And So, She Left: Wisdom from Women Beyond the Corporate World

Content Warning: This episode deals with sensitive topics like suicide, PTSD, divorce, and poor mental health.  

On the surface, Tereson Dupuy has led a pretty good life.  

She successfully ran her business FuzziBunz Diapers for almost two decades and kickstarted the modern cloth diapering movement. All in all, she sold $32 million dollars worth of product.  

But beneath the surface, it’s a different story. Tereson’s dealt with trauma ever since she was little: trauma which bled into her entrepreneurial life. She’s battled abandonment and lost her son to suicide during the pandemic.  

But Tereson's traumas have actually unlocked her ability to lead with love, both for herself and those around her. The death of her son Eden in particular spurred her upcoming memoir titled "The Return of Eden", which details how he has guided Tereson along her healing journey…from beyond the veil.

In this special Women's History Month episode, Tereson talks about:

• Making sense of suicide and loss
• How prolonged trauma impacted her business
• Dealing with betrayal from predatory business partners
• How her son's diaper rash led inspired a $30,000,000 company
• The unforgettable quote from a Shark Tank shark that changed her life

We have a new website!
Visit andsosheleft.com for full episodes, transcripts, an application form to be on the show, a list of upcoming guests and more.

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Correspondence and © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: 

• Chris Zabriskie - "Air Hockey Saloon," "It Takes a Lot to Keep a Figure Like This," "Perhaps It Was Not Properly Manufactured," "The Lower Third Hall of Fame,"  "Cylinder Nine," "Cylinder Four," "CGI Snake," "I'm About to Do the Second Hardest Thing I've Ever Done," "Stories About the World That Once Was," "We Were Never Meant to Live Here," "Short Song 011823," "Short Song 021723," "Short Song 030223," "The House Glows (With Almost No Help)," "I Can't Imagine Where I'd Be Without It."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

In her previous life as a corporate recruiter, Maisha Cannon put on what she describes as a kind of “mask.” 

She wasn’t fully herself. Often, she’d fade into the background to try and get ahead as a black woman in corporate America. But for Maisha, getting into entrepreneurship meant putting aside those incidents where she experienced bias. It meant stepping into herself and building the confidence she needed to start The Collab Lab, which helps Talent Acquisition professionals and Recruiters to grow their skills and careers.

In this episode, Maisha talks about how to bring your full self to work. How did she respond to experiencing racial bias in the workplace? How did she develop the confidence to start The Collab Lab, especially as an introvert? And what’s the biggest trend affecting job recruitment right now?

Maisha talks about:

• Getting hired at (and leaving) companies like Google and LinkedIn
• Embracing imperfection and the importance of launching early
• The secrets to overcoming bias in the workplace
• How AI is being used to disrupt recruiting
• Shedding her corporate "mask"

We have a new website!
Visit andsosheleft.com for full episodes, transcripts, an application form to be on the show, a list of upcoming guests and more.

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Correspondence and © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: 

• Chris Zabriskie - "Air Hockey Saloon," "Candlepower," "CGI Snake" "Wonder Cycle,"  "Readers! Do You Read?," "Is That You Or Are You You?" "Short Song 021423," "Everybody's Got Problems That Aren't Mine," "Another Version of You."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

At first glance, you probably couldn’t tell that Mallory Greene is in the funeral industry.  

She’s not an older, stuffy man in a dark suit…she’s a young woman who got her start as a member of Wealthsimple’s founding team. Today, she’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Eirene, a funeral service provider that’s disrupting the industry with their affordable prices and tech-driven approach.  

Much like Mallory herself, Eirene isn’t your typical funeral company. They’re incredibly transparent with the families they serve, educating them while prioritizing their comfort to guide them through a simplified arrangements process.

On this episode, Mallory answers questions like: how does she navigate being an outsider in the funeral industry? How do her views on mortality allow her to create strong bonds with customers? And how has she scaled her business in a highly regulated, traditional industry?

