“When we're younger, and we're hungry for these opportunities, there's always this tendency to feel like you have to compromise more, or that you need to let somebody else define your value or your worth.” - Cheval
On this episode of Entreprenista, we welcome back the talented Cheval, who was one of our very first guests on the podcast. When we initially connected with Cheval, she was selling bridal dresses as a head designer with her name being used for the collections. As a designer, she brought over 10 bridal product lines to market and dressed noteworthy female icons like Dove Cameron, Chrissy Teigen, and Carrie Underwood. Except, living this dream came with a lofty price when she signed away the right for her name to be trademarked, without first properly consulting legal counsel. After seeking to renegotiate this one-sided contract, her former employers served her with a lawsuit in federal court that forced her out of the trade she loved and prohibited her from using her own name in any business, commerce, or public social media page. Now, life has changed, business has changed, and Cheval has certainly evolved through, what she calls, her reckless optimism and turned it into a responsible optimism. In today’s episode, she shares how that original contract is still currently being enforced and interpreted in ways that she never could’ve imagined. She discusses how she began picking up the pieces to move forward and allow her lesson learned to be of value to someone else. Learn about how this experience inspired the founding of her non-profit called A Girl You Might Know, which aims to foster a community and network that provides a safe and encouraging environment for artists to create without being subjected to unfair terms. And hear how she now finds herself in the shoemaking business, her secrets to resilience, why we should all honor our mistakes, and so much more!
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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
- Resilience and reinvention
- Overcoming setbacks and finding comfort in community both online and in everyday life
- Protecting yourself through education and awareness
- Case law and Understanding the contracts we sign
- The founding process of nonprofit organizations and foundations
- Clarifying the mission and character-building moments
- Creative experimentation in product development
- The mechanics of warehousing
- Pop-ups and receiving valuable feedback
- Approaching business and life with an abundance mindset