SPEAKER_01
Welcome to the Jewelry Business Academy podcast. I'm your host, Robin Clark. And if you're a jewelry business owner looking to break through to the next level, then my courses, coaching programs and podcast are for you.

You'll learn how to overcome the biggest challenges in your business and build and scale your business with as much ease and simplicity as possible. I'm here to inspire and guide you with weekly episodes with ambitious entrepreneurs, where we chat about everything from marketing, mindset and sales to life as an entrepreneur and more. There will be lots of actionable tips for you to level up your business, your mindset and your life.

And let's face it, you can apply all of these strategies to any product-based business. I'm so glad you're here. Let's dive in.

Hello, hello. It is so good to have you here with me today. I have had a lot going on.

I think I've mentioned that our group program officially launches next week. So I've been doing a lot of behind the scenes work for that, which I'm really, really excited about. This is honestly going to be one of the most supportive group coaching programs out there for jewelry business owners.

And it's going to be one of the strongest, most supportive communities as well. So I'm really excited for it to be launching. And I do just want to quickly share before we dive into today's episode that if you are a jewelry business owner who is looking to feel supported as you scale your business, then I do still have two spots left for the jewelry business academy in July.

So you do still have a few days left to jump in and join the rest of the jewelry business owners within the July container. And this program has multiple avenues within it. So we have the one-on-one side and then we also have the group side.

And the whole program is very high level individualized support with me with an emphasis on building really solid foundations within your business and scaling with a simplified strategy and streamlined systems. I see so many people over complicating business. And you know, what I want to remind everyone is that a successful jewelry business is not inherently complicated.

It is not complex. It is very simple. The structure, the backbones of the business is simple.

There are streamlined processes. It does not need to feel overwhelming. It does not need to feel hard.

And this is what I help my clients introduce into their business from the very beginning or if they've been going for a couple of years, we go through and rewire the backbones of their business within the jewelry business academy. So if that's something that you are interested in learning more about, then send me a message on Instagram. It is Rub and Pluck Coaching.

And I look forward to chatting to you there. But I am really excited for today's episode because it's been booked in the calendar for a while. And this next guest is Stephanie Florio, who is the co-founder of Swab Inc, a recruitment platform which is built for younger job seekers looking for hourly rate rolls.

So Stephanie was also nominated for the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Award, which was presented by Women of Influence. And she is the other co-founder of Swab. And her brother, who is Alexander Florio, was actually on the podcast a couple of months ago.

So I'm really excited now to have Stephanie on and to hear her perspective of building this award-winning app. So during our conversation, we chatted about so many different things that Stephanie shared her entrepreneurial journey and how she transitioned from the corporate world into entrepreneurship. We chatted about the importance of networking and why entrepreneurship is a constant learning curve.

We chatted about the regret that people experience when they don't take risks in business and how failure is really not the worst thing that can happen in business. We chatted about the importance of just getting started, organizing your time as an entrepreneur, and learning not to get lost in your business. Stephanie walks us through how she focuses on priority tasks in your business and also goes over how the Swab app works and how they were the very first Canadian company to win the Pitch to Rich contest run by Richard Branson and Virgin Mobile Canada.

So they had a really incredible couple of years building this app and it went from a small Toronto-based app to a worldwide phenomenon. And Stephanie walks us through this, what it was like spending a day with Richard Branson and the impact that had on both herself and their business, their first TV appearances, which was one of them was actually the day before her wedding and she shares a very cute story from that day. And it's just so fascinating how she was able to handle being in the media so well with everything going on and she shares her advice for others looking to do the same.

We chatted about imposter syndrome, the importance of hiring and listening to experts in your field, how Stephanie navigates the lows of entrepreneurship, reframing failure as lessons learned and opportunities for growth, how to have a successful business partnership with your siblings, integrating motherhood and entrepreneurship and building a support group around you, and the one podcast that Stephanie recommends all business owners listen to, as well as the biggest lesson Stephanie has learned in all of her years of business. So this episode is value packed, I know you're going to love it, I know you're going to have so many actionable items that you can go and implement into your business right away. So let's dive right in.

Stephanie, well thank you so much for joining me today. I'm so excited to have you on the Jory Business Academy podcast. Thank you so much for having me, I'm very excited to be here today.

Yeah, I've been looking forward to this conversation with you for a couple of months now, because I did have the other co-founder of Swab on the podcast a couple of months ago and Alexander is actually also your brother. So I've heard his perspective of building this award-winning app and his perspective of entrepreneurship, but I'm really excited to dive into your perspective, which I'm sure has been actually very different. And you're a mother as well, you've just had a very different approach to entrepreneurship and a very different experience.

So I'm excited to hear from you. So for anyone who doesn't know who you are, would you like to go ahead and introduce yourself to our listeners and just share a little bit more about how you got to where you are today?

SPEAKER_00
Amazing, yeah. Thank you. Like I said, thank you so much for having me.

So my name is Stephanie, I'm the co-founder of Swab and what Swab is, is a recruitment platform built for younger job seekers looking for those part-time, kind of hourly rate type roles. And we target employers in high turnover industry, so like your retail food service, who are constantly looking to fulfill those positions. So Alex, I know he was on the show a couple months ago, is my brother and yes, we still talk, yes, we still get along.

