Fifteenish

Leah

Fifteenish is a podcast about the real, messy, beautiful stories behind what it takes to build a business as a woman.I'm Leah, and I'm kind of obsessed with founder stories. Not the highlight reel; the actual story. The moment she almost quit. The pivot no one saw coming. The decision that made zero sense but ended up changing everything. I zoom in on one moment in a founder's story and tell you that. Think of it like the cliff notes version of the part that actually matters. Because the best lessons don't come from a blueprint. They come from hearing someone else's story and thinking, "Oh shit, that's me."The name Fifteenish comes from something that shifted how I think about time. We all have little pockets throughout our day; fifteen minutes here, twenty there. Those moments aren't nothing. How we use them, whether we numb out or lean in, scroll or show up for ourselves... shapes the life we're building.This podcast is for you if you're building something. A business, a new chapter, a version of yourself you're still figuring out. We'll talk about real stories. Short enough to finish in one sitting. In roughly fifteen minutes (give or take).

  1. 4D AGO

    The Allison Ellsworth Story | Poppi

    Allison Ellsworth is the co-founder of Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand acquired by PepsiCo in May 2025 for $1.95 billion. In this episode of Fifteenish, I talk about how she spent ten years on the road in the oil and gas industry, developed serious health problems nobody could diagnose, fixed it herself with apple cider vinegar, and then spent three months in her kitchen trying to make it taste good enough to share. From mason jars to her neighbors, to a Whole Foods buyer showing up at her farmers market booth three weeks in, to pitching on Shark Tank nine months pregnant, to going viral on TikTok during a global pandemic with zero makeup and one honest video — Allison's story is about what happens when you stop waiting for someone else to solve your problem and just go figure it out yourself. Sources & Disclaimer Texas Monthly — How Poppi Founder Allison Ellsworth Went From Shark Tank to Shark (September 2025)CNBC Make It — Poppi Went From Kitchen Experiment to $2 Billion Deal With PepsiCo (October 2025)Entrepreneur — She Went From Being Ignored at a Farmer's Market to Selling to PepsiCo for $1.95 Billion (2025)Tribeza — How Austin-Based Founders Journeyed From the Farmers Market to a $1.95 Billion-Dollar Brand (June 2025)DFW Child — Poppi's Allison Ellsworth on Trusting Her GutAustin Woman — Allison Ellsworth: Poppi PowerWikipedia — Poppi entry All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions are my own. If anything is found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue a correction. Allison Ellsworth IG Poppi website Poppi IG

    14 min
  2. APR 2

    The Alice Bugeja Story | mileoff

    There's a voice most of us have. The one that says not yet, not you, not this. And today's founder built an entire brand around proving it wrong. Alice Bugeja is the solo-female founder of mileoff — a women's running brand she built completely from scratch, self-funded, while working full time at Dyson, in a city where she barely knew anyone. She spent two years building in secret before anyone knew her name and launched on International Women's Day March 2025 to a completely sold out first drop. In this episode we talk about the history behind the name mileoff, Kathrine Switzer and what actually happened at the 1967 Boston Marathon, and why the most powerful thing Alice did wasn't design a product, it was letting people in. This one's for anyone who's been dreaming about something for a year without actually doing the hard part yet. Sources & Disclaimer Hypebae — Why Mileoff Makes Running Gear for the Girlies (July 2025)Emirates Woman — How Alice Bugeja is Redefining the Activewear Space with Mileoff (September 2025)Alice Bugeja — LinkedIn and TikTok (@aliceroserunner)Sky Sports News — Kathrine Switzer: First Woman to Officially Run Boston Marathon (December 2021)Wikipedia — Kathrine Switzer entryRunning USA — Women's marathon participation data All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions are my own. If anything is found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue a correction. mileoff website mileoff instagram Alice Bugeja instagram

    14 min
  3. MAR 26

    The Ellen Latham Story | Orangetheory Fitness

    Three weeks into marathon training (not a runner, by the way) I hurt my foot. And the frustration of being forced to slow down right when I'd finally found my momentum sent me straight to Ellen Latham's story. Ellen was a single mom in her forties when she got fired from her dream job without warning. No plan. No backup. Just a Pilates certification and a spare room in her house. What she built from there eventually became Orangetheory Fitness. A billion dollar global company with over 1,300 studios in 23 countries. In this episode we talk about her dad's "momentum shifts up" philosophy, what it actually looks like to rebuild from nothing, and why the forced stop might be the thing that creates the opening. This one's for anyone sitting in a pause they didn't choose. Sources & Disclaimer Strong Fitness Magazine — Orangetheory's Ellen Latham Found Wild Success After Being Fired at 40PNC Insights — Momentum Shift: How Ellen Latham Transformed a Career Setback into Orangetheory FitnessAustin Woman Magazine — How Ellen Latham Made Orangetheory Fitness a Global TrendLifestyle Media Group — How Ellen Latham Created Orangetheory FitnessFranchiseWire — Turning Setbacks into Successes: The Ellen Latham StoryOrangetheory Fitness — Momentum Shift documentary (2019) All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions are my own. If anything is found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue a correction. orangetheory fitness website orangetheory fitness instagram ellen latham instagram

