Glambition® Radio with Ali Brown

Listen here now: [insert music notes here] “Business School Drop Out”…. (sung to the tune of “Beauty School Drop Out” from Grease)… OK maybe that doesn’t work. But 30-year-old Alexa von Tobel has gone from leaving a promising career on Wall Street and Harvard Business School to create the best site for women* around finance. Actually, just the best site around finance, period. (She says LearnVest is not just for women, but it IS resonating with women in droves. Why? Because it finally makes sense. And the majority of her marketing is very appealing to women. So I secretly think it IS for women, but… who cares; it’s an amazing platform.) LearnVest is now one of the largest, fastest-growing financial planning companies in the country. For just $399 a year, and a $19 monthly fee, you get access to a Certified Financial Planner who will address all your financial needs, including savings, debt, credit, real estate and retirement. As Alexa explains, “We’re making getting access to financial advice as consumable as getting a gym membership.” And this Glambition Girl knows how to get the money. Alexa has raised $45 million in funding so far for her venture. Business Week has called her “the next Suze Orman”. Forbes declared her a “Woman to Watch”, and she has been selected as one of Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs”. (We have also both been named one of Ernst & Young’s Winning Women Entrepreneurs. That’s why she returned my call, LOL.) Her recent New York Times bestseller, Financially Fearless, is a do-it-yourself, action-oriented financial planning guide that’s getting rave reviews. Alexa says she wrote it because she wanted to give people the tools they need to start feeling good about money. You’ll have to listen to our Glambition Radio interview to hear all of her valuable advice, but here are a few of her top success tips… in her own words: Tip #1: You have to feel GOOD about money Alexa says, “As individuals, we make about six to ten money decisions every single day, yet we’re totally uninformed about how to optimize, how to make the right decisions, and really it’s a fundamental thing. Money is this tool that affects all of us for every day of our life, for the rest of our life. It should be something that we feel good about.” Tip #2: Keep a VERY close eye on your credit card debt “For entrepreneurs, you’re juggling your normal household, plus trying to start a business, and you’re actually more financially at risk because there are more variables that are going on. You must have a financial plan. You must know exactly how much risk you can really take on, and you need a game plan for what you’re going to do when the business is successful or if the business falls apart.” ~Alexa von Tobel Tip #3: Networking is about building connections and cultivating friendships Alexa says, “One of the things I say about connections is don’t ever think about it as networking. Think about it as just making real friendships. When people really care about what you’re doing or building, things go significantly farther. I never think of it as networking as much as I think about it as just building new friends.” You also have to hear what she says about good debt versus bad debt. Really good advice. Please listen to this episode of Glambition Radio by clicking the play button below. And if you want to hear my most recent episodes head over to iTunes to listen or subscribe for automatic updates. Listen here now: Love and success,      

Listen here now: “Do you have a product or an idea that is going to solve a problem?” –Kara Goldin I love Kara’s story because it captures the essence of what being an entrepreneur is all about: There was a product that she needed. It didn’t exist. She created it. Done. This is why she’s truly a Glambition Girl… but I’ll get to that in a second. In the 1990s, Kara was one of the first 100 employees at AOL, where she helped turn the company’s online shopping business into a billion-dollar entity. A busy mom with three kids at the time, she left AOL in 2001 to spend more time with her family. Kara told me, “I took a couple of years off and really took the time to think about, ‘What do I want to do with my life that is going to make a difference, and be something that I care about, and that really fits my lifestyle?’” The answer came to her in the grocery store while shopping for healthy beverage options for her family. Kara noticed none of the choices (even at “health food stores”) were actually healthy. They all had sugar or artificial sweeteners in them. Kara went home, cut up some fresh fruit, threw it in a pitcher of water… and her family devoured it. Hint Water was born! The fact that she knew nothing about launching a beverage company didn’t stop her. She told me that if she ran into a problem or had any questions, she just Googled it! She figured it out along the way and didn’t over think it! Now Hint Water is a $30 million company that’s sold in 20,000 stores nationwide (including Whole Foods). Fortune recently named Kara one of the Magazine’s “10 Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs”. During our Glambition Radio interview, I asked Kara to share three of her top success tips with everyone. Here they are… in her own words: Tip #1 Dream it… Risk it… Do it Kara says, “Take risks and dream big. I think if you’ve got an idea that you really believe can happen, then you’ve got to take some risks in order to make that become a reality.” Tip #2 Build an awesome network Kara says, “I really believe that entrepreneurs who actually get their vision and their dream happening are the ones that have large networks… that have a lot of people around them that fuel them to actually go out and take risks and really make it happen.” Tip #3 Surround yourself with people that are better at some things than you Kara says, “Probably the most important thing that I’m constantly a huge proponent of is to really surround yourself with people that are better at some things than you. With that I mean, at skills outside of your own comfort zone. You’re not going to be able to build an organization if you’ve just got a lot of people that are following your orders.” Lots of great tips and insights from Kara. We had a great talk! I hope you’ll listen to this episode of Glambition Radio by clicking the play button below. And if you want to hear my most recent episodes head over to iTunes to listen or subscribe for automatic updates. Listen here now: Love and success,      

Listen here now: “What are we creating that is both highly exciting for us and also making the world a better place?” asks Pam Slim. And there you have it. My Glambition Radio interview with Pam Slim brought me to tears, as she is so profound. (And all this truth is wrapped up in this humble ball of love of a woman who is also a mixed-martial arts master. I mean really.) Pam’s first book, Escape from Cubicle Nation, rocked the house, but her newest book really speaks to what’s going on in our careers and hearts right now. It’s called Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together.  She reminds us that these days it’s increasingly rare to have a stable career in any field. More and more women are blending big company jobs, startup gigs, freelance work, and volunteer side projects. We take chances to expand our knowledge, capabilities, and experience. But how do we make sense of that kind of career—and explain it? Pam talks about how to find the connections among your diverse accomplishments, sell your story, and continually reinvent and relaunch your brand. Our conversation was so insightful that I URGE you to listen to this episode of Glambition Radio by clicking the play button below. Here are a few gems, in Pam’s words, that really resonated with me. Tip #1: Pay Attention!  Pam says, “Start paying attention. Just write things down, notice flashes of inspiration. Seemingly bizarre, disconnected thoughts and ideas can actually have clues in terms of what it is that you want to do.” Tip #2: Own Your Story “Your story is being written by Google today. If you are not contributing to your own narrative and your own world and sharing your own ideas, somebody else is going to be doing it for you. If you are not contributing to the conversation, it is being written without you.” ~Pam Slim Tip #3 Find Your ‘High Council of Jedi Knights’ Pam says, “Surround yourself with some amazing people who can help you reach your goals. That is the secret to anything significant that I have done. Be very strategic about who are your peer mentors —and I call them ‘High Council of Jedi Knight’ members —that you want to have around you. Who will hold your feet to the fire, who will check in with you and make sure that you are actually going to be accomplishing your goals?” There are so many cool things Pam and I discussed, that I can’t list them all here. You definitely want to listen to this episode of Glambition Radio by clicking the play button below. And if you want to hear my most recent episodes head over to iTunes to listen or subscribe for automatic updates. (Oh, and Pam, you are one of my High Council of Jedi Knight members, and I love you!) Listen here now: Love and success,      

