"Get ready mentally for many “no’s” and fail often" with Patricia Recarte

Patricia Recarte is a young, female entrepreneur living in New York City. Pati has experience in fields like fundraising for startups and investment banking and knows the importance of networking and growing businesses through meaningful relationships. That’s why she created KADO Networks, a remote networking company during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I’m Pati, a Spanish-speaking entrepreneur living in New York City since the summer of 2020. I am also the co-founder and CEO of KADO. In college, I studied law and economics and worked as an M&A investment banker at Morgan Stanley in London. Being very attracted to the tech ecosystem, I pivoted and started working for startups: first at Fever (an event discovery platform) as Head of Finance & Investor Relations, participating in their Series B fundraising; then at 21 Buttons (a fashion-tech startup) as Head of Corporate Strategy and Expansion. Once I decided I wanted to start my own business and before moving to NYC, I underwent a coding boot camp with Le Wagon.

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve been raised in a family of lawyers, worked as an investment banker, married one, and have been surrounded by people from the services industries. It occurred to me early on that success in these industries is very tied to networking, relationships and trust, and not necessarily tied to technical knowledge. However, ironically enough, less than 5% of lawyers in the US use relationship management tools of any sort, and the same is true of the other verticals! Traditional CRM-incompatibility, focused on transactional sales and marketing leaves business connectors and generators spending 50%+ of their time on networking, managing follow ups post-initial contact and working on business development. This represents a big market gap and an opportunity to increase efficiency, billable hours, and times to closing.

KADO comes in as an AI-driven one-stop solution, helping relationship-driven businesses: 1.) Activate clients and close follow-up gaps through interactive business profiles, and 2.) Reduce time to closing and increase value per hour through a fully-integrated and curated client manager.

Where is your business based?

We are split between NYC and Madrid. Business (sales, marketing, operations) is based in NYC, while development is based in Madrid, where I’m from. There is great talent in Madrid at more affordable rates than in the US. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I started by doing my research, interviewing people from my potential target market and trying to find their pain points. For this purpose, I built a very simple prototype that I could test out with my interviewees and use to confirm hypotheses and better shape the product roadmap. I then built an initial P&L with expected costs and needed resources, as this would help calculate financing needs.

Once I had a better idea and understanding of the MVP and costs, I started raising money from family and friends. That led me to hire my first employees! As soon as I got an MVP to market, I started testing it and improving it day after day.

5. What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Being focused on B2B and enterprise marketing is very tricky. It doesn’t work like a consumer / DTC brand. Our target user is not impulsive in the decision-making process and already knows what he or she wants when they go online looking for solutions. Therefore, ads or paid marketing doesn’t really work.

We are very focused on content generation and PR to establish ourselves as an authority in the space. SEO is another important tool, as these are people who already know what they want and will use Google to find it. Therefore, it’s key to ensure we appear at the top of Google results.

Together, with the above, we need to start working on referrals and reviews. That will be the second aspect companies will take into consideration.

6. What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Go to marketing and getting our first clients! We did a lot of beta testing for free and interviews with potential clients, while also improving the app at the same time. We have been offering it for free to individuals, as having some mass of usage is critical for SMBs and enterprises to move forward. Potential customers often ask about the number of users or need some name-dropping to be convinced.

For our first paying clients, we started with discounted rates. It’s important to get some names in at the very beginning, when the app isn’t fully complete, and when you have no precedents as examples. The best way to make your product compelling is by offering it at a competitive price point.

7. How do you stay focused?

Knowing that I am fighting to solve a problem that has always been proven difficult to decipher gives me motivation. Many have failed in this sector, but that also means there is great upside and potential if things are done right.

Other than that, I try to get my mind off of things from time to time, either by running, or going out with friends. Clearing the mind helps with refocusing later!

8. How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

We are a mix between a relationship manager and a networking digital business card app that offers a 360 solution unlike anything else out there. We offer just the basic features of each vertical that are actually needed for that 360-degree experience.

9. What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Blogging and SEO for sure! Most of our leads come from the same couple of blog articles and Google searches.

10. What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Get ready mentally for many “no’s” and fail often. Entrepreneurship is a road of trial and error. What’s important isn’t that you never make mistakes, but that you recover fast and learn from them.

11. What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

App: Calendly → I love being organized and efficient. (Reason why I also love KADO, as I am a typical target user.)

Book: Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time → I’m a bit of a science nerd, I love reading books that spark my curiosity, rather than reading novels.

Blog: I am not a blog reader to be honest. I tend to read newsletters from general market / news updates like Axios, or listen to the podcasts of the FT or the Economist.

12. What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Jira: I lead product management, so it’s a great tool to keep track of sprints and releases. 

13. Who is your business role model? Why?

I don’t have a particular business role model. In general, I really admire every single person that throws themself into entrepreneurship. I love hearing their stories of failure or success. Every person has a unique story and perspective to bring to the table. No one story or experience is better than the others. 

14. How do you balance work and life?

That is something that I am still trying to work on or improve. I’m married but have no kids at the moment. I still do very long hours and find myself working many times over the weekend. I try to at least go to dinner with friends and take part in sport activities some weekends. However, what’s key is to make sure that I can have dinner at home with my husband every evening.

15. What’s your favorite way to decompress?

A long run and some boxing! I have tried meditating many times, but it has not proven to be right for me.

16. What do you have planned for the next six months?

KADO is still at the very early stages of it’s story, so there’s still a lot to come. Up until now, we have been very focused on user discovery, growth and doing some micro-pivots at the feature and prioritization level to ensure we have a clear and proven path for the upcoming years. Our next short-term goal is to focus on revenue and generating the attention of enterprise accounts. KADO’s goal is to help not only professionals, but overall businesses grow through meaningful relationships. It’s actually at the enterprise level where we see our biggest potential!

17. How can our readers connect with you?

Feel free to connect with me on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-recarte.

You can also learn more about KADO by going to kadonetworks.com.

Happy to talk anything about networking, product and AI-applied SaaS  (which is where we want to head). Thanks!

"*Authenticity* is what will build trust and connection" with Jenna Miller

Photo Credit: Jennifer Casey Photography

Jenna Miller is Creative Director of Here Comes The Guide, a women-owned and operated wedding website that plays a venue matchmaker for engaged couples. Working for a bootstrapped small business has taught Jenna a lot about entrepreneurship, the importance of company culture, and embracing a gritty everything-is-figureoutable mentality. After a decade in the wedding marketing trenches, Jenna launched her side hustle Absolute JEM where she designs bold brands and Showit websites for fabulous female entrepreneurs.

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I began working for the wedding website Here Comes The Guide in 2009. At the time, there were just 9 women on staff and I started in sales. I spent seven years working my way up in the company. The great thing about Here Comes The Guide is that we’re encouraged to develop our own roles, based on what we're passionate about.

So I did just that. I’ve always been design-oriented and visionary, and knew I wanted to take over the creative direction of the brand. I weaseled my way into being Creative Director after wireframing an undercover rebrand + redesign of our entire website, and surprise-presenting it to our CEO. 
Once she loved the design (phew!) and gave me the green light to actually implement it, I figured it was about time I legitimize my "design hobby". Since then, I've been immersed in all the things I truly love: branding, web design, graphic design, copywriting, and social media strategies. I also launched my own side-hustle design business, Absolute JEM!

What inspired you to start your business?

Not only do I love design and deeply understand how visuals can make or break a business, but I'm also passionate about empowering female entrepreneurs. If the only thing standing between a fierce, capable woman and her career goals is a professional brand and website, I'm here to knock that wall down. I want to help women level up their business or kick start their hobby so they can turn it into a legitimate revenue stream.

As a working mother, I get how hard it is to balance a career alongside a family and household. But it IS doable. Working from home with Here Comes The Guide and Absolute JEM has been an absolute blessing, and I think more women should explore the magic and vast possibilities that can come out of their home offices.

Where is your business based?

My business is based in my home office in Annapolis, MD. I’m originally from California, born-and-raised, but I’m also a military wife. So when I was 6 months pregnant with my first son, my husband broke the news that we had to move across the country. Luckily I can take my job with me wherever I go, so I didn’t have the added stress of needing to find a new job in a new location. This is another reason I’m such a huge advocate of flexible, remote careers for women – especially mothers!

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Before launching Absolute JEM as an official business, I had already done a few branding and website projects for friends and family. My boss and the CEO of Here Comes The Guide Meredith Schwartz was my first client. She has a wildly-popular book podcast called The Currently Reading Podcast, and she trusted me to design their visual brand identity and website. I was honored, to say the least. With that project under my belt, I already had a rough process and package inclusions in mind.

The next step was solidifying my own brand identity. I went through the same process I now put my own design clients through—from filling out an in-depth brand questionnaire to pinning images on Pinterest. Once I knew the WHY behind my business and had my visuals in place, I was able to create my website. 

