Growing up, sisters Ellen and Claire, started a childcare summer camp for neighborhood children. Eventually, they decided to take what they learned from that experience, along with their work backgrounds, and combine it with the knowledge they had learned while waiting for a diagnosis for Ellen’s autoimmune disease and Claire’s mold exposure to create a place for others who are struggling to get quality help without the gaslighting.
Today, we sit down with Ellen and Claire Rudolph, sisters and co-founders of WellTheory, a health and wellness membership that caters to people who have autoimmune disease. They share about their first business, how their wellness journeys led to starting WellTheory, how going viral has helped their marketing, and so much more.
“I have a really distinct memory of getting my lab results while I was on the subway––I was living in New York at the time––and just breaking down in tears, because I didn't know what that meant for me and my future. And I vowed at that moment that once I got better, this was the area that I needed to dedicate my life to. And from there, I started to educate myself on what I was putting in and all my body started to embrace using food as medicine and really transformed my entire lifestyle.” - Ellen Rudolph
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If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:
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Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.
Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
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Hosts
Stephanie Cartin is a serial entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, community builder, and a champion for women founders. She created the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, to provide resources and support necessary at all business stages. She’s also the Co-founder of Socialfly, one of the first social media marketing agencies, as well as Entreprenista Media and Pearl Influential Capital which was recently acquired by Cherub. Stephanie has shared her journey managing her health challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Infertility, and a complicated pregnancy and is an advocate for women going through similar challenges. Her story and businesses have been featured on the Today Show, Bloomberg and Forbes. Consider Stephanie your biggest business cheerleader.
Courtney Spritzer is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, and advocate for women founders. As Co-Founder and CEO of Socialfly, a social-first digital agency launched in 2012 and acquired in 2024, she has helped shape the industry with innovative strategies. She co-founded the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, offering essential resources and support for all stages of business growth. Courtney’s entrepreneurial journey and business insights have been highlighted in top publications like Entrepreneur.com, Bloomberg, and Forbes.
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Highlights
- Claire and Ellen talk about their childhood business 1:58
- Ellen and Claire share about their backgrounds 5:00
- Ellen gives us details about her health journey and how it caused her to start WellTheory 9:47
- Ellen discusses the differences between what WellTheory is now versus what she thought it would be in the beginning 21:01
- Claire shares what a member of WellTheory can expect in their membership 25:16
- Ellen talks about marketing and how sharing her story went viral 29:08
- Claire and Ellen share the learning lessons of starting a membership business model 32:48
- Ellen gives advice about fundraising 35:49
- Rapid fire questions 39:57
- Managing a public persona as a private person 44:11
- How Claire and Ellen balance their relationship as sisters and co-founders 46:22
- What being an Entreprenista means to Claire and Ellen 49:25