And we started the business a few years ago, and it really just came through Alex's frustration of looking for a job. And he thought that there had to be an easier way. And at the time, I was working in the advertising world.

And, you know, I absolutely loved advertising. I loved working at an agency. I was an account executive.

So it was awesome to see the creative side and the business side mesh and work together and just create something incredible. But I always knew that I wanted to start my own business, be an entrepreneur. I just never knew what that was going to be.

And it wasn't until Alex had the idea of, hey, what if there's an app that's kind of like Tinder for jobs? We thought, okay, that's a cool idea. But there's so many job boards out there. What would make us different? Who would use us? And why would somebody want to use us versus another job board? And it was our father who worked in the restaurant industry.

And he just knows how inefficient it is to recruit, how turnover is constant in those positions. And that's why we thought, hmm, kind of put two and two together. And that's when Swab was born.

And that's when I thought, okay, this is where I'm going to pursue

SPEAKER_01
my career and my journey in entrepreneurship began. Amazing. I love that.

And so can you share a little bit more about your experience in the advertising world and working in the corporate world, and then transitioning into entrepreneurship? Because that is a very challenging step to take, going from the safety of the corporate world into entrepreneurship. What did that process look like for you? And how did you navigate it? I started working in advertising. So it was after

SPEAKER_00
actually I graduated Santa Fe College, I was looking for a job for about a year. And it was tough looking for a job. I met a bunch of different people.

I was networking nonstop using LinkedIn to network, doing informational interviews. And then finally, I actually landed my first role at an ad agency. It's no longer around.

But I got the role through somebody I had met. So networking, if you could take something away is key. So always network and meet as many people as possible, because you never know who knows who and who's working where.

So that's how I started into the advertising world. And I absolutely loved it. Working in a corporate environment, but one that was a fun corporate environment.

We had beer and wine Fridays. Fun things like that, like a summer party. We had little, I was part of the party committee.

So it was like, watermelon Wednesdays, like just fun things to make the company culture. It made you that much more excited to go to work. And I absolutely love that.

And that was something I really learned at that first ad agency was like, company culture really, it's key because it made me feel like they are taking care of their employees. In return, I wanted to work harder and I was excited to be at work. It wasn't like a drag going to work every single day.

So being in the corporate world was amazing. There is that safety, that security, you learn so much. And then I got let go of that ad agency.

And then afterwards went to another one. And I was working there as an account executive, also great culture as well. But again, it wasn't my own.

I learned a lot. But when Alex had the idea, we started talking about possibly pursuing swab and what we're going to do. To me, like that was so exciting.

And it's definitely scary when you're, you're at a full time job with benefits, with a salary, like you had everything. So it's very scary transitioning from a position like that to starting your own from scratch. But the fear of what if, and if I did not do this now, what I regret it, was hired and more fearful to me than leaving the job.

So I thought, it's now or never. Let's pursue this. So leaving the corporate world was definitely scary, but starting something that's your own and actually building it, creating it is incredible.

And now hearing when people get a job through swab, it's like the most rewarding feeling ever, because our mission is really to help anyone and everyone find work in an easy way. So having an idea and having it work and somebody finding a role or finding a job is so rewarding and such an incredible feeling because that's something that you created. That's something that wasn't there before.

And so it takes away, like now, okay, we're about five years in, it takes away that scared feeling of, what did I just do? I'm like crazy for this. But it's, it's honestly, it is scary. There's, there's no hiding that.

But for me, what was more scary was what if, and if I didn't do this now, if someone was doing swab, another person, would I be kicking myself? Like who knows? But yeah, I would say it's definitely scary. There's a lot to learn and you're also on your own. So I don't have a boss who's saying, Hey, I need this by five or Hey, I need you to do this or Hey, that's a great job or you might want to do something different.

It's, I've learned so much over this past couple of years running swab that the way I was running swab when we first started is totally different in how I'm running it now. Like you are constantly learning and I love being my own boss. We are working nonstop, but I'm working nonstop for myself and something that I'm, I'm growing and I'm proud of.

So yes, it was scary leaving the corporate world. You do learn a lot, but at the same time I was working crazy hours and I was working hours and advertising, but I was working for somebody else. And for me, it was like this push to starting swab and having our own business.

It was like the greatest push at first. So scary, but I don't regret it at all. I'm so excited that we've decided to pursue swab and go with it.

SPEAKER_01
I love that story. And I love that you shared. I mean, it's obviously such a scary jump to take into entrepreneurship from the corporate world, from that safety, but recognizing that, you know, in the short term, it's a scary step, but in the long term, the regret of not taking that chance and just finding out is so much worse than taking the leap and, and doing it anyway.

And realizing that, you know, failure is not the worst thing that can happen. The worst thing that can happen is you never even try. So I love that you shared that because I, I know so many people probably have ideas for businesses that never even get started, which is so sad.

Like, I'm sure there's thousands of incredible business ideas that never even get off the ground.

SPEAKER_00
Of course. And that's something like I honestly, when you just said it, I live by the words, if you never try, you'll never know. And what I thought was, okay, let's try this.

