Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

Jenny Fleiss has been an entrepreneur since she was a child. Where most kids are content to simply sell lemonade by the cup, she spent her summer days figuring out how to bundle products, the best form of signage, and what location would generate the highest number of sales. That spirit stayed with her as she grew older, always finding creative ways to solve a problem, like the time she duct taped her heel on the fly. Co-founding both Rent the Runway and Jet Black, Jenny has only picked up steam since her lemonade days. Ever the entrepreneurial mind, she is constantly excited by ways of growing and adapting her businesses to the ever-changing needs of her audience. But that doesn’t mean that business solutions have to be complicated. According to Jenny, one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is learning how to work creatively with what you have. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas “Passing the baton” – leaving a good team in place when stepping down from a leadership position. [10:35] Two main categories of innovation: improvements on existing products and creating new products people didn’t know they wanted. [16:21] Creating an active role for your children in your business: talking to them about what you do and inviting their opinions on things. [20:59] Links HBR After Hours Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Description Searching for a perfect bra, one that’s comfortable, fits well, and is just the right amount of sexy (as defined by the wearer, of course!), sometimes feels  akin to a lifelong quest for the holy grail. We explore shopping malls, hunt through boutiques, even forage the forests of online lingerie stores. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes you go home in the same tired underwire, a box of wheat thins and reruns of Vanderpump Rules as your consolation prize. Abby Morgan wanted to create a product that made bra shopping a success every time. Along with her three co-founders she created Cuup,  a bra company that prides itself not only on its range of sizes (30A-38H), but also on the value of community, creating a safe space for women to share their experiences and work for change in the world. Cuup works to support women’s bodies, but more importantly, they work to support the femme experience. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here,  or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us  a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Links: CUUP - https://shopcuup.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cuup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the coolest maternity brand? Does that seem like a strange question? It shouldn’t. In a global society that’s more fashion conscious than ever, it doesn’t make sense that maternity designs are so resistant to helping women feel relevant during one of the biggest times in their lives. As a pregnant woman with time on her hands and money to spend, Ariane Goldman experienced this firsthand. She couldn’t find anything she liked enough to buy. Ariane had encountered a similar problem several years earlier when she couldn’t find any suitable options for bridesmaid dresses, so she decided to create her own. A creative at heart and now a mother-to-be, Ariane paved her own way, creating fantastic maternity designs and launching Hatch. While business might have been slow at first, a New York Times article and a sighting on a certain Meghan Markle have secured Hatch as the maternity line for fashionable moms everywhere. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The value of uniting women through community-building events. [15:55] Holding gratitude through the ups and downs. [28:24] Links https://www.hatchcollection.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Babba Rivera is an entrepreneurial powerhouse. Born in Sweden to Chilean parents, Babba felt  the struggle to fit in, but she never let that keep her from speaking  her mind. Her creativity and critical thinking may have gone  underappreciated at home, but those qualities are part of what drove her  success, first working for Uber and Away, then launching her own ventures. bybabba is a marketing agency that takes a creative approach to branding. They’ve even launched products from parties in her apartment! In addition to that, Babba is also one of the co-founders on the U.S. end of HER,  a networking group that seeks to connect women, helping them bridge the  gap to find community and support amongst each other in the workplace. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas Vulnerability as a tool of strength. [04:08] Turning self-victimization into self-awareness. Defining your own narrative. [20:30] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone can identify with the feeling of being invisible sometimes, but for a whole generation, that feeling may be more a matter of endurance. Unfortunately most cultures don’t value older populations as they once did, and western society is especially guilty of that. Susan Feldman was saddened when she saw a friend’s Instagram post joking about being invisible after age 50, and she decided to do something about it. Having taken two years off after launching, building and selling One Kings Lane, Susan launched a very different venture, In the Groove, a website largely focused on beauty where women of all ages can see a reflection of themselves. Filled with fashion tips, health and lifestyle information, and even a menopause registry (!), In the Groove proves that looking good is always in style. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas Building an audience from nothing. [07:04] The many internal and external changes that come around age 50. [20:07] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maria Sharapova was born in Siberia, raised in Sochi and then, at age 6, moved to the U.S., and she hasn’t really stopped moving since. The tennis sensation who won Wimbledon at 17 and 5 Grand Slam titles in the years since has honed a level of focus so intense that at times she seems more like a Buddhist monk than a star athlete. This stoic concentration has been cultivated intentionally; Maria saw in other tennis players that letting fear or, conversely, pride, lead them on the court more often ended in disappointment rather than a win. She resolved to always look towards the next point, and act as graciously in victory as in losses. It’s a state of being that has bled into other areas of her life, including her work as an entrepreneur. Maria launched Sugarpova, the candy company of which is still 100% owner, in her early 20’s. Though it may seem incongruous for an athlete to peddle treats, as Maria puts it, it’s important to balance hard work something sweet once in a while. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The importance of rewarding hard work. [12:45] Balancing vision and branding in a way that leads to revenue. [18:17] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Things I bet you didn’t know about Cosmo: The first issue was released in 1886; It’s now the largest media brand for young women in the world, reaching 81 million readers; The current editor in chief, Jessica Pels, is a Virgo who loves to cut her own hair! Jessica didn’t always envision herself working in magazines, but she has always loved a great story. Growing up she would watch a movie, then immediately afterwards watch the full director’s cut. For a time she considered a career in film, but it was ultimately the culture of female leadership that led her to choose the path of women’s media. Now as the editor in chief, Jessica is working with her team to make Cosmo a space in print and online where readers can look not only for sex tips, but also for political, financial and career advice, seeing themselves reflected in the full spectrum of what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. Plus horoscopes! Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas Theories on the future of print journalism. [14:01] The double-edged sword of perfectionism. [26:12] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world of fast fashion it’s easy to find cheap, cute jewelry. But it’s not so fun when that jewelry falls apart, turns your skin green, or worse, is made under poor working conditions. Mejuri is working to turn the jewelry business on its head, offering affordable pieces that are not only made with quality materials but also under ethically sound conditions. Noura Sakkijha, a third generation jeweler, originally began by selling and marketing Mejuri online with the goal of reducing the middle men and keeping prices low for customers. Now going into their fifth year, Mejuri has a proven following, launching its first storefront in L.A. and enabling the company to secure the funding it needs to keep producing beautiful, quality jewelry for all their raving fans. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The ways in which the mindset of tech entrepreneurs can inform other types of startups (i.e. Don’t be afraid to fail!). [04:07] Hiring with company culture in mind. [17:11] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How many times have you been hungry - hangry, even! – and stuck somewhere with no snacks? Worse, perhaps there’s food laying around but it’s not even something you want to actually consume, but you have no other options, so there go those neon orange Cheezy Ballz down the hatch. Rachel Drori was stuck between a stale cake and a hard place, dreaming of fruit and veggie-based foods that would be nutritious and convenient for busy folks like herself. After scouring the market and finding the same tired protein bars, she finally decided to create the product she wanted for herself. That dream became Daily Harvest, a direct-to-consumer service that delivers fresh produce perfectly portioned to create your own smoothies, bowls and bites, providing your body with the best support to tackle your boss babe goals. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas No matter the bells and whistles, the core use for the product must be functionally successful in order to ensure return customers! [06:06] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Lee and Christine Chang were friends for many years before deciding to go into business together. Working in marketing and product development for L'Oréal , both were assigned to work in their Korean offices where they soon developed a lasting friendship. Korea is a hotbed of the latest skincare technology, and Sarah and Christine took note. Combining of-the-moment skincare research with tried and true remedies passed down through their families, the pair launched Glow Recipe, a naturally-based skincare line aimed at making the practice approachable, simple and fun. Using familiar, delicious ingredients such as banana and watermelon, Glow Recipe products soothe and improve the skin, making skincare so effective and pleasurable you may just forget to put makeup on! Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas The value in creating a simple, effective skincare routine that creates less desire for makeup. [12:50] Believing in yourself, your ventures, and you ability to work through challenges. [16:08] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices