Listen Now

Kate Kimmerle is on a mission to make high-quality, effective skin care accessible to everyone, regardless of race, age, skin issue or income. As the founder of Miss Spa and president of Revolution Beauty USA, Kate has fostered incredible innovation in the beauty industry, from being the first to bring sheet masks into the U.S. market in 2012 to focusing on clean beauty long before it was popular to do so. Most recently, Miss Spa expanded to offer an entire line of serums and other skincare products at the start of 2020, and they’re continuing to develop new innovations for the future.  In addition to her success in the beauty industry, Kate is also passionate about helping other women grow their businesses without giving away all their equity. She’s built her company with an emphasis on mentorship and a dedication to empowering other women, including customers and employees alike.  In This Episode: Kate offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the secrets to Miss Spa’s success, including Kate’s own entrepreneurial story, details of how Miss Spa products are made, and more. Kate also explains how building a strong team has empowered her to succeed as a leader and innovator, and she offers advice to other working moms who are struggling with feelings of guilt.  Episode Highlights:  Kate’s story of turning her lifelong passion for beauty into a successful business  Building a strong team Secrets behind the affordability and effectiveness of Miss Spa’s products Overcoming mom guilt and seeing the long-term benefits for your kids Investing in other women business owners Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored in part by Piccolo Marketing, providing outsourced marketing professionals for business owners.  Piccolo Marketing is our go-to resource when it comes to comprehensive marketing strategies and execution. Learn more at piccolomarketing.com

Jennifer VanOrman recognizes that the holidays can be a difficult time for many women when it comes to mental health and family relationships. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, Jennifer helps people find ways to appreciate the beautiful parts of life even in the midst of hardship. In her own life, Jennifer has dealt with many challenges, including abuse, the death of a spouse, and divorce, and she’s worked hard to build a beautiful life for herself in the midst of all of those things.  In This Special Holiday Episode: Jennifer shares some practical strategies you can use to better care for your own mental health this holiday season, along with practices that will help you treat yourself with kindness in daily life. She and Leah also discuss the importance of therapy and offer advice for anyone looking to find a therapist.  Episode Highlights: Normalizing the struggles of the holiday season Advice for managing difficult family relationships Understanding the role trauma can play in our lives Why therapy matters The power of self-kindness Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored in part by Piccolo Marketing, providing outsourced marketing professionals for business owners.  Piccolo Marketing is our go-to resource when it comes to comprehensive marketing strategies and execution. Learn more at piccolomarketing.com

Her Story of Success began out of CEO Leah Glover Hayes’ desire to grow in her own career and find mentors who could help her on her journey. Through the process of searching for direction and purpose, Leah realized that something powerful happens when you get to hear stories, lessons learned and celebrations from other women. She created Her Story of Success to multiply the amazing conversations she was having, so that women like her could access new mentorship and the women she interviewed could multiply their legacies.  Soon after launching the podcast in 2018, Leah began receiving overwhelming feedback about the positive impact these interviews were having on the lives of her listeners. She knew her dreams had even bigger potential and decided to expand the brand and multiply the reach of Her Story of Success. It was then that she asked Melissa Aldridge to join the company, bringing over a decade of business strategy, finance, and operations experience to Leah’s vision and tenacity. With this two-part Our Story of Success series, Leah will share the story of how Her Story of Success came to be, and she offers advice and inspiration to listeners who are building their own businesses or looking to find more fulfillment in their lives and work.  In This Episode: Leah explains how she built the team behind Her Story of Success and is continuing to grow the company to empower women around the world. She also offers advice to business owners about the importance of outsourcing, how to build loyalty with your team, and why clarity is one of the most important things you can provide. Episode Highlights:  Moving on from a vendor that isn’t the perfect fit  Building a team that believes in your vision (with Claire Bidigare-Curtis and Bronte Lebo) How to help your employees succeed and grow The difference between outsourcing for specific skill sets and outsourcing for clarity Overcoming self-doubt and learning to celebrate your own success Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored in part by Piccolo Marketing, providing outsourced marketing professionals for business owners.  Piccolo Marketing is our go to resource when it comes to comprehensive marketing strategies and execution. Learn more at piccolomarketing.com.

Toni Purry wants to be the hype woman who reminds people to celebrate their wins. She’s an entrepreneur, visibility strategist and speaker who helps women build their confidence and find new ways to show up in the world. She’s also the author of My Hype Book, a motivational journal that guides readers to self-discovery through recognition and reflection.  Toni has more than 20 years of public relations experience, and the agency she started, Purry Communications Group, represented major brands like Marriott, Disney, Habitat for Humanity, Alabama State University, and many more.  After 11 years of running that agency, Toni pivoted to helping individuals build confidence and elevate their personal brands. She has helped her clients land placements with  The Today Show, Food Network, USA Today, The LA Times, O Magazine and more. Toni has also been honored with awards including a PRSA Prism Award and multiple AVA Awards, and she earned a spot in the exclusive O Magazine and Chase Bank “Stay A Step Ahead” program.  In This Episode: Toni shares her inspiring story of building a successful PR career and offers insight into some of the lessons she’s learned along the way. She also explains how you can build confidence and elevate your brand in the process.  Episode Highlights: Toni’s story of discovering a love for public relations The importance of asking for new opportunities Building a business during an economic crisis  The power of having a hype man Leaving the business you started and overcoming guilt  How to build confidence  Toni’s story of breaking down barriers as a Black woman and pageant contestant in the South Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored in part by Piccolo Marketing, providing outsourced marketing professionals for business owners.  Piccolo Marketing is our go to resource when it comes to comprehensive marketing strategies and execution. Learn more at piccolomarketing.com

