WorkParty

Hosted by Jaclyn Johnson, Marina Middleton

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370

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Nov 2026

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About the show

Meet your new Work Wives. WorkParty, the beloved business podcast with over 3 million downloads to date and guests like Sara Blakely, Tyra Banks, Jen Atkin and more is back and brand new. Jaclyn Johnson joined by CEO of Create & Cultivate, Marina Middleton are letting you listen in as they navigate the world of entrepreneurship, motherhood, divorce, female friendships and how they make it all work – mostly. A little work, a little party, pour yourself a glass of champagne and pull up, cause we are about to get down to business.

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60 recent

November 11, 202630 min

You Don’t Have a Sales Problem, You Have a Follow-Up Problem with Andrea Mac, Founder of Salesy

Sales is not a personality trait. It is a process anyone can learn. Andrea Mac spent more than 20 years helping attorneys, advisors and consultants turn relationships into revenue, then left the corporate world in 2020 to put those same tools in the hands of more women. Today she is the founder of Salesy, and she is here to replace the guesswork with a repeatable sales system you can use right away and make the money you want. In this episode, we cover: • Why most founders don’t have a selling problem, they have a follow-up problem • The difference between marketing, business development and sales, and how to tell which one is your real gap • The six things to know about a buyer before you pitch them • How to run a network audit and find revenue in the relationships you already have • What to do when a buyer asks for a discount, and why a guarantee beats a price cut • Why AI can’t sell for you and why every sale is still a relationship • How to get out of the sales seat and into the CEO role Tune in to hear how to turn the relationships you already have into revenue, on your own terms, on your own timeline, and without ever feeling like you have to be a salesperson. Special offer for Create and Cultivate listeners: use code CC100 for $100 off Salesy (normally $1,197!). To learn more about Salesy: https://www.instagram.com/besalesy/ https://www.besalesy.com/ To connect with Andrea Mac: https://www.instagram.com/the_andrea_mac/ Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

November 4, 202628 min

Andrea Faulkner Williams: Taking Tubby Todd to #1 at Target, The “Terrible Idea” That Worked

She waited 10 years to put Tubby Todd on Amazon, ran zero paid ads for the first three, and kept saying no to retail until the business was ready. Andrea Faulkner Williams co-founded Tubby Todd with her husband Brian in 2014. This year, the brand launched on an endcap in over 1,100 Target stores and became the number one baby skincare brand there within weeks. If you’ve ever felt pressure to take the big opportunity before you’re ready, this conversation makes the case for waiting. Andrea talks about the “terrible idea” that became a category leader. She also explains why community did more for the brand than any ad dashboard, and what really happens once you’re on the shelf. In this episode, we cover: • Talking business on their first date, and the reality of running a company with your spouse • Why Tubby Todd’s first formula went back to the drawing board after their second son was born with eczema-prone skin • How the brand grew for three years with zero paid ads • Why they waited a decade to go on Amazon and into retail • What Tubby Todd had to prove to Target to land an endcap, and how they hit #1 in baby skincare within weeks • Selling a minority stake to her dad and meeting as a board every single week for five years • Why IRL playdates with 400+ families matter more than anything you can track in an ad dashboard • The three things Andrea never skips while running a company and raising four kids Tune in for a masterclass in patience, profitability and building a brand moms can’t stop talking about. This episode is brought to you by Flex Etc. Find your space at flexetc.com . To learn more about Tubby Todd: tubbytodd.com instagram.com/tubbytodd Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

October 28, 202627 min

She Raised $13M to Build a 80,000 Creator Network with Emily Steele, Founder of Hummingbirds

She started with a Google doc and a local Facebook group, and today Emily Steele has built Hummingbirds into a network of more than 80,000 creators across 78 cities, raised $13 million in venture funding, and launched a way to trace a creator’s recommendation all the way to a receipt verified purchase. As the founder of Hummingbirds, Emily is here to break down how she scaled word of mouth marketing into a measurable growth channel for brands like Graza, Recess and Goodles. In this episode, we cover: Why she raised $13M in stages and how she did it by pitching 100 investors when only 2 to 3% of VC dollars go to female founders Why brands are investing in everyday creators with as few as 2,000 followers to drive sales at retail How Hummingbirds connects a creator’s post to a receipt verified purchase What it takes to get hundreds of creators moving product at stores like Target Why the sales hire that felt too early and too expensive turned out to be her best decision What to know before bringing on a co-founder, and why she gave hers half the company Tune in to hear how one founder built the infrastructure behind word of mouth marketing, on her own terms, on her own timeline, and without ever compromising on what she believed in. To learn more about Hummingbirds: https://www.instagram.com/hummingbirdshq www.hummingbirds.com Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

