Owning Your Legacy

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, Laurette is joined by entrepreneur Teresa Ging, Founder & CEO of the Chicago-based retail bakery Sugar Bliss. Teresa’s cupcakes and cookies have been a staple in the Windy City for the past 16 years, offering high-quality flavor experiences for those with an elevated sweet tooth. As a woman- and minority-owned business, Teresa has rewritten the recipe for success on her own terms and wants to inspire other up-and-coming female entrepreneurs to do the same.

When she was intentionally passed over for a promotion at an equity firm, Teresa channeled her energy into spending more time with her loved ones. In turn, she rediscovered a passion for the simple pleasures in life—specifically, the sweet treats that define our shared joyful moments. She invested in her education by attending a top pastry school in Paris, then used her background in economics to launch her first brick and mortar location in downtown Chicago. Teresa’s enthusiasm and resilience continued to strengthen from navigating the ups and downs of sustaining and scaling Sugar Bliss, and today she’s equally proud of her journey and excited to see where the business will expand next.

Laurette and Teresa discuss the competitive landscape of food & beverage, persevering through some of her biggest (and most costly and unexpected) challenges as a small business owner, and her priceless advice to avoid some preventable mistakes she made. They also highlight the advantage of wearing many different business-related hats, the importance of being WBENC-certified, and welcoming more women of color into entrepreneurship.

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy:

*Teresa’s lightbulb moment that inspired her career shift
*How to trust yourself during moments of struggle or doubt
*Four non-negotiable business needs to address crisis
*Teresa’s scholarship collaboration with WBENC
*How to expand your creativity in problem-solving

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.

“A lot of reasons why I talk about knowing your worth is that if you don't know it, you can't fight for it. And if you don't believe in your worth, don't ask me to. That's really hard. And so I think that's where people who are established or have a good solid sense of worth—it's on us to help others see that worth.” — Brooke Foley

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, Laurette is joined by her friend Brooke Foley, CEO & founder of The Jayne Agency, an award-winning strategic-creative boutique that specializes in helping businesses adapt and thrive in the new “clarity economy.” A born creative, Brooke followed her heart into graphic design, studying under some of the greats in Europe before landing a big agency gig in Chicago. Eventually, she left to open her own agency, where she experienced the many ups and downs of being an entrepreneur but ultimately found great success through her one-of-a-kind approach to branding—beginning with the origin story.

Laurette and Brooke unpack that journey, including their own origin story and what led them to create “It’s Not Just Dinner,” a relationship and professional development non-for-profit (501c3) that focuses on the power of MEDIC: Mentorship, Education, Diversity, Inclusion, and Certification.

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy: The evolution of ad agency life; Why your origin story matters; The importance of knowing your worth; Get to know WBENC—​​The Women's Business Enterprise National Council; Learning to leverage your network and sell naturally.

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.

Israel Santiesteban-Barrientos joins us in this episode of Owning Your Legacy to share his story of how he went from delivering milk at Dannon to becoming a leader in food and beverage with roles at prestigious companies like Kraft-Heinz and Schreiber Foods.

Israel’s journey is one of perseverance, from losing his mother at a young age and playing semi-professional soccer to keep food on the table to learning food science on the job and reading textbooks for classes he wasn’t officially enrolled in. Israel put himself headfirst into every challenge and made lasting connections with his community, quickly learning about every aspect of his greatest passion—food production and nutrition.

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy:

• Israel’s incredible story, from farmer to executive through a language barrier
• What makes milk and dairy products more or less nutritious
• Kraft’s role as a power player in improving nutrition and wellness
• Improving supplier diversity and empowering smaller, disadvantaged groups
• Using your power and influence to be a force for good and move others

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.

In this inspiring episode, Jess Kaskov, Certified Life Coach, Speaker, and Author, offers a fresh perspective on measuring success and fulfillment beyond traditional metrics, sharing her transformative journey from tech industry stress to discovering and pursuing her true calling.

Together, Laurette and Jess explore how to design a life aligned with our passions, prioritize self-care, and make meaningful contributions to the world around us. Jess shares her unique framework for finding joy and purpose: calculating your “Soul Salary”, understanding your "paychecks" of joy, and making necessary "budget cuts" in life. You’re going to really appreciate this practical approach to identifying what truly matters

In this episode:

• How the threat of job loss became an opportunity for transformation
• Understanding and calculating your "Soul Salary"
• The four steps to achieving greater fulfillment and joy
• Why "should" is the killer of joy and how to overcome it
• Creating a legacy of impact through authentic living

Join us for a conversation that challenges conventional measures of success and offers a roadmap to creating a life rich in meaning and purpose.

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.

In this episode of Owning Your Legacy, Laurette welcomes Oliver Kelly, the President & CEO of Kerry North America, to discuss his lessons learned in leadership and the mindset needed to create an unmatched workforce.
A leader in sustainable nutrition, Kerry has expanded from its humble origins in Ireland to a global visionary within—and beyond—the dairy industry. With a 30+ year career in sales and business growth, Oliver has helped guide the company in reaching new heights after taking on his role in 2021 and continues to be a trusted partner for Edlong and many food & beverage companies.
Between the “new normal” of post-pandemic life and unemployment rates at a record low, companies are looking to improve their approach to hiring in order to optimize their processes and exceed satisfaction on all levels. Laurette and Oliver discuss their experiences in adapting to uncharted leadership challenges, how Gen Z has transformed the interview process, and the top considerations for employee professional development across departments.
In this episode of Owning Your Legacy:
*Prioritizing purpose in your goals and your people
*The responsibility of building and maintaining relationships
*How to approach professional growth programs
*When and why to hire specialized talent
*Oliver’s tips for determined job-seekers

If you enjoyed the episode please share it with others, and rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about me and how I am Owning My Legacy, you can find me on Instagram @LauretteRondenet and online at lauretterondenet.com.