Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of High Velocity Radio, and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show we have the founder and CEO of Beauty Drip, Tara Turnure. Welcome.

Tara Turnure: Hello. I’m so happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Beauty Drip. How you serving folks?

Tara Turnure: Yes. Well, that is an excellent question. So Beauty Drip is a luxury wellness and beauty brand. And we help all of our patients just look and feel their absolute best from the inside out. We offer peptide powered therapies and we’re all about supporting our patients with this comprehensive wellness approach to taking all of our products.

Lee Kantor: So in the name, it’s called Beauty Drip. Does it mean that there’s IV drips? Is that how you deliver the service?

Tara Turnure: Yeah. Well I know it does sort of sound like that, but actually all of our products we have like seven different peptide products, we have two GLP one compounded products, and then we have just straight peptide compounds and everything is delivered to the comfort of your own home. And it’s a self-administered injection. Five out of the seven are self-administered injections. We also are renew product which is NAD+ comes in two forms. So it’s a self-administered injection or if you prefer, a nasal spray, which is just as effective, we have that mechanism as well. We also have our new beauty mints, which are comprised of the copper peptide, which is called the beauty peptide, which reboots like the collagen and elastin in your skin. And it makes your hair, skin and nails just incredibly strong and more vibrant and grow faster and also gives you this cognitive boost. We also have our methylene blue capsules that are like the most incredible energy booster. It’s like drinking caffeine, but without the jitters. You get this like immediate cognitive alert boost after you take them. And those are capsules.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your back story? How did you get involved in this line of work?

Tara Turnure: So I’m sort of a self-proclaimed beauty and wellness expert because I was a model for like 20 years, and then I worked for Fox Sports on camera. I was the sideline reporter. And then I had a talk show in LA called The Model Mama Show. So I’ve always sort of been in a line of work, essentially, where I have to sort of look and feel my best because I’m showing up to be, you know, in front of the camera. So I sort of I feel like I’ve literally tried every diet, every beauty product under the sun, and I know what works and what doesn’t work. And after having twins, I have three kids. I have a ten year old Henry. Um, and then I have boy girl twins that are five. And after having them in the height of the pandemic, um, I just was like super frustrated with my body because I’ve always been someone who could sort of manipulate their body in any way. You know, to like, look and feel good or, you know, do these little tweaks and lose 5 pounds to get ready for a shoot. But post 35, I feel like your body’s different, your hormones are different, insulin levels are different. And so I was on this quest to sort of figure out how to reboot my body, because what I normally did to sort of lose weight and feel better and regain my energy just wasn’t working. So, um, I was introduced to Doctor Emily Pasek, who’s our medical director at Beauty Drip. She’s incredible. All of our patients love her. Um, and she is a naturopathic physician, so she’s all about sort of, you know, incorporating products into your routine that, you know, already exist in your body. But, like, perhaps they’ve been depleted. Or as you get older, your stores get depleted because all of us have peptides and GLP ones, you know, already in our body.

Tara Turnure: But as we get older, our supplies diminish. And so she sort of came up with this protocol for me. Um, on this like compounded GLP one products and, um, these like custom blend supplements that we now sell at Beauty Drip. Um, and I lost 40 pounds. My body just felt like it functioned the way that it was supposed to, and I never had more like natural energy. My inflammation was gone. And so I just had this lightbulb moment like, okay, I feel like I’ve cracked this life coat because these products truly work. They’re incredibly safe. They’re, you know, science backed, like all these peptide powered products have been, you know, on the market and incredibly well tested for, you know, 50 plus years. None of this is new. But, you know, all of these products are now very popular. There’s an incredible demand for GLP one and peptide therapies. Um, but I think people don’t know where to get them. And like the biggest thing with peptides is you really want to know your source and you want to know that it’s coming from, you know, a sterile compound pharmacy that is adhering to the highest standards of safety and protocol. So when I was bringing Beauty Drip to life, I did so much research to find the right pharmacy partner. Um, we work with Strive Pharmacy, which is the, you know, biggest and most successful compound pharmacy or pharmacy in the country. And they supply all of our compound products to patients. Um, and we just have an incredible relationship with them and trust all of our, all of their products. And that was something that was really important to me.

