Raising the Bar with Alli and Michael

Death, disease, and...spray tanning? All of these things led Katie DePaola to leave her 9-to-5 job and grow her company Inner Glow Circle into a globally recognized training program for coaches and entrepreneurs. Katie's journey to entrepreneurial independence took many twists and turns since IGC's founding in 2015, but she's turned her greatest challenges into her greatest opportunities and says her business is what saved her life. Michael and Alli hear Katie's story and find out how Inner Glow Circle teaches and empowers women to work for themselves. Keep up with Katie at @innerglowcircle and @itskatiedepaola, and don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!   Produced by Dear Media.

Don't ask Jen Gotch how to describe her 11-year-old business Ban.do. What began as a hair accessories company has evolved into a lifestyle brand that can be found at more than 3,000 department stores and boutiques around the world and count Starbucks and Taylor Swift as collaborators. Jen has evolved, too. As a co-founder, chief creative officer, mental health advocate, and now, author, Jen joined her old pals Michael and Alli in front of a Ban.do-clad live audience at the Grove to get real about mental health (duh), creative entrepreneurship, and how her brand can stand for more than just fun. Keep up with Jen at @jengotch and @shopbando. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

When Justin Miller and Tom Simon pitched their bake-at-home cookie mix on Shark Tank, they may have tricked Alli into eating their dog treats (made from human-grade ingredients) but that didn't stop a bidding war. Alli beat out fellow Shark Kevin O'Leary—offering them $50,000 for 30% of the company—and committed to helping the duo with branding, marketing, and scaling. Justin and Tom caught up with their investors to relay what's happened since Shark Tank, how Alli and Michael come into play, and what's on the horizon for Zookies Cookies. Keep up with the brand at zookiescookies.com and @zookiescrittercookies. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!   Produced by Dear Media. 

Year & Day is changing the way people shop for tableware. With its modern, minimalist dishes, flatware, and glassware at attainable prices, the year-old, direct-to-consumer startup has already made fans out of Eva Chen and Mandy Moore. Founder and CEO Kathryn Duryea, a Stanford MBA who previously worked in brand management at Tiffany & Co., wants to do for tableware what Warby Parker has done for eyewear or Parachute Home has done for bedding: offer a defined aesthetic at reasonable prices. Kathryn met up with Alli and Michael (and newly-minted Year & Day devotees) to discuss the intersection of curation and marketing, rethinking the upscale homewares category for Millennials, and the renaissance—not death—of brick-and-mortar retail. Keep up with the brand at yearandday.com and @yearandday. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!   Produced by Dear Media.

Toni Ko was just 25 when she founded the affordable beauty brand NYX Cosmetics. With $250,000 in seed money from her parents, the Korean-born entrepreneur started out small, with makeup pencils, but made $2 million in sales her first year. After selling the company in 2014 to L'Oreal for reportedly $500 million, Toni knew retirement wasn't what came next. She sat down with Alli and Michael to swap entrepreneurial war stories and share how she revived her sense of self post-acquisition with a sunglass company, real estate investments, and venture firm for women-led companies. Keep up with Toni at @tonikokoko. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!   Produced by Dear Media. 

It Cosmetics has been a true disruptor in the cosmetics industry since its launch in 2008. After years of hustling on QVC and landing shelf space in Sephora and Ulta, founder Jamie Kern Lima sold her problem-solving makeup line of 300 products to L'Oreal for a reported $1.2 billion in 2016 and stayed on as CEO, making her the first female CEO in L'Oreal's 108-year-history. Jamie sat down with Michael and Alli to reveal how she started testing makeup to help cover up her rosacea, investing in women-led businesses, and the origins of Drybar and It Cosmetic's collaboration, the Lash Blowout Mascara. Keep up with Jamie at itcosmetics.com and @jamiekernlima. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! Produced by Dear Media.  Producedᐧ

