoholic drinks. Founded in Gardner’s home state of Kentucky, NKD LDY uses actual distilled spirits as the base of its products. Once the alcoholic portion of these spirits has been gently removed, customers are able to enjoy aromatic and tasteful alternatives to whiskey, gin, and tequila.

If anyone knows how to create, run, take public, and exit a company successfully, it is Sheila Lirio Marcelo. The Filipino technology entrepreneur is famously known for founding Care.com, an online marketplace for childcare, special needs caregivers, tutors, and more.    After selling Care.com in 2020 for $500M, Marcelo embarked on a new business venture: the creation of Proof of Learn, a Web3 education platform, which allows students the opportunity to earn rewards while learning code blockchain, a skillset Marcelo says is rare.    Though Marcelo is an entrepreneurial icon, she is transparent about the values her childhood instilled in her that play a role in her success. Marcelo describes moving from the Philippines to the United States, and how it created challenges, biases, and opportunities to overcome on her way to the top.   Listen to Marcelo describe how she identified a gap in the market as a married mother and student that would lead her to create Care.com a decade before other com

Menstruation is often a taboo topic. From the potential confusion surrounding your first period to embarrassment while purchasing feminine hygiene products, there’s a negative stigma many people associate with menstruation. And that’s assuming you are not one of the 63 percent of women who have difficulty affording these necessary products.   However, CEO Vilmante Markeviciene, is bringing power and positivity to the feminine hygiene market. She is the founder of the U.S. brand Genial Day and the European brand Gentle Day, sustainable feminine care products aimed at minimizing rashes, skin irritation, and unpleasant period smells and spills.   Pivoting from a career in business administration and interior design, Markeviciene found herself at a crossroads in 2008. During the recession, she realized how expensive pads, tampons, period underwear, and related products were in the United States — and seized the opportunity to expand her business from the EU to the U.S.   Listen to Markeviciene desc

Octavia Goredema, the founder of career coaching agency Twenty Ten, offers a variety of work strategy sessions and workshops for underrepresented employees. With areas of expertise in career mentorship, stress management, and navigation, Goredema works to amplify and redirect the needs of women of color in entrepreneurship and corporate America.    Goredema is the author of Prep, Push, Pivot: Essential Career Strategies for Underrepresented Women, a career coaching guide for women of color.   Listen to Goredema discuss her career and life pivots from moving continents for romance to her wins and challenges as a minority business owner,career coach, and book author, on this episode of SheVentures.   1:45 Goredema discusses her childhood curiosity. 3:50 How Goredema was appointed to the Order of the British Empire 11:54 How Goredema pivoted from corporate America to startup agency founder and book author  17:30 What role has rejection played in Goredema’s career?  23:09 How race and represent

When you realize you are role models for millions of women, it’s both exhilarating and scary. Sister co-founders Angela Muhwezi-Hall and Deborah Gladney had their reckoning this year as women of color founders. Both realized they are role models for all Black women — the 99.5 percent that haven’t yet succeeded in raising capital like they have — and they feel added pressure and responsibility to succeed. Last year when we spoke, these founders covered their oversubscribed raise of $1.4M after completing the Techstars accelerator. In this episode, the sister-founder duo talks about raising more capital and share how it was tougher this time despite both being a “known quantity.” Listen to them candidly discuss race, venture capitalists, the rebrand of their career-discovery platform to WorkTorch, and their goals for 2023. And yes, we set a date to speak again in 2024 to trace their growth, hardships, and wins.  As women of color, the pair discuss role-modeling for other women in entrepreneurship and tech and h

Representation of women in the fintech industry is scarce. So scarce that women make up less than 10 percent of fintech founders or executive board members, according to a recent paper from the International Monetary Fund. But Sofiat Abdulrazaaq is changing the game for women of color in fintech. Abdulrazaaq is the co-founder of Goodfynd, a platform that began as a way to help consumers find nearby food vendors/trucks and facilitate ordering and delivery where available.  Goodfynd also has a B2B application. Abdulrazaaq identified the need for all mobile vendors — food or otherwise — to have an accessible and affordable one-stop shop to run their business. This “business in a box” model is meant to reach the under-served community of first generation and immigrant mobile vendors, allowing them to include what they need from the Goodfynd platform — without extra bells and whistles. What started off as an organic quest to find food trucks before the pandemic morphed into B2C and a scalable B2B model. Pivoting f

With nearly two decades of experience in brand strategy, Talia Boone is no stranger to marketing and brand collaboration. From pioneering a creative marketing agency to starting a fresh-cut flower business, Boone is a prime example of what it takes to creatively execute an idea.  Boone discusses how branding, creativity, and social change were a catalyst to start Inter:Sect, an agency focused on brand amplification and social issues. By implementing multimedia strategies and social impact initiatives, Inter:Sect gives consumers and partners a platform to showcase their brands.  It was during the pandemic when Boone was stressed that she turned to flower arranging for peace of mind. In doing so, she found an unexpected business niche in the flower market. The idea of Postal Petals blossomed after Boone discovered that farmers needed a better way to sell their products. Now, Boone and her team provide consumers direct access to farm-fresh, high-quality flowers — delivered right to their doorstep.  Listen to Boo