The C Suite with Catherine – Details, episodes & analysis

I am always so excited to meet someone I already know and admire through Instagram and that's just what happened with Danielle, the Founder & CEO of Lefty’s Right Mind: a full-service bespoke creative studio brings a client’s vision to life through creative direction, on-site activations and branded product. Through craftsmanship and customization, Lefty’s Right Mind fosters human connection while building brand loyalty and awareness. 

Today’s episode will include the term Bootstrap - which is the financing of a business through one’s own funds, through the use of revenue, and individual sources of capital sourced by the business owner (think small personal loans, lines of credit, and all around scrappiness).

Followed by her left hand and a steadfast love for creative problem solving, designer Danielle Becker paints within the lines but dreams without boundaries. A self-proclaimed design nerd, with roots in graphic design and art direction, curiosity and discipline drive her artistry.

We also talk about:

• Finance Definition: What is Bootstrapping and how can you bootstrap your business?
• Building a creative business focused on artists and elevating products and experiences through customization and fully bespoke events and collaborations.
• How to anticipate your cash flow when the nature of your business which relies on projects, collaborations, partnerships - all of which can be hard to predict.
• Core values and principles when building a team.
• Advice for women who are interested in small business and entrepreneurship.

• Website: Lefty's Right Mind
• Instagram: @leftysrightmind
• The Small Business Planner

• Watch the Free Class, “How to Manage Cash Flow with Ease so you can Focus on Consistent Monthly Growth” Click here to save your seat!
• Catherine’s Small Business Finance 101 Starter Course and learn how to plan 12 Months of Sales Goals and Expenses in One Hour! Click here to access the template and training!
• Ready to get serious? Join The Consistent Cash Flow Method for Small Business Owners Course & Community 

Reserve your copy of The Small Business Planner!

Join me for a solo episode today sharing a little bit about the backstory behind the newest resource from Cash Flow for Creatives -- The Small Business Planner: a step-by-step guide to plan and grow the business of your dreams.

Click here to access a free chapter excerpt from the upcoming release of The Small Business Planner! (Link: https://www.cashflow-method.com/free-chapter/)

Marcelo initially started his line back in 2012 when he was looking for a challenge on a personal level. After finishing school, he traveled to Europe where he decided he wanted to do runway shows to showcase his work. He believes the universe heard his calling because when he returned to Argentina, he was selected to participate in a few runway shows. His career catapulted from there. 

Throughout his career, he has learned so much about business and himself as a person through his many partnerships in the fashion industry. Having partners has taught him the importance of knowing your core values. He has also learned that the right opportunity will eventually come. Sometimes you have to wait, and he says you will not disappear if you don’t jump at every opportunity. 

We also talk about:

• How compromise is inherent in the art of partnership
• Finding allies in the fashion industry and creating relationships that will last
• Finding inspiration to create and materialize 
• Waiting for the right opportunity to come your way
• Core values when it comes to life, business, and partnerships
• Creating different personas as a designer and as an individual
• Lessons he's learned about partnerships throughout his career

• Website: MarceloGiacobbe.com
• Instagram: @giacobbeofficial 

• Access the Free Guide, "How to Pay Yourself a Consistent Salary as a Small Business Owner" Click here to access!
• Watch the Free Class, “How to Manage Cash Flow with Ease so You Can Focus on Consistent Monthly Growth.” Click here to save your seat!
• Catherine’s Small Business Finance 101 Starter Course and Learn How to Plan 12 Months of Sales Goals and Expenses in One Hour! Click here to access the template and training!
• Ready to get serious? Join The Consistent Cash Flow Method for Small Business Owners Course & Community.

With a mission of bringing luxury fashion to the everyday woman, Nicola started her company, The Curated, as a pregnancy project. It has grown to be a global brand that reaches women all over the world. With a retail store in Australia and a global e-commerce website, The Curated brings the accessibility of high-end fashion to women everywhere. 

At The Curated, they are focused on sustainable fashion. By creating a customer-centered brand, women are encouraged to upload images and information like their measurements and weight to the website after they make a purchase. This helps better explain how the clothes fit and allows future customers to make more informed decisions on sizing and fit prior to purchases. This is how The Curated is doing its part to reduce the carbon footprint, due to unnecessary shipping and returns. 

