Behind Her Empire

Are you always fighting cravings? Or in a never ending battle with your weight? In today’s episode, we sat down with a Registered Dietitian to get to the bottom of weight loss woes, popular advice, Ozempic, hunger cues and everything you need to know if your goal is to lose and maintain your weight—without depriving yourself.In this episode you’ll learn:* How to take back your relationship with food* Most common weight loss MISTAKES* How to maintain weight in perimenopause* The truth about taking Ozempic* How to STOP sugar cravings fast* Why your hunger cues are offKim Shapira M.S., R.D. is a celebrity dietitian (Kaley CuoCo, Brittney Snow, Marla Sokoloff and many more), nutritional therapist, and author of This is What You're Really Hungry For releasing July 25th, 2023. With a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Tulane University and a Master’s degree in Human Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition from Boston University. Kim has spent over 25 years helping people lose weight and keep it off (with a giant emphasis on keeping it off), both in her private Los Angeles practice as well as in hospitals, sports clinics, addiction centers and universities around the States. Kim Shapira has been at the forefront of nutrition therapy since the early 2000s, helping clients to truly understand their relationship with their bodies and correcting life long negative behaviors. Kim has been featured in Yahoo! News, Vanity Fair, Pop Sugar, Sky News, Just Jenny, Dr. Drew and many more.This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Kim: * Website: https://www.kimshapiramethod.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimshapiramethod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode we're re-airing one of our top episodes with Nicole Gibbons, the founder of Clare, the only Black-owned paint brand in the US, and is a favorite of Jessica Alba, Maria Sharapova, and Nate Berkus to name a few. Before pursuing interior design, Nicole spent nearly a decade managing PR for one of the world’s largest retail brands, Victoria's Secret. Although she was excelling in her career, Nicole felt uninspired and was looking for a new outlet for her creativity. She started working on a decorating blog on the side that ultimately gained serious traction and led her into the path of interior design. After working as a designer and establishing herself as a voice in the industry, Nicole decided to do another career pivot and had a yearning to build something that would be a household name. When working with clients, she always noticed the hassle around picking paints and saw an opportunity to disrupt the outdated paint industry and create a direct-to-consumer business that makes the entire process a way better experience. Nicole has been featured in top media outlets such as HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, Good Morning America, and Oprah Winfrey’s OWN. She's also raised venture capital from the backers of Warby Parker, Casper, Peloton, and more.We talk to Nicole today about the power of patience when it comes to building your business, how to think about your finance before you take the leap, how she raised money and built a tech business with zero connections to start, and so much more!In this episode, we'll talk to Nicole about:* Nicole's thoughts on confidence and the nature of risk and reward in entrepreneurship. [3:09]* The familial links that Nicole has to entrepreneurship and her early corporate career. [4:30]* Nicole's side hustle journey: pursuing passion while employed. [6:06]* How the blog organically evolved from a passion project into a business. [8:12]* Patience and consistency fueled Nicole's transition to full-time interior design. [10:01]* Foregoing the safety of paychecks and betting on yourself. [13:16]* Nicole's second pivot; executing on her research and ideas. [20:48]* How networking has played into Nicole's strategy throughout. [24:45]* Entering the world of venture capital; Nicole's philosophy towards funding. [27:13]* Advice for approaching investors; asking questions and due diligence. [34:57]* Sharing the story of your brand and creating a common thread through everything you do. [37:31)* Nicole's key resources: community, questions, and more. [41:29]* Nicole's thoughts on the idea of work-life balance and welcoming different seasons. [46:18]* Lessons from the early days of hiring for a new company. [49:28]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Nicole: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolegibbonsstyle* Clare's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarepaint* Clare Website: https://www.clare.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you imagine never taking painkillers on your period again?! We’re here to tell you that it’s possible. In today’s episode of Hormone Happy Hour, Dr. Saru Bala shares time-tested secrets to hormone health and having happy periods every month.In this episode you’ll learn:* PMS hacks if you don’t want to use painkillers* How to know if your period is heavy* What can lead to estrogen dominance * The impact of stress on gut health* How to dial in sleep for healthy hormonesDr. Bala is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor with a degree from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Prior to attending medical school, she received her Bachelor's degree in Neurobiology from the University of Texas at Austin. She has done extra training in the areas of women’s health and naturopathic endocrinology. Her primary focus is on managing chronic hormonal issues such as PMS, period pain, heavy bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, Hashimoto's, fertility, and other women's hormonal health concerns.