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Archives for June 2016

Marianne Ladapo

June 20, 2016 by Sharon Beason wc@womeneur.com 3,201 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Womeneur Spotlight” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Take a walk down the path of these entrepreneurs, business owners and progressive women.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” bg_type=”image” parallax_style=”vcpb-default” bg_image_new=”id^4272|url^https://www.womeneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/womeneur-spotlight-marianne-ladapo-of-lenox-cupcakes_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^womeneur-spotlight-marianne-ladapo-of-lenox-cupcakes_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1|description^null” css=”.vc_custom_1466634925721{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1466634973864{margin-bottom: -2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

MARIANNE LADAPO OF LENOX CUPCAKES

FOUNDER[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”5″ accent_color=”#e3672b” css=”.vc_custom_1460496937176{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Website: 

Social Media: [dt_social_icons animation=”none” alignment=”default”][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”facebook” link=”http://facebook.com/lenoxcupcakes” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”twitter” link=”http://twitter.com/lenoxcupcakes” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”instagram” link=”http://instagram.com/lenoxcupcakes” /][/dt_social_icons][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”4271″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Marianne Ladapo is the founder and head baker of Lenox Cupcakes, offering gourmet baked goods for corporate and private events in the metro Atlanta area. Lenox Cupcakes was founded out of a deep and abiding love for cupcakes. The company began its initial operations in 2008 from Ladapo’s home kitchen and shortly thereafter, a commercial kitchen. Since then, she’s settled into our licensed bakery in the Chamblee neighborhood. This Womeneur has proudly baked her deliciousness for  a loyal fan base of customers, including corporate clients such as AT&T, Coca-Cola, CNN, Google, Microsoft, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

What inspired your journey into business?
I owe this journey to a serious craving for cakes when I was expecting my son. I couldn’t eat a whole cake by myself so I started baking cupcakes. I went online looking for recipes and discovered blogs dedicated to nothing but cupcakes and I was hooked. Baking cupcakes became an activity that I found soothing, almost therapeutic. Whenever I had a stressful day at my full-time job, I would get in the kitchen and bake. One day, my sister suggested that I sell some to a friend of hers and the business grew from there.

What steps did you take to start your business?
The business started in my home kitchen with the eggs and butter in my fridge, using equipment I already owned, selling to people I knew. I tested my recipes extensively by doing taste tests with friends, family, and coworkers before offering them up to the public. I formed relationships online with other bakery owners to find out what it was like to run a bakery. After developing my products in my home kitchen, I met some amazing women who leased me space in their commercial kitchen. It wasn’t until after a couple of years that I felt ready to lease my own space.

What are your biggest fears?
My biggest fears are falling short of our customers’ expectations. We have customers that have been with us since the very beginning and we work hard to continue to earn their business. We invite all feedback, positive or negative as they help us grow. Negative feedback can be difficult to absorb but we learn from our mistakes and put in place measures to ensure that we don’t repeat them.

What do you do to stay motivated when you feel like giving up?
I have an amazing family and dedicated friends that won’t let me give up. They are always there to lend an ear and offer advice. More recently, I joined a network of female entrepreneurs who truly understand the ups and downs associated with running a business. They are a huge support system and are instrumental in providing the motivation I need to stay the course.

What are your weaknesses in business and how have you worked past them? 
My biggest weakness is delegating and trusting that things would get done right if I’m not directly involved. Over time, I realized that in order to grow, I had to empower my team to act independently. My focus has been on simplifying processes and creating systems that are easy to implement.

What’s been most rewarding?
The most rewarding thing has been and still is hearing from people who enjoy our products. We exist to make our happy and knowing that we have met our goal is very rewarding.

Who were you before you started your business?
Prior to starting my business, I worked at a non-profit health organization and would have been happy to remain there until retirement. Life, however, had other plans for me when a layoff forced me into business full-time.

If you had to do it again, what (if anything) would you do differently?
I would worry a lot less. There are ups and downs in business and over time you learn the cycles. Slower periods are for now planning and preparing for busier times.

What’s one good software or application you cannot live without?
I can’t live without my Square Dashboard app with real-time sales data. This allows me to be anywhere in the world and yet maintain a handle on how things are going.

What’s your secret to cultivating a relationship between you and your customers?
Our secret is learning as much as possible about our customers. We use this information to create products and experiences that are of value to them.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
In five years, I see us opening more retail outlets and expanding our product line.

