In this inspiring episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, Susan Sly sits down with Tracey Wheeler Noonan, co-founder of Wicked Good Cupcakes, to uncover how a Shark Tank appearance led to a multi-million dollar exit to Hickory Farms. Tracey shares the behind-the-scenes story of landing a deal with Kevin O’Leary, navigating public scrutiny, building a scalable business from a home kitchen, and what life looked like after the acquisition.

She opens up about reinventing herself after divorce, manifesting success through journaling, and how she’s now on a mission to help women over 50 step into their next chapter with confidence, clarity, and purpose.

Whether you're an aspiring founder, navigating a transition, or dreaming of your own big exit, tune in now to get inspired and empowered—don’t miss this episode packed with grit, wisdom, and hard-won insight.

Tracey Wheeler Noonan is a self-made entrepreneur, author, and speaker who turned a home-based cupcake biz into a multimillion-dollar brand. After striking a Shark Tank deal with Kevin O’Leary, her company was acquired by Hickory Farms. Today, she’s a published author and keynote speaker for Inc. Magazine, AT&T, HP, and more—mentoring others through her course, The Cupcake Analogy.

Connect with Tracey:

• LinkedIn: @traceynoonan
• Instagram:@thecupcakeanalogy
• Instagram: @dont_call_me_cupcake
• Website: www.thecupcakeanalogy.com

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship® podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠

Could watching a game show inspire the creation of a billion-dollar company? In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, host Susan Sly sits down with Shawn Nelson, founder and CEO of Lovesac, who shares how a lightbulb moment during The Price Is Right led to 27 years of building a public company—through bootstrapping, winning $1 million from Richard Branson on reality TV, surviving Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and navigating four years of furniture recession.

Shawn reveals the one skill every entrepreneur must master (hint: it's not grit), his morning mantra for managing anxiety, and why his mom's seven-word advice saved his business. From executing immediately to maintaining "top ambition with infinite patience," this episode is packed with hard-won wisdom for anyone building something meaningful.

Whether you're bootstrapping, fundraising, or considering your next move, Susan and Shawn's conversation will equip you with practical strategies, actionable insights, and real-world lessons to help you tackle your toughest entrepreneurial challenges.

Meet Shawn D. Nelson - best-selling author, product inventor, and founder & CEO of Lovesac, the billion-dollar, publicly traded furniture disruptor built on one simple but wildly ambitious idea: design better, last longer, grow sustainably.

Shawn’s not a coach, not a consultant - he’s a real founder who’s still in the arena. His 25-year journey from building a joke-sized beanbag in his parents’ basement to leading a public company is full of grit, near-collapse moments, comeback pivots, and hard-earned growth.

Connect with Shawn:

• LinkedIn: @shawndnelson
• Instagram: @shawnoflovesac

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship® podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠

What does it take to launch a female-founded brand in 700 Target stores—with no prior CPG experience? In this raw and real conversation, Susan Sly sits down with Amiee LeMaire, founder of ZEYA, the first true innovation in home fragrance since Febreze. Discover how this former Hollywood producer transformed a deeply personal passion for non-toxic, functional fragrance into a fast-growing brand selling out online and thriving in mass retail.

From bootstrapping prototypes and pitching with just a deck, to overcoming investor rejection and navigating supply chain shocks, Amiee breaks down the real story behind ZEYA’s rise. Learn her strategies for pricing a brand-new product category, raising $2M in seed funding, landing a national retail partnership before launch—and how she balances it all while parenting two young kids.

Whether you’re scaling a product, raising capital, or defining your own entrepreneurial journey, this episode delivers tactical insight, unapologetic truth, and a deep reminder: you can build something that changes how people live—and breathe.

Aimee LeMaire is the founder of ZEYA, a clean home fragrance brand now in 700+ Target stores. After a decade in entertainment, she launched ZEYA to offer luxurious, baby-and pet-safe scents that elevate everyday spaces and promote well-being.

Connect with Aimee:

• Website: https://zeyashop.com/
• LinkedIn: @aimee-blank
• LinkedIn: @zeyafragrance
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeyafragrance/

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠

What if the path to business ownership didn’t require a million dollars—or even quitting your job?

In this episode, Susan Sly sits down with Alex Smereczniak, founder of Franzy—an AI-powered platform on a mission to create one million entrepreneurs by reimagining franchising. After scaling a laundry startup to a $100M valuation, Alex is now focused on using technology to democratize business ownership for anyone ready to bet on themselves.

However, this conversation extends far beyond a company's story.

Susan and Alex unpack what it really takes to become an entrepreneur in 2025: how to know if you're ready, how to navigate fear, and why curiosity and resilience matter more than polished credentials. Alex shares candid lessons from raising venture capital, managing self-doubt, and starting small with big ambition. They also explore the reality of AI-driven job displacement and why business ownership might be the most secure path forward.

Whether you’re actively searching for your next venture or quietly questioning your 9–5, this episode will challenge you to think differently about risk, readiness, and what’s truly possible.