Our Story of Success Her Story of Success began out of CEO Leah Glover Hayes’ desire to grow in her own career and find mentors who could help her on her journey. Through the process of searching for direction and purpose, Leah realized that something powerful happens when you get to hear stories, lessons learned and celebrations from other women. She created Her Story of Success to multiply the amazing conversations she was having, so that women like her could access new mentorship and the women she interviewed could multiply their legacies.  Soon after launching the podcast in 2018, Leah began receiving overwhelming feedback about the positive impact these interviews were having on the lives of her listeners. She knew her dreams had even bigger potential and decided to expand the brand and multiply the reach of Her Story of Success. It was then that she asked Melissa Aldridge to join the company, bringing over a decade of business strategy, finance, and operations experience to Leah’s vision and tenacity. With this two-part Our Story of Success series, Leah will share the story of how Her Story of Success came to be, and she offers advice and inspiration to listeners who are building their own businesses or looking to find more fulfillment in their lives and work.  In This Episode: Leah describes the inspiration behind Her Story of Success and provides an in-depth look at the early days of turning the podcast into a business. Along the way, she shares some of the wisdom she has learned about finding the right business partner, hiring people when you don’t have a large budget and seeking out mentors to help you reach your goals. Episode Highlights:  The inspiration behind Her Story of Success Finding a business partner with (Ellen Hoffman) Giving people opportunities to grow in their careers (with Isaac Jones) Moving into new seasons of life (with Ellen Hoffman) Knowing when to take on a business partner or investor Building a partnership agreement (with Melissa Aldridge) Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored in part by Piccolo Marketing, providing outsourced marketing professionals for business owners.  Piccolo Marketing is our go to resource when it comes to comprehensive marketing strategies and execution. Learn more at piccolomarketing.com.

Her Story of Success… Becca Stevens believes that when women help each other heal, it can ripple out to change entire communities. She’s the founder and president of Thistle Farms, an organization that helps survivors of trafficking, addiction and prostitution. Thistle Farms began as a community of five women in 1997. Since then, it’s grown to include a residential program, three social enterprises that provide jobs and leadership opportunities for survivors, and a national network of like-minded organizations. Becca is also a speaker, priest, author, and founder of nine other justice enterprises around the world. Becca is a survivor of abuse herself, so she recognized the need for a space where other survivors could heal and find freedom and peace. She also started Thistle Farms to help change the wider culture, which still supports the secrets of abuse and the commodifying of women. By providing a safe place to live, meaningful jobs and a lifelong support system, Thistle Farms is proving every day that “Love Heals.” In This Episode:  Becca shares her story of finding hope and healing after experiencing abuse, and she explains how she’s spreading that healing to other women through her work at Thistle Farms. She also offers encouragement to listeners who want to help change the culture around abuse and violence but don’t know where to begin.  Episode Highlights: Why we should empower women to come off of the streets rather than criminalizing them for being there Being a host instead of a hero Partnering with your spouse to raise a family while building a business The importance of purchasing products that help other women How to get involved in helping women survivors Products Leah and Becca Mentioned: Thistle Farms candles The Cafe at Thistle Farms Thistle Farms Immunity Oil Fair trade tea and coffee Love Welcomes Mats made by women refugees Love Heals by Becca Stevens     Sponsor: This podcast is sponsored in part by Piccolo Marketing, providing outsourced marketing professionals for business owners.  Piccolo Marketing is our go to resource when it comes to comprehensive marketing strategies and execution. Learn more at piccolomarketing.com

