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“So often in the beauty world the purpose of the communication is to create a sense of fear and insecurity and I refuse to participate in that.”

In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with April Gargiulo, founder and CEO of Vintner’s Daughter, a Nutritional Skincare brand founded on the principles of unparalleled quality and efficacy. When creating the brand, April was motivated by her own skincare struggles and the discovery of harmful ingredients in luxury skincare. She leveraged her winemaking background to create products focused on integrity, quality, and sustainability, combining the craftsmanship of Napa Valley winemaking with the beauty industry. Since launching in 2013, April has grown the company into a beloved brand with a closely curated product line, emphasizing efficacy and environmental responsibility. As Vintner's Daughter celebrates over a decade of redefining beauty norms, April continues to inspire with her unwavering dedication to quality, integrity, and the transformative power of nature. Tune in to hear how April’s experience with skincare during pregnancy was the catalyst for Vintner’s Daughter, how she stays intentional about her team and company culture, and the evolution of her marketing strategy. 

We talked about: 

Dissatisfaction with the marketplace led April to entrepreneurship (02:32)

Sourcing sustainable natural ingredients (07:33)

Learning to be a great leader (12:09)

The decision to hire a CMO (16:45)

Finding trusted retailers to partner with (20:25)

How the effects of PR have evolved over the past decade (27:24)


Connect with April:

Vintner's Daughter

Vintner's Daughter on Instagram


Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results? 
 
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders at entreprenista.com/join! 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 access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
 
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
 
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“Every email that goes out with a pitch to tell someone about the brand—they may not answer, they may not opt in for product, and we may not gift them, but I built one more touch point of brand awareness and maybe [they] read that email and discovered our brand. You have to be what 99% of the world is not, which is consistent.”

In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with Divya Gugnani, a serial entrepreneur and investor as well as the CEO and co-founder of Wander Beauty, a brand renowned for its clean multitasking beauty essentials designed for the modern woman on the go.  With 5 SENS, her latest business venture, Divya is creating a sensory experience with fragrances that emphasizes clean ingredients and unique mood encapsulating scents. Her commitment to clean beauty and innovative consumer focused products continues to drive her success in the competitive beauty industry and her leadership has earned her numerous accolades and awards, underscoring her impact as a visionary in the beauty market. Tune in to hear Divya’s advice on venturing into a new industry, building a successful business with a partner, and how she keeps her focus and balance with her growing family.

We talked about: 

The lesson Divya learned from selling to QVC (07:14)

If you lack the knowledge, surround yourself with experts and build a community (12:56)

The power of working with a business coach (17:07)

How Divya’s experiences in childhood and adolescence inspired her fragrance business, 5 Sens (18:04)

People are the magic ingredient to building an outstanding brand (25:48)


Connect with Divya:

5 SENS

Wander Beauty

5 SENS Instagram

Wander Beauty Instagram

Divya's Instagram


Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results? 
 
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders at entreprenista.com/join! 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 access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
 
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay
 
Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

“I realized with every business that I've ever had, that is my strength, being of service. I'm an excellent waitress. I am an excellent people pleaser. I will serve until the day I die because I genuinely love doing it so much.”

In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with Cassandra Thurswell, Founder and CEO of Kitsch, an international brand focused on sustainable hair care and beauty accessories for women. A self-described born-entrepreneur, Cassandra always knew that one day she wanted to own her own business. This wasn’t an easy feat for Cassandra, but, at the age of 25, she started Kitsch and with a lot of hard work expanded the company into over 25 countries and across 20,000 retail locations all over the world. Tune in to hear Cassandra break down how she started her business, what her favorite thing about Kitsch is, how she knows she’s doing the right thing as a CEO, and so much more!

We talked about: 

The idea behind launching Kitsch (04:12)

What the Kitsch customer looks like (16:28)

What is was like for Cassandra scaling a 200+ person team (18:28)

Cassandra’s process for product development (28:34)

How Cassandra’s marketing has evolved over time (32:12)


Connect with Cassandra:

Kitsch Instagram

Kitsch Website

Kitsch TikTok

Cassandra’s Instagram

Cassandra’s LinkedIn


Join us for Entreprenista Founders Weekend:
Join us from May 3-5th at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando for your opportunities to connect and build relationships with the most powerful women in business. We can’t wait to be with you in person at our Founders Weekend Wealth & Wellness Retreat. Reserve your tickets here. 

Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results? 
 
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders at entreprenista.com/join! 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 access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
 
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay
 
Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

“Step after step, it’s like climbing a mountain. You don’t necessarily get to the peak really fast—it’s consistent, steady growth.”

