From Content Maker to Cake Baker: Breanna Hoepner & Once Upon a Cake Studio (Ep. 107)

From Marketing Exec to Friend-Finding Founder: Sabrina Gendler & Friendly (Ep. 110)

Sabina Gendler, CEO and co-founder of Friendly [https://friendly-app.com/], traces the idea for her startup to a job relocation. The marketing exec was eager to make new friends locally – especially during her maternity leave – but found no easy way of doing so. Her solution? Friendly, an app that connects women who share common values, are in the same stage of life, and live within a two-mile radius. Sabina realized that just identifying potential new friends didn’t solve the problem: people need help planning meet-ups, or more often than not, they'll never happen. Friendly does all the heavy lifting, recommending a time and local place/event that suits their schedules and common interests. In the interview, Sabina reveals how she and her co-founder decided to partner, how they tested the idea for Friendly in a low-cost, low-tech way, and why they chose to focus on building female friendships first during this early stage. Links: Friendly: [www.friendly-app.com] www.friendly-app.com [http://www.friendly-app.com] My Great Pivot podcast [www.mygreatpivot.com]: www.mygreatpivot.com [http://www.mygreatpivot.com] Takeaways * Finding great startup ideas from real-life experience * Recuiting a business partner * Testing a concept before building * Launching an app * Evolving a concept * User safety and trust * The logic behind a subscription-based business model Chapters * 00:00 The Birth of Friendly * 05:50 The Evolution of Friendly's Concept * 16:42 The Power of a Strong Team * 22:46 Ensuring Safety and Privacy * 30:27 User Onboarding and Information * 37:07 Secret Circles and Safety * 43:51 Focus on Women's Safety and Trust #startup #femalefounders #womenintech #lonelinessepidemic #femaleentrepreneurship

From Media Executive to Adaptive Hygiene Pioneer: Stephanie Angelides & Clean + Comfort (Ep. 109)

For Stephanie, a Peabody Award-winning media executive, producer, and writer, [https://www.scytalemedia.com/] the inspiration behind her startup was deeply personal. When she was told that her son — who has profound autism — would never independently manage certain daily tasks like showering, she set out to prove the experts wrong. She spent the pandemic lockdown creating adaptive tools, and today, he’s conquered the shower ritual. Her success at home revealed a gaping market need, and Clean + Comfort [https://cleanpluscomfort.com/] was born. Our conversation covers her journey from homemade prototypes to a full product line – one that includes adaptive loofahs, step-by-step illustrated shower curtains, and children’s books where autistic kids can finally see themselves on the page – and how she employs the very community she serves in manufacturing her products. Links: Clean + Comfort: www.cleanpluscomfort.com [http://www.cleanpluscomfort.com] My Great Pivot: www.mygreatpivot.com [http://www.mygreatpivot.com] Female Founders Wishlist: www.femalefounderswishlist.com [http://www.femalefounderswishlist.com] The Female Founders Project: www.thefemalefoundersproject.com [http://www.thefemalefoundersproject.com] Like the podcast? buymeacoffee.com/tffp [http://buymeacoffee.com/tffp] Takeaways * The importance of hygiene independence in the disabled community * Representation and aesthetics are important in creating products for the special needs community * The importance of visual storyteling in the autism community * Challenges in navigating the market for low-tech solutions Chapters * 00:00 Addressing the Diverse Needs of the Special Needs Community * 36:17 Visual Learning Aids * 41:42 Focus on Impact vs. Profit * 46:51 Navigating Resistance and Rejection * 53:06 Research and Development Challenges * 01:00:59 Female Founders Wishlist #femalefounders #startuplife #entrepreneurship #autismawareness #adaptingtools #adaptivelearning

From Psychologist to Parenting App Founder: Nicole Lipkin & Hey Kiddo (Ep. 108)