Of course, there are so many more steps I had to take to actually launch, but as a brand and web designer it was crucial for me to get my own outward-facing visual brand, website design, messaging, and social media feed really right.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

Instagram, and of course, word of mouth. I booked my first “real” paying client through Instagram. (As in, this wasn’t someone I knew in real life.) My Instagram strategy was to practice what I preach: Brand consistency. I have my color palette, my fonts, my own brand personality and voice…and I religiously stick to them. I began engaging with my local small business community. I also began showing my face in Stories and posts. So I credit Instagram for helping me establish a presence in the creative community, but word of mouth has been my key to consistent bookings.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

I had the idea to launch Absolute JEM back in 2018, when I was 9 months pregnant with my second baby boy. I knew that time and balance would be my biggest challenges. Juggling two young kids plus a full-time job didn't leave me with much bandwidth to launch a side hustle, but it was something I just couldn't get out of my head.

The best thing I did to overcome these challenges was accept that none of it was going to happen overnight, and if this is something I really wanted, I needed to embrace slow, steady growth.

It took me a couple of years to launch my own business, and to this day, I have to manage my time carefully. I work a 4-day workweek with Here Comes The Guide and dedicate my Fridays to Absolute JEM. I only take on 1–2 design clients at a time. I have future ideas for digital products, but again, I know that this is going to take some time.

I'm not in the position in my life to hustle. I need to be present for my family. So I make sure to strike a balance with work that feeds me and challenges me, but doesn't overwhelm me or completely stress me out. Striking this work / life balance isn't always easy, but it's something I firmly believe in as a working mother.

How do you stay focused?

My favorite tip for focused productivity at work is writing out a daily "top 3" to-do list. Rather than writing down all the things that need to get done, my strategy is to streamline the list down to just three things that must get done that day. These are my top priorities, and if I get nothing else done, I will still feel productive because those most mission-critical to-dos got checked off my list. I start each morning by thinking through my top 3, and writing them down. Once I’ve worked through those items, I can move on to the lower-priority tasks if time allows—or simply give myself permission to log off for the day!

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

Visually, my brand is bold and colorful, and I'm not afraid to put my sassy personality on display. I find that a lot of designers favor a more neutral color palette, sophisticated language, and are a bit more "safe". I want to attract clients that aren't afraid to be SEEN, so I try to put my own style out there—even if it repels some people!

I also have a wealth of experience with all things digital marketing. Through Here Comes The Guide I've gained expertise not only in branding and design, but also in best SEO practices and copywriting. I find that some designers only make things look pretty—but I know that's only part of the equation. I partner that pretty with powerful strategy to really resonate with clients, rank on Google, and convert lookers into bookers.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Leveraging both social media and my website, and putting personality into my brand. I use Instagram as a running portfolio of my work but also as a place to educate my audience on best practices for branding and website design and to share some personal, behind-the-scenes stories to help build that all-important “know like trust” factor. I also use blogging as a means to both showcase my expertise and rank my website higher on Google. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

Find your voice. Most markets are so saturated that differentiating your branding is essential. Embrace your unique personality and let it shine through in your brand and marketing! Because at the end of the day, *authenticity* is what will build trust and connection.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

One of my favorite books that I’ve read several times now is Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. I'm fascinated by habits—both how they shape the overall structure of our lives and how our personality types play into forming, changing, or breaking them. This book is incredibly easy to read and is jam-packed with strategies that actually work. I continually go back to it to reinforce certain habits in my life and just love the framework she provides.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I'm a huge fan of TextExpander. It’s a tool that expands short abbreviations into long blocks of frequently-used text. I use it for emails mostly, and it enables you to not only “type out” hugely long emails with just a few clicks on the keyboard, but it also has “fill in” fields where you can customize the emails as needed. I’ve saved so much time with this tool – apparently in 2021 I saved 18 days using TextExpander!

Who is your business role model? Why?

I’ve already mentioned her above, but it’s my boss Meredith Monday Schwartz. As the head honcho at Here Comes The Guide, she’s helped us build a remarkable company for working moms. We’re a fully-remote, self-funded, women-founded, owned, and operated small business dedicated to true work / life balance. She’s implemented a 4-day workweek to give us more time, 6 weeks of paid maternity leave, and encourages us all not only to shape our own roles, but to also have side hustles that feed us. She never makes you feel bad about missing work when life happens. On the flip side, she actually gives us tips and advice to help. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but it makes me want to see more companies like ours out there in the world.

How do you balance work and life? 

I’ve mentioned several ways in my answers above, but one thing that I think is paramount to feeling balanced is self care. For me this means taking good, intentional care of your mental and physical well being. Far too often this “strategy” falls by the wayside because people either think it’s selfish (false) or that it’s less important than the other items on their to-do list (also false). The truth is, you need to feel your best in order to effectively tackle whatever the universe has in store. Whether it’s journaling, meditation, walking your dog, or taking a nightly bubble bath, find the things that naturally recharge you and leave you feeling like the best, most balanced version of yourself. No excuses!

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

Red wine and Bravo. No shame in my game.

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

I have design clients booked through summer! So between client work, my full-time job, and my kids I’ll be keeping pretty busy. One thing I’ve been noodling on is creating digital products. I’d love to have a more passive revenue stream at some point. I’m aiming to gain more clarity on this in the coming months to put an actual plan in place.

How can our readers connect with you?

You can find me on Here Comes The Guide, my website Absolute JEM, and on Instagram @absolute.jem – can’t wait to connect!

"Keep showing up, conducting outreach, and making those connections" with Rachel Leslie

Rachel Leslie is the founder and lead writer of RL Studio, a copywriting and storytelling studio on a mission to help impact-driven brands stand out and amplify their business with compelling copy and purpose-led storytelling. With over a decade of marketing experience, Rachel understands and believes in the power of stories. In the studio, Rachel can be found at the helm collaborating with her clients, and graphic and web designers, developing messaging guides, copywriting strategies, and educating entrepreneurs on the power of storytelling.

Can you tell our readers about your background?
I have a degree in journalism, a business minor, and nearly 10 years of experience working in PR and marketing in the agency realm and on the brand side. During my agency days, I had the opportunity to work with various social impact brands across the food and beverage, travel, and hospitality industries. I’ve always been interested in storytelling and helping brands share their message with the world, whether that was through managing influencer marketing campaigns, launching new products or spearheading industry-disrupting campaigns.

Before starting my own business, that passion for storytelling led me to work at Nike as a digital copywriter writing for nike.com, app and email channels telling the stories of athletes, new product launches, and communities of impact.

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve always done a lot of freelance writing on the side of my full-time jobs for so many years, and I always wondered if I’d ever take the plunge to start my own business. It wasn’t until I was working at Nike when I thought I was at my dream job where that question of whether I would start my own business continued to come up.

I loved the work I was doing, but I felt a strong desire to start my own business. I really enjoyed the freelance work I was doing on the side, helping brands share their positive messages or products with the world. The work was always different—from an online motherhood platform and a sustainable family-run fruit farm in Kauai to a small boutique hotel and more. All of these businesses were so passionate about their work. They continued to inspire me to help them through my brand messaging and copywriting services.

Where is your business based?

We’re based in Portland, OR where I live, but we get to work with clients all over the world! 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

When I finally realized that I wanted to start my own business, I decided I would test this concept of offering copywriting services on the side of my full-time job. That way, I could ease into the process and see if this business could actually work.

One of the first steps I took was to tell former colleagues of mine, friends, and family members that I was now offering these services. I also created a social media channel and updated an old website to share more about myself, my services, and how people could work with me. Once I had these foundational elements in place, I started doing a lot of networking online and in-person to build genuine relationships with other creatives, industry leaders, and business owners. Building these relationships was one of the most beneficial steps to building my copywriting studio.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

As I briefly mentioned in the previous question, relationship building was huge. When you’re connecting with other people—online or not—it’s so, so crucial for you to be true to yourself and to be, dare I say it, authentic. One of the biggest differentiators that will help you build a business and stand out from the crowd is to be yourself. People want to work with people and brands they genuinely connect with and care about. 

Another effective way to raise awareness for my business was to continuously show up online (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) to talk about my brand values, story, and services. It may feel like no one is watching or following you in the early stages, but trust me, they are! Continuously showing up online was one of the biggest unlocks for me to attract clients near and far and make myself known.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Admittedly, self-doubt and imposter syndrome were two of my biggest challenges in building my own business. Questions, thoughts, and fears continuously came up that would spiral me into a black hole of…can I really make this work? Are the clients going to come? What will others think of me? And the list goes on! I quickly learned from business mentors and coaches that this, of course, is normal but that having a healthy mindset could make or break my business.  

