HER MILLION DOLLAR MY$TERY: EPISODE 018 – MOLLY BERRENS, SPOTTED YETI

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You have to love hearing the story that belongs to a woman who would choose Eleanor Roosevelt as her famous woman to meet for dinner! Molly Berrens uses her “smart video” business to “show the world that you exist.” I think Eleanor would have loved this concept.

Having worked directly with Molly Berrens and Spotted Yeti on a video production project unique to Aviatra, I know firsthand her passion for telling stories in video with the end-user in mind. Thinking backward from results to tactics has put Spotted Yeti front and center in the video storytelling industry in the Cincinnati/Northern KY region.

Join us on the podcast where we learn where the creative name originated, her ingredients for success, and how she overcame the inevitable obstacles small business owners encounter. She shares how relationship building has driven her success, as well as her commitment to investing in others.

In the meantime, check out Spottedyeti.com and view some of her artistically created storytelling videos that “show the world that you exist” in living color! You will love the easy way Molly has about her – you can see how her clients are put at ease while they share their stories to be told in video form. Be inspired by Molly Berrens and Spotted Yeti’s journey.

Listen to the podcast here!

HER MILLION DOLLAR MY$TERY: EPISODE 016 – Barbara (Stanny) Huson, The Leading Authority on Women, Wealth & Power

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I could write this blog post all day and still not totally unpack all the rich content Barbara and I discuss on this two-part episode of Her Million Dollar My$tery!

Barbara walks us through her multi-step processes of truly understanding the barriers women face when it comes to money. As the author of several books – Prince Charming Isn’t Coming, Secrets of Six-Figure Women, Overcoming Underearning, Finding A Financial Advisor You Can Trust, Breaking Through, Sacred Success, and her soon to be released 7th book, Rewire For Wealth, Barbara digs deep into the issues that women have around money, wealth and power.

In part one of my chat with Barbara, we talk about money issues equaling power issues. We tend to have a silent critic that says “Powerful women are burned at the stake,” so why wouldn’t we shy away from money when it equals power?

Barbara takes us through the four phases of digging deep into our money issues: Outer Work, Inner Work, Higher Work, Deeper Work. All fascinating and will strike a nerve at some point in all of us. When I asked her about the traits of women who have broken the barriers, she notes that they all have confidence but they also all have FEAR! Wow – we thought fear was bad and you have to be fearless! Barbara blows this myth out of the water and talks about walking right into your fear. Self doubt never stops the successful woman.

In part two, Barbara gives us a deep dive into her new book and talks extensively about reprogramming our brains for financial success.

You won’t want to miss these two episodes, and if you are like me, you will listen over and over again and take notes on this one – and then go grab her books. She is a delight to talk to and listen to, so I know you will enjoy joining us (here).

Then, go Rewire (your brain) For Wealth!

Listen to the podcast here!

Aviatra Spotlight: Mavis Linnemann-Clark

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The pandemic has brought many unprecedented challenges for entrepreneurs and small business owners. We asked Aviatra alum, Mavis Linnemann-Clark, owner of The Delish Dish, Made by Mavis Artisan Jams, and Kickstart Kitchen, how she has managed and pivoted amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

  1. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your business?

COVID-19 has been devastating to the catering and events industry, just like the restaurant industry. We lost all of our corporate business overnight (33% of our business) when folks moved to working from home. No one hosted an event in their home for months. Many of our weddings were moved to 2021or cancelled, but thankfully some did simply reschedule to the fall, and we’ve been catering weddings since July. However, November and December are some of our busiest months of the year, and with the increase in COVID cases, we are not sure what to expect. We had expected 2020 to be our best year ever, and instead, our sales are down 50%.

  1. How have you pivoted or adapted?

In March, we created a carryout menu and moved to a curbside carryout and delivery model. While this did not offset our losses completely, it helped us keep our kitchen cooking and our full-time employees working. When restaurants opened in June, our carryout business faded, but weddings were permitted, so we pivoted back to full-service catering. With the fall and more folks moving indoors, we just launched a new permanent branch of our company called The Delish Dish To Go. At our new food shop, we have pre-made dinners for two, take-and-bake appetizers, soups, breakfast items, as well cookie dough and desserts available for folks to order online and stop by and pick up.

  1. How are you staying motivated?

When the pandemic first hit, I definitely wallowed at home for a few days. Then I remembered that this is not how I do things and that I needed to make a plan and take action, rather than closing my company for an undetermined amount of time. So I put on my big girl panties, and I got to work.

The drive to keep my employees working so that we can all feed our families and pay our bills is certainly motivation to figure out new and creative ways to keep my business open. 

  1. How have you managed your staff during this time? (maintain, layoff, furlough, etc.)  

Our salaried staff has continued to be paid their full-time wage. Some of our hourly workers chose to basically furlough themselves until there was enough work to be had, while we did our best to keep the rest of our staff cooking with carryout and catering orders.

