Behind Her Empire

Jamie O’Banion is the founder and CEO of BeautyBio, a clean skincare and tool brand that leads with transparency and efficacy.Jamie’s passion for science came at a young age as she watched her father, a cosmetic chemist, in his lab developing products and eventually joined him after college. Ten years later, having witnessed brands using minimal concentrations of active ingredients to cut costs and make false clinical claims, Jamie knew she had to address this issue in the industry. That's when the idea for BeautyBio was born. The aim was to provide clients with what they were paying for and help them understand the ingredients behind the products.She debuted on HSN that same year and sold out on the first day. Five years later, she launched one of the brand's flagship products, GloPRO, an at-home micro-needling device that generated $4 million in sales within its first 24 hours and has since surpassed the $100 million mark. Fast forward to 2023, BeautyBio is available in over 1,700 stores, including Ulta, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and more.In this week’s episode, Jamie guides us through the various "breadcrumbs" of life and how every individual experience she had before launching her business led her to exactly where she is today. We dive into her upbringing as one of six children, how she stumbled into entrepreneurship, why her initial business idea failed, and how she quickly pivoted to what eventually became BeautyBio. We talk about all the challenging experiences in her over ten year journey running the business, how they ended up selling the business last year, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Jamie about:* The concept of “breadcrumbs” in life and how everything happens for a reason. [02:57]* Growing up with a family of six has influenced the woman Jamie is today. [06:13]* Managing the challenges of motherhood. [14:41]* Jamie’s upbringing and what sparked her interest in science. [21:38]* The importance of team and how they’ve been integral in her journey. [26:17]* Dealing with challenging experiences as an entrepreneur. [29:03]* Co-founding Organicare with her physician father in 2008. [32:44]* Adapting to consumer demand without compromising business ethos. [37:13]* Pivoting from selling ingredients to launching BeautyBio. [42:50]* Future plans for BeautyBio post-acquisition. [48:43]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Jamie:* Website: https://beautybio.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybio/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieobanion/

Despite spending more on healthcare than ever before, the majority of us are sicker than ever. You might be shocked to learn that 93% of Americans have some form of metabolic disease, which can be linked to practically any symptom or disease including hormone imbalances, PCOS, infertility and more. Knowing this, there is good news. The steps we need to take are the same, and can transform the way that we feel across the board.In this episode you’ll learn: * The surprising connection between metabolism and health* Steps to reclaim your power on a cellular level* How to protect and magnify your energy* Top foods everyone needs to eat for optimal health today* How our healthcare system keeps us sickCasey Means, MD is a Stanford-trained physician, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of metabolic health company Levels. Her mission is to maximize human potential and reverse the epidemic of preventable chronic disease by empowering individuals with tech-enabled tools that can inform smart, personalized, and sustainable dietary and lifestyle choices. Her perspective has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The New Yorker, Men's Health, Women's Health, and shared in her debut book “Good Energy”.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Casey:* Website: https://www.caseymeans.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen/

Sarah Moret is the founder and CEO of Curie, a clean deodorant and body care brand on a mission to change the stigma around clean beauty. Sarah has been an athlete all of her life and was a very active person, and one thing she could never come across was a clean, aluminum-free deodorant that actually worked and fit her lifestyle. From this frustration, Sarah decided to start Curie as a side hustle in 2019 to solve her own problem.Sarah then bootstrapped the company and financed it with $12,000 in savings and very early on was hitting six-figures with organic content, word of mouth, and PR. Fast forward to today, the company has scaled to be a $20 million success story and is sold in thousands of stores nationwide, including Walmart, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdales and has sold out dozens of times through live selling on QVC. Sarah also appeared on Season 13 of Shark Tank and landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran and Mark Cuban. In this week’s episode, Sarah talks about her transition from accounting to becoming an entrepreneur, the steps she took to turn her side hustle into a full-time business, and how she had remarkable growth with very little money. We also talk about the many rejections she faced when it came to finding manufacturers, getting into retailers, and participating in Shark Tank. Sarah also shares her crazy experience on Shark Tank what really happens behind the scenes that we don’t typically see, and so much more.In this episode, we’ll talk to Sarah about:* Overcoming fears and handling rejections. [03:05]* The reality of being an entrepreneur. [07:03]* Building a company from personal challenges. [08:53]* Graduating from Boston University and Sarah’s initial career path as an accountant. [11:15]* Starting Curie and Sarah’s risk-taking approach. [16:25]* Being scrappy during the early stages of Curie. [22:25]* Committing fully and early awareness-building for Curie. [25:19]* Leveraging influencers and media outreach. [27:29]* Pivoting to hand sanitizers during the pandemic which saved their business. [31:51]* Navigating manufacturer selection. [35:10* A behind-the-scenes look into Shark Tank. [38:08* Preparing for the Shark Tank Q&A. [57:52]* How Curie thought about funding for the business before Shark Tank. [50:06]* How Sarah overcame scaling challenges with the business. [51:45]* Managing mental health and avoiding burnout for sustained success. [54:17]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Sarah:* Website: https://curiebod.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiebod/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjmoret/