October 14, 202615 min

Olandria on Letting Go of People’s Expectations, Betting on Herself & Why She’s Just Getting Started

She came off reality TV with two million followers overnight, walked away from her corporate job, and went after high fashion in a way that had never been done before. Olandria sat down with us at the Create & Cultivate Festival and she is one of the most intentional builders we have ever had on this show. In this episode, we cover: • How she chose her team when everyone was selling her the world • What the first week after the island actually looked like • How three years in sales gave her the negotiation skills she uses every single day • Why being intentional from day one is the only reason her brand is what it is today • What her CEO era actually means and why she is just getting started Tune in to hear from one of the most compelling voices in the creator and fashion space right now. To follow Olandria: https://www.instagram.com/olandria Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

September 23, 202627 min

We Did It All This Summer: Cannes Lions, Croatia & C&C 100 with Jaclyn & Marina

A lot happened this summer; Jaclyn and Marina are back to recap everything — from bringing back the C&C 100 and honoring 100 of the most incredible women in business, to surviving a heatwave in Paris with 20 hours on the clock, hauling luggage up a mountain in Cannes, and discovering a monk-made face cream in Dubrovnik that has completely changed their skin. Oh, and Croatia? It might be the trip that changes your life. In this episode, we cover: • What it really took to bring back the C&C 100 and why it was worth every chaotic second • An honest review of Cannes Lions — what was worth it, what wasn't, and what they'd do differently next year • Why Croatia completely changed how Jaclyn and Marina think about work, rest and ambition • The Lonely Planet Journeys experience that took all the planning off their plate • The oldest pharmacy in Dubrovnik and the monk-made gold cream you need to buy immediately • Why stepping away from your business for five days might be the most productive thing you do all year Tune in for the most fun episode of the summer — grab a glass of wine and settle in. Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

September 16, 202623 min

Why Making More Money Won't Make You Wealthy with Jaclyn Johnson

You've been optimizing for the wrong number. Revenue, salary, brand deals, sponsorships — none of that is the same as wealth. And the difference between people who make a lot of money and people who build generational wealth often comes down to one word: ownership. In this solo episode, Jaclyn breaks down four stories that were in the news this week and what they can teach every woman about where the real money actually gets made. In this episode, we cover: • Why Purely Elizabeth's $850M exit is actually a story about ownership and what every founder should learn from it • Why a famous person on your cap table is not automatically a strategic investor • What Kevin Durant turning $250K into $60M can teach you about the difference between earning and owning • Why creators who only take brand deals are leaving the biggest opportunity on the table • What a venture fund is and how it works differently than a company raising money • Why dilution without value creation is just giving away ownership Tune in to hear Jaclyn break down the ownership economy in a way that will completely change how you think about building wealth — on her terms, on her timeline, and without ever holding back. Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

September 9, 202622 min

Isle of Monday Founders on Building a 30K Waitlist, Landing in Vogue & the $47B Market

The secondhand fashion market is worth $47 billion and growing three times faster than traditional retail — and Gabriella Curatola and Janelle Gray-Gilbert are building the company that's going to define it. As co-founders of Isle of Monday, the first rental platform for luxury vintage, they launched in December with 200 styles, hit 30,000 on their waitlist before officially launching, landed in Vogue, and did all of it while working 90-hour weeks and self-funding every single piece themselves. In this episode, we cover: • How they built a 30K waitlist before ever officially launching • Why rental is a smarter business model than resale • How they're sourcing pieces once worn by Naomi Campbell and Helena Christensen • What the legacy players like Rent the Runway got right and what Isle of Monday is doing differently • How to make a co-founder relationship actually work when you're together 90 hours a week • Why vintage is far from scarce — and the untapped supply that most people don't know about Tune in to hear how two founders are making the most extraordinary pieces in fashion history accessible to everyone — on their terms, on their timeline, and without ever compromising on what they believed in. To learn more about Isle of Monday: https://www.instagram.com/isleofmonday www.isleofmonday.com Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

