After a decade in high-performance finance at Goldman Sachs and Oaktree Capital, Hilary Hoffman realized the metrics she was optimizing for were no longer aligned with the life she wanted. She left the boardroom to build Soto Method, a results-driven fitness program rooted in discipline, measurable progress, and the truths she saw in the lives of ambitious, overextended people.

In this conversation, Hilary shares the moment passion eclipsed stability, the soft skills she spent 10,000 hours developing in finance, and how these same traits (grit, adaptability, and structured focus) now define her founder journey. “One more second” became the heart of her method. She explains how she engineered recurring revenue to self-fund early growth and how a three-month Tribeca pop-up unexpectedly evolved into a sold-out proof of concept.

Hilary also opens up about hiring her first key team member, what “willingness” really means in the people she brings on, and how she’s building a meritocratic culture where initiative matters more than résumé. As a new mom of twins, she reflects on redefining success, creating boundaries with urgency, and why structure has become her antidote to overwhelm. From scaling an app into a brick-and-mortar brand to raising a strategic first round for national expansion, Hilary offers a grounded, honest look at what it takes to build something distinct in one of the most competitive industries in the world.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[04:52] What signaled Hilary to leave finance

[09:38] How adapting your energy shifts how people receive you

[13:27] Measurable progress defines Soto Method

[17:56] Hiring for willingness reshaped Hilary’s first key role

[21:44] High performers engineer discipline through structure instead of motivation

[26:33] How sequencing sessions, the app, and pop-ups fueled sustainable scale

[30:50] How a three-month pop-up became a sold-out launchpad for expansion

[34:41] What motherhood taught Hilary about redefining urgency, boundaries, and success

[38:55] The simple daily practice Hilary uses to defuse stress

Resources Mentioned:

Founders Podcast by David Senra | Spotify or Apple

Learn more about Hilary Hoffman:

Hilary Hoffman | Instagram

Hilary Hoffman | LinkedIn

Soto Method | Website

Soto Method | Instagram

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After decades of building icons like Tom Ford Beauty, Prada Beauty, and Victoria Beckham Beauty, Sarah Creal stepped into her own spotlight, launching a luxury brand designed for women 40+, a group long overlooked in the beauty industry.

In this candid conversation, Sarah shares the dream that sparked her company, the white space she saw in a saturated market, and the intentional choices that caught Sephora’s attention. She talks openly about investor pushback (“older women don’t want to look at older women”), why she doubled down on herself, and the power of putting her own name on the brand.

From packaging that tells a story to building a startup culture rooted in speed and psychological safety, Sarah breaks down the principles guiding her founder journey. She also reflects on lessons from working with icons like Bobbi Brown, and the behind-the-scenes realities of building a differentiated beauty brand in today’s competitive landscape.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[05:44] The dream that sparked a brand for women 40+

[09:06] How Sephora came calling through long-term relationships

[10:53] Using packaging as a storytelling tool in beauty

[13:02] Why differentiation is critical in a saturated market

[15:05] Lessons from working with iconic beauty founders

[17:55] Hiring for startups and ensuring alignment with reality

[20:00] Building speed and agility while preventing burnout

[23:02] Navigating investor pushback and doubling down on herself

[29:20] Daily habits for balance as a founder

[31:28] Key advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Resources Mentioned:

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight | Book or Audiobook

Learn more about Sarah Creal Beauty on her website, and follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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After decades in beauty and brand-building, celebrity colorist Kadi Lee and entrepreneur Myka Harris have created something refreshingly intentional: Highbrow Hippie, a Venice-based salon and lifestyle brand where artistry, wellness, and conscious living intersect.

In this warm and unfiltered conversation, Kadi and Myka reflect on the long road from blog to brick-and-mortar, the failed investor partnership that taught them everything, and the intuition-meets-data mindset that guides their business decisions. They share how they built a community long before products, and how that trust became the foundation for a loyal global following.

From the quiet luxury of their five-chair atelier to the holistic rituals behind their hair health line, the duo opens up about creating culture, hiring slow and firing fast, and funding a beauty brand on their own terms. They speak candidly about the realities of entrepreneurship as Black women, the exhaustion of the grind, and the unglamorous but necessary balance between creativity and financial fluency.

