Babe Behind The Brand

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 3 of Babe Behind The Brand! Get to know Salma Benkabbou of The Benkabbou Law Firm. Salma launched her law firm in the Fall of 2014. You might also know her on Instagram as The Millennial Business Lawyer. She is a big advocate for protecting your business and intellectual property and loves to educate the business community with tips she shares online as well as in person workshops around Tampa Bay. Salma is a tough cookie with a super kind and compassionate side and has helped me on more than one occasion to make sure my business is protected by way of trademarks and copyrights.

Rosana Rivera is half of the heart & brains being Xilo Mexican and Kofe Tampa. Rosana brings joy to any situation and makes everyone around her feel heard & special. At the time of our recording, her episode of Beat Bobby Flay had not yet aired. I’m so pleased to say that we can now shout from the rooftops that she Beat Bobby Flay with her tasty Beef Empanadas in an episode called ‘It Must’ve Been Love’. Enjoy getting to hear about her experience as a serial entrepreneur, being officially a Food Network Chef, & her mini workshop about how to rock budgeting in your business. 

Cherry is the head photographer of ByCherry Photography based in Santa Barbara, California. She specializes in wedding, elopements, and boudoir. For the past 11 years, Cherry has loved photographing couples in love, families growing, and helping entrepreneurs create their brands. In the first episode of season 2, Cherry shares how she’s used email automation to build a thriving business and reach her ideal client, aka brides hosting destination weddings in the city she loves. Enjoy getting to know Cherry’s story and how you can use these tools to reach your ideal client, too.

Today we have Copywriter and Content Strategist, Erika Vidal Holmes. Erika empowers her clients to embrace who they are and get really clear on what they bring to the table by helping them painlessly answer the common question of, “so what do you do?” by giving them the permission they often need to just be themselves and stop trying to be something else they THINK they should be. She does this with excellent copy and some fun & relatable pop culture sprinkled in. Be sure to tune in to her mini workshop on 'How to Uncover Your Secret Sauce' after her interview!

Francessca Randall is passionate about her family and helping families find their forever homes. In her episode she shares about how she transitioned from a public school teacher to a real estate agent. It wasn’t easy, but she made it happen and she’s often in the top 5 rank at her broker, Lombardo Team Real Estate. She shares about being a mom & a business owner and how’s she continued to set boundaries so she can be the woman she wants to be, once who’s taking care of herself, her family, & her clients. In her mini workshop, Francessca shares tips on how to curate your client experience. No two clients are exactly the same, so you want to make sure they feel heard & special from the get-go!

Leona Thriftola is the Founder of Indie Roller, a unique online membership for product-based creative entrepreneurs. Leona is a maker, a mom, a coach, and creator of a colorful, wonderful world with lots of real talk and self care generously added in. She’s amazing at launching new products, building community, & inspiring others to step into their creative genius. Take a listen to her amazing episode to soak up some rainbow vibes and take in her 3 tips on escaping the burnout loop. 

There are so many decisions entrepreneurs make along their journey. Get a peek into how Rosie Davies-Smith of LFA defined her niche, why she decided to start a second business called PR Dispatch, & her 3 top tips on how you can kickstart your own PR strategy for your business. I had the chance to interview Rosie in person at the LFA headquarters in London and getting the chance to know how she and her team navigated naysayers when she unveiled transparent pricing for PR and so much more was such a special treat. I know you're going to take so much inspiration & insight away from her interview. Enjoy her words and know that we're cheering you on in your journey as well. 

Tona Bell's addiction to her work led to a cycle of burn out and hospital visits. She realized she needed to make a change and there was no time like the present. Fast forward to today and she's the proud Proprietress of The Paper Seahorse and 2 retail shops filled with gorgeous paper goods, vintage typewriters, unique gifts, and yes–Mindfulness. Hear about Tona's journey as she closed the chapter on the agency she had built up over nearly 20 years with her husband behind and started a new chapter where she put herself & her health first. Tona is full of wonderful stories & her mini workshop at the end on how to bring Mindfulness to your daily life is solid gold.    

