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Welcome to Founded On Purpose, the podcast where business meets impact. Hosted by Kt McBratney of Renew VC, each episode features founders, investors, and ecosystem builders answering the same set of questions. While the questions stay the same, the insights and conversations are always unique and thought-provoking. Join us to explore how these innovators are aligning profit with purpose.
FoP_Stacy Bernstein_Final
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Kt McBratney: [00:00:00] Welcome to Founded on Purpose, the show where we get to know the people working to align business and impact, profit, and purpose. I'm your host,
Kt McBratney. Each episode, we welcome a guest founder, investor, or community builder onto the show to answer the same set of questions. They unlock wildly different conversations about their experiences building, building, and building.
Today, I'm delighted to be talking with Stacy Bernstein, a serial entrepreneur and co founder of All Better Co. The brand reimagining first aid with award winning, mom approved, and plant based formulas for everybody and every body. She's a brand builder and connector with a passion for supporting women entrepreneurs and eradicating the gender wealth gap.
She's also a mom of three, and a former pro athlete who loves the outdoors, minus the mosquitoes. Stacy, welcome to the show. [00:01:00] I'm so happy to be here. Did my research. Former pro athlete. That is a separate topic that we can dig into.
Stacy Bernstein: I know. And I would like to clarify, semi professional. So, semi is different because there was actually, I'm so old that we were in between women's leagues in the United States.
So, um, semi professional. But I'll still hang my hat on that. It's pretty good. You absolutely should. That
Kt McBratney: is a huge accomplishment in its own kind of entrepreneurial arc in a way. Yes, I could talk about that all day, but yes. We're going to dive into our eight questions and get to know more about stacy and her journey and where she's going from here with albedo So question one in one word stacy.
What's your purpose?
Stacy Bernstein: That's a really tough one because i've been on a journey to kind of um, Be more in touch I think with what that is and i'm in this next season of my life with slightly older kids And so I want that to look like and I guess You know You I think that maybe gratitude can be [00:02:00] so all encompassing in what we do.
And when I leave this place, you know, I want to make sure that I've offered gratitude, that people have received. Gratitude. And, um, that that's kind of the imprint that I make because I do think it's all encompassing of so many things. Like I have so much gratitude for the business I'm building. I have so much gratitude for my family that I've grown.
I, I sit in this really, really like privileged last place. And so I guess when I think of gratitude, that would, you know, kind of maybe encompass all of it. And gratitude makes everything better, I'd argue. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, when we sit in that space, I just think, you know, I tell my kids all the day, like we, um, what we put out in the world is what we receive.
And so, you know, I, I want that to, to shine through and in so many different ways, right?
Kt McBratney: Yes. So speaking of what shines out and what shines [00:03:00] through, the second question is what's your most recent win? And you can define that however you want, because we know you're wearing lots of hats. So many hats. Um,
Stacy Bernstein: Oh, well, this is something that I talked about the other night.
I told my daughter something really exciting. Well, I was like, again, not oversell it, but happened the other day. And it was so interesting because it happened to me and it's upcoming, but I didn't really know how to share the news. Um, and I was telling my daughter, and I have a 14, almost 15 year old daughter, and I was telling Stella about the news and it resonates with her specifically and then so she said, Oh, you're going to dinner tonight with, you know, my aunt, who's one of my closest friends and a couple of other my close friends.
And she said, Are you going to tell them? And I said, Yes. I don't know, like, how do I bring that up? And it led to this conversation about, as women, how do we share? Like, it feels like self promotion or what [00:04:00] it is. So I'm going to tell you what it is. Um, I got a call this week that I am being inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame for my high school.
Which is, um, I'm going to kind of like brag about the high school. It's not just like any college. High school. It's really like one of the top high schools in the country, and I had the honor of, you know, going there seven through 12th grade and being an athlete all the way through. And then I, after when I came back and I was playing semi professionally, I actually got to coach this program of, um, High school girls, and we were ranked number one in the nation at one point, and I've coached, you know, like one of our closest friends is, um, or very close friend is captain of the New Zealand national team soccer team, and she plays here for the professional team.