    14 min
  4. MAR 19

    The Tiffany Masterson Story | Drunk Elephant

    Tiffany Masterson wasn't a beauty insider. She wasn't a chemist. She wasn't even looking to build a company. She was a stay at home mom in Houston who got a one-star review on a product she was selling, and instead of quitting, she decided to go make something better herself. In this episode, we talk about the moment that started everything, the midnight research sessions that turned her into an expert, the cold email that landed her in Sephora, and what it actually looks like to let criticism redirect you instead of stop you. Also: she started at forty. With no industry experience. And sold for $845 million six years later. This one's for anyone who's ever felt too late, too unqualified, or too stung by a no to keep going. Sources & Disclaimer Fashionista — How Drunk Elephant Founder Tiffany Masterson Went From Stay-at-Home Mom to Beauty Mogul (March 2018)Glam — Drunk Elephant Founder Tiffany Masterson's Journey to Becoming a Beauty Mogul (March 2023)NUVO Magazine — Tiffany Masterson on Drunk Elephant, Gen Alpha's Essential Beauty Brand (April 2024)How I Built This with Guy Raz — Drunk Elephant episode (January 2024)Wikipedia — Drunk Elephant entry All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions are my own. If anything is found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue a correction. drunk elephant website drunk elephant instagram

    14 min
  5. MAR 12

    The Koreen Odiney Story | We're Not Really Strangers

    We're Not Really Strangers has become one of the most recognizable brands of the last decade, those red and white cards, those questions that make you go quiet for a second. But most people have no idea where it actually came from. In this episode, we talk about Koreen Odiney, founder, photographer, and the woman who turned a broken heart into a global movement. At 16, after her first heartbreak, Koreen walked out onto Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles and started asking strangers one question: Did you ever get over your first love? That single act of vulnerability became the seed for everything. Sources & Disclaimer This episode was created using publicly available information about Koreen Odiney and We're Not Really Strangers, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and brand coverage, including: Hypebae — Interview with Koreen Odiney on the origin of WNRS and her photography background (November 2020)The Digital Campfire — "How a Card Game Exploded into a Global Movement" (September 2020)ILY Magazine — Interview with Koreen Odiney on heartbreak, vulnerability, and building WNRS (November 2019)UP Magazine — "Turning Lessons into Art: The Story Behind We're Not Really Strangers" (February 2023)Wikipedia — We're Not Really Strangers entry All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections. we’re not really strangers website we’re not really strangers instagram

    16 min
  6. MAR 5

    The Payal Kadakia Story | ClassPass

    I just signed up for a marathon. 26.2 miles. And I am not a runner. I've started and stopped workout plans so many times over the last ten years. But when World Vision came to speak at our church, I felt like she was speaking directly to me. She said, "If you're sitting there thinking I'm not an athlete, or I'm not a runner, you can do this." And I realized I literally had no excuses. So I signed up. And I'm terrified. But I'm doing it anyway. And that decision of saying yes even when I felt unqualified, made me think of Payal Kadakia. She was a consultant at Bain with a safe job and a clear path. But she had this side project, first Classtivity, then ClassPass, that she couldn't let go of. And she had to decide: stay safe or quit and go all-in on something she had no idea how to build. She wasn't a tech person. She wasn't a fitness person. She was just someone with an idea who said yes even though she felt completely unqualified. She quit Bain in 2013, almost ran out of money multiple times, had to pivot the business model, and faced major backlash. But she kept going. And ClassPass was eventually acquired by Mindbody for hundreds of millions of dollars. If you're waiting to feel qualified before you say yes to something, this one's for you. You don't have to feel ready to start. You just have to say yes and figure it out as you go. Mentioned in this episode: I talk about running my first 6K in this episode Sources & Disclaimer This episode was created using publicly available information about Payal Kadakia's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and business reports, including: Payal Kadakia's background as an Indian classical dancerHer education at MIT studying economicsHer career at Bain & Company as a consultantFounding Classtivity in 2010 as a search engine for fitness classesBuilding Classtivity as a side project while working at Bain (2010-2013)Pivoting to the ClassPass membership model in 2013Quitting Bain in 2013 to work on ClassPass full-timeClassPass's early growth and near-failure momentsThe business model change from unlimited to credit-based systemClassPass expansion to 30+ cities by 2015 and international growthClassPass reaching millions of users by 2020ClassPass acquisition by Mindbody in 2021Interviews where Payal discussed the decision to quit Bain and challenges of building ClassPass All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

