- 7 minutes ago
Ashley Graham is a model and entrepreneur who has spent her career challenging who is seen, heard, and marketed to, transforming that influence into a growing business.
Ten years after her "Sports Illustrated" cover, Graham took the stage at Business Insider's The Long Play to unpack how she has built a personal brand across fashion, beauty, entertainment, and consumer products without losing what's at the core of her identity.
Graham spoke about her new venture in the wine business and her longtime partnership with JCPenney during her interview with Business Insider’s executive editor, Leena Rao.
During the conversation, titled "Breaking the Mold," Graham also said that getting lots of rejection early on in her career has made her into a better businesswoman.
"If it's not for you, there's another thing for you. And you can't take it personally," Graham told Rao during the session, titled "Breaking the Mold."
Ten years after her "Sports Illustrated" cover, Graham took the stage at Business Insider's The Long Play to unpack how she has built a personal brand across fashion, beauty, entertainment, and consumer products without losing what's at the core of her identity.
Graham spoke about her new venture in the wine business and her longtime partnership with JCPenney during her interview with Business Insider’s executive editor, Leena Rao.
During the conversation, titled "Breaking the Mold," Graham also said that getting lots of rejection early on in her career has made her into a better businesswoman.
"If it's not for you, there's another thing for you. And you can't take it personally," Graham told Rao during the session, titled "Breaking the Mold."
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TechTranscript
00:02Hi guys. Welcome. Thank you. I like this crowd. I know. Hello. I wonder what you guys were talking about
00:09earlier. Longevity. I know. What were we talking about earlier? Babies. Yep. Pregnancy. Therapy. Paramenopause. Therapy. Yeah. The normal stuff
00:18girls like to talk about. Don't worry. We're not talking about that stuff with you guys. We know our audience.
00:25We can talk about it if we want. Yeah. Raise your hand if you want to talk about it. Let's
00:28talk about business.
00:29Yes. Let's do it. You just walked the Victoria's Secret runway show for the third time as Dan mentioned. That's
00:38such a meaningful brand to you from what I understand. What was going through your mind as you did that?
00:44Well, it's a meaningful brand to me now because growing up, I didn't have any kind of relationship with the
00:50brand. They didn't serve a girl who looked like me being a curvy girl, especially I'm from Texas, Atlanta, Arkansas,
00:56New Hampshire, Nebraska. I didn't grow up in the hubs where fashion was a thing. And I just got the
01:01Victoria's Secret catalogs. I just remember being like, well, they have an XL. I know I can buy a swimsuit
01:05from here. And that was about it.
01:07And I didn't watch the shows growing up. These girls were not attainable or they weren't my heroes. And then
01:13when they had their long break, as we like to say, they got some really great creative people in there
01:20and started answering the questions of why aren't they extending their sizes?
01:25And when they asked me to do it three years ago, I got on the phone with the CMO and
01:29the CFO and was just asking them, like, what does the extension look like? Is it just like, I don't
01:34want to come on as a token. I don't want to be the one trick pony and say, okay, we're
01:39dangling the carrot. Come watch us.
01:41And they ensured me that they were going to have extended sizes and they stayed true to it.
01:47And I think when you have those hard conversations with the people at the top and they ensure you what
01:51they're going to do, you have to listen and you have to take the chance with them.
01:54And that's what I decided to do. And they really put their money where their mouth was.
01:58And they've continued to invite you back.
02:00They have, which is so fun. So this year was really just about embracing just, well, honestly, just being there
02:09for my community.
02:10Just like every time. Every time I say yes to a fashion job, it's about standing up and saying yes
02:15and not saying no to a seat at the table when girls my size are invited.
02:20I love that. I think, you know, one thing that's very interesting about you, you're a supermodel as you've been,
02:27everyone's coming up to you, you're the supermodel, you're the supermodel.
02:31But you're also a business person. And I'd love to hear a little bit more about how you manifest these
02:38business ideas.
02:39I did hear that you have a special sort of way in which you think through what you're doing next.
02:46So can you share more?
02:47Well, I have been really intentional about the next steps.
02:54And I, at a very young age, I started modeling when I was 12 years old and being plucked out
02:59of Nebraska, out of a mall, you really don't know much that's going on.
03:02And I moved to New York at 17 and I made a lot of bad decisions, whether it be money
03:07decisions or boy decisions.