Mallory talks about:

• What she learned as an early Wealthsimple team member
• How a regulatory battle nearly cost her her business
• Distinguishing herself in an antiquated industry
• Why choice and availability always wins
• Stepping into a new leadership role

We have a new website!
Visit andsosheleft.com for full episodes, transcripts, an application form to be on the show, a list of upcoming guests and more.

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Correspondence and © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: 

• Chris Zabriskie - "Air Hockey Saloon," "The Sun is Scheduled to Come Out Tomorrow," "I Am Running a Marathon with Thousands of Other Highly Qualified People Who Are All Trying to Defeat Me," "Short Song 022123,"  "Short Song 022823," "Short Song 030623," "We Always Thought the Future Would Be Kind of Fun," "Another Version of You," "I Can't Imagine Where I'd Be Without It," "Rewound."
• Correspondence - "On Again."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Alina Kravchenko has always loved inventing. 

Alina defines her entrepreneurial success based on one simple factor: how much creativity she’s able to express as a founder. But being raised by a single mom in Ukraine and eventually becoming a single mom herself meant there was no shortage of people who looked down on them both. 

When she drained her 401K and secured a patent for SwipenSnap, her one-hand applicator for baby ointment, people laughed at her. Until the product landed Alina a spot on Shark Tank and propelled her to launch TonerBum, an ergonomic weight designed specifically for glute workouts.

In this conversation, Alina answers questions like: why does she feel so driven to constantly create? How did she persist during times of immense stress as a single mom? And how can we determine our own versions of success as entrepreneurs? 

Alina talks about:

• Growing up in Ukraine
• Overcoming immense self-doubt
• Defining success as a creative person
• Embracing falls instead of giving in to failure
• Why pursuing wealth will never make you happy 
• How she created both SwipenSnap and TonerBum

We have a new website!
Visit andsosheleft.com for full episodes, transcripts, an application form to be on the show, a list of upcoming guests and more.

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Correspondence and © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: 

• Chris Zabriskie - "Air Hockey Saloon," "There Are Days That I Don't," "The Lower Third Hall of Fame," "Does It Exist or Do I Have to Create It?"  "Cylinder Six," "Wonder Cycle," "I Am Running with Temporary Success from a Monstrous Vacuum in Pursuit," "I'm About to Do the Second Hardest Thing I've Ever Done," "Short Song 010923," "Another Version of You." 
• Correspondence - "Harp Routine."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Bisila Bokoko says that our purpose is not defined by what we do...but by who we are.

Growing up in Valencia, Spain with mixed Spanish-African heritage came with a heavy dose of discomfort. But these experiences drove her to learn more about her heritage…to become what she calls “culturally intelligent.”

Cultural intelligence has been the key to Bisila’s success as a founder. By becoming culturally intelligent, she’s learned how relationship building can scale businesses like Mango and Zara through her company Bisila Bokoko Embassy International (BBES). 

She’s landed monumental jobs like Executive Director of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and the Director of Valencia’s foreign exchange in New York. She’s been featured in Vogue, Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair. And today, she’s Chair of the Executive Board of the United Nation’s EMPRETEC Women in Business Awards. She even has her own Spanish wine brand.

In this episode, we answer questions like: how do you become culturally intelligent? What’s the overlap between building relationships and building big businesses? And how can I discover my unique value proposition as a person, and communicate that value to others?

Bisila talks about:

• How to go from local to global
• Helping other women to climb ladders
• Growing up visibly different in Valencia
• The trip to Africa that changed her worldview
• Why she has no employees (but plenty of collaborators)
• Getting hired (and fired) as Director of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce

We have a new website!
Visit andsosheleft.com for full episodes, transcripts, an application form to be on the show, a list of upcoming guests and more.

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Correspondence and © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: 

• Chris Zabriskie - "Air Hockey Saloon," "I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary," "Your Mother's Daughter," "Is That You or Are You You?"  "Short Song 011723," "Short Song 020323," "Land On the Golden Gate," "Everybody's Got Problems That Aren't Mine."
• Correspondence - "On Again (version)," "Expanding Cycle," "On + On," "On Again," "In Copenhagen," "Longshore Drift (fragments)."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

**Use code AndSoSheLeftPod to get $150 off your WNORTH Conference Pass!**

In 2015, Heather Odendaal founded the WNORTH conference.

The aim of WNORTH is simple: create more pathways for women to become business leaders through networking and collaboration. For the first 8 years, Heather worked as a solopreneur. Today, she's built a small but mighty team and together, they have grown WNORTH to seven chapter cities and launched a membership program with 1300 leaders from companies like Google, Lululemon, Aritzia, and Cisco. The conference has also won a half-dozen awards and been held at swanky venues like the Four Seasons. 

In this episode, Heather talks about how to effectively motivate your team, build time off into your packed schedule, and adapt to unforeseen challenges through constant reflection and course correction.

Heather talks about:

• How to take time off strategically
• Doing everything herself for 8 years
• The importance of paying it forward
• Taking time to step away and recharge
• Recognizing her customers' biggest needs
• Enduring the pandemic as an events-based business

We have a new website!
Visit andsosheleft.com for full episodes, transcripts, an application form to be on the show, a list of upcoming guests and more.

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Correspondence and © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: 

• Chris Zabriskie - "Air Hockey Saloon," "CGI Snake," "Everyone Will Notice, No One Will Say Anything," "What True Self? Feels Bogus, Let's Watch Jason X,"  "Another Version of You," "The Theatrical Poster for Poltergeist III."
• Correspondence - "On Again (version)," "The North Sea (version)," "Chime Hour (edit)," "Up + Up (reprise/arise)."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Urbander CEO Samí Haiman-Marrero describes herself as an armadillo.  

She’s got thick skin, she’s scrappy, and she can smell insincerity from a mile away.  

Samí spent almost her entire life in Puerto Rico, but you can tell right away that she has roots in the Bronx. When she came back to New York to work in media and publishing, she soon found herself grappling with some harsh realities, dealing with cultural and social environments that were completely different from the ones she grew up with.  

To kick off 2024, Samí shares her best advice on self-advocacy, why communication is the most useful skill for any entrepreneur, and how her business thrived during two major economic downturns.

Samí talks about:

• Why she sees herself as an "armadillo"
• Learning through observing her coworkers
• Why establishing a sense of community is a must
• Recognizing familiarities in an unfamiliar environment
• How her cultural background has been the key to her success
• Her journey to finding identity in New York's media & publishing industry

We have a new website!
Visit andsosheleft.com for full episodes, transcripts, an application form to be on the show, a list of upcoming guests and more.

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Correspondence and © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: 

• Chris Zabriskie - "Air Hockey Saloon," "I Refuse to Accept That There's Nothing I Can Do About It," "Candlepower," "Wonder Cycle,"  "I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary," " Short Song 020923," "The House Glows (With Almost No Help."
• Correspondence - "Playing Field," "Longshore Drift (fragments)," "In Copenhagen," "The North Sea (version)," "New Year's Loops," "Expanding Cycle."  

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

And So, She Left returns January 24.  

New episodes every Wednesday.

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Short Song 020923."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Entrepreneurs love to set lofty, ambitious goals for ourselves…after all, it’s in our nature. But what separates those of us who reach our goals from those who don’t are the skills we obtain and use to get there.  

Leah Carr’s approach to entrepreneurship is a highly grounded one. She’s the CEO of a learning and development company called TILR (that’s T.I.L.R.). They help HR teams and people leaders to hone in on the proficiencies their employees need. Her work philosophy is simple: she chases opportunities, no matter where they crop up, over hyper-defined goals.  

Leah shares her best learning and development advice. If you’re looking to future-proof your career or your company through a skills-first approach, then this episode is essential listening.

