Send us Fan Mail

How do you turn a lifelong struggle with chronic allergies into an award-winning coaching practice? In this episode, we sit down with Renata Esteves, Holistic Health & Beauty Coach, to discuss the business of healing.

Renata shares how she identified a gap in the wellness market by documenting her own journey toward a medication-free life. For aspiring entrepreneurs, this is a masterclass in finding your "why" and building authority through authenticity.

Key Takeaways for Founders:

• Identifying Your Niche: Using personal "pain points" to create a unique service.
• Authentic Content: How Renata uses social media stories and recipes to build a loyal community.
• The Holistic Edge: Why merging beauty and nutrition is the future of the wellness industry.

Connect with Renata:

Instagram: @belezaorganica

Website: www.belezaorganica.com

🛡️ Mission-Driven Standards & Transparency

At The Mission-Driven Founders Podcast, our mission is to provide a platform for innovators shaping the future of health and wellness. To maintain our commitment to our listeners:

• Editorial Policy: An interview is an exploration of a founder’s vision and journey; it is not an automatic endorsement of their products, services or claims.
• Certification Status: Please note that at the time of this recording, this brand has not been CMB Certified.
• Our Standard: While we are inspired by this founder's story and vision, our official CMB endorsement is reserved exclusively for brands that have completed our rigorous verification process.

Curious about what it takes to get the Seal? ✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this second episode of our Reality Check series, Wanda Malhotra and Kacie Schady dive into the "nitty-gritty" of building a business without losing your soul. If you’ve ever felt discouraged because you aren't following a "traditional" path to growth, this episode is your permission slip to do things differently.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Authentic Direction: How to stop overthinking and tune out unsolicited advice.
• The Introvert Advantage: How Kacie thrives at in-person events by focusing on one-on-one connections rather than "loud" marketing.
• Financial Sanity: Why Kacie chose to build her lab with thrifted furniture and zero debt rather than chasing investors early on.
• The Loyalty Metric: Why customer trust is a more valuable measure of success than immediate revenue.

Kacie’s "slow and steady" approach has allowed her to build a sustainable, mission-driven brand that resonates deeply with her community. Tune in to learn how to be "scrappy and creative" while keeping your integrity intact.

Next Episode: Stay tuned for Part 3, where we share our most "funny-tragic" business mistakes!

🌿 Connect with Kacie of Love and Light Botanicals, a CMB Certified Brand:

Website: loveandlightbotanicals.com

Instagram: @loveandlightbotanicals

Youtube: ⁨@LoveandLightBotanicals⁩

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

Discover how the CMB Certification Program empowers brands, giving them the recognition they deserve for creating clean, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products. The certification empowers consumers to make informed choices about their health by guiding them toward truly green products.

Join us as we elevate wellness and sustainability into a global movement—because together, we can make ethical living the norm, not the exception.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What does it take to stand on stage and raise over a billion dollars for charity? It takes a level of confidence that Lydia Fenet has spent two decades mastering. On this episode of Mission-Driven Founders, Wanda Malhotra talks with Lydia Fenet—best-selling author, world-renowned auctioneer, and CEO of the Fenet Agency.

Lydia shares the story behind her exclusive Your Confidence Retreat at the Shou Sugi Ban House in the Hamptons and explains why "fearless failure" is a skill every entrepreneur needs to practice. From surviving a life-altering car accident to balancing a global agency and three children, Lydia’s journey is a blueprint for anyone ready to stop living for external validation and start becoming the architect of their own life.

Key Takeaways for Founders:

• The "Fenet Agency" Inception: How Lydia transitioned a 20-year auctioneering career into a powerhouse empowerment brand.
• Fearless Failure: Why Lydia views "failing" as a productive addiction and how to use it to fuel your growth.
• The Wake-Up Call: A raw look at how surviving a traumatic accident stripped away her need for other people's approval.
• The "Mom" Equilibrium: Honest talk on filling your own cup first so you can lead your family and your business with your "whole self."
• Philanthropy as a Skill: Why donating your unique talent (time) can have a bigger impact than just writing a check.

Connect with Lydia Fenet:

• Website: LydiaFenet.com
• Instagram: @LydiaFenet

Support the Movement:

• 📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon
• 🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box
• ✨ Learn about the CMB Certification: CMBcertified.com

🛡️ Mission-Driven Standards & Transparency

At The Mission-Driven Founders Podcast, our mission is to provide a platform for innovators shaping the future of health and wellness. To maintain our commitment to our listeners:

• Editorial Policy: An interview is an exploration of a founder’s vision and journey; it is not an automatic endorsement of their products, services or claims.
• Certification Status: Please note that at the time of this recording, these brands had not been CMB Certified.
• Our Standard: While we are inspired by these founders' story and vision, our official CMB endorsement is reserved exclusively for brands that have completed our rigorous verification process.

Curious about what it takes to get the Seal? ✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Can we truly have "clean beauty" if the soil it grows in isn't healthy?