And if it doesn't work, that's okay. We tried it because there's always going to be jobs for, for instance, with me in the advertising world, there's always going to be an accounting sector job. There's always going to be a role in advertising that I can always fall back on.

But starting your own business at the time, it was just perfect timing with Alex and I, especially starting with a sibling as well. Like it's scary too. And at that time, Alex, it worked out that we both like thought, this is it.

Let's try it again. If we hate it, if it's not for us, we can always go back and get

SPEAKER_01
another job. It's not the end of the world. Yeah. And that's what some people don't realize. They think if I leave my corporate job, I'm never going to get another one because there's, there is a sense of scarcity when you're in the corporate world.

They do like to make you feel like you're replaceable. Of course. And you're not going to get another job like this.

So, you know, it's also important to be aware of that. But I love that you just dived right in. How did you find the transition of having working all those hours and then suddenly

SPEAKER_00
having complete control over your time? Honestly, I love it. Like I absolutely love it. I love being my own boss.

And I'm very organized. I would say you definitely need to be organized, especially organized with your time when you are an entrepreneur. But again, it's like, I know that some things do like I'm still on kind of that schedule where I'm working nonstop.

But again, it's for myself. And even like at night, for example, as you know, I've just had a baby. So, if the babies are sleeping, I am working, like it is just I'm very sleep deprived.

So, if my stuff is rambling, then you know this lady needs some more coffee. It's like no matter what, those hours that you're working when I was in advertising, yes, I was working crazy hours again, it was for somebody else. Now you're working crazy hours, but it's for yourself.

And just managing your time and even managing your priority, like your priority tasks. So that's something I would say that's really helpful is I write out, I write a list every week of things that I need to do and what's priority. And that will help me organize my time as well.

Because being an entrepreneur, we're doing everything, running the business from like social media to prospecting, it's everything that we're doing. So really realizing like what needs to be done first, that's priority, get it out of the way, and then move on to the next things. Like there's always things that are going to pop up within a business, but it's really important to learn that.

And this is something that I've learned being an entrepreneur these few years is you can't get lost in your business. It's so easy for things to pop up every single day that require your attention. And hey, it happens, you have to give your attention to something.

But knowing that there's other things on your list that's priority, like you need to take care of that as well and not take away from that because you're being pulled in so many different

SPEAKER_01
directions. That is such good advice because yeah, as entrepreneurs, you wear about 20 different hats all the time. So not having organization is just going to set you back big time because it is overwhelming the number of things you have to do.

There's a never ending list. You can never complete

SPEAKER_00
it. Yeah, never ending. Sometimes I turn off my list and then I'm adding like five more things and like was this not getting shorter or is it getting longer? Yeah, it's ever growing.

So yeah, being

SPEAKER_01
organized and having a priority list is so important. So I love that you shared that. So for anyone who hasn't listened to our podcast with Alexander yet, do you want to just briefly share a little bit more

SPEAKER_00
about Swab and sort of how the app works? Sure. So Swab, what how I mentioned before is that it's a recruiting app that's focused really on part-time hourly rate type roles. So what we found was a lot of younger job seekers, no matter what, there's still LinkedIn, there's Indeed, but they're a little bit more on the professional side.

We really wanted to create something that's like entry level work. That's your first part-time job when you're in high school, college, university, for example. So what we really want to do is eliminate people walking around the mall, for example, with their resumes.

Now you can use our app and look for those part-time jobs in your area and know who's hiring. So how it works on the job seeker side is they download an app. It's completely free in the Google Play or the App Store.

And basically you download it, you enter your location, the type of job that you're looking for, and jobs will appear. And similar to Tinder, if you do not want to apply, you swipe left. And if you do want to apply, you swipe right.

And once you swipe right, a little screen will pop up where you can upload your resume, and then you can submit that application. And once you do that, you've applied to the job. And that's it.

And then even we really want to keep it as simple as possible, because if you're using something that's too complicated, you're not going to want to use it again. And that's something that we really took the time when we were building Swab. We spent about a year doing research, testing, focus groups, to make it as simple and easy as possible.

So once you upload your resume once, it's already safe for you. So you don't have to go in every single time, retype out your resume or upload your resume. It's saved.

So you can use that same resume to apply to multiple jobs. And most recently, we've also included a web-based version of Swab. So say you're not a younger job seeker and you're somebody who's a little bit older or a newcomer, and you're really just looking for an hourly wage type role, you can use our website as well, where you can just enter your location.

Again, same thing, jobs will appear. And then you just click the job, enter your resume, phone number, email, and your name, of course, and then submit your application. And you've applied to a job that way.

So it's another way to, again, make it that much more easy for people to look for work. And on the employer side, our websites built specifically for them. So that's where they go to create a little profile and post the jobs that they're hiring for.

SPEAKER_01
Amazing. I wish this was around when I was younger and looking for jobs at the beginning, because it was such a process. So you have made it so much easier for students or for anyone looking for jobs and for people employing jobs and employing employees and stuff.

So it's incredible.

SPEAKER_00
And that's, thank you. Thank you so much. And that is exactly our goal, is really just to simplify it.

Like it's your first job, if you don't have work experience, that's okay. Like it should not be so complicated to look for one of these jobs. And even just the process of like spending a Saturday, for example, walking around with your resume, not even knowing who's hiring, like how many resumes are ending up in the garbage, we hope the recycle bin, but the garbage, because they're not hiring at that time.

