Oh! She Can Drive

In this episode of www.youtube.com/@OhSheCanDrive Hourea sits down with Emily Renk, founder and creative director of Zodiaque, to explore how she funded a lingerie label without venture money, and what she took instead of a co-founder.What do you do when the expensive material is exactly what your target audience need?⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 - From Art Historian to Lingerie Founder 3:00 - Two Years, 600 Pieces, and a Manufacturer Found on Upwork 10:35 - 10,000 Euros, No VCs, and Pitching to Male Investors 13:15 - Why Women Don't Talk About Money 15:00 - An Angel Instead of a Co-Founder 19:05 - Opening a Store When Everyone Said Go Online 24:50 - The Advice She's Glad She Ignored🎙️ Guest: Emily Renk - Founder and Creative Director of Zodiaque Studios📲 Follow Zodiaque: https://www.instagram.com/zodiaquestudios?stkn=YnY4bWE4OHVrZTZn Emily trained as an art historian and curator at Central Saint Martins. In 2021 she started Zodiaque Studios with no business background and no co-founder, in lingerie, one of the most technically demanding categories in fashion. She spent two years developing the product before selling a single piece, and her first collection was 600 pieces.She spoke to a lot of VCs and learned she was not a VC case. She looked for a co-founder and did not find the right one. She took a single angel who still advises her, and kept her equity.This conversation explores what to do when venture money is the wrong fit for the business you are building, why an angel can give you a co-founder's support without the equity, how to hold a margin when the fabric is the whole proposition, and what it takes to keep going when the people closest to you do not understand it yet.Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process. ❤️Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohshecandrive 📩 Newsletter: takeaways from every episode at https://hourea.com/newsletter #OhSheCanDrive #FemaleFounder #WomensHealth

In this episode of www.youtube.com/@OhSheCanDrive Hourea sits down with Isabelle Guenou, co-founder and CEO of theblood, to explore how she raised close to 1 million euros for a diagnostic sample medicine had never tested, and what it takes to fund a category with no precedent.What if the most valuable sample in women's health is the one we throw away every month?⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 - The Sample Medicine Throws Away2:00 - A Diagnosis, and Four Research Papers6:00 - Why the Default Patient Is Male8:00 - The 8 Year Wait for an Endometriosis Diagnosis13:00 - “Too Niche” and the Mentor Who Didn’t Get It16:00 - The Co-Founder Breakup, and Going Solo21:00 - The Raise: 150 Doors, 200 Emails, 90% No23:00 - Walking Away From a Deal on National TV28:00 - Equity, Boundaries and How Women Pitch32:00 - Research Speed vs Startup Speed38:00 - “Ask a Woman”🎙️ Guest: Isabelle Guenou - Co-Founder and CEO of theblood📲 Follow Isabelle and theblood: https://www.instagram.com/labellesia?stkn=MWJkbmM4M2VwOW9jOQ== https://www.instagram.com/theblood.io?stkn=MWl1dHZlaW9yOTJqbw==Isabelle was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2020 and started reading research papers to understand her own pain. There were four. Every other fluid in medicine gets tested, urine, saliva, stool, hair, venous and capillary blood. Menstrual blood is the one that gets thrown away, and the reason turns out not to be scientific.She joined a women-only accelerator in 2021, founded theblood in Berlin in 2022, and raised close to 1 million euros across more than 150 doors and 200 emails, 90% of which were a no. She also walked away from a deal on Die Höhle der Löwen, the German Dragons' Den, when the terms didn't work alongside her existing investors. Asked later whether that was the worst day or the best thing that happened, she said best day.This conversation explores what investors actually fund when there is no comparable company, why the word niche gets used for half the population, how equity and boundaries get negotiated when you've been taught not to push, and the number nobody tells you to plan for.Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process. ❤️Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohshecandrive📩 Newsletter: takeaways from every episode at https://hourea.com/newsletter#OhSheCanDrive #FemaleFounder #WomensHealth

