Allison Evans is the co-founder of Branch Basics, a brand dedicated to revolutionizing clean living and fostering healthier homes.

Allison's journey began with personal health struggles - she was diagnosed with PCOS at a young age, didn’t get her period for years and was told she could never get pregnant naturally. After another health crisis in college, Allison was desperate to find relief and embraced a toxin-free lifestyle under her Aunt Marilee's guidance, centered on real food, safe products, and a toxin-free environment. The results were nothing short of miraculous— her symptoms completely disappeared, her period came back and she eventually welcomed three daughters into the world naturally. With her best friend Kelly by her side and her aunt, the three of them co-founded Branch Basics in 2012 with the mission to empower others to rid their homes of toxins and embrace a healthier way of life.

In this episode, Allison candidly shares how a few pivotal moments in her life and health journey were the catalyst for launching the business – and she never thought she would ever be an entrepreneur. Allison walks us through the early days of the business, how their first few ideas for non-toxic living didn’t work out, and how they ultimately decided to launch their all-purpose cleaner which eventually took off. She also shares the behind-the-scenes of the business, including how she managed business crises and the process of rebuilding Branch Basics from scratch. Allison reflects on this challenging time when they paused operations, pulled products from shelves, and laid off staff despite the company making millions in revenue. She also shares insights into managing customers, navigating relationships with formulators, balancing career and motherhood, and so much more.

In this episode, we’ll talk to Allison about:

* Allison’s early health challenges. [03:26]

* The influence of Marilee to Allison’s life [07:42]

* Marilee’s two powerful health stories. [13:19]

* Living with Marilee in 2008 and how they started Branch Basics. [21:15]

* The behind-the-scenes of business crisis management. [27:25]

* Allison’s advice on business problem management. [33:05]

* Getting canceled by an influencer and how Allison’s managed the situation. [36:23]

* Balancing business highs and lows. [39:05]

* Learnings in dealing with difficult customers. [41:47]

* Juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship gracefully. [44:57]

* Collaboration with formulators.[47:53]

* Allison’s business strengths and weaknesses. [50:11]

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 BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow Yasmin:

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/

* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/

Follow Allison:

* Website: https://branchbasics.com/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchbasics/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almevans/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow 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/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 BEHINDHEREMPIRE10

Follow 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/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.