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The Winning Formula for Delivering Constructive Feedback to Your Team

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The fear of damaging relationships with team members or negatively impacting internal dynamics can make it difficult to provide feedback, especially when it involves addressing areas of improvement. However, avoiding constructive criticism altogether can be detrimental to both the individual and the team's growth and development.

In actuality, increased communication can boost retention rates and contribute to a high-performing team. Jessica Kriegal, chief scientist of workplace culture for Culture Partners, emphasizes the critical role of feedback in building a strong team, not just in terms of tactical performance, but also in fostering a positive workplace environment.

Kriegal, who leads research and strategy in best practices for driving results through culture, applies data-driven insights to dismantle the potential chaos of poor morale, low performance, and missed financial goals. According to her studies, the key to delivering effective feedback lies in connecting the dots between the employee's actions, the organization's culture, and its key results.

On a recent episode of WorkParty, Kriegal shared a format for delivering constructive feedback that not only helps employees improve, but reinforces the organization's values and mission:

Action + Cultural Belief + Key Result = Effective Feedback

Instead of simply saying "good job," or "this didn't work" leaders should provide specific feedback that connects the employee's action with their company's cultural belief. This helps the employee understand the context and purpose behind their actions and reinforces the organization's values and mission. This could look like:

You did a great job on that project (action), which is an example of our cultural belief in teamwork (cultural belief), something we want to nurture. As a result of your contribution, we were able to exceed our quarterly revenue goals (key result).

"[It's] connecting dots for employees, and they're able to lean into that action more," Kriegel says. Further, this tactic organically reinforces the organization's values and mission, which can help create a stronger, more cohesive culture.

But how do you know when to give feedback, and how often should you do it? Kriegal says the answer depends on the type of issue you're dealing with. For example, if it's a culture fit issue, it's important as a hiring manager to begin giving feedback early on in the employee's tenure to ensure that they understand and align with the organization's values. If it's a job skill issue, you may need to provide ongoing feedback and coaching to help the employee develop the necessary skills.

Learn more about the best practices that can transform workplace culture by tuning into Kriegal's episode of WorkParty.

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7 Business Strategies From This Year's Create Cultivate 100 Honorees That’ll Help Set You Apart

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The path to success is never linear, and this is especially true for women and femmes in business. Despite the challenges they’ve faced, those honored on this year's Create Cultivate 100 list have achieved remarkable success due to the unique strategies they applied to their business practices.

Ahead, we share some of these approaches that set them apart from the rest and how they apply to entrepreneurs at every stage.

1. Prepare to pivot

Beauty nominee, Amy Liu worked at Smashbox, Kate Somerville, and Josie Maran Cosmetics before striking out on her own to start the award-winning makeup brand Tower 28, which she launched at age 40. Even though it took her 18 years to finally say yes to becoming an entrepreneur—she’d thought about it since she was 28—Liu says she never counted herself (or a career change) out. "Part of manifestation," she says, "is just putting your dream out there."

2. Build intentional partnerships

Climate honoree and sustainability activist Jhánneu Roberts is an expert at this. Roberts partners with like-minded brands, like Bank of the West and Grove Collaborative, that further empower her community to live a sustainable life. When sharing advice for up and coming activists and sustainability creators she says, “It’s not just about reducing waste, it’s also about sustaining yourself.” Later this year, Jhánneu plans to launch a course focused on teaching other creators how to work with brands so that they can continue to build their own businesses, sustainably.

3. Follow your intuition

Content Creator honoree Achieng Agutu, also known as the Tantalizing Confidence Queen, has built an incredible community founded on fearlessness. When it comes to making important decisions, she encourages her followers to look within. "When something is for you, it should feel effortless and there should be no overthinking," she says. “If I don't feel a sense of freedom, a sense of happiness, if the energy is not reciprocated, if there is no sense of I see you and I want the best for you then I am out."

4. See every opportunity as a learning opportunity

Pinky Cole, Food and Beverage honoree and founder of Slutty Vegan, a plant-based burger chai based n in Atlanta valued at $100 million, has 20 new locations set to open after a successful Series A funding round. She acknowledges that expanding requires acknowledging what you don't know, being willing to learn, and not getting comfortable with what you do know. Second only to that, she says, is learning that you will lose people who are valuable to you and the business. But, the most important part is having the emotional maturity to move forward without letting it get in the way of your success. 

