Sabeena Ladha is the founder and CEO of Deux, a better-for-you snack brand that includes vegan and gluten-free donut bites, cookie doughs, and dessert spreads.

Sabeena has a deep relationship with junk food. Some of her earliest memories date back to the time she spent at her father’s gas station and convenience store, which her parents bought after immigrating from India and Pakistan. After graduating from college, Sabeena entered the workforce and started her career working for the giant food conglomerate Frito-Lay at PepsiCo. She credits her knowledge of the industry today to her time spent at the junk food mecca. Despite where she started her career, Sabeena also had a love for wellness and wanted to create products that could satisfy her health-minded sweet tooth.

The concept for Deux began in June 2020 when Sabeena started experimenting with chocolate chip cookie dough in her kitchen. The company has since expanded its offerings from cookie doughs to dessert spreads and donut holes that are vegan, gluten-free, and preservative-free and contain "functional ingredients" like vitamin B12. While Deux first started as an exclusively direct-to-consumer brand, the company has expanded to have a significant retail presence in Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and many other stores nationwide.

In this week’s episode, we talk to Sabeena about her relationship with risk, the importance of learning the rules before breaking them with your own business, and how she has had to unwind her “overachiever” tendencies to go against the grain and start Deux. We discuss why she decided to launch cookie dough as her first product, how she has managed stress during different phases of the company, and steps she took to build momentum on social when they first launched. Sabeena opens up about her Shark Tank experience, how it impacted her and her business, the biggest learnings she’s had along the way, and so much more.

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

* Relationship with risk influenced by parents. [02:42]

* Why money won't bring you happiness. [07:41]

* Managing work and rest in Deux's early stage. [10:38]

* Work experience and health blog beginnings. [16:26]

* Origin of the cookie dough idea and first iteration. [21:24]

* The importance of asking for help. [23:11]

* Creating the first iteration and formula development. [24:22]

* Challenges faced with Deux. [28:50]

* Managing challenges and stress. [32:01]

* Creating brand awareness and joining Shark Tank. [35:13]

* Behind the scenes of Shark Tank experience. [37:04]

* Future plans for Deux. [43:01]

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 Sabeena:

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

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

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

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

Can you imagine a world in which men go through menopause? There’s a chance we’d have a lot more research to understand these changes. Since women spend ⅓ of their life in menopause and postmenopause, we think we deserve more answers and better care. That’s exactly what today’s guest is here to provide—and women of all ages, whether you’re in your 20s, 30s or 40s, should really listen!

In this episode you’ll learn:

* What women can expect as they age and what they can change

* How to know if you’re in perimenopause or menopause

* Why there is fear around hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

* How menopause impacts our bones, heart, metabolism and libido

* The potential risks of NOT taking hormone replacement

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, CMP, is a board-certified Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and a best-selling author focused on women’s health. After noticing her patients' concerns about menopause-related symptoms, and navigating her own, Dr. Haver extensively researched menopause, aging and inflammation, leading to the creation of The Galveston Diet and her 2023 bestselling book. In 2021, she founded The Mary Claire Wellness Clinic to provide personalized menopause care, integrating medical history, nutrition, exercise, supplements, and hormone therapy. With over 3 million social media followers, Dr. Haver shares advice and learns from her community, aiming to make menopause care accessible and comprehensive through initiatives like The ‘Pause Life and her latest book, “The New Menopause”.

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. Haver:

* Website: https://maryclairewellness.com/

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

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

Joanna Griffiths is the Founder and President of Knix, the innovative direct-to-consumer intimates and apparel brand.

The idea for Knix started after she had a conversation with her mom about what women’s bodies undergo as they age especially when it came to post-pregnancy leaks. After doing research on her end and speaking to more women, she realized there was a massive gap in the market. So in 2013, she launched a Kickstarter campaign that placed Knix on the map not only for its intimates but for talking openly about the reality of women’s bodies.

A decade later, the womenswear brand has expanded into a variety of categories, including bras, activewear, shapewear, swim, loungewear, and more. Joanna has built Knix into one of the fastest-growing intimate apparel brands globally. In 2022, Joanna decided to sell 80% of her business for $320 million, making it one of the largest exits by a female founder in Canada and one of the most significant sales of a brand by a female founder in US history.

In this week’s episode, Joanna talks to us about her incredible journey building Knix, what she learned in her career in media & entertainment, and how it actually helped her disrupt the intimates industry despite having no background. She shares how she pivoted early on from wholesale even though they were doing incredibly well, how they ended up launching as a direct-to-consumer company, and why it was one of the boldest decisions she made. Joanna also opens up about how she dealt with depression even when she had major success with the brand, and the steps she took to manage this difficult time. We talk about how she dealt with difficult investors who didn’t believe she could run a high-growth company being a mom of three, what she did to prove those naysayers wrong, and so much more.

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

* Being vulnerable and open on social media. [02:55]

* The reality in entrepreneurship. [04:56]

* Joanna’s coping mechanisms as a founder. [08:31]

* Creating momentum in the early stages. [12:59]

* Working in a record label, getting an MBA, and shifting passions. [16:23]

* The genesis of the Knix idea and testing their first product. [18:12]

* The manufacturing processes. [22:48]

* Launching Knix on Kickstarter. [25:16]

* Joanna’s depression despite the business doing well. [32:12]

* Joanna’s fundraising journey. [39:05]

* Building confidence and managing negativity. [45:03]

* Joanna’s behind-the-scenes in managing her business and motherhood. [46:21]

* Selling the company and buying a house for their nanny. [48:11]

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 Joanna:

* Website: https://knix.com/

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

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

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