Her Ceo Journey

What roadblocks keep womxn from advancing in business? It’s not a lack of intelligence, ambition, or creativity—it’s a lack of access. Having access to the right opportunities can make all the difference in someone’s career trajectory and social impact. That’s why entrepreneur Michelle Kwok built her company, FLIK. In our conversation, we discuss what FLIK is, how the platform helps advance womxn in business, and why community support is crucial to both professional growth and global progress. Beyond discovering the ins and outs of the FLIK portal, you’ll also learn the value of picking up different skills and why it’s important to recruit the right team when building a company. About my guest:Michelle Kwok is the co-founder and CEO of FLIK, a community that connects ambitious young womxn looking for mentors with female founders looking for apprentices. Before starting FLIK, Michelle was making brand marketing videos while attending medical school. After getting accepted to Next 36’s entrepreneurship program,

Building a successful company can’t be done alone. It doesn’t matter how brilliant your idea is or how determined you are as a founder—to scale sustainably, you need a passionate, driven team. But how do you get your team to invest in your company’s growth? It all comes down to one often overlooked factor: empathy. Empathy is what Sherry Stewart Deutschmann used to build her $40 million company, LetterLogic Inc. In our conversation today, we dive into Sherry’s background, leadership philosophy, and unique take on profit sharing. You’ll pick up tips for hiring smarter, engaging employees, and learning how to evaluate your business finances and progress. About my guest:Sherry Stewart Deutschmann is a serial entrepreneur and author of the bestselling book, “Lunch with Lucy: How to Maximize Profits by Investing in Your People.” Sherry was also the CEO of LetterLogic Inc., a company she founded and grew to $40 million as a result of her revolutionary approach to leadership and profit-sharing. Now, Sherry advocates

Growing a company requires capital—and the right investor can make all the difference. But who is the right type of investor? Someone who will contribute more than just money. After all, investing is a relationship at its core. As a founder, you need someone who can champion your idea, expand your network, and write a check. That’s what Marcia Nelson has come to realize in her career as a professional board member and advisor to family investment offices around the country. In our conversation, Marcia shares her background and talks all about impact investing. You’ll learn about family offices, partnering with family offices, the importance of cultivating a strong investor-founder relationship, why impact investing is taking off, and how to keep your investors happy as you grow.About my guest:Marcia Nelson is a family office professional board member and advisor. After working in education and women’s fashion magazines at the beginning of her career, Marcia got a job working as an executive assistant for a bu

Founding a company might be a solo mission, but running a company isn’t. Successful founders know they need help to thrive. And good help goes beyond employees—it extends all the way to company leadership. That’s the philosophy that compelled Breen Sullivan, Sarah Feingold, and Kat de Haën to start their organization, The Fourth Floor. In my conversation with The Fourth Floor founders, we discuss just how critical it is to build a strong advisory board for your company. You’ll learn about The Fourth Floor’s mission to put more women in board positions; how getting legal advice can help your company scale; and how change starts in your own network.  About my guests:Breen Sullivan—an entrepreneur and general counsel—is the founder of The Fourth Floor, a membership community uniting female founders and professionals with the goal of increasing the number of women on advisory boards. Co-founder Kat de Haën is an inventor and entrepreneur who patented a popular consumer beauty product. Co-founder Sarah Feingold wa

You need funding to get your startup off the ground, but how and where do you secure capital?One option is to look for investors.Angel investors and VC funds are always on the hunt for promising startups, but you need more than a brilliant idea to land an investment.You need a game plan.That’s what entrepreneur and investor Judy Robinett talks about in her latest book, “Crack the Funding Code.”In our conversation, Judy shares the dos and don’ts of pitching investors, including her tips for preparing your financials and selling your team.You’ll learn how to approach different investors, what makes a good pitch deck, and why communicating with investors is key to building a good long-term relationship.About my guest:A lifelong entrepreneur, Judy Robinett is a startup funding expert, super-connector, investor, and author of “Crack the Funding Code.” With over three decades of experience in corporate leadership, Judy has served as the CEO of private and public companies, worked in management roles at Fortune 500

