187 | Raising 250K on Kickstarter, Paying off Business Debt and Finding Contentment with Karen Lee of LEZÉ the Label
Karen has been featured in Forbes, People and Oprah.
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:
Today on the Podcast, we’re joined by the amazing Karen Lee, co-founder of LEZÉ the Label, a Recycled Workleasure brand that feels like Pajamas.
Karen has been on the podcast 2 other times so she’s now officially a regular and you’ll find out why when you tune in, Karen is extremely down to earth, funny and also shares her wisdom of how she’s overcome some incredible struggles in her business including being almost 200 thousand dollars in debt. We also dive into topics like community, finances, getting clear on your purpose and so much more!
Connect:
Connect with LEZÉ: https://lezethelabel.com/
Follow LEZÉ on Instagram: @lezethelabel
Key Takeaways:
Unconventional Beginnings:
Karen's entrepreneurial journey started as an unplanned move driven by her desire to work for a nonprofit. This decision was a departure from her typically structured approach to life.
Finding Niche Opportunities:
Karen recognized a gap in the market and launched her first business, planning wedding proposals. Despite the challenges, it taught her resilience and resourcefulness.
Embracing Continuous Learning:
Entrepreneurship is a constant learning curve, and Karen acknowledges the need to adapt to changing circumstances, technologies, and platforms.
LEZÉ the Label's Inception:
LEZÉ emerged from Karen's passion for comfort and sustainability. A phone call with her co-founder, Tanya, sparked the idea of creating comfortable, sustainable clothing for everyday wear.
Kickstarter Success:
Their Kickstarter campaign exceeded expectations, raising $250,000. This validation fueled their determination to make comfortable, sustainable fashion accessible.
Facing Debt and Challenges:
Despite initial success, misjudging inventory needs led to a significant debt burden, amounting to $180,000. This challenge tested their partnership and resilience.
Seeking Help and Learning Humility:
Karen emphasizes the importance of seeking help, remaining open, and not letting pride obstruct your progress. Overcoming adversity strengthened their resolve.
Building a Supportive Community:
Collaboration, community, and support from fellow entrepreneurs have been instrumental in their journey. Sharing resources and knowledge creates a positive ecosystem.
Defining Purpose Beyond Profit:
LEZÉ's purpose extends beyond profit, with a commitment to giving back. They donate 2% of net sales to recipients nominated by their community.
Start Giving Back Now:
Karen encourages entrepreneurs to integrate giving back into their brand's DNA from the beginning, even if resources are limited. It's a practice that grows with your success.
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transcript
[00:00:00] Danielle: Today on the podcast, I'm joined by the amazing Karen Lee. She is the co founder of Laze the Label, which is a recycled work leisure brand that feels like pajamas. Laze has been featured in several publications, including Forbes, People, and Oprah's Favorite Things. Karen has also been on the podcast two other times, so she's now officially a regular, and you'll find out why when you tune in.
[00:00:25] Danielle: Karen is extremely down to earth, funny, and also shares so much wisdom. She shares in this episode how she overcame some incredible struggles within her past businesses and with Laeze, including being in almost 200, 000 in debt. We also dive into topics like community, finances, getting clear on your purpose, and so much more.
[00:00:48] Danielle: We are so excited to also have Karen as one of our incredible speakers for our Power to Purpose conference happening on August 25th. This is an in [00:01:00] person conference in Vancouver, and if you have not secured your ticket yet, Go to businessbabescollective. com slash events because we are now at 50 percent capacity.
[00:01:10] Danielle: So definitely go there, grab your ticket before we sell out, get ready for an incredibly inspiring day you guys. I am so excited for this event. We have an incredible lineup of. speakers that are going to share their raw perspectives on building purpose driven businesses. You'll also have the opportunity to connect with the other attendees there, network.
[00:01:33] Danielle: You're also going to be able to shop local vendors, enjoy food and drinks, as well as an epic after party that is going to leave you with your heart. fall and you're going to leave incredibly inspired. So again, if you want to join us, you can go to businessbabescollective. com slash events. We also have a group chat if you want to connect before the event.
[00:01:53] Danielle: This is a great way to connect with people before you attend the event because I know that some people tell [00:02:00] me, you know, I'm really nervous coming to this event alone. There's lots of other people coming on their own as well, so you don't have to be nervous. There's a place for you to connect before you even attend.
[00:02:09] Danielle: So come join us. We'd love to see you there. We also have just a couple spots left for vendors and sponsors for the event. So if you go to that link that I shared, you'll have the opportunity to apply to be a vendor. And also we have a couple of spots left for volunteers. So if you're interested in seeing behind the scenes of what goes on behind running our events.
[00:02:32] Danielle: you can apply. There's a link in our show notes as well. So go ahead, pause this episode, go to that link or bookmark it for later. Now let's get started with my conversation with Karen. Welcome to the Business Babes Collective podcast. I'm your host, Danielle Wiebe. In this podcast, you'll learn tangible business tips and strategies.
[00:02:53] Danielle: on how to grow successfully and sustainably. We'll also interview seasoned entrepreneurs so you can listen [00:03:00] in on their stories and see behind the scenes of what it took to grow and scale their businesses. Let's dive in as we discuss the wild, exciting, crazy, challenging rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship.
[00:03:14] Danielle: Hi, Karen. Welcome back to the Business Babes Collective podcast. I'm so excited to have you on the podcast again. And we were just chatting that you've been on the podcast, not only once, but actually twice, because you also were a speaker for one of our in person events last year. It was last year of May.
[00:03:34] Danielle: And we had part of that talk on the podcast too. So welcome for the third time. You are one of our regulars. So excited to have you. I feel special. You are special. Tell us a little bit more about yourself and a little bit about your business for those of us who haven't met you
[00:03:54] Karen: yet. I'm Karen. I'm half of Lazze and we make recycled work leisure that feels [00:04:00] like PJs.
[00:04:02] Karen: I am a Disney fanatic as specifically Frozen. I love instant noodles and I love memes.
[00:04:09] Danielle: Love it. So good. Okay. Tell us a little bit more about your journey of how you got into entrepreneurship because We talked a little bit about before on past episode, but you have had a journey with entrepreneurship.
[00:04:23] Danielle: You didn't just start and like your business that you're running today is not the first business that you've launched. So tell us a little bit of the history of how did you get into entrepreneurship being your own business owner?
[00:04:36] Karen: Complete accident and driven by my ego. That's the best way to describe it.
[00:04:41] Karen: I was working as a sales coordinator at a property development company. And at the time I felt really called to work for a nonprofit and making a difference in that way. But obviously with no nonprofit experience, nobody wanted to hire me. And I read one chapter of rich dad, [00:05:00] poor dad. And I felt extremely inspired to just quit.
[00:05:05] Karen: And I did that without any backup plan, which is very uncharacteristic of me. I usually have like plan A, plan B, plan C, but it was like something in me that was just like, you don't have find any joy. There's no creativity in this role. You just got to go. And I was at that job for three years. So I quit.
[00:05:23] Karen: And then I was like, Oh, crap. I don't have a job. Like, but by doing that, I put my back up against the wall. And I had to think outside the box. I'm like, okay, no one will hire me. I don't have a job. What is something I'm really good at? And one thing that I was really good at was event planning. So, I saw a gap in the industry where I felt like with a lot of partners, women's expectations for what they want and like dates and proposals and things like that were quite different from men and what they needed to know.
[00:05:58] Karen: So my first business project [00:06:00] was planning wedding proposals and it was really, really fun for a few years and it was really humbling. But that was my first one.
[00:06:12] Danielle: In what ways was it humbling? I'm curious.
[00:06:16] Karen: It taught me all the things I didn't know, which was everything. The mental capacity. The resilience of starting something new and getting it out there was very, it was never anything that I needed to do.
[00:06:32] Karen: I felt like I lived a pretty sheltered, I wouldn't say sheltered, but like a safe life in my career at the time. It was like you get a job, you go home, and it wasn't anything like where 24 7. So starting that made me realize, wow, I don't know anything. And I remember crying so much on my couch, just like not knowing what to do.
[00:06:55] Karen: But I think that really pushed me to think very scrappy. [00:07:00] And. Make it something. And ever since that first experience, I felt like a different person after it.
[00:07:09] Danielle: Yeah. And I think that when you jump into entrepreneurship, there's so much that there's the learning curve. It's just always, you're always learning.
[00:07:18] Danielle: You're always learning. You're always growing. You're always doing new things and doing scary things. And then not only that, but You continually have to do that because things change. So like different social media platforms pop up or AI comes in. There's like all these things that happen where it's like, okay, you're continually learning and growing.
[00:07:41] Danielle: So would you say that you enjoy that aspect of entrepreneurship or do you feel like that's something that you struggle with? Like, then it never stops. Yeah, that you're always needing to grow and learn new things all the time.
[00:07:56] Karen: Honestly, I think my initial reaction to something coming out is, Ugh, no, that's [00:08:00] so lame, you know?
[00:08:01] Karen: But if we look at it as a way of newness and a way to, Almost like, for example, Instagram. There's a very set way that you could be doing things for a long time. And that's the way we do things. And then when threads came out, You were like, It's every brand's Slack chat was like, what are we doing on threads?
[00:08:23] Karen: Do we need
[00:08:24] Danielle: to get on threads?
[00:08:25] Karen: But it was almost like this new, like unapologetic way for us to show up in, in a way we've never tried before. So it was a way to explore and experiment. And I think that's actually fun if we look
[00:08:38] Danielle: at it that way. And innovate, right? Yeah. That's so cool. I love that. Okay. Tell me the story of lazy because I remember when I first met you, you had your other businesses.
[00:08:50] Danielle: You've had lots of different entrepreneurial things that you've done. We could probably be on here all day talking about all the different things you've done. So you're multi passionate, but then [00:09:00] I remember the very beginning stages of when you launched Lazy. I got one of your first pair of pants. I feel so honored.
[00:09:07] Danielle: I still have it. I still wear them. And so I remember those early days and I remember thinking like, wow, this is so exciting. This is so cool. And I remember how passionate you were about it. But I know it's been a journey of building that brand to where it is today. Obviously today it's a very successful brand.
[00:09:24] Danielle: And so you guys are doing so many amazing things. You've been featured in all these different places, but tell us like, what was that beginning stage? Like, how is it different for what you had done before? Because you've been an entrepreneur for a while. So what about it was different? And then also what were some of the learnings and challenges that came along with it?
[00:09:46] Karen: It was different because I think for the first time, it was an idea that resonated with my core values. So well. So I remember when the phone call really well, Tanya called me out of the [00:10:00] blue. It was summer, July, 2017. And she was like, I've been inspired and I was like, about what she's like the fact you wear pajamas out in public and it's so embarrassing, but I'm inspired and I'm like, okay, you're like pretty rude, but like, yeah, you and she pitched this idea of what if we were to create a clothing line where you can roll out of bed and and go straight to a meeting and it's actually sustainable.
[00:10:24] Karen: And during that time, sustainability wasn't really a hot topic yet. I think it was just starting to be in conversations in fashion, but it wasn't as like a. Need that people ask for today. And at first I was super apprehensive to the idea. Danielle, I was like, absolutely not. I don't even like fashion. I don't even like shopping.
[00:10:47] Karen: I'm not stylish. I wear. Pajamas all in public, like hello. And I didn't like the idea at all, but comfort is something that Tanya and I are very passionate about, as you can tell. [00:11:00] And we, when we marinated on them, I realized that we could use clothing as a vehicle to pursue comfort every single day and trick people while we're doing it.
[00:11:10] Karen: And I think when we landed on that idea, We were both so fired up by it. I just got Lasik surgery on that phone call. And I think we stayed on the phone call for 12 hours, half sleeping, half talking, and just like hammering out all these ideas of what angle, what platform, how are we going to get this launch?
[00:11:29] Karen: And it was, we've never developed something so fast. It, it took us about, I think, three months to get our first Kickstarter live because it felt so natural. And it felt so, it was like exactly. What we were meant to do at that time.
[00:11:46] Danielle: I love that. That's so cool. So at the time you, what were you doing before you launched lazy?
[00:11:55] Danielle: Like where you were still doing your proposal business and you had another [00:12:00] business as well during that time too. Correct. Yes, I think we
[00:12:04] Karen: closed it at the time and Tanya and I had a previous business after like during the wedding after the wedding proposal business, we were selling wedding planners, but we would definitely call that a failed venture, not in a negative way but in a very like expensive lesson way.
[00:12:23] Karen: And the lessons that we learned from the wedding planner business was Determined how we started Lizzie because we were so traumatized by having too much inventory in my mom's garage That we were like no inventory to start until we for sure know how many units we need which is the crux I think of most product based businesses today of like how much inventory to order what sizes did it stuff?
[00:12:49] Karen: So that's why we decided to launch on
[00:12:51] Danielle: Kickstarter I love it. And tell us about that Kickstarter. How did it go?
[00:12:59] Karen: Way [00:13:00] more than we imagined for sure. We had, so Kickstarter is basically a platform where you can launch a product or idea without even having a product yet. And if people believe in it, they basically make a pledge, an early bird pledge to you.
[00:13:16] Karen: And then after the campaign ends, you take that money and you go into production, which is. Very low risk for us and for any product based business out there, I would really consider going that route and. I forgot what
[00:13:31] Danielle: your question was. How, like, how did it go? Was it a success? Oh, yes. Obviously I know, but for people who don't, who haven't listened to a previous episode of the podcast.
[00:13:43] Danielle: It was
[00:13:43] Karen: definitely a success. We had an internal goal of a hundred thousand and that already was huge in my brain. But at the end of the campaign, we ended up making 250, 000 US dollars. And that moment we realized. Oh, dang. [00:14:00] There's lots of people who want to wear PJs out in public too. That was so validating for us.
[00:14:06] Karen: So that just propelled everything and led us to where we are today.
[00:14:11] Danielle: I love it. I love it. And tell us the challenges of From where you were raising that money, you've got all that money. Obviously that's like the dream. You're like, okay, now we can actually fund this vision of what we want to create. And then obviously to now, like people see your business down there, like, okay, yeah, they had a successful Kickstarter.
[00:14:34] Danielle: Now they're here at this point, but tell us a little bit of the in between. Cause I, I know there was some big challenges in the middle there. So tell us about that.
[00:14:43] Karen: Oh, tell me about it. I think after we had made all that money and it hit our bank account because it comes all at once, we were under the very false impression that we were rich.
[00:14:56] Karen: We're like, We made it. We have all this money in the account. And then we [00:15:00] got way too excited and did what we promised we wouldn't do, which was get too excited and order too much inventory. And we did just that. And in year two, one year after we launched, we were back in the same position that we were in the wedding planning agenda business.
[00:15:15] Karen: We had too much inventory and it was not moving. And that was. One of the biggest learning lessons, lowest points for me personally. And I think for Tanya as well, because we were 180, 000 us dollars in debt. And that number is monstrous to me. Like I always joke that I'm so cheap. I hate paying for parking.
[00:15:38] Karen: So like that number and not knowing how to pay it off was. It's insane. Yeah. And I remember very vividly laying in bed in the dark staring at the ceiling and just not knowing what do we do, and things were so slow, and at the time, Tanya and I were also clashing a lot, because again, stress with the debt and just, [00:16:00] we've been friends for 10 years.
[00:16:02] Karen: However, working together is a different ballgame. And so a lot of things. The breakdown in our communication was starting to show up and we're struggling with working together. And we didn't want to tell anyone this because I don't know, maybe we felt like if we tell people we're struggling as partners, people will think we're weak.
[00:16:20] Karen: And I don't know who told us this was a bad thing, but that's, it felt like we were just carrying so much weight on us and we had two decisions to make. It was a, do we close down? Do I sell my apartment to help pay off this debt or B, do we just figure it out? And. We obviously went with option B, and we decided to drop like the vanity side of things.
[00:16:49] Karen: It was just, we've made that much in the beginning, but now we're here. How do we fix it? And we had to get really scrappy. We moved out of our, moved out of our little fulfillment center, moved into my mom's basement [00:17:00] again. My mom really loves us. We filled everything ourselves. We figured out how to crunch numbers.
[00:17:07] Karen: That part was hard for me because I'm really bad at math, but I forced myself to do cashflow every single week. We got an ads guy who will help us up for the first three months and We paid it off in eight
[00:17:18] Danielle: months. So good. So good. So tell me about like, how did it feel to, cause you said that you started off the business with so much excitement.
[00:17:31] Danielle: And I think this is what all entrepreneurs like the kind of, Roller coaster that they go on. Right? Like they have this idea. They're like, Oh my gosh, this is the best idea ever. They're super excited about it. They're like, okay, let's do this. And then you were on this like huge high because you had launched the Kickstarter that then brought in all this money.
[00:17:49] Danielle: And then you were in this debt. So what was that? Like Emotionally for you, I think for entrepreneurs, no matter what stage of [00:18:00] business they're at, they're going to have that moment where it's like what you said, they have to make a decision. Are they going to push through? Are they going to make things work?
[00:18:07] Danielle: Maybe they're not 180 grand in debt, but maybe they're just like not making money. Or maybe they're just like, they feel lost or maybe they've lost their passion for what they're doing and, or struggling in a business partnership, whatever that looks like. What? What skills did you develop during that time mentally that kind of helped you through that?
[00:18:30] Danielle: Because I think like the tangible things of what you shared, okay, we got really serious, we figured out our numbers, we moved into my mom's basement, all these things, it's okay, all those tangible things are amazing. But it's like, how do you emotionally handle the struggles that come along with running a brand and business?
[00:18:51] Karen: That's such a good question. For myself, I needed to not drown every day. [00:19:00] And for me, what that looks like is I had to be off my phone a lot. I had to deactivate social media. I would spend the first four hours of my day with my phone off. I would do, so I have a faith. And I would spend it listening to sermons, um, listening to worship music.
[00:19:19] Karen: And... Doing what I needed to set myself up for any more hurdles I may face throughout the day and four hours is very excessive or to me it was, but it was almost like I needed to pick a time frame that made me super uncomfortable where I knew I felt like I wasn't being productive. Yeah, but four hours a day, I was able to find so much courage and just encouragement.
[00:19:49] Karen: That that's what I day to day. I didn't look at two or two years from now. I was just looking at tomorrow, what I can borrow to get through it. [00:20:00] And I think it was really important for being honest enough with yourself. That you need help and it was really shameless. I asked around for help to everyone and their dog that could help us.
[00:20:14] Karen: And I think that moment of us getting knocked off our pedestal was actually really necessary for our journey. Because I think without knowing it, we got a little obnoxious is not the word. What is it? Prideful. But a little prideful after that first injection of money that we were riding on. Oh, we don't need help anymore.
[00:20:37] Karen: I stopped asking questions. Right. And I think that moment was such, such a necessary slap to my face, humility that I am really grateful for that moment in time because during that slow season also helped me and Tanya work through all of our differences and work on our communication. To answer your [00:21:00] question, is finding what.