Lee Kantor: So what how does it work to work with you? Because, um, for your individual success, you had, um, Doctor Emily working with you. Is that does she work with all of your clients? Is that part of the protocol? Like the first step is having a conversation with her?

Tara Turnure: Yes, exactly. You nailed it. Yeah. So our customer journey is, um, it sort of goes like this. So people, um, I mean, we do a little bit of both, like some people just, you know, right off the bat, want to schedule a consultation? It’s called a comprehensive wellness consultation with Doctor Emily Pasek because all of our products are pricing includes a 45 minute in-depth consultation with her. And then you, you know, received unlimited and ongoing support from her throughout the whole process. So you can either start by having a consultation with her and she sort of reviews your medical history, talks through sort of your wellness and beauty and just longevity goals, and helps customize, um, a peptide protocol that will work best for you based on your goals. And then she sort of directs people to our website, so they order what she recommends. And then people fill out this, you know, medical questionnaire with all their health history. They fill out, you know, they go through the whole patient onboarding process with her. And then once, um, she does all of that paperwork and has all those conversations and kind of comes up with a custom plan, then we submit our, um, prescription orders because all of our products, except for our custom blend supplements and our detox, um, with supplements is prescription requires a prescription. So then we send it to our pharmacy, and then the products are shipped directly to people’s home.

Lee Kantor: Now, does that initial, uh, conversation or consultation require a blood draw? Like, are they, um, is there any blood work required in order to do this, or is she just basing her, um, diagnosis or recommendations based on just what the people are telling her.

Tara Turnure: Yeah. So, um, everyone is a little different. I mean, we don’t require labs at the onset, but some people have, like, recent labs that they like to share with her so that they have kind of a baseline of levels. Um, but if you want to sort of have her call in, you know, a comprehensive blood work panel beforehand, she’s happy to do that. And we have done that for a number of our patients. Um, that’s why we really sort of the whole business model around beauty drip is really to provide this like concierge level of comprehensive wellness care so that, like whatever the patient needs to really feel empowered and supported, we can make that happen.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you started working with her at the beginning, did you do a blood draw Or was everything she was telling you just based on what you were telling her?

Tara Turnure: Yeah. I did not do a blood draw at the onset because my you know, I think a blood draw makes maybe a little bit more sense for people with more of, like, complex medical health history. But mine was really, I think, a little bit more obvious. Like I was really starting this journey to lose postpartum baby weight, um, and just kind of mitigate my, like, chronic fatigue and inflammation and hormone levels because, you know, there’s a lot of indicators for, you know, those levels being off other than just blood levels. So like, you know, I was having night sweats, which is like, you know, a really clear indicator that your hormone levels are off. And so she’s like so well-versed on all of those indications that if you talk ineptly with her about sort of what you’re experiencing, she can really help identify the problem.

Lee Kantor: So when you decided to kind of launch the company and it was going beyond you. Um, what were some of the challenges you had on launching kind of a wellness brand like this, or was it did you did you just kind of piggyback on your existing wellness brand that you had pre twins?

Tara Turnure: Well, yeah. So I have, um, an online platform called the Model Mama where I create content for brands. And I also consult with brands on like social media strategy. Um, and I, you know, still shoot campaigns for brands as a model and spokesperson. Um, so it was very different. I mean, Beauty Drip and the model mama are two different entities. Um, you know, I have two companies now, one being Beauty drip and one being the model mama. Um, but my experience sort of building that online platform definitely helped launch Beauty Drip, just because I already had the visibility and the connections and the community, really to sort of like tell about our business, um, because we’ve only beauty drip has been, you know, officially live since July of 2024. We already have like 250 patients, which is pretty incredible. Um, and we haven’t done any, you know, paid media, paid advertising. Our growth has been totally organic through word of mouth and personal referral. And, you know, we’ve been doing like some strategic partnerships with influencers and other markets and other brand activations, um, to sort of gain visibility. But that’s just what’s been so exciting is just kind of utilizing my platform and community with my presence online. You know, as a model and a TV personality and then content creator with my model mama platform and really kind of introducing my brand to that community. Um, and that’s been incredibly effective.