In this episode of Oh! She Can Drive, Hourea sits down with Maria Hatzistefanis, founder of Rodial, Nip+Fab and an investor on Dragons' Den Greece, to explore how she built Rodial after investors said no, and what makes her write the cheque today. What if the smartest question in a pitch is the one you ask the investor? ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Both Sides of the Table: Founder and Dragon 2:15 - The Investors Who Said No 8:39 - What Makes a Dragon Write the Cheque 15:43 - Why She Turned Down £250K for 25% 21:59 - The 2 Million Self-Tan Mistake 26:44 - From Founder to CEO, and Her First Million 30:39 - Why Mentorship Is Overrated 39:23 - You Can't Plan Virality: The Kris Jenner Email 50:35 - Why She'd Rather Pay a Mortgage Than Rent🎙️ Guest: Maria Hatzistefanis - Founder of Rodial, Nip+Fab and Investor on Dragons' Den Greece 📲 Follow Maria and Rodial: https://www.instagram.com/mrsrodial?stkn=MXhhaXdjNmF3aW93dQ== https://www.instagram.com/rodialbeauty?stkn=d2l2ajEzeW1mZzAyMaria launched Rodial in 1999 with £20,000 of her own savings, after being fired and turned down by investors. She added NIP+FAB in 2010, built both without outside capital, and still owns 100% of the business. Today she sits on the other side of the table as a Dragon on Dragons' Den Greece. In this episode, she shares what investors look for in a founder, when to raise, and why the right investor brings more than money. She reflects on the £250,000 offer she turned down, the NIP+FAB self-tan range that left the business about 2 million in the red, and what it takes to make your first million. Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process. ❤️Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohshecandrive?stkn=MThkdWI2dm1hNjJ1OQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr📩 Newsletter: takeaways from every episode at https://hourea.com/newsletter #OhSheCanDrive #FemaleFounder #DragonsDen

In this episode of @ohshecandrive, Hourea sits down with Melanie Bosboom, co-founder of Female X Finance, to explore why women so rarely negotiate what they're worth, and what it actually takes to get paid, get seen, and get to the top in finance.🎙️ Guest: Melanie Bosboom - Co-Founder of Female X Finance📲 Follow Melanie and Female X Finance: https://www.instagram.com/melanie_bosboom?stkn=OTlicnJwOGR6M3F2 https://www.instagram.com/femalexfinance?stkn=MWx6d2lseDl3cXNlaw==Melanie Bosboom co-founded Female X Finance from a zero-budget Instagram account, building it into a global community and media platform for women in finance that earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for social impact in 2024. In this episode, she pulls back the curtain on the data most women never see, at entry level the gender split in finance is nearly 50/50, but by senior level, women make up just 15%, and in some corners of private equity, as low as 4%.Melanie breaks down why that gap has less to do with ability and everything to do with visibility, negotiation, and the sponsorships men build almost by instinct, including the one thing hiring managers already expect you to do that most women never try. She also shares why she and her co-founder turned down outside funding to keep the business financially healthy, and what it cost her, personally, to spend years performing a version of herself that wasn't hers to begin with.This conversation explores salary negotiation, the gender promotion gap, building a business without outside investment, and what it really means to know your worth and negotiate it.Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process.❤️ Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohshecandrive?stkn=NzFzZHV2c2czODVp

In this episode of @ohshecandrive, Hourea sits down with Agata Andryszczak, founder of Foundrise and partner at Peers Capital, to explore what it really takes to get female founders investment ready.What if the funding gap has less to do with access - and everything to do with confidence?⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 The Funding Gap and The Confidence Gap01:52 What Investor-Ready Actually Means07:32 Splitting Equity With Co-Founders14:04 From JP Morgan to Building Spoons of Taste17:02 The War That Ended Her Startup18:00 Selling the IP, Starting Foundrise40:51 Peers Capital: Prevention Health51:16 What Agata Would Do Differently Today🎙️ Guest: Agata - Founder of Foundrise, Partner at Peers Capital📲 Follow Agata & Foundrise: @agata_andryszczak @foundriseAgata shares how she left JP Morgan and Bloomberg to build a seaweed cracker brand, scaled it into 5,000 stores, and made the call to sell the IP when the war in Ukraine broke her supply chain, and why she calls that the moment that led her to Foundrise.She also opens up about the co-founders she got wrong early on, why she no longer splits equity equally, and the difference between emotional fairness and business fairness.This conversation explores investment readiness, the confidence gap behind the funding gap, co-founder dynamics, fundraising, and what it really means to build with less.Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process.❤️ Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories.Instagram: @ohshecandrive