5. Use representation to tap potential

Finance honoree Simran Kaur, founder of Girls That Invest, aims to make investing more inclusive, starting from an early age. “You cannot become what you cannot see, she says. "More women talking about money or investing is going to encourage more women to come into the door. It feels less intimidating when you know people who look like you and can break down the jargon in ways you understand—without being patronizing. It's about using language and a female-lens that makes it just a wee bit more fun and engaging.”

6. Nurture your interests

Arts and Culture honoree and founder of Utendahl Creative, Madison Utendahl, has been on the founding teams of cultural phenomenons like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Refinery 29's 29Rooms and the Museum of Ice Cream. She believes in letting what you love lead you to your true north. “The journey to happiness is lifelong and well worth it,” she says. “I hope all women, especially those in creative spaces, know that they are worth their wildest dreams.”

7. Never stop testing new ideas

As the founder of Poppi, Food and Beverage honoree Allison Ellsworth wants to inspire others to bring out their inner disruptive entrepreneur—and not be afraid to try new things. Case in point: Ellsworth's first foray into TikTok a personal story about why she started her brand after not being able to find gut-friendly beverages, garnered 50 million views and $100K sales. This led to Poppi being the number-one searched beverage on Amazon, free endorsements from celebrity fans like Kendall Jenner and Drew Barrymore, and being named BevNet’s Marketing Campaign of the year. All of which taught Ellsworth a valuable lesson: Never let the fear of trying something new decide your future.

Tune in to this week'e episode of WorkParty where Jaclyn Johnson looks to these inspiring founders to answer some of your most-asked questions about owning and running a business.

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Hesitant to Bootstrap? Here's One Founder-Approved Strategy to Make It Happen

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Jordan Harper, CEO of Barefaced, launched her clinical-grade skin-care brand with no business background, no investors, and no savings to fall back on. However as a nurse practitioner with nearly a decade of experience in aesthetic medicine, Harper had a solid understanding of the products she wanted to create, and a strong demand from her audience.

With a strategic pre-launch plan and determination to fill a gap in the skin-care market, Harper brought her product line to life without any support from outside investors or accruing personal debt.

Bootstrapping, a business funding approach for entrepreneurs who don't want to rely on external sources of capital, is the option most small businesses (aka companies with fewer than 500 employees, which is 99.9 percent of all businesses in the U.S.) use to establish their companies. According to a recent survey of startups, 78 percent of small business owners self-funded their launches.

To pay for product manufacturing deposits, Harper took out several zero-percent-interest credit cards This may seem like a risky move, but it allowed her to maintain complete control over the business, without pressure to quickly scale and generate massive returns for investors.

Once production was in motion, Harper relied on the power of pre-orders to keep the business in motion. Thanks to her loyal Instagram following and patients' feedback, she was right about the strong demand for products. Pre-orders raised enough funds to match her manufacturing costs, and paid for even more goods to go into production. Harper ended up offering four rounds of pre-orders, which she reinvested into growth strategies for the business.

On a recent episode of WorkParty, Harper backed her approach as a simple and achievable tactic for any new business owner. The key is to have a solid understanding of your products, build a strong audience base, and educate.

Tune into Jordan Harper's episode of WorkParty where Jaclyn Johnson learns more about her career transition from nurse practitioner to entrepreneur, Barefaced’s unique take on customer engagement, and tactics for maximizing efficiency.

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How To Find a Niche in a Crowded Market With Dr. Roshini Raj, Founder of TULA Skincare

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In a world where there seems to be a new skin-care brand launching every week (there are approximately 4,200 cosmetic and beauty companies in the U.S. alone), it can be difficult to stand out. Yet, by following her gut, literally, Roshini Raj, MD, founder of TULA Skincare, managed to break through.

Before beginning TULA, Dr. Raj started her career as a gastroenterologist, a physician dedicated to the digestive system, and it was her passion for probiotics and the microbiome that led her to explore the connection between gut and skin health. While studying the evolution of research in her field, Dr. Raj noticed that her patients who were taking probiotics not only found improvements in their digestion, but also in their skin.

At the time she launched TULA in 2014 with formulas that utilized probiotics to help balance the skin's microbiome and promote a healthy skin barrier using, no one was talking about the connection between gut health and the skin, and research was limited. So Dr. Raj felt she’d found a niche within her wheelhouse that would allow her to align her expertise with potential whitespace. And her bet paid off big time because the global probiotics market, valued at $50.6B in 2020, is now expected to grow at a rate of 7.9 percent from 2021 to 2028.