How do you give back when you’re building a business? There are countless ways, but one strategy is crowdfunding. More specifically, equity crowdfunding. By inviting people to invest in your business, you’re also giving them the opportunity to earn money from your success. It’s a win-win strategy. That’s what Martha Hernandez realized when she decided to use equity crowdfunding to raise capital for her company, madeBOS. In today’s episode, Martha and I chat about her background in human resources, her experience building a company, and why equity crowdfunding allowed her to go further than other forms of financing. As you listen, you’ll learn about the nitty-gritty financial and legal details behind running an equity crowdfunding campaign, plus Martha’s philosophy on running a people-first business. About my guest: Martha Hernandez is the founder and CEO of madeBOS, a tech company that uses a people-first approach to help small businesses simplify their human resources infrastructure. After working in human r

How do you set your business up for fast, sustainable growth?It comes down to having enough resources. One of those resources is financing. You can scale quickly when you have multiple different types of financing to pull from. Think of equity crowdfunding, convertible notes, and friends and family fundraising. That was part of what led entrepreneur Kara Sam to succeed with her company, Bucha Brew. Today, I chat with Kara to learn about the benefits of equity crowdfunding and what it’s like to run a company in consumer packaged goods with no prior experience. You’ll learn about the power of word-of-mouth marketing, why it’s important to build a community around your product, and how to run a company with radical transparency. About my guest: Kara Sam is the CEO and founder of Bucha Brew, a company that makes craft kombucha. Kara stumbled into entrepreneurship when she began making her own kombucha after falling in love with the beverage on a trip to Hawaii. After landing a deal with Whole Foods, Kara began pr

There are two key steps to business success: financing and building your audience. You may think the two goals are separate, but they don’t have to be. Traditional financing gets you money for your business, but crowdfunding gets you money and potential customers. That’s what entrepreneur and whiskey lover Rachna Hukmani figured out when she started her company, Whiskey Stories LLC. In my conversation with Rachna, we talk all about the non-monetary benefits of crowdfunding, including connecting with customers and creating opportunities for growth. You’ll also learn how to market without a huge budget, how to pivot your offerings during difficult times, and how collaborating with other businesses can help you expand your reach.  About my guest:Rachna Hukmani is a whiskey aficionado and the founder and CEO of Whiskey Stories LLC, a Michelin Guide-recommended luxury whiskey company that offers immersive, multisensory whiskey tastings and education. Before starting Whiskey Stories, Rachna worked in advertising, t

How do you generate an audience who’s passionate about your business? Here’s the trick: You don’t. You focus on creating a community first. That’s what entrepreneur and community organizer Claire Wasserman did with her company, Ladies Get Paid. Instead of developing a service then searching for an audience to appreciate it, Claire set out to build a community, then created her business offerings around the community’s needs.In my conversation today with Claire, we discuss the value of networking, how crowdfunding can propel your business forward, and what quality you need to overcome obstacles in business. Get ready to learn Claire’s best business advice and tons of tips and tricks for making the most out of your crowdfunding campaign.  About my guest: Claire Wasserman is the founder of Ladies Get Paid, a private online network that provides tools and resources to 70,000 women worldwide who want equal pay and power in the workplace. Before building Ladies Get Paid, Claire worked in marketing and community out

How do you prove there’s a demand for your product or service before you launch?The answer: reward crowdfunding.Rewards-based crowdfunding can help you drum up excitement for your business idea, gather a viable target audience, and gain access to capital.Entrepreneur Sarah Sommers knows the power of crowdfunding firsthand. Today, I’m interviewing Sarah to talk about her company, IFundWomen, and why crowdfunding is such a good opportunity for business owners to raise capital and grow. You’ll learn about the different types of crowdfunding, how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign, why a strong network is so valuable when starting a business, and more.About my guest:Sarah Sommers is the co-founder and creative mind behind IFundWomen, a rewards-based crowdfunding platform for women-led businesses. Sarah has always been passionate about closing the gap for women in the creative economy. She continues to use her creative side to help women entrepreneurs get access to capital, community, and business coaching.