Rachel Pally's Cali-cool maxi dresses have been photographed on everyone from SJP and Beyoncé to Jennifer Aniston and Katy Perry, but it was a stint at a university costume department and a chance encounter in DTLA's Chinatown that truly changed everything for her. Since founding the eponymous clothing line in 2002, Rachel's made it her mission to make flattering clothing for women of all sizes, including plus-size and maternity-wear. The native Angeleno continues to support her local economy by designing and manufacturing in her hometown. Michael and Alli caught up with Rachel to find out all about the brand's origin story, growing up with entrepreneur-parents (who founded Gymboree), and how the designer is scaling her growing retail business. Keep up with Rachel at rachelpally.com and @rachelpally. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

Sophia Rossi has been a babysitter, an assistant, a TV producer, a founder, a CEO, and now...city councilwoman? But that's for the future. As a former producer on MTV's The Hills and The City, Sophia went on to co-found HelloGiggles (alongside BFFs Zooey Deschanel and Molly McAleer) and sell the media company to Time Inc. in 2016. Today, the 36-year-old entrepreneur keeps good company among L.A.'s glitterati and is focusing on her spice company called Hi Note. She met up with Alli and Michael to dish on her Hills days as a young producer, choosing an internship over college, and what the next steps are after selling a company for millions of dollars. Keep up with Sophia at @rivfifi and don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!   Produced by Dear Media. ᐧ

The made-in-LA success of Clare Vivier's handbags and accessories company is going international. Since starting Clare V. in 2008, Clare has translated buzz into business growth and cornered the accessories market through online, wholesale, and brick-and-mortar retail (she just opened her 9th store). With a signature brand of Cali-Parisian chic and affordable luxury, Clare has ventured beyond handbags into clothing, footwear, jewelry, and beauty. Today, she employs 70 people and continues to design and manufacture exclusively in L.A. Clare sat down with her friends Alli and Michael to talk about her pivot from journalism to fashion, strategizing collaborations and partnerships, and how social media and social justice play a key part in her business. Keep up with Clare at clarev.com and @clarevivier. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!   Produced by Dear Media. 

When "Shark Tank" investors Alli Webb and Mark Cuban made an $80,000 gamble on national television, they were not only buying into Shower Toga but also its feisty and fearless founder, Kressa Peterson. Shower Toga—a wearable, water-resistant garment that allows users to strip and wash off while keeping their modesty in check—is touted as a saving grace after beach days, obstacle races, music festivals, and even emergency events and elderly assistance. Kressa visited Alli and Michael to dish behind-the-scenes Shark Tank moments, why Shower Toga is so much more than a "glorified garbage bag," and how her breast cancer diagnosis kickstarted her second act as an entrepreneur. Learn more at showertoga.com and @shower_toga. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

The original Lip Scrub—loved by early supporters Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon—was never meant to kickstart Sara Happ's beauty career. She just whipped up a product in her kitchen one cold winter to combat chapped lips. With her scrub, she had stumbled into a blank space in the beauty industry—lip scrubs and lip care—and said goodbye to her job at ESPN to become a full-blown entrepreneur. Sara talks with her longtime friends Alli and Michael about gaining a cult following and becoming known as the "Lip Expert," why she's focusing on doing one thing well like another familiar brand (ahem, Drybar), and how she's ready to scale the business. Learn more at sarahapp.com and @sarahapp. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

A fitness studio, but for your mental health. This is the idea behind U-Nify, an early-stage company offering affordable workshops led by therapists, life coaches, spiritual leaders, and wellness experts. U-Nify wants to lower the barrier of entry and make mental health a part of the everyday wellness routine, just like going to the gym or meditating. Alli and Michael sat down with U-Nify founders Sandra Kusnnir and Kevin Lehtinen to offer the budding entrepreneurs advice on honing their elevator pitch, finding investors, and opening a brick-and-mortar in Los Angeles. Learn more at unifylosangeles.com and @unifyla. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

Ashley Merrill launched Lunya in 2014 with a conviction that women's sleepwear was overdue for a fresh, modern perspective. As an MBA student wearing her husband's old clothes like pajamas, Ashley realized that although people will spend one-third of their lives in bed, sleepwear still tended to be the most undervalued part of a wardrobe. So, she set out to create a new brand of luxury PJs that were both stylish and functional. Today, Lunya (a play on "lugna," the Swedish word for relaxation) is an entirely self-funded sleepwear line made from sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics. Ashley sat down with Alli and Michael to talk about building a business in service of women, her bid to take over the pajama industry, and innovating the tech-bed game with her FDA-regulated "cooling" fabric. Keep up with Ashley at @ashley__merrill and @lunya.And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