Ryann Halo of Salon Halo has overcome more challenges than you can really shake a stick at. The trajectory of her life changed immensely when she experienced the loss of her father and brother unexpectedly. She felt lost, became unable to stay on track with her education and dropped out of high school. However, her life changed when she started working as a hair stylist’s assistant, washing hair and sweeping the floors. Her grandparents helped her get tuition funds and transportation so she could attend hair school. Fast forward to today, and she’s the proud owner of two bustling salons with a focus on continued education and giving back to the community, as well as creating truly beautiful hair styles & color (obviously!). I hope you enjoy getting to know her and the tips she shares in her mini workshop on ‘How to Create a Culture of Abundance’ in your business. Your team is a huge asset, and if they feel supported, they’re going to support your clients.

Travel is a huge influence on Jessica, ka JB. She spent the bulk of 2018 in Seattle and Portugal and shares some stories about her vagabond lifestyle, including a scary one about a brush with human traffickers in a Southern town in Portugal. On a lighter note, she’s super passionate about helping brands better communicate who they are through design and marketing and has one wild card after another up her sleeve. She’ll inspire you to go after whatever you find interesting and wonderful no matter the preconceived notions you have about who you’re supposed to be or what you’re supposed to like. JB’s mini worksop topic is 3 steps to revamp your business wardrobe.

Kristin’s story is grounded in tons of good humor and with her being completely open to trial & error. She’s very passionate about going after the clients and projects she believes in and shares insight into how she transitioned away from wedding photography and into product photography. Her “I’m not afraid of getting left on unread” attitude will keep you laughing and ability to cold pitch like a boss has made all the difference in her transition and will inspire you to step outside of your comfort zone. Kristin’s mini workshop is 3 steps towards developing an identity for your brand.

Natasha’s story is all about being intuitive and finding her own flow, both as a business owner and a woman. She’s very open about her love for travel and one of her biggest pieces of happiness since launching her business is the ability to work from anywhere. She spent a month in Portugal this year and she’s mastered the balance of being polished & branded while also very real & approachable on social media. Natasha’s mini workshop topic is 3 steps towards batch-working social media for your business.

Photography wasn’t the original plan for Ashlee, but once she realized how passionate she had always been about imagery, it was a no brainer. Now she’s 7 years into being a photography business owner and she’s continuing to evolve and embrace who she is as a photographer. Her colorful, larger-than-life style has come to be known very well in Tampa Bay and she prides herself on how she’s learned to be in the moment while also having a strong vision for her work & clients. Ashlee’s mini workshop topic is 3 steps towards creating the perfect about page for your business.

Despite Alyssa Gay being from a family of entrepreneurs, she didn't think she would follow in their path and strike it out on her own. But after working with other agencies she realized she truly did have the passion & vision for entrepreneurship. Alyssa Gay Consulting launched officially in early 2018 and she's been growing her team and helping local business owners in the Sarasota area optimize their websites, brand, & more. In this episode Alyssa teaches us some SEO basics and shares how she converts potential clients into ongoing, loyal ones.

Ten years ago, Rana Tierney was working in the insurance industry and feeling completely uninspired. She picked up her father’s camera at a family reunion and everything changed. A spark ignited. Even though she’d discovered her passion, small businesses haven’t always been ‘community over competition’-minded, so she had a difficult experience breaking into the wedding industry as a brand new photographer. Rana shares about her transition from wedding photographer to senior portrait photographer as well as 3 tips on how to break into your industry. 

Ilana & Kelly have been best friends since they were 13 years old! Fast forward to today and not only do they have a thriving company together, but they still finish each other’s sandwiches. Hear about their leaps of faith, how they look out for one another, & how they created the first wedding pet care company in the U.S.

Nobody puts Sheila in the corner! Sheila Vaske is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about her family & spreading positivity. Hear about how she went from being a ‘deli girl’ after college to launching V’enza, a giftable brand of jewelry and accessories.

Get to know Babe Crafted Founder, Gina Moccio and her journey of going from promoting doughnut cones to launching a growing membership women building the business of their dreams in Tampa Bay & beyond. Every good story starts with an interesting beginning right?! Right. Take a listen to our ‘start here’ podcast so you can get to know your hostess and what to expect from future Babe Behind The Brand episodes. And stay boss.