Lee Kantor: So do you, uh, what’s on your roadmap? Are you gonna have brick and mortar? Are you going to franchise the brand, or do you do events like what are some of the things that are on your roadmap as you grow?

Tara Turnure: Yeah. So our for sure long term goal is to, you know, have some brick and mortar locations. We’re actually in conversations with a medi spa actually in the south um outside of Atlanta, Georgia, um, that wants us to come in and sort of rebrand their med spa and kind of be our flagship beauty drip wellness beauty Medspa center. Um, and so we’re sort of considering that opportunity for early 2026, which would be incredibly exciting. Obviously, Atlanta is a little far for me because I live in Seattle. Um, so, you know, we definitely would love to have a, um, a physical location closer to where we are all located. But, um, I think having any kind of like, physical presence store would just allow us to sort of deepen the connection with patients and like, offer, you know, really comprehensive wellness, you know, education events and, you know, really I want beauty drip to be this destination for luxury, wellness and elevated beauty and be like the key to longevity. So I think, um, kind of building that brand around the customer experience would is the goal, but like being able to do that in person would be even more effective.

Lee Kantor: Now you refer to your clients as patients. Is it because of the medical component or is that did you was that strategic in your kind of branding? Like what was the thinking about, you know, what language to use when it came to your clients?

Tara Turnure: Yeah. Well, so they technically are patients because, you know, we have, you know, in order to, you know, legally bring beauty to life, we have to, you know, treat all of our customers as patients, right? Like, we have a, you know, electronic health record system where we’re documenting everything. Everything is totally HIPAA compliant. Um, and, you know, Doctor Pasic does everything by the book. So, you know, Technically, I guess, like, you know, technically you would be a customer. I guess if you just purchased product that didn’t require a prescription. But I would say 99.9% of all of our customers are patients because they are getting prescription products from us.

Lee Kantor: Is that how it works at Medspa? They call them patients who?

Tara Turnure: I don’t know, that’s a good question. I, I don’t think at Medspa they necessarily call them patients. Maybe they do. But yeah, we just I think, um, you know, I’ve been working so closely with Doctor Pasek for so long, um, that she’s rubbed off on me. So now, now I just refer to customers as patients, and, um, I think it’s like, also part of our, like, concierge level care. We just, like, want to make everyone feel incredibly supported Did and like they have everything that they need to be successful. So I think referring to them as patients just feels a little bit more accurate now.

Lee Kantor: So the whole experience is all done virtually online because like you said, you don’t you don’t have a physical location yet.

Tara Turnure: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. You can go on our website. Um, if you want to dive in and experience, you know, our offering and sort of start the process.

Lee Kantor: But in order to to get any of the products or services, you’re going to have to have a conversation with Doctor Pasek.

Tara Turnure: Yes. You’re going to be onboarded as a patient, but people can go on our website and purchase product and then they will immediately get, you know, the emails and the correspondence to be onboarded as a patient. So like you can start the process by going on our website and, you know, purchasing product. And then in order to actually receive product, you have to go through the onboarding process.

Lee Kantor: Right? So you can join the community just by going to the website. But in order to get, uh, some of the stuff, you have to have the conversation.

Tara Turnure: Correct? Yes.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned kind of your success story in the amazing 40 pound weight loss and, and kind of the rebooting that you received. Is there any other stories you can share about, um, some of the patients that have gone through the beauty drip experience? You don’t obviously don’t name their name, but maybe share what they came to you with and how you were able to help them get to a new level.

