Startups in Stilettos

Startups in Stilettos

Have you recently started a business, or are you considering taking the leap to start? Do you find yourself alone or overwhelmed in the whirlwind of early challenges in your Entreprenista journey? Well, you’re in the right place - Startups in Stilettos is for you. Learn what it takes to grow your startup, from your peers in the startup world, and those who are in your shoes (or stilettos, if you will) We’re meeting you where you are to get you through your biggest challenges and toward your biggest goals. From the team behind the Entreprenista podcast, tune in to Startups in Stilettos as you take steps to build your startup from the ground up. So what can you expect from Startups in Stilettos? Each week, we’ll interview a startup founder in our community to uncover their early challenges, learn from the solutions they’ve found, make new connections, and strategize for the future growth of their business. You’ll walk away with practical tips and resources to help you along your journey and a new community member to connect with through the Entreprenista League!

Episodes

December 2, 2025 32 mins
"I think what really sets a lot of different agencies apart is how they acquire backlinks because there's so many. And that's another one of those terms, like, who even knows what that means. It's very important to get other websites to talk about your website.”In this episode of Startups in Stilettos, Carlyn and Ingrid sit down with SEO strategist and founder of HelloSEO, Jade Pruett, to explore what visibility really means in 202...
Mark as Played
“And we reached out to them. I was like, I really want to do this self -care giveaway. I really want to elevate this like process of self-care…”On this episode of Startups in Stilettos, host Carlyn Bushman sit down with Entreprenista League member Katya Eckert, founder and CEO of A DOMANI, the sleepwear brand redefining rest for women navigating postpartum, menopause, breast-cancer treatment, and beyond. Inspired by her own postpa...
Mark as Played
“I've been in a number of communities and I think that sharing your challenges and your, even fear, you know, fears and challenges and your wins, which I think as women can be very hard sometimes to do with others…” In this episode of Startups In Stilettos, host Ingrid Zapata-Read sit down with Sequoia Armstrong, conscious travel consultant, community builder, and founder of Puebla York, a boutique travel consultancy helping women...
Mark as Played
“We all feel that way. We all feel like where do we start? You know, you can't do everything every day all the time. So just creating those little habits and little changes.”On this episode of Startups and Stilettos, host Ingrid Zapata-Read sits down with Allyse Cirillo, Founder and CEO of St. Joe, a clean wellness brand reshaping the beauty industry from the inside out.After over a decade in corporate product development and a per...
Mark as Played
“I'm happy to be growing organically and, you know, taking my time with it. I'm not in a rush. So I think that's what I've learned in the past kind of eight, nine, eight years since I've had the brand. It's just, it's going to take time.”What does it take to trade a corporate career at Burberry and Cartier for life as a fashion founder in New York City? For Nina Sarin, Founder & Creative Director of Arias New York, it all started w...
Mark as Played
“...there is a money mindset that we are continuously addressing. And this is why it's an ongoing learning process. And it's great to be part of a community associated with money because there are different dimensions associated with money.” Money isn’t just about numbers — it’s about choices, confidence, and freedom. In this empowering episode of Startups in Stilettos, hosts Carlyn Bushman and Ingrid Zapata-Read sit down with Kel...
Mark as Played
“They're like, well, I don't know if I have the money to do marketing.I'm like, if your marketing is garbage, you're not going to make money. You have to have good marketing.” In this episode of Startups and Stilettos, hosts Ingrid Zapata-Read and Carlyn Bushman sit down with Jamie Keane, founder of Julip — the innovative “website-in-bio” platform helping creators and solopreneurs build stunning, functional websites in just 20 min...
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“...so I had this conversation with the GPT And within like 10 minutes, there were tears streaming down my face because it reflected back to me like what I already knew to be true, which was that I wasn't weaving my spirituality into the work that we were doing. And that's a huge part of who I am as a person.” In this episode of Startups in Stilettos, host Carlyn Bushman sits down with Lauren Capwell and Lauren Shaw, founders of...
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“I’ve had to prove myself ten times harder just to be taken seriously, but I never let that stop me. If anything, it pushed me to build something that speaks for itself.” In this episode of Startups and Stilettos, host Ingrid Zapata-Read sits down with entrepreneur and community builder Gloria Govan. From navigating male-dominated industries to balancing life as a mom of five and founder of multiple ventures, Gloria shares her unf...
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“Remember, passing the mic isn't a one time thing. It's something you do on purpose over and over. It's how you grow and how you can help others grow too.” In this episode of Startups in Stilettos, host Ingrid Zapata-Read unpacks what it really means to “pass the mic.” More than a buzzword, it’s a practice of creating opportunities, amplifying voices, and building trust within your network. Whether you’re just starting out or grow...
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“I was like, I am racing the future while I'm polluting your future. Like I was so, like that just started ringing in my mind and it just became louder and louder until I was like, "I need to figure out how to do this.” On this episode of Startups in Stilettos, hosts Carlyn Bushman and Ingrid Zapata Read sit down with Gabriela Fiorentino, founder of Nest Earth, a membership community helping parents create healthier, non-toxic hom...
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“You already know what you're building. You already know how you want people to feel when they experience your work or buy your product. You just have to get quiet enough to hear it and brave enough to follow it.” In this episode of Startups and Stilettos, host Ingrid Zapata Read gets personal about the lessons she wishes someone had told her at the start of her entrepreneurial journey. From the power of building your email ...
Mark as Played
September 9, 2025 36 mins
“I sat there and I'm like, how do I, how do I manage this? Because it's like, I'm raising a generation of two men. This is not what he needs to see. This is what women do. And that was so, and it was just powerful for me to take it in. Again, things don't happen to us, they happen for us.” On this episode of Startups in Stilettos, we sit down with Sharon Ringier, founder of The Possible Woman Collective and publisher of Possible...
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“I really had to think about this and decide what I could offer that would be unique and really help have me stand out in the crowd. And I think one of the things is, is not that many people come forward with their story.” In this episode of Startups and Stilettos, hosts Ingrid Zapata-Read and Carlyn Bushman sit down with Jessie Jaskulsky, founder of Surrogacy Simplified, a concierge and consulting firm guiding intended parents ...
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“You shouldn't just look for mentors who are five years, 10 years ahead of you. There's a lot of value in having people who are in it with you right now because we're always learning and there's things that someone else might know that you don't know.” Forget everything you thought you knew about finding a mentor. On this episode of Startups and Stilettos, Carlyn and Ingrid are flipping the script on traditional mentorship. We o...
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“Everyone wants the magic wand solution for this, and I always have to disappoint people a little bit. It's just kind of hard work sometimes, that's a good thing, everything worthwhile is, and it helps you to be able to build relationships very intentionally in the right way.” In this episode of Startups and Stilettos, Carlyn and Ingrid sit down with Emily Hall, founder of Rhetorik Agency, to explore the power of long-term think...
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“I didn't go into this saying I am starting a business. I said we need a community, that's not hard. I know how to throw events and bring people together, I'll just do it. I can solve that problem.” In this episode Startups and Stilettos, Carlyn and Richelle sit down with Amanda Smith, the founder and CEO of Dallas Girl Gang, a thriving 50,000+ member global community for women in career, business, and life. Amanda shares her jo...
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"When our minds and our bodies are in alignment, when our thoughts and our actions are congruent and they're happening parallel, then we're actually living in a space where we're living slower lives, where we're not hurting people as much, where we're not as in threat as much, where we're more flexible and nuanced." In this episode of Startups and Stilettos, Carlyn and Ingrid sit down with Dominique Harrison, founder of The Raci...
Mark as Played
“When you're dealing with a challenging person, it's not necessarily that they have something against you, there might be something going on in their business, in their life, or maybe they just don't understand, especially when it comes to community.” Ever found yourself saying "Sure, I can do that!" only to realize later it was a major time-suck and distraction from your true zone of genius? On this episode of Startups and Stil...
Mark as Played
“Just start somewhere and I promise you, like when you open it out to the universe and you put it out there, the right people and the right connections will come into your path.” In this episode of Startups and Stilettos, Carlyn and Ingrid sit down with Traci Channer, founder of The Decided Collection, a pajama brand for tween girls designed to boost confidence and self-acceptance. Traci shares her journey from corporate burnou...
Mark as Played

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