So it's a waste of time for you and the employer as well. So we really, even when we were building the app, listening to feedback was key, because a lot of job seekers mentioned like, hey, I hate that I have to spend my weekend walking around. I don't even know who's hiring, but I'm still giving my resume and I'm hoping it's not ending up in the garbage.

And that's why we really say, okay, put in your location so you could see, okay, the McDonald's down the street from me is hiring, but this one over here is not right now. So you know not to waste your time at that other location. This is the one that's hiring and we show you the jobs available to you in your area.

SPEAKER_01
Amazing. I think this is such an incredible app. Thank you.

Like I really wish it had been around years ago, but I'm glad you guys have gone and created it. And I'm glad that it's helping so many people, so many students and so many employees. So I know one of the highlights of Building Swab was when you were the first ever Canadian company to be awarded the Pitch to Rich contest, which is run by Richard Branson and Virgin Mobile Canada.

So that is such an incredible achievement. You guys must be so, so proud. And I'd love to hear from your perspective how that process came about, how you were feeling when you were nominated, and just going and meeting Richard Branson.

And I think you guys met him in Edmondson or Calgary? Calgary. Yeah. Calgary, yes. Yeah. It was

SPEAKER_00
pretty crazy. Alex, he had actually found the contest on LinkedIn and he applied and we thought, well, somebody's got to win. So why not? Again, if you never try, you'll never know.

So he applied and we made it to the second round and then we did some sort of like video interview or video pitch, sorry, and sent it in. And then they mentioned that when you make it to the next round to save, I think it was like May 15th, 16th and 17th open. So we left that open and my birthday is actually May 16th.

So it fell like right on my birthday. I told Richard Branson, great birthday present. Thank you so much.

And then I remember Alex got a call and he actually missed the call. So they left him a voicemail saying that we were the winners. And so he called back.

So it was Alex who found out that we won and I was actually at a tech conference. So Alex had called me and I knew the dates that we had to kind of keep blocked. So he had called me while I was at the tech conference and said, Hey, what are you doing May 15th, 16th and 17th? I'm like, why? What do you mean? And he's like, well, we won.

And I honestly did not believe him. I'm like, are you serious? And I started crying at the tech conference that I had to kind of leave because I was that person just walking around like, Oh my God, I cannot believe this. So it was like an incredible feeling.

And even just being an entrepreneur too, when you're starting out, no matter how much research you do, it's always that fear like, am I in the right direction? Is this a stupid idea? Like, is it a good idea? Even though we were getting great feedback, you know, there's always that a little bit of doubt. And having somebody like one of the world's greatest entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, just validate your idea is something that is, I can't even put it into words. It's an incredible feeling because it really makes you feel even more inspired than you already are.

And it's like, okay, this is a legit idea. Let's go. So meeting him after you get over the fact that he's a billionaire, he was such a cool down to earth person, just easy to talk to.

It gave us some advice, asked him questions, but also asked him questions outside of swab and business too. Like I know that he is an animal lover and we were talking about like swimming with sharks. I love sharks and just like, stuff like that.

I was talking about his island and I'm like, hey, when can I come? Like, where's my invite? Just making small talk too. It was just like so much fun. And again, he was just, he was such a wonderful person, was not intimidating at all.

Just easy to talk to, nice person who is extremely smart and extremely rich. Incredible. Yeah. I was so impressed because

SPEAKER_01
I saw when you guys were posting about this when you done was a few years ago now. And yeah, it's such an incredible achievement. And I love that you shared that it also validates your idea because it's really challenging being an entrepreneur a lot of times.

And especially when you've started something completely new, you've created something that nobody else is doing. And you don't have a boss, you don't have people saying, you know, this is brilliant. And I'm sure you had lots of feedback from family and stuff, but having the validation from somebody who's who really knows business and really knows good ideas must have been quite something.

SPEAKER_00
Exactly. Because it's true. You're also, it's not like we're, we're creating a business that's already kind of out there.

It's something that's completely new. Like we've built something that's, that has never existed before. So to your point, having somebody like Richard Branson who does no business was like, okay, this is great.

We are on the right track and need to pursue this because

SPEAKER_01
it will help people and it has been helping people. So I know you and Alexander were featured on a lot of different media outlets over the past few years, including BNN Bloombag, eTalk, The Feed with Amber Mac, The Marilyn Dennis Show. There's so many to list, which is obviously such an incredible achievement again.

Could you share one of your favorite media appearances and sort of how they came about and how you're feeling suddenly being in front of the media? I know you've done a ton by now, but it must have taken some getting used to being on screen. It definitely did. I think one of

SPEAKER_00
my favorite ones are my second time being on BNN Bloomberg. So we were on there twice. And the first time I think was maybe our first time on TV or maybe second, but one of the very first times that we were on TV.

And I just remember sitting there and thinking like, wow, we're at BNN Bloomberg. This is pretty cool. And you get your makeup done before.

I felt so cool. Oh my goodness. So we're in a makeup room.

Really, we're going on TV. This is crazy. And it was actually the day before my wedding.