Alli lives out her country girl fantasy and visits Nashville to interview Karen Fairchild, one-fourth of the Grammy Award-winning band, Little Big Town. Together, Alli and Karen find similarities between running a business and running a band, from deal-making and leadership to public performances and building a national brand. They also touch on the gender disparities within the country recording industry, the songwriting process, and country culture. Keep up with Karen at @karenfairchild and @littlebigtown. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! ᐧ

Jaime Schmidt, founder of Schmidt’s Naturals, created her award-winning natural deodorant when she was pregnant and concerned about the widespread use of unnatural ingredients in deodorant. So she created a better alternative for herself and others. From farmers' market tables, her products—which came to include soaps and toothpaste—stormed the shelves of CVS, Walmart, Costco, and Whole Foods. By 2017, when Schmidt sold her company to Unilever for an undisclosed amount, Schmidt's Naturals was in more than 14,000 stores in over 30 countries, with year-over-year growth of 300 percent. Alli and Michael caught up with Jaime to find out how she turned her hobby into a global company, and why she’s now now investing in fellow entrepreneurs. Keep up with Jaime at @jaimeschmidt22, @schmidtsnaturals, and @colorinvests. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

You can thank Emily Current and Meritt Elliott for bringing boyfriend jeans into your closet. After making the jump from styling to designing, the two started Current/Elliott and became denim darlings of the fashion world. Since selling their namesake line in 2011, Emily and Meritt have expanded their brand into home decor (with an ongoing partnership at Pottery Barn) and launched The Great, a multi-category line that embodies their trademark "whimsical Americana" aesthetic. The designer duo joined Alli and Michael to trace their early styling days to how they're building their current lifestyle label. Learn more at emilyandmeritt.com and @emilyandmeritt. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

Michael and Alli sit down with Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, co-presidents of Baby2Baby, a non-profit organization that provides low-income children ages 0-12 with diapers, clothing, and other basic necessities every child deserves to start life off right. Known for its stylish galas and A-list ambassadors (Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, and Drew Barrymore, among others), Baby2Baby has become one of L.A.'s most high-profile philanthropies since its founding in 2011. Kelly and Norah discuss the inception of Baby2Baby, the sobering "diaper divide," and how everyone can help children living in poverty. Learn more at baby2baby.org and @baby2baby. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! ᐧ

Alexa von Tobel dropped out of Harvard Business School in 2008 to start LearnVest, the online financial planning service designed for the average American that sold in 2015 to Northwestern Mutual. Today, she is the founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital and the New York Times-Bestselling Author of "Financially Fearless" and "Financially Forward." Alexa caught up with Alli and Michael to break down her entrepreneurial journey and the latest trends in venture capital and financial technology. Keep up with Alexa von Tobel at @alexavontobel. And don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! ᐧ

Inspired by a lightbulb moment to create "the Drybar for nails," Sarah Gibson Tuttle ditched her NYC finance career to take a risk and open Olive & June, the Instagram-perfect nail salon. Now, after opening three shops, her focus is on democratizing nail-care with Olive & June's line of at-home manicure products. Sarah sat down with Michael and her BFF Alli to relive her early days with one salon and zero business plan, how she and Alli came to work together, and why Olive & June's is tackling the national at-home market. Keep up with Sarah Gibson Tuttle at @gibsontuttle and @oliveandjune. Don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us!

Anine Bing has become the go-to designer for models and actresses off-duty since leveraging her social media platform into a namesake label in 2012. Like all great founder stories, the Danish-born model and former rock 'n' roll singer launched her online fashion line from the garage of her Los Angeles home. Now, she's expanding to children's wear and opening brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S., U.K, and Europe. Anine sat down with Alli and Michael to talk about the origins of her laidback Scandinavian style, the growing pains of building a business with your spouse, and how she turned Insta-fame into a global brand. For more in the know with @aninebing and @aninebingofficial. Don't forget to follow @alliwebb for #BTS of Raising The Bar and subscribe and rate us! ᐧ