We also talk about:

• Finance definition: What is a Foreign Exchange Rate?
• The reality of building a small business with a global customer, a global supply chain, and a global life as an entrepreneur
• Building supplier relationships in business
• The importance of having support on your entrepreneurship journey
• Maintaining motivation and focus, especially post-pandemic
• Navigating e-commerce in the world of influencer marketing
• Advice for women who are interested in small business and entrepreneurship

• Website: ShopTheCurated.net
• Instagram: @shopthecurated
• Facebook: The Curated Community 

• Access the FREE Guide, "5 Steps to Manage 3 Months of Cash Flow" here!
• Catherine’s Small Business Finance 101 Starter Course and learn how to plan 12 Months of Sales Goals and Expenses in One Hour! Click here to access the template and training!
• Ready to get serious? Join The Consistent Cash Flow Method for Small Business Owners Course & Community. 

Andrew’s Underwater Garden Collection from his thesis at Parsons got a lot of attention and, in many ways, was the starting point of his career. One dress, in particular, was pulled for the window at Neiman Marcus. While eveningwear was the spotlight of his thesis project, Andrew  first focused on his bridal collection after graduation before launching his evening wear collection under his own name in September 2022. 

His design aesthetic empowers women, highlighting the strength and beauty of nature. Each collection takes cues from Kwon’s surroundings and builds upon this concept with femininity, bridging the ethereal with the every day.

• How he used Instagram to grow his brand and gain exposure 
• The transition from social media marketing to using a paid PR team
• Where he gets inspiration for his collections and what a typical day in his life looks like
• How he makes financial decisions from a profit and loss standpoint
• The process he follows when constructing pieces for his collections

• Instagram: @andrewkwon_official
• TikTok: @andrewKwon_nyc
• Website: andrewkwon.com
• Facebook: Andrew Kwon

• Watch the Free Class, “How to Manage Cash Flow with Ease so You Can Focus on Consistent Monthly Growth.” Click here to save your seat!
• Catherine’s Small Business Finance 101 Starter Course and learn how to plan 12 Months of Sales Goals and Expenses in One Hour! Click here to access the template and training!
• Ready to get serious? Join The Consistent Cash Flow Method for Small Business Owners Course & Community.

With a contagious passion for entrepreneurship and innovation, Lauren Grunstein noticed a need for something new in a space that had been steady for far too long. As the Vice President of Sales, PR, and Marketing for Verstolo Fine Jewelry, Lauren shares with us how she creatively uses the company's fine jewelry assets to generate a powerful combination of increased revenue, social-media buzz, and long-term brand loyalty.

At Verstolo, they are shaking up the fine jewelry space by offering fine jewelry rental for brides and special occasions. In this episode, Lauren opens up about the behind the scenes of fine jewelry rental, the challenges they face, ways they serve their clients now, and how they plan to serve them for years to come. She also shares her passion for transforming the wedding space by inviting brides to experience luxury without the price tag.

We also talk about:

Finance Definition: What is an asset?

Rethinking how an asset can generate new streams of income

Experiencing entrepreneurship without starting a company

Entrepreneurship as a mindset

Making connections and collaborations in a new-to-you industry

Forecasting your next wave of growth

How to know if small business is for you

About Our Guest:

Instagram: @verstolo

TikTok: @verstolofinejewelry

Website: verstolo.com

Simple Finance Resources for Small Business Owners:

Watch the Free Class, “How to Manage Cash Flow with Ease so You Can Focus on Consistent Monthly Growth” Click here to save your seat!

Catherine’s Small Business Finance 101 Starter Course and Learn How to Plan 12 Months of Sales Goals and Expenses in One Hour! Click here to access the template and training!

Ready to get serious? Join The Consistent Cash Flow Method for Small Business Owners Course & Community.

My name is Catherine Smith Licari, and I live in New York City with my husband and our dog, Penny. I was inspired to start this podcast because I have always loved connecting with others and I am deeply passionate about financial literacy for small business owners. I know how frustrating it can be for entrepreneurs who feel like they don’t have a roadmap to success when it comes to learning about finances in business.

After graduating in 2011 with a degree in political science and writing, and started my career with an internship at W Magazine. I stayed in the magazine world for a number of years before launching Plan de Ville, my first company, which was an e-commerce site for emerging luxury fashion designers.

I quickly learned that I had a knack for entrepreneurship, but knew I was lacking the financial skills necessary to lead my own company or anyone else’s company and to grow responsibly. So I went back to school and earned my MBA from Columbia business school in 2019.