What are 3 tips you can share with budding and current entrepreneurs/business owners?
1. Understand why you are in business in the first place. This helps you remain true to your brand and will motivate you during challenging times.
2. Learn as much as you can about your customers. Find out what their pain points are and create solutions to meet their needs.
3. Implement! Launch! Go ahead and do it. Don’t sit on your brilliant ideas forever or fail to launch because of over-analysis.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Womeneur Spotlight

Rita Owens

June 13, 2016 by Sharon Beason wc@womeneur.com 346 Comments

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Take a walk down the path of these entrepreneurs, business owners and progressive women.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” bg_type=”image” parallax_style=”vcpb-default” bg_image_new=”id^4277|url^https://www.womeneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/womeneur-spotlight-rita-owens-of-urban-beauty-network_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^womeneur-spotlight-rita-owens-of-urban-beauty-network_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1|description^null” css=”.vc_custom_1466635488577{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1466635346522{margin-bottom: -2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

WOMENEUR SPOTLIGHT: RITA OWENS OF URBAN BEAUTY NETWORK

CEO [/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”5″ accent_color=”#e3672b” css=”.vc_custom_1460496937176{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Website: 

Social Media: [dt_social_icons animation=”none” alignment=”default”][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”facebook” link=”http://facebook.com/UrbanBeautyINC” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”twitter” link=”http://twitter.com/UrbanBeautyINC” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”instagram” link=”http://instagram.com/UrbanBeautyINC” /][/dt_social_icons][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”4276″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Rita Owens, CEO of Urban Beauty INC, is both a trained beauty professional and advertising executive with more than 10 years of experience in software and digital technology. Owens holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a minor in Spanish from Saint Mary’s College of California. She has studied at the Instituto Universitario Internacional, S.C. in Cuernavaca, Mexico and received training in cosmetology at the Paul Mitchell Institute and Dermalogica Academy. This Womeneur shares her entrepreneurial journey with us.

What inspired your journey into business?
As a former corporate professional, my travels took me to destinations around the country where my favorite stylists, estheticians, makeup artists and nail techs were well out of reach. I found the process of searching for a beauty professional to cater to my unique needs, time-consuming, frustrating and expensive. Unfortunately, as a woman of color I cannot simply walk into any salon, or up to a makeup counter feeling confident that the professional will know how to work with my hair texture or skin tone.I have actually been told by several salons, “sorry we don’t do black hair.” Frustrated by the thought of blindly choosing another beauty professional, I decided to couple my two loves of technology and beauty to launch Urban Beauty Network- the ultimate beauty solution. I wanted to ensure that women of color were always connected to the quality they expect and deserve.

What steps did you take to start your business?
The first and most important step I took was to research my potential market. I surveyed over 250 women to understand what their needs and frustrations were before moving forward. I then came up with a name for the business, took care of my legal documents, developed the concept for the site, and sought continuous feedback.

What are your biggest fears?
I think that the biggest fear that all entrepreneurs face is the fear of failing. Being an entrepreneur is lonely. You put alot of yourself into a concept, investing time, money, and energy to create something awesome. The sacrifice is substantial, there are many sleepless nights.

What do you do to stay motivated when you feel like giving up?
I pray. I believe in the power of prayer and know that anything is possible if you just believe you can do it. I also try to focus on the reason I am doing what I am doing. I have an amazing circle of supporters and they also keep me motivated.

What are your weaknesses in business and how have you worked past them? 
I am a perfectionist, and that can be a problem when you are bootstrapping a startup. I had to learn the hard way that sometimes its best to just put something out there instead of waiting for it to be perfect.

What’s been most rewarding?
The most rewarding experience for me has been meeting so many intelligent and savvy black business women within the beauty industry. I’m helping them to grow their businesses by connecting them with new clients, while also helping potential clients connect with quality professionals who are skilled, value their time and provide excellent customer service. When someone walks up to me and thanks me for creating this platform, it always makes everything worthwhile.

Who were you before you started your business?
I was a young woman with an entrepreneurial spirit, working to build someone else’s dream in corporate america.

If you had to do it again, what (if anything) would you do differently?
I would have read Lean startup by Eric Ries prior to investing any money at the beginning.

What’s one good software or application you cannot live without?
I love Hootsuite! It helps me to easily manage my social media calendar.