Listen here now: If you watch Good Morning America, it’s likely you’ve seen Tory Johnson’s powerful segments that help women advance their careers and start small businesses. (She’s even spotlighted one of my coaching clients!) Last year, everyone noticed how great Tory was looking, and it wasn’t hard to notice because she’s lost more than 70 pounds, after carrying extra weight for most of her life. The process was so transformational for her that she wrote a New York Times bestselling book about her journey called The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life. What’s so inspiring about Tory is that, throughout her career, she’s been brutally honest about her journey. She’s been fired, and she’s struggled with her weight. But instead of keeping her stories to herself, she’s opened up and shared with all of us, and that’s what helps women learn from each other. After being unexpectedly laid off from NBC News, she decided to take her success into her own hands and create job fairs for women. In 1999, she founded Women For Hire from her New York City apartment. Since then, she’s built two multi-million dollar businesses, and Glamour magazine dubbed her the “raise fairy godmother” for her ability to help women ask for—and get—more money! I’m also a big fan of her Spark & Hustle conferences to help women get started building businesses of their own. This fellow mom of twins joined me on Glambition Radio, and at the end of our interview, she shared her top three tips for success. Here they are, in her own words… Tip #1: The past doesn’t define your future Tory says, “If you have always been in a job you don’t like, or at a mediocre salary or income that you are not happy with, or at a weight that is dissatisfying, or in a relationship that is troubling, you can change that.” Tip #2: Nobody is coming to your rescue… it’s up to you “Give yourself the power of patience and perseverance. Nobody is coming to rescue you. Nobody is coming to hand out paychecks, bonuses and special perks and an easy way out. It really is up to each of us to make it happen.” ~Tory Johnson Tip #3: You have to really WANT to succeed Tory says, “There is incredible support and sources around us to tackle anything that we want, but we have to want it for ourselves. This (weight loss) would never have worked if I did it for my boss, if I did it for somebody else. And I think that’s true with building a business. It is true with relationships. It is true with weight. You have to want it for yourself, and you have the ability to go make it happen.” One last thing… You’re going to love Tory’s story about happened that set her on the path, once and for all, to lose the weight. To hear her answer, you have to listen to the show.

Listen here now: Porter Gale is a class act, and I’m proud she’s a friend of mine. This Glambition Girl helped grow Richard Branson’s Virgin America brand from its inception into one of the most beloved and popular airlines in the U.S. (It’s my favorite airline for sure.) And her 2013 book Your Network is Your Net Worth has been called “masterful”, “compelling”, and “an instant classic”. I first met Porter about two years ago via a mutual friend, and then I was honored that she interviewed me for her book, which I’m mentioned in a few times. (Ego stroked here :)) Porter believes (and I wholeheartedly agree) that your social capital—not your financial capital—is the most important asset in your portfolio. Instead of worrying about what you don’t have, focus on what you CAN do when you build a network of authentic personal and professional relationships. Your next big dream could be just one connection away. I asked Porter to share her top three success tips with all my Glambition listeners . Here they are, in her own words… Tip #1: Identify barriers and get really honest Porter says, “Identify barriers, and be really honest with yourself. I would ask people to do that. ‘What’s holding me back? Is it a negative voice I have that’s saying I’m not good enough? Is it a routine where I’m doing the same thing over and over so that I’m not meeting new contacts?’ So being really honest with yourself is key.” Tip #2: Invest in your relationships “I talk a lot [in the book] about the power of digital and social media and how you can start building more of an identity and your personal brand online. But more importantly, I talk about real, in-person meetings. If you have a geography barrier, Skyping or doing something is great, but make sure that you’re getting out there and putting the energy into the relationships that are important. Invest in your relationships.” ~Porter Gale Tip #3 Change your mindset Porter says, “Take on the mindset of giving back and not expecting anything in return. This has been a fun concept to chat with people. I have a girlfriend who is in sales and she was like, ‘Oh, my gosh! I just don’t have the time for that. I need EVERY sale to have some kind of R.O.I. attached to it.’ I said, ‘Well, you know what? If you change your mindset a bit, I bet amazing things will happen.’” I loved the advice Porter also gives for the shy entrepreneur. And the story she tells about how she landed the job at Virgin America is about as inspiring as it gets! How do you go from being unemployed to working for Richard Branson as a VP in his newest company? WOW. (I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with Richard a few times, and I can only imagine how powerful an experience it would be to work for him directly.) For these golden nuggets and a lot more, please listen to this episode of Glambition Radio by clicking the play button below. And if you want to hear my most recent episodes head over to iTunes to listen or subscribe for automatic updates. Listen here now: Love and success,      