So how can others find a niche in a crowded market like skin care? On the most recent episode of WorkParty, Dr. Raj advises taking a step back and examining what sets you apart.

"You have to really think about what you want to bring to the table that's different,” she says. “What are you uniquely qualified to do? For me, it was my medical background and my passion for probiotics and the microbiome.”

Dr. Raj also emphasizes the importance of understanding your target market. "You have to know your audience,” she says. “What do they want? What are they missing? What are they looking for that they can't find? That's really how you can start to carve out a niche."

Tune in to this week's episode of WorkParty to learn more about Dr. Raj's probiotic product formulation process, TULA's mission to inspire confidence, and the ways in which gut health impacts our overall well-being. 

Why Nēmah Founder Mary Lawless Lee Waited a Year After Perfecting Her Product Formula to Launch

After seven years as an ICU nurse, influencer Mary Lawless Lee stepped away from her career to nurture the growing community surrounding her blog, Happily Grey. Lee's creative outlet had taken on a life of its own, transforming from an online journal into a sought-after and highly successful fashion and lifestyle brand. However, she never let go of her desire to serve people—especially mothers. A decade, 2.6 million followers, and a brick-and-mortar retail store later, Lee returned to her roots to launch Nēmah, a vegan skincare line formulated specifically for mothers.

On a recent episode of WorkParty, Lee described the decision as a connecting of the dots. "I couldn't get my hands on the products I wanted, and it just made sense to [use] these tools [from] my past career," she said.

Together with her co-founder (and husband), Madison Lee, she leveraged affiliate data from Happily Grey and candid conversations with her followers to create Nēmah's hero products: a revitalizing Stretch Cream and Renewing Balm. The data also informed the product's price point and packaging design while reaffirming an industry need for clean and safe pregnancy formulas.

In an interview with WWD, Lee said the product formulas were finalized in 2020—an entire year before the brand launched in 2021. As a mother, she felt it was critical to develop the community first before releasing the physical product. "A big part of my passion was creating this community that talked about miscarriages, fertility, [and] struggles," she said.

The Nēmah website hosts a community journal where customers can share personal and unfiltered stories wherever they are on their motherhood journey. And the brand's success has led to even more product innovation, including a scar treatment that's moving the brand beyond the pregnancy bubble.

To learn more about Nēmah's product development process, tune into this week's episode of WorkParty!

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Touchland Founder Andrea Lisbona Believes in the Power of Kickstarter

Long before 2020 boosted hand sanitizer sales by three digits, Touchland founder Andrea Lisbona wondered why the skin-care industry monopolized indulgent, self-care rituals. As someone who's always been passionate about creating solutions in underserved spaces, Lisbona singled out the hygiene market and picked a joyless product to re-invent: hand sanitizer. Just like that, Touchland was born.

Since first launching in Spain almost 10 years ago, Touchland has become the most awarded hand sanitizer in the $3 billion industry and is distributed in more than 4,000 retail doors including Sephora, Ulta, and Target.

It all began with a Kickstarter. Lisbona and her team refined the product two years before setting their eyes on the US market. To gather additional market feedback, the team launched the crowdfunding platform in 2018. Twenty-four hours later, they were fully funded. Lisbona now attributes much of Touchland's success in the US to Kickstarter and encourages other entrepreneurs to leverage the tool for their own businesses.

Not only were more than 50 percent of the backers from the US, she says, but Kickstarter also helped the team nail down what their target consumer wanted in a better hand sanitizer. Lisbona also found that involving backers in the creative process was one of the best ways to build a community around the brand. "The beauty [of] kickstarter is that every time you reach a certain milestone of revenue, you unlock new rewards. And those new rewards are usually suggested by the backers," shared Lisbona on a recent episode of WorkParty.

For example, consumer feedback inspired the brand's key ring case, which makes the product easier to carry on the go.

Touchland's success reflects a business theme: word-of-mouth marketing can really move the needle for new brands. According to the content marketing platform SEM Rush, 90 percent of people are more likely to trust recommended brands—even when the rec comes from complete strangers. That's why, from a marketing validation standpoint, Lisbona encourages using Kickstarter. "The only way we’ve been able to lead is [because] our community has lifted us," she says. "Have a community that's going to convert everyone around them."

Listen to this week's episode of WorkParty to learn more about Andrea Lisbona—and how she built Touchland!

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3 Things To Do Riaght Now To Recession Proof Your Business, According to Jaclyn Johnson

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The fear of facing a recession is real for any professional. But for some small business owners and solopreneurs, confronting this challenge alone can be downright scary.  While a recession is likely on the horizon, small steps can be taken right now to ready you and your business for the uncertainty ahead.

On this week’s episode of WorkParty, Create & Cultivate Founder Jaclyn Johnson shares three steps you can (and should!) take to feel equipped to take on financial uncertainty.

1. Analyze your operational costs

It’s so important to see every dime that goes out the door. Johnson suggests taking time to analyze your costs and note what you’re spending month-over-month. Making a straightforward decision will become easier when you have a bird's eye view of your expenses

2. Categorize your operational costs

Take stock of what is fundamental to running your business and the areas that help drive revenue. Then, take a look at what costs are your "nice to haves."

3. Cut the “nice to haves”

You probably saw this one coming! “It’s important to operate at your leanest possible potential,” says Johnson. This means cutting costs that won’t sacrifice what your business could look like in 2023.

Be sure to take a careful look at every area of your business. Consider the value of your platforms and tools, negotiate with vendors, or discontinue a product that isn't selling well.

Listen to this week's episode of WorkParty for more of Jaclyn's 2023 planning tips!

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/20XgEhJq2kaa7JlglMTGjV?si=8e3c7a264cd54402

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Out of Office Is Disrupting the Travel Industry—Here’s How the Co-Founders Allocated $4.6M in Fundraising

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Out of Office (OOO) is the latest app disrupting the travel and tourism sectors, going up against long-time industry leaders Expedia and Travelocity. Full of hidden gems, best-ofs, and hot tips, the recommendation app uses a different source pool than its competitors: your personal network. Sounds like a saving grace for your trip-planning group chat, right? Investors thought so, too.

The idea for OOO arrived when former Trunk club executives Jan Seale and Coabi Kastan were on a trip to London. After digging through google sheets, confirmation emails, and phone notes each day, the duo realized there had to be an easier way to organize and execute a group trip. The pair put a pin in the idea as they focused on growing their respective careers, but when travel halted in March of 2020, they had an inkling the tourism industry would boom at the first chance of travel. So they hit the ground running.  

Their gut instincts were right. In 2022, the global leisure travel market reached an estimated $645.3 billion and is expected to increase by 19 percent in the next five years. This global demand for wanderlust allowed the duo to raise $1.6 million during their pre-seed round in 2021 (backed by former colleagues at Cameo and Havenly). 

Typically, pre-seed funding goes towards putting a product’s vision in motion. Seale and Kastan nailed their brand vision in the early days of OOO's conception, but bringing it to life as a functional app would be tricky. “We had a great idea, and we had a team that was working for free on our beta. But it was so unique and different [that] we needed money to build something end to end,” says Seale, who also serves as CEO. She adds that the pre-seed money was key to finding and paying the right people to build out the app they envisioned. 

OOO’s seed round was an extension of that. By April 2022, they had built a quarter of the app’s functionality using pre-seed funds. “We needed more capital for a bigger team. We needed to invest in marketing and customer acquisition and on brand in order to continue to scale," Seale says. That month, the company closed a $3.5 million round of seed funding led by Hyde Park Venture Partners. 

While OOO has now raised close to $5 million, the odds were stacked against the two as minority and women co-founders. Female founders received just two percent of venture capital money in 2021, and Seale was among the first one hundred Black women to raise over a million dollars in venture capital with OOO's pre-seed round. “While it sounds like an accomplishment, with billions of venture dollars being deployed each year, it’s unfortunate that that number is so small," says Seale. "Both Coabi and I are committed to changing that dynamic and ensuring that more marginalized groups get access to venture capital."

Seale and Kastan are looking forward to their Series A next year.

Want to learn more about the future of Out of Office? Jan Seale and Coabi Kastan share their thoughts on the future of personalized travel, entrepreneurship, and app building on this week's episode of WorkParty.

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How to Reach Your Business' Target Audience For Less Than $10 a Day, According to a Successful Agency Owner

With platforms like TikTok on the rise, it may be hard to believe that potential customers are still tapping Facebook to learn about businesses like yours; however, the Meta-owned company is the most popular social platform in the world, pulling in 2.91 billion monthly active users. According to data collected by social media management platform Hootsuite, Facebook's ads reach 64 percent of all Americans over age 13. And thus, your target audience might just be one Facebook post away. 