Inspiring Conversations, Revisited Her Story of Success recently went through a rebranding process to help us better reflect where our company is today while also preparing for Season Next. But even as we look ahead to where we want to go, it’s important to also remember where we came from. With Her Story of Success in Review, we’re revisiting some of our favorite conversations, giving you another chance to be inspired by the amazing women who helped mentor and shape Her Story of Success into the company we are today.  In this episode, Maggie Tucker, Nicole Wegman and Jess Ekstrom share their inspiring stories of starting, growing and running successful companies in the fashion retail space. They also offer practical advice and encouragement for anyone who wants to start their own business.  Their Stories of Success Maggie Tucker is the owner and founder of the Nashville-based retail stores magpies baby and magpies girl. The magpies stores provide clothing, gifts and more for young girls and their families in a uniquely joyful and fun environment. Maggie has been featured in Southern Living, Cottage Living and Gift Shop Magazine, and she won HGTV’s award for top retail merchandising and design. Maggie is also passionate about serving the Nashville community, both by partnering with entrepreneurs and creatives and by giving back to organizations like Preston Taylor Ministries and the Dream Center. Listen to Maggie’s full episode here, and her episode about navigating COVID-19 as a small business owner here.  Nicole Wegman is the founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a jewelry company that’s making luxury accessible to the masses. Ring Concierge is run by women, for women, and it is disrupting the traditionally male-dominated jewelry industry with its all-female team and thriving e-commerce business. Nicole was inspired by her own experience of shopping for an engagement ring and realizing the industry lacked the perspective of millennial women. Ring Concierge has amassed a large social media following, where Nicole blurs the line between retailer and influencer to provide engaging, accessible content for her customers. Listen to Nicole’s full episode here. Jess Ekstrom is the Founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, a social enterprise that donates one headband to a child with cancer for every headband sold. Since its founding, Headbands of Hope has donated more than half a million headbands to children’s hospitals in 16 countries around the world. Jess is also a speaker, founder of Mic Drop Workshop, and author of Chasing the Bright Side. She’s been featured in major media outlets like Entrepreneur, Forbes, Good Morning America and The Today Show. Listen to Jess’ full episode here. Episode Transcript

Her Story of Success… Lori Allen has built an incredible career as an entrepreneur, TV personality, author and speaker, all because of her ability to say yes to new opportunities that align with her goals. She’s the owner of Bridals by Lori and star of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta and Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids. Lori started her store just two weeks after graduating from college, and in the last 40 years she’s built a reputation as one of the world’s leading experts on bridal couture. After growing Bridals By Lori into a thriving business, Lori and her shop went on to star in 11 seasons of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta and four seasons of Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids. Lori’s shows have aired in more than 120 countries, and brides from all over the world travel to Atlanta to shop at her store.  Most recently, Lori became an author with her book Say Yes to What’s Next: How to Age with Elegance and Class while Never Losing Your Beauty and Sass. Her openness about her experience as a breast cancer survivor has made her a sought-after speaker, as well as a voice for outlets like CNN, ABC’s Good Morning America and The Wall Street Journal. Lori’s 2012 TLC special “Say Yes to the Cure: Lori’s Fight” won the Realscreen Award for Best Health & Well-Being Programming.  In This Episode: Lori shares her inspiring story of starting Bridals by Lori in her twenties and gradually growing it into the globally recognized business it is today. She also explains how Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta came to be, and she opens up about some of the struggles she’s faced, like battling breast cancer and raising kids while running a business.  Episode Highlights: Lori’s inspiration for writing Say Yes to What’s Next and her message of encouragement for women over 50 The importance of building a business gradually, especially when you start at a young age Lori’s battle with breast cancer and the power of finding a team who will rally around you when you need to step away from your business The challenges of growing a business while raising children and how to overcome mom guilt The story behind Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta Avoiding gray divorce and learning to prioritize your own health and happiness

Inspiring Conversations, Revisited Her Story of Success recently went through a rebranding process to help us better reflect where our company is today while also preparing for Season Next. But even as we look ahead to where we want to go, it’s important to also remember where we came from. With Her Story of Success in Review, we’re revisiting some of our favorite conversations, giving you another chance to be inspired by the amazing women who helped mentor and shape Her Story of Success into the company we are today.  In this episode, Joy Altimare, Morgan Canclini-Mitchell, Kristin Carver-Smith, Nekasha Pratt and Krista Ripma tell their stories of how they ended up in their current careers, and they offer practical advice about how to build a brand, communicate in times of crisis, and more. Their Stories of Success Joy Altimare is a successful brand strategist who has worked with companies like L’Oreal, Verizon, Colgate-PalmOlive and Conde Nast. She’s currently the Chief Engagement and Brand Officer at EHE Health. As the only woman and the only person of color on her company’s executive team, Joy knows how hard it can be to deal with discrimination in the workplace, but she hasn’t let that stop her from building a career on her own terms. Joy is a passionate advocate for mentorship, and she serves as Marketing Chair on the board for Women in Need, Inc. Listen to Joy’s full episode here. With Two|PR, Morgan Canclini-Mitchell and Kristin Carver-Smith are working hard to amplify messages that matter. Morgan is the firm’s Principal and Founder, and she hired Kristin to help grow the business as the marketing principal. The pair have built an impressive roster that includes best-selling authors, professional athletes and Grammy award-winning artists, and they’ve earned bookings with CNN, Fox & Friends, Forbes, PBS and more. They’ve grown the business without ever needing to advertise, relying on their networks and word of mouth. Listen to Morgan and Kristin’s full episode here. Nekasha Pratt is an award-winning marketer, speaker and thought leader who’s passionate about helping brands define their strategies to maximize impact. She works as the Director of Marketing for Tennessee Tourism and is the Chief Strategy and Brand Officer for her own firm, Bright Advisory Group. Nekasha has been honored with awards including 3 international Cannes Lions Awards, Nashville’s 2019 Women of Influence Award, a BizWomen Economic Develop Headliner, and more. She also serves her community on boards like Women Can Be Angels, and she’s an advisor for the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and a Business Mentor for Pathway Women’s Business Center.  Listen to Nekasha’s full episode here. Krista Ripma is the President and Co-Founder of Authentic Audience, a digital marketing agency that helps brands tell their honest stories. She started Authentic Audience with her husband and has grown it into a thriving company that offers brand strategy, content creation, email marketing, social media and more, all with the goal of helping brands “sell the truth.” Krista has been featured in Forbes and Entrepreneur, hosts The Authentic Audience Podcast and recently developed an online course in Marketing Fundamentals to further share everything she has learned. Listen to Krista’s full episode here.