[00:21:03] Karen: You need to hear yourself distracted by what other people are doing and the noise that's out there was the only way I got through that really dark
[00:21:15] Danielle: year. That's so good. And you mentioned asking for help. And I think that's so important, no matter where you're at in your life, your business. So what role has community relationships?
[00:21:30] Danielle: collaborations, all of that. Like, what has that looked like in the growth of your business and your brand? And how has that, because you guys have grown a really, incredible community as well, like around your brand. I think that I love your guys content. It's hilarious. It's also, it's just so great. Like it's, it's real.
[00:21:50] Danielle: It's funny. It's fun. You guys just do such a great job, but I would love to hear what does that look like? As far as growing your [00:22:00] community, not just with like your customers and clients, but also people around you, like other business owners and other people, what has that journey looked like for both of you?
[00:22:10] Karen: I get really happy that you asked me this because we've had nothing but positive experiences connecting with other brand owners in our community and it's so nice because you think you hear like rumors like oh it's gonna be catty you got it's gonna be competitive but I don't I've never experienced that it's like every person we've spoke to has been just We're so mutually generous with our resources, like I need a new 3PL, do you have any connects?
[00:22:37] Karen: Yes, talk to mine. I need an ads person, talk to mine. And it's just been such a beautiful harmony of just everyone running in their own lanes, but we support each other from afar. Yeah. And I think that does come with letting your guard down a little. Meet someone new. I don't safeguard any information. I'm literally open book.
[00:22:58] Karen: Ask me anything. [00:23:00] If I know something, I will tell you. If I don't, I will ask someone that might know. And I think putting out that kind of energy and that kind of like attitude. Yeah. People can sense that and then they're able to reciprocate and it's just this beautiful partnerships like secret partnerships because we're not like all actually working together and some even collaborate but it's just this knowing that if I need help I can ask someone and I'll probably find it.
[00:23:26] Danielle: That's so good. Yeah. And I was gonna mention that if you didn't mention it, because I think like what you're saying about you haven't experienced like cattiness and things like that. And I do really think it's how you approach it as well. And you having that abundance mentality of not being like scarce with your information or resources or whatever that looks like.
[00:23:49] Danielle: Because I think if you are that open book, then other people want to be that for you as well. So I think that If you're struggling with that, because I know, I know that people have had experiences or like negative [00:24:00] experiences, whether it be in their past or even like past jobs or different things. So sometimes it can be scary to like put yourself out there if you have had that experience.
[00:24:08] Danielle: But I think that's so valuable what you said about supporting each other. Like why not? Like why not support? One another, why not be an open book, share what you've learned because yeah, we've talked about this on the podcast so many times before, but like a rising tide lifts all ships. I know it's cheesy to say, but it is true.
[00:24:26] Danielle: And I think there's just more than enough abundance out there and that we can. We can share and even like work and collaborate with people that are quote unquote competitors and I don't think that's a problem because I think that people will resonate with the brand or business or person that they resonate with and it's just you'll find your people.
[00:24:46] Danielle: I love that you have that perspective because that's totally our perspective too.
[00:24:52] Karen: I feel like you're this bridge of just this heart and hub of connection, and it's so nice because [00:25:00] Something that you need could be just on the other side, but you just go out there and find out and I think one of my mentors said this to me one time that really stuck with me that she said, No one's better than anyone, because in your own lane you're, you might be better at them at this aspect.
[00:25:19] Karen: But they might be better at you in this aspect. So we're all just, it's all relative. And so, like you said, there's more enough, more, what's the, what's that
[00:25:30] Danielle: phrase? More than enough for
[00:25:32] Karen: everyone. It's like, high for everyone. And it truly is that way if, because each brand has something different to offer that, like you said, resonates with people differently.