03:09Um, and I, I had to figure out a lot along the way and I realized quickly that my body
03:16is my business.
03:17So how can I scale this and what can I continue to do?
03:21So I figured out quickly that when people saw me, they thought of me in lingerie, they thought of me
03:26in swimsuits.
03:27So I went out and I designed a lingerie brand.
03:29I also went out and designed a swimsuit line and they scaled very quickly and we did incredible numbers.
03:35And so that's just like how I've really looked at my businesses.
03:38How can I monetize on some viral moments that I've had?
03:42Because virality can just, you know, pay your rent and your mortgage at the time, but it's not going to
03:46sustain you and keep going.
03:48You have to really take that moment and push through it.
03:51Um, so that's been something I've done, but I, to your question about manifestation, I think we hear that word
03:57a lot and it sounds really woo woo and things like that.
03:59But I come from a very Christian back background growing up.
04:02And one of the things that my mom and dad always instilled in me is you can have whatever you
04:06want.
04:06You just have to say it and it's backed up biblically.
04:09So I've always had things on my walls.
04:11This is before the secret came out and before Oprah really told us to do it all.
04:15And I've just, I've, I've had myself standing at a podium talking.
04:20I did my Ted talk.
04:20I've had money, you know, flowing out of pots and, and like these things come to you because you can
04:26have the intention to do it.
04:27But I've also been really intentional about the teams that I've built around me because I didn't go to college.
04:32I am not an operator.
04:34I, you know, I don't do that kind of sort of thing, but I am a great marketer.
04:39I'm a creative director.
04:40I also know my community and I can build a community quickly and make everybody in that room feel better.
04:45I feel very seen and important.
04:47And that's where I really like to lean into my businesses that I'm building around me.
04:51I think that's a really interesting point you bring up about building the team around you because, you know, you've
04:57partnered with JC Penney.
04:59You have this new, um, wine brand, um, Lombrusco.
05:04Um, and I, it's, it can be difficult to choose the right partner.
05:10So like, how have you chosen the right partner and what are the things you look for, um, in a
05:15brand partner?
05:16Well, JC Penney, for example, I actually started modeling for them when I was 15 years old and then cut
05:21to, oh my gosh, I'm 39.
05:24I'll be 39 tomorrow, guys.
05:26Oh, happy birthday.
05:28Thanks.
05:29Um, uh, cut to when we launched a year ago now, my JC Penney collection.
05:34Um, it was a natural partnership.
05:36You know, they had asked me if I wanted to make curb only clothes.
05:40And it's a market that is so underserved.
05:45And with the population of American women being 68% of American women are over a size 14.
05:51And the fact that companies are not leaning into that and they are not serving those women that will buy
05:57the clothes.
05:57They want fashion.
05:59They want to have fun.
06:00They want to show their cleave.
06:01I mean, sorry, wrong crowd.
06:03Um, but, but the, but it was a really interesting opportunity because JC Penney has had their highs and lows.
06:10Yes.
06:10And I knew that if I came in there and they, they invested in me enough, I could invest in
06:16them also with the knowledge and the power that I brought.
06:19And we could build something very, very sustainable.
06:21And we have, the numbers have proven it.
06:23The girls are coming into the store.
06:25They're buying it online.
06:26It's an overflow.
06:27It's in demand.
06:28And, and that to me was, it was a gut feeling of this is right.
06:33This is a partner that's going to take care of me.
06:36And I'm going to be able to, I'm going to be able to have the things that I want with
06:40my design, with my idea, with the videos that I know that are going to go viral.
06:46And sure enough, it's been an amazing process.
06:48Have you said no to some brands?
06:51Of course I have.
06:51Yes.
06:52I, you know, maybe share names if you want to, but just can you give an example?
06:56No, I won't share names, but I, you know, sometimes it's not even about the name.
07:00It's maybe about the price or it's about what, what comes with the price of it.
07:05Sometimes it is the name, but you know, at the end of the day, I have said no because I've
07:10created boundaries because I've said yes to the things that maybe I shouldn't have.
07:13And I've learned the hard way.
07:15But, but again, I think that it's really about learning from your mistakes and getting up, brushing your, you know,
07:22your knees off and just continuing to move on and, and making sure like I have built a small little
07:28team around me of yes, manager and, and, and president and things like that, that will always say, Ashley, these
07:35are, this is what we think you should be doing.