Tara Turnure: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Um, well, one story really stands out in my mind. Um, it was we were, um, we were introduced to this particular patient because we had already, um, helped her mom sort of level up and lose weight and just feel better. Um, and so she introduced her daughter to us, um, and this young woman was, you know, in her mid 20s, and she’s a personal trainer. So she’s someone who obviously, you know, wants to display confidence in her own voice and body in order to, you know, help other people, like, look and feel their best. And she was sort of stuck dealing with some hormone imbalances and some, you know, chronic inflammation. And she had gained 20 pounds. And, um, Doctor Pasek helped her pretty quickly, but totally, you know, safely lose 20 pounds. Um, and she wrote us the most incredible email that honestly made me cry. She was like, I was about to kill myself because I was so frustrated with my body, and I didn’t know how to show up for my patients because I felt like I didn’t really even know how to help people because I couldn’t help myself. And you guys really helped me fall back in love with my body and made it function the way that I know that it’s ultimately supposed to. And Beauty Drip is such an incredible, you know, add on product to a healthy lifestyle. And she now shares all of our products with her personal training clients as well, because she had such incredible results. And yeah, her email was just super emotional and really moving because, you know, she basically was telling us that we saved her life and helped her sort of rediscover, Scrubber. Um, you know, her purpose and passion for not only herself, but her career. Um, and that was. Yeah, that’s definitely one of my favorites, for sure.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, a lot of your business, you’ve had a lot of experience as a digital creator. As an influencer, is there any advice you can share for other business owners out there listening that wants to pursue that path, or partner with digital creators and influencers? Are there some do’s and don’ts, some things that you can recommend from having been involved in this space for so long?

Tara Turnure: Yeah, that’s a that’s a good question. I mean, I would say, um, you know, I think so many people have really amazing ideas whether they want to start something or build something and they just, you know, procrastinate or overthink. You know when to start. And I think you just I mean, there’s no rule book, right? When you’re like, even the content creation world is so unique because everybody’s journey to get there is unique and entrepreneurship is so unique. So it’s like it just you just have to start and you really have to be incredibly resourceful and incredibly persistent because, you know, you’re basically kind of reinventing the way something works, you know, from the ground up and you want to just do it right. But there’s mistakes that can be made along the way. But that’s truly how you grow and learn. Um, and I would say in terms of like wanting to work with digital creators, like from a brand standpoint, um, I think I think that it’s really important for brands to, um, you know, look at creators style. Like, I think what makes successful influencers is when you have like a cohesive message and brand so that like when a brand is hiring you, they have some idea of like what they’re getting, you know, they they’re like, oh, I really want to like for me, for example, I really want to work with her because, you know, she loves being a mom. She’s an entrepreneur, she has a strong beauty background. So like, we kind of know what her esthetic is and what that’s going to look like. And she obviously knows what’s gonna resonate with her audience. So I always like working with brands that, you know, really trust that I know what I’m doing, and they’re not trying to sort of tell me how to create the content. They’re like, you know, we want to partner with you, so just do it the way that, you know, will resonate with your audience. Dance. And I think that when you go into any relationship and there’s that like trust there, it just works better.

Lee Kantor: So how do you recommend, uh, an aspiring influencer kind of build up, I guess, an audience so that they can attract brands that, you know, can pay them something at least to continue to grow. Like it’s a chicken and egg thing. I mean, you were fortunate to be a model and a television host, so maybe you you kind of had a cheat code to get there first. But if you were starting from scratch and didn’t have that as part of your background, is there any advice in that area?