What’s your secret to cultivating a relationship between you and your customers?
I don’t really have a secret. I just find it important to listen to the needs of your customers and constantly ask for feedback. I welcome both positive and constructive feedback.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
In 5 years I see Urban Beauty Network as the ultimate destination for women of color and the beauty professionals that provide services to them.

What are 3 tips you can share with budding and current entrepreneurs/business owners?
1) Research your market first! Just because you are crazy about an idea, doesn’t mean that there is a need for it in the market.
2) Just do it! Waiting for the right time to start your business is a waste of time, you’ll always find an excuse why you can’t do it.
3) Surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Life as an entrepreneur can become lonely. Not everyone will be a supporter. It’s great to be around other like-minded individuals who can remind you that they are living a crazy life similar to yours.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Womeneur Spotlight

6 Ways To Get Things Done

June 8, 2016 by Womeneur Guest Contributor 3,743 Comments

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During the month of May, we are accepting guest posts from the Womeneur community and this has been republished with permission from Mariella Cruzado of Splendor Styling.

You know when you have so many things in your mind that you can’t even start naming priorities. That’s me now. I don’t want to say I’m overwhelmed, I’m just full of ideas for styling and design projects that I would love to have more hours in a day. But hey, that’s not an option. So, let’s get real.

When I find myself in this type of situation – and believe me, that happens very often – the first thing I try doing is relax before even trying to get organized. Many people ask me how do I do it – staying calm and productive can be a big challenge – so I wanted to share some of my personal organization tips with you:

1. Wake up early – I know, everyone hates this one but the clock is not going to magically go slower for you. If you have to make the most out of your day, you better start early. If you are not an early bird, go to bed late at night. Whatever works for you, just stretch your productive hours a bit. Half an hour makes a huge difference.

2. Meditate – Give yourself a second to wake up and start the day. I love meditating in the mornings, while sipping my coffee. I sit down on a comfy chair, let my thoughts go through my mind, and try to start my day with a clear and calm mind. And most importantly, being thankful and happy for another day full of adventures. A positive mind can lead your projects to more positive results.

3. Do what you love – You like going for walks, do it. You like cooking, take the time to make it happen. I like styling things and I try to take a moment every day to do it. This is my escape. Exploring your creative side can actually improve your productivity. You’ll see how well you respond after having fun 🙂

4. Make the TO DO LIST – and revise it everyday. I got this advice from a dear friend of mine a while ago. It sounded so simple, but it’s magic! List everything you need to do to accomplish that ultimate goal. Revise it everyday and you will soon be closer to it. Promise.

5. Treat yourself – Your body is a machine, treat it properly so it responds to your needs. Drink water, eat healthy, add chia to your smoothie – you get the picture. Walk to your meeting or to buy milk. Be kind to your body. And yes, get that eclair when you need it too.

6. Forgive yourself – for not being able to accomplish everything at once. Do your best and acknowledge it. Celebrate that you sent that email or made that phone call. Small steps can take a lot of effort sometimes. Be kind.

And remember… you are doing better than you think 🙂

Have a lovely and productive day today!

Filed Under: Real Talk

Sara Lamond

June 8, 2016 by Sharon Beason wc@womeneur.com 3,453 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Womeneur Spotlight” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Take a walk down the path of these entrepreneurs, business owners and progressive women.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” bg_type=”image” parallax_style=”vcpb-default” bg_image_new=”id^3689|url^https://www.womeneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/womeneur-spotlight-sara-lamond-of-fig-flower-natural-beauty_650_650_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1.png|caption^null|alt^null|title^womeneur-spotlight-sara-lamond-of-fig-flower-natural-beauty_650_650_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1|description^null” css=”.vc_custom_1465354569841{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1465354605366{margin-bottom: -2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

SARA LAMOND

OF FIG & FLOWER NATURAL BEAUTY[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”5″ accent_color=”#e3672b” css=”.vc_custom_1460496937176{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Website: 

Social Media: [dt_social_icons animation=”none” alignment=”default”][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”facebook” link=”http://www.facebook.com/figandfloweratl” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”twitter” link=”http://twitter.com/figandfloweratl” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”instagram” link=”http://instagram.com/figandfloweratl” /][/dt_social_icons][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”3687″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Despite graduating at the top of her class in law school, Sara Lamond found myself uninspired shortly after beginning her career as an attorney. Sara wanted to create a space in her community to foster wellness, sustainability, and positivity. From that desire, and her own longstanding love affair with beauty products, the idea for was born. Fig & Flower’s mission is to provide our customers with convenience, quality and peace of mind in selecting beauty products by carrying the highest quality products that contain only the purest, non-toxic ingredients.

