She Leads with Carly

• WTF Moments, Delusional Optimism, Failing Publicly and Going Direct to Consumer with Sara Cullen (Founder/CEO, GEM)

  Sara Cullen is the founder and CEO of GEM, a pioneering brand creating the first real food vitamins. Sparked by her own health challenges and a frustrating experience in the supplement aisle, Sara took a hands-on approach to nutritional science. Before launching Gem, she was part of the Venture for America Fellowship and previously started Plant Water, a CBD beverage brand.In this episode, Sara shares how her upbringing on a farm shaped her maker mindset, lessons learned from a failed first startup, and why she believes true founders must be “delusionallyvely optimistic.” She talks candidly about navigating solo entrepreneurship, fundraising over $22M, hiring effectively, and the realities of building a company while raising a newborn.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Sara:LinkedInWhere to find GEM:InstagramGEM websiteReferenced:Sara Blakely: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarablakely27/Venture for America: https://www.linkedin.com/company/venture-for-america/In this episode, we cover:(1:22) Growing up on a farm and childhood influences(5:09) Pivoting majors at Cornell(6:28) Being practical vs. the dreamer(9:14) Joining Venture for America(12:33) The lessons from founding Plant Water(16:25) The health crisis that inspired GEM(19:28) Finding the conviction to launch(22:57) Balancing taste with nutritional function(25:23) Operating as a DTC brand(26:27) The greatest challenges working on GEM(28:49) Remote work challenges and culture trade-offs(33:35) Advice for CPG founders on venture capital(39:36) Juggling motherhood and leadership(41:34) Redefining successRead Carly's deeper dive in her substack: https://carlymalatskey.substack.com/p/wtf-moments-delusional-optimism-failing?r=jt2na 

  --------  

  45:29

  --------

  45:29
• Fundraising 101: I'm currently in NY! *Buys Flight to NY* | Celine Halioua (Founder/CEO, Loyal)

  Celine Halioua is the founder and CEO of Loyal, a biotech company developing FDA-approved drugs to extend the healthy lifespan of dogs. In this follow-up episode, Celine discusses Loyal’s latest milestones, now with three longevity drugs in development and $150M in funding. This conversation covers the rationale behind building a multi-product biotech company, how she raised a Series B during a brutal fundraising climate, and Celine’s insight into building a mission-driven company culture.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Celine:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/celinehh/Referenced:Accel: accel.comLoyal: loyal.com/Moderna: modernatx.comSoftBank: softbank.jp/enTimestamps:(2:39) Loyal’s stakeholders(6:28) Going multiproduct(10:02) How the biotech industry gets funding(18:30) Lessons from raising money(20:28) Why constraints are useful(25:34) How raising money affects you mentally(29:16) Radical transparency(33:22) The academic-founder paradox(35:50) A small fish in a big pond(43:33) Finding low-ego team members(46:08) What does success look like?

  --------  

  46:24

  --------

  46:24
• Side Projects Don't Work, Quit Your Job | Ashley Thompson (Founder/CEO, Mush)

  Ashley Thompson is the co-founder and CEO of Mush, the ready-to-eat overnight oats brand redefining breakfast. After earning a degree in math and economics from Columbia, Ashley began her career as a trader at Goldman Sachs. But after three years on Wall Street, she left finance behind to chase a bigger mission: building Mush. Since then, she’s grown Mush into a multimillion-dollar brand with nationwide distribution. Along the way, she pitched Mush on Shark Tank and landed a deal with Mark Cuban. Through relentless focus, getting early consumer feedback, and her personal connection to wellbeing, Ashely has built a category-defining brand.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Ashley:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-thompson-50888626/Referenced:Columbia University: https://www.columbia.eduGoldman Sachs: https://www.goldmansachs.comMark Cuban: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-cuban-06a0751bMush: https://www.eatmush.comPublix: https://www.publix.comTimestamps:(2:57) Ashley’s childhood(6:54) The surprising childhood creations(9:54) How mental health influenced the journey(17:16) The early years at Goldman Sachs(25:41) Why overnight oats?(29:39) It’s important to quit(34:35) What drew Ashley to San Diego(36:59) Getting early consumer feedback(39:05) Adapting to entrepreneurship(43:37) Winning Whole Foods(48:15) The story of Shark Tank(52:01) Insights into the CPG industry