Their Stories of Success…  Erika Matallana, Daniel Oppong and Alessandra Alegre joined Her Story of Success CEO Leah Glover Hayes for a live panel discussion about “Navigating the Career Journey and Building the Right Support System to Thrive.” This event was created in partnership with Conexion Next, a network for Nashville’s young professionals.  Erika Matallana is the Director of Communications at Amedisys, a publicly traded healthcare company that provides home health, hospice and personal care. Before joining Amedisys, Erika spent almost 10 years working at HCA Healthcare, and she led the communications strategies for HCA’s Cultural Development and Inclusion group. Erika’s story of moving to the U.S. from  Bogotá, Colombia and working her way up the corporate ladder is so inspiring. She’s been honored for her communications work in both English and Spanish with awards including the Lovell Ethics Advocacy Award and the Literacy David Mejia Velilla Award.  Daniel Oppong is an EX Strategy Specialist at Limeade and the founder of OhanaHealth. He first developed a passion for healthcare innovation while working at Jumpstart Foundry, a seed-stage healthcare innovation fund. With OhanaHealth, Daniel is helping health tech companies find the top talent around the country through an innovative college student and recent graduate placement program. OhanaHealth also just launched its first product, a new tech platform that connects students with job opportunities. Alessandra Alegre is the Senior Manager of Special Services and Royalty Compliance at Tri Star Sports and Entertainment, where she works to help artists and entertainers connect all of their royalties. Alessandra moved to Tennessee from Lima, Peru for college 8 years ago, and she’s been an active member of the Nashville community ever since. Alessandra currently serves as the Chair of Professional Development for Conexion Next, and she’s also served with organizations like Musicares and the YWCA Junior Board.  In This Episode: Erika, Daniel and Alessandra open up about the challenges that come with being a person of color or an immigrant in the workplace, and they explain how they’ve overcome those challenges to build successful careers. They also offer advice for young professionals looking to build a stronger network or find a mentor. Episode Highlights: Taking pride in yourself and your work The power of mentorship What it’s like to be a person of color in corporate America How to build your network The importance of self-care

Her Story of Success recently went through a rebranding process to help us better reflect where our company is today while also preparing for Season Next. But even as we look ahead to where we want to go, it’s important to also remember where we came from. With Her Story of Success in Review, we’re revisiting some of our favorite conversations, giving you another chance to be inspired by the amazing women who helped mentor and shape Her Story of Success into the company we are today.  In this episode, Vicki Saunders, Hayley Dickson, Maria Aspen and Arlan Hamilton share their stories of working in finance, an industry predominantly led by white men. They explain how they’ve used their success to empower other women, and they share some of their best advice about raising money as a female founder, overcoming imposter syndrome and more.  Their Stories of Success Vicki Saunders believes that empowering women to practice radical generosity is the key to changing the world. She’s the founder of SheEO, a global initiative that supports, finances, and celebrates women who are working on the world’s to-do list. This unique model brings together 500 women activators in each cohort who contribute $1100 each to loan out to 5 women-led ventures. The organization is working to build a $1 billion perpetual fund by 2026. Before starting She-EO, Vicki built and ran companies in Europe, Toronto and Silicon Valley. She’s been honored as a UBS Global Visionary, Toronto Regional Board of Trade’s Business Leader of the Year,  and a World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow.  Listen to Vicki’s full episode here. Hayley Dickson is on a mission to help women, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals achieve greater financial success She carries this out in her role as a Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual, and she quickly set herself apart as one of the company’s top advisors. In her first year, Hayley was No. 1 in the Western Region among advisors with fewer than five years at the company, and in 2019, she was named one of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Most Influential Wealth Managers. Hayley also worked tirelessly with the corporate office to launch a family planning policy that allows more flexibility and better benefits for moms. That policy is now used nationwide at Northwestern’s more than 250 offices.  Listen to Hayley’s episode here. Maria Aspan has spent years as a reporter and editor covering finance and gender, so she’s seen firsthand the need for greater diversity in finance. Today, she’s a senior writer at Fortune, writing about finance, the intersection of policy and business, and gender. She’s also the author of Startup Money Made Easy: The Inc. Guide to Every Financial Question About Starting, Running, and Growing Your Business, and she writes the weekly Lady Business newsletter. Before joining Fortune, Maria was an editor at large at Inc. Magazine, where she oversaw the annual Female Founders 100 List. Maria has won multiple Best in Business awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and she was a finalist for a Jesse H. Neal award. Listen to Maria’s full episode here, and her “HSS Live from NYC” episode here.  Arlan Hamilton understands the importance of investing in underrepresented founders, because less than five years ago, she was one herself. Arlan is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, which she started while experiencing homelessness. Since then, Backstage Capital has raised more than $10 million and invested in more than 130 startup companies led by people of color, women and/or LGBT individuals. Arlan also co-founded Backstage Studio, which runs accelerator programs for underestimated founders. Arlan is the author of It’s About Damn Time and host of the “Your First Million” podcast. She’s been honored on lists like Forbes’ “40 Under 40” and Business Insider’s “Most Powerful LGBTQ+ People in Tech,” and she was the first non-celebrity Black woman to be featured on the cover of Fast Company. Listen to Arlan’s full episode here.

