She Starts Up Podcast

In this special two-part episode of She Starts Up, I'm sharing a startup story and interviewing two women on opposite sides of the narrative, Chrissy Cowdrey and Lolita Taub.

More about Lolita

Lolita Taub is a first-generation Latinx operator and investor pushing for diversity in tech. She's acting Chief of Staff and interim head of sales at Catalyte; a scout at Indie.vc, Venture Partner at NextGen Venture Partners, and an LP at Operators Collective and Portfolia's Enterprise Fund; and a mom to the cutest Dachshund mix.

More about Chrissy

Chrissy Cowdrey is CEO & Founder of Stagger. Chrissy's career has been rooted in leading creative teams through the human centered design process. She's designed digital experiences for startups and large companies ranging from Disney, USAA, Logitech and frog design. As an avid traveler and addicted to seeing the way other parts of the world works, she designed Stagger to solve a problem of visual storytelling for herself that has grown into a business focused on visual storytelling and brand building for businesses. When she's not working, she spends her time staying active and planning for her next travel adventure.

Listen for...

Part 1

• An announcement some exciting news: I've made my first investment in Stagger, an app for visual storytelling for your brand.
• The tweet from Lolita Taub that got me over 30 pitch decks for review, sparking the investment in Stagger.
• Lolita Taub's story and background, including how she became involved in the startup world.
• How working with an executive coach allowed Lolita to find her purpose and magic sauce: connecting people to resources to achieve goals and produce results for all.
• Lolita's involvement in the startup community and the projects she is currently working on, including an investor and startup matching tool.
• The importance of diversity in startups, teams, and investment. Lolita is helping to create a world where technology is led by the diversity of our population

Part 2

• What it was like for me, a former founder raising capital, being on the other side of fundraising as an investor.
• How Chrissy stumbled upon Janine's tweet expressing she was looking to invest and how the conversation continued from there.
• The story of how Chrissy came up with the idea for Stagger, and how she turned her idea into a widely-used app by influencers and small businesses.
• Chrissy's experience with fundraising and what it was like to raise money during COVID-19.
• The evolution of Stagger's product and ways it will help small businesses and businesses with storytelling and building their brand.
• Behind the scenes of Stagger, including user testing, building the product, and juggling fundraising and product management.

Listen Now on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

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Connect with Lolita Taub Online

Lolita's Twitter

Lolita's Newsletter

Schedule a Call with Lolita

Connect with Chrissy Cowdrey Online

Chrissy's Email

Chrissy's Twitter

Mentioned in this Episode

Startup Investor Matching

Raising During COVID - Virtual Demo Day

Startup Investment Consideration Form

Fundraise from Scratch Course (if you use the link + promo code TeamLolita, you'll get 10% off)

Arlan Hamilton's Book

Stagger.it

Amanda Goetz is the VP of Marketing for The Knot Worldwide. Previously, she served as a startup founder building availability software for the wedding industry after spending years analyzing companies for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year program. Amanda is a Midwest girl at heart but lives in the Upper West Side of NYC with her three children: Hadley, Lincoln and Greyson.

Listen as Amanda and I discuss

• Her startup story and how she got her business off the ground.
• Fundraising as a female founder, and the adversity we both faced while trying to raise capital.
• How working in a startup prepares you to take on a role in a larger company.
• What it's like to transition from founder to employee.
• Her time as a wedding planner for celebrities.
• Why she decided to freeze her eggs and what the entire process looked like.
• Amanda's advice for female founders and working mothers.

Listen Now on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

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Connect with Amanda Goetz Online

Twitter

Instagram

I am so excited to have Megan Garbe on this episode of She Starts Up, where she openly shares her experience of adopting her daughter Lily. Megan and I speak about adoption misperceptions, as well as her journey of becoming an adoptive parent and ways we can be more mindful when talking about adoption. Let's start up!

Bio

[waiting]

Listen as Megan and I discuss...

• the path leading up to her family's decision to adopt, which included seeing a fertility specialist, and forgoing IVF treatments.
• the adoption process, and the trainings & tests required for those adopting a child.
• her personal experience with finding and working with adoption agencies, the home study, match process and waiting period.
• mental health for adoptive parents: the rooted causes of post-partum depression and anxiety for adoptive parents.
• how society views and adoption and adoptive parents and how we can make efforts to change the systematic differences change our viewpoint
• Being mindful of your language and word choice when speaking to adoptive parents
• The benefits of open adoption and navigating the relationship between with your child's birth parents as an adoptive parent
• how Megan and her husband speak openly to her child about adoption and her birth parents and why this is important.
• Her advice for people considering adoption.

"Adoption is not a plan b its just another plan"

"adoption is not transactional, it's a lot of factors that go into it."

Listen Now on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

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Connect with Megan Online

Twitter

Instagram

Motherhood isn't one-size-fits all. In this episode of She Starts Up, I'm kicking off a new series called Motherhood Comes in All Forms. Over multiple episodes, I'll be speaking with different moms about their path to motherhood and the challenges they faced along the way. But before we dive into the series, I want to give you a look into my journey.

Listen as I...

• Provide a sneak peak into the rest of the series: which includes raw, honest conversations with adoptive mothers, women who have struggled with hormone imbalances and single moms.
• Share my story of starting a family and having four children in just a few short years
• Talk about my twin pregnancy, including my fears, complications and the difference from a singleton pregnancy.
• Speak on about how my husband and I managed with four kids
• Open up about my experience with postpartum depression

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

Allie Lehman of the Wonder Jam joins me on this episode of She Starts Up to chat about her creative background and being a business owner during the coronavirus pandemic.

Listen as Allie and I discuss...

