Takin' Care of Lady Business®

The quickest way to lose confidence with money is to ignore the fundamentals. Today’s guest explains how to take control of your financial future, build wealth, and stay aligned with your values.Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 144In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice chats with Catherine Valega, founder of Green Bee Advisory, to dive into the importance of financial literacy, especially for women. Catherine talks about her journey from Wall Street to founding her own firm, and why she’s so passionate about helping others to take charge of their financial trajectories. She shares her background working in government trading, her time at Lehman Brothers, and her mission to support women in finance.Catherine gets real about the lack of financial education in the U.S., the difference between men and women’s approach to investing, and how she helps women understand personal finance without shame. She explains the importance of being comfortable with risk, making smarter decisions around retirement accounts, and the need for solid tax strategies. She also sheds light on the value of partnering with the right advisor and how to navigate complicated tax and investment scenarios.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why understanding personal finance is crucialHow to help women to take control of their financial futures without the shameWhy balancing risk is crucial for long-term growthHighlights:(00:00) Meet Catherine Valega(03:42) From Wall Street to helping women with money(06:43) When she realized women were being sidelined(08:36) Own it cause you're smarter than most of the room(10:21) Why most people lack financial education(13:56) Making finance personal, not jargon-heavy(16:38) Common misconceptions about financial advisors(20:45) Why women invest too conservatively(26:28) The huge tax bill waiting in your 401k(33:00) Three things W2 employees must do now(36:53) The S-corp trap entrepreneurs fall intoAbout Our Guest:Catherine Valega is the founder of Green Bee Advisory, a firm focused on empowering individuals, especially women, to take control of their financial futures. With a background in Wall Street and a passion for financial literacy, Catherine helps clients optimize their wealth while minimizing taxes. She is dedicated to bridging the financial knowledge gap, supporting women’s financial independence, and making complex financial concepts accessible. Catherine is also committed to guiding her clients through smart investment strategies and tax planning for long-term financial success.Catherine Valega’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinevalega/ Catherine Valega’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerwealthandtax Explore Green Bee Advisory: https://www.greenbeeadvisory.com/ About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 143 What happens when you stop asking whether the odds are in your favor and start moving forward anyway? Today’s guest built her life and leadership philosophy on that exact move, turning adversity, uncertainty, and other people’s limitations into fuel for power, growth, and scale. In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Shirin Behzadi, former CEO and bestselling author of The Unexpected CEO, to talk about building a life and career on your own terms, even when the path in front of you looks impossible. Shirin shares her journey from leaving Iran alone at 17, arriving in the United States without money or family support, and working as a gas station cashier while putting herself through school, to eventually leading and scaling a private equity backed company operating across 12,000 cities. Shirin gets candid about what it really means to hold a long term vision, how adversity became one of the most important forces in her life and leadership, and why women have to learn how to hear advice without automatically accepting it. She and JJ also talk about saying no, trusting your own non-negotiables, navigating rooms where you are not reflected in leadership, and why knowing you “can” matters more than waiting for external permission.  In this episode, you’ll learn:Why adversity can become a source of power instead of proof that you should stopHow to build conviction in your vision even when the odds and the voices around you say otherwiseWhy saying no, trusting yourself, and defining your non-negotiables are essential leadership skillsHighlights:(00:00) Meet Shirin Behzadi(01:40) Why she wrote The Unexpected CEO(03:37) Leaving Iran and starting over(07:32) Building toward the life she wanted(13:31) The brain tumor that changed everything(15:06) The principles behind resilience(19:37) Why saying “No” is a power move(21:32) Hear people out, but do not listen(26:11) The full circle moment that inspired her(28:34) The worst advice she ever receivedAbout Our Guest:Shirin Behzadi is a former CEO, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of The Unexpected CEO. After immigrating to the United States from Iran as a teenager on her own, she built a remarkable career across accounting, finance, operations, and executive leadership before helping scale a company backed by private equity into a major multi-brand platform. Through her book, speaking, and advisory work, Shirin shares lessons on adversity, vision, resilience, and leadership to help others build lives and careers rooted in purpose, power, and possibility.  Shirin Behzadi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-marshall-92836b213/ Explore Shirin Behzadi’s Website: https://shirinbehzadi.com/ Explore The Unexpected CEO: https://shirinbehzadi.com/book/ The Unexpected CEO on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0gdt8XGD  About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 142 The fastest way to lose your edge is to stop sweating the details. Today’s guest built a category-defining cafe brand by doing the opposite, then scaled it without letting the soul get stripped out.In this episode of Taking Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Elisa Marshall, Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Maman, to talk about what it really takes to build a beloved brand, protect the vision, and still grow fast. Elisa shares how Maman started in 2014 as a personal passion project, why the name is a nod to home and French culture, and how a tiny Soho cafe turned into 51 locations in just over a decade. Elisa gets candid about the messy middle, what happens when you grow too quickly, how burnout shows up for founders and teams, and the mindset shift from doing everything yourself to building a team that can carry the work better than you can. She also breaks down what partnering with private equity actually felt like, what she was afraid would change, and how to choose partners based on what you truly need.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to protect brand integrity while scaling from 1 location to 51What to look for in investors and partners so they support the vision, not override itWhy delegation is a power move, especially when you stop pretending you are good at everythingHighlights:(00:00) Meet Elisa Marshall(02:12) The entrepreneurship blueprint she grew up with(04:21) Building the first Soho cafe from scratch(07:44) Going from Soho to 51 locations(08:10) Bootstrapping, then the COVID expansion window(09:17) Taking private equity without losing the brand(11:22) Why signature details matter more than people admit(19:09) Community first marketing over chain energy(21:31) The mistake of growing too fast(38:09) The worst advice she ever gotAbout Our Guest:Elisa Marshall is the Chief Brand Officer and Co-Founder of Maman, the beloved cafe and bakery known for its warm hospitality, thoughtful design, and signature blue and white details. Since launching the first location in Soho in 2014, Elisa has helped scale Maman to more than 50 locations across New York, the Tri-State area, DC, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Canada, and beyond. She is passionate about building community centered spaces, sweating the details that make a brand memorable, and proving that growth does not have to come at the cost of soul.Elisa Marshall’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-marshall-92836b213/ Explore Maman NYC: https://mamannyc.com/Explore Maman NYC’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_mamannyc_/ About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

Takin’ Care of Lady Business Episode 141 The rules of work were written by the people who benefited from them — so why are we still playing along? Today’s guest says it’s time to redesign the system with empathy, leadership, and collective power.In this episode of Takin’ Care of Lady Business, host Jennifer Justice sits down with Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient, widely known as the “Chief Troublemaker”, to discuss how she’s breaking barriers in leadership and equality. Shelley shares her journey of founding Female Quotient and building a global community of women leaders dedicated to creating spaces for meaningful conversations and real change.Shelley explains how passion, compassion, and empathy are essential skills for leadership, not soft skills, and why these qualities are more important than ever in today’s business world. She reflects on her experiences of creating the Girls Lounge and the FQ Lounge, spaces that empower women to collaborate and lead with purpose.In this episode, you’ll learn:Passion, compassion, and empathy are vital for effective leadershipCreating safe spaces for collaboration can spark meaningful changeConscious leadership drives success and fosters inclusive work environmentsHighlights:(00:00) Meet Shelley Zalis(01:38) The vision for Female Quotient(02:58) Origin story and boardroom moment(07:04) The girls lounge and power the pack(10:15) Davos breakthrough and making a mark(18:37) Stop naming new gaps and focus on action(19:27) How COVID proved change can happen fast(21:21) Fixing the care problem with wallets(22:34) Closing the pay gap systemically(32:37) Breaking rules and finding FQAbout Our Guest:Known as the “Chief Troublemaker,” Shelley Zalis, CEO & Founder of The Female Quotient, is a trailblazing CEO, entrepreneur, and global advocate for women in the workplace.  A three-time movement-maker, she pioneered online research before selling her company to Ipsos for $80 million; co-founded #SeeHer, a groundbreaking initiative to ensure accurate portrayals of women in media; and built The Female Quotient, known for both its signature Equality Lounge® and having the largest global community of women in business. Recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top 20 Most Influential Voices globally, Zalis is a sought-after thought leader and contributor to TIME, Forbes and IMD. Her numerous accolades include–most recently–the Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications, the Global Leaders 50 List and the Industry Legend Award from the AdClub.Shelley Zalis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyzalis/ Explore The Female Quotient: https://www.thefemalequotient.com/ About Jennifer Justice and The Justice Dept.JJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-justice-354a0b99The Justice Dept: https://www.thejusticedept.com/JJ’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferjusticel/ Newsletter: https://tkolb-newsletter-a50814.beehiiv.com/The Justice Dept. is a female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.If you love what you hear, please subscribe and share with a friend.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.

At some point, every ambitious woman faces a moment that tests who she really is. When the title disappears, the safety net falls away, and all that’s left is her own voice. For Andy McNicol, that moment came after 22 years inside one of the most powerful talent agencies in the world. Laid off in the middle of a pandemic and preparing to become a single mom by choice, she had to decide whether to chase another job… or finally build something that was entirely her own.What happened next wasn’t just a career pivot. It was a reclamation. Andy created AMstudio, rebuilt her identity from the inside out, and turned uncertainty into independence. Her story is every woman’s reminder that starting over isn’t a detour. It’s often the most direct path to your power.Key Takeaways:- The job doesn’t define you — your voice does.- There’s no “right time” to start a new chapter.- Following your passion isn’t reckless — it’s how you find your purpose.- Community is your greatest asset in both business and motherhood.- Authenticity beats “faking it” every time.Learn More About Andy:Website: amstudio.meLinkedIn: Andy McNicolInstagram: @mcnicsAbout Our Guest:Andy McNicol is a Senior Agent at Aevitas Creative Management and founder of AMstudio - an advisory firm focused on content creation and its marketing. She has represented New York Times bestselling books for Sophia Amoruso, Chrissy Teigen, The Lady Gang, Tory Burch, and the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, Melania and Me. She represents the writer and activist Tommy Dorfman, Jenna Lyons, as well as the national bestsellers -  All The Cool Girls Get Fired by Laura Brown and Kristina O'Neill, First Gen by Alejandra Campoverdi and We've Decided to Go in a Different Direction by Tess Sanchez. She works with the lifestyle brands La Double J and Flamingo Estates.  Andy has spent her career in publishing, including 20 years with WME, where she was a partner and founding member of the Branded Lifestyle Group. She began her own strategic advisory - AMstudio in 2020, offering a holistic, 360-degree approach to multi hyphenate talent and market activation, and joined Aevitas Creative Management as a senior agent in 2024.Andy and her work have been featured in The New York Times, Variety Magazine, and Adweek. She speaks regularly at industry events, on podcasts, and conferences on how to develop successful books and content platforms. Andy holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Art History from Yale University. She lives in Manhattan with her son Luke.About Our Company, The Justice Dept.A female-focused advisory, consulting, and law firm advocating for female founders, talent, execs, and brands. We represent bo$$ ladies to make them 💰💰.Website:  https://www.thejusticedept.com/YouTube: www.youtube.com/@jenniferjustice6653If you love what you are getting out of our show, please subscribe.This is a Lady Business LLC Production.