My most recent passion project is my financial literacy company, Cash Flow for Creatives, which is the inspiration behind this podcast. It is designed to empower small business owners with financial tools, specifically for them. This podcast was the next step. Each episode will feature one finance term that is explained through career stories in conversation with friends:

In this season of the C Suite, we talk about:

Assets with Lauren Grunstein, VP of sales, PR and Marketing for Verstolo

P&L - the profit and loss statement - with Andrew Kwon, owner of a luxury evening gown and bridal line

Partnerships with Marcelo Giacobbe, founder of Giacobbe

Assumptions with Katie Schloss, creative entrepreneur and writer

Resources:

My first business, shopping side Plan de Ville

Website: Cash Flow for Creatives

Instagram: @cashflow.for.creatives

Website: CatherinePDV.com

Instagram: @catherinepdv

Simple Finance Resources for Small Business Owners:

Watch the Free Class, “How to Manage Cash Flow with Ease so You Can Focus on Consistent Monthly Growth” Click here to save your seat!

Catherine’s Small Business Finance 101 Starter Course and Learn How to Plan 12 Months of Sales Goals and Expenses in One Hour! Click here to access the template and training!

Ready to get serious? Join The Consistent Cash Flow Method for Small Business Owners Course & Community.

The C Suite with Catherine is a podcast about entrepreneurship and small business finance through the lens of career stories. Each episode with a guest features a singular finance term with the goal of illuminating financial concepts in a way that speaks to who we are as creatives, not as finance executives.

On Planning for the Worst-Case Scenario: Small Business Lessons from the Hollywood Writers and Actors Strike

The C-Suite with Catherine is a podcast focusing on on entrepreneurship and small business finance through real career stories. This episode discusses the importance of planning for unexpected periods as an entrepreneur using the Hollywood actors' writers' strike as an example.

We'll go over the importance of planning for THREE scenarios in your business:

The Expected Case: When things go as planned, understanding your regular income and expenses.

The Upside Case: Unexpectedly high demand and income, requiring adjustments to accommodate growth.

The Downside Case: Or, what happens in the case of a dramatic drop in demand and income, necessitating preparation to cover fixed expenses and agility to survive challenging periods as a small business owner.

The ongoing Hollywood strike exemplifies the importance of being ready for sudden changes in demand and income. Businesses can benefit from understanding their financial health and making proactive choices even during uncertain times. By preparing for different scenarios, businesses can navigate challenges and emerge stronger from unexpected disruptions.

To access the resource mentioned in this episode, click here to access "Small Business Essentials: The 5 Key Numbers to Know in Your Business"

Are you avoiding your business finance because you dont know where to start? Or, because the entire topic makes your skin crawl? Are you waiting for the other shoe to drop?

If you’ve ever asked yourself questions like, “Can I afford to pay all the bills? Why am I always the last person who gets paid? Am I saving enough for taxes? How do I start to feel more proactive in my business?”

There's a huge block about money and shame and fear and it's all tied up in worth. Whether we're worthy enough to pay ourselves first. Whether we deserve a salary. How to navigate making sure we're paying our team, our contractors, the people that we work with and that make our businesses thrive.

Today's episode was really inspired by the fact that pretty much every conversation I have with small business owners in my business starts the same way. They lean forward. We're usually on Zoom. They lean forward, look me dead in the eyes through the camera, and say, "Catherine, don't judge me."

In today's solo episode, I'll be focusing on all of this as well as specific practical takeaways for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. 

We also talk about:

• How to tap into powerful motivation to tackle the numbers in your business
• The ten most common questions I am asked by my clients
• Limiting beliefs that small business owners share and practical mindset shifts to push past this and drive toward what's next in your business
• How to get ahead of potential cash flow challenges in your business

• Click HERE to access the FREE Guide: How To Pay Yourself a Consistent Salary as a Small Business Owner
• Instagram: @cashflow.for.creatives
• Website: cashflow-method.com
• Instagram: @catherinepdv

Watch the Free Class, “How to Manage Cash Flow with Ease so You Can Focus on Consistent Monthly Growth” Click here to save your seat!

Catherine’s Small Business Finance 101 Starter Course and Learn How to Plan 12 Months of Sales Goals and Expenses in One Hour! Click here to access the template and training!

Ready to get serious? Join The Consistent Cash Flow Method for Small Business Owners Course & Community.

Other questions, or just want to say hi? Email me at catherine@cashflowforcreatives.com