Rana el Kaliouby, co-founder and CEO of Affectiva, believes technology has enormous potential to improve people’s lives, but she wants to make sure it doesn’t dehumanize us in the process. She’s a pioneer in the field of Emotion AI, and she’s working to create technology that can detect human emotion and cognitive states. Rana holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and a Post Doctorate from MIT. Through her research and her work at Affectiva, she developed a product that helps people with autism learn to read other people’s emotions and facial expressions, and she’s working to find new ways to help people with mental illness as well. Rana has also given a TedTalk, hosted a PBS Nova series on artificial intelligence, and authored the book Girl Decoded: A Scientist’s Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology.  Rana has become a highly respected figure in the tech world, due to both her groundbreaking research and her advocacy for greater diversity in the industry. She’s been listed on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and Forbes’ Top 50 Women in Tech. She’s also been honored as World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.  In This Episode: Rana shares her story of growing up in the Middle East and making the uncommon decision to move to England and pursue a career in technology. Along with sharing some amazing stories of ways her technology is improving people’s lives, she opens up about some of the struggles she’s faced on her journey, including divorce, imposter syndrome and raising money as a female founder. Episode Highlights: Rana’s experience of growing up around technology in the Middle East and moving past cultural norms to pursue her career  The importance of overcoming imposter syndrome to realize you have something important to say What it’s like to raise money as a female founder How to cultivate diversity of background and perspective in a company Rana’s story of adapting her technology to help people with autism, and her larger vision for a world where technology can use empathy

Her Story of Success recently went through a rebranding process to help us better reflect where our company is today while also preparing for Season Next. But even as we look ahead to where we want to go, it’s important to also remember where we came from. With Her Story of Success in Review, we’re revisiting some of our favorite conversations, giving you another chance to be inspired by the amazing women who helped mentor and shape Her Story of Success into the company we are today.  In this episode, Sherry Deutschmann, Pat Shea, Sharon Reynolds, Marcie Allen Van Mol and Laquita Stribling describe some of the key experiences that shaped them into the leaders they are today. Each shares important lessons she’s learned, like the power of mentorship, the importance of self-care, and why you should always look for ways to give back to your industry.  Their Stories of Success Sherry Stewart Deutschmann built LetterLogic out of her basement and grew it to $40 million before she sold the company in 2016. She did this by putting her employees first, paying them a living wage and creating an excellent company culture. Sherry has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes Magazine, Fast Company and more, and she was honored by President Barack Obama as a White House Champion of Change in 2016. Her newest venture, BrainTrust, is dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs grow their businesses to $1 million in annual revenue and beyond. Sherry is also the author of Lunch with Lucy. Listen to Sherry’s full episode here. Pat Shea believes her mission in life is to “help others help others,” and she knows firsthand the power of mobilizing a tribe to achieve a common goal. Pat served for 11 years as the CEO of YWCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee, where she turned the fight against domestic violence into a city-wide campaign. Today, Pat serves as CEO and president of Givful, a tech company that provides employers and their associates with the opportunity to support a culture of giving. She’s been honored for her years of important work with awards like the Nashville Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs, the 2017 Women of Influence/Trailblazers List, and Cable’s Promote Women Award. Listen to Pat’s full episode here. Sharon W. Reynolds runs four successful companies, and in each one, she’s driven by a passion to help others. She started with DevMar Products, a company that distributes eco-friendly janitorial products and later expanded that business to manufacture the products as well, with DevMar Manufacturing. Sharon also leads DevMar Global Healthcare Solutions, and she most recently started Bryla J Couture Clothiers, a fashion line that empowers women with fashion for a purpose. Sharon serves on boards including Second Harvest Food Bank, West End Home Foundation and WBENC South. She’s been honored with many awards for her work, like the WBENC 2019 Women Business Enterprise Star, the 100 Black Men and Women Presidents Organization Women of Color Achievement Award and Power Moves’ Best Entrepreneur of the Year. Listen to Sharon’s full episode here. Marcie Allen Van Mol has more than 25 years of experience in the music industry, and today she’s the President and Founder of MAC Presents, a music sponsorship and experiential agency that connects artists, brands and fans. Throughout her career, Marcie has worked with brands including Sony, Southwest and Verizon and artists like The Rolling Stones, Chance the Rapper and Billy Joel. Marcie teaches as an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt and is on boards for the Country Music Association and Berklee College of Music. She’s also a partner at Anzie Blue, a luxury CBD oil company and coffee shop that she started with her husband. Listen to Marcie’s full episode here, and her bonus episode on starting a business during COVID-19 here.  Laquita Stribling strives to be a leader who opens doors for others in every area of her life. She’s a senior vice president at Randstad USA, the number one staffing company in the world. Laquita started at Randstad as an entry level associate 23 years ago, and since then has worked her way up to one of the highest positions in the company. She also served as the Tennessee District Governor for Rotary International, becoming the first Black woman to serve in that position. Laquita is an active member of her community as well, serving on boards for Second Harvest Food Bank and the Nashville Sports Council.  Listen to Laquita’s full episode here.

