Thrive Causemetics Founder Karissa Bodnar on Why You Need Real Friends as a Leader
04/30/25 • 38 min
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Karissa Bodnar once got advice from a peer – she needed real friends, not just “deal” friends. It wasn’t a dig. Entrepreneurship is lonely. And if Karissa was going to make it as a founder, she’d need friends who cared about her and not the number of zeros in her bank account. Karissa sits down with us to share how she found those kinds of friends, the time she got ghosted out of a big investment, and what she really thinks about those beauty influencer trips.
In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Karissa also shares:
- Why she affectionately refers to herself a “dirt road diva”
- How growing up in a small Washington town shaped her entrepreneurship
- How the passing of her friend, Kristy, inspired her to start Thrive Causemetics
- The lesson she learned from being ghosted by a potential investor
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Karissa Bodnar once got advice from a peer – she needed real friends, not just “deal” friends. It wasn’t a dig. Entrepreneurship is lonely. And if Karissa was going to make it as a founder, she’d need friends who cared about her and not the number of zeros in her bank account. Karissa sits down with us to share how she found those kinds of friends, the time she got ghosted out of a big investment, and what she really thinks about those beauty influencer trips.
In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Karissa also shares:
- Why she affectionately refers to herself a “dirt road diva”
- How growing up in a small Washington town shaped her entrepreneurship
- How the passing of her friend, Kristy, inspired her to start Thrive Causemetics
- The lesson she learned from being ghosted by a potential investor
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode
Top Chef Host Kristen Kish on the Recipe for a Great Mentor
Kristen Kish didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming the first woman of color to win Top Chef—or of one day hosting the show. She grew up in the Midwest as a Korean adoptee and those wins hadn’t crossed her radar. But with a little luck—and a lot of support—she got there. Listen as Kristen shares how one mentor changed everything by challenging her to think beyond day-to-day dinner service and chase a career she never thought was possible.
In this episode of 9 to 5ish, Kristen shares:
- Who’s cooking she loves the most (chefs, they’re just like us)
- The one woman who helped Kristen unlock her potential
- What changed when she went from being a relatively broke chef to winning Top Chef
- How she confronted her ego when writing her memoir, Accidentally On Purpose
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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