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Written by: Kaylee Franklin
We’re back this month to recap the episodes of February! Covering what we learned from each episode, sharing each guest’s best piece of advice, and giving you a glimpse into what you can expect launching this month of March on the podcast!
In the beginning of February, we launched an episode with Yaw Aning, the Co-Founder and CEO of Malomo.
Yaw Aning, the Co-Founder and CEO of Malomo, a shipment tracking platform that helps e-commerce brands turn order tracking from a cost center into a profitable marketing channel.
Yaw shared with us his journey from starting his first company in college, to working as a Domino’s delivery driver, his time working in investment banking, to running a custom software development business, which led him to create Malomo. He talks about how wanting to protect brands ability to grow gave him the idea for the business, the art of fundraising, and why speed always wins!
Best piece of advice:
“Fundraising is very much selling vision and storytelling and focusing on how your market evolves over time or changes because of the product of the service that you built or introduced.”
If you haven’t listened to Yaw’s episode yet, you can tune in HERE!
The second week of February we published an episode with the brilliant Shai Eisenman, Founder and CEO of Bubble!
Shai Eisenman, the Founder and CEO of Bubble, the first skincare brand created for young skin that is science driven, non-toxic, and plant-based.
Shai talked about the importance of doing research, the key takeaways she learned during her time running her dad's business and working in performance marketing, how she created a community of thousands of teenagers that helped her learn what her customers wanted, and how she catapulted the business towards success with inbound requests from major retailers after just two weeks of launching!
Best piece of advice:
“Everything that happens is for the best, and if it wasn't, you learn, which is also for the best.”
To listen to more of Shai’s story, check out Episode 92
Our amazing middle of the month episode was with Jordan Nathan, the Founder and CEO of Caraway.
Caraway is on a mission to craft well-designed, non-toxic, ceramic cookware that thoughtfully raises the standards of what you cook with. Their beautiful pots and pans come from a bad cooking experience Jordan faced one night when his apartment was filled with fumes and he began feeling ill due to teflon poisoning.
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Jordan shares what it was like taking his first full-time job as a brand manager for Mohawk group, which inspired him to build a brand of his own in the kitchen space, his go to market strategy, and how he rebranded the company from Parfait to Caraway.
Best piece of advice:
“I really encourage anyone thinking about starting a business to focus on what you think is best for the path that you take. Just because others are fundraising doesn't mean that you have to, or just because they're advertising on Facebook or Instagram or going direct to consumer first, doesn't mean that you can't go to retail first.”
To hear more of Jordan’s great advice tune in to Episode 93!
Closing out the month of February is an interview with Greg Davidson, Co-Founder and CEO of Lalo.
Lee chatted with Greg about his journey to founding Lalo, a modern baby and toddler brand built for today's families.
Greg talked about his time working in marketing and banking, to working in sales at a Y-Combinator backed startup, to registering for his wedding and watching friends and family members create registries for their baby which made him realize there was a white space in the baby category, leading him to start Lalo with his long-term friend.
Best piece of advice:
“When you have a co-founder, it’s a partnership. There has to be a division of labor to ultimately steer the organization and strategy in the best direction possible.”
Listen to Greg’s inspiring story here!
When we look back at the month of February, we hear a vast array of stories. These founders all faced different challenges from products being ruined weeks before launch, fundraising setbacks, and how they had to take different approaches with their go-to-market strategies. In every episode, they all gave advice around pushing through the tough times, and not only that, but pushing through actually leads to your business ultimately thriving.
Stay tuned this month to hear from some amazing CEOs. During the month of March, you will be able to hear from:
Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, or tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.
Have any guest suggestions, comments or questions about Stairway to CEO? Drop us a line here!
Welcome to the third edition of Stairway to CEO's Holiday Gift Guide– your ultimate resource for finding the perfect gifts. As we’ve reached almost 200 episodes, the options of your favorite leading direct-to-consumer brands. We have a lot of amazing gift ideas for you and we’ll be sure to cover everyone you’re shopping for, so we hope you enjoy!
Welcome back to another monthly recap! I know for some, the month of September felt like the longest month of the year, and for others, it flew by. But nonetheless, we had an incredible lineup of four amazing guests, with incredible backgrounds and stories. Let’s jump in to see what they all had in common, some life lessons they had to share, and take a peak into what we have coming out in October.
As the year hurtles towards its close, the fourth quarter (Q4) offers a prime opportunity to not only meet financial targets but also leave a lasting impression on your customers. It's a time when holiday festivities mingle with year-end goals, and careful planning can make all the difference. In this blog post, we'll explore strategies to navigate Q4 with a focus on delivering outstanding customer experience, and how to partner with Awesome CX to offer seamless solutions to help your business not only weather the storm but also thrive during this crucial season.