September 2, 202628 min

Ali Kriegsman on Selling Her Startup, Helping Founders Raise $20M & the Fundraising Secrets Nobody Talks About

She sold her startup to the biggest B2B events company in the United States, spent a year in a post-exit identity crisis, built a consulting practice that helped founders raise a collective $20 million in venture funding, wrote two books, launched one of the most talked-about Substacks at the intersection of business, gender, and culture, and published a debut psychological thriller that landed on Reese Witherspoon's book club podcast with zero outbound PR. Ali Kriegsman has been busy — and she came to Work Party to say everything. In this episode, we cover: • What actually happens behind the scenes when you sell your company — and why it's nothing like the Instagram post • Why you aren't pitching the version of the business you're running today when you fundraise • The post-exit identity crisis nobody prepares you for and how to come out the other side • What the Everlane x Shein deal really tells us about the pressure on female founders • Why girl boss culture got some things very right — and one thing very wrong • Why every founder is giving the performance of a lifetime and what that actually costs them Tune in to hear one of the sharpest voices in the founder and culture space — on her terms, on her timeline, and without holding anything back. To learn more about Ali Kriegsman: https://www.instagram.com/alikriegs/ Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

August 26, 202636 min

Stop Waiting for Brand Deals: How to Build Real Wealth as a Creator with Nadya Okamoto

She started a nonprofit at 16, built a period care brand from zero to $5 million raised while posting on TikTok, grew to 6 million followers across platforms, and is now stepping into her next chapter as Chief Creator Officer at Cherub — all before most people have figured out what they want to do with their lives. Nadya Okamoto is here to talk about what the creator economy gets completely wrong about building wealth, why brand deals alone will never get you there, and what to do instead. In this episode, we cover: • Why brand deals are a volatile income strategy and what creators should be building instead • How Nadya went from zero to a million followers in two months by posting 100 times a day • What angel investing actually is and why every creator with a following should know about it • Why stepping away from your own company might be the smartest thing you ever do for it • How to think about diversifying your income as a creator before the algorithm changes everything • Why the creator economy is at an inflection point — and what that means for anyone building online right now Tune in to hear how one of the most prolific creators of her generation is thinking about money, ownership, and what it really means to build something that lasts. To learn more about Nadya Okamoto: https://www.instagram.com/nadyaokamoto Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton

August 19, 202613 min

The C&C 100 All Stars on Starting Over, Ditching Perfection & Being the Villain in Someone Else's Story

We sat down with our C&C 100 All Stars — Allison Ellsworth, Keltie Knight, Chriselle Lim, Gregg Renfrew, and Alli Webb — to talk about what it really looks like to start over after you've already made it. From selling a company to Pepsi for nearly $2 billion to ditching the scarcity mindset to learning to be okay with being the villain in someone else's story, these women are proving that the second act is just as exciting as the first. In this episode, we cover: • Why purpose is more powerful than money • What you have to let go of to build something new without carrying the baggage with you • Why being the villain in someone else's story might actually be your superpower • How to ditch perfection and embrace the messiness of figuring out what's next • Why fun is the number one way to avoid burnout • What two-time C&C 100 honorees know now that they wish they'd known then Tune in to hear from some of the most seasoned and exciting voices in business right now — on their terms, on their timeline, and without ever compromising on what they believe in. Check out the full C&C 100 List here: https://www.createcultivate.com/cc100 Join Us for 2027 World’s Largest Festival for Women in Business here: https://www.createcultivate.com/festival Get 15% off your Create & Cultivate Festival Tickets with code WORKPARTY15 To follow along with Create & Cultivate : https://www.instagram.com/createcultivate www.createcultivate.com To connect with Jaclyn Johnson : https://www.instagram.com/jaclynrjohnson To connect with Marina Middleton : https://www.instagram.com/marinaamiddleton