Alex Smereczniak, founder and CEO of Franzy, turned a college laundry hustle into a $100M exit. Now he’s using AI to help 1M people become entrepreneurs through franchising—an industry with double the 5-year success rate of independent startups.

Connect with Alex:

• Franzy: https://franzy.com/
• LinkedIn: @Franzy

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠

In a time of AI, rapid change, and constant disruption, what does it really take to lead?

Susan Sly sits down with physicist, tech executive, and executive leadership coach Dr. Toni Collis for a candid conversation about the realities of leadership in uncertain times. From subtle bias and burnout to walking away from a successful tech career, Toni shares how she rebuilt her path with purpose and now helps others do the same.

They explore what healthy ambition looks like, how to lead when you don’t fit the mold, and why clarity, not hustle, is the true currency of modern leadership.

If you're leading a company, managing a team, or considering a major pivot, don’t miss this episode. Tune in now to gain valuable insights and take the next step to lead with confidence, even when the future feels unclear.

Dr. Toni Collis is a physicist, tech executive, and award-winning executive leadership coach. As CEO of Toni Collis Executive Coaching and founder of the Lit Up Leadership Academy, she helps women in tech step into strategic leadership and build impactful, fulfilling careers. Toni is also the host of Leading Women in Tech, a Forbes-recognized podcast for women in leadership.

Connect with Dr. Toni:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonicollis/
• Website: tonicollis.com

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠

What if the anxiety, overworking, or self-doubt you feel as an entrepreneur isn’t just about your business, but the patterns you inherited?

In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®, Susan Sly sits down with trauma-informed psychologist Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck to explore how inherited trauma and cultural expectations shape entrepreneurs. From high-achievers who feel like they’re always “doing it guilty” to entrepreneurs who equate success with self-worth, this is a raw look at how unresolved patterns impact leadership, risk, and identity. Dr. Peck offers insights on how entrepreneurs can unlearn the internalized narratives that keep them stuck and start making decisions from clarity, not obligation. If you’ve felt burdened by strength or success, this episode offers the clarity and direction to begin rewriting that story.

Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck is a first generation Iranian-Armenian trauma-informed psychologist who specializes in working with the children of immigrants and intercultural couples. She is the founder of the dynamic group practice Noor Therapy and Wellness specializing in providing culturally-informed care to residents of CA and NY. She also provides coaching, speaking, consulting, and community education internationally through her mission-led organization Bridging Gaps, Breaking Cycles. Dr. Pauline has been featured on Good Day LA as well as countless podcasts and articles given her thought leadership around how culture, sociopolitical factors, history, and more intersect with mental health.

Connect with Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck:

• Website: https://www.noortherapyandwellness.com/
• LinkedIn: @pauline-peck/
• Kajabi: https://pauline-peck.mykajabi.com/

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠

What does it really look like to build a business while silently drowning in debt? In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, host Susan Sly sits down with Daniel Bussius, founder and CEO of Built by Love®, as he shares how he ended up $90,000 in personal debt—and the decision he now calls his biggest mistake. He opens up about scrapping a fully produced course, initiating a software build before the right structure and alignment were in place, and the emotional toll of building outside his calling.

Daniel reveals what he’d never do again—not just in business, but in life. Susan and Daniel talk about the tension between growth and ego, how spiritual misalignment derails even the best intentions, and why clarity matters more than momentum. This isn’t about theory—it’s about the real cost of building the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.

About Daniel Bussius:

Daniel Bussius is an award-winning marketing strategist, best-selling author, and founder of Built by Love®. He’s advised Fortune 100s, celebrities, and high-growth startups, generating $50M+ in client revenue. Creator of the Marketing RAMP® system and author of Marketing Built By Love, Daniel helps brands build trust, scale impact, and market with heart.

Connect with Daniel:

Website: https://danielbussius.com/

LinkedIn: @danielbussius/

About Susan Sly:

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠

What happens when success looks good on paper but feels empty? Clara Capano opens up about why she walked away from a lucrative six-figure opportunity—because it didn’t align with her values, vision, or role as a mom. In this episode, Clara and Susan unpack what it takes to lead with clarity—and how that decision became the start of greater purpose, profit, and peace. Clara shares the intentional planning system she uses to set goals, stay accountable, and create freedom through structure—an approach that ultimately became the foundation for her trademarked CLARATY™ Success Method. You’ll learn how to use clarity as your checks-and-balances filter to align decisions with your vision and build a business that reflects who you truly are.

About Clara Capano:

Clara Capano is a speaker, author, and founder of the CLARATY™ Success Method—helping leaders shift from burnout to balance. A business owner and single mom, her journey from overwhelm to clarity fuels her mission to empower others to lead with purpose, focus, and impact. She’s also Executive Director of the You Are My Light Foundation, supporting survivors of human trafficking.

Connect with Clara:

• Website: https://www.claracapano.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claracapano/

About Susan Sly:

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