Tara Turnure: Oh yeah. Absolutely. So I agree, I think having the visibility as a model and the media connections definitely helped. But when I started. So just to give sort of some perspective. So now, you know, I have obviously a lot of Instagram followers. But when I was sort of pivoting in my career when I was pregnant with my son, who’s now ten. Um, I sort of dove into social media and I started with like 10,000 followers. And, um, my Instagram at that point was really just sort of like a portfolio for my modeling experience, my TV experience. But it wasn’t personal or there was no branding or messaging behind it. So when I was pregnant with my son and I was sort of in this weird limbo in my career where I wasn’t pregnant enough to be a maternity model, and no one wanted me on TV because I was pregnant, I was like, I’m gonna dive in and figure out this whole social media thing. And I was like, well, what would I want to say? You know, if I’m going to create content and I’m going to be in control of the messaging, like, what do I really want to share and how do I want to share it and what do I want to say? So I sort of came up with that’s how I came up with the model mama. Um, because I really struggled when I was pregnant with my son. Just I was having this, like, major identity crisis because up until that point, you know, I was traveling all over the world as a model and on TV. And then, you know, my body was changing and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to my career after I had a baby.

Tara Turnure: Um, and so I sort of was like having this weird internal dialog just like, wow, where am I going to go from here? And what does this mean? So and I just had this moment of realization where I was like, If I’m feeling like this, I guarantee a lot of other women have a lot of these same questions when they’re pregnant or after they have a baby. So I kind of came up with this concept for the Model Mama that was all about sort of sharing that transition to motherhood. Um, and really like how to love yourself and the transition and the body and how to pivot in your career. So I basically, you know, kind of came up with this like core messaging. And so when I started to really create content that was around this like model mama presence, it was like, you know, it was all really consistent. And so I think when people are starting an Instagram or they want to become a content creator, I mean, one, it’s about creating quality content, content that’s going to resonate with people, but also just like being really consistent with, you know, the brand and the messaging and like what you’re putting out there. I mean, I created content when I first launched the model, mama, I, um, you know, I didn’t have any brand deals or anything. Like I kind of basically stepped away from my modeling career and my TV career to just totally focus on building this model. Mama brand and I wrote, you know, original blog articles that were published once a week.

Tara Turnure: And I did all this kind of organic content creation for like a year where I was just, you know, trying to think of, like, content that really mattered to me, that I could put out there so that people would really know what my content was all about and the message I was trying to get across. So I didn’t even try to get paid, you know, partnerships until after I basically had like a proof of concept. So I always that’s like my biggest piece of advice for aspiring content creators or influencers is like, you basically want to really spend, you know, at least six months, if not a year, really. Just like focusing on the content creation, like don’t worry about, you know, getting a paycheck because it’s really just about like showing your capability of creating content that will really resonate with people. And then you can have like examples to show. Right. And like, um, people are already sort of intrigued by, you know, what you’re doing. Obviously, I was in, you know, a fortunate position where I could sort of not make money for a year, which I know is hard for, you know, people. Um, most people. But, you know, you just have to sort of be creative in that way where you just you want to be a content creator because you’re really trying to convey a specific message and create content that really is inspiring and resonates and like is getting your messaging across. And I think that’s how brands really identify creators that they want to, you know, pay money for now.

Lee Kantor: When you were starting, did you just hit on that correct persona in the right rhythm and the type of content that worked, or was it something where you posted something and it’s like crickets and then you’re like, well, now I’m getting nervous, and then you post something else and it gets a little better and you’re like, okay, maybe I do more of that. Like, was there some iteration happening or did you.

Tara Turnure: Yeah. Yeah. Well, so yes, exactly. So when I launched when I kind of, you know, was pregnant with my son and decided to dive into this content creation thing, just to give kind of perspective, it was funny. I had 70% male audience and 30% female, and I was like, wow, this is going to be interesting because, you know, I had a lot of male followers because I was on Fox Sports and because I was a model. And, um, but my audience that I was really sort of speaking to was women, right? So I actually had to lose a lot of followers and gain the right ones. And, you know, I just kind of knew that that was the goal. And I just, you know, kept my head down and plugged away because I was like, yeah, I know that probably this, you know, all my male followers don’t really care about, like me being pregnant or me posting, you know, pictures of me and my baby. Um, so I have to sort of just be patient and try to attract a different audience. That’s really gonna appreciate the content that I’m putting out there. So I think but that’s why I think consistency is so important, because I think when you are consistent with the content that you’re putting out there, you’re going to draw in the right audience.

