Seamless Blog by Burgundy Fox — female founder
Seamless Episode 21 | On The Grid: Working Through Transitions as a CEO, with Ashley Behnke, founder of Spot Loc8r
We sit down for a talk about working through transitions of life and becoming a CEO of a start-up with Ashley Behnke, founder of Spot Loc8r. She shares about gaining confidence, having imposter syndrome, and a huge life event that made her really lean into her start up.
Spot Loc8r is: A digital media platform that helps content creators scout locations quickly and easily.
The idea of Spot Loc8r came about when creator, Ashley Behnke, recognized a pain point she was experiencing when trying locate “shareworthy” spots. A shareworthy spot is a place one would want to take photos of and share with others by posting to social media platforms like a blog or instagram. Ashley found that it was taking her way too long to: First, discover locations that she was interested in visiting, then second, researching these spots she was able to find and feeling confident in that location choice, and third, having to somehow take that information she gathered from multiple sources and save it to go back to and use for later.
What we chat about:
-How Ashley became the solo founder of Spot Loc8r (03:20)
-Being a mom and starting a new business (07:38)
-Being a creative and dealing with depression with a partner (09:15)
-Pushing past discomfort in busienss (13:09)
-Imposter syndrome and how to deal with it ( 14:45)
-Transitioning into a new business (18:22)
-Finding self-confidence (19:55)
-What she would tell her past self (26:32)
Links we refer to:
Ashley's Bio:
Ashley Behnke is a serial entrepreneur, creative and Founder of Spot Loc8r. With her startup, Spot Loc8r, she's invigorated every day as she works to help creatives thrive doing what they love. Ashley resides in Austin, TX with her husband and two toddler boys, Theo and Ollie.
Seamless Episode 20 | Sharing Chic: Luxury meets the Sharing Economy with Sarah Perkins, founder of DesignerShare
We sit down for a talk about building the first peer to peer fashion rental marketplace with Sarah Perkins, founder of DesignerShare. She shares what led her to create DesignerShare, the struggles behind funding a start-up, and tips for building a business from the ground up.
Keeping up with appearances is tough and costly—it’s hard to buy new outfits all the time. Why not borrow from someone whose style you love? Or maybe you’re looking to be an entrepreneur from home and want to make some cash off items sitting in your closet. This is where DesignerShare comes in.
Our goal is to allow women to look and feel fabulous all while expanding their networks—it’s about building each other up and feeling your most confident. Call us fashion feminists, if you will.
DesignerShare is the first truly peer-to-peer marketplace for women to rent their designer clothing and accessories to one another. What do we mean by this? Simple: We allow our users to connect directly and get to know each other—you’re opening yourself to amazing new pieces and friends in one place.
What we chat about:
-Learning about Sarah and how she started DesignerShare (01:49)
-How her idea was validated (05:12)
-How DesignerShare is growing and working (06:21)
-Why the LimeRed team was her "Goldilocks moment" (12:25)
-What marketing has looked like for their brand awareness and using collaboration (14:55)
-What fundraising has looked like for DesignerShare (17:39)
-How she stays motivated to keep going (24:38)
-Tips for fundraising in startups (26:15)
Links we refer to:
Sarah's Bio:
Sarah is the Co-Founder and CEO of DesignerShare. Sarah has loved fashion her whole life, and spent many years trying to convince others her taste is “exquisite” and not “expensive.” She has visions of outfits based on mood and vividly dreams in color.
Seamless Episode 19 | Busting Out: Redefining Fit for Women, with Kristen Allen, Founder of Exclusively Kristen
We sit down for a talk about creating a new brand and inclusivity with Kristen Allen, founder of Exclusively Kristen. She shares with us how the idea of Exclusively Kristen came to be and why exactly she wants to change the fashion industry.
Exclusively Kristen offers Fashion solutions for large busted women.
