WorkParty

With access to channels such as TikTok and Shopify and opportunities like accelerators and free digital courses, starting a business has never appeared more attainable. But if anyone knows success doesn’t happen overnight, it's Jaclyn Johnson. Today is a solo episode, where Jaclyn unveils the truth about starting a business and what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. She's answering your questions on the good, the bad, the challenging, and the rewarding, with a few hot takes in between. It’s an episode you won’t want to miss!   This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Visit  gtmbawomen.com to learn more about Scheller's MBA programs.Produced by Dear MediaJoin Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

Joining Jaclyn on WorkParty today is Create and Cultivate’s very own Dallas Pop-up Pitch Competition winner, Paulana Lamonier. Paulana is the founder of New York based organization, Black People Will Swim, a swimming instruction and advocacy group on a mission to change the narrative that Black folks don't swim.  In 2019, Paulana started with the goal of teaching 30 people in her community how to swim. Four years and $100K+ in funding later, she's on track to reach swimmers outside state lines.  On today's episode, Paulana talks about the investment she made to launch the organization, the secret to an award winning pitch, and shares advice for founders who are seeking grant money.   RESOURCES: To connect with Paulana click hereTo follow along with Black People Will Swim click hereUse code PARTY to get a free travel-sized Daily Microfoliant when you spend $20 at www.Dermalogica.comProduced by Dear MediaJoin Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

In her own words, Sinikiwe Dhliwayo is a "creative being relentless in the pursuit of well-being for all." She is the founder of Naaya, a well-being company that's centering Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the wellness conversation, and Black Folks Breathing, a storytelling platform dedicated to telling the stories of Black folks.   Today, the creative director, model, speaker, writer, yoga teacher, and consultant joins Jaclyn Johnson to offer her insight on making the wellness industry more inclusive, building community through storytelling, and what comes after hustle culture.   RESOURCES: To connect with Sinikiwe Dhliwayo click here To follow along with Naaya click here This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Visit  Ritual.com/party10 to start Ritual or add Essential for Women 18+ to your subscription today.Use code PARTY to get a free travel-sized Daily Microfoliant when you spend #20 at www.Dermalogica.com Produced by Dear MediaJoin Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

Jane Wurwand founded the professional-grade skincare company Dermalogica in 1986—effectively disrupting an industry that, at the time, championed a makeup first, skincare second approach.   Over the years, Jane has trained thousands of skin therapists to create a skincare company that values skills-based professional training and high-quality skin care.  On today’s episode, Jane joins Jaclyn to talk about what it takes to disrupt an industry, how to be an intrapreneur, and the five words that helped her launch a successful business.   RESOURCES: To connect with  Jane Wurwand click  hereTo follow along wit  Dermalogica click  hereThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Use code PARTY to get a free travel-sized Daily Microfoliant when you spend $20 at  dermalogica.comProduced by Dear MediaJoin Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

Today’s guest joined the first wave of influencers by launching her blog, Happily Grey, as a creative outlet while working as an ICU nurse in Texas. Since then, Mary Lawless Lee has transformed Happily Grey into a fashion and lifestyle brand with a combined social presence of 2.6 million followers.Most recently, Mary broke into the wellness space with nēmah, a vegan skin-care line specifically formulated for mothers. Tune in as Mary shares how she pivoted from a career in the ICU to a career as a serial entrepreneur, launched a successful skin-care line, wrote a book, and more.   RESOURCES: To connect with  Mary Lawless Lee click  hereTo follow along with  nēmah click  hereTo follow along with  Happily Grey click  hereThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Visit  Netsuite.com/PARTY to a special one-of-a-kind financing offer on the number one Financial System for growing businesses.Produced by Dear MediaJoin Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

Andrea Lisbona, the innovative Founder of Touchland, shares her journey of transforming hand sanitizer from a mundane necessity into a stylish personal care revolution. She discusses how to use customer feedback for product innovation and building a loyal community, especially through Kickstarter. Lisbona emphasizes the power of social media in creating an authentic brand experience and explores the necessity of nurturing company culture during rapid growth, revealing lessons that can inspire entrepreneurs across industries.