  1. What have you learned from the pandemic?

That no matter how many years you’ve been in business, there will come a time when you are forced to adapt and change and to create something new where there wasn’t before. You can cry for a day or two, but after that, put your feet to the floor and make things happen.

  1. Do you have any advice for small business owners and entrepreneurs right now?   

Don’t panic. Take deep breaths. Be creative. Be resourceful. Use your contacts and your staff to help you shape and create new ideas and facets of your business. Put in the work. This too shall pass.

HER MILLION DOLLAR MY$TERY: EPISODE 015 – NANCY AICHHOLZ, AVIATRA ACCELERATORS

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After a number of weeks of talking to women with a variety of different entrepreneurial experiences, and with women who want to fund other women’s ventures, we are beginning to see some clues to solving this mystery. Why in the world do women own 49% of the businesses in the United States, but we represent 10% or less of the annual earned revenue? Crazy, right? It can’t be in 2020 that this is accurate. But it is!

There are certainly systemic issues. There are issues that arise from just the types of businesses that women “usually” start (more consumer focused, smaller, consulting businesses, etc). And, there are some attitudes we could work on changing in ourselves.

Spending time on these past episodes, it is clear that women who do knock it out of the park and blow through that million dollar “barrier” don’t see it as a barrier. They see it, at worst, as a hurdle, but more likely a goal to be achieved and surpassed.

Common denominators among these Million Dollar Women are: Know your personal “why”; Focus, Focus Focus; Know that you don’t know it all – surround yourself with people smarter than you; Positivity; Use trusted mentors; Grit, determination, smarts, fearlessness, shoot for the stars, give back; And my personal favorite – root for other women.

All these traits and attitudes show up in spades among these successful women. We can all learn from them.

Keep listening to upcoming episodes when we will talk to a national author and expert on women and money, and the attitudes around it. We will start to dig a little deeper into these traits that we know we all need to embody to be our most successful selves.

Listen here for more detail on all of these success attributes!

HER MILLION DOLLAR MY$TERY: EPISODE 014 – ELIZABETH EDWARDS, H VENTURES

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Our impressive guest on this week’s episode, Elizabeth Edwards of H Ventures, saw a “Cultural Moment” and decided to define that moment on her own terms! Drawing on prior professional experiences, Edwards notice not only a lack of Venture Capital invested in women founded businesses, but also a lack of VC funds going towards consumer brands. And who is making 85% of the nation’s consumer decisions? WOMEN!

H Ventures brings resources to the table for female founders AND female investors. Getting the right people on the team and the right people in the room together has been a winning combo. Elizabeth’s background in Strategy with Deloitte, and brand management at Johnson & Johnson, set her up to be the perfect person to focus on a sector of the VC world that has been largely overlooked.

Her words of wisdom to female founders include knowing what you want, showing up, and being the expert in your domain and a specialist in the stage of your consumer facing brand. H Ventures puts their potential investees through a highly rigorous process – only 15 or 30,000 or more are selected for investment.

Listen in and hear what makes a female founded, consumer facing brand likely to be one of the select 15! Another clue to solving “Her Million Dollar My$tery!”

Listen to the podcast here!

LAUNCH® 2020 COHORT SPOTLIGHT: Megan M. McClendon

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What exactly is your business?

One Sweet Box delivers a carefully-curated and Instagram-worthy party experience. We are currently focused on bachelorette parties with the intention to grow into other types of parties.

How did you come up with your business idea?

Between a long daily commute listening to the “How I Built This” podcast and planning bachelorette parties for friends, I came to the realization that there was some real opportunity to provide a better experience for both the party planner and the guest of honor!

How did you find out about Aviatra?

I moved to Cincinnati in 2017 and came across Aviatra during my late night Googles. I had been working on this nugget of an idea and was searching for support in the area. I attended an “Open House” about their Explore class and fell in love. It was destiny!

What is your inspiration?

Ahhh, I am inspired by so many things! I truly believe that everyone should be celebrated. Unfortunately, that is not a possibility for everyone. There’s nothing more special than a birthday celebration when you are young. In developing One Sweet Box, my goal has always been to give back and celebrate more. I came across The Birthday Party Project last year and was able to volunteer for the first time by helping to throw a birthday party for children at a homeless shelter in St.Louis. It was absolutely magical. We currently support them through Amazon Smile and plan to donate a portion of our proceeds and time to them once we get up and running.

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?

Navigating my financials! Math has never been my favorite subject. I went to art & design school where math wasn’t offered, a key decision factor in choosing which college and major to pursue. Aviatra has given me the tools, support and mentors I needed to break past this barrier. I am now finding the financial aspect of building a business as fun!

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?

Support. And from so many directions! I originally participated in Explore where I met some amazing mentors & connections who stuck with me beyond the class. Shout out to Rebecca Volpe and Carlin Stamm! I also met some amazing women in class who have become friends and great supporters. Lastly, having the support and accountability of Aviatra classes catapulted me from an idea to a business.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?

