Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

Peabody Award-winning journalist Isha Sesay didn’t set out to helm a media company, but her creativity, integrity and spirit of perseverance made her the perfect candidate for it. After working as an anchor and correspondent at CNN for thirteen years, personal matters and professional projects began to pull Isha in another direction. However, as a global pandemic turned everything upside down, Isha made it her mission to use independent digital platforms to continue sharing news in a world that was making less and less sense. OkayMedia took note, and tapped Isha to become its first female CEO, leading the company in its mission to elevate Black culture and amplify Black voices. Today, Isha considers herself an “accidental activist,” reminding herself and others to keep an open mind and heart, and see where the possibilities may take you. Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website Okayplayer.com Podcast: The Accidental Activist Social Media @iamishasesay @IshaSesay Big Ideas The supportive nature of “servant leadership” and how that encourages the best in employees. Links Isha’s non-profit supporting girls in Sierra Leone: We-canlead.org Beneath the Tamarind Tree: A Story of Courage, Family, and the Lost Schoolgirls of Boko Haram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WTHN co-founders Michelle Larivee and Dr. Shari Auth had the same question: with the rise of wellness modalities worldwide, why had acupuncture remained on the fringes? With a background in finance and Chinese Medicine, respectively, acupuncture had a profound effect on the lives of both Michelle and Shari. They wanted to make it more approachable and accessible, from education to price point. Inspired by Drybar’s business model, WTHN was created with scalability in mind. Brick and mortar locations offer top-notch acupuncture at an accessible price, while organic, proprietary herb blends and acupressure tools enable clients to continue supporting their health from home. And that is really at the core of it all: empowering people to understand their bodies, take a proactive approach to health, and discover they ways that TCM benefits both body and mind. Use code SUPERWOMEN15 for 15% off treatment and products at WTHN. Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website Wthn.com Social Media @wthn Big Ideas Being strategic in navigating offerings and partnerships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warm cookies delivered straight to your door. Could there be a better business idea? Tiffany Chen’s boyfriend-turned business partner-turned husband didn’t think so. When they were in college he thought delivering her cookies to hungry fellow students would be a great way to make some extra money, and he was right on target. Given time to grow at their own pace, Tiff’s Treats has gone from a single apartment kitchen to 76 retail locations and $100 million in revenue annually. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. Trying to keep the cookie culture consistent, learning not to overthink things, and keeping their value offering front and center has helped to make Tiff’s Treats a nationwide success. And while their cookies (and other sublime treats) are, of course, delicious, it’s really more about giving customers the chance to celebrate and comfort their friends and loved ones by sharing a heartfelt gift. Visit cookiedelivery.com/superwomen, to receive 20% off cookies and/or Tiffany's book!  Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website CookieDelivery.com Social Media @tiffstreats Links It’s Not Just Cookies: Stories and Recipes from the Tiff’s Treats Kitchen Big Ideas Keeping your value offering at the center of the company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Maggie Winter started working at J. Crew straight out of college, she received the best workplace education she could get simply by where her desk happened to be. In the open-plan office, she was seated near the CEO, and overheard tidbits about everything from sales to real estate as he held his weekly meetings. This information would come in handy as Maggie was approached to start a project under Bonobos, which would then become its own independent brand. From that partnership AYR was born. Standing for All Year Round, AYR is a small clothing brand focused on making the best basics and doing it sustainably. Having played all roles in her company at one point or another, Maggie has learned enough to know that a leader’s time is best served in their areas of strength, creativity and passion. Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website Ayr.com Social Media @ayr Big Ideas Financing a business on short notice without experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After becoming wildly successful as a real estate broker in her early 20’s, Patrice Washington hit a low point. Not low like your car broke down and your SO dumped you, but a real rock bottom where her entire life was turned upside down for several years. And yet, despite losing nearly everything she held dear, Patrice’s faith in her ability to bounce back was unshaken. It wasn’t quick and it wasn’t easy, but Patrice knew that with her entrepreneurial background and her understanding of finances she could reinvent her career, going from the doldrums of a recession to becoming “America’s Money Maven.” She is now a sought-after author, speaker, consultant and financial expert looking to redefine the way we consider wealth. Patrice will be the first to tell you that wealth doesn’t start with money, it starts with a mindset, and when you align with your purpose and passion the money will follow. Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website PatriceWashington.com The Redefining Wealth Podcast Social Media @seekwisdompcw Big Ideas 360 degrees of accountability and the importance of building a network in which you can rely on each other for help. Making time for regular “money dates” with friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of businesses that are recession-proof, a kids ear piercing chain might not come to mind. However, when Louisa Serene Schneider was working at a hedge fund for retailers, she was surprised to find that Claire’s, the ear-piercing wonderland, was valued at $3 billion. She was even more astounded to find that the people doing the buyout didn’t see this as a chance to reimagine the business, so she started her own. Rowan is the only ear-piercing chain (for the young and young at heart!) to staff certified nurses at all locations. Set to open a total of 20 retail locations at the end of the year with their jewelry already available at Target, Rowan is growing like wildfire. The best part? According to Louisa, it’s the honor of being a part of major milestones in peoples’ lives. Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website HeyRowan.com Social Media @heyrowan Big Ideas Understanding that growth can be challenging, and expensive, before it pays off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tali Magal knew she wanted to have a life that centered around three things: travel, creativity, and to be able to use her love of the Italian language. When her peers pointed out that fashion would be the obvious choice, Tali dove in headfirst. But the world of fashion was just the starting point; Tali found that what she really enjoyed was the creativity that went into planning photo shoots and ad campaigns. Rather than continuing to hire out these services, Tali decided to start her own. Freebird Productions was born, and now, over ten years later, is a full-service global production company that creates everything from photoshoots and videos to branded content and social media campaigns. Tali shares why as a leader it’s so important to hustle, but ultimately why it’s just as imperative that you make your career something fun and joyful! Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website Freebirdprod.com Social Media @talimagal @freebird_productions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Makeup isn’t just about accentuating your cheekbones or plumping up your lip color. For Melissa Butler, former Wall Street worker-turned-beauty-entrepreneur, makeup is more about confidence than anything else. Even so, it took time to build the self-esteem and inner belief that has helped take The Lip Bar, and now, Thread Beauty, from her kitchen to Target and Walmart across the country. Starting out experimenting with her own recipes in an industry where she didn’t have experience, Melissa was bound and determined to create a makeup line that celebrated creating one’s own standards of beauty rather than pandering to men or media. The Lip Bar and Thread Beauty continue to shake up the status quo, offering vegan, non-toxic, cruelty-free options that are fun and affordable to people of color and beyond. Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website TheLipBar.com ThreadBeauty.co Social Media @melissarbutler @thelipbar @threadbeauty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meg Epstein’s forte has always been her ability to dream big, and that’s a good thing considering that real estate development is a major undertaking. What started out as an interest in residential construction in her home state of California blew up as Meg started CA South, a real estate development and investment management firm based in Nashville, TN. Meg’s foresight to bring coastal designs to the southeast was an inspired decision, particularly as the Nashville market began to expand exponentially during the pandemic. Now, just eight years after she founded it, CA South is worth over $1 billion, making Meg the most successful independent real estate CEO in the U.S. Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Guest Website Casouthdevelopment.com Social Media LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like many businesses, Under Canvas began as a means to solve a pain point for its founder, Sarah Dusek. In this case it was the quest to find a compromise between her husband’s desire to rough it in the wilderness and Sarah’s preference for creature comforts. Entirely bootstrapped for the first eight years, Under Canvas’ elevated camping model surmounted obstacle after obstacle, and is now considered among the best resorts in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler. However, Sarah wasn’t ready to stop there. Her own challenges in raising capital inspired her to then create her own investment firm, Enygma Ventures, aimed at supporting women in business in southern Africa. Knowing firsthand the challenges that come as a female founder, Sarah believes wholeheartedly that building an environment where more women can create wealth means a better world for all of us. Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Social Media @undercanvasofficial @enygmaventures Guest Website UnderCanvas.com EnygmaVentures.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices