“Do not let your fear of not being business savvy keep you from starting a business. The truth is, you are going to make mistakes, and that’s ok.” - Rebecca Hastings
Rebecca Hastings, CEO and founder of hugabox, is one of six exceptional women (and Ripl customers) that we’re highlighting for International Women’s Day. These women are leading by example in several fields ranging from antiques to real estate to our very own Ripl CEO.
It was Theresa Malkiel who suggested “National Woman’s Day” back in 1909 in New York City. She started as a cloakmaker at 17 years old and eventually went on to become a labor activist, suffragist, and educator.
114 years later, we jumped at the opportunity to speak with six inspiring women from our Ripl community and asked,
“What advice would you give to your younger self about running a business?”
Carey DiJulio, CEO of Ripl
"1) Be braver - believe in your skills, intuition, and ability to get back up after being knocked down.
2) When dealing with people, speak to the emotions, not just the facts. I was indoctrinated in the mainstream workplace culture when emotions were considered weak, but I have found so much more strength in myself and my team by acknowledging that we're full humans!"
Connect with Ripl on Instagram.
Sandy Marshall,
Owner of Treasure QUEEN
"Women think we have to juggle everything in our lives and we lose sight of the most valuable thing we control - how we spend our time."
We also spoke with Sandy about her social media marketing.
"Before Ripl, I just used still photos with captions. The movement, colorful captions, and music create much more interest. I see many more views and shares when I use an interesting Ripl post.”
Read Sandy’s full story and connect with her on Instagram.
Portia Harris,
Owner of Doula's Due
"Be consistent and always keep a positive mind. Set goals every day and allow others to teach you new things."
We also asked Portia how she has utilized Ripl for her doula business.
“Since I started using Ripl, my social media marketing has been a lot better. I am using my creativity with the templates available to use and can schedule when they go out. This allows me to be consistent. Ripl also keeps track of the engagement from each post, which is very helpful and inspires me to make more content that my viewers will love.”
Read Portia’s full story and connect with her on Instagram.
Polly Outhay,
Sr. Marketing Director of
Ali Polly & Associates
"Don’t be afraid to ask for help because the world is here to teach and find the right mentor."
Rebecca Hastings,
CEO & Founder of hugabox
“Do not let your fear of not being business-savvy keep you from starting a business. The truth is, you are going to make mistakes, and that’s ok.”
We also asked how she builds community on social media:
“Increase ways to interact with your followers. Create excitement, encourage comments, and reply right away.”
Read Rebecca’s full story and connect with her on Instagram.
Melissa Parram-Taylor,
Real Estate Broker
“Trust yourself and stay consistent. Sometimes we’re our biggest critics and judge ourselves. As long as you know your “why,” you will exceed all expectations.”
Connect with Melissa on Instagram.
Read next: 6 Ways to support women-owned businesses
Create a post from our Women's Day Collection and Women's History Month Collection