What do I do next? What are the things that I don’t know that I don’t know? Aviatra has so many amazing resources that support from all aspects of business from branding, marketing, advertising to financials, legal and accounting. They helped me ensure that I was thinking holistically about what I needed to consider.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?

I hope to have supported a wide variety of parties, built great relationships with my customers and made a difference by celebrating with those who aren’t able to.

Any advice for future Aviatras?

Be Bold! Get out of your own way and get into it! You won’t know unless you try. And keep celebrating! Cheers!

HER MILLION DOLLAR MY$TERY: EPISODE 013 – Robin Gentry McGee, Functional Formularies

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“Women will save the world!” is Robin Gentry McGee’s motto–and she is doing her part in spades. Between founding and skyrocketing a business that literally saves lives around the world, giving back to support the launch and growth of Aviatra Accelerators-Dayton, and pouring time & talent into helping other women start businesses that will also change the world, Robin is living her motto!

Robin admits she started her Functional Formularies business, a whole foods solution to the unhealthy feeding tube options available at the time her father was is need of nutrients after a catastrophic brain injury, without so much as a business plan!  By turning to Aviatra Accelerators (then BGV, Inc.) she married her passion and outstanding product with real business acumen that set her on an amazing course.

Another of Robin’s mantras is “Problems can’t be solved by the same minds that caused the problems.” Instead of trying to fix a product that wasn’t working for her Dad, she went straight to her “happy place,” the kitchen, where she already had a passion for food as medicine. And in less than 5 years in the commercial space, Robin exited her business at a substantial return, and now pours her knowledge into helping other women.

Join us to hear how tenacity and problem solving changed the lives of countless people through Functional Formularies.

Listen to the podcast here.

HER MILLION DOLLAR MY$TERY: EPISODE 012 – STACEY BROWNING, CINCYTECH USA

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Traveling, creating experiences, and being a life-long learner are the things that make Stacey Browning tick. Another passion of Stacey’s is a career long commitment to “root for other women.” A refreshing perspective in today’s sometimes overly-competitive world.

“Women need encouragement as fuel,” Browning says. So true!! It’s those negative inner voices that suck our energy and confidence, so fueling ourselves with encouragement and fueling others with the same keeps the fire in our bellies we need to succeed.

She also encourages women to focus on what is true. What is true about your abilities, experience, dreams, goals…. “Many women have a zero sum mindset,” she says. That is for sure not the truth we should be telling ourselves.

She also gives some practical advice for women with tech/digital solutions to problems–“Put your ideas on paper.” She encourages us to get it all out of our heads before we try to communicate it to others.

Get inspired to create solutions to problems and blast your business way past the $1M mark with this inspirational podcast.

Listen to the podcast here.

HER MILLION DOLLAR MY$TERY: EPISODE 011 – CASEY & MEG HILMER, POWER RYDE CYCLE STUDIO

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What fun to interview a mother/daughter duo! Balancing skill sets with starting and growing a business into a full-blown community has worked well for Casey & Meg Hilmer.

Seven years ago, they opened their first Power Ryde Studio space in Loveland, OH. Since then, they have built a solid community of cycle enthusiasts on their state-of-the-art RealRyder bikes. And, they have contributed $85,000 back to local charitable causes by offering sponsored “rides” that support a particular community concern.

Casey, who has overcome some significant hurdles in life, believes in the theory of businesses that Sleep (at the beginning), Creep (as they begin to grow) and the LEAP as they really take off. Power Ryde’s “leap” came fairly quickly, in large part to Casey’s youthful fearlessness and her refusal to see the barriers. She had to overcome what a lot of women trip over, that unwillingness to promote herself.

Join us for this fun and energetic episode that will leave you deciding if you want to go do a power ride or start a business of your own, or both!

Listen to the podcast here.

LAUNCH® 2020 Cohort Spotlight: Keri Kilroy

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What is your business?

Donna’s Gourmet Cookies

How did you come up with your business idea?

Donna is the name of the original owner and the creative genius behind the majority of the recipes that we use today. Donna retired and I didn’t want her cookies to go away. Her name is known and associated with our cookies in Cincinnati, so I felt it was vital to keep the name.

How did you find out about Aviatra?

Internet search for women and business support

What is your inspiration?

Great culinary experiences that can be shared and celebrated amongst friends, family and strangers!

What has been your biggest accomplishment with your business so far?

I purchased the business from another person who was very successful. Learning to replicate the recipes so they were consistent was super challenging.

What was the most valuable thing you gained from your experience with Aviatra?

The network of other business women that are willing to help answer questions.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years?

Although I have big dreams and aspirations for this cookie shop, my focus right now is to just make it through another day with a team that is healthy. So with that being said, still being in business 5 years from now would be a huge win given the COVID-19 world we are living in.

Any advice for future Aviatras?

You will get a lot of valuable information from this class. Make a big list of all the things you learn and tackle them one at a time instead of doing everything all at once. Take the time to do it right one thing at a time!