When Ashley Brooke James and Elizabeth Moore first became interested in wellness, they both struggled to feel like they belonged in a space that seemed dominated by thin, white women. Elizabeth was recovering from an eating disorder and felt triggered by the lack of representation for different body types. Meanwhile, Ashley was noticing that she was often the only Black woman in her yoga classes. The duo met during a yoga teacher training and decided to combine their interests in movement, cooking and health coaching to form an experiential wellness company, TRILUNA Wellness. TRILUNA is all about building healthier, more inclusive communities, and they partner with corporations to host events, retreats, training and more.  In the past few years, Elizabeth and Ashley have also gained recognition as leaders in their local Nashville community. They frequently host events, speak at conferences and lead workshops on topics ranging from diversity and inclusion to meditation for stress management. Both women came from high-level corporate backgrounds, so they understand the challenges of employee wellness, and they work directly with their clients to build customized curricula that help groups and individuals improve their overall well-being. In This Episode: Elizabeth and Ashley explain why they left high-level corporate jobs to start a wellness company, and they offer an inside look into the work they’re doing to help companies and individuals improve their health. They also discuss the importance of having difficult conversations about race and explain how they’re bringing diversity and social justice to the wellness community.  Episode Highlights: Ashley and Elizabeth’s journey of recognizing the need for more diversity in the wellness industry and leaving their corporate jobs to help create it The importance of practicing wellness in a community setting How COVID-19 has impacted people’s mental and emotional health  Why having a difficult conversation about race transformed Ashley and Elizabeth’s relationship Finding sources of inspiration during difficult times Non-Profit Spotlight: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is working hard to end childhood cancer and other life-threatening pediatric diseases. In the past 50 years, the treatments they’ve developed have helped move the childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80%. They also make sure that families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food.

Kathy Thomas never let lack of experience stop her from taking bold leaps to new career paths. After taking a fashion retail job to supplement her income, Kathy worked her way up through the industry to become a high-level operation and talent acquisition expert for Lucky Brand Jeans and Louis Vuitton. She then left that career path to start her own business as a completely self-taught photographer. Today, Kathy Thomas Photography is an internationally published brand, and Kathy has traveled all over the world to shoot weddings, corporate events and family portraits.   As a small business owner and a mom, Kathy realized early on that working from home made it difficult to establish a healthy work-life balance. After moving to Nashville and struggling to find the right coworking space for her business, Kathy decided to build her own. With Collective615, Kathy created the first coworking space for women in the state of Tennessee.  In her roles as a business owner and mentor, Kathy is often asked how she became so confident, but she believes her real motivator is actually fear. She joins Leah for a conversation about how she uses that fear as fuel that drives her to take calculated risks, and she shares some of the biggest lessons she’s learned throughout her unique career journey. In This Episode: Kathy explains how she’s learned to repeatedly take big leaps in her career, working in multiple industries to achieve her goals and do work she enjoys. She also describes her motivation behind creating Nashville’s first coworking space for women, and she explains how she’s empowering her daughter to believe she can reach her biggest dreams and goals.  Episode Highlights: Why working from home is difficult for women, and Kathy’s experience that inspired her to start Collective615  Kathy’s story of working her way up in fashion retail to become an executive at Louis Vuitton Turning fear into a motivational force and taking calculated risks How Kathy built a global brand as a self-taught photographer Building an office space to help women thrive Kathy’s passion for showing her daughter that she can achieve her dreams Non-Profit Spotlight: YWCA is one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls and their families. They’re on a mission to eliminate racism, stand up for social justice and empower women.  Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Insperity, an HR company that makes a difference. Insperity combines first class service and robust technology so you can focus on your people.