Do you struggle to lose weight, have low energy, poor digestion or sleep troubles? These can all be signs that you're out of sync with your biology, which is designed to work on nature's clock. In this episode, we dive into science-based practices and ancestral wisdom for feeling our best in modern times.In this episode you’ll learn: * Effective strategies for lasting weight loss* Alternative ways to energize without caffeine* How to support your circadian rhythm with light* Top red light panel recommendations* Why everyone needs to build muscle* The best color to eat for better gut health* And more…Alexis Cowan, PhD, embarked on her path to health following a childhood marked by recurring illnesses and significant weight struggles. Through her personal battles with an eating disorder and subsequent development of ulcerative colitis, these early experiences sparked her interest in the scientific underpinnings of nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle interventions. Alexis pursued her education fervently, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry and Math from Moravian College, followed by a PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 2021. She now works with individuals in her practice, and educates on metabolism and circadian optimization through her online courses.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Dr. Alexis:* Website: https://dralexisjazmyn.wordpress.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralexisjazmyn/

Breezy Griffith is the founder and CEO of SkinnyDipped, a good-for-you snack company looking to reinvent some of our favorite snacks. Breezy launched SkinnyDipped in 2016 with her mother after losing their dear friend to cancer. This life-altering event made them take a hard look at their own priorities and how they wanted to make an impact in this world. As a tight-knit family, they wanted to spend more time together and ultimately decided to start a business. They decided to revolutionize the snacking industry and launched with their thinly-dipped chocolate-covered almonds, and now they have expanded to multiple product lines from chocolates to peanut butter cups. Breezy went from selling nuts out of their backpacks to securing a presence in over 25,000 retail doors, including major outlets like Target, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Starbucks, airports, and more. They also recently closed a Series A round and have investors like David Grutman, Amy Schumer, and Mark Wahlberg to name a few. In this week’s episode, Breezy talks to us her unconventional career path after college from starting businesses like a sorbet company where she would sell at farmers markets to then creating pastries & hustling to make ends meet living in New York. She shares why those businesses didn’t work but why they were the best experience for her when it came to understanding financials and creating sustainable business models. She then walks us through SkinnyDipped’s origin story, what she was doing to create and produce the product in the early days from her kitchen to then finding manufacturers and why she believes being scrappy helped the company grow brand awareness. She shares what it’s like to have her mom and also two best friends as co-founders, how they were able to fund the business in the early days, how she secured a deal with Target very early on, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Breezy about:* Breezy’s childhood and upbringing. [03:08]* Breezy’s post-college ventures. [05:12]* Learnings from business setbacks. [07:08]* Iteration of SkinnyDipped’s first product. [14:35]* What it’s like working with close friends and family. [20:32]* Managing pressure and emotions as a founder. [27:30]* Entering Target and securing the opportunity. [31:11]* How Breezy’s role has shifted as the business grows. [41:36]* SkinnyDipped’s fundraising journey. [46:10]* SkinnyDipped's rebranding story and its message. [51:47]* Breezy's personal and professional plans. [54:50]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Breezy:* Website: https://skinnydipped.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinnydipped/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinnydippedfounder/