One way I overcame these challenges was through journaling and manifestation tactics. There’s something to be said about taking stock of your thoughts and feelings and recognizing why you may be feeling a certain way. We move so fast in our day-to-day lives, and I think it’s important to ask yourself why you feel one way or another and get to the root cause of that emotion. On the other hand, there’s also something so powerful about envisioning your goals and believing in them so much so that they actually come to life. I had a lot of big goals for my first year in business, whether that was hitting a specific number in sales, signing on X number of clients, etc. Whenever I had a big goal I was trying to hit or a vision for a project, I would write out Post-It notes all over my house, on my laptop, and journal about it daily. They quickly became goals that didn’t feel out of reach for me but ones that I knew I could bring to life.

How do you stay focused?

Whenever I’m about to dive into a project or simply begin my workday, I do a couple of things to keep myself focused. Firstly, I silence any and all distractions. That includes my Slack channel with my team, phone, and any other distractions that may arise at home (like my husband coming into the office!). When I “go to work,” I let him know so he’s aware that I don’t want to be interrupted. I also batch my working windows. Mondays and Fridays are days when I solely work on my own business, internal projects, etc. Client work is restricted to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. 

Our environments strongly influence our creativity, focus, and flow. Me, I thrive in my work, and I’m able to focus the most when I have natural light in my office; I have everything I need at my desk (water, a snack, paper to write on, etc.), a good Spotify playlist, a candle, and I’m wearing comfortable clothes. On a big writing day, these are essential for me!

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
As I mentioned earlier, I'm a passionate storyteller, and this is something we thread throughout all of our client services. With my journalism background, the skills I've learned from that profession are integrated into our studio services. For instance, whenever we kick off a client project, we have an hour-long onboarding call where we conduct an interview Q+A session with our clients to get to know them, their goals, and their vision. During my journalism days, I had a lot of training in school in regards to prompts and questions to ask interviewees to get them to open up and talk. I've found these tactics to be so helpful during the early stages of a client project to get to know them and when we move into the writing stages, too.
Additionally, we really pride ourselves on community and collaboration over competition. This belief is found in the collaborative nature of how we work with our clients brainstorming copy strategies together, ideating on review calls, and the list goes on. We also have an interview series called Beyond The Brand, where we invite other creatives into the studio and pass the pen to them to hear their stories. This is just the start of a bigger vision to build a community around creativity and collaboration.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Social media marketing has been highly effective in helping me grow my business. Instagram specifically has allowed me to connect with other creatives, and clients and grow a strong referral base. I would have to say that proactive outreach like following, commenting, and engaging with other potential clients, brands, and creatives to build genuine relationships and have candid conversations has allowed my business to grow on social media and to continue to be top-of-mind.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

For aspiring entrepreneurs, the best piece of advice I could give is to just start! Trust me, you’ll regret it if you don’t ever try! For new entrepreneurs, keep on keeping on! Keep showing up, conducting outreach, and making those connections. It may feel like radio silence initially, but people are watching, listening, and seeing what you’re doing!

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Great question! I’ve listed a few of my favorites below, but these are always changing! 

App: Calm - I’ve had Calm for quite some time now, and I’ve never used it as much as I have when I started my business. I love its meditation guidance, daily check-ins, and music selections. It also has movement options for stretching, etc. which I haven’t tried out yet! It’s my daily go-to but especially in moments of anxiety and stress.

Blog: Right now, I’ve been loving all of Sistain’s articles about sustainable everyday solutions, features of sustainable brands, and guides to living a more intentional lifestyle. Over the past few years, I’ve been really conscious of my everyday habits and the small changes I can make to positively impact the planet. This is an excellent resource with tons of digestible content and approachable recommendations we all can make. 

Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - This book takes on a unique perspective on creativity and how ideas spark. It really showed me that really anyone can be creative and have an idea to start a business, write that book, etc., but it’s the choice in doing so where the magic really lies. 

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Since starting my business, I’ve been using Honeybook, and I love it so much. It’s a fantastic client management tool that helps me keep track of client projects, invoicing, contracts, proposals, client communication, and the list goes on. When it comes to client management, I love having everything in one place as it helps me stay on top of all aspects of a project!

Who is your business role model? Why?
I’m a big fan of Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. Not only is her story of perseverance incredible in how she built a million-dollar company, but I love how raw and real she is not only as a businesswoman but as a mother and a wife.

How do you balance work and life?
I continue to remind myself that I created this business to have a healthier work-life balance. I’d be lying if I said, I’ve got it all figured out! As a business owner, it’s easy to feel like the longer you work, the more you’ll get done because you’re the one leading the charge, but I’ve quickly learned that’s not the case. The more breaks I give myself, the more days I choose to work less (and not harder), the more I focus on quality over quantity when I really thrive, and so does my business.

Right now, for me, this work-life balance looks like shutting off my computer at 5 p.m. on the weekdays and not opening it until the following morning, taking an hour for lunch, and walking outside. As well as working out or moving my body at least 30-minutes 4-5 times a week. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I don’t know if I could pick just one way to decompress. Lately, it’s felt like a combination of things to really unwind. Sometimes, the simple act of getting off a screen and getting outside for a walk with my husband or a run can really do the trick. And other times, it’s ordering take-out and watching my favorite show. I’m a big traveler, so if those don’t do the trick, I’ll look at taking a mini staycation somewhere nearby in the Pacific Northwest or more further afield. Sometimes, that’s exactly what I need to step away from my work, switch off and return completely refreshed.
What do you have planned for the next six months?

To say we have a lot in the works is an understatement! We’re in the process of rebranding as well as building out a workshop series to educate aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners about copywriting and brand storytelling strategies. We also have a handful of done-for-you copywriting projects in the books with some pretty amazing clients across the health and wellness, fashion, interior design, and marketing industries.

On a more personal note, my husband and I will finally have our wedding celebration in Scotland this spring after 3 postponements! 

How can our readers connect with you?

To learn more about our studio, they can head to rachelleslie.co. To follow along on the latest studio happenings, they can find us on Instagram at @rachelaleslie.

"Start with the problem, not the solution" with Nadia Ladak

Photo Credit: Lizzie O'Donnell

Nadia Ladak (she/her) is the co-founder and COO of Marlow, a new lifestyle FemTech start-up that has developed the first-ever tampon & lubricant designed to be used together for smoother and more comfortable insertion. Previously, she worked as a management consultant at KPMG where she worked across a number of retail clients. Nadia is committed to giving back to her community through her role as a catalyst board member at Holland Bloorview Children's Hospital and as a mentor for the Junior Achievement Company Program where she provides weekly coaching to high school students as they operate their own small businesses. Nadia has also spoken at universities across Canada to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing her guitar, and spending time outside biking, hiking, and backcountry camping.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

Growing up, music was always a huge part of my life. I was in choirs, participated in musical theatre, and played guitar and piano. I loved that music allowed me to be creative and express myself. I even went on to study music in my first two years of university before pursuing the Ivey Business School program at Western University. After graduating, I worked at KPMG as a management consultant where I worked across a number of our retail clients to improve their customer experiences. I then went on to pursue Marlow as a full-time founder. Marlow is a one-stop-shop for modern menstrual & sexual wellness, starting with the first-ever lubricant and tampon designed to be used together for smoother & more comfortable insertion. Entrepreneurship has been the perfect career path for me because it allows me to combine the passion and creativity I learned in music school with the analytical & financial management skills I learned in business school.

At Marlow, we also believe in the importance of pursuing your passions outside of work so that you can bring your whole self to work. For me, this looks like giving back to my community through my role as a Catalyst board member at Holland Bloorview Children’s Hospital & as a mentor for the Junior Achievement Company Program where I coach high school students to start their own small businesses. I also love to read and spend time outdoors biking, hiking, and camping in the backcountry. I always get a spark of inspiration and creativity while I’m disconnected on a hiking or canoe trip in Algonquin or Lake Superior Provincial Park!

What inspired you to start your business?

We started Marlow after a conversation among a group of friends. One of our co-founders shared that she had pain when inserting tampons. She was an active individual, and pads, her only alternative, were bulky and uncomfortable. In addition, it prevented her from participating in certain activities such as swimming. After hearing her story, we interviewed over 150 menstruators and learned that 86% of them also experienced discomfort when inserting a tampon especially for those who are new to using tampons, who have pelvic floor conditions like vaginismus, who experience vaginal dryness, or for those who have a lighter flow, especially towards the beginning and end of their cycle.

Our co-founder went to the gynaecologist to try to find a solution and the gynaecologist told her to “spit” on her tampon. That shock factor blew away our team, and we knew there must be a better way. That’s when we decided to create the first-ever lubricant and tampon designed to be used together for smoother and more comfortable insertion.

After doing a deep dive into this space, I was shocked to learn that the modern tampon hasn’t really changed in the last 89 years. In a world of constant innovation, I thought, why should menstrual products be any different? It seemed that as consumers, we were on auto-pilot, never questioning what we were putting into our bodies. Every day, I wake up energized and excited to bring innovation to a space that impacts over 50% of the population at some point in time. I am passionate not only about the impact we can make with our brand new product but about the education we are providing to our community so that they can learn more about their bodies and health.