Her Story of Success recently went through a rebranding process to help us better reflect where our company is today while also preparing for Season Next. But even as we look ahead to where we want to go, it’s important to also remember where we came from. With Her Story of Success in Review, we’re revisiting some of our favorite conversations, giving you another chance to be inspired by the amazing women who helped mentor and shape Her Story of Success into the company we are today.  In this episode, Mignon Francois, Jessi Baker, Laura Lea Bryant* and Maneet Chauhan share their stories of carving out space for themselves in the historically male-dominated food and beverage industry.  Their Stories of Success Mignon Francois was living on her last $5 when a neighbor asked to order cupcakes from her home bakery. Mignon took that $5 and continued to multiply, eventually building The Cupcake Collection into a multi-million dollar business. Mignon’s bakery helped revitalize her Nashville neighborhood, and she’s been honored as a Woman of Legend and Merit by Tennessee State University and an Emerging Business Leader of the Year. The Cupcake Collection, which now includes locations in Nashville and New Orleans, also won Black Enterprise Magazine’s Family Business of the Year Award.  Listen to Mignon’s full episode here. While working full-time as an attorney, Jessi Baker started Ole Smoky as a side hustle with her husband and two friends, never imagining what it would one day become. Today, Ole Smoky is the most visited distillery in the world, and its moonshine is sold in all 50 states and 53 countries. Jessi now develops Ole Smoky food products, recently writing a cookbook that features cocktails and family recipes for true Southern food. She and her family have become serial entrepreneurs, opening four distilleries and businesses like Bootleggers Homemade Wine and Yee Haw Brewing. Listen to Jessi’s full episode here. Laura Lea Bryant fell in love with cooking when she was a recent college graduate, struggling to enjoy her life in New York City and looking for ways to heal her body and mind. That personal journey soon turned into a deep passion for food and wellness. Laura Lea attended the National Gourmet Institute to become a certified holistic chef, and has since built a career as a successful recipe developer, writer and voice behind the website LL Balanced. Laura Lea also just released her second cookbook, Simply Laura Lea.  Listen to Laura Lea’s full episode here. Even as a child growing up in India, Maneet Chauhan always knew she wanted to be a chef. With her parents’ encouragement, Maneet attended hospitality school in her home country, and then moved to the U.S. to attend the Culinary Institute of America. Today, Maneet is a world-renowned restaurateur, Food Network Star and writer. After working as a chef at top restaurants in New York and Chicago, Maneet and her husband co-founded Morph Hospitality Group, and she’s opened four restaurants and two breweries in Nashville. Maneet is also a regular judge on Food Network’s Chopped, and she’s the only Indian woman to ever compete on Iron Chef. Listen to Maneet’s full episode here.  *Correction: In the episode we referred to Laura Lea Bryant with the incorrect last name. We apologize for the error.

Career Thrivers Founder Brittany Cole believes every experience is an opportunity for continuous improvement, and she brings that attitude into all of her work as a speaker, coach and consultant. At Career Thrivers, Brittany partners with organizations to engage, develop and retain diverse talent through targeted leadership development. She’s also a TEDx speaker and host of the Career Thrivers Podcast.  Before starting her company, Brittany spent 12 years working at Pfizer, where she started as an intern and grew to become a high level sales and marketing leader. In August of 2019, she left the security of that job to start her own venture, because she wanted to spend more time pursuing her passion of helping others grow and thrive. Brittany also brings that passion to her local community, serving as a mentor for Pathway Women’s Business Center, the marketing director for NSN Nashville and a coach for TEDxNashville.  Brittany’s decision to take the leap into entrepreneurship was a difficult one, and she shares how experiencing grief and loss transformed her into a person who had a new perspective on her purpose in life. As a highly respected thought leader around diversity, inclusion and equity, Brittany also offers her perspective on some of the challenges women of color face in the workplace, and she gives advice to leaders who are looking to intentionally create more safe and inclusive environments.  In This Episode: Brittany shares some of the biggest lessons she’s learned about career and family while working in corporate America and starting her own company. She also discusses the importance of allyship in the workplace and provides practical advice for anyone looking to build greater inclusivity in their organization. Episode Highlights: How Brittany decided to take the leap and start her own company Defining diversity, inclusion and equity The six components of allyship in the workplace and why it matters The importance of allowing yourself to grieve losses in career and family How Brittany’s husband has been her biggest champion What it means to redefine resilience and learn from loss Resources Brittany Mentioned: The Awareness and Actions of Allies Career Thrivers Podcast and its vault of free resources Brittany’s TEDx Talk on Redefining Resilience Non-Profit Spotlight: Girl, unKnown Inc. provides hygiene and education for disadvantaged girls around the United States. They also hold educational events to spread awareness about women’s issues and highlight some of the amazing things women are achieving all around the world.  Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Insperity, an HR company that makes a difference. Insperity combines first class service and robust technology so you can focus on your people.