Listen here now:   Where do you go that’s yellow and white, fun and girly, plays rom-com movies and great music, gives you free wi-fi and iPhone chargers, and within an hour you walk out looking like a million bucks? It’s called Drybar and I am now obsessed with it. And while it was hard to choose which Glambition Girl to feature for our first interview, Alli Webb blew me away. (Pun intended.) She’s gone from driving around L.A. doing in-home blowouts in 2008 to starting up what is now the largest blowdry chain in the country. Drybar currently has 35 locations in 8 states that sources estimate will bring in $40 million this year. No cuts. No color. Just blowouts. Who would have thunk it? For $40 too—no matter what type or length of hair you have. Alli pioneered this category, and now there are other wanna-be drybars popping up everywhere. But nothing comes close. (Believe me, because yours truly has happened upon a few in cities where there was no Drybar to be found.) And Alli’s become quite a celebrity entrepreneur herself. She’s on the most recent Fortune 40 Under 40 list (alongside the likes of Marissa Mayer and Mark Zuckerberg), has appeared on the Katie Couric show, and struck deals just last year with QVC and Sephora to sell her exclusive Drybar blowdry kits on TV (so you can play along at home). Alli joined me on Glambition Radio and, among her amazing story and some great insights on going for the gusto, she shared her top three tips for success. Here they are, in Alli’s words… Tip #1: Figure out what you don’t know Alli says, “Surrounding yourself with people who are good at what you’re not, and making sure you’re partnering up with people who are smarter than you, who know more than you, who can really help you get your business to the next level. I think that’s a really big one that has helped me.” Tip #2: Just because it already exists, doesn’t mean you can’t do it better “If you’re sitting out there, and there’s something that you wish existed or it exists, but you wish it was better, don’t be afraid to make it better and to do it better.  I always say, ‘We didn’t invent blowouts, but we just created a much better space and service to get them.’” —Alli Webb Tip #3: You have to really love and be passionate about your business  Alli says, “You have to find something that you just really love and you’re really passionate about and have the chutzpah to keep going and keep that intensity up. The only way I think you can do that is really love what you do.” We also talked about how she found her niche, how she deals with her competition, and her unique product branding. We covered a ton of information in this interview… stuff that you can really learn from and that will inspire you… so please listen to this episode of Glambition Radio by clicking the play button below. And if you want to hear my most recent episodes head over to iTunes to listen or subscribe for automatic updates. And one last thing… I asked Alli, “What if PERMS come back?” To hear her answer, you have to hear the show.

For months, I’ve been working on a project very close to my heart. A passion project with a big purpose. I’m proud to announce the official debut of Glambition™ Radio… a unique weekly radio show for women that’s focused on the stories and advice of top women entrepreneurs and leaders.  Women are rewriting the rules for business success, making money, and changing the world. Being feminine in business is now an incredible advantage, and Glambition™ celebrates that, encourages that, and starts a powerful conversation around that. Each week, join me for powerful interviews with today’s top entrepreneurs, new thought leaders, passionate business builders, and catalysts of change. Special guests featured in the initial launch weeks include: * Alli Webb, founder and president of The Dry Bar blow-dry phenomenon * Tory Johnson, Good Morning America contributor and author of The Shift * Jessica Herrin, founder & CEO of “social selling” jewelry company Stella & Dot * Alexa von Tobel, founder & CEO of LearnVest and author of Financially Fearless * Porter Gale, author of Your Network is Your Net Worth and former VP of Marketing for Virgin America * Kara Goldin, conscious capitalist, founder and CEO of Hint Water * Pam Slim, author of Body of Work and Escape from Cubicle Nation * JJ Virgin, celebrity fitness expert, NY Times bestselling author of The Virgin Diet Women’s entrepreneurship is a hot topic, with nearly half of all new businesses in the U.S. being launched by women, the number of women-owned firms increasing steadily at a rate of 1½ times the national average, and Forbes declaring that 2014 will be a breakout year for women entrepreneurs. But this won’t be a typical business show.