Where is your business based?

Our business is based in Toronto, Canada.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

We started with the problem of painful tampon insertion & spent time iterating to figure out what the ideal solution would be. We sent 100 samples of tampons & lubricant to individuals and collected their feedback to see if it helped with their insertion. From this, we learned that applying lubricant to tampons was a messy process that some described as “arts & crafts in the bathroom stall”. This led us to create our innovative cross-slit valve application method that allows you to coat the tampon in one mess-free dip. After this, we partnered with a Canadian research lab to test the products together and shortly after, received our Health Canada approval.   

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

The most effective way of raising awareness has been through our educational community. As menstruators ourselves, we know how ridiculous it is that menstruation is a taboo subject steeped in whispers and misinformation and we were determined to change this. Since the beginning, we have been sparking conversations to reduce the stigma around menstrual & sexual health. We find once we do spark these conversations, it’s like opening the floodgates. There’s a sense of comfort in knowing you are not the only one wondering these questions. Menstruation is normal & happens to almost 50% of the population at some point in time for almost one week every single month and should not be something we’re ashamed of.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

I think one of the hardest things about being an entrepreneur is the ambiguity you face every day. There is no playbook that tells you what to do. You are completely accountable for every decision you make. You will fail, and you will face rejection, but this provides a quick feedback loop to learn and pivot accordingly. It is actually one of the most exciting parts of being an entrepreneur. You are constantly putting yourself out there and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. You get to wear many hats and learn about all of the aspects of business, such as operations, fundraising, marketing, and team building.

How do you stay focused?

I like to start my day with yoga as it allows me to get in a calm and focused head space. I also like to time block my day to ensure I’m able to accomplish all of my priorities. For me, I am most focused and energized in the morning so I try to schedule time to do my deep work in the morning. Then I can do meetings and other tasks throughout the day. Everyone is productive at different times so you need to find what works for you!

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Marlow’s underlying magic is our first-to-market product innovation, our direct-to-consumer business model, and our inclusive & modern Gen Z brand. Our convenient DTC subscription model is extremely beneficial to those with busy lives who often find themselves making last minute trips to the grocery store to buy their tampons. It also allows us to form direct relationships with our customers to personalize their experiences. On top of this, we’re building a brand that is catered to all menstruators, not just women. We focus on sparking conversations & providing education to reduce the stigma around menstrual & sexual health for everyone.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

We have found that taking a digital-first approach has been extremely effective in growing our brand. We break down these stigmatised topics in a humorous, welcoming & easily digestible way on TikTok & Instagram.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

My first tip would be to start with the problem, not the solution. It’s important to find a problem that you’re passionate about solving, and then the answer can come after. Spend a week going through your daily life and identifying issues that need to be solved. Think about inconveniences you face or how you can make a certain product even better. The ideas will come after that.

Find a low-cost way to test your idea. You don’t have to jump into a picture right away. Start by asking your friends and family about the idea. Then, you can do a customer survey. Next, you can start to build some prototypes and minimum viable products. You will constantly be iterating your product, so it’s important to gather as much feedback as possible.

Build your network. I have been blown away by the generosity of the entrepreneurship community. People are always willing to help out and share their lessons learned. Reach out to other founders, mentors, investors, and marketers. Everyone started somewhere, and they are happy to share lessons they’ve learned along the way.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

One of my favourite books is “Let my People go Surfing” by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. This book discusses what it means to do business with purpose. Chouinard will disrupt his entire business model if it means he can do better for the environment. For example, they ran a campaign called “Don’t Buy This Jacket”. The message was intended to encourage people to consider the effect of consumerism on the environment and purchase only what they need. They asked people to buy only what they need, repair what breaks, and re-use or recycle everything else. This would ultimately decrease their new revenue of jackets but means that they will be not contributing to excess waste and production.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favourite business tool is Asana. It is a great tool for project management and keeping our team aligned. I use the to-do list feature every single day and could not imagine breaking down my tasks and priorities without it!

Who is your business role model? Why?

My business role model is Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. Her story inspires me because it is a great example of how you have to be scrappy and work hard as an entrepreneur. She started her company with $5000 of her personal savings and bootstrapped it to a billion dollar business. I remember reading the story about how when she had limited money to spend on marketing, she would wear a t-shirt that said “Spanx” around everywhere for free advertising. When she announced the sale to Blackstone, she surprised her employees with tickets to travel anywhere around the world. She truly cares for her employees and works to build a strong workplace culture. She has shattered so many glass ceilings and is such an inspiration to other founders.

How do you balance work and life?

One strategy that I’ve started to adopt is having one completely disconnected day each week. As a founder, we feel pressure to always be online, checking e-mails, and getting work done but I find it is crucial to have one completely disconnected day to reset & refresh. I also try my best to find time every day to do one thing for myself. Whether that be calling a friend, reading a chapter of my book, going on a walk, or enjoying an episode of my favourite show.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

My favourite way to decompress is to curl up with a good book and a cup of peppermint tea. I love that reading temporarily transports me to a different world & allows me to learn something new.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

In the next six months, we will be gearing up for our expansion to the US. We also have exciting plans for new community growth initiatives as we continue to increase our brand awareness & release new products.

How can our readers connect with you?

Join our community on Instagram @marlow and on TikTok @wearemarlow to learn about all things menstrual & sexual wellness with us. We post blogs, interactive polls, and mythbusters on everything ranging from does cranberry juice help with UTIs to should you have a post-sex hygiene routine? Also, check out our website to shop & learn more about our products at www.wearemarlow.com and feel free to reach out with any product feedback you have. We’re always looking for ways to improve, so we’re all ears! To connect with me, my Instagram is @nadia_ladak.

Emilia M. D’Anzica and Sabina M. Pons: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder

Emilia M. D’Anzica has developed a passion for SaaS products, women in tech, and customer success starting her career in Silicon Valley. She has cultivated rich experience and knowledge after leading teams at global companies, including Jobvite, WalkMe, and BrightEdge.

Emilia has also obtained an MBA from Saint Mary’s College of California focusing on Global Competition and Strategy. She founded Growth Molecules, an emerging management consulting firm, helping companies simplify customer success and become more profitable. She is globally recognized as a top 25 leader in Customer Success, having received numerous accolades for her work, and is well-known as a customer success speaker. Emilia has also been featured in countless media, including Forbes.com, at SaaStr Annual Conference, B2B Rocks, RD Summit LATAM, and more.

Originally from Naples, Italy, Emilia is an immigrant and one of six children who grew up in Kelowna, British Columbia. She has lived and worked in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Rome, Italy, early in her career. When she isn’t working or traveling the world, Emilia spends time with her partner, three children, and multiple animals exploring Sonoma County, where she now resides. Pressing ON as a Tech Mom: How Tech Industry Mothers Set Goals, Define Boundaries & Raise the Bar for Success is Emilia’s first book.

Sabina M. Pons is a management consultant whose focus is on driving revenue protection and growth for technology companies. In her 20+ year career, she has led global corporate teams, managed multi-million-dollar P&Ls, and built teams from the ground up. Now, she serves as the Managing Director of the emerging management consulting company, Growth Molecules.

As an expert, Sabina has spoken at the Gainsight Pulse and SaaStr Annual Conferences, presented at HubSpot Grow, spoke at multiple sales kickoff events, and has been featured in the media, including CustomerThink, Rising Tide Podcast, The Customer Success Makeover Show, NPS I Love You Podcast, among many others.

With a master’s degree in Communication, Leadership & Organizational Behavior from Gonzaga University and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Southern California, Sabina is passionate about igniting corporate transformational change. She also sits on several boards, participates in many mentorship programs, and recently obtained a First-Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. Sabina resides in Orange County in Southern California with her husband, two young children, and Goldendoodle dog, Riley. Pressing ON as a Tech Mom: How Tech Industry Mothers Set Goals, Define Boundaries & Raise the Bar for Success is Sabina’s first book.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Emilia: I accidentally stumbled into the tech scene in Silicon Valley in 1999 on my way to Santa Monica, rented a room in a hostel, and applied to every tech job I could find on Craigslist. I fell in love with the intellect and excitement so unique to the Bay Area. I love being a woman and am now a mom in tech leading a customer success management consulting firm.

Sabina: Three words: The Great Recession. Like much of America, I was laid off from my job in 2008 and was desperate to find a new means to pay the bills. I applied for a Customer Success position and was given a chance. I worked hard to navigate, and learn, a whole new industry. I worked my way up, started managing a team, and the rest is history!

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?