And there's other players that I coached that were on the national team at the time. So, um, and it goes back to kind of community. It's a really, really special community for me. So I've been kind of invested emotionally in it [00:05:00] for a very long time. I still have lots of friends there. And so. It was kind of like, I was a little bit taken aback by the win, because I don't really win many things like that, specifically, and, um, I think though, beyond what it, the win itself, so I told Stella, and then she said, you know, are you gonna tell the story when you go to dinner, and I said, no, and she said, why not, and I was like, I don't, how do you do that, that feels so awkward, and she said, Mommy, I think you deserve to tell your friends, and I thought about that, and, um, You know, I did it.
I'm just not that kind of person. I don't really talk about my accolades Although there really are many and things i'm really proud of and so I sat at dinner and you know I said i'm gonna tell you guys something. It's kind of awkward for me to share And um, you know, it's hard. I think this is natural as a woman.
It's hard to receive Compliment, you know, other types of things. And so I shared, and of course they were so excited for me and they, why wouldn't you share, and I explained [00:06:00] it. And I think as women, it's something we don't, it doesn't come as naturally to us and we need to celebrate those things. And I sat in that moment feeling like.
Yes, and these are the people that love me and have been part of my journey and they want to celebrate our wins. So it reminded me, when we have wins, tell the people you love because they want to celebrate them.
Kt McBratney: I love it. That's like several wins in one, right? It's not just the accolade. It's the legacy.
It's the community that you've been a part of in multiple ways, right? So that, that in of itself the induction. Congratulations. By the way, that's amazing is one piece of it, but then there's this legacy in these relationships you've built. There's your personal achievement side of it, right? How it led into this semi pro career.
See, I said the semi in like verbal Italian. Um, but then also this additional one of having this conversation with your daughter and, and examining some of these whys and then challenging it a little bit. And then the when of being able to receive that Transcribed That [00:07:00] grace, that
Stacy Bernstein: celebration. It was really fun.
It was fun. And I think, you know, as we're raising, as I'm raising kids, just that, you know, having her be part of that and really was the one that called it out for me. And so, you know, believer and like, we have to model what we want for our kids. So
Kt McBratney: it was fun. It was a good moment. Being a mom entrepreneur as someone who has been there, uh, is its own journey.
And I, I tend to tell people that I feel like parenting and entrepreneurship, even though they are absolutely different, like building a startup and raising a small human into hopefully, uh, larger and good human, they're wildly different. And yet there are so many, they're the only two things I think can truly compare to one another.
Stacy Bernstein: Yeah, it's true on both sides. On
Kt McBratney: both sides, if there's nobody else to do it, You're in different seasons, right? It's, it can compare to other people's, but it doesn't ever truly compare. There is no apples to apples. Your child is your child. Your company is your company. And I want to put out a product to the world that I can be proud of.[00:08:00]
And you, you have, and you should be, which by the way, you can get all BetterCo products, lots of places, including another recent one was Erewhon. Am I allowed to bring that up?
Stacy Bernstein: Yes, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, that's, you know, I'm based in Los Angeles. And so, um, uh, we recently got products into Erewon, which is like a very niche boutique, natural grocer that has started in Los Angeles.
So I think they have nine working on 10 properties. I'm guessing they will, you know, expand at some point. But, you know, it's really, it's very hard to get into, um, um, It's a little bit fancy, but, um, it's kind of like one of those like tastemaker, you know, from a marketing standpoint, and that's kind of what's interesting about when we look at the, our retail partners, um, any partners really like some have major significance, right?
Like they're going to bring huge visibility, the sales numbers, whatever those are, and some. Really, again, it's like, this is a great partnership, and from a marketing standpoint, it's a really good, [00:09:00] um, partnership and relationship, because people, for the most part, you know, who are on the coast know about Erewhon, and so, it's definitely another win.
Kt McBratney: I hear you, it's such a tease making brand, and to be associated with that, plus also the times, the natural side, it just feels like a, The good dream. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's in our own backyard. I'm going to dig in a little bit more to this field because you and your co founder Marav are building in a category that I don't think a lot of people would expect.