Lee Kantor: Now, do you remember that moment where it kind of shifted, where you’re like, okay, I got it now. Now the audience is the people that I want. Um, and the people that maybe were initially attracted to my content are kind of maybe they’re there, but they’re getting there’s more of the other and I’m attracting kind of that women community, the, you know, the people that are pregnant or they’re going through pregnancy or they want to be pregnant. That crowd is more who I’m looking for, and I can feel kind of the shift occurring. Do you remember that moment where you’re like, I think, I think I got it now?

Tara Turnure: Yeah, I think, um.

Tara Turnure: I mean, I’m trying to think that’s a really good question. I think, um, I think, you know, I mean, well, now for, for instance, now I have 70% female audience and 30% male.

Lee Kantor: Right. You’re on the other side now. Now you have momentum.

Tara Turnure: Side, which thank God. But yeah, I think um, I think it was more like the culmination of when I, like, launched. So I kind of, you know, I pivoted in my Instagram right when I was pregnant and and then over the next two years, I was developing this platform called the Model Mama. And I remember I kind of officially launched my platform, Mother’s Day 2018, and I it was just so well received, and people were so engaged with that announcement that I just, I remember then feeling like I was doing the right thing.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, I mean, it was a brave thing. What you did was brave. A lot of people would want to risk. I have an audience of what you had, you know, tens of thousands of people. That’s hard by itself. And you’re putting it at risk and hoping that you get a different 10,000 plus people. That’s brave. I mean, that’s a risk.

Tara Turnure: Right? I almost had to, like, not look at my numbers, you know, like, for a while, because I had to just trust that it would, you know, the shift would happen. Um, so I kind of just, I didn’t really pay attention to, you know, losing followers or gaining followers over the course of that, like two year process. Um, I was just, I mean, one I was distracted because I was a first time mom, and so I was just sort of, you know, navigating that wild transition of life. And then two, I just, you know, I knew that I really wanted to build this platform the right way. So I had hired, you know, some web developers and marketing experts that helped me sort of bring my vision to life. Um, and just everyone says, obviously it’s easier said than done, but you know, that you just have to be patient and be consistent. So I just I really tried to focus on the end goal, you know, and not get caught in like the day to day or the frustration of, well, no one really responded to that post. You know, I mean, luckily I just had a lot of other really positive distractions in my life, like a new baby. My husband was cheering me on. My family was cheering me on. But, um, but yeah, I kind of just. But I do remember that moment, though, where I kind of announced that the model mama was live and I had 50,000 followers then, and that was really when I noticed just this, like, incredible, engaged community that felt really aligned with what I was sort of on a mission to create.

Tara Turnure: So, um, and yeah, obviously you’re so nervous, right? Anytime you launch anything you don’t want there to be crickets or people would be like, what? But, um, yeah, it was really well received. But it was really, you know, I, I sort of put, I put so much time and energy into building it the right way and really, you know, I launched it with all this, you know, kind of backlogged content and articles that I had written so that on launch day, you know, it’s not like people were just showing up to read one article. It was like they were showing up to read like ten articles and see all of this content that was, you know, hopefully inspiring and relatable, but like, you know, resonated with them and what they were going through. And, um, yeah, that was kind of like that was the real. And then, you know, shortly thereafter, I was interviewed, um, in this studio in LA about the model mama and the launch of this, you know, platform. Um, and they loved my interview so much, they asked me if I wanted to have my own show. So then I started my own. It’s called the Model Mama show. When we lived in LA, I lived in LA for like ten years, and, um, it was so much fun and that, I think really helped me draw in and even more loyal and engaged audience because basically, I sort of identified women that I wanted to have on my show that worked in different industries. So, you know, there was like this woman who I had met through friends that had, um, this fashion company, and she was designing women for or clothes for women in various stages of their life.