Leah talks about:

• Going "rogue" as a bank employee
• Providing opportunities for skills  development
• Absolutely essential advice for skills acquisition
• The most important skills employees need right now
• Developing a hyper-rational approach to entrepreneurship
• Developing upskilling solutions for entrepreneurs and businesses

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.
Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "Everyone Will Notice, No One Will Say Anything," "Hitchcock Would Have F___ed Up Charades," "What True Self? Feels Bogus, Let's Watch Jason X,"  " Short Song 022123."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Every once in a while, we hear a story that floors us. Christelle Biiga’s story is one of them.

Today, she gets clients in front of the right podcast audiences to grow their businesses. Her company is called Exposure Maven. 

As a young girl in Cameroon, she bought into the American Dream. She knew no one in the states. Had no family or friends stateside. And could barely speak English at the time. But she still bought a one-way ticket to LAX.  

What Christelle couldn’t know was that the next few years would stretch her resilience, patience, and spirit to their absolute limits. She would find herself coping with stress, trauma, and self-doubt. And she would discover just how much she was capable of as an entrepreneur. 

Christelle talks about:

• Being illegally detained at LAX
• Spending 9 months in a detention center
• Persistence in the face of doubt and obstacles
• How her trauma resurfaced in the middle of a shift
• Sharing her traumatic story and overcoming shame
• The importance of staying busy and embracing unpredictability 

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "And It Is There, in Those Depths," "They Call It Nature," "Short Song 011223,"  " Short Song 020523," "Short Song 030923," "There's a Special Place for Some People." 

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

If you asked your clients to describe you, what would they say? Today, customers want to know who you are.  We’re living in the age of personal branding. 

Christina Minshull spent 15+ years in brand and social marketing for companies like SportCheck, WestJet, and LinkedIn. Today, Christina helps CEOs, Founders and brands unleash their LinkedIn potential through her company The Brand Audit.  

Across LinkedIn and TikTok she’s amassed a 25K following and earned LinkedIn’s Top Voice for Social Media and Brand Strategy in 2023. All without spending a dime on advertising. 

You’re about to hear Christina’s best advice on personal branding and being a thought leader on LinkedIn. She tells us why it's important, how to form deep connections with your target audience, and she shares countless bits of practical advice that will keep you and your personal brand humming along. 

Christina talks about:

• How to build trust with your audience
• The decline of trust in traditional brands
• How to build a community, both on and offline
• Why smaller companies struggle with brand awareness
• The importance of knowing yourself before building your brand
• Why your family isn't always the best professional support system

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary," "I'm About to Do the Second Hardest Thing I've Ever Done," "Stories About the World That Once Was,"  " The House Glows (With Almost No Help)."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

No one warns you about the loss of structure when you leave the corporate womb. Suddenly, it’s all up to you.  

You’re the boss. You make the decisions. And you need to pin down the principles that create structure in your work life…or face the consequences.

Michelle Peters is the CEO of Supplino, a thriving supply chain marketplace. When she left corporate, she fell victim to hustle culture, overwork, and burnout. Facing each of these challenges in time, she eventually disassembled her embedded corporate mentality and found a winning structure that worked for her…not the other way around.

You’re about to hear Michelle’s journey to make sense of structure as an entrepreneur, her best advice for businessowners who hold on to the corporate mentality, and learning to love the inherent uncertainty of her work. 

Michelle talks about:

• Dealing with repeated burnout
• Trusting and embracing your community
• Why women entrepreneurs are hesitant to ask for help
• Why "plant the seed metrics" matter more than you think
• How to persist as an entrepreneur during even the toughest times
• The importance of falling in love with the problem, not the solution

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "It Will Make You Feel Better If You Put It In the Right Place," "Is This the Spirit Everybody Keeps Talking About?" "Heliograph,"  " Mario Bava Sleeps In a Little Later Than He Expected To."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Constriction and guidance are the two sides to the feedback coin. But sometimes, we have to squint to tell which is which. Can you?