Sara found inspiration to begin a healthier life through an amazing cross-fit camp program where she was taught about clean eating and taking care of her body. This level of heatlh consciousness and the improvement in her mind, body and soul opened Sara up to the possibilities of a new career with her friend, Blair Wagoner. During 2010, the two came together to produce beauty products that were all-natural and non-toxic. Sara extended her passion for clean eating to the beauty industry which resulted in this successful company and was able to benefit many customers. This Atlanta-based company wants to promote a way for woman to look and feel beautiful while not sacrificing their health and welness.

This Womeneur talks to us about her career journey and the next steps for her company. .

What inspired your journey into business?
Dissatisfaction in my chosen career path led me to start thinking critically about my future goals. I wanted to create a career for myself where I felt connected to my community in a positive way. Wellness, which to me encompasses fitness, heath living and emotional balance, plays a major role in my own personal level of joy and contentment, and so I wanted to somehow share that joy with my community. While “eating clean” is a concept I think many people are now familiar with, using clean products, from makeup to skincare, is often overlooked. As such, I saw an opportunity to create a space where the dialogue on health and wellness could continue while also helping people feel and look their best. Thus, the idea for a natural beauty store – Fig & Flower – was born.

What steps did you take to start your business?
Researching products and brands was the most time consuming part of getting Fig & Flower off the ground. I had to decide how strict to be with the ingredients we would allow in the store. There are some brands that I think would do phenomenally well, but they may have one or two more than questionable ingredients in their ingredient list. In the end, I opted for more rigid ingredient requirements to maintain the integrity of the message we are trying to uphold. Therefore, each product by each brand had to be researched, then tested for effectiveness and quality. Testing was – of course – the fun part, because I got to play in skincare and makeup!

What are your biggest fears?
My biggest fear in the beginning was that I’d be sitting in an empty store day in and day out after signing a lease. I was not under the impression that “if I build it, they will come.” No matter how good an idea, people have to know about it and feel driven to seek it out. And in my line of work there is a lot of competition, from online green beauty outlets to Sephora or the Whole Foods beauty section. But by being highly specialized, I think we attracted consumers who wanted our specific atmosphere.

Now that we are up and running and continue to grow, my biggest fear is that the business is grow faster than I am as a business owner. There is lots to learn as a first time entrepreneur and sometimes it feels like I’m unable to keep up. Having a network of other similarly situated entrepreneurs who can encourage and motivate me has been key in overcoming that sort of negative self-talk.

What do you do to stay motivated when you feel like giving up?
It’s been very important for me to have friends who are also entrepreneurs. Encouragement and motivation from outside sources who understand the unique experience of owning your own business has been vital for me. And fostering a friendly atmosphere with my customers has even helped. I don’t want to let down the customers who appreciate the service we provide, so some days my customers are my motivation!

What are your weaknesses in business and how have you worked past them? 
I often say the hardest part of being an entrepreneur is not knowing what you don’t know. I think that can be a tough problem to overcome, because sometimes I don’t even know the right questions to ask. But curiosity goes a long way in helping to reveal your own blind spots. Asking questions to others, or even just researching things on the internet, and being curious about cause and effect relationship of trying something new and seeing the results.

What’s been most rewarding?
The absolute most rewarding aspect of my job is helping people. I’ve received emails from customers thanking me for helping them with things as little as choosing the right lipstick shade to things as big as helping a customer regain her confidence after struggling with acne her whole life and finally being able to go makeup free because her skin is so clear from a natural routine. Big or small, making people happy by encouraging a more natural and sustainable lifestyle is the most rewarding and encouraging part of my job.

Who were you before you started your business?
I think I am mostly the same person, but my definition of success if very different. When I was pursuing a legal career, I thought my level of success was defined by my paycheck or status. By focusing my energy on my passion, I realize that having a simpler life in which I find great contentment feels very successful. I also feel like my life is more purposeful. I have a goal of making this store succeed, whereas before I felt pretty aimless.