Exclusively Kristen shirts, blouses, and dresses are custom made to our exact specifications and demanding standards of quality. They are uniquely designed to fit and flatter buxom bust lines, with precise proportions and fabrics that provide stretch and eliminate pulling and gaping. Designed with the professional woman in mind, Exclusively Kristen apparel transitions from the workplace to the social hour with aplomb. Always chic, always appropriate, our designs allow the wearer to feel confident, classy and well-dressed for any occasion.
What we chat about:
-The why and how Exclusively Kristen (2:05)
-Why manufacturing is such a struggle (5:06)
-What she wants to see in the near future for her brand (6:44)
-What her educational background is and how it has pivoted (9:45)
-How she learned pattern design (11:21)
-Where she sees herself in the fashion industry (15:08)
-What feedback looks like for her brand (20:06)
-What is her go to underwear (24:59)
Links we refer to:
Kristen's Bio:
Kristen Allen is the Founder and President of Exclusively Kristen, a Brooklyn based e-commerce business specializing in clothes and accessories for large busted women. Kristen started the company because she knew firsthand that there was a large, underserved market of women who wanted flattering, properly fitted, and professional attire. So she set to work designing, manufacturing, and sourcing key pieces specifically for women with large bosoms -- and Exclusively Kristen was born.
Kristen's entrepreneurial pursuits began as a preteen when she started selling handmade jewelry in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. A few years later, she put her plans to start a small business on hold in order to focus on her education. She graduated from high school with honors and then attended Oberlin College. During her college career, she was awarded summer fellowships in the field of the biological sciences and in 2004, she graduated with a B.A. in biology. She then focused on a career in physical science as a lab technician and research assistant before deciding to go back to school in order to obtain a graduate degree in anthropology. As a graduate student at Temple University, she was awarded fellowships in order to do research during the summer at private hospitals in Central and South America. She was also a teaching assistant for introductory anthropology courses, which laid the foundation for her subsequent career in higher education. After a few years in higher education administration, Kristen decided that the time was right to launch her dream business: a fashion-focused company providing stylish solutions for large-breasted women.
Seamless Episode 17 | Manifest Destiny: Creating Your Dream Job with Lauren McGoodwin, founder of Career Contessa
We sit down for a talk about finding a dream career path with Lauren McGoodwin, founder and CEO of Career Contessa.
Career Contessa is the only career site built exclusively for women.
They believe that job searches, career growth, and professional discovery are deeply personal but that every woman, no matter the stage of her career, benefits from a supportive community and straightforward guidance. That's why they built a platform that engages our readers throughout their careers and evolves with them as they grow.
They help women cultivate successful careers through expert advice, interviews, and videos, one-on-one mentoring, online skills-based courses and resources, and a curated job board that speaks to their audience. Everything they do comes straight from the best kind of experts—real women who've been there and successfully done that.
What we chat about:
-How she found her journey to Career Contessa (01:07)
-What she found out when completing her thesis (08:55)
-What are the tangible things women need to advance their careers (11:44)
-Why you need to have resilience and surrounding yourself with people who really care (14:20)
-Ways women can support each other at work (17:03)
-What The Salary Project is and what salary transparency is (19:13)
-What is happening with Career Contessa in 2018 (21:01)
-What piece of lingerie would she be (22:49)
Links we refer to:
Lauren's Bio:
Lauren founded Career Contessa in 2013 after experiencing a gap in career development resources for women who might be job searching, soul searching, leading and managing, or trying to find new ways to advance within their careers. With women accounting for more than 50% of the workforce and the workforce being less defined than ever before, it seemed crazy (and outdated) that a resource for us didn't exist.
Formerly, Lauren was a University Recruiter for Hulu focused on hiring, employer branding, and program management. Lauren has a Bachelors in Education from the University of Oregon and a Masters in Communication Management from the University of Southern California where she wrote her thesis on millennials and career resources.