And I'll never forget they were asking me like, oh, what are you guys doing this weekend? And I'm like, well, I'm getting married tomorrow. So no matter what, and again, being an entrepreneur, like this is this is my first baby. Swab is my first baby.

So even though it was a day before my wedding, I don't care because it's something that I love and I'm proud of and it's my business. And hey, you don't get that opportunity every day to be on BNN Bloomberg. So that the first appearance, of course, you're so nervous.

And I remember there was one question where he had asked, how do we make money? And it's through our employers posting with us that that's how we make money. And he just asked that question. And I know that answer was simple.

But I remember mumbling my words, like I stumbled on it. And I just, I could not get the right answer out, even though I knew it. And I think it was just my nerves and everything.

And finally, I said it and it was like, after a minute of, I don't even know what I was saying. And I thought I was about to say something like, Hey, can we cut that out? But thankfully, I didn't because it's live. And they're like, Oh, you guys did great for live TV.

I'm like, this was live TV. Like it was, it was crazy. But thankfully, I didn't.

And then I think about a year later, around the same time, I was invited back to be in and Bloomberg. And it was just me this time. And the how I felt was so different, just more relaxed, more confident.

And just being in front of the cameras again, was a different feeling because you've done it before. So sometimes people ask like, exactly your point like, how do you feel? And it's like, it's one of those things where just practice makes perfect. The more you do it, the more comfortable you feel.

And that's exactly how I felt the second time going back. It was like, you can even see just my body language was more relaxed. I'm answering questions, I'm taking my time answering the questions.

And just, just kind of remembering like, this is TV, you need to be confident, you know, your industry, you know, your business, that's why they're asking you to come back here. So just really realizing like, you are an expert in that area and go with it, like, hey, they want you back. So

SPEAKER_01
just just be as confident as you can. Oh, wow, I love that. I love that you had a TV appearance today before your wedding.

That is intense. I can't even imagine. I think that's also why I

SPEAKER_00
stumbled on my words. Yeah, did I get the flowers? Is everything both? Yeah, are we good to go?

SPEAKER_01
Makeup's coming, right? Like, that's a lot of big milestones in today period. So I can totally see how how you could have stumbled over your words. I would have been a complete wreck if that was me.

So I'm impressed you got through it and did so well. And yeah, I love that you shared that, you know, it gets easier over time because I find that's the case for everything on entrepreneurship. It all just gets easier.

Still scary, but the scary things get easier as well. Or you just you get used to making decisions that are scary without getting to attach to the fear attached to them. So exactly, exactly.

I love that you shared that. Okay, so you've mentioned a little bit about feeling a bit of imposter syndrome, not necessarily imposter syndrome, but not knowing if your idea was valid and getting that validation from people like Richard Branson. But have you experienced a lot of imposter syndrome over the past few years building this app? And have you dealt with it if you have experienced that? I would say yes and no.

Like, of course,

SPEAKER_00
there are things that I didn't know. And I thought, okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna try my best not to sound like an idiot, basically. And where I really just try to almost like fake it till you make it.

But the thing is, what I've learned is yes, there is a little bit of imposter syndrome when you're starting and even to this day, like there's some things that I still don't know. But I'm learning that if you don't know everything, it's okay. And it's okay to ask questions to learn and understand what you should be doing better and working with individuals like advisors that we work with and asking questions.

Because I don't know everything. This is my first company. And I'm so excited and so proud of how far we've come that yeah, there is a little bit of imposter syndrome, but not, not as much because I'm being real.

If I don't know something, I'm gonna ask you if I want your advice on something, I'm gonna ask you and that's okay. And the thing is, even when we look for like interns or employees, I'm looking for someone who's smarter than me or who's an expert in that area. Because I want their expertise.

I have come to terms with, I don't know everything. And I'm not the smartest person, but I have that drive and that passion and I'm willing to, I want to learn and do what's best for my business to be successful. So I think understanding too that you need sometimes people who are experts in their field and to listen to them because that's why you're hiring them is because they know what they're doing.

It's great to be an entrepreneur and be kind of a jack of all trades. But at the same time, I need to focus in one area and have other experts kill it in their field. So yes, I have, but also know at the same time.

SPEAKER_01
I love that you shared that because I find that entrepreneurs often in their first year or two, they feel like they have to prove themselves in their idea, especially if they haven't had a lot of support around them as they launch a business and they try to do everything themselves. And they don't want to ask for advice and they don't want to ask for help because that's sort of seen as a sign of weakness. So I love that you shared that it is so important to recognize that nobody knows it all.

And it's totally okay to ask for help and ask for advice and get the experts into work on the projects that they're going to really excel in so you can excel in the areas you can

SPEAKER_00
excel in. Exactly. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Like, hey, if you don't want to ask questions, that's fine. That's your business. But if you continue to do the same thing over and over and it's failing, well, wouldn't you want to learn what could be done better or what's wrong with what you're doing? It's really, it comes down to what is, like, put your pride aside and what's best for your business and what's going to make it successful.

And that's how I look at it is there are other people out there who've run a business, who've had their businesses sold and acquired, like, why wouldn't I want their advice? Okay, so I love that. I love that you shared that.