If you had to do it again, what (if anything) would you do differently?
I would be more discerning about which contracts I’d sign and enter into. Even today, I’d like to have a more streamlined vision and goal for my brand. And I think trusting in myself and my instinct is something I could have done better.

What’s one good software or application you cannot live without?
My business uses Shopify as our e-commerce platform and our POS system. It may not be sexy, but that’s the program I couldn’t live without.

What’s your secret to cultivating a relationship between you and your customers?
Authenticity. Both myself and my employees actually care about our customers, and about helping them find the perfect product to meet their needs. I think customers pick up on that genuine desire to help, and it keeps them coming back. We also take a non-judgmental approach to educating our customers about the importance of non-toxic products. When people are ready to make the switch, they will. I don’t want to scare people into using natural products. That’s not my goal.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
I’d like to have more locations, potentially in different states. I’d also like to have more managerial-level staff, so I can delegate more of my administrative workload to focus on the direction of the brand. I’d also like to build services into our offerings so we aren’t just a retail store but a full service wellness experience.

What are 3 tips you can share with budding and current entrepreneurs/business owners?

  1. Don’t let your fear paralyze you. There’s always going to be things you don’t know or can’t anticipate. Mistakes are valuable learning opportunities for entrepreneurs.
  2. Find a way to delegate. Whether it be delegating administrative tasks to employees or hiring someone to do your taxes, your time is valuable and you could probably be working on something more important for the direction of your business.
  3. Make entrepreneur friends. No one else will understand the hard days quite like them. They will be your rock. And you’ll be theirs sometimes, too. And that process of supporting them will remind you why you love what you do.

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Filed Under: Womeneur Spotlight

Nicole Aguirre

June 5, 2016 by Sharon Beason wc@womeneur.com 3,120 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Womeneur Spotlight” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Take a walk down the path of these entrepreneurs, business owners and progressive women.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” bg_type=”image” parallax_style=”vcpb-default” bg_image_new=”id^3684|url^https://www.womeneur.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/womeneur-spotlight-nicole-aguirre-of-worn_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^womeneur-spotlight-nicole-aguirre-of-worn_650_650_90_ffffffgrayopac-7_s_c1|description^null” css=”.vc_custom_1465355174956{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1465355068876{margin-bottom: -2px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

NICOLE AGUIRRE

OF WORN[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” border_width=”5″ accent_color=”#e3672b” css=”.vc_custom_1460496937176{padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Website: 

Social Media: [dt_social_icons animation=”none” alignment=”default”][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”twitter” link=http://twitter.com/worncreative” /][dt_social_icon target_blank=”true” icon=”instagram” link=”http://instagram.com/worncreative” /][/dt_social_icons][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”3683″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The number of female leaders across creative industries are growing every day. More and more companies are recognizing this growth and are on a mission to provide products and services for women but more importantly we are seeing women as the LEADERS of these companies. Womeneurs like Nicole Aguirre,CEO of , a digital agency that empowers women to lead has created a space to empower women leaders. Nicole leads a team of fearless women producing digital content for brands across fashion, food, entertainment, and hospitality. Worn’s clients include

Nicole is a well-rounded female entrepreneur, speaking four languages, including Korean, and is passionate about empowering the next generation of female leaders. Nicole has been very confident in terms of building a career of her choosing and not following the standard corporate lifestyle after college to be her reality. Her career began as a phototgrapher in the photo department of Vanity Fair and throughout her career she has been seen as and developed her personal brand as an advocate for female entrepreneurship.

Learn more about Nicole’s journey, her work at Worn, and how she plans to continue to inspire and develop the greatness of female entrepreneurs!

What inspired your journey into business?
Both of my parents are entrepreneurs so I guess it runs in the family. I was most inspired by the desire NOT to get a “job” and keep doing the things I love, writing, photography, design. I found the way to do that through building Worn. I’ve also been inspired by freedom. It might sound cheesy but, you can’t overestimate the value of having the freedom to work when and where you want, on what you want, and with who you want. Yes, it comes with much more risk, but I think it’s worth it.

Last, I’m inspired by other women entrepreneurs who have built incredible companies and who are lifting other women up with them. One example of that is Tory Burch.

What steps did you take to start your business?
When I was 22, I started a photography and fashion print magazine in DC called Worn Magazine. I didn’t know how to publish a magazine or work with printers, but I figured it out and I published it for four years in print. Then in 2013, I turned the company it into a creative agency called Worn. I moved the agency from D.C. to New York in 2014.

