Startup Confessions Podcast

Yssamae Abdon
  • 5.0 (2)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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The Startup Confessions podcast is about uncovering the behind-the-scenes truth about the startup entrepreneurial journey. Inspired by a summer internship in entrepreneurship, Host Yssamae Abdon invites startup founders from different industries from all stages of entrepreneurship to share their challenges and triumphs. Entrepreneurship will look different to each person, and the Startup Confessions podcast is where authenticity meets ambition. The goal is to be a source of insight and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and future business owners with stories from our guests.

  1. CEO of Delfyn and woman in finance transforming the financial industry with AI, Ceren Danis

    2025-04-25

    CEO of Delfyn and woman in finance transforming the financial industry with AI, Ceren Danis

    NOTE* In the podcast, we mention Unique Payments. However, as of April 2025, Unique Payments has rebranded to Delfyn. In this episode of the Startup Confessions podcast, host Yssamae Abdon speaks with guest speaker, Ceren Danis, CEO and co-founder of Delfyn, about her journey in finance and entrepreneurship, her expertise and what led her to where she is now. They discuss the importance of co-founders, the challenges women face in a male-dominated industry, the impact of AI on financial services, and the qualities that lead to entrepreneurial success. AI is transforming financial services by standardizing data across platforms. Ceren talks about preparing for the future of work requires flexibility and a willingness to learn and understanding the realities of entrepreneurship is vital before taking the leap. She shares the importance of persistence in achieving entrepreneurial success and how mindfulness practices like meditation helped her be more resilience. Delfyn is a fintech startup company that helps B2B companies get paid faster with the focus on AI. Please see links to Delfyn, and Ceren's mentorship club: ​https://www.mentoring-club.com/the-mentors/ceren-danis2. https://app.growthmentor.com/mentors/ceren-danis 3. www.delfyn.co - Delfyn website LinkedIn Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceren-danis/ - Ceren Danis https://www.linkedin.com/company/delfyn/- Delfyn

    36 min
  2. Empowering women through sustainable fashion and breaking stigmas as an entrepreneur with Arielle Loupos, founder of Flower Girl Co

    2025-03-14

    Empowering women through sustainable fashion and breaking stigmas as an entrepreneur with Arielle Loupos, founder of Flower Girl Co

    In the 3rd episode of the Startup Confessions podcast, host Yssamae interviews Arielle Loupos, founder of Flower Girl, a sustainable period underwear brand. Arielle shares her journey from working in e-commerce to launching her own brand, emphasizing the importance of using natural materials and creating a community around menstrual health. She discusses the challenges of product development, the significance of self-care, and the need to break the stigma surrounding female reproductive health. Arielle's passion for education and community building shines through as she discusses her vision for changing the narrative around periods and empowering women. In this episode, Arielle Loupos discusses the journey of building her sustainable period underwear brand, focusing on the balance between creative vision and business practicality. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity, understanding one's purpose, and the habits that contribute to success. The discussion also touches on gender dynamics in business and the significance of community support. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Flower Girl and Its Mission 01:32 Arielle's Journey into E-commerce and Product Development 05:35 The Challenges of Product Development and Learning 11:03 Overcoming Failure and Embracing Self-Care 14:57 Building Community and Breaking Stigmas 20:30 Celebrating Female Cycles and Changing Narratives 24:05 Balancing Creative Vision and Business Decisions 27:28 Authenticity and Openness in Branding 31:58 Preparing to Start a Brand 34:41 Habits for Success 36:15 Navigating Gender Dynamics in Business 39:40 Following Your Why and Brand Identity Check out Arielle and Flower Girl Co on social media! Arielle - https://www.instagram.com/arielleloupos Flower Girl Co - https://www.instagram.com/flowergirl.co_/ Flower Girl Co website

    38 min
  3. Humor as a Business: The Rise of No Boring Brands with Aidan Brannigan