    16 min
  7. FEB 26

    The Melanie Perkins Story | Canva

    The last few weeks, we've talked about Hilary Duff stepping back, Katrina Lake refusing to step back, and Emma Grede building in the background. This week, we're talking about rejection. A lot of rejection. Melanie Perkins got rejected by over 100 investors while trying to raise funding for Canva. Over three years, she heard no again and again. One investor literally fell asleep during her pitch. And she kept going anyway. She was running Fusion Books during the day, pitching Canva at night and on weekends, flying to conferences, refining her deck, and hearing no over and over. For three years. Until she finally got the yes she needed. Now Canva is worth $26 billion. Melanie is one of the youngest female tech billionaires in the world. And over 170 million people use Canva every month. If you're sitting with a rejection right now, if you've been told no and you're wondering if you should give up, this one's for you. Rejection isn't the end. It's just part of the process. Sources & Disclaimer This episode was created using publicly available information about Melanie Perkins' life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and business reports, including: Melanie Perkins' background growing up in Perth, AustraliaHer experience teaching design software in collegeCo-founding Fusion Books in 2007 with Cliff ObrechtHer journey pitching Canva to over 100 investors (2010-2013)The story of an investor falling asleep during her pitchMeeting Bill Tai in 2012 and securing fundingCanva's launch in 2013Canva's user growth milestones (10M in 2018, 30M in 2020, 60M in 2021, 170M+ currently)Canva's valuation reaching $26 billionInterviews where Melanie discussed the rejection years and what kept her goingHer vision of democratizing design and making it accessible to everyoneAll facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

    15 min
  8. FEB 19

    The Emma Grede Story | Good American

    The last couple weeks, we talked about Hilary Duff stepping back and Katrina Lake refusing to step back. This week, we're talking about Emma Grede, a woman who built a hundred million dollar brand without anyone even noticing. Emma co-founded Good American with Khloe Kardashian, but everyone assumed Khloe was the brains. Emma was the one in the factories, negotiating with manufacturers, building the supply chain, all while raising four kids and running multiple businesses. She did it all in the background. Let Khloe be the face. Let other people get the credit. She just kept building. When people finally started paying attention, when she became the first Black woman investor on Shark Tank, she'd already built something massive. If you're building something and no one's paying attention, this one's for you. You don't need to be seen to be valuable. You just need to keep building. Sources & Disclaimer This episode was created using publicly available information about Emma Grede's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and business reports, including: Emma Grede's background growing up in East LondonHer career in marketing and PR, co-founding ITB WorldwideCo-founding Good American with Khloe Kardashian in 2016Good American's launch details (sizes 00-24, million-dollar first day)Her work building the supply chain and manufacturing partnershipsCoverage of Good American's growth into a hundred-million-dollar brandHer role as a mother of four while building multiple businessesHer statements about work-life integration vs. balanceHer history as a guest shark on Shark Tank (2021) and becoming the first Black woman regular investor (2024)Interviews where she discussed being overlooked as the founderBusiness reporting on Good American's inclusive sizing and approachAll facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

    16 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Fifteenish is a podcast about the real, messy, beautiful stories behind what it takes to build a business as a woman.I'm Leah, and I'm kind of obsessed with founder stories. Not the highlight reel; the actual story. The moment she almost quit. The pivot no one saw coming. The decision that made zero sense but ended up changing everything. I zoom in on one moment in a founder's story and tell you that. Think of it like the cliff notes version of the part that actually matters. Because the best lessons don't come from a blueprint. They come from hearing someone else's story and thinking, "Oh shit, that's me."The name Fifteenish comes from something that shifted how I think about time. We all have little pockets throughout our day; fifteen minutes here, twenty there. Those moments aren't nothing. How we use them, whether we numb out or lean in, scroll or show up for ourselves... shapes the life we're building.This podcast is for you if you're building something. A business, a new chapter, a version of yourself you're still figuring out. We'll talk about real stories. Short enough to finish in one sitting. In roughly fifteen minutes (give or take).