As a clinical psychologist, Cindy Wahler faced constant doubt. She was told that she’d never make it. But today, she uses her understanding of psychology to consult for organizations like Ralph Lauren, Exxon Mobile, and Toyota on effective leadership development.  

She also bakes cookies.

Cindy started Bite Me Cookie back in 2021. Once again, she was swarmed by naysayers. But a few years later, Bite Me Cookies has become something of a Torontonian phenomenon, with over 20 varieties of cookies on offer and expansions into other deserts like pies and hot chocolate.  

You’re about to hear Cindy’s best advice on receiving feedback as a leader. She breaks down different kinds of feedback, how they can either help or hinder you, and plenty of practical tips on how to pivot based on the feedback you receive.

Cindy talks about:

• The power of persistence
• Building confidence as a leader
• The inherent vulnerability in all people
• Why great leaders pay attention to feedback of all kinds
• Why not all leaders make great managers (and vice versa)
• Why you may already possess the skills you need to succeed

Speaking of feedback...we'd love to hear yours! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "An Extraordinary Camera Was Custom Built and Used Only Once," "Short Song 012023," "Short Song 012823,"  " Short Song 020623," "Short Song 021123," "We Always Thought the Future Would Be Kind of Fun."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

**A GIFT FOR "And So, She Left" listeners: until December 8, 2023, get 20% off all regular priced items at www.cheekbonebeauty.com with code ASSL20**

With $500 in a basement in St. Catherines, Ontario, Jenn Harper started Cheekbone Beauty.  

She had zero experience working in the beauty space, making the leap from a career in the food industry’s hospitality and sales sectors. Like all great entrepreneurs, Jenn’s vision eventually rocketed the company to earn multi-million-dollar revenues. But unlike other founders, Jenn’s vision was literal: in January 2015, a dream popped into her head of three little indigenous girls, giggling and covered in lip gloss.  

Battling alcoholism and intergenerational trauma, she started Cheekbone on the side. But today, Cheekbone Beauty sells every kind of colour cosmetic you can think of in stores like Sephora and JC Penny.  

This is the story of how Jenn carved out a unique space in the nearly $600 billion beauty industry as a newcomer. You’ll hear how her cultural background served as a guiding light, her greatest advice for entrepreneurs venturing into new industries, and the practical methods she used to quickly scale her company to the next level. 

Jenn talks about:

• The literal dream that inspired her business
• Going from $500 to selling products in Sephora and JC Penny
• The role that her identity plays in helping her brand to stand out
• The sacrifices she and her husband have made to create Cheekbone
• Her greatest pieces of advice for entrepreneurs entering a new industry
• How she uses lab testing to carve out a unique advantage in the beauty space

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "I Refuse to Accept That There's Nothing I Can Do About It," "The Lower Third Hall of Fame,"  " They Call It Nature," "I Should Have Been More Human," "Short Song 010923."

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Entrepreneurs are deep thinkers. We each have a million ideas zipping around in our heads, and if we’re lucky, a great one pops up every now and again.  

But there’s a stark difference between the people who dream and the people who do.  

Tiffany Jones-Lewis made that realization after serving 8 years in the navy. Before launching TJL Collection, a fashion brand aimed at tall women, she was a lifelong dreamer. The tallest one in the room from a young age, her height had always matched the loftiness of her professional goals…yet the security of her HR day-job held her firmly in place.  

You’re about to hear Tiffany’s journey from dreamer to doer, the stumbling blocks she faced as a taller woman in fashion, and how she eventually learned to choose her own path.

Tiffany talks about:

• Cultivating an environment that allows her to dream big
• Why striving for perfection actually hinders your progress
• How she brought her vision and bring it to life through action
• How the internet pressures us to achieve rapidly at a young age
• Leaving the navy for entrepreneurship & proving doubters wrong 
• Starting her business with her husband in Hawaii during the pandemic

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "Hitchcock Would Have F***ed Up Charade," "Short Song 011223,"  " Short Song 020323," "Short Song 020723," "Short Song 030223," "Take Off and Shoot a Zero," "Another Version of You."  