And that's first aid, as I mentioned. So we're talking personal care, skin care, bug care, wound care, these things that don't seem necessarily very glamorous. Um, but are, but are part of all of our lives and have been for a real long time before there were trademarks and brands, right? We've always been taking care of these human, human things.
And as you have pointed out to me, like our skin is our largest organ and yet we don't talk about it that much aside from beauty, wellness and, and kind of that aesthetic side of it. [00:10:00] The third question is around that field. So you can use the field being the category of first aid. It could be entrepreneurship.
It could be your expertise as a brand builder and a storyteller and a creative. But what do you think, or what do you view as a single biggest missed opportunity in the field?
Stacy Bernstein: I actually, again, it feels loaded. I don't think there's like a singular one, but for me, because I come from the brand side, I honestly would say like, Brand.
Brand and brand story. I mean, we're talking, um, as we've told, you know, many people that we've spoken to. There's some formulas, um, in, in some products that sit in this category that have not changed in over 100 years. And quite honestly, much of their branding doesn't look like it's changed in 100 years.
And, um, I think that our products in our category, you kind of nailed it. Like they aren't, you know, Like want to have products their need to have [00:11:00] products But they're so second nature and like we have a drawer full of you know Band aids and bandages and we have that old neosporin pop, you know packet that's you know My business partner likes to talk about like this is your reminder to go look at that packet because it's most likely like 10 years Expired and you're still going to use it um and so from my perspective, I mean outside of I I also think innovation and formulas and where we've come is um Is a huge piece but to speak through my lens There's like this missed opportunity to connect with this consumer in like a non sterile kind of way where it all seems like medicinal and Not great.
And you know, I I'm again, like I bring brands in my home that, you know, I connect with and that I feel good about. And, um, a big piece of that in the last, especially like 10 years is kind of that brand story. And I do think as two moms. Founding this company that it's like, we did it out of [00:12:00] a need, a personal need, because we couldn't find what we wanted.
And ultimately, you know, we say for everybody in every body, we wanted that our brand story to feel really inclusive and, um, feel not. Even aspirational, but like feel attainable, like very inviting and part of it. And, um, that way, like our brand story touches all, all ages, you know? And so I think that.
Innovation and brand and how it presents is, um, in a, in a time when you have so many, you know, you have like the big e commerce and you have the mass retailers and the consumer gets a little bit kind of like phased out and there's not a ton of connection, I want to build a brand that people feel connected to.
And I don't think that folks in our space. Have really done that. I also think so. Sorry. It's not just one, but I do think that, um, you kind of also hit on it that we are a [00:13:00] first aid brand, but we, you know, believe that first aid sits at this like intersection of You know, some beauty, some body care, personal care.
So we really call it skin care, like all of the things that you do to take care of your skin. And so that intersects at this kind of like place where we sit. And so like kind of redefining a little bit how people think of first aid. That makes sense.
Kt McBratney: Yes. And I'm now thinking about the big box store where I typically get most of my first aid things out of need.
And that aisle itself, like. It's not interesting. The only thing that I find super personally, I find interesting about it is that there's a lot of things that are variations of the same and also as a brand person and someone who appreciates a well designed, not just, it's not just the branding of a logo.
It's also like packaging and like, Oh my God, I could like go off on a soapbox on some, how, how some of the like packaging for [00:14:00] these essential items is so Impractical and just like unnecessary you could look at my Falling apart like first aid cabinet where it's like boxes stacked all awkwardly And it's just like I guess the the mentality is it's not actually broken but obviously Even if it's not broken We
Stacy Bernstein: that's right.
So like It says it in our name. It's it might not be broken, but we can do better And I think like you said branding is everything the brand story is. Yes. It's brand id. It's logos It's icons and it's our website. It's our packaging. It's how um, it's how we formulate it's how we think about um, you know, um The mechanism that's going to put it on your body, right?
Like I'll give you an example or don't scratch that patent, which is one of our best selling products. Um, it's our solution to hydrocortisone. So it's a chemical steroid [00:15:00] free anti itch, anti inflammatory cream. Use it the same way that you would use hydrocortisone. Except that you can use it as much as you want, and it will provide, if it's something that's itchy, it will provide relief within less than 30 seconds.
And as an anti inflammatory, it's going to work really, really quickly. Now, a lot of those typically and traditionally have come in tubes. And these tubes are like single use plastics that, You know, if your kid gets a hold of them, or sometimes you squeeze too much, you squeeze out like an odd, ungodly amount.
So, we put ours in a lip gloss dispenser, and we thought about that because in a lip gloss dispenser, you know, for those that aren't familiar, it, it has an air pump, it looks like a pen, and that's why we call it Don't Scratch That Pen, and you click from the bottom, which then activates this pump that pushes the formula out, and we have, um, You know, are, um, the tip of the applicator tip that it comes out of at an angle and so it's hands free.
[00:16:00] You're, you know, considering how much of the product you're actually using a meeting so you can control it more so there's not so much waste so that it lasts longer. And it's easy. You can stick it in your pocket. It's on the go. You can put it in your fanny pack, like, and it's not going to get gross in the sun because it's melted in the pot.
Like, all of those things are the types of things that we're thinking about our consumer experience. Um, And that's a huge part of our brand
Kt McBratney: story. As somebody with a brand marketing background for, you know, the past 20 years or so, I love that. And I love that you said it it's on the record. It is recorded.
We can play it back that a brand is more than your logo. Your brand story is more than that. And, and really what you just described in full is like one of my favorite definitions of what a brand is, which is. How it made, how people feel about that product or that company. And to your point, it's all of it.
It's not just a color and a logo and an icon and a website. And yes, those do it, but it's also [00:17:00] using the product and how it's been thought of for actual people to use, which is just like, feel like you could play that little bit back and it's like an example in a marketing class. Not that I'm teaching any, but we'll bookmark it just in case.
All right. Halfway point. Question four. You just talked about some other things that you have figured out and gotten right and tested and tried and done differently. But when was, when was the last time you were wrong?
Stacy Bernstein: Um, well, to be clear, um, I'm wrong every day. Don't tell my husband, but it happens. Um, and I will tell you, this isn't the story I want to tell you, but today I, Missed a zoom like just flat out missed it and it felt horrible Um, I believe there was a purpose just as just to show you that we get it wrong every day, but there is really um So many moments in building a brand that I think about You know again [00:18:00] all the things in my daily life and I remind my kids like i'm just a human being like, you know Like oh, you know when they were younger and it was like, oh you forgot my water bottle Like I I you know, I just do it again and i'm a human being too Um But very early on in our, in our brand process.
So this is actually going back to the branding side. We found this, um, We found this creative agency, a small creative agency here, female founded. We were connected with them and I just love their work and they were incredible. And we signed on to do our very initial brand, um, you know, exercises with them to develop all of those things, like our messaging and our mission statement, our, ID, our logo, all of the things.
And we went through the exercise to talk about like our mission and who we want to be. And they came back with this document that like nailed it. It was so good. It was like, they took what was in our brain and put it on paper. Like, I couldn't believe it. And then [00:19:00] we started going into like the creative side and the look and feel of the brand.
And we get to like, Round two, three. And I just wasn't feeling it like at all. And I, you know, they were so good, but I think they weren't our people. And I think I knew that from the beginning, but I really was like, what? They are experts, right? So kind of like a designer doesn't, we don't have to have the same taste level for you to deliver something.
To me that's gonna be amazing that I love. And it wasn't getting there and we were a lot of money in like we were, you know, we had already burned through a ton of cash with them or startup like that hurts. And I had to make a really, really hard choice, which was to say, well, we got to keep going because we're already in or say, like, we didn't we didn't get this right.
And we got to figure out a way to solve it. That's going to be best for us. And what that meant was severing the [00:20:00] relationship right in the middle. And, um, it was really challenging. It was really hard, but we approached it. With a business mind and it wasn't, you know personal and I will say that we approached it with integrity and thought And so in return what we received was integrity and kindness and grace and um We said, great, we've done what we can do.
