DREAM. HUSTLE. REPEAT. TM

PRE-ORDER- Women’s Work: Los Angeles

WOMEN'S WORK.

Original Stories. Entrepreneurial Journeys. Multicultural Women.
#NoFluff #NoFilter
about.png

The Visionary

Hi! My name is Judith Norman. I am a creative storyteller and the founder of START TV™, a multimedia company highlighting the inspiring entrepreneurial journeys of multicultural women.
I am committed to sharing authentic stories of fearless female founders that will inspire, educate and empower.
#NoFluff #NoFilter
Start TV’s Women’s Work project is a five-book series featuring conversations between Start TV™ founder, Judith Norman, and a curated selection of female entrepreneurs in five different cities – Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York City.
Each city’s book will be published in both premium softcover print and digital formats. Every Women’s Work book is double-sided with two versions – English and a Spanish translation.
PRE-ORDER (printed copy) – Women’s Work: Los Angeles Edition – Conversations with 17 Female Founders and get a FREE Book Excerpt. Hurry! Offer ends May 30, 2020.
All sales are final.

Featured Women

Estefani Alarcon

BIO

Chandra Anderson

BIO

Alexandra Becket

BIO

Ruth E. Carter

BIO

Nicole Dean

BIO

Dr. Renee Dua

BIO

Gia Fey

BIO

Mimi G. Ford

BIO

Janeen Gudelj

BIO

Stacy Lande & Carol Sheridan

BIO

Judith Norman

BIO

Itika Oldwine

BIO

Victoria Reese

BIO

Pamela Samuels Young

BIO

Ashley Sumner & Gianna Wurzl

BIO

The Conversations

Control the Narrative • Be Philanthropic • Manage Risk •
Honor Your Vision • Choose Your Market • Identify A Problem and Create the Solution
• Use YouTube as A Business Launch Pad • Create Multiple Streams of Income •
Put A Fresh Take on an Old Tradition • Transform Women • Fail – Successfully
• Don’t Be Afraid To Pivot • Make Lemonade When Hit With the Unexpected •
Give Yourself Permission • Value Community

PRE-ORDER (printed copy) – Women’s Work: Los Angeles Edition – Conversations with 17 Female Founders and get a FREE Book Excerpt. Double sided | English and Spanish translations.
Hurry! Offer ends May 30, 2020.
Book Size: 8.5×10; 232 pages; English and Spanish translation
Ships: June 2020
US $24.99 (+$8.00 Shipping)
US $14.99
All sales are final.
Coming Soon
Photo Credit: Ronny Sison
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
Coming Soon

30-Day StartHERTM

Challenge

Have you always wanted to be your own boss? Do you have a passion or an idea that you know would make a profitable business if only you had the courage and the information to get started? This isn’t a pitch for a thousand dollar e-course that promises 30 ways to make you a millionaire in 30 days. Sorry, but, if you want to succeed, you’re going to have to put in some work.
START TV’s 30-Day StartHERTM Challenge is a free motivation and activation tool for taking you from dreamer to doer. Over the course of 30-days, we will provide you with daily actionable steps and digital resources that, if you accept and complete, will get you closer to your goals and make you an official StartHERTM.
COMING SOON
Women’s Work (Los Angeles) – LIVE! Speaker Clips
Play Video
Recap ft. Poet Jessica Gallion
Play Video
Leslie Antonoff
Play Video
Dr. Renee Dua
Play Video
Gia Fey
Play Video
Jessica Gallion
Play Video
Michelle Gomez
Play Video
Natalie Gouché
Play Video
Rebecca Gross
Play Video
Kelli Jackson
Play Video
Dr. Monika McKnight
Play Video
Nicole Steele
Play Video
Diann Valentine
Play Video
Iesha Irene (the DJ)
CHRISTMAS IS THEIR BUSINESS
Play Video
Play Video
THE RELUCTANT ENTREPRENEUR
Play Video
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES CREATIVE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Play Video
Tamara Baskin
ONE THING…
Play Video
Meghan Martin & Sam Laubach
Play Video
Kalilah Wright
Play Video
THE BOSS OF ME
Play Video
Play Video
Play Video
Play Video
COLLABORATION
Play Video
Kaye McCoy & Victoria Reese
Alexandra Becket

Artist/Designer/Entrepreneur Alexandra Becket of ModOp Design is not the usual house flipper.  In the competitive Los Angeles housing market, Alexandra (and her husband) have created their own niche by purchasing old bungalows and properties and updating them with modern amenities without disturbing the home’s original charm.  Alexandra’s own line of wallpaper is often included in the makeovers. 