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Do you think of yourself as “tough?” It’s actually a challenging question to answer. We’re certainly eager as entrepreneurs, always ready to tackle the next challenge ahead. But what does toughness actually look like? 

Today’s conversation with Shara Ruffin reminds us that true resilience comes from hitting our lowest points. Today, she’s a bestselling author, LinkedIn influencer, and the Founder of Journey to Licensure. Her journey was brutal. She spent years facing every personal problem imaginable, often at the same time. But she still carved out a thriving business to help social workers take control of their careers.

Shara talks about the many overlapping personal challenges she's been through that molded her into a truly resilient entrepreneur like parenting during times of grief, dealing with divorce, and engaging in destructive behavior like alcoholism.  

Shara talks about:

• Spreading hope by building a personal brand on LinkedIn
• Feeling financially stuck at a low point, and what she did about it
• Facing medical struggles, marital issues, and work stress head on
• Overcoming maladaptive coping practices and tackling alcoholism
• How sharing a video of her struggles on LinkedIn changed everything
• How she created a business guiding colleagues through their licensing challenges

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "It Takes a Lot to Keep a Figure Like This," "I Refuse to Accept That There's Nothing I Can Do About It,"  " Is This the Spirit Everybody Keeps Talking About?," "They Call It Nature," "Raise Your Hand If You Think Evil Is Increasing in This World," "Short Song 021523." 

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

This episode is sponsored by The Diversity Agency.

A few weeks ago, we got to talk with Anita Grant (Hello Hair), Salem Berhane (IncluSV Beauty Solutions), Kristina Knox (Arbre), Monique Gallivan (Gyallivant), and Seyi Adaghe (ROUN Beauty) are the five winners of this year's Shea Moisture Dream Fund Grant.

From Unilever brand Shea Moisture, The Dream Fund was created to support Black-owned women-led businesses across Beauty and professional services in Canada, awarding $10,000 to each of the winners.  

In part two of our interview with the winners, we sat down for a more personal roundtable discussion. The winners return to the issues we talked about in part 1 with a personal touch, and share their most impactful pieces of advice for new entrepreneurs. 

The Winners talk about:

• Their best pieces of advice for new entrepreneurs
• How their childhoods impacted their current businesses
• Their strategies for impacting future generations of black women
• The impact of Eurocentric beauty standards (and how to combat them)
• How they learned to embrace their true selves through their businesses

Exciting news...And So, She Left took home two Signal Awards (Gold + Listener's Choice)! Thank you so much to everyone who voted. Your support means the absolute world to us. Want to go above and beyond? If you haven't already, please take 30 seconds to rate & review the podcast here. Again, many thanks from the entire team. 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "Let the Pain Speak to Me," "Editing Beyond the Door III Again," "I Knew My Way Downtown and Walking Was Deluxe,"  "I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary," "The Theatrical Poster for Poltergeist III," "There Are Days That I Don't," "Land On the Golden Gate." 

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Warning: this episode contains mild language and themes that some listeners may find upsetting. 

It’s hard for us to talk about money. We often squirm a bit, glance at each other, and muddle through most discussions about personal finance. But we also don’t talk about it enough…especially as it relates to gender.  

Kristine Beese is the founder of Untangle Money, which aims to teach financial literacy to women everywhere. Kristine’s inspiration came from the glaring reminders about her gender that surrounded her at work. In both the engineering and finance sectors of the Oil & Gas industry, sexism was baked into workplace culture, in different flavours and severities across different cities and sectors. 

We talk about sexism in the workplace, the different ways in which it can present itself at work, and how widespread sexism persists on both a macro and micro scale in our professional lives.