In this episode of @ohshecandrive, Hourea sits down with Imogen Royall, co-founder of Northern Pasta Co., to explore what it really takes to build a food brand from scratch.What if building a great business has less to do with branding - and everything to do with becoming obsessed with your product?⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 - Why "It's Just Pasta" Couldn't Be More Wrong02:00 - What's Actually Wrong With Supermarket Pasta?08:00 - Learning to Love Food Again18:30 - How Northern Pasta Co. Was Born26:00 - Why Product Matters More Than Branding34:00 - The TV Appearance That Changed Everything40:00 - Behind the Build: Scaling a Food Business48:00 - Raising Investment & What's Next🎙️ Guest: Imogen Royall - Co-Founder of Northern Pasta Co.📲 Follow The Northern Pasta Company: @northernpastacoImogen shares how she went from making pasta in her kitchen to launching Northern Pasta Co. into Waitrose and the lessons she's learned building one of the UK's fastest-growing premium food brands.She also opens up about her difficult relationship with food growing up, how cooking transformed her life, and why joy, connection and community sit at the heart of everything she builds.This conversation explores entrepreneurship, resilience, food innovation, fundraising, retail growth, and what it really means to create a business with purpose.Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process.❤️ Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories.Instagram: @ohshecandrive

In this episode of / @ohshecandrive Hourea sits down with Federica Labanca, co-founder of Fflow, to explore what it really takes to build a technology company in an industry built on relationships.What if the most valuable business asset isn't your product - but the community you build around it?⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 - Is Community the Most Undervalued Asset in Business?02:00 - The Startup That Changed Direction After Customer Feedback06:00 - Why Relationships Still Beat Algorithms10:00 - Moving to London at 18 With No Plan B13:00 - The Leap From Employee to Freelancer16:00 - The Business Behind Content Creation20:00 - Building a Tech Company as a Creative Founder23:00 - Why Brands Are Investing in Community Again27:00 - Becoming the Face of Your Business30:00 - The Economics of Creator Marketing34:00 - Lessons Learned Building FflowWhat happens when you stop chasing followers and start building genuine connection?🎙️ Guest: Federica Labanca - Co-Founder of Fflow📲 Follow Federica & Fflow: @federica.labanca @fflowFederica shares her journey from the shop floor at Prada to startup founder, the challenges of freelancing without a safety net, navigating imposter syndrome, building a business partnership, and learning to balance creativity with the demands of scaling a technology company.This conversation is about far more than content creation. It's about relationships, resilience, entrepreneurship, and building something people genuinely want to be part of.Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process.❤️ Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories.Instagram: @oh.shecandriveTikTok: @ohshecandrive

In this episode of / @ohshecandrive Hourea sits down with Nico Morga Alden, founder of Alta Marea,, the Italian-made sun care brand challenging some of the biggest myths in the beauty industry. After two decades inside beauty giants like LVMH, Unilever, Estée Lauder and Makeup by Mario, Nico shares what she learned before walking away to build a sunscreen brand from scratch.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 — What If Everything You’ve Been Told About Sunscreen Is Wrong?03:00 — The Biggest SPF Myths & What Actually Protects Your Skin08:30 — Why Millennials Are Seeing More Skin Cancer Than Previous Generations11:30 — Why Nico Left Beauty Giants To Launch Her Own Brand15:00 — Why Building A Sunscreen Brand Is Harder Than Almost Any Other Category18:00 — The Beauty Industry Secrets Nobody Talks About21:00 — What Happened When Industry Contacts Stopped Replying?30:00 — The Brutal Economics Of Launching A Consumer Brand Today36:00 — Fundraising As A Solo Female Founder & The Reality Behind The Numbers38:00 — The Advice Everyone Gave Her That She Ignored AnywayWhat if the hardest business to build is exactly the one worth building?🎙️ Guest: Nico Morga Alden - Founder of Alta Marea📲 Follow Nico & Alta Maria: @altamareaskin @nico.morga.aldenAfter nearly twenty years in the beauty industry, Nico left the world of global brands to launch Alta Marea—an Italian-made sun care company built on science, transparency, and performance.In this episode, we discuss the misinformation surrounding sunscreen, why consumers are more confused than ever about SPF, and what beauty insiders know that most people don't. Nico shares insights into the rapid growth of the sun care category, the realities of product development, and the challenges of launching a beauty brand today.She also opens up about fundraising as a solo female founder, building without a co-founder, and the resilience required to create something from the ground up.Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and reshape industries in the process.❤️ Enjoyed this conversation? Subscribe for more interviews with ambitious women founders, creatives, and industry leaders.Instagram: @oh.shecandriveTikTok: @ohshecandrive