07:36And then sometimes I'll push back and I'll be like, I know it's going to be the best thing ever
07:41and sure enough, like going on Broadway, my whole team was like, you're going to do what you, this, you're
07:47not going to make any money.
07:48Yes.
07:48Yes.
07:49Yes.
07:49I was Roxy Hart in Chicago and, and I didn't make any money, but it was something I really wanted
07:54to do that filled my heart and my soul up.
07:56And it was one of the hardest things I'd ever done in my life, but I'm glad I did it.
08:02I think that's awesome.
08:04And I, I, I know it can be hard to push yourself in different directions.
08:09Yes.
08:10You mentioned you've made some mistakes besides boyfriends or.
08:15Yeah, we've all done that.
08:16Personal finance.
08:17Yes, we have.
08:18What have been some of the mistakes that you've learned the most from?
08:21I think, um, I think overextending myself, you know, I come from a place of yes.
08:28And I also come from a place of treat others the way that you want to be treated.
08:32So I have an open heart or I want, I want to be able to do everything for everyone.
08:37And when I'm working with a brand and having a brand partner or even having built, um, the companies that
08:42I have, it's, it's hard for me to say no.
08:45Um, and I think that that's been something that, that I've had to learn to, to, to not say yes
08:51to everything, to let people do the job that they've been hired to do.
08:55But I'm very type B, I'm not trying to micromanage anybody.
08:59I definitely don't want to do that.
09:01Um, let's talk about wine.
09:03Let's talk about wine.
09:05Let's talk about wine.
09:05Do people in here drink?
09:06310.
09:07Yeah.
09:08All right.
09:10It's, you know, it's an interesting time to build a wine business.
09:13It is because people aren't drinking as much.
09:15There's a lot of more sober, curious folks out there.
09:18I know.
09:19Um, so like share a little bit about why now and then, you know, what have been the challenges that
09:25you faced?
09:26By the way, I like to do dry January too, just because I have a wine business doesn't mean I
09:30like to take a little break either.
09:32Um, I started Lucci, L-U-C-C-I.
09:35It's a Lambrusco.
09:36It's a chilled red sparkling.
09:38Um, for those of you who don't know, it's made in Emilia Romagna, Italy, um, for a certified, a true
09:44Italian Lambrusco.
09:45Um, and well, it just really started off.
09:49First of all, I like to drink Lambrusco and it's something that I enjoy and it's very hard to find
09:55it at a trendy restaurant, um, or at your corner wine shop.
09:59So I had, um, inquired a, um, an operator about doing it.
10:05Someone who I knew had already kind of invested in a few other celebrity alcohol brands and he thought it
10:11was interesting and also truly loves Lambrusco as well.
10:13So we conspired this idea to find a winemaker in Italy, DM them and say, hey, what do you know,
10:20can we do something with you?
10:21And sure enough, it worked.
10:23Um, and when you look in the space, bubbles are the only, um, alcohol brand or business that is scaling.
10:32Um, tequila is oversaturated, um, white wines and red wines are oversaturated, there's lots of vodkas, but the bubbles are
10:40scaling quickly and if you look at Lambrusco specifically, it is a white space that nobody is touching.
10:46So we thought, aha, we have a really great idea and sure enough, uh, we just launched in February.
10:52Uh, we are all over, we're on-prem, we're off-prem.
10:56We are in any grocery store you can imagine.
10:59Um, it's been very, very, very exciting and I've learned a lot and this is my first business that I've
11:06had to like start from the bottom up where I've had to ask investors to come in.
11:09Oh.
11:10And that has been an interesting process.
11:12What have you learned from that?
11:13Asking people for money is very, very hard and humbling.
11:16How many investors do we have here?
11:19Oh, not many.
11:21Okay, not many.
11:22You guys want to talk later?
11:23Just kidding, I got my four million, I'm good.
11:27Who's your most active investor?
11:29Um, I called a couple of my fun celebrity friends and they gave me some fat checks, which was very
11:35nice.
11:35Yeah.
11:36Can you say who it is?
11:37Uh, I don't know if they want me to say who they are.
11:40I'm like looking at my manager.
11:41She's like, maybe not, maybe later.
11:43Um, but, but it, it was the first time where I had to really, like, I've always understood my business
11:51and I've always understand the core of who I am and, and the why behind something.
11:55But going into this, this is a completely different category for me.