In this special episode, recorded live at the Organic Spa Magazine NYC Media Event, we go beneath the surface of the beauty industry. We’re joined by four mission-driven leaders to discuss why regenerative agriculture and soil health are the next frontiers of sustainability.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Foundation: Why clean soil is the ultimate "active ingredient" in skincare.
• Global Standards: How North American regenerative practices compare to the EU.
• True Sustainability: Moving beyond recyclable bottles to compostable packaging and environmental tracking.
• The Tech Frontier: How technology is helping founders source ingredients more ethically.

Meet the Panel:

✨ Katherine Pye – General Manager, Wildsmith Skincare

✨ Dr. Nicholas Perricone – Author & Founder, Perricone MD Skincare

✨ Ian McKee – CEO, Carrot

✨ Ian Lirenman – CEO, emerginC

📺 Want to see the live recording? Watch the full video of this panel on our YouTube channel.

📖 Read the full article about the event here.

🛡️ Mission-Driven Standards & Transparency

At The Mission-Driven Founders Podcast, our mission is to provide a platform for innovators shaping the future of health and wellness. To maintain our commitment to our listeners:

• Editorial Policy: An interview is an exploration of a founder’s vision and journey; it is not an automatic endorsement of their products, services or claims.
• Certification Status: Please note that at the time of this recording, these brands had not been CMB Certified.
• Our Standard: While we are inspired by these founders' story and vision, our official CMB endorsement is reserved exclusively for brands that have completed our rigorous verification process.

Curious about what it takes to get the Seal? ✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness brands.

Discover how the CMB Certification Program empowers brands, giving them the recognition they deserve for creating clean, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products. The certification empowers consumers to make informed choices about their health by guiding them toward truly green products.

Join us as we elevate wellness and sustainability into a global movement—because together, we can make ethical living the norm, not the exception.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

How do you move from the high-pressure world of construction to the soul-deep work of sober coaching and mindful leadership?

In this episode of Mission-Driven Founders, host Wanda Malhotra sits down with Anne Karber, author of The Life Hack Playbook and the visionary behind The & Project. Anne’s story is a masterclass in "savage self-awareness." From building a multi-million dollar construction business with her husband to navigating a tragic loss that led her through the fire of addiction and into a life of "unshakable optimism," Anne proves that our hardest challenges are often just a "setup" for our greatest missions.

We dive deep into:

• Construction to Coaching: How the grit required for a male-dominated industry prepared Anne for the structural integrity of building better lives.
• The "Cheat Codes" to Peace: Anne explains her "CliffNotes" approach to therapy, boundaries, and emotional intelligence.
• The Energy Math Problem: Why your energy is a currency (quantified like Skittles!) and how to stop spending it on things that don't serve your goals.
• Recovering from "People Pleasing": Why being "nice" isn't always being "good," and how to break the generational patterns that hold women back.
• The & Project: Anne’s "crazy" mission to replace societal division with human connection and unity.

🌿 If you are an entrepreneur feeling stuck on the hamster wheel, Anne’s no-fluff approach will be the spark you need to start living in "full color."

Connect with Anne Karber:

• Website: annekarber.com

🛡️ Mission-Driven Standards & Transparency

At The Mission-Driven Founders Podcast, our mission is to provide a platform for innovators shaping the future of health and wellness. To maintain our commitment to our listeners:

• Editorial Policy: An interview is an exploration of a founder’s vision and journey; it is not an automatic endorsement of their products, services or claims.
• Certification Status: Please note that at the time of this recording, this brand has not been CMB Certified.
• Our Standard: While we are inspired by this founder's story and vision, our official CMB endorsement is reserved exclusively for brands that have completed our rigorous verification process.

Curious about what it takes to get the Seal?

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the

Discover how the CMB Certification Program empowers brands, giving them the recognition they deserve for creating clean, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products. The certification empowers consumers to make informed choices about their health by guiding them toward truly green products.

Join us as we elevate wellness and sustainability into a global movement—because together, we can make ethical living the norm, not the exception.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Innovation in healthcare requires more than just a good idea; it requires a mission. Eziah Syed joins the Mission-Driven Founders podcast to pull back the curtain on mend™, a company bridging the gap between clinical nutrition and digital recovery.

Eziah discusses the hurdles of disrupting the wellness industry, the importance of behavioral support in digital health, and his advice for founders looking to make a "lasting impact" rather than just a quick exit. This is a masterclass in building a company that prioritizes patient outcomes as much as profit.

What you’ll learn:

• The "Nutri-Pharma" Revolution: What it is and why it matters.
• Scaling a mission-driven health tech company.
• Why technology is the missing ingredient in nutritional healing.