SPEAKER_01
I would love to chat a little bit more about the lows of entrepreneurship, because I know you've shared the highs and there's been so many highs on your journey. Can you just share a little bit about the lows if you're open to sharing one, like, particular thing that happened, or just how you navigate the inevitable lows that come along with entrepreneurship and just keep going?

SPEAKER_00
There's definitely a lot of lows, like how you mentioned, when the highs are high, it's an amazing feeling and they're high. But when the lows are low, they are very low. And especially being an entrepreneur, it is a lonely journey.

And I'm very grateful to have somebody like Alex, who is my business partner, but also my brother, that we could really just speak freely to one another and really share how we're feeling. And going through those emotions together is pretty amazing, because a lot of times there's entrepreneurs who are just solo entrepreneurs. So I'm happy that I have somebody else who really understands what we're going through, or what we go through.

So there's, to think of one particular thing, there's many. I can't think of one right now, but how I'm starting to kind of navigate, or here, I'll give an example. It's like, if you're emailing 100 people and to get back to you, it's like, you can't let the rest of those individuals just kind of dictate your day.

You got to just keep going. Like there's 100 more people out there that you can email or call. There are so many people out there that are looking for a tool like swab or a service like swab.

So you just really need to understand that you just got to keep going. And that's, I think, something that's really different between entrepreneurs is that, yes, the lows are low that you can just completely shut down. And I have my moments.

I'm not saying that I haven't had moments where I have cried, or I really need to take a break or go for a walk and really just clear my mind. Of course, I've definitely had those moments. Those moments may be more than the highs sometimes.

But it really comes back to, I am going to push forward and continue to do what I need to do to grow my business. And I think, too, something I've really realized and have changed my mindset on is failure. A lot of times, or before a couple years ago when we were starting swab, it was like, I have the biggest fear of failure.

And at times it's like, I still do, but it's definitely different on how I see failure. So before it was like, if you fail, you're done. But now I see failure in what we do if we do something that is a failure, it's a lesson learned.

And I've learned that failure is really a way to grow because I failed at that. I know that doesn't work on to the next thing to make your business work. So that's kind of something that's come out of the lows, is understanding that failure isn't the worst thing in the world.

It's actually something that's great and needs to be seen as something that's great because it really helps and guides you into the right direction. And instead of wasting your time trying to do the same thing over and over and over that it's failing, isn't it amazing that you can fail at it and know it didn't work

SPEAKER_01
and move on to something that could definitely work? I love that. Reframing failure into lessons is so important. And I love your perspective on that because it's so true.

If you can reframe failure because I can guarantee as an entrepreneur, you're going to fail at not necessarily your whole business but aspects or routes or avenues that you're taking. Any successful entrepreneur is going to have failed a lot of times. And the key, I guess the difference between the successful ones and the ones that get disheartened and lose that motivation to keep going is that they've reframed those failures and they haven't taken it personally.

And they've taken the lessons from it and kept going. So I love that you shared that because I think that's such a valuable lesson for so many entrepreneurs. And just a reminder to all entrepreneurs because everyone's going through highs and lows at any

SPEAKER_00
given moment. Of course. Of course.

There is definitely a lot of lows. And like I said, it is a lonely journey and not a lot of people really understand. If you're not an entrepreneur, you really don't understand the highs and lows and the emotions, especially because it's something that you've built, you've created.

It's close to your heart. But at the same time, you have to not have it close to your heart because it is a business. But there's a lot of emotions associated with it.

But that's something that I've really realized. And I think too, understanding that it's not just failure with, oh, my business has failed and that's the only failure that's out there. It's like, okay, we ran an ad and it was a complete failure.

Let's not do it that way. Let's do it this way. So understanding that there's little failures too that you learn from.

So that's something that I've really changed my mindset on is taking the fear out of failure and really looking at it and positioning it as a lesson learned and a way to grow. I love that. I think that's such good advice.

SPEAKER_01
And I'd love to touch on two things that you just shared. So the first, I'll go back because I know you mentioned having Alex, having him as a business partner has really helped also navigate through the lows and having somebody there to support you and for you to support him through all the highs and lows of entrepreneurship has made a difference. And I'd love to chat a little bit more about this partnership because I know a lot of our listeners have gone into business with their siblings or family members.

And it can be really difficult for some people to navigate that relationship and the business partnership as well. And you guys have done such an incredible job. I mean, you're still friends after five years of business partnership and you still have a thriving business.

So what would you say, what would you attribute the success of your partnership to?

SPEAKER_00
I think the fact that we can be very open and honest and really Alex and I recognize that his strengths are my weaknesses and my strengths are his weaknesses. So really helping each other out where I'm an expert in and then where he's an expert in. Like for example, I don't know if I should share this, but I am the worst at spelling.

I am the worst at grammar. I just, it is what it is. I saw Alex is the best at spelling the best grammar.

So it works that like, Hey Alex, can you review my email? So he checks it. So really just knowing our strengths and weaknesses and where we can help each other is really something that has helped us grow. And just also knowing that he is my brother, I can be 100% honest.

I'm not saying it's rainbows and butterflies every day, definitely not. Alex and I have had our arguments, but the nice thing is in a way that you have those arguments, you brainstorm, you might disagree on things, but something amazing comes from it. And we're brother and sister, we can speak freely to one another and then move on.