We'll go our separate ways. We're not going to charge you the rest of, you know, what that look like and good luck. And it was like a really kind of mutual, mutually, um, successful breakup. And, you know, that wasn't the last time, but it's it, but that experience and that being wrong and in that partnership sits with me every day because it's a reminder to really think about things through when we're making decisions and also to know that there's going to be bumps like it's just, it's not a linear path when you're doing [00:21:00] this.
And so that's okay too. We learn and we grow.
Kt McBratney: Thank you for sharing that. Something that stood out as you told that story is one, that you're okay and accepting, give yourself the grace to share a story like that in that detail, right? But also, I don't know if anyone else picked up on it or you noticed, but you used the word we throughout that story, and I thought that was a really interesting, um, observation.
Because so often, especially when people know the power of brand, know the power of a microphone, know the power of our always on attention economy, there's a lot of founders who might have an amazing co founder, an amazing team, but they center the I and not the we. And I just wanted to know, is that something that you, you chose to do intentionally or choose to do intentionally, or is it just part of how you operate and connected to the purpose?
Stacy Bernstein: I think it's just who I am, you know, and this goes back, like, like I said, I could talk about [00:22:00] sports and what that's kind of done for me my entire life, but I, Could have, you know, competed in, um, individual sports. I never chose to, I always wanted to do team sports, you know, I was like this multi sport athlete and, um, I always worked, I just like collaboration and I always like, I just feel that, you know, we can only be our best when we are like surrounded by the people that are going to help us be our best, that we help lift them, that when something feels off balance, you know, they're the counterbalance.
And so. That, I think, is so far ingrained in who I am, um, that I just think it's kind of natural. It's just part of how you And I'm not, I'm not doing it as no version, I'm doing it alone. Like, I have the most amazing co founder and support system in doing this, so.
Kt McBratney: I remember hearing the, the origin story, hearing you two tell it for the first time, um, and you were like, she told me this great idea, and of course we'll link to this This is a beautiful story that's been told many times.
We're not going to get into it here. Yeah. Make [00:23:00] sure you have access to it. Um, many times where your co founder Marav called you and had this idea for, for one of your first products. And you were like, that's awesome. Go do it. And she was like, no, no, no, we're doing this. And you were like, okay.
Stacy Bernstein: Truly, truly, that's what it was.
Like, I remember it like it was yesterday. Um, yeah. I'm on a wee journey. I'm not a, like, I'm not a, let's, let's like, we're collective, like, we're, you know, we're better together.
Kt McBratney: Which is one of the reasons I love having these conversations, because even when you've got an amazing co founder, you have an amazing team, you've got support, you've got great, you know, relationships outside of your work, it can feel isolating and it can feel, um, lonely.
And part of the reason of having these conversations and sharing them is With public and doing it in a different way where we're not like, break down your unit economics for us. Which is valuable and its own show and has, has its own merits. Is to make sure that people feel seen and understand that even though there's, their experience is unique and they are absolutely unique in, in, in [00:24:00] their lived experiences and their journey.
None of us have to be alone in this. So I have a feeling some folks will, uh, be feeling seen and heard in what you've already shared.
Stacy Bernstein: Yeah. And oh, and to say just to like kind of piggyback on that a little, you know, being a solo entrepreneur is so isolating and hard and you're on this island. And I always encourage like those in my network to reach out to other founders and, you know, bounce ideas or, or let some of, you know, what's troubling you or what you're stuck against.
And when you hit a wall to really lean on other founders so that you're not so isolated because it is very hard.
Kt McBratney: Wise words, wise words. Chance to do it again with the fifth question, which is, oh my gosh, I love this one, and I feel like you might have a few to choose from. It's okay. You can add one if you want.
It's my show. I make up the rule. Um, what's a hill you would die on?
Stacy Bernstein: Yeah. So, I mean, to be [00:25:00] clear, it's 2024. There are so many that I can choose from. Um, but I think at this point, like it's just going to be. You know, I want to say women's repro rights, but it's just coming down to women's rights. Like, it's just, you know, I wake up every day in disbelief where we are, you know, and, um, that is something without a doubt.