Emilia: My company had under 50 Full-time employees at the time in Silicon Valley and I was living in Oklahoma (OK). The company didn’t offer maternity leave and six weeks paid by the state of OK wasn’t going to cover all our bills. Instead, I resorted to take zero time off leading up to the birth of my second child and drove myself to the hospital after I dropped off my first born at school. I called my colleague Joanne on the way and asked her to take my three customer calls. She stepped in and handled the customers while I called my husband and let him know he might want to meet me at hospital soon. Elle was born two weeks early just like like her older sister Ava.

I spent a mere 5 ½ weeks tending to Elle before going back to work when my vacation days had run out. My mother-in-law, Brenda Winkler, stepped right in and moved from Tulsa to Oklahoma Ctiy to care for the girls while I worked, handing her to me every two hours to breastfeed. That first year was the hardest year as a parent. I am thankful to Brenda as she has moved with us since, from OK to San Francisco, CA and then to Sonoma, CA where we currently reside.

If Brenda hadn’t been with us all these years, I am not sure I would have gone back to tech. I would have found a more inclusive environment for working moms as I certainly wasn’t prepared to give up nursing or staying at home with my baby for the first six months of her life. I am forever grateful to someone like Brenda who dropped everything to help us as we grew our family and careers.

Sabina: There are two hard things that I encountered when I was working in technology. The first was having a miscarriage on Thanksgiving weekend and then being back at work on Monday. Since the economy was still recovering from the Great Recession, it was competitive and I still had a fear of being laid off. I needed to ensure that I was not overlooked for an upcoming promotion opportunity so I was in the office right after the physical loss of the baby with a brave face.

That same week post-miscarriage, I had to present a new initiative on stage at our global company town hall. Even though I was emotionally distraught and overwhelmed with physical pain, I showed up in my best business chic attire and engaged the audience as directed. Looking back, I am uncertain about how I survived that week. Spoiler alert: I did get the promotion, but that time in my life still brings me to tears.

The second difficult experience was years later when I was working at a different company and I was pregnant for my third time. When I informed Human Resources that I was with child, I found out that I was the first pregnant employee that the company ever had. Sure, there was a short paragraph about maternity leave in the employee handbook for this 250-person international company, but its only purpose was to acknowledge that the company would adhere to local labor laws.

As a California resident, I am one of the fortunate ones who live in one of the only 14 states in the United States that have a law supporting family medical leave. That equates to only 28% of states with a policy to give parents time after giving birth and in some cases, adopting a child. Also noteworthy that this leave is not necessarily equated to having paid leave like is common in other countries around the world.

So while I had legal protection to take time off, it was seemingly up to me to educate the company on what that entailed. I had to have the awkward conversation with our executive leadership about why I was constantly running to the bathroom (I vomited multiple times a day, every day, throughout my whole pregnancy). When I returned from work, I had to muster the courage to ask for a dedicated room for breast pumping so that I could continue to provide milk for my baby. To make matters worse, I was battling intense postpartum depression and anxiety and was told by my CEO to focus on my physical fitness as it would lead to “peak performance.” I’m grateful that they converted the marketing storage closet into a pumping room so I could pump, and cry.

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

Emilia: My parents, and my brother who passed away, Emilio, gave me the drive I have today, even when things get hard. ‘Emilia’ means industrious in German and hard working I am! I have been fired during Covid, I have been let go because the company wanted ‘fresh blood’ in the role a few years ago. Imagine hearing that 41 in tech. It took far more time to get over the experience than I ever anticipated but I have friends and my family who gave me strength. So did having two daughters. If I can’t continue when challenges are thrown my way, how can I expect my daughters to? Every time someone shuts a door in my face, a new one opens.

Sabina: I kept going because I really had no other choice. With the miscarriage, the realization that 15% of all clinical pregnancies fails to materialize to a live birth, provided an unexpected comfort. I was not alone. I kept going because I wanted to make my late immigrant grandparents proud. I had to set an example for my younger siblings. When I had a company with less than favorable support of my third pregnancy, I continued because, frankly, I was angry. I am competitive and I wanted to show the predominantly male executive team that my work performance and the successes that my team brought to the company was unparalleled, even if I took the time to puke, wrangle mental health, and pump milk. I knew that I had a duty to the other women in the company and I refused to let them down.

So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

Emilia: I am in a place in my life where I am content and damn proud of everything I have accomplished. Everytime a competitor wins a deal, I am not demoralized. I ask the prospect what we could have done differently and with each reply, I strive to improve. I have also learned to have difficult conversations and that is one of my biggest accomplishments because I have always tried to be the peacekeeper in my family and at work. Now, if I don’t agree with a decision, I can successfully engage in a healthy conversation and be okay if at the end, we agree to disagree and still be friendly at the end. No more resentment, guilt, or disappointment in myself for not speaking up and saying, ‘Can you tell me more about why you feel this way?‘ Or, ‘I respect how you feel but I have a different perspective that I’d like to share.’

Sabina: Grit is the perfect word to describe what it took–and honestly what it still takes. Even after proving myself in my industry as is validated by promotions, awards, guest lecturing at universities, board appointments and more, there are still people whose actions toward me and other working women are astonishing. The difference for me now that I’m more seasoned in my career and life experience in general, is that I have the courage to speak up. It took years of hardship and examples set by mentors — both male and female — to show me that I need to own who I am. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished and of the working mother I am today.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Emilia: Our G2 Reviews and Case Studies on our website speak for themselves. What makes our company stand out is our mission statement. We seek to empower people while helping companies maximize revenue through the voice of the customer. What does this mean? It means we focus on helping employees reach their full potential so they can enable customers to receive maximum value from a product or service. We believe that having high employee morale, continuous development, and breaking down silos is the first step in creating a successful company. This is where we come in and offer assessments, recommendations, coaching, playbooks, and an education series ranging from foundations of customer success through to leveraging data to lead teams. Experiencing our team’s growth and commitment to helping companies grow is my biggest reward and they are the reason Growth Molecules stands out.

Sabina: Growth Molecules™, LLC is a woman-owned and led company where I love working to bring the tools for revenue growth to companies of all sizes. The best part? We’re a group of former Customer Success leaders in the tech space who are consulting on the professional practice area for which we are most passionate. We are genuinely having fun and our clients feel that energy. I am often told that it is infectious and that makes me proud because it is authentic.

A recent experience that exemplifies this team bond just occurred within the last month. We had a client who had mismatched expectations with what we delivered and the client gave us more time to produce a favorable outcome. In just one week, five of us rallied together to compile what would normally have taken four to six weeks to complete and deliver. It was a true team effort with collaboration, mutual respect, and goofy grins when the client came back and said, “Now THIS is exactly what I was looking for.”

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Emilia:

1. Learn to say no, be firm about it and do it in a kind way. You don’t owe anyone an explanation as to why you can’t squeeze in one more meeting.

2. Take time for yourself. For me, I have to exercise on a regular basis to feel healthy and balanced. WIthout moving my body I become very unhappy so I made a deal with myself: 30 mins is better than nothing and I am going to be okay with that. So everyday I made I sure I am engaged in a bike ride, walk, weights, push-ups, anything to move and feel so much better afterward. When I least want to workout, is when the 30-minute hit of endorphins are most meaningful to me.

3. You can’t please everyone…and that’s okay. I no longer worry about whether people like me or not and what people think of me. What I care about is that I am good human being and making a continuous impact on the community around me and the causes I most care about — animal shelters, foster children, accessible education for all.

Sabina:

1. Choose Your Crew: Surround yourself with people who energize and inspire you. Life is too short to be weighed down by negativity and complacency.

2. Hire a Therapist: Your crew is not for emotional dumping. Having a counselor or psychologist help you navigate your thoughts and feelings is like what a trainer is for our bodies at the gym. Do the work, build the endurance.

3. Connect with Your Calendar: At the beginning of every year, plan when you will take time off and stick to it. At the beginning of each month, schedule three things that you will do for yourself and hold it on your calendar. At the beginning of each week, ensure that you have allocated time to stretch, go to bed an hour earlier, and drink an extra glass of water. Literally put it in your calendar with reminders scheduled to alert you at the right times. Some weeks just are draining and have curveballs. Give yourself that grace, and then get back on track.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

Emilia: My sister Josephine. She is 11 years older than me and has helped me from a young age to be more accepting of who I am, to go after all the stars in the world that I wanted to explore, and to take risks I didn’t think I had the courage to take. I really wanted to go to university when I was in my teenage years and my parents weren’t exactly supportive of this idea. She helped me get a job at a restaurant, reviewed my application forms, helped me pay for any expense I couldn’t afford, and helped me find and apply to scholarships. I graduated from the University of British Columbia with top grades and was debt free thanks to endless love and support.

Sabina: There have been multiple people who have nurtured my successes. One standout is someone that I call a friend, mentor, business partner, and co-author of our book, Pressing ON As a Tech Mom and that’s Emilia D’anzica. She and I met four years ago when I was going through my aforementioned postpartum struggle. She had been hired to educate my team and we formed a bond as we were both mothers working in the male-dominated tech industry. In the years since, she has been my advocate, professional sounding board, and example of what can be accomplished when one owns their worth. Since I met Emilia, my hard work and her encouragement led to many of my career’s successes.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my company” and why?

