Entreprenista

When Anna Ratala decided to start a podcast, she went looking for a platform that would help her find brands to monetize her podcast. When she found there was no such site, she decided to create her own, thus Zvook was born.

In this week's episode, Anna Ratala, CEO and co-founder of Zvook, a platform that matches brands to podcasts, shares how her journey to starting her own business led her across the world, how to go about fundraising, why she thinks more women should enter tech, and so much more. If you've been waiting for motivation to strike, THIS is the episode you don't want to miss.

"We try to make it easy to make sure that the brands find you and that you're able to, you know, monetize your podcasts, regardless of the size." - Anna Ratala

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Anna talks about her upbringing and how it shaped her journey into entrepreneurship (3:17)Where the idea of Zvook came from (11:00)Anna's tips for choosing the right co-founder (15:35)Anna shares all about her fundraising process [and gives some great tips] (22:03)Rapid fire questions (36:18)What it's like to be a woman in tech (38:21)Anna's favorite mantra [this is a stellar one] (43:41)

Resources Mentioned:

SpotifyApple PodcastsCastboxOvercast Hubspot

Our Favorite Quotes:

"I can actually create something, if I don't see an opportunity, I can create it, and I can get it done. And I think that was sort of the first time I was really thinking about, well, it could actually be pretty nice to do something on my own." - Anna Ratala"​​I am not begging for money, I am giving someone an opportunity to jump on board of a business that is going to explode." - Anna Ratala"We need both. We need women who code, but we also need women who lead." - Anna Ratala

Connect with Anna Ratala:

Anna Ratala on InstagramAnna Ratala on LinkedInAnna Ratala on TwitterZvook.coZvook on InstagramZvook on LinkedIn

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Become An Entreprenista!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for female founders, by female founders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Jamie Hess is a public relations expert, influencer, and fitness and wellness mentor who encourages women to seek help and accountability in the areas they need it most. Alongside her husband, Jamie created NYCFitFam, a platform where she shares her health and fitness knowledge with women worldwide. Being a public relations veteran with over 20 years of experience in the industry, Jamie worked as the Senior Vice President of the Narrative Group before focusing on her mission to empower women.

Jamie joins us today to discuss why she believes in “the art of follow-up.” She explains how to show up for yourself and your brand’s community and shares why her North Star is being of service to women. She describes what is needed to transform your side hustle into your full-time hustle and discusses how she empowers women to ask for help and accountability. Jamie also underscores why it’s important for influencers to show more than just the good stuff on the gram and highlights the steps to consider when starting a community-based business.

“Making a leap from corporate to pursue a side hustle is scary, but—done with a plan and a passion—it can lead you to a life beyond your wildest dreams.” - Jamie Hess

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• Jamie’s early days in public relations and how she learned “the art of follow-up”
• Starting NYCFitFam and making the leap of faith from the corporate world to pursuing a side-hustle
• Her strategies for moving from a 9-to-5 to starting your own business
• The value of a multi-channel business and why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in the influencer basket
• The first brands Jamie worked with when she became an influencer
• Jamie’s advice for reaching out and pitching to an influencer
• Her podcast, Off the Gram, and building a community during a pandemic
• Her tips for starting and growing a podcast
• The mission behind Jamie’s Big Ask program and the power of living life with support and accountability
• Why having a mission as the foundation of your business is crucial
• How Jamie finds new people to be members of her coaching program
• The value of having an executive coach
• Why she doesn’t look at foibles as mistakes and what it means to lead with happiness
• Jamie’s favorite workout routines and her advice for sticking to an exercise habit

Resources Mentioned:

• Planoly

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “It’s important to have a North Star and approach your business from a place of mission.” - Jamie Hess
• “You want to be an influencer who wants to show the good stuff, but also what’s real.” - Jamie Hess
• “Sitting in the fear of making a mistake is worse than walking through the fire.” - Jamie Hess

Connect with Jamie Hess:

• The Big Ask Method
• NYCFitFam
• Off the Gram Podcast
• NYCFitFam on Instagram
• NYCFitFam on Twitter
• NYCFitFam on YouTube
• Off the Gram Instagram
• Jamie Hess on LinkedIn

Help More Female Entrepreneurs & Leaders Through the IFundWomen Campaign

We are thrilled to announce that our iFundWomen campaign is now live! We have supported so many women through Entreprenista, and we're excited to share this opportunity with you to support our campaign and continue to help women business owners and leaders.

Our funding goal is $100,000 - which means that every dollar counts. The best part? We've created incredible rewards that will help you as part of our campaign!

When you pledge to the iFundWomen Campaign, you’ll receive:

• An exclusive Entreprenista League Membership rate
• Dedicated Instagram and website features to promote you and your business
• Interviews on the Entreprenista podcast and our new podcast that's launching in 2022 - Startups In Stilettos
• One-on-one sessions with Stephanie or Courtney
• ...and so much more

Visit iFundWomen.com/Projects/Entreprenista to contribute any amount you feel comfortable with.

Seriously. Every doll...

“Find your path to yes." Wise words from model-turned-business-powerhouse Alexandra Cristin, a self-proclaimed ‘accidental entrepreneur’ who built her company, Glam Seamless, from just a thousand dollars all the way through being acquired as an eight-figure empire. Alexandra joins Socialfly co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her company and her journeys to success, including how she looks back on her very first hire (her mom) and when you should and shouldn’t hire loved ones; she offers advice to potential Mamaprenistas about how to structure your timeline in a way that’s right for you in order to achieve your goals; how COVID-19 resulted in Glam Seamless' highest sales numbers in its history; and, Alexandra shares why she wishes she had started the business with a co-founder.

Katya Libin is the Co-Founder and CEO of HeyMama, an application-based membership community dedicated to working mothers. Having led the business since its inception, Katya has helped HeyMama reach mothers worldwide, fostering connections and community with working mothers. Prior to co-founding the company, she worked with large corporations and brands such as Apple, Intel, and Conde Nast as well as the Global Director of Sponsorships with Social Media Week. She holds a degree in Political Science and History as well as a degree in the Spanish language. When she’s not dreaming up big ideas to grow the HeyMama brand, Katya can often be found rock climbing with her daughter and creating the perfect EDM Spotify playlist.

Katya joins us today to share the inspirational birth of the HeyMama community, how they’ve grown the community to reach working mothers worldwide, and the challenges and obstacles they’ve faced along the way. She explains how she and her co-founder, Amri Kibbler, leveraged social media to gauge their target audience’s interest before launching their platform and how they bootstrapped their way to earning over 7-figures in revenue before raising venture capital. Katya shares her advice for raising investor capital and the lessons she’s learned from pivoting her business during the COVID-19 outbreak. She also shares how practicing self-care techniques helps her reduce stress and show up as her best self as well as the benefits of becoming a member of the HeyMama community.

“Ideas are a-plenty, but it’s action that really turns them into reality.” - Katya Libin

This week on SocialFly’s Entreprenista Podcast:

• What inspired Katya to build the HeyMama community for working mothers
• How Katya knew she was ready to launch the HeyMama community
• How they leveraged social media to gauge their market’s interest in the community before launching
• How HeyMama bootstrapped their way to earning over $1-million in revenue
• Identifying the basics of your business idea and implementing them quickly to avoid procrastination
• The impact that mom entrepreneurs are making on future generations and why Katya believes it’s okay for entreprenistas to discuss business topics with their children
• Why HeyMama decided to seek venture capital funding and how they knew it was time to start raising investor capital
• The impact of forming an advisory board early-on and how it has helped HeyMama grow
• Katya’s advice for entreprenistas starting their journey into raising investor capital
• The impact that COVID-19 has had on HeyMama and the biggest lessons Katya has learned since the pandemic began
• Prioritizing self-care to manage stress and consistently show up as your best self
• The benefits of joining the HeyMama community
• Why it’s critically important for entreprenistas to believe in themselves and avoid impostor syndrome

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “This generation of mom entrepreneurs is really doing such a bigger service to their kids than they probably realize.” - Katya Libin
• “Focus. Just keep your eye on exactly what you need to get done. Don’t get distracted by all of the shiny objects.” - Katya Libin
• “You have to believe in yourself more than anyone else. The reason people are going to support you is because they believe in it and they see that you believe in it.” - Katya Libin

Resources Mentioned:

• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

Connect with Katya Libin:

• HeyMama
• HeyMama on LinkedIn
• HeyMama on Instagram
• HeyMama on Facebook
• HeyMama on Twitter
• Katya Libin on LinkedIn
• Katya Libin on Instagram
• Katya Libin on Twitter

Say “Hello!” To DigiCards™

 Are you ready to take your virtual team meetings to the next level? Are you tired of yelling “You’re on mute!” at your computer screen and letting the important points you were trying to make get lost?

If you’re tired of leading unproductive, distraction-filled team meetings, then it’s time for you to say “H...

Rebecca Minkoff built a global brand with a wide range of apparel, handbags, footwear, jewelry and accessories (including tech). She’s also an icon, a mentor, an innovator, a thought leader, and a media personality. Rebecca joins Socialfly co-founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success. It’s Becky—unfiltered. She shares why she’s a mama bear; about her new focus on minimizing waste and protecting the environment; why a 100M company comes with 100M challenges; how new tariffs caused her company to restructure an entire supply chain for a product line; creating a female founder collective as a teaching resource; how she succeeded despite starting before social media, and the reality of not being an overnight success; and the challenges of working with your sibling. Plus, a surprise!