Tara Turnure: And she’s pivoted kind of from a corporate career to sort of being an entrepreneur. And I had her on my show. And then, um, Lauren Ireland, who’s the founder of Summer Fridays, I had her on my show because she had just Launched her Summer Fridays Jet lag mask and um, also was a new mom. So like, we talked through kind of how she pivoted in her career and and that was so fun. And I did that show for about a year and a half. Um, but then when we moved to Seattle, where my husband and I are from, I was traveling back and forth to LA from Seattle for a while, but then I found out I was pregnant with twins in August. Let’s see, when was that? 2019 and it was just too much to still do that. And then the pandemic happened. Like the plan was for sure to continue the show and, you know, resume it once I had the twins. But then, you know, the world changed so much. So then I really just dove in more to doing everything kind of centered around the content and my Instagram platform and the model. Mamma.com. And then, um, but I think my goal all along. Honestly, after working with so many brands was like, I really want to build my own brand because I feel like I know exactly what I would need to do to make it successful. After working so closely with brands and also I was like, I’m making all these other brands so much money, I feel like it’s my turn.

Lee Kantor: Exactly.

Tara Turnure: And I know what I’m doing. So I just, um, so then when I had this lightbulb moment like, oh my God, I feel like I’ve tried everything and anything under the sun to lose weight, feel great, have, like, sustainable energy, look younger. Um, when I, like, cracked this life code, as I keep calling it, which is this these peptide therapies, I was like, wow, this is like the real deal. This really works. And like, I want to bring this to life in a really meaningful way. That’s very elevated and luxurious because that’s kind of my, you know, my experience really is working with, like, high end brands. Um, and so yeah, so that was kind of the vision. And I just dove in head first. But that’s kind of how I am. Obviously, I’m sure you get that from our interview, but.

Lee Kantor: Well, congratulations.

Tara Turnure: Ask for forgiveness than permission.

Lee Kantor: Exactly. Gotta keep moving. Take action. Don’t wait. Um, yeah. Congratulations on all the success and the momentum. You’re doing such important work, and we appreciate you.

Tara Turnure: Oh, that’s so nice.

Tara Turnure: Well, I love it. You know, I mean, I think the key to being successful in anything, right, is you really. You have to love what you do. And people ask me that all the time. They’re like, well, how do you have three kids and have these two businesses? And, you know, I volunteered in my son’s classroom yesterday before our big holiday party last night. And my girlfriend was like, are you nuts? Why are you doing all this? And I’m like, to be honest, I do all of it because I love all of it. Like I. I love being a mom. I love being involved in my kids life. I love, you know, getting to know their community at school, helping. I think teachers are doing God’s work and they’re the most important people on planet Earth. I could never be a teacher, so I’m so grateful that people do that. Um, but I also love I mean, I love our team at Beauty Drip. We work so well together. We have so much fun. And I also love my team that helps me run my social media platform. I mean, we we just yeah, we have fun. And I mean, yes, there’s moments where it’s stressful and, you know, I mean, even at this stage, like just an example. This is funny. Like, you know, I, we were trying to shoot all this holiday content for my platform and for Beauty Drip and I rented this like what looked like online, this beautiful, you know, white, uh, photo shoot studio in downtown Seattle, and I checked references like, I know two people that had shot there prior. And you know, it’s if you’ve ever done a photo shoot, you know, that there’s a million moving parts and you have to bring in all this stuff and there’s just just a photographer assistant’s clothes, like all the props, like, it’s just it’s a big undertaking.