Emilia:

1. Don’t wait so long to start

2. You don’t need an MBA.

3. You need strong people around you and to believe in yourself

4. You can’t be everything to everyone so figure out your ICP and go after it

5. Learn to have difficult conversations and how to say no very quickly or you will take actions you will immediately regret and burn out quickly.

6. Bonus: If you fail, pick yourself up and try again. This is how I got to where I am today. I was told I had failed multiple times so I just tried again and again…

Sabina:

1. It’s Scary And It’s Supposed To Be — Most great rewards require great risks. In leaving the comfort zone, fear sets in but that’s truly how we learn and grow. Risks should be calculated and foundational to business growth rather than irresponsible. Which leads me to my next tip…

2. Avoid the Chrome Pandas — Be intentional and thoughtful about where you spend your money. Frivolous extras, like the infamous chrome panda of DropBox or WeWork’s Summer Camp, are just some examples of excessive cash burn. Instead, invest in your people, spend money on a few high quality applications to run your business (e.g. an integrated CRM and general ledger, a reliable web conferencing client, an organized professional assistant), and take pauses to inventory costs relative to company performance.

3. Look Outside For Inspiration — Long ago, when I worked in the residential homebuilding industry, it was said that real estate is at least 2–3 fiscal quarters behind the retail industry in terms of business and marketing trends. We were taught to plan for what was coming based on what large retailers were seeing today. Similarly, at Growth Molecules™, we’ve recently seen a trend where non-technology sectors like retail and hospitality are looking to the tech industry for inspiration and best practices for serving their own customers. Even though the widgets are different, there are times where we can learn from others [companies and/or people] to enhance our own roadmap(s).

4. Know Your Audience — We all want to feel special, so nurture that innate human desire in your communication to your prospects and customers. Tailor your messaging to suit the audience before you, avoiding a one-size-fits-most canned template.

5. Keep It Brief — According to researchers from the University of California, Irvine, the average office worker is interrupted every three minutes and 15 seconds. Distractions in offices are one thing, but with the increase in a remote workforce, an emerging reliance on instant messaging applications like Slack and Teamwork have surfaced. Why does this matter? Your economic buyer, the person who will decide to [or not to] conduct business with you, has a multitude of distractions possibly preventing you from successfully closing your deal. If you’re unable to succinctly plead your case in three minutes or less, you’ve failed before you’ve had the chance to begin.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

"Connect with people that are aligned with you" with Sofia Crokos

Photo Credit: Sofia Crokos Lifestyle & Events

Sofia Crokos is the co-owner of Elaia Estiatorio, an authentic Greek restaurant located in Bridgehampton, New York. Sofia is a born-and-raised Brooklynite and fashion expert who founded her own event design and planning company, Sofia Crokos Events & Lifestyle. To soothe her insatiable appetite for adventure, Sofia explores the world, searching for inspiration, from delicious restaurants to revitalizing beach walks. Harnessing her passions for beauty and flavor, Sofia continues to curate and contemplate her yet-to-be-published book.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I am the co-owner of Elaia Estiatorio, an authentic Greek restaurant located in Bridgehampton, NY. I was inspired to open Elaia when I moved to the Hamptons with my husband, Chris Boudouris. I am born-and-raised in Brooklyn and worked in the fashion industry for seven years before founding my event design and planning company, Sofia Crokos Events & Lifestyle. 

What inspired you to start your business?

Upon seeing a lack of authentic Greek food in Bridgehampton and the greater Hamptons, Chris and I determined to provide locals and visitors with Greek recipes in an atmosphere that felt like home. By opening in 2017, Chris and I paid homage to their Greek roots while celebrating the Hamptons’ ingredients, community, and spirit through rustic yet elegant cuisine that brings the freshest dishes to the table. In addition, I honed my visual skills and polished fashion sense for my events company to design exceptional events, working with various NYC and global private clients. 

Where is your business based?

My businesses are based in NYC and Bridgehampton. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

In 1998, my friend put me in touch with an experienced events contact, Wendy, who worked with Manhattan clients and was an excellent resource for me. Wendy completely took me under her wing because she saw my thirst for this business. She provided invaluable advice, and I am forever grateful for this insight. After about eight months, she gave me my first gig, a tented wedding; I had no idea what a “tented wedding” meant, but I dove right. We are still in touch to this day! I researched the industry thoroughly and networked from there on out. 

We opened Elaia Estiatorio in 2017. I didn’t have any background in running and owning a restaurant, but five years in, my husband and I embarked on this project together because it was something we thought the community needed. It was something that spoke to my Greek heritage, so I jumped in. 

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

I made sure to stay in tune with people in my community. I consider myself to be a “connecter.” I cherish collaborations and making others feel welcome, whether at the restaurant or an event. I am in love with creating celebrations and celebrating others’ lives, which spoke to others, and then word of mouth gained me a lot of traction.

What have been your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them? 

Of course, this pandemic has been a massive blow to the service industry. COVID changed our mindsets and put everything to a halt. We had to adapt to find new ways to curate celebrations at my events company. At Elaia, we had a lot of ups and downs. It was challenging at first - we had to stay patient. A silver lining ended up being that people flocked from all cities and congested areas to visit Bridgehampton, but we also struggled like all restaurants.

We were and are in solidarity with our friends in the restaurant business. Our employees had a tough time, so we did our best to get creative to sustain our business, whether through takeout programming or fun incentives to get people through the door. The moment we offered outdoor dining, we strived to get our employees back to work. Nothing changed in our kitchen team - our staff was ride or die. From management down to our staff, they couldn’t wait to return. We were fortunate. We also donated food weekly to Southampton’s Hospital.

How do you stay focused?

I am very mindful of breathwork. I love my meditation and nature walks. These mindful exercises keep me in line and focused; they are mindful breaks that allow me to step back into my work. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

Elaia is the only Greek eatery and is a unique gem in the Hamptons. The passion for Greek cuisine and heritage shines through at our restaurant. I am both an event planner and a restauranteur, giving me a unique perspective, level of expertise, and creativity. My highly curated experiences incorporate my unique aesthetic and appreciation of design, Greek gastronomy, and global travels. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

Patience. Everyone seems to be in a rush today. There is so much instant gratification. Take life slowly and smartly. Connect with people that are aligned with you. Just because something didn’t work out today doesn’t mean it won’t work out tomorrow. There are too many ups and downs in entrepreneurship to move too quickly. Crash and burn moments are okay - they are actually needed. You need to go through these motions to figure out what works. Don’t focus so much on what everyone else is doing. 

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

For apps, I adore Insight Timer; it’s for my meditation. For blogs, I love Eye Swoon by Athena Calderone. The love she pours into her living surroundings and her love of food, design, and gatherings speak to my spirit directly. 

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I used to love reading the food section of the Sunday Styles. I have also always been a fan of Tony Robbins. I’ve followed his work for over twenty years; I found his audio tapes really motivating. 

How do you balance work and life? 

My balance is self-care. I find time to give a little love to myself. I need to find time to laugh at a great table with my loved ones and friends. 

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

Harnessing my passions for aesthetics and flavor, I am gearing up for the summer, collaborations, and wine dinners in partnership with my husband’s company, McNamara Liquors. I hope to find some adventure and get to travel the world some more this year, searching for inspiration, from restaurants to beach walks. I hope to go back to Greece, too! My dream is to create Elaia’s own Olive Oil. Stay tuned!

How can our readers connect with you?

Come and visit us at the restaurant! Or feel free to follow the restaurant on @elaia_hamptons and me on @sofiacrokosevents!

"Gain a true understanding of winning that can often be in learning from our mistakes" with Orville "Oh Yeah" Wright

Photo Credit: Sherman Wright

Orville "Oh Yeah" Wright is a seasoned professional in the music industry. He uses his songwriting abilities and talents to serve the public. He provides music to uplift and encourages others on their journey to success. His music is reaching many diverse communities and bringing them together with a common goal of victory for those who desire it. He applies the mindset of a humanitarian through music service and delivery.

What are the interview questions for entrepreneurs?

●     Can you tell our readers about your background?

I am an ASCAP singer, songwriter, and music producer of many different genres. Music has always been a part of my life with dancing, singing, and entertaining. A lot of my family has ties to music including my grandmother who sings and plays the piano. She was the one who taught many of my family to use our talents in music to demonstrate greatness. I am from Colorado Springs, Colorado and listened to a lot of genres including Pop, Jazz, Country, Rock, Rap, Hip-Hop, and R&B.

●     What inspired you to start your business?