Nicole Lipkin, an organizational and clinical psychologist, shares her journey as the founder of Hey Kiddo, a parenting partner app for caregivers of children from birth through age twelve. She traces the app's inspiration back to her late parents, South Bronx school teachers who made their home a psychologically safe space for every kid in the neighborhood. Nicole discusses why she walked away from private equity offers to sell her practice on her own terms, the emotional rollercoaster of startup life, the NSF grants that funded her R&D, and landing investors at a Shark Tank–style live pitch. Links: Hey Kiddo [www.hey-kiddo.com]: www.hey-kiddo.com [http://www.hey-kiddo.com] Nicole Lipkin: [https://nicolelipkin.com] https://nicolelipkin.com [https://nicolelipkin.com] Nicole's husband, comedian Matt Hyams: [https://www.instagram.com/matthyams/] https://www.instagram.com/matthyams/ [https://www.instagram.com/matthyams/] My Great Pivot [www.mygreatpivot.com]: www.mygreatpivot.com [http://www.mygreatpivot.com] The Female Founders Project: [www.thefemalefoundersproject.com] www.thefemalefoundersproject.com [http://www.thefemalefoundersproject.com] The Female Founders Wishlist: [www.femalefounderswishlist.com]www.femalefounderswishlist.com [http://www.femalefounderswishlist.com] Takeaways * Developing a parenting app through many iterations * Building - and selling - a venture * Team dynamics in a startup * The emotional rollercoaster ride of startup life * Fundraising strategy Chapters * 00:00 The Birth of Hey Kiddo * 06:04 Hey Kiddo's Role as a Parenting Partner * 18:14 The Decision to Sell the Practice * 25:29 The Roller Coaster of Startup Emotions * 31:05 Building the Hey Kiddo Team * 36:30 Pressure of External Investment * 43:23 App Features and Functionality * 51:23 Fundraising Strategy #femalefounders #entrepreneurship #femaleentrepreneurs #startuplife #startups #womenentrepreneurs #techstartups #impactinvesting

From Content Maker to Cake Baker: Breanna Hoepner & Once Upon a Cake Studio (Ep. 107)

Breanna Hoepner shares how she left a 24-year career in unscripted television to launch her own custom cake business, Once Upon a Cake Studio [http://www.onceuponacakestudio.com/]. She details how an assumption nearly kept her from pursuing this dream, and how a friend’s challenge and simple Google search revealed that it was far more accessible than she’d ever imagined. The conversation covers how her television production background has helped shape her client process and the design of her custom cakes, why her cakes have been a more powerful marketing tool than any paid advertising, her plans to scale, and how motherhood and a family legacy in the bakery business have informed each stage of her entrepreneurial journey. Takeaways: * Passion-driven entrepreneurship * Launching a cottage food business * AI and social media as tools in small businesses * Balancing Business and Family Links: Once Upon a Cake Studio homepage: www.onceuponacakestudio.com [www.onceuponacakestudio.com] Once Upon a Cake Studio on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/once.upon.a.cake.studio?igsh=bjU2dWg5ZXJocGxy&utm_source=qr] Once Upon a Cake on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587487824545] My Great Pivot podcast homepage: www.mygreatpivot.com [www.mygreatpivot.com] The Female Founders Project [www.thefemalefoundersproject.com] Chapters: * 00:00 The Birth of Once Upon a Cake Studio * 31:14 Business #2: Athlete Highlight Reels * 37:08 Handling Pressure and Risk * 42:21 Balancing Business and Family * 48:00 Avoiding Inventory and Storefront * 53:18 Freedom and Balance #femalefounders #entrepreneurship #femaleentrepreneurs #startuplife #startups #womenentrepreneurs #cottageindustries #homebaker #smallbusiness #careerpivots

"Live Like You're Dying": From Copywriter to End-of-Life Doula (Ep. 106)

Carrie DeMartini shares her journey from copywriter to end-of-life doula and owner of the Wishing Well Center, a business focused on end-of-life planning and grief support. She discusses the multifaceted nature of her role, the importance of certification, and the challenges of carving out a unique business in a field with limited existing pathways. In sharing the challenges of monetizing a calling, Carrie outlines how a sliding-scale payment structure and options for individual, group, and community offerings make her services accessible to just about anyone who needs them. She also emphasizes the value of local resources and partnerships in building her business, and highlights the need for community-based healing and support for grief. Links: The My Great Pivot podcast: www.mygreatpivot.com [http://www.mygreatpivot.com] Wishing Well Center: www.wishingwellcenter.com [http://www.wishingwellcenter.com] Knoxville Entrepreneur Center: www.knoxec.com [http://www.knoxec.com] Takeaways * End-of-life doula work is a calling that involves emotional, spiritual, and practical support. * Monetizing a calling presents challenges, but sliding scale models and group courses can make services more accessible. * Intuition and discernment are crucial in navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. * Local resources and partnerships play a significant role in building a business and creating community-based healing. * Grief is a complex and layered experience, and community support is essential for processing and healing from it. Chapters * 00:00 The Calling: Becoming an End-of-Life Doula * 11:51 Certification and Training as an End-of-Life Doula * 21:49 Pivoting Careers: From Copywriter to End-of-Life Doula * 32:20 Creating an End-of-Life Plan: Impact and Importance * 38:39 Carving Out a Unique Business * 45:20 Challenges of Social Media and Community-Based Healing * 52:05 The Role of Feminine Energy in Entrepreneurship * 01:00:29 Grief Retreats and Community Healing * 01:06:24 Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship #femalefounders #entrepreneurship #femaleentrepreneurs #startuplife #startups #womenentrepreneurs #deathdoula #endoflifeprep #smallbusiness #careerpivots