    2025-03-03

    Humor as a Business: The Rise of No Boring Brands with Aidan Brannigan

    In Season 2, episode 2 of the Startup Confessions podcast, Aiden, founder of No Boring Brands, shares his journey in the creator economy and the establishment of his creative humor agency. He discusses the importance of authenticity in social media, the art of humor in content creation, and the challenges of navigating perceptions around social media careers. Aiden emphasizes the significance of consistency, networking, and defining personal success while addressing the realities of cancel culture and online criticism. The conversation concludes with insights on maintaining passion and discipline in one's career. Takeaways Aidan founded No Boring Brands to help B2B brands use humor in marketing. Perceptions of social media careers often clash with reality. Authenticity is key to building an online presence. Humor in content should be relatable and not demeaning. Understanding audience and brand voice is crucial for effective content. Cancel culture shouldn't deter creativity. Consistency and discipline are vital for success in any field. Networking is essential and you should seize every opportunity to connect. Defining personal success is more important than societal expectations. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Aiden and No Boring Brands 02:55 The Journey of Building a Creative Humor Agency 06:02 Navigating Perceptions of Social Media Careers 09:10 The Value of Authenticity in Online Presence 11:51 The Art of Humor in Content Creation 14:57 Understanding Audience and Brand Voice 18:02 Dealing with Cancel Culture and Online Criticism 20:58 The Importance of Consistency and Discipline 24:03 Networking and Seizing Opportunities 27:04 Defining Success and Career Paths 30:00 Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations Links to Aidan Brannigan x No Boring Brands: LinkedIn - Aidan Brannigan No Boring Brands website - https://www.noboringbrands.co/

    34 min

  4. 2025-01-31

    Reflections from Season 1, Q&A, changes in Season 2.

    Summary In this episode of the Startup Confessions Podcast, host Yssamae reflects on her journey of launching and running a podcast focused on entrepreneurship. She shares insights on the challenges she faced as a young host, the importance of consistency, and how she connects with her guests. Yssa also discusses the technical aspects of podcasting, her personal growth through the experience, and offers advice for aspiring podcasters. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Startup Confessions Podcast 03:12 Challenges of Podcasting and Imposter Syndrome 06:06 Finding Guests and Building Connections 08:34 Technical Setup and Equipment for Podcasting 11:11 Navigating Conversations and Authenticity 12:59 Advice for Aspiring Podcasters 14:53 Balancing Podcasting with Personal Life 16:46 Lessons Learned and Overcoming Doubts Thank you for listening to our podcast. You can follow us on social media: Instagram: https://instagram.com/startupconfessionspod TikTok: @startupconfessionspod

    21 min
  5. Sonia-Michelle, founder of Ruby Sky Events and marketing manager at Porsche Dealership

    2024-09-06

    Sonia-Michelle, founder of Ruby Sky Events and marketing manager at Porsche Dealership

    In this episode, Sonia-Michelle de Souza (or SM), marketing manager at Porsche Center London Ontario and founder of Ruby Sky Events shares her passion with creating, and sharing memorable experiences through events. Sonia-Michelle shares her experience in the automotive industry as a marketing manager and her passion for events led to the recent launch of Ruby Sky Events. Ruby Sky Events focuses on providing unique experiences through events serving exclusive wine and food.  In this episode, we discuss how SM balances many roles including being a marketing manager, and founder of her own small-business, her advice to young aspiring professionals and entrepreneurs, staying creative, and important habits to stay on top of your game. With her experience in the marketing industry and the automotive industry, she has combined her professional skills with her passion for events and food, creating her newly launched Ruby Sky Events. Thank you for listening to this episode and stay tuned for the next episode on the Startup Confessions Podcast.  You can find Ruby Sky Events on: Facebook link - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556915732031&mibextid=LQQJ4d  Keep update on the Startup Confessions Podcast on: ● Instagram @thestartupconfessionspod

    27 min
  6. Simplifying processes for success, and trusting yourself as an entrepreneur with Brandie Grace Wong - Founder and CEO of Totally Brand It

    2024-08-16

    Simplifying processes for success, and trusting yourself as an entrepreneur with Brandie Grace Wong - Founder and CEO of Totally Brand It

    In episode 8 of the Startup Confessions Podcast, we have our new guest Brandie Grace Wong, founder and CEO of Totally Brand It. Brandie is a young and ambitious entrepreneur who has started her journey at the age of 15years old and is now running her own agency. In this episode, we talk about simplifying processes for business success, the challenges of running a business, how to vet team members and cultivating work culture, and advice on trusting yourself in decision making as an entrepreneur. Totally Brand It is a fractional COO agency focusing on business operations, and innovation helping clients, generally in B2B simplify process and scaling for success. Totally Brand It is on: Website: ⁠https://www.totallybrandit.com/first-welcome⁠ Instagram ⁠@totally.brand.it⁠ Brandie Grace Wong is on: Instagram ⁠⁠@brandiegracewong YouTube @BrandieGrace Linktree @BrandieGrace Keywords: Entrepreneurship, imposter syndrome, simplifying processes, team members, trust, self-belief, books, sacrifices, challenges, advice