With humor, honesty, and hard-won wisdom, Kadi and Myka remind us that building something enduring isn’t about chasing perfection; it’s about alignment, resilience, and the courage to keep going when no one else sees the vision yet.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[02:37] How a Venice salon became a sanctuary where beauty and wellness truly intersect

[06:44] The holistic insight that turned hair health into a wellness story, not a vanity one

[09:52] Why pairing intuition with data changed everything in their product development process

[12:26] The reason community came before product and how that built lifelong brand trust

[15:03] What it takes to lead with values and speak truthfully, even when it polarizes people

[18:32] How two longtime friends turned complementary strengths into a thriving partnership

[20:10] The hidden cost of the grind and what “balance” really looks like for women founders

[23:14] Why creatives must master business to sustain their artistry long-term

[32:18] How losing the wrong investor opened the door to raising money on their own terms

[36:52] The single mindset shift that helps them push through every obstacle

Use code MAKERS15 for a discount at www.highbrowhippie.com

Resources Mentioned:

Dream Ventures Accelerator | Website

Highbrow Hippie | Website

Follow Highbrow Hippie on Instagram.

Follow Myka on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Follow Kadi on LinkedIn.

Follow Nancy Twine:

Instagram: @nancytwine

www.nancytwine.com

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Instagram: @makersmindsetspace

TikTok: @themakersmindset

www.makersmindset.com

After leading high-impact teams at Uber, Oscar Health, and even the U.S. Department of Treasury, Meghan Joyce stepped out on her own to tackle one of modern life’s biggest bottlenecks: the endless “life admin” tasks stealing our time. As co-founder and CEO of Duckbill, she’s building a human-first AI assistant that blends machine intelligence with real-world persistence to help people take back control of their days.

In this conversation, Meghan shares the kitchen-table moment that sparked Duckbill, what she learned navigating hyper-growth cultures at Uber and Oscar, and why “human-in-the-loop” help is the future of productivity. She opens up about the mindset shift that made her leap from operator to founder, and how motherhood reshaped her leadership and boundaries.

From early experiments that de-risked her idea to the values that now guide her team (“high standards, high support”), Meghan breaks down how she built a startup culture that balances speed with empathy. She also offers grounded advice on raising values-aligned capital, using AI without guilt, and redefining success for founders who want both ambition and presence.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[02:37] The kitchen moment that sparked Duckbill

[05:46] Lessons learned from Uber and Oscar Health

[09:02] Why Duckbill blends AI efficiency with human touch

[10:28] Knowing when it’s time to leap into entrepreneurship

[14:43] Early hiring decisions and how her leadership evolved

[19:04] Defining company values and keeping them alive

[26:17] Finding values-aligned investors and staying mission-driven

[32:41] Using AI without guilt and redefining help

[43:26] How motherhood reshaped her leadership and boundaries

[48:37] Running low-stakes experiments before taking the leap

[52:03] Lightning-round personal insights and closing reflection

Resources Mentioned:

Duckbill | Website

Personal History by Katharine Graham | Book or Audiobook

Follow Meghan Joyce:

Instagram: @meghanvjoyce

LinkedIn: @meghanvjoyce

www.getduckbill.com

Follow Nancy Twine:

Instagram: @nancytwine

www.nancytwine.com

Follow Makers Mindset:

Instagram: @makersmindsetspace

TikTok: @themakersmindset

www.makersmindset.com

After turning a simple idea into a cultural phenomenon, Nell Diamond has built Hill House Home into a $150M+ fashion and lifestyle brand beloved for its viral Nap Dress™ and fiercely loyal community.

In this conversation, Nell shares how a slow-burning idea became her company, how she scaled from a direct-to-consumer bedding startup to a multi-category brand, and the intentional choices that shaped Hill House’s signature blend of comfort and elegance. She opens up about early fundraising rejections, building community without trying to “manufacture” it, and why she treats influencers like artists, not metrics.