[00:25:42] Danielle: Totally. And I think too, one of the things that I love about what you said at the beginning, when you were talking about why you started your brand or like kind of that transition of what you started your businesses as, and then this like new idea that you felt like was so aligned for you. [00:26:00] I think about that a lot when I talk to entrepreneurs and they're entrepreneurial and maybe they just haven't found their thing yet that's really going to just blow up for them and be something that they're like so excited, so passionate about, and that's going to grow.
[00:26:17] Danielle: So I would love to hear your perspective on what would your advice be for someone who's maybe feeling that way right now, like maybe they're running a business and maybe it's not that it's not the right business, but maybe it's just that they just need a few tweaks or maybe it is that they literally.
[00:26:35] Danielle: Are going to drop everything and start a new business. What is your advice for someone who's feeling stuck in that in between phase of things aren't coming together or things aren't working the way that they want it to?
[00:26:48] Karen: That's a good question because I find like even with brands I've been running for five, six, seven years, there comes a point where you hit a, not a plateau, but a stage where you start [00:27:00] reevaluating what am I doing this for?
[00:27:02] Karen: Yeah. And I think it's to ask yourself, what are you hoping to get out of this? What kind of impact are you wanting to make? For example, with Lizzie, it was never clothing, but our end game was to actually use it to bless people. So we have a fund where we donate 2 percent of all of our net sales to a recipient that our community nominates, but it's to a person.
[00:27:38] Karen: And that was the end goal for laissez of having the space and being able to, yes, make a living off it. And yes, grow the economy, but also to be able to have money to just give away. So that's what we want to do with laissez, but more listening, what do you [00:28:00] want to do with it? Why do you want to do it? If the business idea isn't.
[00:28:06] Karen: aligning it, you could think of other ways you can make a difference or make an impact with what you already have.
[00:28:13] Danielle: That's so good. I love that you mentioned that at the end there too, because I think a lot. of people think, okay, I'm going to start giving back once I'm at this level or this level, but what, how can you actually build that into your brand?
[00:28:26] Danielle: And I love that you guys have done that because that's as you grow, like that's that, and that gives you so much more purpose as well to what you're doing. If you know that it's not. Just for you. And there's nothing wrong with making a living. Like you said, making a living, contributing to the economy, all of that.
[00:28:43] Danielle: But also having that aspect of being able to give back and make an impact in people's lives is huge. And I think that really also allows you to think bigger and be excited about stuff because you you're like, Oh, we get to do this and [00:29:00] guess the profits of the business are growing, but that means we can also give back more, which So cool.
[00:29:05] Danielle: So I love that you have that
[00:29:06] Karen: even just money that people need to give back if maybe it's like if your goal is to help other women feel confident and you don't have enough clients right now, what is something you could do right now that could help someone feel that way that you are able to do because it's practicing a muscle right of if giving back is the goal.
[00:29:26] Karen: If you're not giving it back now, you're not going to give back when you have a ton of money. So think about what you have now and work with it. And then when you have more, it'll be even better.
[00:29:39] Danielle: I love that so much. And it's so funny because I didn't even mean for the conversation to swing this way, but it's so perfect because You are a perfect speaker for our conference coming up and I'm so excited to have you.
[00:29:53] Danielle: So the, the conference that we're hosting is power of purpose. You guys have maybe heard of it already and it's a [00:30:00] perfect segue for us to talk about it. And I didn't mean to do this, but this is amazing. And Karen's going to be one of our speakers. And we're so excited to have her because we have had her as a speaker several times for in person events.
[00:30:12] Danielle: And. I that's like really for this conference. This is really what I want to be at the forefront is. I love all the events that we've done in the past and dreaming big is really important. Creating a profitable business is important, but I really for this conference, what I want people to get away from it is like coming back to what their purpose is and how they can integrate that into their business so that it can thrive.
[00:30:39] Danielle: not only as a business, but then they can thrive personally too. Cause I think that we don't focus enough on thriving personally, because that actually affects your business, whether it be in a positive or negative way. So we hope that you can join us and Karen, can you. As we're wrapping up this, I want to [00:31:00] ask you a question.