Like our end goal is to really make our business successful. And just even understanding like for example, yesterday was Father's Day, so we were together, knowing that, Hey, Sunday, it's Father's Day. It's not our day to talk about swab and to work and to do things.

Yeah, that happens where it's a weekend and we we're working. It's totally fine, totally normal. But it was Father's Day, so we were getting together for lunch and knowing the times when you should say something, but also taking a step back and realizing like you're also my brother and family because it is very easy to get lost in the business and only talk about the business.

So I think that that's something that's really helpful and that we've done a great job at is knowing the time and place to talk about swab. Swab is 100% a part of our lives and is our first, like Alex's first baby, my first baby, like that we are so proud of it. So I've even changed my mindset on the work-life balance.

So even work-life balance, I now say that it's work-life integration because it is a part of my life and it is a part of Alex's life and it's something that we've built and we're proud of. Why wouldn't I want to share that on a Saturday or Sunday? But understanding when you should be talking about it, there have been family dinners where we're talking about swab, but just know that yesterday, for example, it's a Sunday with father's days. It's not time to talk about business, it's time to just really be a family and relax

SPEAKER_01
and enjoy family time as well. I love that. Yeah, it can be so challenging to switch off, even if you're on your own.

Like I don't have a business partner and I find it challenging sometimes not to just talk about my business because you're so passionate about it. Of course, I should be. Yeah, so I totally understand that, but that's such good advice for anyone listening who is in a partnership with their siblings and establishing really clear communication and having those boundaries of when you will talk about your business, when you won't is so important.

So thank you for sharing that. And I love that you brought up having, not having that work-life balance, but work-life integration. So I don't know if you're open to chatting a little bit about motherhood and entrepreneurship because I know you have two little babies.

You just had a little boy recently. Yes, I had a little boy two months ago. Oh, so cute.

And you have a girl as well. Yes, a little girl. Yeah, toddler.

So if you're open to chatting a little bit about how you've integrated motherhood and your life and entrepreneurship all so well together, I mean, we're sitting here having a podcast and you're the ones having a little nap. It's, and you're so calm. It's really impressive.

So I think, and I think there's a lot of mothers who listen to this podcast and they are either at the beginning stages of business or they have established businesses and they're always looking to find that balance. But I really like the word integration

SPEAKER_00
more. It is challenging. It's not easy.

I'm very lucky that I have a fantastic support group around me. I would not be able to do what I'm doing if it wasn't for the support that I get and the help that I get. So I'm the first one to say, yeah, you can do it, but I have help and I need that help in order to work on my business.

Even just being an entrepreneur and a new mom, like, there's no such thing as maternity leave. I took about a month off and had my out of office because I just had a baby, like you need time for yourself to heal. But even that, I was still at the hospital and I was answering an email and it's like, even Alex was like, can you get off your phone? Like you don't need to check emails.

But again, it's so different when it's your own business because I feel like I need to check for myself. I want to stay on top of everything that's going on because if I'm not, that's what stresses me out is if I don't know what's going on or I miss this email or something. So yes, I did take some time off, but having help obviously has really helped me.

And just like having what I really learned even with my daughter, so it's a little bit different this time around with my second child because I've kind of gone through it. But with my daughter, my first child, I thought, how am I going to do this with a baby run a business? And it just, it doesn't stop. I realized that you can't really rush things.

So for example, with my daughter, I would try to like rush feedings or give her a bottle. But if she wanted a little more and I had a meeting soon, it was like, no, okay, I got a meeting like that. I have to kind of split my time.

Sorry, you can't have anymore. But just understanding that, no, take your time, feed your child. First of all, time flies.

She's already in daycare. It's like, how did that happen? And if you don't take your time with your child or feed your child properly, for example, with me, I was running into more problems later, like she was more cranky. So it's like, really focus on your child.

Let them finish eating. If you're five minutes late to a meeting, it's okay. Let the person know, especially now working from home.

So many people are working with their children that we get it. Sometimes I'd have my camera off because my baby was fussy, and I'm trying to rock them back and forth, but I'm still paying attention. And it is what it is.

I'm a mom and I'm an entrepreneur. And I'm running my business, but I'm also taking care of my newborn and my toddler. So, and I think today, more than ever, people get it.

People understand if you have to push out a meeting because someone's sick, or if you have to say, Hey, I'm going to be 10 minutes late. It's not the end of the world. We understand we're all humans.

So it is difficult. But having help has obviously really helped me. And just knowing like, okay, if I'm feeding the baby at this time, okay, I can take that meeting a little bit later.

So trying to understand their schedule as well, so that you can book time around meetings or work. And I feel like, as a mom with two children now, when I'm productive or when they're napping, that hour, I am probably more productive in that hour than I am like with two days. Like it's crazy.

So you really realize like, do not talk to me putting my phone on the side, like it's time to pump work, like they are asleep, let's do this. So it's, it's definitely, I feel like made me a little bit more like stronger and more passionate too about what I do as well, because now I have two more mouths to feed that it's like, I think my perspective on the business has changed. Like if somebody is not interested in using swab, that's totally fine.

Like you do you. But if you're not interested, like tell me straight up because there's somebody else who is so like, don't waste my time on to the next person. So it's, I've kind of changed how I see the business as well, which is really cool.

