SelfMade Stories

Claire and Erica are the founders of Of A Kind and the authors of Work Wife. They met in college at the University of Chicago and quickly connected over their love of fashion and discovery. 9 years ago they founded their company Of A Kind which combined the two passions that brought them together. They feature various artisans and designers and their one of a kind creations on their e-commerce platform Of A Kind. They bet big on content and invested in Tumblr, something no one else was doing at the time which got them the traction they needed to build a healthy business they eventually sold to Bed Bath & Beyond, who gave them the financial means to expand to other growth categories. They decided to write their book, Work Wife, about the importance and role their friendship played in their ability to build a scalable business. They also interview other Work Wives about the importance of maintaining friendships and professional relationships. Claire and Erica speak with first-hand knowledge about the necessity for vulnerability in the workplace and the role camaraderie plays in both effectiveness and productivity. Their story is the stuff of dreams for co-founders everywhere. Check them out on Instagram @clairemazur and @ericacerulo. You can shop Of A Kind online at ofakind.com or on Instagram @ofakind. Their book is available for purchase on Amazon and their podcast, A Few Things, is available on Apple Podcasts and online.

Mark Shami is the founder and CEO of The M Jewelers, co-founder of SHAMI OFFICIAL and LAVAL, and an all-around hustler. Mark grew up in a family of jewelers learning how to cast and make jewelry as a kid in his grandpa’s studio. He spent his 20s touring the country with his band. He stepped away from the stage in 2014 to start his own company with a focus on customizable jewelry. He got his start on Instagram, finding influencers to send free pieces to in exchange for a post. He put every cent of profit back into social and retargeting with an uncompromising belief that it would help build his business. 5 years later and he’s been featured on Forbes 30 under 30, he's built his Instagram following to 1 million, broke 1MM in revenue and has gained profitability. Brian and Mark discuss the importance of hard work and belief in your product as well as retargeting strategies. Mark’s story is inspiring for entrepreneurs at any stage of their business. You can check out The M Jewelers on Instagram @themjewelers or online at themjewelers.com.

Megan Auman is the designer and maker behind her jewelry line, Megan Auman, and the founder of Designing an MBA, an online business course specifically for artists and makers. She graduated with a masters in metalsmithing and naturally made the transition into making and selling her own jewelry. After successfully scaling her practice, she founded her online education course to provide artists and makers with the tools necessary to become profitable and build a healthy business. You can check out Megan and her jewelry on Instagram @meganauman or online at meganauman.com or designinganmba.com.

Vincent Biscaye is the founder of Step Two Advisors (CPG advisory) and a partner with Love Grace (organic cold-press juice). He started his career in financial trading, feeling unfulfilled he took a sabbatical and started advising his friend on the finances of his juice company. Inspired by the entrepreneurial journey, he decided to commit to the company full-time. After two years he took all the knowledge he acquired (including the mistakes he made) and started Step Two - a consulting firm specializing in CPG early stage startups. He has helped over 20 brands with everything ranging from financial modeling to fundraising to investor relations. Brian and Vincent talk through how e-commerce companies can think about their finances even if you're a day-one business, re-targeting, and the importance of nailing the quality of your product. If you’re struggling with your financial model or don’t have one yet - this episode is a great one to check out. If you’re an early stage start-up looking for a consultant check out steptwoadvisors.com. To see some of the brands Vincent has worked with check out @evivesmoothie, @mood33infusions, and @lovegracefoods. To learn more about the power of listening, listen to The Axe Files with David Axelrod (Episode 319: Beto O’Rourke). And if you’re looking for your next read check out 10% Happier by Dan Harris.

Cayla O'Connell is the founder of Knickey, organic cotton undies for everyday. Knickey is dedicated to providing a comfortable, sustainable alternative for women that's better for their bodies and better for the planet. Cayla really knows her stuff. She cut her teeth working for non profits and in sustainable home goods before deciding to start her own sustainable retail line. She settled on a basics line comprised of organic cotton, specifically underwear that's inclusive in it's colors and sizing. Cayla walks through what sustainability means to Knickey, the importance of putting your customer first, and how she thinks about diversifying what she delivers to her customers. This is the third women's underwear brand we've featured on SelfMade Stories. Each one has managed to carve out a space for themselves in an immensely crowded industry by identifying a market need. If you're struggling to find your white space check out our other episodes with Marissa Vosper of Negative Underwear and Miki Agrawal of Thinx.

Miki Agrawal is the co-founder of Thinx, founder of Tushy and Wild, and the author of two books (Do Cool Shit and Disrupt-Her) not to mention a full-time, kick-ass mom. In Part II, Miki speaks to how she built Tushy and Thinx into what they are today. From the marketing moves that got her the traction and press she needed for launch, to how she allocates her own time and energy in a way that’s most beneficial for her business. Check out Miki on Instagram @mikiagrawal and her current venture Tushy @hellotushy and hellotushy.com. You can keep up with SelfMade @selfmade and email us at selfmadestories@selfmade.co.

Miki Agrawal is the co-founder of Thinx, founder of Tushy and Wild, and the author of two books (Do Cool Shit and Disrupt-Her) not to mention a full-time, kick-ass mom. Wild was the first of its kind, bringing farm to table, gluten free pizza to New York in 2006. Shortly after she came up with the idea for period-proof underwear that supports women everyday of the month. After changing the way we think and talk about periods and pizza she set out to revolutionize the American bathroom with Tushy - an affordable, easy to install, bidet. While all this was happening she wrote and published two books and had a kid. In the first part of Miki’s story, Brian and Miki go all the way back to Miki’s childhood and talk about what made her the person she is today, how she comes up with business ideas, and how she stays dialed in while captaining her businesses to success. Brian and Miki reference a ton of great books and resources. Check em out to get further inspired on your entrepreneurial journey: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight Trying Not to Try by Edward G. Slingerland Laws of Attraction by Michael Losier Passive Income & Ready, Set, Live! by Chris Atwood “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” Hunter S. Thompson TLDR: Miki Agrawal is an all star entrepreneur, co-founder of Thinx, founder of Tushy and Wild, and the author of Do Cool Shit and Disrupt-Her. Brian and Miki discuss how she grew up and how Miki comes up and executes her business ideas. Stay tuned for Part II.

Jessy Fofana is the founder of LaRue PR, a boutique PR agency that represents all the brands and entrepreneurs everyone aspires to be like. This episode is a little different - while Jessy doesn’t have a direct background in e-commerce she did build a cosmetics brand in the 90s which she successfully sold before going into PR full time and eventually starting her own agency. Brian and Jessy discuss the importance of PR for your business and how you can think about PR on a zero dollar budget. Jessy has a ton of great tips and tricks on how to get your brand exposure if you’re just starting out and some resources that are helpful for a company at any stage. To get inspired further check out some of Jessy’s favorite female founders and their brands on Instagram: Alli Webb of Drybar (@alliwebb & @thedrybar) Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream (@jenibrittonbauer & @jenisicecreams) Jaclyn Johnson of Create and Cultivate (@jaclynrjohnson & @createcultivate) Jen Gotch of Ban.do (@jengotch & @shopbando) Justina Blakeney of The Jungalow & Justina Blakeney Home (@justinablakeney, @thejungalow, & @justinablakeneyhome) And check out prcouture.com and createcultivate.com for great articles and blog posts touching on everything from PR to social and marketing.

Courtney Boyd Myers (aka CBM) is the co-founder of AKUA, a business on a mission to bring sustainable sea greens to the consumer market through kelp jerky. After learning about the immense environmental benefits of ocean farming kelp, CBM made it her mission to create a commercial want. She saw a clear market need for tasty, healthy, plant based jerky, thus AKUA was born. Brian and CBM discuss the benefits of sustainable ocean farming, how to communicate your brand story, and the importance of marketing. There’s a lot to learn in this episode so keep your ears open. To learn more about the benefits of kelp on both your body and the environment check out AKUA @lifeakua on Instagram or at akua.co. You can keep up with CBM and her kitesurfing adventures @CBM on Instagram and on Twitter. To get further inspired check out @away and their founder Jen Rubio @jennifer or @thisisaday for all your travel and sustainable fashion needs. If you’re into girls being given the opportunity to shape the future of tech check out kodewithklossy.com to learn more about how Karlie Kloss is paving the way for more female engineers. Till next week!

Arielle Crawford is the founder of ARIELLE, a conscious collective focused on sustainable textiles, domestic manufacturing, and fair-trade practices. After leaving high-end fashion because she didn’t agree with production practices, she founded ARIELLE. Brian and Arielle discuss what it means to live plastic-free and how you can think about sustainability when it comes to what your business and what you wear. This week’s episode is particularly inspiring. To learn more about living plastic free follow Arielle @shop_arielle and check out Kate Nelson @plasticfreemermaid. For sustainable clothes checkout shop-arielle.com and knickey.com. And to get even further inspired on the entrepreneurial journey check out @mikiagrawal and @love.radha.

Meha Agrawal is the co-founder of Silk + Sonder, the first ever monthly planner subscription that is tailor-made to empower thinkers and inspire creativity. Meha got her start as an analyst at Goldman Sachs before transitioning to the startup world, where she quickly found her passion for entrepreneurship and founded Silk + Sonder. In this episode, Meha and Brian dig into her business and talk through pain points and struggles every entrepreneur faces when first starting out, while Brian shares some of his own insights as a fellow entrepreneur.

Marissa Vosper is the co-founder of Negative Underwear, an innovative intimates company for women by women. Marissa and her co-founder, Lauren Schwab, founded the company to answer a need for chic, well-designed, functional underwear. Impressively, Negative Underwear has thrived off their own self-funding, breaking even after only two and a half months. On part two of Negative’s journey, Brian and Marissa discuss how Negative has been able to maintain steady growth with crystal clear focus around branding and messaging - with next to no marketing spend.

Marissa Vosper is the co-founder of Negative Underwear, an innovative intimates company for women by women. Marissa and her co-founder, Lauren Schwab, were obsessed with all things ready to wear but felt there was a clear lacking in chic functionality when it came to their underwear. After balancing night classes at fashion school with their full-time jobs, they co-founded Negative Underwear. In the first part of Negative’s story Brian and Marissa dive into what motivated Marissa to start her business.

Brian speaks with Sabir Semerkant, SVP of eCommerce at VaynerMedia, a full service digital agency. Sabir has over 20 years of experience growing e-commerce businesses and is an expert in social and digital marketing. In this final installment Sabir provides insight into how you can set benchmarks for your business and the things you can do to get to the next level of your business.

Brian speaks with Sabir Semerkant, SVP of eCommerce at VaynerMedia, a full service digital agency. Sabir has over 20 years of experience growing eCommerce businesses and is an expert in social and digital marketing. This episode covers the importance of sharing your brand’s story and the things your business can cultivate for success.