Superwomen With Rebecca Minkoff

Bed. We spend a third of our lives there, and yet oftentimes, our beds, or what we put on them, become somewhat of an afterthought. Ariel Kaye sought to change that. After spending some years in advertising, Ariel came to a point where she was looking for more excitement, and more of a direct way to connect with people. She had always been passionate about interior design and home goods, going so far as to maintain her own blog on the subject in her free time. As she was pondering a change in career, it dawned on her that there were little to no direct to consumer options for bedding. That is when the idea for Parachute Home was born. Now in its fifth year and about to open the fifth brick and mortar (!), Ariel fondly recalls the early days when she would drive around in her car, delivering orders directly to buyers in Los Angeles. Growth and success have come with their own challenges. Here Ariel discusses entrepreneurial ups and downs, what makes her passionate about her company, and how at the heart of it

 This episode is in partnership with SAP SuccessFactors. She’s self-described as “messy” and can play the piano by ear – as long as it’s in the key of C. No, we’re not talking about Katy Perry – Katie Couric is here, she’s caffeinated, and she’s ready to sing for you! A household name for decades, it only makes sense that after years in broadcast news, Katie has finally taken the entrepreneurial plunge and started her own media company. Excited to tackle controversial issues and educate the public, Katie is taking the reigns as her own boss to share timely stories in her uniquely sympathetic, yet fearless voice.  One of the greatest interviewers of our time, Katie reflects upon the fact that it is the balance between being kind and being tough that drove her career to its success. Now in a new era, Katie continues to inspire women of all ages to ask questions, be fearless, and learn to move gracefully through moments of discomfort.  Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us

 Jill Kargman is not your neighborhood soccer mom and she doesn’t play one on TV, either. Her dark sense of humor and love of all things goth might put her out of place at most “mommy and me” gatherings, but this is especially true on the swanky Upper East Side where she originates.  However, Jill isn’t one to waste her time worrying about what other people think. Instead, she worked her alchemical writing magic and spun this into comedy gold, using her position in society as inspiration for the screenplay – turned book – turned TV show, Odd Mom Out. She also plays the feature role in the show, utilizing the talent honed from acting in numerous plays during her time at Yale.  Jill’s creative journey has taken her from arduous internships to writing rooms to the confines of her home office and back again. Jill now plans to return to the big screen as she sets out to script a film inspired in earnestness by the life of her teenagers.  Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a li

This episode is in partnership with SAP SuccessFactors. How would your life be different if you were less afraid to make mistakes, to “fail”?  Amy Shecter doesn’t think women let themselves fail enough, and she thinks it’s high time we become less risk-averse. Statistically, she says, women will only take risks when they feel 95-100% confident in a favorable outcome, versus the average man, who will take the same risk at only 50% confidence. And what, really, is there to lose? Most of the time a supposed failure simply means you’re that much closer to the next success.  Amy spent years in fashion and footwear before delving into the world of fitness and beauty. She immediately saw it as an expanding consumer market. Now the CEO of Glamsquad, a company that brings hair, nail and makeup artists to your door, Amy finds excitement not only in great products and services for clients, but also in the fact that Glamsquad gives freelance beauty professionals a platform to support themselves.  Thanks fo

 The fashion world was the last place Rachel Blumenthal envisioned her career. Growing up on Cape Cod surrounded by adults with “practical” careers, it never occurred to her that a job in fashion might be a viable option. However, when a series of internships and a stroke of luck landed her a job at Yves Saint Laurent, Rachel found herself in the midst of it all.  Despite the fact that she was immersed in a creative environment, the job itself was lacking in that aspect, and on a whim Rachel made herself a ring for fun. That ring was noticed by friends who worked at a magazine, and with just one product she was asked to be featured as a designer in the publication. Overnight she was forced to create a legitimate company, find a buyer and create a website or risk losing the feature. This type of resourcefulness laid the groundwork for what became an incredibly successful jewelry line, Rachel Leigh, and what led to multiple ventures beyond that, most recently, Rockets of Awesome, a subscription-based

Amanda de Cadenet is a force to be reckoned with. She’s had more  noteworthy careers than most people achieve in a lifetime. Amanda began  her career in television at the age of 15. Not for the stardom or the  glamour, but out of pure necessity to support herself. The show, in  which she and other presenters interviewed bands such as Nirvana and  Oasis, proved to be a hit. While Amanda had found success, by the age of  22 she was ready for a change, and moved to L.A. to work as a  photographer. After experiencing firsthand the frustration of  being passed over time and again for photography jobs which she was  qualified for, Amanda began to produce and interview women on her own  show, “The Conversation.” “I’m always interested in peoples’ really low  moments, because I want to know how they came back from it. Because  we’re all going to have them, no one’s exempt. My question has always  been, ‘well how did you get up off the ground one more t

It may not seem like the most obvious progression, but after spending the early parts of their careers in the demanding world of fashion, Noria Morales and Sarah Robinson decided to go out on a limb and pursue a venture near and dear to them as new mothers – creating a parent-friendly play place. Through their (and many parents’) desire to find a place where children could have fun and adults could relax came the inspiration for The Wonder, a Tribeca-based space that includes multiple play areas, adults-only zones and a café, in addition to classes and programming to keep kiddos engaged.  Drawing on the skills they learned while working at MAC, Target and Lucky Magazine, Sarah and Noria discuss the hurdles they overcame to launch a business while working full time, all while managing motherhood and family duties. It wasn’t easy, but things worth doing rarely are! Big Ideas The value of staying the course through the toughest parts of launching a company. [11:38] The importance of taking time to visualiz

Journalist and all-around amazing human being, Noor Tagouri joins us this week for a  wide-ranging conversation. She talks about how she found  success in her career while remaining true to herself, the importance of giving a voice to marginalized communities in the media, and much more. This episode is in partnership with SAP SuccessFactors. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/superwomen/support

 This week, Rebecca sits down with Elizabeth Shaffer & Lizzy Brockhoff, co-founders of MASSE,  a shopping app with a  zero tolerance policy for any paid-for or sponsored recommendations.  They talk about the challenges of creating a new product, how life is  just one big juggling act, and the idea of a praise sandwich. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

In this episode Rebecca sits down with Jennifer Bett Meyer and Melissa  Duren Conner of Jennifer Bett Communications, where they talk about the  importance of developing a company culture and how to hire people that  fit your vision. They also talk about some of their biggest regrets with  their PR firm and how leaving yourself open to opportunity is one of  the best things you can do for your career.   --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

This week, Rebecca sits down with Raegan Moya Jones, the Founder of aden  + anais and author of What It Takes. After being fired from the company  she founded and had to grown over $100 million, to say she felt knocked down is an understatement. But Raegan's story is one of perseverance.  Soon after she started a new business knowing that trying again and failing was better than not trying because she was scared. Raegan hopes that her story serves as a cautionary tale as well as an inspiration to those looking to start their own business.   Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here , or visit  https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages  on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

Nicole Gibbons is a disruptor of the paint industry.  In a field dominated by absurdly masculine branding, Nicole is the first person to create a direct-to-consumer paint company that is not only convenient but also disarmingly beautiful. After starting her career in PR, Nicole realized the parts of her job she was most excited about involved design. After planning and saving up for a number of years, she made the leap to start her own interior design firm. While her firm was wildly successful, after a while Nicole was hungry for something different. Taking note of other brands disrupting the supply chain and working with direct-to-consumer models, Nicole wondered how she could apply that to design. “I felt like I really wanted to do something innovative; I really wanted to solve a big problem that hadn’t been tackled before. So I kept thinking about what I could do in the home space that made sense, and paint was the perfect light bulb moment that I had.”  Inspired by her parents, both entrepreneur

It’s not often that the word, “vulnerability”, is listed as a desired trait in a potential employee, but Jennifer DaSilva, president of WPP creative agency Berlin Cameron, thinks it makes for a much better workplace. “One of my firm beliefs is that you need to be shamelessly you, and whether you’re at work or at home or with dinner with your girlfriends, you should bring your full self to the table and allow yourself to be you.” That includes having room to make mistakes. Jennifer firmly believes that greater strides will be made when there is not a pressure for perfection, but an allowance to try, stumble, and grow.  Jennifer and Rebecca go way back. Theirs is a relationship based on mutual support and collaboration, another value upon which Jennifer places great importance. “We’re better together,” is a phrase they are both fond of.  In the business world these are radical notions – prioritizing collaboration over the limelight, vulnerability over stoicism. Jennifer is at the forefront of this mov

Confidence is not something that Amy Levin is lacking. “No,” Amy says with a laugh, in response to whether or not her age or gender was ever an issue in the success of her business.  Starting her company, College Fashionista, while actually still in college, Amy faced a unique set of challenges. Things such as managing work/school/life balance, and meetings with investors and business owners much older than she, would have been enough to intimidate any fresh-faced, young entrepreneur. But it never threw Amy off her game. Owing much of her unshakeable disposition to her parents, Amy never doubted that she has what it takes to take College Fashionista wherever she wanted it to go.  While she always had faith in the success of her company, Amy, like any entrepreneur, did face challenges along the way. While she had a strong business and financial background, tech was not her strong suit, and she saw to it early on that she had a diverse board of advisors in place for when, inevitably, questions would a

In this episode actress Alanna Masterson (The Walking Dead) talks about  how she struggled with her body image on the red carpet, the pros and  cons of social media, and how being a mother has kept her grounded.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

For Alexa von Tobel (Founder & Managing Partner, Inspired Capital, and author of "Financially Forward") money is a life skill, just like brushing your teeth. In this episode Alexa talks about her failures, the importance of learning to managing your money in the digital age, and how she hired a coach to help her become a better CEO. Alexa also shares her must-have apps for getting your finances in order. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

In this special Mother's Day episode, Rebecca sits down with her mom, Sue Minkoff, to talk about everything from raising a strong daughter to how she used her voice to stand up for others in the workplace. Sue also reflects on how she's been able to stay married for 50 years and how important intimacy is in a relationship. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

In this episode, Jaclyn Johnson (CEO of Create & Cultivate and author of WorkParty) talks about why it's so important for women to have conversations about how much they're getting paid, the best ways to build your professional network, and how sometimes as a business owner you need to have an unhealthy obsession with your brand. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

In this episode Katia talks about her unlikely start as an entrepreneur and how she dealt with rejection when investors didn't believe in her vision for Birchbox. Katia and Rebecca also talk about motherhood and how in business the word "no" can lead to a "yes." Birchbox and the Female Founder Collective are partnering in the month of May to celebrate the entrepreneurial accomplishments of women. We're hosting a giveaway together! There are 50 prize packages - each prize package contains almost $500 worth of products from 11 kickass woman-founded brands. You can check it all out and subscribe to Birchbox at birchbox.com/ffc --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

Sallie Krawcheck (CEO & Co-Founder of Ellevest) has had an extremely successful career working on Wall Street. But she's also been fired twice, ghosted by potential investors, and has been mansplained along the journey to creating a new way for women to invest their money. In this episode Sallie gives us an honest account of how she felt betrayed by mentors, and how important it is to have someone fighting in your corner when you're not in the room. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support