What inspired me to start my business was observing first hand how many faults and flaws that the system has when it comes to musicians and content creators conducting business. I began as a music producer (as many others did and still do) that provided music to music libraries for users with subscriptions to use. One redundancy took place when a song was reused heavily to deter other users from wanting to use it. I also discovered that not all libraries are willing to accept new-comers as contributors. The many times being turned down from the libraries gave me enough fuel to become my own source as a sole contributor to a content creator's success. Though many of the outlets were exclusive, I discovered that I did not need them to make a sale. I decided to help a small select few creators with music production. I wanted to give users a different aspect of obtaining music that was more exclusive than a monthly subscription with a set of distribution releases. I learned and wanted to demonstrate how to be INCLUSIVE.

●     Where is your business based?

My business is based in the U.S. but serves across the globe. I started serving a small community of individuals that all collectively discovered are in a much broader community.

●     How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I thought about how I was going to have business and be successful with music so I thought of Madonna. I learned how she built her empire and made history from the ground up. I realized that I could do the same. To start my business, I had to think of a name along with a logo. Being in the music industry, part of the name and logo were easy for me to figure out. I then had to become established and recognized across numerous platforms and am not done doing this as many more are being created today. I also knew about filing with my state department of taxation and assets along with the IRS starting my business. These were two important milestones of considering myself as a business. I came up with an LLC and a DBA (Doing business as). In the music industry, it is also important to be represented in a performance rights organization (PRO) such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or GMR. Registering with these organizations is how additional revenue is collected for you as an artist or songwriter/ music producer and a publisher. Royalties are a vital method of receiving payments for music in businesses outside of direct sales.

●     What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

The most effective way for me to raise awareness has been through the promotion of my clients and vice versa. Happy clients return but before they return, they run and tell the town about the experience... good or bad. (Knock on wood) All of the experiences have been great so far and their promotion alone has helped to get my name into other households. Across different industries, the promotion has also left a great impact and influence on others that sparks the curiosity of my business and how to align beside it. One additional aspect impacting many in the content creator space is awareness through exclusive music products and services that music libraries do not truly present to the public. In the last few years, numerous accounts incurred copyright claims and strikes that even include take-down requests of content that features music they "thought" were exclusive. To be part of the solution, I knew that I could present to individuals and their brands a way to have music solely for themselves. My company creates music that clients can be a part of in the beginning process and have true representation for the end-goal they are trying to reach or message that is desired to be portrayed. Many new customers discover that they would like this form of protection and begin requests to my company. Many customers seek the "Oh Yeah" experience from my company thanks to the ecstatic reviews from previous clients.

●     What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Honestly, the biggest challenge has been to say "No". I am often given challenges by clients but somehow overcome them with persistence and determination to make them happy with my many works. I am however a perfectionist as many other musicians are so I always think that I can do better. Somehow, the work and effort delivers the best to satisfy the expectation of every customer. I believe that the time has not yet come for me to be able to afford to say no, yet. Though I do feel the time is close, I need to continue obliging everyone the best to my abilities with music services in business. I did learned to say no to my wants but say yes to my needs. This applies when I need some time to sit back and reflect or decompress. Often in the past, I would move from one project to the next without having true moments to relax and that does in fact intensify stress. As a business, we need to learn to say no to somethings, sometimes.

●     How do you stay focused?

This is an anomaly. My focus is a beat and a few metronome clicks away from being lost. What I mean is that I focus on one song at a time. To micromanage myself in the process, I focus on small objectives in composing music. I determine the mood, the tempo, a particular melody, along with instruments that will construct the song. Every project has the same process so I figure the focus deals with consistency. The easier it is for me to remain consistent, the easier it is to focus and attain success.

●     How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

How I differentiate from "competition" is by incorporating collaboration over competition. I do not see myself as having opponents in this industry, though others will disagree with plenty of reasons. I believe in the inclusion and collaboration of others for the success of everyone who is willing to put forth effort. In my past, I focused on opponents but not on my growth or success and this is what presented a "set-back". For a while I compared my position and status with similar individuals in the same industry. I ended up in the same position as I started by chasing behind others. I wasted money (thousands of dollars), energy, and talent, having them channeled in the wrong outlets. Now I can say I am in a different place and have grown. While observing my "competition", I can figure out how to offer inclusion while shining and standing out with my brand that is connecting more personally with each client and new customer. I am sure my competition knows that I am offering everything but capitalism on a plate to everyone and the value just cannot be matched. I think one reason is due to the mission behind the drive not being similar to mine. In fact, it often becomes transparent for many of my competitors that they do not stand with the people nor do they desire to stand for them. As a result, the traffic comes to my business and brand. My business is becoming more of a household name than many competitors but remaining humble and grateful is what seems to keep me soaring above the rest.

●     What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

The most effective way for my brand and business to grow has been through theme songs. I never imagined that creating complete music compositions for others to highlight their works would become such a thriving approach. Theme songs alone have driven more traffic to me and now a long list of clients is created because of the desire to have the branded element of "Oh Yeah" on background music and in lyrical delivery. Currently, many of my fans are waiting for the next set of songs to be delivered that will be historical. Aside from this, I have not had much of a marketing strategy. All that I ever desired to give to the public is my brand, myself, and my missions. I believe that the established connections of human-to-human interaction have been the best approach next to theme songs. Everyone is consistently receiving a personal touch of myself and in that more realize that we are "like-minded". With that in mind, the laws of attraction fall into place and my business grows. Essentially as my business grows, the same occurs for my clients.

●     What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

The best advice that I can offer to new entrepreneurs is to line up the levels of success that you desire to achieve. I have not reached the success levels I am currently at by wishing and hoping for opportunities but I have determined where I can get and how I can get here. I have written so many notes about every aspect of business to reach success. This includes names of people and organizations that I can offer value to as can they for me. A true entrepreneur will think like a business person constantly and thoroughly. \

What this can intel is that you should think about the next "set" of moves that you need to take for your business. This is identical to chess and can land you a position and status "on top", learning about how to handle set-backs, face adversity head-on, and find triumph in struggles. We are always going to have ambitions for things to fall in line how we imagine them but life has its own rules in place. Every business person quickly understands how to get ahead of adversity. For every person aspiring to be successful regardless of the business or industry, gain a true understanding of winning that can often be in learning from our mistakes.

●     What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is Instagram. Facebook... ahem... Meta has done a good job with this platform, allowing the world of influencers and celebrities to connect with one another. I constantly engage with stories, posts, and comments with others. Many have included me in a lot of group conversations that eventually mold the members into members of a community or family. I do not read blogs but allow me to tell you about books. I am all over with this selection but I can read over-and-over "Monster" from Sanyika Shakur, "Gifted Hands" from Ben Carson, and "Culture Vultures" from Damon Dash. I have learned so much from these books and several others that make me grateful for my journey and the tribulations in it. I have learned how to understand others more and become more open-minded in order to become the best humanitarian of my abilities. I have also learned the best ways to conduct business, with whom to do business with, and when not to do business. I found a lot of similarities in perspectives with the writers and myself. I suggest to each person with business in mind to check them out.

●     What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite business tool is Zoom. It is a communication platform that is perfect for scheduling business meetings and One-on-One conferences. It is a favorite because it can connect me directly with clients without the need to disclose personal phone numbers. Meetings can be scheduled and also recorded for cross-referencing in the future. Zoom has helped me to continue business practices to further the extent of success for all parties.

●     Who is your business role model? Why?

My business role model is Damon Dash. I have watched his career in the music industry and TV & Film. I have seen his growth and focus on wins that matter despite what headlines may portray. Facing much adversity even with friendships and partnerships that have gone sour, he displays the poise that identifies him and his new team as fighters and survivors in the aftermath. He has built another empire from the ground up with a loving and supporting family. He also offers the most amazing advice for others to pick up when conducting similar business that he is most familiar with. He has also identified the ideal types of people to do business with as opposed from who you may think is the type to remain around. Dame Dash is indeed a great business role model for me.

●     How do you balance work and life?

Work and life balancing is tricky. There is never a shortcut or straight road of success when trying to balance the two. Life and business will always have unexpected occurrences that can demand immediate attention and imbalance. I do put forth efforts to balance the two by setting approximate time slots for activities of the two. The slots include half-hour periods to sort through business emails. Family time matters to me and ways to show support to my family is by taking time to have video chats and half-hour phone conversations. Date nights are still a thing for me so some slots on calendars will be full. Emergencies take place but being transparent helps me to function the best in both worlds. I occasionally have executives that will contact me in need of files and contracts to be signed and they can be demanding. For that reason, a little time may have to be taken to handle business for my future success. The same could apply to artists and content creator clients that may have an urgent matter. With certain projects, I fill my family in on the time that I could be pulled away to be transparent and offer comfort in "knowing". This is how I handle the balance of business and life.

●     What’s your favorite way to decompress?

