Respectfu11y

The Look Behind the Ledger: Donna Ivackovic on Building The Beauty Suite and Betting on Herself

What does it look like when a woman decides that the corner office simply is not enough and builds something entirely her own? This week on Respectfu11y, Jamie sits down with Donna Ivackovic, entrepreneur, beauty industry veteran and visionary founder behind The Beauty Suite in New York. Donna’s story is one that will resonate with every woman who has ever felt the pull between security and calling. Her career began in 2001 at a start-up cosmetic brand, where she threw herself into every available role and discovered something that would define everything that followed: her love was never just about beauty products. It was about building spaces where people could genuinely thrive. That insight sent her on a decade-long journey through the upper echelons of the beauty world, working alongside top leaders at iconic global powerhouses including L’Oréal and Estée Lauder. But prestige has a ceiling, and Donna felt it. Despite the success, the corporate structure began to feel more like a constraint than a launchpad. So she did what women with a vision do. She bet on herself. She stepped away, built a thriving consulting practice helping emerging beauty brands grow and eventually co-founded The Beauty Suite, a space designed to let creativity, collaboration and business development coexist without the weight of corporate red tape. In 2024, she became its sole owner and she has never looked back. In this conversation, Donna and Jamie dig into what it actually takes to walk away from a prestigious career to build something of your own, the lessons corporate life teaches you that entrepreneurship cannot and the real meaning of building a culture rooted in teamwork and empowerment. They also talk about what it means to do all of this while raising three children alongside her husband, because ambition does not pause for anyone, and neither does motherhood. This episode is for every woman in her 40s and beyond who is still figuring out what chapter comes next. Donna’s story makes a compelling case that the best one may still be ahead.

Who You Are Beyond Work: Ellen Tailor on Caregiving, Career Pivots, and Finding Yourself

Ellen Tailor is a Seattle media personality whose career has spanned radio, television, and digital news. Whether she's behind a microphone, in front of a camera, or sitting across from a friend over coffee, she's always interested in people and the stories that shape them. She's spent nearly two decades helping people make sense of the world and each other. Known for her honest perspective, quick wit, and ability to get people talking, Ellen has a way of turning strangers into friends and believes the best conversations aren't about having all the answers, they're about helping people feel seen.

Gentiana on Pretty Privilege, Motherhood, and Life Behind the Glam Online

Gentiana Ipekli is a 32-year-old fashion influencer, content creator, mentor, and women’s empowerment advocate, born and raised in the Bronx and one of five children. She became pregnant and married at 21, and by 25 was a full-time mom of three. She holds a degree in Fashion Marketing and Merchandising and has always had a deep passion for fashion, beauty, glam, and dressing up. After becoming a mother, her son was diagnosed with autism, and she put her life and dreams on hold to focus completely on helping him thrive. Through years of therapy, dedication, love, and hard work, he is now high-functioning and thriving. That journey shaped her into the woman she is today. After losing over 100 pounds and learning to truly take care of herself mentally, physically, and spiritually, she decided to finally pursue her dreams. Today, she balances a full-time career as a fashion influencer and content creator while raising her three beautiful children. Gentiana mentors women to love themselves, believe in themselves, and take care of themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. She openly speaks about motherhood, postpartum struggles, confidence, healing, and self-love — reminding women that hard seasons are only phases and they will pass. She is proud to be a voice for women, especially within the Albanian community, encouraging women to embrace who they truly are, never lose themselves, and always choose themselves too. Her mission is to inspire women to feel powerful, feminine, confident, and unapologetically authentic.

Fertility, Family, and Finding Humor Through Pain for Real with Candice Guardino

They say you write what you know. For Candice Guardino, that was family. A Brooklyn girl raised on Staten Island by a family that was equal parts chaos and love — she didn’t just mine that material, she crafted it to build an empire. Italian Bred, her critically acclaimed one-woman show, went from five minutes at a comedy club to a full theatrical special now streaming on Apple TV & Amazon Prime. Candice and I met when we were 18 at Wagner College — two theater kids convinced we had something to say. Turns out, we were right. She sat down with me on Respectfu11y and we got into all of it — the years, the work, the becoming. Episode goes LIVE 5/5.

Jacob Thompson: Stronger Than You Think, and It’s Never Too Late to Start Now

Jacob Thompson left Iowa for New York City the second he could and never really slowed down. He circled the globe performing everywhere from stages to ships before trading sea legs for suburbia. These days he is a licensed personal trainer with a Marvel themed home gym proving that the line between performer and superhero is negotiable. From New York Comic Con to cosplay conventions across the country Jacob has turned a love of muscle and spandex into a full blown lifestyle. It is equal parts discipline fandom and unapologetic fun. A true shape shifter on and off the stage Jacob built his foundation in theater the old school way through training touring and saying yes to roles that demand physicality precision and presence. His work spans stage immersive theater and fan driven productions including visually striking work with Synetic Theater and interactive hits like Dungeons and Dragons The Twenty Sided Tavern. Actor athlete cosplayer storyteller. If there is a costume involved chances are Jacob is already in it and fully committed, Respectfu11y.