11:58And I think that you have to eat, sleep and, and wake up loving and dreaming about the brand that
12:04you're building.
12:04And because when an investor calls you late at night and is, you know, asking why something didn't come through
12:09and you have to have the answers for it.
12:11So it has been, it's been a great learning curve and I'm so grateful to be able to do it.
12:15You mentioned that like there's other celebrity alcohol brands, right?
12:19We've seen some great outcomes for like George Clooney with his tequila brand.
12:24Um, there's of course, Bethany Frankel.
12:26She had her skinny girl margarita.
12:29And then there's like, you know, Cameron Diaz with Aveline.
12:31I mean, there's no shortage of some of these brands.
12:34How do you feel besides, of course, you mentioned that the bubbles, like, how do you think you're differentiating yourself
12:40as a celebrity brand?
12:43Well, I'm not just macking my name on anything.
12:46You, you will not find my name on the bottle at all.
12:48It's purely out of love and passion and the idea that people should just be celebrating at all times.
12:54And that's what bubbles really bring.
12:56Um, and to your point about celebrities, I think, you know, it's just, I know that I have a platform
13:00that's listening and, um, and they're excited about it as well.
13:04And if you're passionate about something and you have the idea to make something, do it.
13:10The last thing I want to do is go home and have any regrets.
13:12And I have heard enough from people in their 50s and 60s, which I know some of you are in
13:18here that are that age, that have said, I wish I would have done this in my 30s and 40s.
13:22And that's the last thing I want to go into my 40s and 50s and 60s saying to myself.
13:28Do you think that, you know, we went, we talked a little bit about this, like, sober, curious movement and
13:34that, you know, more people aren't drinking.
13:35How have you thought about your business in that way?
13:38I've, I've just leaned in.
13:40You know, we are actually really low in AVB.
13:43We're only 11%, which is a lot lower than most red wines.
13:46We're also in a lower sugar content than most.
13:49Um, and we did it on purpose because we are in a generation where people are drinking less.
13:54Um, and, and I think that that's important.
13:57To understand, but I think that there's also a lot of people that still are drinking that really just want
14:02to have a nice glass of wine with a slice of pizza at night when it's family game night.
14:06Is that your favorite?
14:07It's my favorite.
14:08I mean, it's the best pairing with Lucci.
14:10Um, also, also lasagna, Korean barbecue, Mexican, just to name a few.
14:15Okay.
14:16Now you're making me hungry.
14:17Um, we've talked a little bit about finding your nose and you, you know, you mentioned this a little bit
14:25with like asking people for money.
14:27And then of course, like these brands, what's an example of a rejection that's changed your career?
14:34Hmm.
14:35I have been rejected a lot.
14:38And, um, the entertainment industry will, will reject you high and low, especially the modeling industry where you're not supposed
14:46to be old and chubby.
14:48I'm not calling myself chubby.
14:50I'm just saying that's what the fashion industry says.
14:52And so I have, I have really been able to take everything that comes at me with a rejection, with
14:59a grain of salt and a learning, um, and a learning curve.
15:03Um, I think one of my biggest moments was when I had booked the cover of Italian Vogue and it
15:10was with Steven Meisel and anybody in here that knows anything about fashion knows that he is the king photographer.
15:16And I went into the casting with Pat McGrath and Steven Meisel, I, they talked about my hairline.
15:22I don't know why, but that was a thing.
15:24And I was like, yes, I booked it.
15:26Sure enough, I get the call from my agent.
15:28I booked it.
15:29It's with three other curvy models.
15:31It's going to slay.
15:32And the night before they called me and said I'd been released.
15:35And I was the only girl that had been confirmed that got released the night before.
15:41And I remember crying in a, just like my tears were rolling into a bowl of pasta thinking, why didn't
15:48I get this job?
15:50And all those girls, their, their, their, their, their IP just scaled.
15:55It's just like instantly.
15:56It was like the three curvy models never before seen on the cover of Italian Vogue, just pew.
16:02Like everybody was talking about them, but it, I had to convince myself that it wasn't for me.
16:07And that is very hard, especially when this is your whole business is writing on covers and interest and staying
16:14in the limelight.
16:15But it wasn't, but six months later that I was in an ad in Sports Illustrated.
16:20And I was the first ever curvy girl to be in an ad in Sports Illustrated, which was so weird.
16:27I was the number one most Googled person in the world that day.
16:30And it just goes to show if it's not for you, there's another thing that's for you and you can't
16:37take it personally.
16:39That's great.
16:40I mean, it's tough.
16:43It's, it's tough to be that way, right?
16:45Like, and, and you've probably learned a lot through the process of that.
16:50And now you also invest in businesses.
16:54Yeah.
16:54So you're sort of, I'm an investor too, guys.
16:57You're on the other side of the table, right?
17:00You're potentially giving the rejections.
17:02What are you most interested in investing in right now?
17:05I really, so I've invested a lot in 2020 and 2021.
17:10I invested a lot of baby stuff because I had just had babies.
17:13So we already saw an exit at Coterie.
17:17Bobby was also a great exit.
17:18Or not yet, not yet.
17:20That was a great investment.
17:22Baby list, things like that.
17:24Those, like, basically I've invested in things that have, like, felt like they're in my zeitgeist in that moment.
17:30When I say zeitgeist, I feel like I have to say zeitgeist.
17:32Because everybody says it now.
17:33Sorry.
17:34That was an inside joke in my brain.
17:38Also, women-led businesses, I think, are really important because a lot of checks don't go to women in general.
17:45And I've done a lot of different apps and things like that with period trackers and, like, grocery shopping and
17:55different things like that to help families.
17:56How much are you outbound versus inbound on some of these asks?
18:01Oh, definitely more of them coming in.
18:06And are you using your influence in some capacity in any of these deals?
18:12You know, I always say put your money where your mouth is.
18:16I'm not going to put money into something that I truly don't believe in or that I'm not going to
18:19use or that I don't feel is important.
18:21Even one of the exits I just had was Wonder Belly.
18:23Have you guys tried Wonder Belly yet?
18:25It's really great.
18:26It's like a new version of Tums or GasX or Pepto-Bismol, but it's clean.
18:31And it was a very quick exit as well.
18:33But they were – that's a fantastic drug that it's over-the-counter, and I have – my linen closet
18:42is stocked full.
18:43So if there are any, like, founders here –
18:45Oh, I'll invest.
18:47Yeah, there's a private portfolio for that.
18:48What are you looking for, though?
18:50Passion.
18:51Does it work?
18:52Do people need it?
18:53Are people going to want it?
18:55No idea is a new idea, so how have you made it, you know, a little bit more inbound?
19:00Or interesting or invented it in a different way?
19:04And I think that the founder really has a lot to do with it because I've seen ships sink quickly.
19:11Yeah.
19:12I want to shift gears a little bit to something that I think we're both really passionate about.
19:19You've championed body positivity, and as a mom of two girls, I want to thank you because I think you've
19:25had a profound impact on culture and women, and honestly, I think men, too.
19:32And I think that's really incredible.
19:35I do think we're at a moment in time where things are getting a bit more prescriptive, and there are
19:41some new standards.
19:43What advice do you have for women, for young women, for men around this?
19:51You know, it's never not been a conversation in my career, because when your body is your career, you are
19:59constantly talking about it.
20:01And I feel like women, no matter what, are constantly talking about their bodies anyways.
20:05And I think that you have to remind yourself that comparison is just very detrimental to yourself, and it's very
20:16hard to do that when you're looking at the world getting thinner or not embracing themselves.
20:22But I always remind people that you are the one that creates the confidence within yourself, and it's important to
20:30talk out loud to yourself.
20:31It's important to remind yourself who you are and not let the world remind yourself of who you are.
20:37I always tell parents also, talk out loud to your kids about how wonderful they are and the great things
20:43about them, and not just saying, you know, what's so negative about yourself or them, because they listen to everything.
20:51And the reason I am so confident and I've been so confident in my life is because my mother never
20:55said a negative thing about herself growing up.
20:57She never said, oh, I need a neck lift.
20:58I need to lose weight.
20:59It was always like, do you see these legs?
21:01They're so strong.
21:02I can get so much work done.
21:04And maybe it's because she grew up being a farmer and just from the middle of nowhere in Nebraska, but
21:09it was just a different mentality.
21:10And I think that if we just had a little bit more grace for ourselves, we would be able to
21:16embrace who we are instead of having to constantly fix and change.
21:20I love that message.
21:23I think something that you continue to say is, my body is my business.
21:28Yeah.