The way that I look forward to decompressing is by watching my favorite set of movies at home. I have a few comedies and thrillers that I have memorized scene by scene. When I have overloads, I will often load up a movie in cue and relax with content that is not out of order and I am completely familiar with. I add into the equation my go-to snacks and drink, finding my grounding again. I forget about the momentary overloads and relax. This is how I decompress.

●     What do you have planned for the next six months?

For the next six months, I will be quite busy serving the public with more music and finding some common interests with a few investors for bigger projects. I also plan to have some music videos published and that will be intriguing to all. In most forms of art, I find new ways to project my creativity as well as the best ways to connect with the projected audiences. There is also going to be more investment in equipment. One of the greatest decisions for anyone in business is to continue investing in yourself and your brand. When you invest in your business and brand, you are setting a foundation for growth and success. My next six months will be busy if not exciting.

●     How can our readers connect with you?

I can be connected with across social media with the handle "@Ohyeahbeats". I spend a good amount of time responding to messages and comments, making sure that as many voices directed to me are heard and felt. Everyone can also stop by for the latest content on "Ohyeahbeats(dot)com". Understand that it may take a moment but it is a heart-felt mission to remain inclusive to all. I thank you all for your time and wish you the best on your journey towards success.

"The first hard part is starting, so just start" with Juliet Edjere

Photo credit: Litt Photography

Juliet Edjere founded Maze alongside Sarah Nantume and Winner Adebayo with a focus to connect people relocating with service providers, reduce moving costs and enable the optimization of customer journeys. Alongside her role as the CEO, Juliet leads product and business strategy at Maze.

She is obsessed with building things that solve problems and delight others, particularly with software and operations. The core of what she does is intrinsically motivated by understanding people, their processes, behaviours and what they’re trying to achieve. 

Outside her day-to-day managing of her company, Juliet is a Legal Practitioner with an educational background in Law and Business. She has a BSc in International Law and Diplomacy, LLB from the University of Birmingham, a PgDip in Legal Practice Course and LLM in Commercial Legal Practice.

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I’m originally from Nigeria but currently residing in the UK. I work as a Content Marketing Lead and Technical Advisor where I manage all things API and no-code integration. On a day to day basis, I develop prototypes and products using low and no-code tools like Airtable and Zapier to effectively capture, understand and analyse data.

I am also the CEO and co-founder of a University of Birmingham-backed startup called Maze. Instead of the expensive, tedious and slow process of vetting services across the country, users can simply register with Maze and we do all the settlement interactions. 

We launched the startup out of a personal relocation story, and a desire to help others get a positive relocation experience. As the CEO and product lead, I manage the business direction, vision and culture. On the product side, I strategise the roadmap and prioritize what needs to be done to achieve the initiatives and strategic goals behind the product.

What inspired you to start your business? 

I grew up with an entrepreneurial mindset. I identify as a self-starter that understands that deciding to run your own business is a big decision. I always felt disconnected from the typical corporate dynamic so it was easy to find my footing within the startup industry.

As a product owner, I build micro tools to solve my own problems. My entrepreneurial nature rests on the realization that building is one thing and understanding the legalities to ensure products/services are policy compliant is another thing. Thus, my knowledge of law, tech and business management fused together made the journey easier.

Sarah Nantume [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-nantume/] is a legal professional with experience leading tech-driven initiatives. As the COO, she ensures the company's operations and services align with strategic goals and business needs. 

Winner Adebayo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/winner-adebayo/] is a Business Development Manager. She has varied experience in marketing and sales, project management, and research.

Where is your business based?

Maze is based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The team is however based in various parts of the UK so we operate remotely.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

The first step I took was deciding which area I wanted to venture into. I was inspired to create a solution I wish existed - providing an end-to-end solution for people relocating.

Then came getting the team together. I was keen on not being a solo founder because the value of a team with a more specialised focus in certain business areas was very important to me. I put together an extensive 21-page business plan and presented it to my two partners to get them on board with the idea.

After we got on the same page, I came up with a name that mirrors what we do and Maze seemed a very good fit. I created a landing page for signups, got endorsed by the University of Birmingham to operate in the UK under the Startup Visa and business operations began from there.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

Our awareness strategy is primarily through inbound channels - leveraging personal networks, SEO, repeat clients & client referrals. The core of our customer acquisition strategy is using personal networks and leading a manual effort on social platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Maze also has a community of ‘relocators’ that’s growing rapidly. Through this medium, we help people connect to others relocating, answer questions, make friends and extend their network in their new city. Never underestimate the power of a community. 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

The startup environment is a very fast-paced and dynamic one. 

I had to learn to trust the abilities of my team to grow the business.

Before the business started, I had some prior startup experience and gained robust entrepreneurial experience as a YCombinator Startup School graduate and an early participant at the Founder Institute 2020, the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator, amongst other accelerator programs. Thus, getting the team together to work on Maze was great for scalability.

How do you stay focused?

I plan my time effectively by automating my calendar and spreading time between tasks. I also ensure to take time off work and maintain a good work-life balance so my productivity level stays at its peak.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

A major advantage over other relocation platforms is our end-to-end support from pre-arrival to settlement. With automated data processing, we place a high priority on data security. This saves time in comparison to traditionally manual processes.

People need community and inclusion. We understand that by capturing peoples’ desires, we’re one-third of the way there. People always consider others opinions and look for a community to share offers with. We facilitate this through our social well-being support.

We cater to the unique needs of our users, taking care of the time-consuming research from help finding a new home abroad, staying abreast of immigration laws, travel restrictions to help in understanding new cultures better.

Our services do not end on getting into the country, unlike immigration consultants. We help newcomers get set up for their new lives, find products and resources to hit the ground running. Once they are settled, we continue to provide them with tailored content and services so they do not feel isolated from the larger society. This allows for making decisions quickly and focusing on building a new life.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Content Marketing - We provide value by creating high-quality content that resonates with the target audience. This includes a series of newsletters and articles to engage users & make them come back, build the website’s authority, create organic traffic and brand presence on issues faced by relocators. The marketing message relies on the storytelling of typical users. From navigating accommodation hassle, learning to set up a bank account, conquering loneliness and depression, to dealing with the policy implications.

Additionally, we leverage launch platforms like Show HackerNews, RemoteTools, BetaList and Betafy to get the word on new updates out there.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

The first hard part is starting, so just start. As you start out your entrepreneurial journey, position yourself to be portrayed in a positive light by building a startup that solves problems.

Take advantage of the learning process and work hard on getting your product or service out there. Don’t attempt to do it alone and don’t fall into the phase of planning for months without actually speaking to your (potential) users.

Another piece of advice I’ll give is to monetise as soon as possible. The goal is to not pay attention to vanity metrics that don’t grow the business but identify how many users are willing to pay to use your product or service. 

What's your favourite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favourite app is Notion. Maze works entirely on Notion, we use it to manage everything from tasks to OKRs, notes, finance tracking, pitch deck, CMS, roadmaps, library etc with in-app reminders. We also set up automation to get notified of any changes on Slack and via emails.

What's your favourite business tool or resource? Why?

YCombinator startup resources have helped in defining our activities at Maze. There are a lot of useful video and audio resources that cover product-market fit, lean startup model, traction generation, technology, and setting up the startup for scalability.

Who is your business role model? Why? 

As a person of colour in entrepreneurship, I highlight the strengths of black people in leadership. This is a wider net than just having one business role model. More representation means that gender and racial bias are being dispelled. 

It is important to see other people and realize that they can go after their dreams and really make a change in our world. Leading a black-owned business means amplifying representation as being a pivotal part of my input in my society. Your age, race, and personal circumstances should not be a disqualifying factor. 

How do you balance work and life? 

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to forget to have a good work-life balance. I wake up as early as 3 AM and get on my laptop because I remember to update a task or I’m brainstorming a new idea. Notwithstanding, I try not to get burnt out so I know when to shut down.

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

I love to travel. I previously started a service-based travel platform to help tourists plan, book, and manage their trips. However, when the pandemic hit in, I reviewed the strategy in early 2021 and pivoted to provide an end-to-end solution for people relocating.

I also love listening to music during my downtime.

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

We recently launched our website in the first week of February 2022. Over the next six months, operations will be focused on seamless integration of services which pose the biggest hurdles to newcomers. We are in the process of securing partnerships with reliable third-party service providers - institutions, movers, recruitment agencies, relocation management companies, travel agencies, housing agencies and ride-sharing services.

We intend to expand from a B2C model into an enterprise B2B model to facilitate global mobility, providing one-stop shop relocation services for corporations, government entities and consumers.

How can our readers connect with you?

To learn more about Maze you can visit https://trymaze.com.

My Personal Website: https://juliethiri.com. 

Social Media Handles:

Instagram: @juliethiri and https://instagram.com/trymazeapp/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/trymazeapp and @juliethiri 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trymazeapp 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trymazeapp

Blog: https://trymaze.swish.ink

Feel free to ask questions & hit us up anytime!