Leveraging Facebook ads is one of the best ways to set your brand apart from the rest—especially if you're on a budget, says Courtney Spritzer—co-founder and CEO of Socialfly, a full-service social media agency. Spritzer acknowledges that there has been a negative shift in the perception of Facebook as an effective marketing tool over the years, but Socialfly's success speaks for itself. "I don't know where else you can reach your target audience for less than $10 a day," she explains on the latest episode of the WorkParty podcast. Standing out on a limited budget is, "all about content, leveraging influencers, and investing in Facebook and Instagram ads," says Spritzer. (Socialfly has been named one of Inc. 5000's fastest-growing private companies two years in a row, FWIW).

Facebook itself recommends spending at least $1 per day on ads. However, if using its cost-per-result goal bid strategy—which helps maximize conversion volume while keeping your ad spend low—your daily budget should be at least five times the amount of your cost-per-result goal. So, for example, if your cost-per-result goal is $5, your daily budget should be at least $25. Once your ads have exited the learning phase (the amount of time it takes Facebook to learn about your Target audience once a post is live), Facebook tries to keep spending around your cost-per-result goal. Pretty smart.

Spritzer also mentions micro-influencers as a budget-friendly way to advertise. When you work with creators, you're not only reaching a new target audience, but your brand is receiving a piece of user-generated content (UGC) that can be reposted on your company's channels. Micro-influencers, who often have a niche, hyper-engaged audience, are known to charge $100-$500 per Instagram post. (But, of course, rates increase from this range based on factors like the influencer's reach, engagement, and scope of work.)

For more on budget-friendly ways to expand your audience, take a listen to this week's episode of WorkParty, where Jaclyn Johnson interviews the co-founders of Socialfly and Entreprenista, uncovering their secrets to building a business with your best friend and even more insights on digital trends for small businesses.

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Why Being a Forever Student Gives You a Competitive Edge in Entrepreneurship, According to Sakara Co-Founder Danielle Duboise

Education has always been a cornerstone for Sakara Life co-founder Danielle Duboise. After attending the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), DuBoise teamed up with Whitney Tingle (her co-founder) to study time-tested approaches to nutrition. Together, the two set their hearts (and stomachs) on the goal of nourishing their own minds and bodies, but where they landed was beyond what either of them had in mind. In 2012, the duo launched Sakara, an industry-disrupting wellness brand delivering ready-to-eat meals made with whole foods and ingredients you can trust. Reporting $150 million in revenue in 2021, Sakara has expanded into a lifestyle brand toting a namesake podcast, magazine, and community events, less than a decade after its launch. And according to DuBoise, a big part of the company's continued success has been her ongoing status as a student.

On this week's episode of WorkParty, Duboise said that ten years after her completing her certificate from the IIN, she is once again back in school pursuing a Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. Why? In 2021, the fresh food meal kit industry was worth an estimated $6.9 billion and is set to generate over $10 billion by 2024. And with a growing number of competitors entering the market, Duboise says she sees pursuing her master's as an opportunity to cement Sakara Life's offerings as the most researched-backed, nutritious meals you can pop in your fridge. “I wanted to make sure our voice is known as one that is backed by research and scientific literature," said DuBoise.

That said, continued education isn't limited to a master's program. Anything from free online courses to applying for an education grant can set you apart from the crowd in your industry. So, consider browsing free courses at General Assembly, Udemy, or Coursera. (Who knows? It could give you just the edge you need.)

Want to learn more about Danielle DuBoise and Sakara? On this week's episode of WorkParty, Jaclyn Johnson chats with DuBoise about the brand-building process, life as a wellness entrepreneur (and new mom!), and her best advice for identifying your own version of balance.

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Content warning: This episode includes discussions of eating disorders and body image struggles.

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Diem Co-Founder Emma Bates on Human-Centered Technology and The Power of Female Communication

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ABOUT THE EPISODE

In today's episode of WorkParty, Jaclyn is joined by Emma Bates, founder & CEO of Diem. If you attended Create & Cultivate's Austin Pop-Up event earlier this year, you might've already heard from Emma on one of our panels where she spoke about women paving the way with blockchain technology.