Like, take me, take me, just take me. Like, you know, for me, for my daughter, for my grandchildren, and it's almost so hard to talk about because I just, I can't even understand, um, how we are where we are. And, um, The disappointment that we experience, you know, like where are the men, you know, we're in this moment and again, I don't, you know, whoever's listening to this, I just feel like we're in a moment where, you know, unfortunately it's going to take the men being vocal for people to listen.
Um, [00:26:00] but I think what's happening is devastating and rolling back. Um, human being, like our rights and liberties. I, you know, it just, it's this idea that, um, someone else can make a choice for anyone else's body is crazy to me. And so, um, that is the thing right now. And unfortunately, that's a little bit more of a downer and there's so many other things, but that's the thing right now that, um, I feel
Kt McBratney: the most passionate about.
I will also join you on that hill. Um, and there might not be an obvious connection between Creating a startup, reproductive justice, reproductive rights, um, gender equality, even to like zoom out even further from that, but that's actually been woven into how you two have been building the company, right?
And like products for everybody, right? But the behind the pieces of it, you've woven parts of that passion and that commitment to [00:27:00] gender equality into how you've built the company. Can you share a bit about that?
Stacy Bernstein: Yes, and um, you know on this journey we Found out really, really quickly. We didn't, you know, we talk about, and often you'll see a lot of articles about women and, um, financial, like, funds deploying and that were underrepresented and receiving, like, you know, 1%, 2%, anywhere fluctuates between 1 percent and 3%, depending on where we are of, um, you know, capital.
One or two, yes, they're different. Still all bad. Yeah. Um, and so we, that became something also that, you know, we started to climb that hill as well, and it wasn't so much about, um, receiving money. It's been realizing that women specifically, um, Women specifically, when we were raised, um, and again, we'll talk about so many, there's so many other things, but when we were raised, we were raised to be, um, philanthropists, [00:28:00] so to give our money away and to do good.
And to be consumers, to spend it, and we Absolutely. I mean, we're really good consumers. Like we, when we talk about she economics, like we are it, you want to market to women because, um, in the household, you know, they really are the gatekeepers. Um, but I think where it ties in is that we are super passionate about women understanding how to grow their own wealth and that we believe when more women can grow their own wealth, we can have real change and real policy change that will impact The things that are important to us, because that's what's happening right now.
We can't compete, um, with the amount of money that's out there and the people lobbying for, you know, all of the things that are happening, um, in our government, locally and nationally. And, um, so I think that there's, it's so layered and I also think [00:29:00] in that it's okay, like the. Yeah, those gender disparities across the board, you know, it's so this is an area in which we're looking to, um, create inclusivity, some, um, equality and help educate women because, you know, again, I'm gonna say it again, policy change.
Comes down to money like it just does and when we have that then we can go be Philanthropic again and put it into you know, local politics and and at the national level as well
Kt McBratney: We're gonna change gears a little bit so not I'm pausing not to minimize and to let that soak in of what you just said because that was a lot of stuff and With all of this going on You've got a busy full life.
You're building a company which is hard. Statistics show that women found more and funded less. All of these challenges. The world is on fire. [00:30:00] It's 2024. How do you play? And I'll explain that a bit more because, like, you, you know us and our team and we believe that, you know, there's importance in working hard and it's not the work hard, play hard, like, party bro lifestyle, but you have to have space where you can step away from it all where you can connect with different parts of yourself, where you can be creative you can try things, you can be silly and beautiful things come from that, that, of course naturally, you know, Benefit you as a whole person, and therefore your business is healthier, you are healthier, etc.
So, given all of the challenges of being an entrepreneur, of parenting, of existing as a human being in 2024, how do you, Stacy, how do you find time and how do you play? What does it look like for you? Well, you kind of, Nailed
Stacy Bernstein: it. You have to find time because it's not there. It is not there. Like, you know, I, I, it's just, yeah, [00:31:00] like we are all time, like time poor, like that is something that, you know, that's as a parent, as an entrepreneur, that's like my number one commodity is time.
And so you have to find it. And, you know, in the early stages, and sometimes even now, it's, you know, There's not a lot of time for that, you know, and we, I often joke as a mom, as an entrepreneur, like, uh, a big part of my play is movement. And so I kind of joke like there's some days where I'm going to, you know, help get the kids out the door.