When not Contessa-ing, you can find Lauren walking so she meets her 10,000 steps/day goal in Redondo Beach, CA where she lives with her husband.
Seamless Episode 15 | Work Bravely: Pushing Past Career Boundaries with Sarah Sheehan, co-founder of Bravely
We sit down for a talk about starting a new business and pushing boundaries as a woman with Sarah Sheehan of Bravely. Bravely has built a next-generation resource for people and teams: a platform that connects employees with expert conflict coaches and “people” professionals called “Pros” for off-the-record phone conversations about all kinds of workplace stress.
No matter how great the company or the culture, there will always be employees who struggle to come forward with issues or concerns. Whether they’re struggling with a colleague or simply feeling stuck, it can be hard to have tough conversations about relationships and performance. The result: people let things bubble up instead of dealing with them head on. That is why Bravely began.
What we chat about:
-The how and why behind starting Bravely (1:30)
-How role playing can help people find their voice (05:59)
-Why speaking to a third person helps with taking feedback (08:20)
-What starting her own business felt like and having imposter syndrome (9:45)
-What piece of lingerie she would be (11:48)
Links we refer to:
Sarah's Bio:
Sarah is the co-founder and chief customer officer at Bravely. Bravely provides off-the-record coaching for employees navigating their workplace, giving them a safe place to start tough conversations. Our easy-to-use platform connects and schedules employees with experienced coaches and HR professionals for conversations about issues of all kinds — from manager-employee conflict to performance review prep. The result: employers retain talent, employees are more proactive and more productive, and work becomes a better place to work.
Seamless Episode 11 | Miss Sunshine: Manifesting Your Destiny with Reina Pomeroy of Reina + Co
We sit down for a talk about business changes and coaching with Reina Pomeroy, the founder of Reina and Co. and the co-founder of Creative Empire Podcast. Reina is a big proponent of living a full and productive life, lived by “our own rules.” We get into her passion for helping others thrive, and how she personally handles setbacks. For more tips and inspiration for your life and creative business of your dreams, visit Reina and Co’s website to sign up for weekly Sunshine Mail!
What we chat about:
-What the transition like from Social Worker to Wedding Planner, then to Business Coach (2:45)
-What her coaching trajectory has looked like (4:42)
-How coaching creates intangible things, but also huge results (5:55)
-How collaboration works for Reina + Co. and how she is a "connector" (8:19)
-How Reina deals with business struggles and vulnerability in her community (12:35)
-Why "authenticity" can feel icky for her (15:27)
-Goalsetting and her book,
The Big Plan for the Creative Mind (17:20)
-What Seamless means to Reina (19:39)
Links we refer to:
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Social Glue
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Coffee Chats
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The Big Plan for the Creative Mind Book
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Dannie Fountain
Reina Pomeroy‘s Bio:
Reina Pomeroy is the founder of Reina + Co, the Life + Biz Success Coaching® practice for creatives who are right brained and heart centered. She helps women who have a million brilliant ideas in their heads that they can’t seem to make happen. She helps them to stop spinning their wheels and take action on what’s most important so they can become the go-to expert in their field. Reina is also the co-host of the Creative Empire Podcast where she gets to interview leaders in the creative industry.
You can find Reina’s work featured on Entrepreneur on Fire, Entrepreneur.com, Brit + Co, The Huffington Post, Honeybook, The Rising Tide Society and Best Friends for Frosting. She also travels around the country speaking and educating creative entrepreneurs.
Reina has her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Master’s degree in Social Work and is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) from the Coach Training Institute and the International Coaching Federation. Currently, she lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her 3 year old son, puppy and Marine husband.
Where to find her:
Reina + Co Website
Reina + Co Facebook
Reina + Co Instagram
Reina + Co Twitter
Reina + Co Pinterest
Creative Empire Podcast Website
Creative Empire Podcast Facebook
Creative Empire Podcast Instagram
Creative Empire Podcast Twitter