Shawne Merriman, CEO of the Lights Out Brand, on Embracing the Process

Amy Errett, the visionary behind Madison Reed, shares her journey of building a successful omnichannel beauty brand specializing in the hair color space. Despite reaching the top of the Venture Capitalist industry, Amy felt a burning desire to create her own venture. Recognizing a gap in the hair color market riddled with harmful ingredients, she seized the opportunity to offer safe, high-quality alternatives for everybody to enjoy. Join us as Amy discusses the resilience and passion it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. Thanks to our sponsor Hertz Business Rewards for helping small businesses save big. Join for free at Hertz.com/businessrewards.

One in four employees are now using AI at work – a significant jump from the adoptions rates seen in 2023. So how are businesses leveraging AI in the workplace? We sit down with Christina Janzer, SVP of Research and Analytics at Slack, to discuss how businesses are embracing AI to increase productivity, make data-drive decisions, drive innovation and how Slack AI is enabling people to work smarter and faster. This bonus episode is brought to you by Slack. Learn more about Slack AI, visit Slack.com.

Carly Zakin and Danielle Wesberg, entrepreneurs behind The Skimm, discuss creating a successful Media company. Danielle and Carly fresh out of college identified a significant gap in the media landscape, there was a lack of media outlets specifically tailored to Women. Despite Women making upwards of 90% of household financial decisions, there was a lack of content that catered to their perspectives and priorities. Join us as Carly and Danielle take us through the creation of their revolutionary company, The Skimm. This episode is presented by Slack. Learn more at slack.com

Lori and Scott Levine, creators of Scott's Protein Balls, present a healthier alternative to traditional protein bars. When the founder Lori battled with breast cancer, Scott embarked on a mission to create a healthy and delicious snack she could enjoy, leading to the creation of the protein balls. Crafted from whole-grain oats, flaxseed, chia seeds, and protein powder, their nutritious balls offer a satisfying snack. Join us as we discuss the journey towards healthier living and entrepreneurial success.

Frank McCourt Jr, former CEO of McCourt Global and current owner of French Football Club Olympique de Marseille, delves into the realm of digital privacy and autonomy. We'll discuss McCourt's founding of Project Liberty, a groundbreaking endeavor dedicated to safeguarding individuals' information on the web. Project Liberty aims to empower users with greater control over their digital footprint, ensuring their data remains private and secure in an increasingly interconnected world.

Fran Maier is the entrepreneurial powerhouse behind BabyQuip, as seen on SharkTank, and is also the co-founder of Match.com. In this episode, Fran delves into the pivotal moments shaping her journey, including her decision to join Match.com in its early stages and the launch of BabyQuip, a platform connecting traveling families with baby gear rental services. Fran highlights the transformative power of innovation in entrepreneurship, inspiring others to push boundaries and redefine industries.

Lois Robbins is an actor and the founder of Watskin, a clothing brand that uses UPF 50+ fabrics for their designs. Known for her daytime television roles on All My Children and One Life to Live, Lois decided to create Watskin out of necessity when she learned of a cancerous cell on her face. Watskin now sells over 10 different types of sun-protective products and donates 5 percent of every purchase to the Melanoma Research Alliance.

Brian and Scott Rudolph are the co-founders of Banza, a food brand that creates chickpea-based alternatives of your favorite comfort foods. Founded in 2014 by brothers Brian and Scott, Banza entered the scene with their high protein plant-based pasta products and have now expanded into pizza, rice, and waffles. Banza is now available domestically in more than 25,000 retail locations including Target, Whole Foods, and Costco.

Bobby Bitton is the CEO and Co-Founder of O Positiv, a women’s health business that focuses on addressing health needs that have been historically overlooked. Co-founded in 2018 with Bobby’s sister Brianna, O Positiv created FLO, a science-backed all-natural, and hormone-free PMS vitamin. O Positiv now has more than 1.3 million customers and was most recently launched in Target this December. Bobby was also named on the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Food and Drink.

Bryan Barletta is the Founder of Sounds Profitable, a podcast and newsletter dedicated to exploring podcast advertising and monetization. With over 13 years in the ad technology space, Bryan has helped podcasters and advertisers navigate the ever-evolving landscape of audio content. He founded Sounds Profitable in 2020 after working at podcasting companies, Megaphone and Claritas. Bryan was also a part of the team that created the world’s first shakeable ad in 2009. Sponsor: While much of Harvard Business Review’s Content is available for free after signing up at their site, subscriptions to unlimited content start at only $10 a month. Go to www.hbr.org/subscriptions and enter PROMO CODE: SUCCESS right now to take advantage of this great offer.