Cathryn Lavery is the founder of BestSelf Co., a productivity tool-based business that sells journals, planners and conversation decks to help people achieve their goals and be their best selves. Cathryn moved to New York City from Ireland with only $758 and after the challenges she faced in her role as an architect and not making a livable wage, she was forced to find other means of income on the side. Despite having 7 years under her belt she realized this line of work was not the path for her. She eventually decided to go off on her own and transformed herself into an 8-figure founder. Going back to the early days, her side hustle eventually grew into something much bigger and that’s when Cathryn launched her Kickstarter campaign in 2015 to crowdfund her first product. BestSelf Co. sold $45 million in products before getting acquired in 2022, but recently Cathryn repurchased back her company to do things differently. In this week’s episode, Cathryn walks us through how she was forced into entrepreneurship because of necessity when she received a massive pay cut and the steps she took to figure things out when it was the most challenging for her. Cathryn shares how the idea for BestSelf was born, what she did to build up her confidence to take the leap, the early days of the business, and how she and her team managed to raise over $300,000 on her Kickstarter campaign with the goal only being $15k. We talk about her top productivity tips and lifestyle hacks that can help all of us be our best selves. She tells us about steps in finding the right business partner, why she decided to repurchase her company after 2 years of it being acquired, what it’s like to juggle being a new mom and founder, and so much more. In this episode, we’ll talk to Cathryn about:* "100 Days of Doing Challenge" impact on Cathryn. [02:59]* Cathryn’s childhood and upbringing. [08:15]* Where Cathryn got her self-confidence in taking the leap. [11:34]* From New York to first job journey. [15:27]* Preparations before entrepreneurship leap. [20:01]* Cathryn's productivity system shifts. [24:02]* Importance of structure and managing one’s energy. [29:22]* Starting BestSelf Co. as a side hustle and how it flourished. [32:31]* What resonated with BestSelf Co.’s product. [35:00]* Lessons from having a business partner. [40:02]* Selling and repurchasing BestSelf Co. [47:04]* Embracing change in entrepreneurship. [52:25]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Cathryn:* Blog: https://www.littlemight.com/* Website: https://bestself.co/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestselfco/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathryn.lavery/

Did you see the Washington Post article about birth control that took women of the internet by storm? The piece, titled “Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion”, discredited the experiences of thousands of women and downplayed the real side effects that can come with taking hormonal birth control. They included an interview with Nicole Bendayan, a holistic women’s health educator, who the writers misled and then misrepresented how she is helping women reclaim their health everyday. Today, we’re getting her side of the story.In this episode you’ll learn: * How women are gaslit about their health concerns* Why women are choosing to come off hormonal birth control* How to choose a birth control method that works for you* Why we need informed consent before taking birth control pills* The real potential side effects of taking hormonal birth control* How we can actually empower women through educationNicole Bendayan is a hormonal health educator on a mission to empower women to reclaim their cycle and thrive through holistic menstrual health. She supports women looking for natural alternatives to hormonal contraception, as well as how to support the body when coming off and lifestyle shifts to experience less hormone-related symptoms overall.This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Nicole:* Website: https://enroll.thesyncsociety.com/fam-workshop-coming-soon/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicole.bendayan/

Allison Conrad is the co-founder and CEO of Arey, the first functional beauty brand to target aging hair with a proactive, science-driven approach. The idea for Arey came shortly after Allison saw her first grey hairs and was shocked that the only way to address grey hair was with hair dye and that there were no preventive solutions. She was using wrinkle cream and SPF to prevent wrinkles, but there was nothing available to manage and prevent grey hair, and that’s when Arey was born.In 2020, Allison founded the company alongside her beloved hairstylist and friend Jay Small who also saw the demand for such a product. From a daily supplement to topicals, Arey offers a full line of clean, innovative products formulated with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and a clinically efficacious peptide to slow and re-pigment greys. In just a few years, Arey has already been featured on Who What Wear, VOGUE, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health and so many more. In this week’s episode, we talk to Allison about the power of patience, why we shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves, and how every twist in turn in your career will lead you to where you’re supposed to be. Allison also walks through the challenges she had pioneering a new category in the haircare industry, how she thought through funding her business - from bootstrapping to then fundraising and what she did to create early traction & awareness for the business. Allison also shares how Arey is the 12th company that she has been involved in and the 3rd she has founded, so in this episode, she shares a lot of insights when it comes to entrepreneurship, making pivots in your life and career, and so much more.In this episode, we’ll talk to Allison about:* Importance of patience and self-compassion. [02:53]* Being the black sheep in the family. [08:01]* Sewing and selling skirts as her first business venture. [12:23]* Allison's lessons from her first business. [15:09]* Studying in Stanford Business School. [16:55]* What Allison learned about herself. [18:38]* Lessons from the startup fundraising world. [26:33]* Allison's pivotal moment in starting Arey. [32:27]* The concept of hair re-pigmentation. [34:30]* The importance of networking in finding the right manufacturer. [37:02]* Allison’s approach in fund-raising for Arey. [38:37]* How Allison validated the concept early on. [42:17]* How Allison created education around her brand. [45:09]* The messy truth in entrepreneurship. [48:48]* Future plans for Arey. [52:41]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya’s seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Allison:* Website: https://areygrey.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/areygrey/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonaconrad/