Superwomen With Rebecca Minkoff

What happens when you build a cult following but don’t have a real business plan just yet? In this episode of Superwomen, I sit down with Shani Darden, the woman behind Shani Darden Skin Care and how she went from doing facials in a borrowed space to building a globally recognized brand. Shani opens up about launching her first product with no experience, the $80K sales weekend that changed everything, and the hard lessons that came with rapid growth. She gets candid about navigating investor pressure, taking the wrong investments, and nearly losing control of her brand. This one’s a great listen for any founder who’s figuring it out as they go. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Shani Darden (01:47) How getting fired led to her first unexpected big break (03:30) What pushed her to start her business from home (06:42) How retinol became her breakthrough product (08:23) The $80K sales weekend that changed everything (12:30) Hard business lessons and trusting the wrong people (14:41) Why beauty brands feel p

Imagine seeing kids carrying everything they own in trash bags. That was the reality Jacqueline Tatelman, Co-Founder, CEO, & Creative Director of STATE Bags, set out to change. This week on Superwomen, she shares how she went from running a nonprofit summer camp to building a brand with a mission to help families in need. But the journey was far from easy. From defective products to financial struggles and managing a major rebrand, Jacqueline gets real about what it truly takes to build a brand with purpose. And why setbacks are just part of the process. Make sure you are subscribed to Superwomen Media for all new episodes: http://youtube.com/channel/UCRCOD9Zzsc0U-5yLpSU2yKw?sub_confirmation=1 Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Jacqueline Tatelman, CEO of STATE Bags (02:05) How it started with a nonprofit summer camp (05:29) Evolving into a brand with a mission to help kids (08:13) Dealing with defective products and financial struggles (10:17) Funding a business with no outside investment (11:45)

This week on SUPERWOMEN, I had a great conversion with Cameron Rogers about her fearless decision to follow an unconventional career path – from private chef to health coach to now hosting the popular podcast, “Conversations With Cam.” Find out how she built a successful brand by taking a risk and following her gut. Cameron shares her “say yes to everything once” approach to finding your passion and how being true to herself turned that passion into a profitable business. If you’re feeling stuck or looking to make a big change, you’ll love her insights. Episode Guide:  (00:00) Meet Cameron Rogers (03:35) Leaving corporate life and evolving into a content creator (05:57) Learning to podcast through trial and error (08:42) Trusting your gut and embracing a flexible career path (10:53) The unseen effort that goes into content creation (12:34) Time management and the impact of a supportive team (15:53) Prioritizing friendship and why it matters (21:32) Making space for self-care and a social life (

She sold nearly 200,000 earrings. Then she had to figure out what came next. In this episode of SUPERWOMEN, I had a great conversation with Hart Hagerty, founder of shophart.com. She had an “it” product early on, then realized that just wasn’t enough to build a lasting brand. Here’s how she reinvented her business while staying true to her personal vision. We dive deep into the “messy middle” of building a business that every entrepreneur understands: Losing your creative instincts, leading while exhausted, feeling pressured to stay visible, and so much more. If you know the struggle, you’ll relate hard to this episode. Brought to you by Shophart.com. Episode Guide:(00:00) Meet Hart Hagerty + welcome to the new studio (02:33) How Shanghai inspired Hart’s venture into jewelry (04:15) Selling nearly 200k earrings and moving beyond her hit product (04:34) Creating jewelry with meaning and an attainable price (08:49) Inside the messy middle of growing a business (10:18) Why Hart decided to “get w

She landed her dream job in television—only to lose it three months later and be forced to completely reinvent her career. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Lilliana Vazquez, Emmy-winning host, style expert, and social media mogul. For years, E! News was her dream job… until it wasn’t. So, what did she do next? Lilliana opens up about why she left, the wild ride of transitioning to content creation, and how she flipped the script on what success really means. If you're navigating a big change or thinking about reinventing your own career, this one’s for you. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Lilliana Vazquez (03:00) Balancing motherhood and work during the pandemic (06:00) Lilliana on losing her dream job at E! News (07:30) The moment she realized she was chasing a “dying job” (09:30) Transitioning into the creator economy (12:00) The difference between TV work vs. social media work (16:00) Why fostering community was the key to her success (18:00) From 100k to 500k f

She gave herself 6 months to turn her hobby into a business. 10 years later, she’s building a snack empire. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I hung out with Rachel Mansfield, content creator, cookbook author, investor, and co-founder of the clean kids snack brand cadootz!. After getting fired because of her growing Instagram presence, Rachel bet on herself and began a decade-long entrepreneurial climb.  We discussed building multiple revenue streams and why she starts a new project every 2-3 years. Whether you’re building a business or wondering if you should take the leap, Rachel’s slow growth mindset will inspire you to trust the long game. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Rachel Mansfield (03:43) The six-month risk that changed everything (08:32) Why slow growth is better than instant fame (11:09) Only doing what brings joy and letting the rest go (14:29) The myth of doing it all alone (21:17) Why launching a cookbook is harder than writing one (25:29) The three-year journey to create the cleanest crack

Creativity isn’t just for designers. It’s a core business skill. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sat down with Natalie Nixon, PhD, renowned creativity strategist, President of Figure 8 Thinking, and author of The Creativity Leap. We discuss why creativity is at the heart of successful business strategies and how it can transform the way companies lead, adapt, and innovate. Natalie shares her unique journey from academia to entrepreneurship and breaks down her Wonder-Rigor method for turning creative thinking into a strategic advantage. Prepare to rethink everything you thought you knew about innovation and leadership. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet creativity strategist Natalie Nixon, PhD (05:39) How creativity drives innovation in business (07:42) The "What If, So What, Now What" framework (11:29) Why working with limited resources enhances creativity (14:46) How to revive creativity in larger organizations (27:54) The importance of hiring people with different skill sets Learn more about your ad choi

It took Ilana Golan losing her life’s work to realize the one thing that was missing from her career: herself.  This week on SUPERWOMEN, Leap Academy’s Ilana Golan shares how building a robust personal brand helped her overcome bad business partners and fluctuating trends, ultimately leading her to build one of the fastest-growing startups in the country.  Ilana also shares how experience trumps education, why multi-faceted portfolios can shield you from so many problems, and the one trait successful people have in common. Episode Guide:  (00:00) Meet Ilana Golan, Founder & CEO of Leap Academy (04:07) The problem with higher education (07:17) Losing everything and starting from scratch (12:26) How to build a multi-faceted career (18:25) The art of “leaping” and building a brand as insurance (24:04) Why coaching works (28:24) Putting passion to work (30:11) The one thing successful people have in common Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Picture this: you are 7,000 miles away from home, in a new country with no familiar faces. How do you build a sense of community? You start with food. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I’m joined by Shiza Shahid, Co-Founder of the Malala Fund and Our Place. She shares how her activism shaped her journey as an entrepreneur, and how food became a powerful tool for connection and belonging. This belief laid the groundwork for Our Place—a brand built around the idea that cookware can be more than just functional; it can bring people together. We discuss how Shiza challenged the cookware industry, the balance between profit and purpose, and the impact of community-driven growth on her brand’s success. Things to listen for: (00:00) Meeting Shiza Shahid, Co-Founder of Malala Fund and Our Place (02:29) Shiza’s bold career pivots (03:21) Rebuilding connection as an immigrant (10:39) Scaling without losing community (14:58) What it’s like building a company with your spouse (17:48) Letting go of fear and imagined r

It’s easy to think your ambitions are gone forever once you’re a parent, or worse, after a divorce. Suddenly, “having it all” feels unrealistic, if not impossible. But Sarah Armstrong is proof that ambition doesn’t just disappear. It evolves. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sat down with Sarah, VP of Global Marketing Operations at Google, and author of The Art of the Juggling Act and  The Mom’s Guide to a Good Divorce. She shares what it looked like to keep her career moving through motherhood, divorce, and single parenting, without losing herself in the process. We talk about choosing what matters, setting boundaries that actually hold up, and letting go of pressure that does more harm than good. If you’ve ever wondered whether your goals still fit the life you’re living now, this one’s for you. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Sarah Armstrong, Author And Global Executive (01:46) The shock of early motherhood and realizing there is no blueprint(05:51) The power of saying no without guilt (07:48) Finding her new