I have an incredible partner that like, it's, it's not a solo show when it comes to that. And, um, if I choose to work out, if I go for a walk or whatever I'm doing, sometimes the choice is like, okay. Today, maybe there's not a shower. Maybe there is, maybe there's not. But to go back to that is that, um, you know, my family, 100%, I have a very close family, an extended family, but I actually still find some of the most joy that I have on the soccer field.
Kt McBratney: I love
Stacy Bernstein: that. [00:32:00] Yeah, I, I'm a weekend warrior and I go out there and there's, um, often days where, um, you know, my husband likes to give me a hard time. Sometimes it, if it conflicts with something that I feel okay about choosing my time on the soccer field, um, he likes to give me a little bit of a hard time, but there's plenty of times where I sacrifice that time.
But. I get to go out there, I plan a co ed team with a ton of people that I've known for a long time, play with my brother, which is really, really fun because we're just You know, it's so fun to be out there with him. I feel good afterward. I get my butt kicked by like 23 year olds um, but it um You know because we're still playing at a relatively high level like again, don't get it twisted.
We're the oldest ones out there um But I find so much joy in it and I would actually Venture to say that I find more joy in it now Then I did when I had a college career or a career [00:33:00] after, you know, now it truly brings me joy if I can stay healthy and
Kt McBratney: I'll get her, we want you to have that joy. Keep choosing it, choosing it.
There's so many things that you have to sacrifice. So yeah. Thank you for choosing joy sometimes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. With all the things out there, we're, we're rounding, we're getting close to the end. We've got two questions left and I know as an entrepreneur now on the investor side of things.
Advice is out there all the time, whether you want it or not. Everybody's got an opinion and they are not afraid to share it. Uh, but also some advice you, you seek out and is very valued. How do you know what advice to take? I
Stacy Bernstein: think first of all, like my, one of my like top three nuggets for founders is. Um, we say it all the time.
We know what we know and we know what we don't know. So when we can get ourselves in front of people that are experts in their fields, um, and what they do, [00:34:00] then, you know, we always try and we ask questions and we're not afraid of that. And something I love deeply about my business partner, she's always.
Always will put herself out there and say, you know, if, if there's something you change about what we're doing or, or something like, please give us feedback. We're open to it. And I love that. Um, and in terms of listening and taking it, I mean, going back to, like you said, it's not that much different from being a first time mom, right?
Like everyone was going to tell me all of the things at the end of the day, you have to decide what works for you and for your business. And I think if you are so mission aligned, then that becomes kind of easy to weed out what's going to work for you and what doesn't. What to kind of extrapolate from all of the pieces of information that you will get.
And very early on, there was like, you know, we've definitely been given advice and people would say, you know, because that's how it's always done. And we would give pushback and say, okay, well, what if we want to do it differently? [00:35:00] And, um. I just think us really, really staying aligned to our mission and what we want to do and how we want to grow this business has really actually kind of made it very easy to weed out what we feel like is going to serve us and what will.
Kt McBratney: I'm obviously a huge fan of that. As you know, I like to ask questions and I ask, I like to ask why and challenge that. So you've got me sold on that. But I think it shows us like filtering through advice requires alignment and it also requires awareness and it requires some thought, even if it's not, you know, taking two weeks to think about it, it's actually processing the information, not just consuming it like we do all the time, which is a huge distinction.
Yeah.
Stacy Bernstein: And you know what? Like, I'm sure you're not surprised to hear this, but like you, You could go Like i'll give a perfect example like we have you know We're fundraising and we have a pitch deck that we sound out to people and again often as we're [00:36:00] there's so many iterations of it That's constantly changing right?
And so when you right so then you do that and you send it over here and say hey Can you give me feedback about what this is and then you send it over here? And you could send it to like five different investors for feedback and they all want to see a different thing And You know, I think you just have to, again, what is mission aligned?
What makes sense? What will move the needle? What feels right? And you, you really sometimes do have to trust your gut. Your gut might not always be right, but at least you know that that's the path that you've chosen. And then you have to be willing if it wasn't the right path to say, okay, like, we're gonna, uh, you know, Roll that back a little bit and we're gonna figure out what we did wrong.