In just four years, sisters and co-founders Leigha and Audrey built Vitamin C, a seven-figure influencer agency specializing in TikTok. Today, they work with top influencers to build impactful social media strategies for brands like Butcher Box, Thrive Market, Amika, and Vuori.    On this episode of WorkParty the sisters are joining Jaclyn to share the secrets to creating a winning TikTok strategy. From finding an audience and landing partnerships to developing an influencer strategy and going viral—they know a thing or two about making an impact on the feed.    Resources: • To join the WorkParty click here • To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click here • To connect with Leigha Anthony click here • To connect with Audrey Anthony click here • To learn more about Vitamin C click here • To follow along with Create & Cultivate click here • To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789) Produced by Dear Media Join Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

2022 is almost in the books. But before you log off to celebrate a year of great work, Create & Cultivate founder Jaclyn Johnson is answering all your FAQs about planning for the shiny new year ahead. From setting goals to recession-proofing your business, Jaclyn sits down to offer some real talk before the ball drops. Tune in!    RESOURCES: To join the WorkParty click HERE To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click HERE To follow along with Create & Cultivate click HERE To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789) Produced by Dear Media Join Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

Set your Slack status to "OOO" (or, okay, at least "out on a walk") because this week's WorkParty guests are Out of Office founders Jan Seale and Coabi Kastan—and they’re taking us far in this episode.    Out of Office is a travel planning app that helps you search for accommodations, activities, and food while you're vacationing.   After years of planning trips via Google spreadsheets and shared iPhone notes, Jan & Coabi had enough bad experiences to solidify their need for an all-in-one travel app.    When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the pair knew there would never be a better time to build Out of Office. With travel halted, flights canceled, stores closed, and quarantine in place– they knew the world and tourism industry would be booming at the first chance to get back out again.   Fast forward to today, Out of Office is a five-star travel tool with over 250,000 recommendations across 10,000 cities and counting. The new and buzz-worthy travel app gives you personalized recommendations from your inner circle, so you can always have the inside scoop, making it possible for you to experience travel inspired by your favorite influencers and your network of friends and family.   On this episode of WorkParty, Jan and Coabi share their insight on the future of personalized travel, entrepreneurship, app building, and the creator economy.    RESOURCES: To join the WorkParty click HERE To connect with Jan Seale click HERE To connect with Coabi Kastan click HERE  To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click HERE To follow along with Out Of Office (OOO) click HERE To follow along with Create & Cultivate click HERE To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789) Produced by Dear Media Join Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

Today we have two lovely guests joining us on the pod! Entreprenista’s Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer are both impressive multi-hyphenates on a mission to celebrate and share the stories, lessons, and business insights of female leaders while creating a community that drives connection and support. An entrepreneur from a young age, Stephanie Cartin parted ways with her corporate career in 2012 to launch Socialfly, a leading social-first digital and influencer marketing agency based in New York. Within 8 years, Socialfly was named to Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing private businesses two years in a row and has since worked with over 200 brands including the likes of 20th Century Fox, Univision, Conair, WE tv, and more. She has appeared and been featured on Bloomberg, Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, Refinnery29, and CheddarTV, and recently received the SmartCEO Brava award which recognized the top female CEOs in New York.   As the co-CEO and co-founder of Socialfly, Courtney Spritzer oversees all operations, strategy, and finance for the business. Since 2011, Courtney has been developing strategic social media plans for over 200 clients including John Varvatos, Nest Fragrances, FullBeauty, and more. Prior to starting Socialfly, she was also a financial analyst for American Express and a Bond Underwriter at Hanover Insurance.    Together, both Stephanie and Courtney are co-hosts of the Entreprenista podcast and co-authors of Like, Love, Follow: The Entreprenista’s Guide to Using Social Media to Grow Your Business, so it’s safe to say these women have truly mastered the art of being co-founders. In today's episode, they're sharing how they’ve evolved as friends and entrepreneurs, capitalized on new opportunities, and continued to build and scale their businesses along the way.   RESOURCES:To join the WorkParty click HERE To connect with Courtney Spritzer click HERE To connect with Stephanie Cartin click HERE To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click HERE To learn more about Socialfly click HERE To learn more about Entreprenista click HERE To follow along with CreatJoin Us for 2026 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festivalTo follow along with Create & Cultivate:https://www.instagram.com/createcultivatewww.createcultivate.comTo connect with Jaclyn Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnsonTo connect with Marina Middleton: https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton