Story of a Startup

In this episode of Story of a Startup, we sit down with Florence Barras, co-owner of Sockerbit Candy, a pioneering Swedish candy company based in Los Angeles. Florence shares the leap of faith her and husband Stefan had to take to become the first company to import Swedish candy into the U.S., along with the tradition of “Saturday candy” — a cherished Swedish custom of indulging in sweets only on Saturdays.

Dominick, Jessica, an...

Today we're sitting down with Ravi Kurani, water tech innovator and founder of Sutro, a startup helping keep our water safe. Ravi shares a unique founder story of growing up around the pool business, what he learned about entrepreneurship in his time at NASA, and what it takes to bring a forward-thinking hardware product to market. Plus get insights about securing B2B partnerships, navigating acquisitions, and balancing consumer ne...

Jessica and Dominick speak with Aida Mollenkamp, the founder of Salt & Wind Travel, a food-focused travel experience curator.
In this episode, Aida discusses the challenges and triumphs of building her business, including her approach to curating culinary and cultural adventures for travelers and her commitment to building meaningful connections with local communities. She dives into the importance of mindset in entrepreneurship...

It's time for another SUN LOVE update! Jessica and Dominick sit down to continue their discussion on the upcoming launch of their own startup, SUN LOVE.

Learn how Jessica and Dominick are utilizing LinkedIn and Pinterest for marketing, the legal side of product packaging, building mutually beneficial internship programs, and why every entrepreneur is familiar with mid-day showers. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned...

Jessica and Dominick sit down with Jesse McMullin, a serial entrepreneur with an impressive track record of five startups and five successful exits. Jesse shares his unique journey from being a military medic to becoming a transformative figure in a broad range of industries, including healthcare, sports nutrition, and consumer packaged goods.

Learn about Jesse's approach to identifying and solving consumer pain points, le...

Visionary designer and founder of Mindful & Good Rachel Martin joins us for an enlightening conversation about the intersection of design, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. With over 24 years of experience, Rachel has dedicated her career to helping startups and small businesses elevate their brand expression while embracing mindful practices.

We’ll explore how Rachel's background in big advertising agencies shaped...

Special episode today as Jessica and Dominick introduce the story of their startup SUN LOVE, a holistic skincare brand for sun lovers. In the first of many real-time updates about the progress of the company, you’ll learn about the eureka moment, designing compelling visual branding, the challenges of entering a saturated market, and the unique ingredient at the heart of SUN LOVE: Polypodium leucotomos extract (PLE).

You can c...

Today we're joined by the incredibly talented James Beard-nominated Valerie Gordon, the accomplished chef, chocolatier, and entrepreneur behind the beloved Valerie Confections. Join us as we dive deep into Valerie's inspiring journey—from her early days of baking at just seven years old to building a successful business empire from scratch. 

Valerie shares her personal stories of motherhood, the challenges of entrepreneursh...

Jessica & Dominick dive into the world of sustainable apparel with Eric Henry, CEO of TS Designs. Eric shares his journey from his early entrepreneurial days to leading a pioneering sustainable apparel business. Discover how TS Designs has navigated the evolving landscape of the apparel industry, emphasizing the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.

Eric discusses the challenges and opportunities of maintaining...

This week we're joined by Phil Wood, founder of Brass Monkey Ice Cream. He talks with Jessica & Dominick about his career as a self-employed travel photographer, the difficulties of scaling a new business, how to pivot when you need to, and what hay flavored ice cream can teach us about innovation in business.

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Welcome to Story of a Startup, a podcast for entrepreneurs. In this debut episode, you'll get to know Jessica and Dominick as they discuss the framework of the podcast, the distinction between entrepreneurs and startup entrepreneurs, and the story of Jessica’s own startup— Carmela Ice Cream.

You’ll hear about the challenges, lessons learned, and breakthroughs in the founding of Carmela and takeaway some foundational elements t...