• Allie's favorite ways to create and how she finds a balance between creating as a hobby and to make money
• her experience with starting newsletters, including her previous Death to the Stock Photo and her current newsletter A Consideration
• the reason behind Allie's newsletter and her experience thus far with sending out emails every week
• how the small businesses are affected by the pandemic and are they are reacting and changing course to stay relevant during this time.
• the Wonder Jam's creative and unique ideas for tiny businesses.
• how the Wonder Jam has shifted their perspective and business model to serve their customers who need help.
• the importance of relationships as an entrepreneur.
• how business owners can stay nimble during the coronavirus pandemic and the positive changes and innovations she is seeing from business owners during these hard times.
• ways to keep your team connected when working from home.

Find Allie Online

• Subscribe to Allie's newsletter
• The Wonder Jam
• Instagram
• Twitter

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

In this episode of She Starts Up, psychotherapist Kelly Callahan and I discuss recognizing and managing our emotions during unprecedented times.

More about Kelly

Kelly Callahan is a psychotherapist at True North Counseling Group, a private practice located in Dublin, Ohio. For over 20 years, she has provided treatment focusing on individual strengths, interpersonal relationships, and how our thoughts and feelings affect our behaviors. She feels it is a privilege to work with individuals who are striving to become happier, healthier human beings, and it is her honor to provide a safe and supportive space where that can happen.

Listen as...

• Kelly provides insight on how COVID-19 is affecting our mental health and how it's normal to be unsure of how to cope with our feelings.
• Kelly and I talk about the losses people are experiencing and strategies for properly grieving those losses.
• Kelly discusses why we need to practice self-compassion and giving yourself permission to honor your grief and your emotions.
• We talk about the importance of recognizing your feelings and how this can be a catalyst for change.
• Kelly explains the difference between depression and anxiety.
• I talk about my positive experiences with therapy, and Kelly shares the benefits of going to counseling or therapy.

Listen Now on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

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Connect with Kelly Callahan Online

True North Counseling Group

Learn more about Kelly

Mentioned in this Episode

Psychology Today

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

Parents are having a difficult time right now, since we are responsible for work and homeschooling our children. In this episode I'm opening up about juggling WFH and providing enrichment and attention to your children. I'm also offering advice, resources, and activities for homeschooling children ages 5 and under.

Listen as I

• discuss the struggles that come with working from home and homeschooling during the coronavirus pandemic
• offer advice to parents who are struggling to work and provide enrichment to their kids
• suggest products and activities for keeping your children engaged at home
• provide online resources you can use for your kids education

Read my recent blog post for more advice, activities, and a sample agenda for homeschooling little kids.

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

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Links to Resources Mentioned

• Secure sitter chair for toddlers
• Activity trays
• Othergoose
• Zoo Safaris
• Scooters ages 3-4
• Scooters ages 1-2
• Toysmith Get Outside Go! (soccerball, football, basketball)

I was invited to speak at the Women of Legal Tech Summit in Chicago, but I had to stay home because all of my four little ones got sick. This was the presentation I was waiting for all year because the content is something I'm SO passionate about: bridging the gender gap in legal tech. Because this topic is so important to me, I'm sharing my presentation with you all in this podcast episode.

Women hold only 25% of all jobs in tech, and it's up to take action and change this statistic. In this episode of She Starts Up, I'm sharing WHY we need more women in tech and HOW everyone can make a difference.

Listen as I...

• Give background on the state of the tech industry with shocking statistics about women in leadership and raising funding as a woman
• Share my story, and how I experienced adversity when starting my company as a solo female founder
• Provide tips for how women in the industry, men and businesses can all take steps to close the gender gap in legal tech

Featured in this episode:

• Nicole Black, Tech Evangelist at MyCase

  Follow Nicole: Twitter, Law Tech Talk

• Pegeen Turner, Co-Founder of MyFirmData

  Follow Pegeen: Twitter

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

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Sources & Links to Resources Mentioned

• The State of Women in Tech 2020 (Dreamhost)
• The Latest Stats on Women in Tech (Cleverism)
• Why Women-Led Companies Are Better For Employees (Forbes)
• Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary: Women-run businesses make me the most money—here’s why (CNBC)
• Is Gender Diversity Profitable? Evidence from a Global Survey (Marcus Noland, Tyler Moran, and Barbara Kotschwar)
• Study: Firms with More Women in the C-Suite Are More Profitable (Harvard Business Review)

In this episode of She Starts Up, I cover everything you need to know about launching a business or product. I’m sharing actionable tips from my experience as a SaaS entrepreneur that can be applied to your next big release!

Listen as I...

• provide the tools you need for a planning and executing product launch
• introduce the importance of landing pages and press kits
• share how to prepare for launch day and what to share with your audience
• talk about how to promote your product release

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

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Links to Resources Mentioned

• ProductPlan
• Product Hunt
• Beta List
• InstaPage
• Buffer

The start of the new year is the perfect time to set intentions and goals for your personal life, family and business. On this episode of She Starts Up, Janine shares how she reflects on the previous year and plans for the year ahead using the Annual Retreat Workbook.

Listen as Janine talks about...

• The importance of setting intentions and goals, as well as tracking them throughout the year.
• Using the Annual Retreat Workbook to structure your new year planning.
• Creating actionable items for yourself that are both realistic and fun to check off during the new year.
• Her intentions and goals to spark your 2020 new year planning.
• Practicing gratitude and how to incorporate it in all areas of your life.

Listen and Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play!

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Links to Resources Mentioned

• Annual Retreat Workbook

Book Recommendations

• Janine's Instagram
• Janine's GoodReads
• Becoming
• The Only Plane in the Sky
• The Most Fun We've Ever Had
• Homegoing
• A Man Called Ove
• The Nightingale
• Reboot
• High Growth Handbook
• Lost and Founder
• The Making of a Manager
• Atomic Habits