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Saru:* Website: https://www.drsarubala.com/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarubala Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode we're re-airing one of our top episodes with Amy Liu, the founder and CEO of Tower 28, a beauty company inclusive of all skin tones, skin types, budgets, and beauty philosophies. For over 15 years, Amy Liu worked as a beauty executive at some of the fastest-growing prestige companies, including Smashbox, Kate Somerville and Josie Maran Cosmetics. But as a longtime eczema sufferer, she couldn’t even enjoy the best part of working in the beauty industry: trying out all the products! Even the clean alternatives were super expensive or too clinical, like they were coming straight from the doctor’s office. Amy saw this white space as an opportunity, and set out to create Tower 28. Tower 28 is the first beauty brand that’s 100 percent clean, vegan, and free of every known skin irritant. We talk to Amy about how she thought about the risk she was talking in starting her career with a successful corporate career under her belt, three kids and a mortgage. Amy also shares her perspective on why there's never a “right time” to get started, why we should never fall into the trap of comparison, the power of fostering real relationships in life and in business, and so much more.In this episode, we'll talk to Amy about:* Where Amy’s aversion to risk originated. [3:26]* Why Amy chose to become an entrepreneur in the beauty space. [7:59]* An overview of Amy’s career prior to founding Tower 28. [8:50]* How working for other companies before starting her own has benefitted Amy. [16:08]* Amy shares her motivation for quitting her full-time job and offers advice to mothers with similar concerns. [18:33]* The conversation that changed the course of Amy’s life. [22:50]* Value that lies in talking openly about what you want to achieve. [25:36]* The importance of reputation. [29:02]* Amy's unique approach to founding Tower 28 compared to her previous three ventures. [30:01]* What differentiates Tower 28 from other brands. [32:56]* Amy’s thoughts on overcoming fears around entering a saturated market. [34:02]* The ultimate goal that Amy had when she founded Tower 28. [37:30]* How Amy incorporates her values into her brand. [38:36]* Amy explains the approach that she took to growing Tower 28. [46:40]* How her experience of building Tower 28 has changed the way Amy looks at life. [50:03]* Exploring business challenges and rewards. [51:30]* Amy's wisdom for fulfilling life as a female founder. [56:15]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle. * Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10.Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Amy:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyliu_t28/* Tower 28 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tower28beauty/* Website: https://www.tower28beauty.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that only 12% of Americans are considered metabolically healthy?! That’s 1 in 8 people. Blood sugar has implications for our energy, focus, weight, mental health—and yes, hormone balance. So basically, blood sugar is relevant to all of us. We sat down with one of the foremost experts on this very topic and co-founder of metabolic health company Levels, Dr. Casey Means, to ask questions submitted by YOU, our beeya community. In this episode you’ll learn: * The top 5 foods to eat for metabolic health* How blood sugar shifts during women’s cycles* The best way to optimize blood sugar throughout your cycle* What waking up at night could mean about your health* Blood sugar hacks you need to know for everyday life* And more…Casey Means, MD is a Stanford-trained physician, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of metabolic health company Levels. Her mission is to maximize human potential and reverse the epidemic of preventable chronic disease by empowering individuals with tech-enabled tools that can inform smart, personalized, and sustainable dietary and lifestyle choices. Dr. Means’ perspective has been recently featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The New Yorker, Men's Health, Women's Health, and more.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Casey:* Website: https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/author/caseymeans * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen/Head over to levels.link/BEHINDHEREMPIRE to get a special Levels offer! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kat Hantas is the co-founder of 21 Seeds Tequila, one of the fastest-growing flavored tequilas. Kat’s had an interesting journey - from thinking she wanted to be a doctor, then pivoting to the entertainment industry, and then being a stay-at-home mom for many years. She never would have thought that she’d launch a business in the liquor industry. It wasn’t until she started noticing that her evening wine wasn’t making her feel good and her doctor recommended that she move away from fermented spirits and into distilled spirits. In the process of exploring tequila options, Kat came up with the idea to start 21 Seeds Tequila - a fresh natural tequila made with real fruit. She was making this in her kitchen for years, until one day the demand became so much that her friend inspired her to start selling the bottles. This sparked the idea and Kat co-founded the business with her sister and good friend to make it a reality. The business was acquired by Diageo in just three years in March 2022 and the deal marked one of the largest female-founded liquor acquisitions to-date.In this podcast episode, Kat opens up about her journey with imposter syndrome and shares tips on overcoming it in her career in the entertainment industry and entrepreneurial ventures. She discusses her transition from being a stay-at-home mom to launching 21 Seeds, highlighting the challenges of finding a distillery, creating product-market fit, and building a supportive network. Kat ends by sharing the playbook she used in marketing and the importance of knowing your customer, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Kat about:* Impostor syndrome and its impact on women's aspirations. [03:07]* Kat's shift from medical school to the entertainment industry. [06:33]* Experience at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and starting her production company. [11:37]* Film "Taking 5," hiatus, and focusing on family. [16:18]* Kat's journey as a stay-at-home mom, health challenges, and 21 Seeds inspiration. [21:23]* Transition from a hobby to launching 21 Seeds Tequila after nine years. [25:01]* Significance of co-founders in 21 Seeds' success. [29:23]* Challenges in the male-dominated tequila industry without expertise. [35:19]* Launch process and diligent preparations for 21 Seeds. [41:47]* Fundraising process and key lessons learned. [43:30]* Early momentum and unique marketing for 21 Seeds. [49:12]* Diageo's acquisition of 21 Seeds, a milestone in female-founded liquor business. [54:48]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Kat:* 21 Seeds Website: https://www.21seeds.com/* 21 Seeds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/21seeds/* Kat's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathantas/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever struggled with acne? While often thought of as a mere sign of puberty, acne can continue into or begin during adulthood—and it’s especially common when hormonal birth control enters the picture. Skin challenges after coming off the pill is actually what led our co-founder, Yasmin, to try seed cycling—which today’s Hormone Happy Hour guest mentions as a way to help address acne!In this episode you’ll learn: * Why you could be getting acne later in life* The top root causes of acne* Where to start on your healing journey* How some animal products can help nourish skin* The truth about topical-only approaches* Foods that could be triggering flare ups * How seed cycling can support clear skinKristin Cunningham is a board certified nurse practitioner who specializes in root cause treatment of complex acne cases. She earned her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and her master's degree from Georgetown University. While she was working as a nurse practitioner in family medicine she started struggling with adult acne. She soon became disillusioned with the ineffective, expensive skin care cluttering her vanity and the harsh medications that characterized traditional acne management. After spending months studying the root causes of acne and applying a holistic approach she was able to heal her acne. She saw the need for more awareness of this holistic model and started @The_Acne_NP on Instagram. She soon drew attention from thousands of followers who wanted to understand the root causes of acne for themselves.Kristin currently works full time teaching people how to clear their skin through a comprehensive, holistic approach. She lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband and 3 school-age children.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Check out Kristin’s programs and use code BEEYA150 for $150 off here:* Teen Acne Academy - www.bemetahealth.com/teenacneacademy * Clear Skin Code (Adult program) - www.bemetahealth.com/clearskincodeFollow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Kristin:* Website: https://www.bemetahealth.com/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_acne_np/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carolyn Childers is the CEO and co-founder of Chief, a revolutionary private membership network designed to uplift, empower and connect women executives. Chief has since achieved unicorn status, holding members in over 77% of Fortune 100 companies with a $1.1 billion valuation. Although Carolyn never originally set out to become an entrepreneur, her journey from investment banking to strategic and business development positions at companies like Victoria's Secret, Avon Products, and eventually her role as SVP of Operations at Handy led her to a problem she wanted to solve: supporting women executives. She teamed up with her co-founder Lindsay and together they were committed to building a private platform with community groups, member meetups, flagship clubhouse access, and most importantly, a powerful, vetted community. It’s said best by Carolyn herself, “It gets lonely at the top,” but for women, it gets lonely a lot earlier.” Today, Chief holds a wait list of tens of thousands of women and continues to empower women at all stages through its educational blog, podcast, and annual impact fund for female-focused causes. It’s clear investing in women pays off. In our episode, Carolyn shares her unique journey to entrepreneurship, how