Learn more:

Website: mend.me

Instagram: @mendnutrition

🛡️ Mission-Driven Standards & Transparency

At The Mission-Driven Founders Podcast, our mission is to provide a platform for innovators shaping the future of health and wellness. To maintain our commitment to our listeners:

• Editorial Policy: An interview is an exploration of a founder’s vision and journey; it is not an automatic endorsement of their products, services or claims.
• Certification Status: Please note that at the time of this recording, this brand has not been CMB Certified.
• Our Standard: While we are inspired by this founder's story and vision, our official CMB endorsement is reserved exclusively for brands that have completed our rigorous verification process.

Curious about what it takes to get the Seal? ✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

How do you deconstruct a trillion-dollar industry to find the true heart of wellness?

In this premiere episode of our new series, The Reality Check, host Wanda Malhotra goes behind the scenes with Kacie Schady, the visionary founder of Love and Light Botanicals. Back by popular demand as our most-listened-to guest, Kacie returns to help us move past the "aesthetic filters" of social media and dive into the grit of building an authentic brand.

Kacie’s journey is a masterclass in breaking up with the beauty industry to find a more resilient path. After struggling with hormonal acne and "anti-aging" marketing that eroded her confidence, she went back to school for organic cosmetic science. Today, Love and Light Botanicals stands as a CMB certified beacon of transparency, proving that simplicity is the ultimate science.

The Reality Check is a testament to what happens when founders choose integrity over trends and community over competition.

In this episode, we explore:

- The "Well-Washing" Epidemic: How to spot marketing buzzwords and "wellness fantasies" that are designed to exploit, not heal.

- The 30-Second Routine: Why Kacie advocates for simplicity over the overwhelming 10-step routines pushed by viral trends.

- The Solopreneur’s "Wabi-Sabi": An honest look at the "messy middle" of entrepreneurship—from late-night emails to learning from mistakes.

The Power of the CMB Community: Why mission-driven founders need a collective "sounding board" to navigate the challenges of a self-funded business.

🌿 Connect with Kacie of Love and Light Botanicals, a CMB Certified Brand:

Website: loveandlightbotanicals.com

Instagram: @loveandlightbotanicals

Youtube: ⁨@LoveandLightBotanicals⁩

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified wellness products:

✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🎧 Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders

Discover how the CMB Certification Program empowers brands, giving them the recognition they deserve for creating clean, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products. The certification empowers consumers to make informed choices about their health by guiding them toward truly green products.

Join us as we elevate wellness and sustainability into a global movement—because together, we can make ethical living the norm, not the exception.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

How do you sustain a mission-driven brand for over two decades while staying true to the soul of the plants?

In this featured episode of Mission-Driven Founders, host Wanda Malhotra goes behind the scenes with Julie Williams, the Certified Herbalist and visionary founder of Leaf People.

Julie’s journey is a masterclass in entrepreneurial resilience and intentional brand building. Long before "clean beauty" was a trend, Julie was traveling to 17 countries and immersing herself in the Amazon to learn the language of plants. In 2003, after completing formal education in medical herbalism, the healing arts, and Buddhism, she founded Leaf People to serve as a "conduit"—translating ancient botanical wisdom into a multi-award-winning, clinically effective skincare line.

Leaf People is a testament to what happens when you lead with integrity, in-house manufacturing, and a commitment to global reforestation.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Global Founder Journey: How Julie’s travels through the Amazon and 17 countries shaped the soul of Leaf People.
• The 20-Year Legacy: The grit and "all-in" mindset required to build a brand with longevity and purpose.
• The Manufacturing Advantage: Why Leaf People chooses to formulate and manufacture in-house at their Colorado headquarters.
• Ethical Sourcing & Sustainability: Protecting endangered species and the importance of sustainable wild-harvesting through partnerships with United Plant Savers.

🌿 Connect with Julie and Leaf People:

Website: leafpeople.com
Instagram:@leafpeopleskincare
Youtube: ‪@leafpeopleskincare‬

🛡️ Mission-Driven Standards & Transparency

At The Mission-Driven Founders Podcast, our mission is to provide a platform for innovators shaping the future of health and wellness. To maintain our commitment to our listeners:

• Editorial Policy: An interview is an exploration of a founder’s vision and journey; it is not an automatic endorsement of their products or claims.
• Certification Status: Please note that at the time of this recording, this brand has not been CMB Certified.
• Our Standard: While we are inspired by this founder's story and vision, our official CMB endorsement is reserved exclusively for brands that have completed our rigorous verification process.

Curious about what it takes to get the Seal? ✨ Learn more about the CMB Certification Program

🌿 Join us as we celebrate innovation, empowerment, and the movement toward a more mindful, compassionate future. Subscribe to Mission-Driven Founders on your favorite platform and never miss a story that inspires change!

📖 Get your copy of Women in Wellness on Amazon or on our website:

🌍 Explore Crunchy Mama Box and discover certified

Discover how the CMB Certification Program empowers brands, giving them the recognition they deserve for creating clean, eco-friendly, and socially responsible products. The certification empowers consumers to make informed choices about their health by guiding them toward truly green products.

Join us as we elevate wellness and sustainability into a global movement—because together, we can make ethical living the norm, not the exception.

Support the show