Kristine talks about:

• Breaking down gendered messaging about money
• Working in the Oil & Gas industry, and different types of sexism
• Figure skating, and the power of focusing on what you can control
• Why products are generally designed with men as the ideal customer
• Gentlemanly sexism, proving worth, unequal power dynamics at work
• Creating a more equitable financial landscape for women through Untangle

We'd love to hear your feedback! 
Here's a quick 5-question survey. Your answers will help us to make the show even better: https://forms.gle/5JnfCUWbgLRw1NTa8 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "Cylinder Nine," "Heliograph,"  "Stories About the World That Once Was," "Your Mother's Daughter," "Short Song 020223," "Short Song 020423," "Short Song 030623," "The House Glows (With Almost No Help)." 

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

This episode is sponsored by The Diversity Agency.

Anita Grant (Hello Hair), Salem Berhane (IncluSV Beauty Solutions), Kristina Knox (Arbre), Monique Gallivan (Gyallivant), and Seyi Adaghe (ROUN Beauty) are the five winners of this year's Shea Moisture Dream Fund Grant. They know the costs and barriers of entrepreneurship.  

From Unilever brand Shea Moisture, The Dream Fund was created to support Black-owned women-led businesses across Beauty and professional services in Canada, awarding $10,000 to each of the winners.  

In this special episode, we sat down with the winners to hear about their journeys so far. They talk about the financial barriers facing black entrepreneurs, how they found the courage to take the entrepreneurial leap in precarious situations, and why community is at the heart of what they do. 

The Winners talk about:

• The biggest issues they faced when starting out
• Not being taken seriously by customers and funders
• Seeking funding as black women in the beauty space
• Their journeys starting their businesses during COVID
• Taking the seemingly precarious leap into entrepreneurship
• The importance of being vulnerable to connect with your community

We're nominated for a Signal Award!     (click here)
It's like the Emmys of podcasting. Remember when someone helped you in a small way, yet it made all the difference? 

Your vote matters. It will take 30 seconds, and help us to grow the show. Thanks for your support. 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "What Does Anybody Know About Anything," "I Don't See the Branches, I See the Leaves," "CGI Snake,"  "I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary." 

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License

Content warning: this episode contains graphic content.  

Maisa Mumtaz-Cassidy thought she was going to die.  

She's the Founder & CEO of Consciously, an ethically-sourced and sustainable fashion platform. Between an incredibly tense childbirth, starting a business in the grips of COVID, and contracting the virus herself, it wreaked havoc on her mind and body. But she managed to keep it all together.  

Being forced to walk such a winding path reminded Maisa of her own mother. Like her, she was an entrepreneur in the garment industry. And at just 26, she became a single mother of 3 after leaving an abusive marriage.  

This is an episode about determination, grit, and persistence. Maisa talks about the moments where she almost threw in the towel, the importance of buckling down on fair pay, and how the warmth of family keeps her striving forward.  

Maisa talks about:

• How she juggles parenthood & passion
• Her incredibly difficult pregnancy experience
• How she deals with "mom guilt" as a new entrepreneur
• Having a lack of mom friends who are also entrepreneurs
• The importance of supporting ethical manufacturing as a business owner
• Starting Consciously during the pandemic after giving birth to her first child

We're nominated for a Signal Award!     (click here)
It's like the Emmys of podcasting. Remember when someone helped you in a small way, yet it made all the difference? 

Your vote matters. It will take 30 seconds, and help us to grow the show. Thanks for your support. 

Hosted by Katherin Vasilopoulos. Made by Cansulta and Ethan Lee.

Music by © Chris Zabriskie, published by You've Been a Wonderful Laugh Track (ASCAP). 

Songs used in this episode include: "Air Hockey Saloon," "Let Your Enemies Feel the Weight of Your Burdens," "Cylinder Three," "Heliograph,"  "Short Song 011723," "Short Song 021523," "There's a Special Place for Some People." 

Used under the Creative Commons 4.0 International License