What are your biggest fears?
Running out of money because that equals going out of business. My motto is DROOM. Don’t. Run. Out. Of. Money. If you keep that in mind, you’ll make calculated decisions and not waste company money on things you don’t need.

What do you do to stay motivated when you feel like giving up?
I think about what it would be like to have a 9-5 desk job I don’t like, a boss who I have to ask permission to take days off, someone watching what I do all the time or micromanaging me, and that’s enough to make me want to fight for what I’m building now because I thrive on the freedom of being my own boss.

Then I think about Michelle Freeman, an incredible woman and business owner several times over. She’s one of 12 women owners in the NBA, she holds her own in several male dominated industries and she’s overcome personal tragedy. If she can do all that, I can get over whatever business crisis I’m having. Thinking of her gives me perspective.

What are your weaknesses in business and how have you worked past them? 
I didn’t go to business school and therefore never took accounting classes. This is something that was absolutely a weakness early on. In the first year I overcame it by setting monthly meetings with now fiance Peter, who is also an entrepreneur to help me review our books. Later on, I hired a bookkeeper and a financial advisor. I also read Suze Orman’s Women and Money and now I feel totally in control of our finances.

What’s been most rewarding?
It’s been so rewarding to grow our speaker series F*it. It’s about female leaders about telling real life stories of the challenges they’ve had growing companies and teams throughout their careers. I’ve seen the impact that F*it has had on the hundreds of women in the audience who need to hear that it’s ok to mess up, or not know how to do something, and that even the most successful women out there feel like imposters sometimes.

Who were you before you started your business?
In college 🙂 I started the company at 22 right after graduating from George Washington University so I technically have never had a real job.

If you had to do it again, what (if anything) would you do differently?
No I wouldn’t. I never had a plan and because of that I exceeded my own expectations by leaps and bounds. I’ve done everything my way up until now and I’m happy with how it’s turned out so far. I’m happy about the good times, the scary times, and even the really crappy times. Those times made me tough. I love the quote, “Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s having the ability to solve them.”

What’s one good software or application you cannot live without?
Airtable, Basecamp, Uberconference

What’s your secret to cultivating a relationship between you and your customers?
Our secret is our mission, which is to empower women to lead. We pick clients based on whether they’re on a mission and whether we’re a good fit for each other. Having a mission to filter who we work with is a very powerful thing. It eliminates the decisions that many other agencies have to make about whether to work with a certain client or not. We have a laser beam focus on working with female lead companies, teams or campaigns.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
I see us tripling in size and publishing several books on female entrepreneurs.

What are 3 tips you can share with budding and current entrepreneurs/business owners?
1. DROOM. Don’t run out of money.
2. Be the kind of person people want to work for.
3. Don’t listen to what you “should” do. Instead, do what makes sense for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Womeneur Spotlight

Video Interview: Womeneur Founder Sharon Beason Talks Business With Priceless Planning

June 1, 2016 by Sharon Beason wc@womeneur.com 2,071 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Womeneur Founder, Sharon Beason talks all business – including tips and strategies – for 45 minutes with Sidjae Price as one of 15 female business owners being interviewed in her CEOs With Priceless Plans Talk Series.  Sidjae is the CEO and Organizational Consultant of Priceless Planning. She helps busy entrepreneurs to plan and organize their businesses by plugging in systems, structures and strategy to get them focused, balance life and snatch results. She created Priceless Planning with a focus on designing business systems and life structures, which results in a plan of daily actionable, of what to do to stay focus on business, all while attending to matters of personal life. Sidjae Price is the creator of ‘CEOs with Priceless Plans: A Talk Series’. She will be your event host and hopes that all aspiring and existing CEOs find the true benefits of stratgic planning in any business industry.

Register at the CEOs With Priceless Plans Talk Series website to hear the other 14 interviews. And don’t miss out! Use code “WOMEN” to save $10 off our Essential Startup Blueprint or a Business Strategy Session.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvO_H3OqcKE”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

If you want to receive more great tips and strategies directly from our founder, Sharon, then be sure to sign up for our NEW Business Membership model, rolling out real soon with our total brand new site and access to an exclusive forum to discuss, brainstorm, share and grow with other like-minded women!

Filed Under: Business

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