This past June, Tara McMullin, Founder of the What Works Network gathered the global community of small business owners to talk about the ways that money shapes our businesses, our lives, and our communities in the Money & The New Economy Virtual Conference. I was invited to join a panel with other women led-businesses, Lauren Caseli, and Susan Boles to talk about our money mindset and belief, how each of us manages money inside our businesses, how we approach things in our businesses. and how we work with others in managing their money. The panelist discussed the following topics:➤ The story behind how we got into the work we do and why it's so important (5:33)➤ What does a better conversation about money sound like and how can we start to initiate those kinds of conversations more often in our lives (16:27)➤ What is the idea of Her CEO Journey (20:05)➤ How can we better understand the connection between technology, operations and data in our own businesses (22:44)➤ When you are working with a busin

Every business owner shares one key trait. Despite what you may think, that key trait isn’t determination, intelligence, or even creativity. So, what is it? Resourcefulness. Growing a business means you have to search for answers and solutions in every possible place. That’s exactly what Ceata and Garrett Lash have done to build their company, PuffCuff. In this week’s episode, I interview the couple about starting a business, expanding their demographic, and obtaining financing. You’ll learn the value of networking, what it takes to prototype a product, how to rethink your marketing strategy, and why invoice factoring can be a great financing option. About my guests:Ceata Lash is the founder and inventor of the PuffCuff Hair Clamp, and Garrett Lash is the CEO of PuffCuff LLC. Ceata revolutionized the beauty and hair industry when she came up with a comfortable, affordable tool to help style curly hair. Since then, she and her husband have landed a contract with Sally Beauty, expanded their distribution to glo

How do you turn an idea into a bestselling product? There’s no straightforward path to success, but there are a couple essential tools you need in your back pockets. Among them? Strategy and financing. Entrepreneur Lauren Picasso relied on multiple types of financing—along with her passion and business intelligence—to launch her brand. Today, I interview Lauren about her company, Cure Hydration, and discuss what it took to create her first product, acquire fundraising, expand her distribution, and launch with success. You’ll learn how to create a pitch deck for investors, why pricing is critical, when debt financing and invoice factoring are useful, and why it’s important to take risks.About my guest: Lauren Picasso is an entrepreneur, marketer, and founder and CEO of Cure Hydration, a company that sells sports drinks and powders made from organic ingredients. Prior to starting her company, Lauren worked in fashion, e-commerce, and marketing at companies like Jet.com, Rent the Runway, and Google. In this epis

What does it take to create powerful change? To disrupt an entire industry? To improve the lives of people in every corner of the globe? The simple answer: innovation. The more complicated answer, however, is a mix of innovation, strategy, adaptability, experimentation, and commitment to social change. That’s what entrepreneur and innovator Brandi DeCarli tapped into when she set out to disrupt the agriculture industry as we know it. Today, I interview Brandi about her revolutionary business idea, Farm From a Box, and how she grew the company into the global change-maker it is now. You’ll learn how to build social change into a business model, why it’s important to stay true to your goals, and how you can use different types of financing to your advantage. About my guest: Brandi DeCarli is the co-founder of Farm From a Box, a company that empowers communities around the world to grow their own food using clean technology. Before starting her business, Brandi was running her own nonprofit and working with the

What do you need to start a successful business? Is it business experience, determination, or financing? Neige and Pippa Blair would argue it’s passion. If you’re passionate about the products and services you put into the world, everything else just details. Today, I talk with the two sisters and entrepreneurs about what it takes to launch an idea, grow a company, and survive difficult times. You’ll learn how pricing your products right can help you grow, how debt financing can give you more freedom, and why it’s important to constantly be innovating.  About my guests: Neige and Pippa Blair are two women entrepreneurs disrupting the natural beauty industry. The scrappy sisters are the brains and creatives behind Routine, a line of natural deodorants and beauty products. After searching for a better natural deodorant, the two sisters started making their own products and launched them in arts markets across Canada. Since then, they’ve grown the brand into a cult sensation and landed international distribution

