The Badass CEO

Mary Lennon created a nail salon business to change the nail polish and salon experience from tedious and toxic to elegant and clean. She founded Côte nails with her business partner and friend Leah Yari in Los Angeles to create a nail polish line free of harmful ingredients and allergens and a salon experience that was fresh and enjoyable. We sat down with Mary to learn how they started, funded, and continued to grow in the clean beauty industry. She talks us through finding your niche, developing both BTB and online businesses, including the benefits of influencer marketing. Mary also shares how to thrive with the perfect partner. Episode Content Conversations Start the Change Starting From What You Appreciate Jumping In Fully With Partner Growing the Nail Salon Business Juggling Family and Entrepreneurship Links Conversations Start the Change Côte nail polish Mimi: Our guest for today is Mary Lennon and she's the Co-founder of Côte, which is an elegant and non-toxic nail salon...

Have you ever dreamed of getting your products into big box retailers? Maybe you’ve wondered what it’s like to start a business with your family. Kim Hehir, the founder of Brutus Bone Broth, has done just that. She started her sustainable dog food brand with her sister in 2018, and they are in over 4,000 stores nationwide, including Target. Its mission is to better the lives of pets across the US by providing a supplement-infused and sustainable alternative to standard food options. Episode Contents It’s All in the Family Finding the Right Partners Overcoming Roadblocks Bootstrapping is Working Being in Business with Family Getting Our Product in Big Box Retailers Eight Pieces of Advice for Women Entrepreneurs Links Mimi: Welcome to The Badass CEO. This is Mimi MacLean, and today we have Kim Hehir, and she's the co-founder of Brutus Broth, which makes dog bone broth and snacks. Brutus Broth focuses on nourishing pets and giving back to the community. Hehir walks us through how s...

Photographer: William Iven | Source: Unsplash Have you thought about raising capital for your business, but the process seems daunting? Your instinct is to secure a bank loan, but this may not be an option for you because banks want loans secured by a personal asset. You will need to seek capital from other people or companies. There is a process that every scalable business goes through to raise money, which I will explain here for you. Typically at the beginning of your business journey, a lot, if not most of the funding is coming from you or your loved ones. This initial funding allows you to get the business off the ground, create some marketing materials, and secure sales to show investors. After the Friends and Family Round, which is self-funding and small investments from friends, family, mentors, and a proven track record, you are ready to start a seed round. DEVELOPMENT STAGE Seed Round: A seed round refers to the initial round in which a few investors, typically angel in...

If you curious to learn how to get a fragrance business into Sephora while working a full-time job and having kids, this is the episode for you! Rosie Johnston has built an incredible business while doing just that. Rosie was wearing her handmade clean fragrance 11 years ago when she had the realization she could turn it into a business focused on clean and sustainable perfumes. Her clean fragrance business was founded with the mission to create a non-toxic, transparent alternative to fragrances. Episode Contents Memories of Starting Up her Fragrance Business Unsure About Letting Go Finding a Financial Partner who Values the Story Leveraging the Clean Fragrance Business Why Growth is a Challenge Sticking to Values and Authenticity Links Mimi: Welcome to The Badass CEO podcast. This is Mimi Maclean. I'm a mom of five, entrepreneur, Columbia Business School grad, CPA, and angel investor, and I'm here to share with you my passion for entrepreneurship. Throughout my career, I...