ModOp Design has become a notable brand and their flip houses are highly desired.  But, success – especially in real estate – requires risk.  

Women’s Work Discussion:

Manage risk

Ashley Sumner and Gianna Wurzl

Ashley Sumner and Gianna Wurzl are making it easier for women entrepreneurs to connect.  They created Quilt – a membership community that hosts weekly, intimate meetups of up to eight women in private homes in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, along with monthly parties and a members-only forum.  To date, more Quilt has over 2,000 members.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Value community

Chandra Anderson

Once upon a time, Model/Actress Chandra Anderson’s perception of philanthropy was that it was something to do when you were older and established.  However, when Chandra learned that there were women around the world (including the United States) who lacked access to feminine hygiene products during their monthly cycle, she knew she had to act. Chandra formed The Model Behavior and rallied her model friends together and began distributing sanitary pads and tampons to women in shelters. 

The Model Behavior has grown into a non-profit organization that includes Ambassadors, corporate sponsors and beneficial partnerships.  Its mission is to provide our most vulnerable women with feminine hygiene products that are essential to leading a healthy, dignified life.  The Model Behavior will soon send an entire shipping container of feminine hygiene products to Africa.  Chandra hopes her service will inspire other millennials to consider philanthropy.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Be philanthropic

Dr. Renee Dua

Dr. Renee Dua’s big idea for on-demand doctor house calls came to her while she spent hours in an emergency room waiting for her small child to be treated for what turned out to be a non-emergency issue. 

As a busy kidney specialist, wife, and mother, Dr. Dua recognized that her great fortune of having the resources and community to assist her in the event of a family medical emergency is not everyone’s experience.  So, with her husband’s help and the backing of celebrity investors like Lionel Richie, Dr. Dua created Heal, a mobile app that brings affordable in-home pediatric, internal medicine, general practitioner, and family healthcare visits to everyone and keeps primary care out of the emergency room. 

Women’s Work Discussion:

Identify a problem and create the solution

Estefani Alarcon

Estefani Alarcon has a story to tell.  She lives in South Los Angeles, a community frequently in the headlines for gang violence, murder and other crimes.  However, Estefani wants to change the narrative of her beloved neighborhood and share the positive stories of the immigrant, black, brown and LBGT people who reside and operate businesses in South Los Angeles.

A natural storyteller, Estefani is the Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Dear Southside, a print newspaper she calls her love letter to her community.  Dear Southside features local business owners, non-profit organizations that serve the community and unique individuals who Estefani believes contribute to South Los Angeles’ greatness.

Dear Southside’s first issue was self-published, self-funded and sold-out.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Control the narrative

Gia Fey

Gia Fey, founder of Body By Gia, is not just another YouTube fitness guru.  She creates content for curvy girls in both English and Spanish.  YouTube provided the platform for Gia to build a thriving business that inspires women around the world.  Her channel has over 500,000 subscribers and her videos have over 46 million views. 

Women’s Work Discussion:

Use YouTube as a business launch pad

Itika Oldwine

Itika Oldwine went from working eight seasons (including the final) on The Oprah Winfrey Show, to multiple years at AEG - the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, and then finally at a noted Los Angeles florist, before bravely choosing to make a life pivot.  

Itika decided to merge her passion for flowers with her desire to become an entrepreneur.  Encouraged by her boyfriend, Itika opened Old Vine Florals, an upscale floral boutique in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.  Old Vine Florals has created breathtaking installations for major clients including: E! Entertainment Television, Martini & Rossi, Hallmark, Fashion Nova, and Vans.  Itika recently added flower crowns and flower bar parties to Old Vine Florals growing list of services. 

Women’s Work Discussion:

Don’t be afraid to pivot

Janeen Gudelj

Los Angeles is the donut capital of the United States.  There are more donut shops in Los Angeles per square mile than anywhere else in the country.  Janeen Gudelj flipped the script on the traditional donut shop business model and created Donut Snob - the nation’s first home delivery gourmet donut service. 

Handmade from scratch using all natural ingredients and no food coloring or dyes, Donut Snob has an enthusiastic roster of repeat customers who crave the company’s pretty as a picture pistachio orange, peanut butter chocolate, blueberry Earl Grey tea glaze, and cherry hibiscus flavored donuts. 