Here at Her Story of Success, we are on a mission to help women — business owners, leaders and professionals build their tribe and reach their next level of success — connecting them to one another, equipping them with resources and empowering them along their journey.  We’re excited to announce the Her Story of Success brand relaunch, which speaks to not just where we are today, but where we are going. We want our company’s look and feel to match the authenticity, belonging and confidence inspired by women’s stories that we are so honored to share. A special thanks to Kindly By Kelsea for bringing our brand vision to life!  In This Episode:  In today’s episode, you can hear from our CEO and Podcast Host, Leah Glover Hayes, as she shares exciting information about what Season Next looks like for Her Story of Success and what being a part of our journey will mean for you. 

Lucinda Cross wears many hats in business, but all of them center around her passion for empowering women to reach new levels of success. She’s the Founder and President of Activate Worldwide, a small business consulting firm that caters specifically to women. She also sells vision board kits and is an acclaimed author, keynote speaker and educator. Lucinda has worked with brands like NIKE and TJ Maxx to host women and youth empowerment programs, and her work has been featured in ESSENCE, The New York Times, CNN, BET and more. Lucinda also created a nonprofit organization called Activate Your Life, which helps women re-enter their communities and become entrepreneurs after being involved in the Department of Justice System.  Lucinda always felt passionate about business and marketing, but it took her years to realize that she needed to stop doing behind the scenes work for other, successful entrepreneurs and start activating her own power as a speaker, leader and marketer. She rebranded her entire company around the idea that she was her own “best kept secret” and has built her success around empowering other women to embrace their own talents and abilities. In This Episode:  Lucinda tells her inspiring story of learning to take credit for her work and stop limiting herself. She also opens up about some of the biggest struggles she faced and lessons she learned in the process, from practical concerns such as delegation to larger issues like making the money she deserves in a male-dominated field.  Episode Highlights: Lucinda’s story of realizing she was a “best kept secret” and deciding to start her own company The power of mentorship and putting in sweat equity while starting your business Recognizing what you need to delegate and finding the right team to support your growth Empowering women to reach new levels of success in male-dominated industries Envisioning your wildest dreams and making them a reality  Books and Resources Mentioned:   Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath The Big ASK by Lucinda Cross   Free vision board template download Upwork: Hire freelance professionals  Non-Profit Spotlight: Activate Your Life works to celebrate, support, educate and connect women, helping them to integrate with their communities and re-enter the workforce after hardship and difficult transitions. They help women to rebuild, restore and re-invent themselves, all while promoting entrepreneurship as a means of economic advancement. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Insperity, an HR company that makes a difference. Insperity combines first class service and robust technology so you can focus on your people.

Backstage Capital Founder and Managing Partner Arlan Hamilton understands the importance of investing in underrepresented founders, because less than five years ago, she was one herself. Arlan started the venture capital fund Backstage Capital in 2015 and built it from the ground up, all while experiencing homelessness. Since then, Backstage Capital has raised more than $10 million and invested in more than 130 startup companies led by high-potential founders who are people of color, women and/or LGBT. In 2018, Arlan co-founded Backstage Studio, which runs accelerator programs for underestimated founders in Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and London. Arlan quickly became a star in the venture capital world, and in 2018, she became the first non-celebrity Black woman to be featured on the cover of Fast Company. She’s also been honored on lists like Forbes’ “40 Under 40” and Business Insider’s “Most Powerful LGBTQ+ People in Tech.” In May, Arlan released her book It’s About Damn Time, sharing some of the biggest lessons she’s learned throughout her career and teaching readers “how to turn being underestimated into your biggest advantage.” She also hosts the “Your First Million” podcast and speaks at events around the country.  In This Episode: Arlan talks about some of the biggest lessons she’s learned while growing her business, along with some of the affirmations that inspired her to keep going through the challenges she faced. She also shares the importance of becoming knowledgeable while still continuing to take action.  Arlan and Leah are joined by guest co-host Brittany Cole. Brittany is a speaker, coach and consultant who founded Career Thrivers, a leadership development firm that partners with organizations to engage, develop and retain diverse talent through targeted leadership development. You can hear more from Brittany by listening to the Career Thrivers Podcast. Episode Highlights: Why Arlan decided to write her book  Developing a commitment to learning, but also knowing when it’s time to take action Why imposter syndrome is an unhelpful concept  Two key affirmations that have helped Arlan build her business and her confidence Staying resilient in the face of difficult circumstances  Non-Profit Spotlight: Thistle Farms provides healing and hope for women survivors of trafficking, prostitution and addiction. The organization’s residential program includes two years of free housing, along with education, healthcare and employment. Survivors work at Thistle Farms’ three social enterprises, which include a bath and body care brand, a café and a Global Shared Trade program. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Insperity, an HR company that makes a difference. Insperity combines first class service and robust technology so you can focus on your people.