If you're not familiar with Diem, it's a community-powered search engine designed for women. Diem is a Techstars NYC portfolio brand backed by leading investors like Flybridge, Acrew, & Sellation. By trade, Emma is a marketer and a community builder. Her entry into marketing was somewhat untraditional–in that she started out by growing her personal blog to 100K+ readers at age 19, and later transitioned into corporate marketing roles at some of the fastest-growing consumer brands in NYC and the UK. Prior to founding Diem, she worked as the Head of Global Marketing at the direct-to-consumer luggage brand, Away, where she found her passion for connecting with consumers through brand partnerships.

When she's not sidestepping her way into another entrepreneurial endeavor, she works to create social change as a lifelong advocate for gender equality. Emma has also been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Entrepreneur, and The Cut for her unique approach to marketing, community building, and partnerships.

In this episode, she shares the importance of adding a human element to technology and product design, the power of female communication, and how she's working to bring inclusive, reliable information to people all over the world.

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Multi-Hyphenate Miranda Kerr Talks Work Ethic, Product Development & Demystifying "Clean Beauty"

ABOUT THE EPISODE

Live from our 2022 Wellness Means Business event, fellow Aussie, Miranda Kerr joins Create & Cultivate's CEO Kate Spies for a keynote conversation about building and scaling a business in the wellness industry. Miranda needs no introduction, but we'll give her one anyway. She is a supermodel, certified health coach, Founder & CEO of KORA Organics, and a wellness pioneer.

Very early on, Miranda learned about the importance of what you put on your skin and how it can impact your overall health after her mother fell ill. From its foundation, KORA has become a hit–selling key facial essentials that help you take care of your complexion without needing a shelfie worth of bottles on your countertop, and the brand just recently took its first foray into body care as well.

While there’s much to admire about Miranda, one thing that we hear from her team and those who work closely with her is what an involved and passionate founder she is. Miranda is up-to-date on the latest trends, ingredients, and sustainability measures. She actively works on everything from formulations to product development to marketing, and I know we have much to learn from her in today's installment of WorkParty!

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Beekeeper's Naturals Founder On Selling Products At Markets To Raising 15 Mil

You have to start somewhere and Carly Stein will vouch for that statement. After years of battling on-and-off tonsillitis, Stein found relief in a combo of tree and plant resin created by bees, called propolis. She took that ingredient to launch a line of natural products called Beekeeper's Naturals, that would help not only her with her autoimmune problems, but help others boost their health from energy to concentration, and even battling brain fog.

But as many founders know, when you create a new product it can be hard to have others gain trust in what you're selling, especially for Stein who was working with ingredients that are a mix of ancient and modern science. She started by bootstrapping for 6 months, and selling at farmer's markets as a one woman show. The product took off as she was able to raise over $600,000. She then tapped into her circle of clients who saw the need for what she was selling, and many became investors for the seed round, leading her to fundraise over 15 million towards her business. Listen more below on the steps she took to get her business to success, and even some bumps in the road that didn't stop her from following her passion.

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Cass Dimicco On Parallel Pathing Your Personal Brand With Your Business

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Today’s guest is multi-hyphenate Cass Dimicco–a successful entrepreneur, content creator, and creative director. Lauded by the media as “a true tastemaker, one of the fashion world’s ultimate ‘it girls and style icons,” Cass is not only a trend-setter for her highly engaged audience, but she’s also the founder, designer, and creative director for her own successful jewelry line, Aureum Collective.

Cass had leveraged her eye for style and ability to forecast fashion trends into full-time digital content creation in 2017, leaving her previous role as a corporate buyer and product designer in fashion. Aureum Collective was later founded in September 2019 when Cass and her husband recognized a gap in the market for a jewelry brand that fulfilled a luxury aesthetic without the luxury price point.

Listen below to learn about her journey from influencer to entrepreneur, and her best advice for launching and scaling a corporate brand in line with her personal brand.

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Bella Hadid & Jen Batchelor On Leading a Sober-Curious Movement and Changing The Age-Old Social Ritual of Drinking

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Bella Hadid isn't sure how cans of Kin Euphorics showed up in her fridge, but one sip and she's glad they were put there.

Working in the modeling industry may be glamorous, but, as Hadid learned, can take a toll on you physically and mentally. So when she discovered and frequently drank Kin Spritz, a non-alcoholic apéritif, she noticed her mood was instantly boosted and she felt good making it through the multiple shows or late nights. Hadid wasn't sure how this drink was capable of making her lifestyle better, but she had to find and connect with its creator Jen Batchelor.