21:29And there's a double edge to that.
21:32Can you share more about what it's like to have your body be your business?
21:36Yes.
21:37I'm not a professional athlete, but sometimes I like to tell myself I am in my room quietly.
21:42You are a professional athlete.
21:44You must fuel it correctly.
21:47But it is.
21:49I mean, look at Victoria's Secret, the runway show.
21:51You know, you start getting ready.
21:53You prep for months in advance.
21:55You know that you're going to be seen by millions of people in your underwear that are this big.
21:59And I didn't start walking Victoria's Secret until I was in my mid-30s and had just had my twins,
22:06mind you, right?
22:07So I feel like it was a setup.
22:09It was an okey-doke.
22:10But anyways, the thing is, because my body is my business, it gets exhausting to talk about it all the
22:18time.
22:19And it gets exhausting to have to defend it.
22:22But I also know that I'm reminded of the 12-year-old Ashley who didn't know how to love herself,
22:28who looked in the mirror and compared herself to all the women or to all the young girls that I
22:32went to school with.
22:33And so I remind myself that I'm doing this for that younger girl, for all the younger women, for the
22:39women our age who didn't have somebody to look up to.
22:42Because now social media has given a platform and a voice to so many of us who didn't have that
22:47growing up.
22:48So whoever wants to listen, who wants to embrace that, there's a place for you to go and feel seen
22:52and heard.
22:53How do you use social media?
22:55I like to use it in pure honesty.
22:58You know, I'm not going to filter anything.
23:00I'm not going to, you know, take things out that are there.
23:06I also like to share a little bit, but not a lot.
23:08I'm not, I sometimes feel like an overshare, but I'm really not.
23:12Like, you're not going to see my kids' faces on social media or anything like that.
23:15But I like to, you know, tell you fun stories that have happened in my business or, you know, take
23:21you down a day in the life of, like, what it's like to be behind the scenes of Victoria's Secret.
23:25You can see my blog on YouTube, guys.
23:26Very fun.
23:28Kylie Jenner's in it, if you care.
23:30Well, if you have a Jenner Kardashian, then that's, yeah.
23:34There you go.
23:36But for me, it's also about, it is a business.
23:39Social media is a business.
23:40And that's where I make, I can make a lot of money as well.
23:45There's major monetization that can happen on all platforms, and you just have to learn how to do it.
23:51And do it without having, like, the ick feeling of looking like one big ad.
23:55Like, what's the boundary there?
23:56Like, where do you draw the line?
23:58Well, the line is drawn of, okay, how many ads have we put up and, like, what are we really
24:04passionate about and what really matters?
24:07And then me and my team, actually, we look at it and sometimes, you know, we discuss, like, this is
24:11just too ad heavy.
24:11Maybe we should say no for the next few things.
24:14Or, you know, maybe we'll only do investments.
24:16Or, you know, maybe we're just going to kind of clump some things together.
24:20But we really try to fuel it with original content as well.
24:24Because this is also an entertainment platform, too.
24:26So we like to have fun.
24:28I like that.
24:29I mean, I was having a conversation at lunch with some folks, and we were sort of talking about the
24:34downside of influencers and sort of the negative effect that they might have on, like, an in-person, you know,
24:41like a restaurant where you're taking photos.
24:44Oh, yeah, you see, like, a big light next to you, and you're like, oh, an influencer's over there.
24:49What do you think about that?
24:50I'm kind of grossed out by it, too, sometimes.
24:52But then sometimes I'm like, can you take a picture of me?
24:54I know I look cute.
24:56It's hard.
24:57But, you know, it's interesting because there are some people who are going to bring light to that small business
25:02that actually needed it.
25:04And thank God the influencer was able to do it.
25:07But I think what's interesting now is how a lot of founders are showcasing themselves.
25:15And you're actually getting to meet who's behind the business.
25:18Because there's an emotional connection that the customer has to so much.
25:23And they want to know who built it, why they built it, you know, the back story.
25:27And for any founders in here, it's like, put yourself out there.
25:30You know, why not?
25:32People want to know your why and why you built something.
25:36So, we have a little bit more time.
25:38But I really want to hear what's next on the vision board.
25:43What are you cutting out in the magazines and pasting?
25:45Do you cut stuff out?
25:46I've done it before.
25:47Yeah.
25:47But now what do you do?
25:49No, I literally have done a vision board.
