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Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

Bigger Is Not Always Better, Taking the Proper Steps to Build a Successful Brand with Lauren Dudley Stephens and Kaki Dudley McGrath, Co-founders of Dudley Stephens

Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

Lindsay Pinchuk

Ceo, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Women In Business, Careers, Small Business, Marketing, Business, Bobbi Brown, Female Founder, Pivot, Business Owner, Foundher

4.91.1K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2024

⏱️ 46 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

“Always come back to your North Star. Stay true to your mission, and when you find yourself veering off the path, remind yourself of who you are, what you do, why you do it, and how, and circle back to that original mission of your brand. It is always there to guide you.” This is one of Lindsay Pinchuk’s top takeaways in this episode, pointing out the need for alignment and focus in building a brand that lasts.


Lindsay is joined by Lauren Dudley Stephens and Katherine “Kaki” Dudley McGrath, the sister duo behind the direct-to-consumer brand Dudley Stephens. What’s the secret to their success? A mix of family values, sustainable practices, and an unwavering commitment to staying true to their mission—even as their business grows! They share how starting small, fostering genuine connections with their community, and building a grassroots approach to marketing allowed them to expand thoughtfully while staying grounded.


Tune in to hear how Dudley Stephens became a brand that’s as beloved for its values as it is for its products, and why sometimes, smaller really is better.


Quotes

  • “Marketing is everything, and you need to have a good core product. But how you get your story out there is just as important.” (10:53 | Lauren Dudley Stephens)
  • “If it goes against our North Star, we say no. It kind of goes back to being true to ourselves and staying small and manageable as well. We want to be able to stay the course, and that North Star helps us do that.” (33:14 | Katherine “Kaki” Dudley McGrath)
  • “Bigger is not better, and the grass is not always greener... you have to appreciate what you’ve built, grow steadily, be profitable, and have a nice family business.” (34:31 | Lauren Dudley Stephens)
  • “Learn from the people who know it better than you… It’s a roller coaster and there are going to be downs, but take those—the negatives—and turn them into positives.” (39:55 | Katherine “Kaki” Dudley McGrath)


Connect with Lauren Dudley Stephens and Kaki Dudley McGrath:

https://www.instagram.com/laurendudleystephens/

dudleystephens.com



Get on Lindsay's LIST here: https://lindsaypinchuk.myflodesk.com/foundherforum


There are still a few tickets left for Dear FoundHer... on Tour with Sunny and Jenn on December 2 in Wilmette, IL: https://dearfoundher.ticketspice.com/dear-foundheron-tour-presents-sunny-jenn



Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk



Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi guys, it's me, Lindsay Pinchuk, host of Deer Fountain.

0:04.0

And in just a few minutes, you're going to hear me talk to today's two guests about how they started their brand from scratch,

0:10.6

legit through the feedback of friends and family.

0:13.3

You'll hear us talk about the basic most simple marketing practices that they put into place to build and grow their brand.

0:19.6

The evolution is similar to what is going on right here, right now at Deer Fountain.

0:25.7

We've asked what you wanted, and you told us events, and so we gave them to you.

0:30.7

And then you told us you wanted a place to learn from both me and a community.

0:35.6

And so we brought you my group mentorship,

0:39.4

Marketing Made Simple for a small business.

0:42.1

And now many of you are telling us that you want to get in on our community

0:44.5

to learn and grow from one another.

0:47.0

You're having some promo when we post about Marketing Made Simple

0:50.4

on social media.

0:51.5

You're asking for more ways to interact and engage with one another,

0:55.0

not only in person, but also online. And so we're bringing that to you. In just a couple of weeks,

1:01.6

we'll be opening the doors to our online community, the Dear Founder Forum, a place for you to meet,

1:06.9

connect, brainstorm, support, lift up and share with other female founders and entrepreneurs.

1:11.8

We know that we're better together and around here we don't gatekeep. So we're creating a space

1:17.3

for you to share tools, resources, jobs, ideas to collaborate and so much more. Plus, you'll have

1:24.0

access to monthly office hours with me where you can ask any question that

1:28.4

you want.

1:29.2

So if you want to be one of the first to know when the Deer Founder Forum is open, please

...

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