Women’s Work Discussion:

Put a fresh take on an old tradition

Judith Norman

Judith Norman is a creative storyteller pioneering START TV™ – a multimedia company highlighting the entrepreneurial journeys of multicultural women. She is also the author of the Women’s Work book series.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Fail – successfully

Mimi G Ford

Influencer Mimi G Ford aka Mimi G has built a handmade empire consisting of the popular Mimi G Style blog, Sew It Academy online sewing school, a bestselling line of Simplicity sewing patterns, conferences and so much more.  She has appeared on Project Runway Kids and is featured in Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book:  Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too.  Mimi recently launched a weekly podcast called Business Shet.

Looking at her success today, you would never guess that Mimi has overcome sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and homelessness.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Create multiple streams of income

Nicole Dean

A love for tea, a desire for health and wellness and an eye for style led Nicole Dean on a journey to create KOLLO.  Described as the “first luxury bottled iced tea,” KOLLO is a premium line of organic, preservative, flavoring and sweetener-free glass-bottled teas produced in Los Angeles.  A former science researcher, Nicole spent a year and a half studying tea manufacturing, distribution and the luxury market.  Her efforts have been rewarded. 

KOLLO teas are sold at Erewhon, EATALY, Neiman Marcus, the Wynn hotel, Le Bon Marché, and other upscale stores and establishments in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, and Paris, France.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Choose your market

Pamela Samuels Young

On the outside, Pamela Samuels Young appeared to have it all.  She was a practicing attorney who had made partner at a major law firm.  She had the big salary.  But, she wasn’t happy.  Inspired by bestselling author (and fellow attorney), John Grisham, Pamela decided to pursue her dream to become a mystery author. 

After years of rejection, and a book deal with a major publisher, Pamela decided to take control of her writing career.  She self-published a series of bestselling mystery novels including Anybody’s Daughter, a fast-paced thriller about sex trafficking in Los Angeles.  Anybody’s Daughter won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction.  It was also chosen as a Top Ten pick by In the Margins – a library service dedicated to finding the best books for teens living in poverty, on the streets, in custody--or a cycle of all three. 

Pamela’s books are available in print, digital and audio formats.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Give yourself permission

Ruth E. Carter

Ruth E. Carter just won her first Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Marvel’s Black Panther. The win was also historic.  Ruth is the first black person to win the Oscar in the costume category. 

Her meticulous research, keen imagination and stellar design abilities have earned Ruth two other Academy Award nominations (Spike Lee’s Malcolm X; Steven Spielberg’s Amistad) for costume design.  In fact, Ruth is the first African-American nominated for the Oscar in the costume design category.  Ruth is also responsible the looks seen in “Roots” revival, “Selma,” “Marshall,” “The Butler,” and many other television and film productions.

Passionate about her craft, Ruth is willing to do whatever is necessary to execute her vision.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Honor your vision

Stacy Lande and Carol Sheridan

Makeup artist Stacy Lande and photographer Carol Sheridan have a love for Bettie Page and all things vintage.  The two friends joined forces in 2009 and created Iconic Pinups – a unique, intimate and empowering photo shoot experience that transforms average gals into femme fatales.  More than 3,000 women of all ages (including an 82-year old), shapes, and sizes have participated in Iconic Pinups photo sessions that come complete with a full pinup-style makeover and complimentary vintage and retro backdrops.  The women come to Iconic Pinups for a variety of reasons:  to mark a milestone; to gift the photos to a significant other; or even to take sexy photos of their breasts before a mastectomy.  Every woman leaves an Iconic Pinups session with beautiful photos and an awareness of her unique beauty.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Transform women

Victoria Reese

When Victoria Reese received an unexpected Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, she didn’t hesitate to add “Advocate” to the list of titles describing her life’s work.  A Brand Strategist (The Victor Group LA), Influencer, and former E-Commerce Entrepreneur (Baus by Victor Group), Victoria was determined not to let the disease keep her from greatness.  She educated herself about Multiple Sclerosis and then began to share her experience with others. 

As a MS spokesperson, Victoria noticed that there was a lack of outreach to women of color.  So, she created the #We Are Illmatic campaign to empower women of color living with MS by providing them with information, support and a platform to share their stories.

Women’s Work Discussion:

Make lemonade when hit with the unexpected

Scroll to Top