In this episode of Oh She Can Drive, Hourea sits down with Angela Lei, founder of Fette,  to explore what really happens when you leave behind a successful career and build something entirely your own.What if the biggest risk isn’t starting a business… but staying where you’ve outgrown yourself?⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 - Can Starting Over Be the Best Decision You Ever Make?04:00 - From Corporate Lawyer to Founder10:00 - The Founder Fantasy vs Founder Reality17:00 - Why Great Products Don’t Sell Themselves26:00 - The Financial Wake-Up Call Every Founder Needs33:00 -  Building a Handmade Brand in a Mass-Production World44:00 - Letting Go of Society’s Timeline47:00 - The Mindset That Keeps Founders GoingWhat happens when you stop living by everyone else’s timeline and start creating your own?🎙️ Guest: Angela Lei - Founder of Fette📲 Follow Angela & Fetti: @fette.world @angelaxleiFrom making partner at a prestigious law firm to launching a handmade beauty brand from scratch, Angela shares the realities of entrepreneurship that rarely make it into the headlines.We talk about the illusion of overnight success, the gap between media coverage and actual sales, why launch day is often just the beginning, and the uncomfortable lessons that come with managing money, inventory, fulfillment, and growth.Angela also opens up about manifesting, mindset, imposter syndrome, learning to become the face of her brand, and what it means to redefine success on your own terms after years of following a traditional path.This conversation is about far more than nails. It’s about reinvention, identity, courage, and trusting yourself enough to build a life that feels true to who you are.Oh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process.❤️ Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories.Instagram: @ohshecandriveTikTok: @ohshecandrive

In this episode of Oh She Can Drive, Hourea sits down with Yasmina Nessim, founder of Pstyled and author of The Pursuit of the Power-Suit, to explore the hidden psychology of what we wear — and why your wardrobe may be shaping your confidence, emotions, productivity, relationships, and even mental health more than you realise.What if getting dressed wasn’t superficial at all… but one of the most powerful psychological tools you use every single day?⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 — Can Clothes Really Change Your Mental Health? 02:00 — The Science Behind “Power Dressing” 08:00 — Dopamine Dressing vs Serotonin Styling 12:00 — Fashion, Identity & Self-Expression 20:00 — Why We Secretly Dress For Validation 25:00 — Depression, Healing & Fashion Psychology 32:00 — The SUITS Method Explained 45:00 — Can Your Clothes Actually Heal You?From battling clinical depression and emergency spinal surgery to becoming one of the leading voices in fashion psychology, Yasmina shares the journey that led her to build Pstyled — helping people use clothing intentionally to improve confidence, wellbeing, and self-expression.We talk about the science behind fashion psychology, why certain outfits affect anxiety and productivity, the emotional power of uniforms, and why trends and “body types” may be doing more harm than good.Yasmina also breaks down dopamine dressing vs serotonin styling, social media validation, and how fashion can become a tool for confidence, identity, and healing.This conversation goes far beyond style. It’s about mental health, femininity, self-worth, and the quiet ways we shape how we move through the world.What if changing your clothes could actually change your life?🎙️ Guest: Yasmina Nessim — Founder of Pstyled & Author of The Pursuit of the Power-Suit 📲 Follow Yasmina & Pstyled: @nessimy @_pstyledOh She Can Drive with Hourea Alaoui explores the moments women entrepreneurs take control of their destinies and change the business landscape in the process.❤️ Like what you hear? Follow us for more founder stories. Instagram: @ohshecandrive TikTok: @ohshecandrive