Most people think better skin comes from more products and pricier treatments. But Jordan Harper knew better. With no safety net, she built Barefaced to simplify skincare down to what actually works.  This week on SUPERWOMEN, I’m joined by Jordan Harper, Nurse Practitioner and Founder of Barefaced, to talk about what she learned after years of treating patients in cosmetic dermatology and why she decided to build a brand rooted in trust, not trends. Jordan shares what the skincare industry gets wrong, how relationships drove early growth, and the lessons that came from expensive mistakes. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Jordan Harper, Founder & CEO of Barefaced (01:35) What years of patient care taught her about skincare (07:47) Serving people before selling anything (08:55) The unsexy growth strategy that paid off (18:01) The tradeoffs behind success (19:16) When hiring “experts” goes wrong (25:30) Why Barefaced has a 90% customer retention rate (30:30) The four essential products for any skinca

Too much of a good thing adds up fast. What starts as a little treat or “just one more thing” can quickly turn into clutter (and somehow… a very full apartment). This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sat down with Isan Elba, Founder & CEO of Beauty Access and Beauty Forward, two initiatives rethinking how the beauty industry approaches waste, access, and community. We talk about how a simple gifting event sparked her passion for giving back, how curiosity builds real confidence, and why creators don’t have to choose between making money and making an impact. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Isan Elba, Founder & CEO of Beauty Access & Beauty Forward  (01:46) The problem with donating beauty products (09:52) Making money without losing your values (12:07) When self-care becomes too much (14:57) Choosing better brands in a wasteful industry (18:24) Moving past performative good (22:39) Turning passion into long-term work (28:26) How to get involved with Beauty Forward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap

“Nepo baby” is an easy label to apply to anyone who joins a family business. What we rarely talk about is the pressure to prove yourself and the effort it takes to be taken seriously. This week on SUPERWOMEN, we sat down with Avery Hale Smith, Chief Experience Officer at Backroads, to talk about the experience of working inside a family business. Avery opens up about the challenge of stepping into a company with such a rich legacy. Avery reveals how she navigated Backroads through the chaos of COVID, when everything was falling apart, and how she rebuilt the company from the ground up. From handling massive layoffs to keeping the business alive with no roadmap, she learned that surviving crises takes a whole lot of grit.  Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Avery Hale Smith, Chief Experience Officer at Backroads (01:44) What is Backroads? (03:33) Growing up around the business (07:10) How Backroads survived COVID (11:32) When chaos becomes the best teacher (13:53) The reality of being a working mom (1

What happens when the thing you worked so hard to build no longer feels like the life you want to be living? In this episode of SUPERWOMEN, Rebecca sits down with Ara Katz, co-founder of Seed, to talk about ambition, loss, and the moments that quietly redirect your life. Ara shares how stepping away from a high-growth tech company and reconnecting with her passion for science led her to build Seed, a microbiome company grounded in clinical rigor rather than wellness hype. We also explore leadership and identity, including Ara’s unconventional management style and her decision to transition from CEO to Chairperson as an intentional evolution, not a failure. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Ara Katz, co-founder of Seed (03:40) How Ara found the confidence to start Seed (08:56) Gut health hype vs real science (11:41) Why most probiotics don’t actually work (19:00) Building a culture around great work, not validation (25:28) Why stepping back as a founder isn’t a failure (33:15) Nurturing Seed’s next phase

Sometimes boredom is the push that leads to your next big thing. For Sammi Cohen, it was the spark that took her from a stable job at Amazon to building a career as a full-time content creator. One viral TikTok video eventually turned into hundreds. And before long, she built Social Currency, a media brand and podcast that reaches millions. In this replay episode of SUPERWOMEN, Sammi shares the story behind that transition. We talk about the patience, grit, and yes, a little bit of delusion it takes to keep going between your first post and your first paycheck. She opens up about building trust with her audience, learning from failure without shame, and developing the instincts to know what content will stick. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Sammi Cohen, CEO and host of Social Currency (03:20) Finding your voice online (09:44) When monetization finally happens (14:17) Sammi’s failed matcha company and starting over (17:05) Dissecting the brands everyone’s talking about (21:43) Turning mistakes into mo

Most people are settled by 40. Carrie Gross was just getting started. With four kids at home and a solid career, her decision to start a new business seemed like a risky choice. But her vision was stronger than the fear. In this replay episode of SUPERWOMEN, Carrie Gross, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, discusses her pivot from fashion to beauty. She shares how she and her dermatologist husband launched the brand with one product—their now-iconic peel pads. We talk about what it’s like to pursue your passion later in life, how to stay married while running a business together, and what it means to grow without burning out. Carrie opens up about early failures, trusting her gut, and staying focused on what really matters. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Carrie Gross, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare (03:01) The elevator encounter that changed her life (06:23) How Dr. Dennis Gross’ Peel Pads took off (11:48) Building a marriage an

When the world changes, sometimes the best thing you can do is change with it. This week on SUPERWOMEN, Julia Haber, co-founder and CEO of Home From College, shares how she had to pivot her business when the pandemic made everything she had built obsolete. What started as a platform designed for in-person experiences transformed into a digital-first solution to help Gen Z launch their careers. Julia discusses the challenges of pivoting a business, the decisions she had to make to adapt, and the lessons learned about staying flexible and creating new opportunities in our rapidly changing world. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Julia Haber, co-founder and CEO of Home From College (02:10) Eleven internships, a college agency, and early burnout (06:24) COVID hits, and Home From College is born (07:43) Reframing failure and managing anxiety (12:13) The co-founder who became Julia’s husband (16:16) Turning a simple landing page into a real tech platform (17:48) What Gen Z job seekers want from work (21:

The fine jewelry business is tough, with knock-offs flooding the market, repeated recessions, and skyrocketing material prices. These are just some of the challenges Adina Reyter has faced. But through it all, she’s still standing strong. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I’m joined by Adina Reyter, founder and CEO of her eponymous fine jewelry brand. Her first buyers were family and friends, but her designs were soon catapulted into the spotlight by celebrities. Now a beloved brand, Adina’s success reflects her commitment to quality, accessibility, and lasting style. We dive into the importance of staying true to your values, even when the market is unpredictable, and how Adina navigated the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with an unwavering belief in her vision. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Adina Reyter, founder & CEO of Adina Reyter jewelry (02:41) The early struggles of launching a jewelry brand (06:08) Creating affordable fine jewelry true to your values (12:25)Having faith when business gets tough

Women are constantly told to look a certain way. And if you don’t fit the mold, you’re made to feel like something’s wrong with you. That’s how Jaclyn Fu felt growing up. Being small-chested wasn’t just a sizing issue; it became a source of deep insecurity. But after years of feeling overlooked, she’d had enough and decided to change the industry instead. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sit down with Jaclyn, the Co-CEO of Pepper. Along with her co-founder, she built a bra brand specifically for women with smaller busts. What started as a scrappy prototype on Kickstarter turned into a body-positive movement—selling over a million bras without a single VC check. Jaclyn opens up about the insecurity that started it all, and how she’s now relearning confidence and gratitude in the middle of growth. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Jaclyn Fu, co-founder and co-CEO at Pepper (04:37) The entrepreneurial itch and launching a Kickstarter (08:34) Bra fittings with total strangers(12:29) When Pepper became an eight-figure b

You can talk about love, kids, and sex, but the second money comes up, things get awkward. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I sit down with Jackie Combs, Matrimonial & Family Law Partner at Blank Rome LLP. Jackie has seen firsthand what happens when women avoid talking about finances until it's too late. She’s advised clients ranging from celebrities to founders, many of whom didn’t realize what they were financially entitled to or what they'd already sacrificed. We discuss why prenups aren’t just for the rich, how financial red flags can appear earlier than you think, and why it’s never too soon to start these conversations. Whether you're just dating or have been married for ten years, you'll want to hear this. Episode Guide: (00:00) Meet Jackie Combs, Matrimonial & Family Law Partner at Blank Rome (03:21) Prenups should be the norm (04:50) Why women avoid the money talk (06:51) What a postnuptial agreement looks like (10:08) Why ChatGPT can’t be your lawyer (11:49) Advice to get through tough financia