In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Sheena Brady, the founder of Tease Wellness, a company dedicated to creating functional tea blends that promote well-being. Sheena shares her remarkable journey from the high-pressure world of luxury hospitality to entrepreneurship. Her experiences highlight the importance of wellness and community in the business landscape.
Sheena discusses the challenges she faced as a woman entrepreneur, particularly regarding access to capital and the fear of debt. Through her perseverance, she transformed these obstacles into opportunities, utilizing strategic debt financing to grow her business into a multi-million-dollar success.
As the driving force behind the Founders Fund, Sheena is committed to supporting fellow women entrepreneurs through mentorship and education. Her insights on financial literacy and strategic growth are invaluable for anyone looking to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape.
Join us as Sheena opens up about her journey, explores the vital role of community in business, and shares practical, down-to-earth advice for CPG founders and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.
This episode is packed with inspiration and actionable takeaways that you won’t want to miss!
Key Takeaways
- Finding Wellness in a Bustling World: How a high-stress career fueled Sheena’s search for personal well-being, leading her to discover the power of tea.
- More Than Just a Tea Company: Tease Wellness offers functional tea blends designed to seamlessly integrate into everyday life.
- Overcoming Barriers as a Woman Entrepreneur: Sheena sheds light on the challenges women face in accessing capital.
- Debt Financing for Growth: Sheena shares her experience using debt financing, an often-overlooked strategy, to scale Tease.
- Strategic Debt Financing: Sheena shares the benefits of leveraging debt financing instead of giving up equity and highlights how timing and planning are key when securing business loans.
- Financial Knowledge for Entrepreneurs: Understanding financial health through cash flow and balance sheets is crucial for avoiding pitfalls, especially when planning for an exit.
- Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Sheena founded the Founders Fund to help women entrepreneurs access funding, mentorship, and education, focusing on financial literacy and business growth.
- Sustainable Growth and Team Building: Sheena emphasizes the importance of delegating and building a strong team for long-term success, noting that founders don’t always need to be “all-in” from the start.
Episode Highlights
- [03:50] Transition from Hospitality to Wellness: Sheena shares how unhealthy habits and burnout from her hospitality career led her to create Tease Wellness, a brand focused on wellness through tea.
- [08:50] From Layoff to Launchpad: Sheena’s experience of being let go from her corporate job became the catalyst for building Tease.
- [12:45] Financial Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs: Sheena reflects on systemic barriers, particularly around debt and credit history, and how this shaped her path to growing Tease.
- [19:20] Avoiding Equity Investment: Sheena discusses how she avoided equity investment for 11 years and strategically used debt financing to scale Tease, emphasizing the importance of knowing when to seek a loan.
- [23:10] Factoring Financing Costs into Direct Product Costs: Sheena explains how businesses should treat financing costs as part of their direct costs when pricing products.
- [25:50] The Role of Financial Literacy: Sheena and Christina discuss how cash flow management and understanding the balance sheet are key to preparing for a healthy exit and long-term business success.
- [28:50] Plan an intentional Exit Plan: The importance of financial literacy for women founders not only to maintain healthy finances but to build an exit strategy with a strong foundation.
- [33:20] The creation of Founders Fund: This organization supports women entrepreneurs through funding, mentorship, and education, with a focus on financial literacy, mental health, and business growth.
- [39:10] Build Operation freedom: Sheena strategically hired a team at Tease that could manage key areas of the business independently, ensuring growth and scalability without requiring her constant oversight.
Resources
- Tease Wellness Website
- Founders Fund Website
- Sheena Brady on LinkedIn
- Connect with Christina Sjahli on LinkedIn
- Sign up for our Newsletter
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