25:51I did one last year.
25:53You did it?
25:53Yeah, but I was in a group of women.
25:56And we all got magazines and cut things out.
25:59Yeah, exactly.
26:00Mimosas.
26:02So, I have another company that I'm building that we're going to launch in summer of next year.
26:09Tease us with something.
26:10It's, what's my tease?
26:14It's in the home space.
26:15There we go.
26:16It's in the home space.
26:16And it's unexpected.
26:18But being a mom, it was something that kept coming up for me that I couldn't find that felt honest
26:23and affordable and something that I could use on my kids.
26:30But it's not for babies.
26:31It's not just for kids.
26:35It could be industrial as well.
26:37Weird.
26:38How did you choose the partner?
26:41Actually, funny enough, they found me.
26:43Okay.
26:44And at first, it looked like an investment.
26:46And then it turned into that we really liked each other.
26:49And I said, well, why don't I not invest?
26:51And why don't I come in as a partner with you guys?
26:53And they thought that that was an interesting concept.
26:56And I said, well, as long as I can, you know, have a fat percentage, then we can really talk
27:03about it.
27:04And, you know, they noodled on it for a second and came back and said yes.
27:08So, I'm excited for that one.
27:09Have you learned more about the art of negotiation on some of these deals?
27:14I have.
27:14I mean, I think that it's always still a learning curve.
27:17And I've always had people negotiating for me.
27:20So, coming to the cap table and having those direct conversations sometimes can still be intimidating.
27:26But I definitely put my foot down when I know that it's something that I believe in, want, and I'm
27:32not going to waver.
27:34What surprised you the most about venture capital and investing on both sides of the table?
27:40Just, like, how ruthless it can be.
27:44And it's, I don't know, it's, like, all the things that you hear that you think, oh, that's just for
27:47the movies.
27:47No, it's real.
27:50Yeah.
27:51There's interesting.
27:51I mean, like, but then also, like, there's so much success.
27:54Yes.
27:54Yeah.
27:55Yeah, exactly.
27:56Oh, my God.
27:56I watched that documentary.
27:57Did you watch it?
27:57I did.
27:58I did.
27:58I carved out a day date with my husband to go see it.
28:01Okay.
28:01What was your thought?
28:02What are your thoughts?
28:02It's three hours.
28:03Oh, it's really long.
28:04You have a minute left.
28:05So, Cher, what are your, what's your thoughts?
28:07I don't know.
28:08It was hard to see her go to jail when she, like, left breast milk in the fridge.
28:12Sorry, it's not, it's, I'm not giving anything up.
28:14But, like, that was hard for me as a mom to see that.
28:16Yeah.
28:16Yeah.
28:16I was like, did she really deserve that?
28:18I don't know.
28:19Oh.
28:21Woman to woman.
28:22Woman to woman.
28:23I know.
28:24I know.
28:24Okay.
28:25We have just 30 seconds and we want to get more in.
28:28Okay.
28:28But, um.
28:30Are we taking questions?
28:31No, we're not.
28:32No.
28:32Oh, okay.
28:32I forgot.
28:33I forgot.
28:33Just my questions for now.
28:35Okay.
28:35Um, what are you most excited about in 2027 besides this launch?
28:41Um, you know, I'm excited.
28:43So, 26 for me was a lot of, like, building and, um, changing up my team a little bit and,
28:50um, and making sure that I had systems in order for the things that were coming.
28:56And so, 27 is about launching and celebrating.
28:59And that's what I'm really excited about because that's, that's, that is something that's fun
29:03that's on my vision board is the launch and celebration with, yay, signs around it.
29:09Um, and, and there's something that I went to a Tony Robbins summit, like four or five
29:14years.
29:14No, maybe, oh my God.
29:15No, it was like eight years ago.
29:16And he said, what's something you can congratulate yourself on in the last six months?
29:20And it took me so long to remember something in just the last six months to celebrate.
29:25And that was something that I also put on a side vision board was all the things that
29:30I had done in 25 and 26 to remember that you, it might take a long time to get there,
29:36but you can do it.
29:37And the next vision is only going to take you into the next stratosphere.
29:41I love that.
29:42We should all be celebrating ourselves a little bit more.
29:44Yes.
29:44All right.
29:45Thank you, Lina.
29:46So good to see you.
29:47Thanks guys.
29:48Appreciate it.