In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, a company specializing in kefir to support the gut microbiome.  Born in Ukraine, Julie immigrated to the US and watched her parents pioneer the introduction of kefir to the American market, taking over Lifeway foods as CEO at 27 years old. After her father's sudden death, she expanded the company's reach globally, introducing innovative products and promoting the importance of gut health. Julie's resilience, innovative business approach and strong intuition have made Lifeway Foods a household name in the probiotic industry. Tune in to hear Julie’s advice on scaling a company from $12 million to 8 figures,  why it pays to follow your gut, and her incredible journey to becoming CEO of Lifeway Foods.

We talked about: 

The challenges she faced when taking over as CEO of the company her father founded when she was just 27 years old (09:35)

The importance of community and mentorship (14:24)

Trusting her gut instinct led to Julie’s innovative packaging solution for delivering kefir to children (18:34)

Becoming a trendsetter and a tastemaker (24:05)

The power of word of mouth (29:56)


Connect with Julie:

Lifeway Foods Website

Lifeway Foods Instagram

Julie's Instagram


Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results? 
 
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders at entreprenista.com/join! 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 access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
 
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay
 
Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

“That journey of self reflection and really being humbled by the business punching you in the face was not something I anticipated. I knew there were going to be hurdles to climb. But actually challenging yourself with ‘I might need to look at myself in the mirror and take a second to reflect on  how I can be a better leader’ and then actually doing the things that you’re fully aware that you need to do.”

In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with Jesslyn Rollins, CEO of BIOLYTE, a medical-grade hydration drink with as many electrolytes as an IV bag. Jesslyn’s father was first inspired to create BIOLYTE for her mother, who had breast cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. Jesslyn started as CEO of the company in 2017 and, by 2022, the company’s revenue increased from $157,000 to $22 million. 

Tune in to hear how Jesslyn first sold BIOLYTE to high school football players from the back of her Toyota, the pros and cons of being CEO of a family-owned business, and how an introduction to a major grocery chain changed the course of the company.
We talked about: 

BIOLYTE came to be as a way to help Jesslyn’s mother through chemotherapy (03:10)

The growing pains of scaling a business (14:01)

Making marketing and branding decisions (18:09)

Facts and data matter but you also need passion to get off the ground (29:38)

A leader’s weakness can be inherited by their business (32:33)


Connect with Jesslyn:

Instagram

BIOLYTE

BIOLYTE on IG


Join us for Entreprenista Founders Weekend:
Join us from May 3-5th at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando for your opportunities to connect and build relationships with the most powerful women in business. We can’t wait to be with you in person at our Founders Weekend Wealth & Wellness Retreat. Reserve your tickets here. 

Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results? 
 
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders at entreprenista.com/join! 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 access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
 
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay
 
Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

“There's a lot of beautiful healing things that we do and they're all amazing, but the thing that will heal those old versions of you the fastest and most effectively is when you embody the version of you who no longer believes that.”

In this episode of Entreprenista, we sat down with Tracy Litt, a rapid transformational hypnotherapist, best-selling author, and TEDx speaker. Tracy is also a certified mindset coach, success mentor, and the innovative founder of The Litt Factor and the School of Becoming, an institution dedicated to fostering higher consciousness and purposeful personal evolution. Her unique Mind Magic methodology merges together science and spirituality which she uses to empower trailblazing women leaders to confidently navigate life's pivotal changes with strength and confidence. As a successful seven figure entrepreneur, Tracy sets a powerful example and she is committed to guiding modern women to unlock their infinite potential for making an impact and achieving success. Tune in to hear about Tracy’s career evolution from self doubt to becoming a VP of HR, how it shaped her entrepreneurial path, and the launch of the School of Becoming. She also talks about the importance of self care and identity evolution and emphasizing the power of personal growth. 

We talked about:

Teaching others has been Tracy’s calling since she was a little girl (03:59)

Fear can stop you from becoming who you’re meant to be (07:04)

A business evolves after its founding (12:28)

The process of creating The School of Becoming's curriculum (18:32)

The steps to build the business infrastructure for a school (21:08)

Lessons in trust (34:26)


Connect with Tracy:

The School of Becoming

Instagram


Join us for Entreprenista Founders Weekend:
Join us from May 3-5th at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando for your opportunities to connect and build relationships with the most powerful women in business. We can’t wait to be with you in person at our Founders Weekend Wealth & Wellness Retreat. Reserve your tickets here. 

Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results? 
 
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders at entreprenista.com/join! 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 access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
 
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay
 
Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.