This week I talk with CEO and innovator Kim Aitken about how business owners can prioritize profit and social change. We discuss what it takes to finance capital-intensive businesses, how women entrepreneurs can take advantage of community financing opportunities, and why exporting can help you grow your business.Kim Aitken is the founder and CEO of Aitken Frame Homes and Aitken Innovations Inc. After moving from Ireland to Canada as an engineering graduate, Kim worked at an engineering firm honing her skills and learning the trade of construction. Later, when she was searching for resources to build her own home, she had the brilliant idea of creating a solution to simplify home construction—and Aitken Frame Homes was born. Now, Kim runs her successful construction company in addition to Aitken Innovations Inc., an education resource for architects, builders, designers, and engineers. In this episode we talk about:➤ Kim’s background in engineering (4:52)➤ How Kim had the idea for her business (7:09)➤ Weighin

This week I chat with the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, about the importance of expanding opportunities and resources for women business owners. We discuss the Canadian government’s funding initiatives and goals in the wake of COVID-19, why women entrepreneurs have faced more challenges during this pandemic, and the importance of pushing for international trade and growth. Minister Ng is the Canadian Minister of Small Business Export Promotion and International Trade. She has spent over 20 years working to increase access and create more opportunities for young people, women, and immigrants. When she decided to run for public office, she didn’t just want to improve representation in her field, she also wanted to make an impact on her country and the people she serves. Now, Minister Ng spends her days working to inspire women entrepreneurs, increase funding for women-led businesses, and offer resources for people looking to grow their operations. In t

This week I talk to Toni Desrosiers about the balance between creating a solid revenue stream with maintaining strong social values and financial approach that is best suited to your business. We also discuss the responsibilities of receiving grant money, the journey of finding a market for your product, and how employees' equality has played a key role in the company culture at Abeego. Toni Desrosiers is the founder, and the CEO of Abeego founded the company in 2008 with a vision to create a more efficient version of household plastic wrap. With over 10 years as a successful business owner and entrepreneur, she has shown great determination and perseverance in disrupting the food wrap industry. In this episode we talk about:➤ The journey Toni went on discovering how Abeego could become a profitable business (8:27)➤ How making a profit and creating a social impact coincide (12:05)➤ What Toni’s early experiences taught her about profit margins and managing finances (15:08)➤ How Toni approached selling Abe

This week I talk with entrepreneur Emily Kerr about debt financing during the COVID-19 crisis. We discuss why women business owners have historically resorted to using personal resources to grow their operations, how cash flow plays a role in business growth, and how you can take advantage of bank loans if you’re struggling during a crisis. Emily Kerr is a successful entrepreneur with a passion for finance, leadership, and small business. She’s the Vice-President of Business Banking at Bank of Montreal (BMO), where she leads a team of relationship managers who serve small to midsize businesses across the greater Vancouver market. Prior to working at BMO, Emily worked at Johnson & Johnson and Royal Bank Canada (RBC). She also led several large-scale heritage home restoration projects and completed her MBA with a certificate in social impact. Now, she’s dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs and business owners get the financing and tools they need to grow their operations. BMO is the oldest Canadian mult

Karen Fournier is COO of Fundingportal, Canada's leading grant services, and solutions provider. Prior to joining Fundingportal's founding team, she was a parliamentary reporter in Ottawa and a weekly columnist for the Financial Post. Karen now works with hundreds of companies every month, primarily in the advanced R&D sector, to get funded. Don’t miss to listen to my conversation with Rachel Hersh about invoice factoring as a way to get funding for your business recovery and growth. In this episode, Karen shared:➤ Karen’s journey from a reporter to the COO of Fundingportal (4:55)➤ What is Fundingportal (6:36)➤ How Fundingportal helps small businesses in Canada, the US and the UK (7:21)➤ The different types of grants and benefits for each type (9:50)➤ What incentives mean (12:12)➤ There is no free lunch money (15:10)➤ What small businesses need to understand about grant writing (16:32)➤ How small businesses should strategically apply for grants (20:26)➤ Grant vs. crowdfunding vs. venture capital