From the behind-the-scenes reality of launching a hit product to navigating wholesale, collaborations, and retail expansion, Nell reveals the creative and business principles that keep Hill House distinctly itself. She also gets candid about motherhood, leadership, and the art of blocking out the noise so you can build the brand only you can create.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[05:59] The idea that led to Hill House Home

[09:43] Building community and treating influencers like artists

[12:41] Lessons learned from early fundraising challenges

[16:33] How collaborations stay authentic to the brand

[19:58] Expanding into wholesale and physical retail

[27:09] Balancing personal presence on social media with boundaries

[30:04] Hiring for different stages of company growth

[33:51] Navigating motherhood while running a company

[37:02] Advice on blocking out noise and staying focused on your vision

Resources Mentioned:

Soto Method Workout | Website

Learn more about Nell’s creation on the Hill House Home Website, and follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Follow Nancy Twine:

Instagram: @nancytwine

www.nancytwine.com

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Instagram: @makersmindsetspace

TikTok: @themakersmindset

www.makersmindset.com

From finance to founder, Ava Lee has lived multiple chapters on her way to launching byAVA, a wellness and ingestible beauty brand rooted in Eastern herbal traditions and modern efficacy. A Korean-born creator known for her signature “jelloskin,” she built a global audience on Instagram and TikTok before stepping into entrepreneurship.

In this candid conversation, Ava opens up about leaving investment banking and the challenging identity shift from creator to founder, sharing how those transitions reshaped both her mindset and her business. She reflects on the scrappy early days of hand-packing herbal elixirs with her family in the garage, and explains how she learned to balance low-margin brand builders with higher-margin profit drivers like gua sha.

The story of her Resilience Skin Elixir selling out in just three hours highlights the power of transparency and authenticity. Beyond products, Ava shares why she believes storytelling beats algorithm hacks, her optimism for long-form platforms like newsletters and podcasts, and the Korean principle she holds close: “remember your 초심”—stay anchored to the reasons you started.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[07:17] Shifting from creator to founder and new leadership mindset

[11:52] Launching first herbal elixirs and scrappy early days with family help

[16:27] Balancing low margin brand builders with higher margin profit drivers

[20:23] Resilience skin elixir launch and selling out in three hours

[24:19] Building community trust through long term storytelling and heritage

[28:36] Content strategies today balancing trends with depth and education

[33:49] The future of content with substack newsletters and long form podcasts

[37:19] Staying true to your mission

[41:06] Rapid fire questions on travel, routines, and personal favorites

Resources Mentioned:

Resilient Skin Antioxidant Elixir byAVA | Website

Start your Jelloskin journey on the byAVA website, and be sure to follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Follow Nancy Twine:

Instagram: @nancytwine

www.nancytwine.com

Follow Makers Mindset:

Instagram: @makersmindsetspace

TikTok: @themakersmindset

www.makersmindset.com

Janki Lalani Gandhi spent nearly two decades in investment banking, advising founder-led brands like Supergoop, ILIA, Paige, and ALC before making a bold transition outside of corporate finance. Her career has earned her recognition as one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A and a spot on WWD’s Top 40 Under 40 in fashion and beauty.

In this episode, Janki shares what she has learned along the way, from navigating male-dominated rooms to making high-stakes decisions without a playbook. She’s built a leadership style that doesn’t rely on being the loudest voice in the room.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[09:04] Lessons from early years in investment banking

[12:38] Frameworks for assessing new opportunities

[15:42] Janki’s approach to high-stakes decisions with confidence

[17:56] Leadership lessons and finding her own style

[20:34] Staying grounded through family and personal values

[23:44] Navigating motherhood, career, and the juggle

[29:02] Advice for first-time founders entering competitive industries

[31:46] The future of consumer brands, tech, and AI

Learn more about Janki by following her on LinkedIn.

Follow Nancy Twine:

Instagram: @nancytwine

www.nancytwine.com

Follow Makers Mindset:

Instagram: @makersmindsetspace

TikTok: @themakersmindset

www.makersmindset.com

Season 4 of Makers Mindset is here, bringing sharper insights, transformative stories, and practical strategies for entrepreneurs, visionaries, and leaders. Hosted by Nancy Twine, this season continues to spotlight the bold journeys of founders, business leaders, and changemakers who are redefining what’s possible.

Over the past three seasons, Makers Mindset has uncovered the pivotal moments, challenges, and mindset shifts that fuel extraordinary careers. This season raises the bar, diving even deeper into the habits, strategies, and behind-the-scenes experiences that drive long-term success and impact.

The first episode of Season 4 premieres on September 4th.



Follow Nancy Twine:

Instagram: @nancytwine

www.nancytwine.com

Follow Makers Mindset:

Instagram: @makersmindsetspace

TikTok: @themakersmindset

www.makersmindset.com