But I, I think that's just knowing who you want to be and what you want to do makes it a lot easier,
Kt McBratney: which is why purpose is so powerful for starting a business. It's like you're tapping into something deeper than what can be represented on a spreadsheet, even though spreadsheets very important. [00:37:00]
Stacy Bernstein: You know, I, we are women.
I am now in my late forties and, um, I founded this company in my mid forties and I wouldn't change that for anything because I know that this is my purpose and what every other, like all of the acts up to here led me to this place. And I'm now where I'm meant to be. And this is the thing, and I'm. Beyond passionate about I'm beyond and that just makes it again the choices all of those things.
It just it's hard It's grueling, but um So worth it
Kt McBratney: with the last question. We're gonna dig into that a little bit more The fun part is Stacy did not know what these questions were So she didn't know she was setting herself up for this next one to close out So what is your least favorite thing about your job?
And what is your absolute most favorite thing? Because you're doing a lot. You've done a lot. You will do a lot.
Stacy Bernstein: Yeah. [00:38:00] There, there, I mean, without a doubt, without a doubt, it's the spreadsheets and the numbers. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. Like, I don't. I don't have a math brain. I don't have a numbers brain.
I don't. And, um, I, again, my partnership works so well because, um, we are so incredibly different, both in personality and our skill sets. And, um, I think that's been one of the lessons that I've learned over time, Partners and partnerships and working with people collaboratively. You know, we bring two totally different things to the table.
Um, when two people are so different, it's going to take, you know, I think, um, Special people to kind of like come together and like, let that happen. Right. Um, but without a doubt, like the operations, the spreadsheets, the, like that stuff that morale costs it sit in is, yeah, no, I [00:39:00] like, I love that she can do it and likes to do it.
Um, and the thing that I love the most, I mean, actually I think I'm doing it right now. Like I love, I love building this company. Like I love building it, talking about it, growing it, growing the community, growing the innovation, growing the brand. Um, Hearing people come up to me like now and have kind of like locally people that are using it and telling us how good our product is.
I mean, the idea like we didn't set out to make more junk like we call it like earth garbage. Like we set out to make really, really, really good products with really, um, You know, that work like that, that just, they truly, truly work and stick to that and be kind to the earth and be kind to our bodies in that process.
And, um, so when we get that validation or we hear that, [00:40:00] I mean, it, it, um, it's not about tooting our horns or about like the pat on the back. It, it actually like warms my heart, um, that we've given. You know, something that is helpful and that we're doing it and that we're growing it, like we're the ones doing that.
And, um, I love building it. I just do with all of the, you know, the challenges and the uphill battles and the sleepless nights. And, um, yeah, I love building it. Well,
Kt McBratney: I've loved this conversation. As per usual, whenever we get to share space together. So thank you for sharing some of your precious founder time and precious time of building your company with me and with the audience here.
We also don't believe in shame around promoting yourself. So in our moment of shame free, shame free self promotion, is there anything you would like our audience to check out, to do, to follow? Thank you. Here is your [00:41:00] chance to ask whatever you want.
Stacy Bernstein: I love it because I said, like, I think our products are, um, and need to have product, but they also are a push product.
We have to remind people that we're out there so people can go to allbetterco. com. You can read our story there. You can see ways that community can help support us with some really fun stuff going on right now. Um, You know help us grow spread the word we are on social channels At um on instagram where get all better people can follow there and see our journey and our products But you know, I really just I I encourage people to continue to support small And you can start by supporting us and look at our products and if they resonate bring them into your home Share them with your friends and family Talk about it.
Um And, you know, maybe there's, again, like I said, ways to actually really join our com our community and, and help us grow.
Kt McBratney: Awesome. We will drop all of those links in the show notes to make it even easier. Some ladies suffer with [00:42:00] mosquitoes forever. I have multiple Don't Scratch That pens around, and I just gave one to my neighbor, so.
As you should. Keep,
Stacy Bernstein: keep one in
Kt McBratney: every purse and in every,
Stacy Bernstein: on the nightstands, yeah. Stacy, thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.