    29 min
  7. Delivering the best grooming experience and selling kicks with Leoles, co-founder of TopTier Company

    2024-08-04

    Delivering the best grooming experience and selling kicks with Leoles, co-founder of TopTier Company

    In this episode of the Startup Confessions podcast, host Yssamae invites Leoles, co-founder of TopTier barber shop, offering one of the best fades and kicks in Oakville.  Leo and his team’s passion for barbering and offering excellent grooming experiences for every client that comes into TopTier makes a barbershop stand out amongst the rest. They also have a unique twist and sell kicks for passionate collectors.  Follow Leoles Melegrito on instagram @lefades  He is also part of the @cuttingdealspod podcast. You can follow Top Tier on: Instagram @toptiercompany Tiktok @toptiercompany   Book an appointment or get some kicks on toptier website:  TopTier  TopTier Kicks Make sure to check out our social media accounts on Instagram ● Instagram @thestartupconfessionspod

    9 min
  8. Enhancing dining experience with authenticity and culture with Maro, chef and owner of the top rated restaurant in Oakville.

    2024-07-19

    Enhancing dining experience with authenticity and culture with Maro, chef and owner of the top rated restaurant in Oakville.

    Guest Speaker: Marwan (Maro) Al Chamaa - Chef and Restaurant owner of Maro’s Bistro, Bohemian Beirut and co-owner of Narenj Oakville.  Welcome to this episode of the Startup Confessions Podcast. In this episode, we speak with Marwan (Maro) Al Chamaa, a chef who has made a name for himself by blending the traditional flavors of his Lebanese background with innovative culinary techniques. From working alone 15 years ago as a new immigrant to Canada to now owning a top-rated restaurant in Oakville Maro shares his philosophy on food and the importance of authenticity in business. Maro is a passionate chef and restaurant owner of Maro’s Bistro, co-owner of Narenj Oakville, and soon to be Bohemian Beirut all located in Oakville, Canada. Maro’s journey started in Lebanon where he brings his culture and knowledge to enhance the dining experience in one of Canada’s wealthiest cities. He shares his unique approach to reinventing dishes that enhances the Lebanese culture as he transitions to the Canadian culinary scene. Maro shares his journey with authenticity and a no bullsh*t attitude. If you love food, curious about the unique art of expressing culture through cuisine, you will love this episode.  Chapters: 00:00 The Journey Begins: From Immigrant to Restaurateur 02:56 Lessons from the First Five Years 05:55 Creativity vs. Authenticity in Cuisine 08:56 Building a Unique Restaurant Experience 12:10 The Philosophy of Customer Relations 15:08 Community Over Customers 18:11 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs Takeaways: Maro's journey began as an immigrant working in the restaurant industry. The first five years of running her restaurant were filled with challenges and learning experiences. Good food is just the baseline; a restaurant must offer more than that. Authenticity in cuisine is crucial; it's about being genuine to one's culture. Customer relations should focus on respect and community rather than just transactions. Building a community around the restaurant enhances the overall experience. Mistakes are essential for growth; the more you make, the better you become. Patience is key in business; money will follow if you focus on your craft. Maro believes in filtering customers to maintain a positive environment. The advice to focus on quick money is misleading; true success takes time. Visit Maro's restaurant Maro’s Bistro and Narenj Oakville in [Oakville, Ontario, Canada]. Follow Maro on social media for culinary tips and updates. Subscribe to our podcast for more inspiring stories from entrepreneurs and startup owners.  Maro’s Bistro is on: Website: https://www.marosbistro.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maros_bistro/  Thank you for joining us in this episode with Marwan (Maro) Al Chamaa. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share it with your friends and family. Stay tuned for more episodes.  Make sure to check out our social media accounts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok: ● Instagram @thestartupconfessionspod ● TikTok @thestartupconfessionspod Keywords restaurant, entrepreneurship, creativity, community, customer relations, immigrant experience, business lessons, authenticity, food culture, success

    24 min
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About

The Startup Confessions podcast is about uncovering the behind-the-scenes truth about the startup entrepreneurial journey. Inspired by a summer internship in entrepreneurship, Host Yssamae Abdon invites startup founders from different industries from all stages of entrepreneurship to share their challenges and triumphs. Entrepreneurship will look different to each person, and the Startup Confessions podcast is where authenticity meets ambition. The goal is to be a source of insight and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs and future business owners with stories from our guests.

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