{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"upside","title":"UP070: Xena Workwear // stylish steel-toe shoes designed for women","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3607,"description":"Interview begins: 7:50\r\nDebrief begins: 43:06\r\n\r\nAnastasia Kraft is the founder and CEO of Xena Workwear.\r\n\r\nXena Workwear is a footwear and soon-to-be apparel company dedicated to designing stylish and safe apparel for women in STEM. Based in Milwuakee, Xena Workwear's first products launched less than a year ago, and since then, they already have impressive supporters and plan to soon expand their apparel to include other items.\r\n\r\nOriginally from Kazhakstan and Germany, Anastasia first realized her business idea while working in project management manufacturing, where she noticed a disconnect between the professionalism of the women in STEM and the safety apparel they had to wear. In today's interview, Anastasia details not only the process of creating a shoe but also her frustration with the inequity between women's and men's safety apparel.\r\n\r\nWe discuss:\r\n- Ad: Finding experienced employees for your new business with Integrity Power Search (5:27)\r\n- Ad: Business calling and texting anytime, anywhere with Tresta (6:51)\r\n- Growing up abroad and moving to America (8:00)\r\n- Experience at Caterpillar and consulting (14:49)\r\n- Inspiration for Xena Workwear (17:58)\r\n- Designing a shoe (20:49)\r\n- Decision to start a company (21:58)\r\n- Safety apparel standards and certifications (24:20)\r\n- Manufacturing process (27:29)\r\n- Xena's team (31:23)\r\n- Direct-to-consumer vs. b2b strategies (34:19)\r\n- Unequal standards in women's vs. men's safety apparel (39:53)\r\n\r\nCheck out Xena Workwear: https://xenaworkwear.com/\r\nFollow upside on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidefm\r\nAdvertise with an upside classified: https://upside.fm/classifieds\r\n–\r\n\r\nThis episode is sponsored by Integrity Power Search, the #1 full stack high growth startup recruiting firm between the coasts. They partner with venture capitalists, private equity groups and CEOs to build amazing teams for the world’s most disrupting companies.\r\n\r\nLearn more about or get in touch with Integrity Power Search:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/qhlBwGFVyVQpTQUPz91SL_FZ9LxsieuifdWQEs8peZY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzkxLzE2MDU2MzQx/MjktYXJ0d29yay5q/cGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}