Hadid and Batchelor's instant chemistry was undeniable because they both came from backgrounds where they felt the burnout of their life choices, and wanted to improve their mind, body, and soul. It was as if the stars had aligned. Hadid signed on as a co-founder of Kin Euphorics and together they are building a booze-free culture. Hear Hadid speak from our LA Conference about her new lifestyle and what led her to entrepreneurship below.

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This Small Business Founder Sold Her Own Company Stock to Fund Her New Venture

If there is a hot topic when it comes to starting a business, it's one surrounding funding. Without money, there's no business. So sourcing funds is one of the first steps any founder considers taking. Aasiyah Abdulsalam knows that path all too well, having been an entrepreneur out of college. But when she had a new business idea that she felt more passionate towards, she figured out an easier way to jumpstart her business. What did she do? She sold the majority of her company stock to launch The Renatural.

Some might say Abdulsalam is fearless and others might call her crazy, because where is the assurance that investing your money in a new business will have a good return? But she figured out how to have a steady growth trajectory for a now successful business. Hear what steps she took to have a positive outcome in her plan, from her experiences of selling stock to growing a new business.

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How To Use Your Network To Launch A Product Business, According to Olivia Culpo 

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How To Use Your Network To Launch A Product Business, According to Olivia Culpo

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Olivia Culpo may be new to "business partner," but her entrepreneurial mindset has been brewing since a young age. At our recent LA Conference, she sat down with C&C CEO Kate Spies, to talk about her journey that led her to helping launch a product business. But growing a business, let alone starting one, takes work and a lot of networking to get you to success. Luckily Culpo knows a thing or two about networking from being in the entertainment industry where you constantly make connections.

After seeing the passion her business partners Ryan Laverty and Sal Campisi had for their brand VIDE, an all-natural seltzer, Culpo's instincts led her to sign on and help them launch their product. Combine their work ethic and knowledge for VIDE with Culpo's food and bev (Yep, she's even worked in the restaurant industry!) experiences and people skills, you have a dream team. They came up with a plan, got people into VIDE, and today you can, too, enjoy it. Listen below to hear more on how Culpo and her business partners networked and launched a beverage product.

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  • Shopify | Go to Shopify.com/party for a FREE fourteen-day trial, and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.

  • Nuuly | Go to Nuuly and use code PARTY 10 to get a package with 6 styles. For a limited time, you’ll also get $10 off your first month of Nuuly.

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Lindsey Carter On The Challenges Of Building Your Own Business After Pivoting From Corporate America

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Lindsey Carter is a prime example of finding happiness when you follow your passion, but it wasn't an easy journey getting to that point. As do many people working in roles that don't make them feel fulfilled, Carter struggled going to work everyday. "Keep in mind I could not keep a job for more than eight months. I wasn't getting fired, I would just quit every time. I didn't like people telling me what to do. I was like 'this is not working for me,'" she says. So what did she do, she quit her path, pivoting from corporate America. "For me, what made me take the leap was that I was so miserable at my job."

She learned that it's easier said than done though. First she needed to find help as this would put her in a position of knowing nothing on how to start a business. Then she needed a great idea to build a business, which then led to growing the business itself. Through each step she learned the challenges of how to get to the next point, and she shares that insight below. Take a listen on how Carter ultimately found success, and above all happiness.

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  • Clare | Visit Clare at www.clare.com/party to get started, and receive $5 off your first gallon of paint.

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Winnie Harlow Shares Tips On Raising Funds For Your Business

Believing in your business and product is almost like manifesting it to be successful, and that worked out quite well for model-turned-entrepreneur Winnie Harlow, who raised over 6.5 million in funds, to launch a beauty brand this year.

Cay Skin, although exclusively sold at Sephora today, took years in the making before it even hit the shelves. Harlow is one of very few Black women to have raised over 1 million in venture capital funding for it. How did she do it? She got a stellar team together and they built a beauty line she’s passionate about. From formulating the products to building the brand identity, Harlow and CEO Cass Devor share the steps they took to get investors to notice Cay Skin. Watch them speak below from our LA Conference.

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  • Unthinkably Good Things | Forget about your Sunday scaries and immerse yourself in a virtual Tuscan vacation with the premiere of Unthinkably Good Things this Sunday, August 28th at 9/8 central on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries! 

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