  --------  

  1:01:50

  --------

  1:01:50
• How Stanford BFFs Swapped Tech & Finance for Probiotic Yogurt | Kiki & Elan (Beny Yogurt)

  Kiki Couchman and Elan Halpern are the co-founders of Beny Yogurt, an organic, probiotic-packed yogurt brand born from their shared passion for health and nutrition. After meeting at Stanford, where Kiki studied human biology and Elan studied computer science, they went on to work in private equity and product management before teaming up to start Beny. Drawing on complementary skill sets, they’ve bootstrapped the business through smart financial planning, scrappy marketing, and a focus on building a product they genuinely believe in.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Kiki:LinkedInInstagramWhere to find Elan:LinkedInInstagram🥣 Follow Beny Yogurt:WebsiteInstagramReferenced:Alchemy: https://www.alchemy.com/Alpine Investors: https://alpineinvestors.com/Beny Yogurt: https://eatbeny.com/Blue Apron: https://www.blueapron.com/Stanford: https://www.stanford.edu/Mandy Ginsberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-ginsberg-b37b701/Timestamps:(1:39) Kiki and Elan’s childhood (3:26) The influence Kiki’s father had on her(6:32) The world of D1 rowing (20:24) A friendship is born(22:04) Why Elan is drawn to data (25:32) Kiki’s experiences in private equity(29:42) What Elan learned as an Alchemy PM(32:39) The origin of Beny (36:42) The late-twenties life crisis(38:52) The first steps to selling yogurt(45:17) Mentors that shaped the early days (49:13) Navigating co-founder conflict (57:51) The secrets behind Beny’s marketing(64:23) What’s been most surprising so far (71:07) How Kiki and Elan define success

  --------  

  1:18:06

  --------

  1:18:06
• Lessons in Leadership, Risk-Taking, and Running the World’s Biggest Dating Brands | Mandy Ginsberg (fmr CEO, Match Group - Tinder, Hinge, etc.)

  Mandy’s a true trailblazer who transformed how more than half of people today find romantic connections – through online dating and dating apps. As CEO of Match Group after its 2015 IPO, Mandy led the company's expanding portfolio of dating apps including Tinder, Match.com, OKCupid and Plenty of Fish, while later adding Hinge to establish Match Group as the dominant force in online dating, that owns over 45 dating apps and services. During her tenure, Mandy broke new ground as the first female CEO to conduct a comprehensive organizational pay audit to address gender wage disparities. Mandy holds a Bachelors degree from UC Berkeley in Spanish and English literature, and then went on to earn her MBA from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton.Currently, Mandy also serves on the boards of Uber, ThredUp, Universal Music Group and Flow Health, while working as an Operating Partner at Advent International, a global private equity investment firm.In this episode, Carly chats with Mandy Ginsberg (former CEO of Match Group and Princeton Review). Mandy covers her competitive nature from childhood, her transition from marketing roles to executive positions, and the remarkable gender pay audit she conducted.The conversation highlights Mandy’s commitment to transparent, authentic leadership, showcasing why she’s such a compelling figure in the tech and business world.Where to find She Leads:Apple PodcastsWebsiteSpotifyYouTubeInstagramX (Twitter)Where to find Carly:LinkedInX (Twitter)Where to find Mandy:LinkedInIn this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Mandy Ginsberg(02:36) Mandy's Upbringing(04:04) The Influence of Powerful Woman on Mandy(07:00) Navigating Berkeley & the woman's soccer team(11:51) You work for a person, not a company(14:20) Leadership hack: support your team(15:14) Psychology of consumer tech(16:14) Wharton Business school lessons(23:12) Early professional career at i2(26:00) Joining Match.com's Chemistry(35:25) Mandy leading Match Group(37:58) Imposter syndrome(43:28) How to evaluate new opportunities(51:18) Building culture at Match Group w/ Shar Dubey(56:30) Conducting the pay audit (01:00:08) Advocate for yourself at work (01:03:02) The power of vulnerability at work  Mandy's craft that she's spending a lifetime honing? Learning new sports 🎾Referenced:EdelmanFlow HealthHingeMatch GroupMeta (formerly Facebook)OkCupidPlenty of FishPrinceton ReviewSalesforceThredUpTinderUberAdvent International

  --------  

  1:11:13

  --------

  1:11:13

More Business podcasts

Trending Business podcasts

About She Leads with Carly