[00:31:01] Danielle: What are you most proud of, of your business so far? You've accomplished a lot. You've been featured in a lot of things. You've been able to do a lot of fun, cool, awesome experiences with your brand. But what are you most proud of?
[00:31:16] Karen: Can I change the question of what I'm most proud of myself within the business?
[00:31:21] Karen: Yeah. I've finally reached a place. In the business where I don't feel the need to build more, not to say we aren't going to, we still will, but I used to have this need or this desire to we need to make this much on paper. If we ever sell one day when you sell this much. We need to grow by this much and yes, those are still on paper, but it's not my drive anymore.
[00:31:53] Karen: I've reached a place where I'm so proud of what Tanya and I have done. I have proven myself [00:32:00] wrong in so many ways, in so many things. I always told myself that I wasn't good at, that whatever happens next is just a bonus. And I'm able to confidently close my laptop at the end of the day and. I've done enough.
[00:32:19] Karen: I'll tell you this now, Danielle, two years ago, no, absolutely not. I used to have this crippling anxiety of doing things. Not good enough and needing to do more, needing to do more, but I'm happy and
[00:32:37] Danielle: content. So good. I think so many of us needed to hear that. I think it's such a good reminder in general for us as we're chasing these big goals and dreams that we have is we can always do more, but that doesn't mean we need to do more.
[00:32:54] Danielle: Like we can always. Send out one more email. We can always [00:33:00] put one more Instagram post up on like social. We can always launch a new platform. There's a hundred probably platforms that you can be on ones that we don't even know about. It's got to be on this. You got to be on this and you got it. And there's all these strategies for each and all those are great things.
[00:33:15] Danielle: But at the end of the day, we need to figure out what's our drive. What are we doing this for? What's the purpose behind what we're doing? And then, yeah, being content because. If we're not content or happy while we're building, what is it all for, really? So, yeah, so thanks for that reminder. I think we all need to hear that.
[00:33:37] Danielle: Karen, can you tell us where we can find you? Where can we connect with you? Tell us all the places.
[00:33:45] Karen: Instagram, TikTok, now threads. Love it. All is Lizze the label. So, L E Z E, the label.
[00:33:55] Danielle: And your website, of course.
[00:33:57] Karen: Yeah. The label. com simple and easy. I love [00:34:00] it.
[00:34:02] Danielle: So good. And if you want to come see Karen in person and come connect with her, then join us on August 25th for the power of purpose conference.
[00:34:13] Danielle: We're so excited, um, to just be in person and just have. Such a beautiful time together. I also just want to say this because I feel like whenever I hear about an event where I'm like, Oh, I want to go to that as someone who like hosts events and does networking for my job. I get so nervous being in a room of people that I don't know.
[00:34:33] Danielle: And I just want to share with you that first of all. Everyone else there is also nervous, and it's okay. All it takes is 10 seconds of courage to ask a random question, something random, and it's okay to be awkward. So
[00:34:47] Karen: we're just going to smile. Don't even ask a question because Danielle, that's asking for a lot for someone that's introverted.
[00:34:53] Karen: And someone will come
[00:34:53] Danielle: and talk to you. [00:35:00] Exactly. And if you don't know what to talk about, I find food is always a good icebreaker. We're going to have lots and we'll have coffee and we'll have all these fun things. So food and drinks, always a good icebreaker. So you can talk about the food. Thanks for being here, Karen.
[00:35:14] Danielle: Thanks for our conversation today. I appreciate you so much. I'm
[00:35:18] Karen: so excited to meet you guys in real life.
[00:35:24] Danielle: If you loved this episode, make sure you screenshot, post, and tag us on Instagram at Business Babes Co. Want to know when the next episode goes live? Subscribe on your podcast app, and while you're there, leave us a review. Until next time, keep dreaming big, setting goals, and taking action.