Because I want my kids to be proud of me and I'm passionate about what I'm doing as well. And just like I said, time, time, your time is gone when you have kids. So I'm working at different times in the night.

And yeah, just, you kind of just figure it out as you go as well. Like I don't have it downpacked, trust me, I don't, but you'll, you'll get through it and you'll be able to do it. So just, yeah, work life integration, it's a part of you.

And you should be proud of what you're

SPEAKER_01
doing. So why not? I love that. I, I love your approach to integrating motherhood and entrepreneurship.

And I feel like I have a lot of questions about this topic, but we'll keep it, keep it within the time. And yeah, I love that you shared that it's so important to take your time with your children, you know, and I definitely think with the pandemic and people having to work from home and getting on zoom and having children at home, the world's become much more flexible and much more accepting of like the reality of like life and families and children, which it should always have been the case. I always found it weird in the corporate world, how a lot of mothers were not allowed to easily go home and look after sick children and work from home.

I was like, this doesn't make sense. Are they supposed to just be invisible children? So I think it's so nice that the world's finally accepting like this family's, those children, it doesn't make you less hardworking. It doesn't make you less productive.

It doesn't make you less successful. Like it's just normal to have family around and have children around and have children coming to see you in your office while you're on a meeting. It's not a big deal.

It doesn't impact your success in any way. And also what you shared is so funny because I had another guest share exactly the same thing. She shared that when she had her baby, she became so much more productive, like super productive.

So yeah, within an hour, you're completing so much more than you would have in the past. So I love that. If I have a solid work day and like both babies

SPEAKER_00
are being watched, it's like, I feel like I just did so much today. It's crazy. But you really do, you start to again, prioritize what needs to be done.

What is, and that's why that list is super important, especially when you have kids, you really need to know, okay, this is priority number one, priority number two, so that you can get those things completed because your time is being pulled in different directions when you have children and run a business.

SPEAKER_01
Okay, Stephanie, I'd love to know, is there one book that's really impacted your entrepreneurial journey that you would recommend to all entrepreneurs to read?

SPEAKER_00
Or a podcast. So I'm a little bit more books. I should probably read more than I

SPEAKER_01
do. No, you know what I found is I used to read a ton when I was in the corporate world, and when you're an entrepreneur, you work so much more that you don't always have the time

SPEAKER_00
for books. Exactly. Like you need the quick, the quick notes.

100% quick notes. But there's, speaking about podcasts, I love Barbara Corcoran. She's one of the sharks on Shark Tank and her podcast is Business Unusual.

And I listen to that because it's, what I love about her is she's just like lighthearted, a mix. She's not the smartest person in the world, but she's a go-getter. She is driven.

She's passionate. So I love her podcast because it's not the most complicated podcast to hear. Sometimes you think like, oh, an entrepreneur, they're like, like I said, the smartest person in the world.

No, no, we're not. We are just driven, have an idea and want to pursue it and really make things happen. So I really enjoy listening to her podcast.

Those are just a nice,

SPEAKER_01
easy listen. Amazing. I'm going to add that to the show notes that anyone listening can click over and head over to her podcast.

But Stephanie, it's been so good having you on the podcast today and hearing about your story and your perspective on entrepreneurship and building SWUB. I'd love to finish off with one last question. What is the biggest lesson that you've learned in your years

SPEAKER_00
of business? My biggest lesson is definitely first, do not fear failure. I think that's something that's really changed for me. Understanding failure is really a way to grow.

Has been something that I've learned for sure. I would say that for sure. It's a scary thing to think about failure, but really changing your mindset.

And when you do, it's just something that that switch has helped me so much and really taking the time to learn about your failures and learn what you can do differently

SPEAKER_01
is going to really help your business. I love that. That is such a good lesson for all entrepreneurs.

So thank you for sharing that. And thank you so much for joining me on the show. Oh, thank you for having me.

I know a lot of listeners are going to feel really inspired after hearing about your story. And I'd love to know how can our followers and our listeners follow along on your journey and how can they support you? Oh, yes. Well, if you're looking

SPEAKER_00
for a job, you can download SWUB free in the Google Play or the App Store or even visit our website at SWUBapp.com. If you're an employer looking for somebody to hire or if you're an employer, employer hiring, you can also visit our website at SWUBapp.com. And if you're looking to follow us on social media, it's SWUBank. And if you have any questions, you can email me at

SPEAKER_01
info at SWUBapp.com. Amazing. We'll put all of those links in the show notes.

Anyone listening, you can click there and follow along and see their website and everything. But yeah, thank you so much for taking the time to join me today, Stephanie. It's been so much fun finally connecting and chatting to you and hearing all about your journey.

Oh, thank you so much, Robin. Really

SPEAKER_00
appreciate it. And thank you again for having me. It's such a pleasure.

Thank you so much for listening.

SPEAKER_01
I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did and that it shifted your mindset and inspired you to take action to get your business to the next level. If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot the episode you're listening to and tag me on Instagram at Robin Cloud Coaching so that I can connect with you on your entrepreneurial journey. And if you do have any questions for me about the Jewelry Business Academy, then feel free to send me a DM on Instagram as well.

I am looking forward to seeing you there.