she evaluated the risks when leaving her stable job that she was doing well in, and the many myths we all have around entrepreneurship. She also shares how she built momentum early in the business, how she dealt with rejections from many investors, and the importance of having a laser focus on community and building the best experiences. Carolyn also provides her insights on finding co-founders and important aspects to consider, how she's tackled perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Carolyn about:* Myths about women in entrepreneurship. [03:26]* Journey from investment banking to entrepreneurship. [06:72]* Running operations at Handy, and how the idea for Chief came about. [18:27]* Carolyn's financial planning for startup risk. [25:03]* Carolyn's alignment with co-founder Lindsey. [28:00]* Building the early momentum and raising capital. [32:50]* Pushing Chief through word of mouth and organic channels. [36:30]* Prioritizing essentials and community engagement. [41:52]* Navigating entrepreneurship pressure. [41:52]* Chief's focus and beneficiaries. [55:15]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Carolyn:* CHIEF Website: https://chief.com/* CHIEF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiefamongstus/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered if your bedroom experience is normal? We sat down with naturopathic endocrinologist and clinical sexologist, Dr. Jolene Brighten. She helps us not only get the facts straight, but also bust through shame so many of us have around this topic. She’s basically the sex-ed teacher we wish we had when we were younger, so get your notepad ready…In this episode you’ll learn: * How to leverage your hormones for better sex* The truth about orgasms for women* Why you might have pain during sex* If you can get pregnant while on your period* What to consider before taking birth control* The best ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy* And more…Dr. Jolene Brighten is a board certified naturopathic endocrinologist, clinical sexologist, and the founder of Rubus Health, a women’s medical clinic with emphasis in endocrine health (hormones). She is recognized as a leading expert in women's health. Dr. Brighten is the best-selling author of Beyond the Pill and Healing Your Body Naturally After Childbirth: The New Mom’s Guide to Navigating the Fourth Trimester. She is also an international speaker and a member of the MindBodyGreen Collective. Her work has been featured in the New York Post, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, Bustle, The Guardian and ABC News. When she’s not educating the world on female reproductive health, she can be found cooking, hiking, gardening, or snorkeling with her family.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Jolene:* Website: https://drbrighten.com/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sasha Plavsic is the founder of ILIA Beauty, a natural skin-centric makeup and skincare brand that paved the way for the “clean-beauty” space as we know it today. Throughout her life, Sasha noticed that some of her beauty products irritated her skin. Her mother, who was also dealing with her own health challenges, encouraged Sasha to look into the ingredients behind her favorite makeup, leading her to notice a real gap in the industry for efficacious makeup that supports healthy skin. This motivated Sasha to build from the ground up out of her parent’s garage and bootstrapping the venture herself. ILIA has now expanded to many different product lines & has award-winning skincare products, mascara, lipsticks, and more. The company has seen incredible growth and last year, was sold to the private investment fund of the Courtin-Clarins family.In our episode, Sasha shares how she went from dreaming of becoming an architect to diving into graphic design, even dropping out of college, crossing borders, and finally discovering her true path. She candidly shares her 'aha' moment in her 30s – the catalyst that pushed her to leave behind her old life, get out of a long-term relationship, travel, and create the space for freedom that she always wanted. Sasha shares how she got ILIA off the ground with no background in makeup and the importance of sharing ideas to bring them to life. She also talks about how she started the business with very little money, the exact steps she took to take ILIA to the next level and the importance of listening to her gut and not growing too fast.In this episode, we’ll talk to Sasha about:* Sasha's dream of becoming an architect and college decisions. [09:01]* Parents' reaction to Sasha's education and exploration. [16:36]* Ending a relationship, leaving town, and traveling the world. [23:03]* Honoring life's biggest value, freedom.[25:51]* Supporting her mother's health, and starting ILIA. [30:29]* Sasha's side hustles and entrepreneurial ideas. [32:37]* Working at Saje, self-funding, and dad's support/advice.[40:03]* How Sasha launched the first product with very little money. [43:10]* Managing and overcoming big transitions in her life: Getting married, getting pregnant, and losing her dad to cancer. [47:02]* Turning down Sephora and potential business partnership. [54:12]* Being present with her kids, valuing her own time, and setting boundaries in life. [01:00:52]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Sasha:* ILIA Beauty's Website: https://iliabeauty.com/* Sasha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashaplavsic/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.