The Badass CEO

Sara Ortins, Co-Founder and Chief of Staff Soft skills are the new “it” factor many companies are looking for and training employers to foster the development of. As the pandemic affects the job search for young professionals, it has become clear the need for guidance and career development that promotes confidence and growth. Soft skills such as being able to manage up and a proactive mindset is crucial. Sara Ortins is the co-founder and Chief of Staff of Nimbly Wise; a company focused on training individuals to optimize their potential and level up in the workforce. She sat down with us for an IG Live to talk about how you can bring your best to the table as an employee and how employers maximize their team’s potential. Nimbly Wise, as a company, are focused on answering, “ How do you keep young professionals and maximize their potential in a role?”. They work with colleges and universities to educate upcoming graduates on navigating their career fields through developing soft skills...

From Blueprint Cleanse to Medicinal Mushroom Beverage company, Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Hass created yet another wellness business, using their know how to look at the white space industry and go for it. They started the juice cleanse craze and ultimately sold The Blueprint Cleanse. Both Zoe and Erica are continuously learning and consider themselves wellness gurus, and they once again saw white space in the medicinal mushroom industry. They jumped at the opportunity and started a company, Earth and Star, that uses the immune-supporting adaptogenic mushrooms in the consumer’s daily routines through ready-to-drink lattes, coffees, and chocolate. With Earth and Star, the two entrepreneurs successfully launched a product to make functional mushrooms as accessible and delicious as possible to the masses, emphasizing the benefits of supporting immunity, energy, and focus when integrated into a daily routine. Please tune in to hear how they make starting two consumer product companies look ea...

Emma Tessler, founder of NinetyFive Media If you’ve ever struggled with optimizing social media, you’re not alone. While we all wish it were as easy as posting & logging off, there are many nuances to the modern world of digital marketing - especially in 2021. I’m Emma Tessler, and I founded my digital marketing agency, Ninety Five Media, in 2015 at the cusp of Social Media’s rise in the marketing world. When sponsored videos and fashion blogs were still new concepts, I saw an opportunity for larger brands to optimize social media and monetize their online presence. Flashforward to 2021, and every small business in existence is on Social Media. But the difference between you & them? You have an incredible offer you need to get out into the world. And the way you’re going to do that is through strategic Social Media Marketing and optimizing your social platforms. What Platforms Do You Need? To start, consider which platforms you want to show up on. Begin with one and learn all o...

Heather Thomson, adored reality star from Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York is in real life a serial entrepreneur. One of her ventures, Beyond Fresh offers an organic supplement line focused on science, whole foods, and superfoods. Heather is a mother of two, podcast host, entrepreneur, and integrative health coach! With over 25 years of experience stemming from Calvin Klein to design director of Sean Diddy Combs' Sean John label, creative directing alongside Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez, to founding her own brand in 2008, which changed the shapewear and lifestyle game for many women internationally. When Heather sets her mind to something, you can bet she'll see through it and then some. Just stick around and see what's next! Mimi: Welcome back to the Badass CEO. This is your host, Mimi, and today we have Beyond Fresh CEO, Heather Thomson. Heather wears many hats, including inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, speaker, athlete, and avid outdoor adventur...

An entrepreneur’s breakthrough idea usually comes from seeing the “missing piece” in people’s day to day and finding a solution for it. Rebecca Allen's “missing piece” resulted in ethical sourcing, focusing on the need for more inclusion and diversity in basics such as nude clothing, shoes, and accessories. Working in the financial industry, she realized how little diversity there was in high-quality nude heels (an essential for her corporate job). She felt there needed to be more inclusion and empowerment for women of all skin colors. She set out to do this by ethical sourcing, swatching, and talking to friends & family all leading her to start her own leather high heel company that is now partnering with Nordstrom! Episode Contents Inspiration From Shoes Under the Desk Generosity of People in Your Network Approaches to Cultivating Customers Raising Money And First Successes Some Stats on Women Entrepreneurs Big Challenges and Best Lessons Ethical Sourcing and Affiliate Networ...