Tara Turnure: And so we show up at this studio and this was two days ago, and, I mean, the studio looked nothing like the photos. It was so dirty. It smelled bad. I mean, it was supposed to be white. It was like, covered in dirt. I mean, you couldn’t even sit anywhere. And it was just one of those moments where, you know, when you show up and you’re, you know, leading the charge. Right? Like, I could have freaked out and panicked and made everybody stressed out, but I think. I just had to be like, okay, well, we’re not shooting here. This is not gonna work. And we’re gonna pivot and it might, you know, push out some of our deliverable dates, but I’d rather do it right than wrong. And I’m, you know, obviously in this world of branding and esthetics. So I’m not gonna, like, deliver content that’s less than what was promised. So, you know, it’s funny, that’s just like the life of an entrepreneur. But I think being a mom has helped me be way more easygoing because you can you can plan every little detail of parenting and kids, but there’s always some wrench that’s thrown into the mix. And I think being a mom has also made me a better entrepreneur. And I think being an entrepreneur has made me a better mom because it just helps you be more easygoing.

Lee Kantor: Right? It teaches you patience, and you got to choose your battles and you got to kind of make it happen, figure things out on the fly. I mean, that’s every. It’s the same for parenting and the same for running a business.

Tara Turnure: Right. And also, I think people, you know, like I called the studio manager and, you know, I could have been really spicy and pissed and not nice, you know, and but it’s like, what is that gonna do? And how is that going to help anybody get to the goal? Right. So I think it’s also just like, I think you can also be nice along the way. You know, I think there’s a lot of people that think they have to not be nice to get things done or across the finish line, and I don’t agree with that at all. I think, I mean, I think it’s one thing to have a vision and to be organized and decisive, but and to, you know, be a leader and lead the charge. But I think you can be nice and have fun along the way and still be incredibly successful.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, well, if somebody wants to learn more. One more time. The website. Best way to connect.

Tara Turnure: Yeah. So our website is beauty Co. So Co. And they can also find us on Instagram at Beauty Drip Co. And then me on Instagram is just at Tara Turner. Um they can also go to the model if you want to read all of that fun lifestyle fashion beauty content.

Lee Kantor: Well Tara, thank you so much for sharing your story today.

Tara Turnure: Oh, thanks for having me. This was really fun. I really appreciate it.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of High Velocity Radio and this is gonna be a good one. Today we have award winning investor, podcaster, corporate leader, author, and founder of Dream Big Ventures, Staci LaToison. Welcome.

Staci LaToison: Hi. Thank you Lee. Happy to be here and excited to share a little bit about what I’ve been doing in my mission with your audience.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m excited to learn more. So tell us a little bit about Dream Big Ventures. How are you serving folks?

Staci LaToison: You know, I I’m a single mom of two and had a corporate career at Chevron for 22 years, which, you know, I’m very grateful I learned so much and grew and oh my gosh, the amazing opportunities that I had. I was an expat and in China for five years and in Angola, Africa. So my family and I, we got a chance to travel and see the world. And I was managing billion dollar budgets and managing global teams. So I mean, it was incredible. But what I realized is, man, you know, after all this time, I’m always telling my children to chase their dreams. I said, why am I not doing the same? So in 2021, I started Dream Big Ventures, especially after learning that only 2% of VC venture capital funds are going to women and underrepresented founders. And I think actually it’s even less than that now, unfortunately. But I was like, you know, I’ve always been a person that I don’t like to talk, I do, I take action, and I’ve always been very like very, very passionate about equality, especially as a woman and, you know, working in a male dominated industry. So I decided to go out here and start investing in women and underrepresented businesses. So I’m an investor in five different venture capital funds, which are either women led or, you know, investing in women founders like portfolio. Um, Angels Investors Fund is for Latino startups. And I also invested in a women owned bank in Houston called agility Bank, a women owned winery and vineyard and a luxury boutique hotel in California. So these are just missions that, you know, I can wake up every day living in my purpose. I know that I am really Elevating our community because we’re often underestimated and overlooked. And, you know, I have a now, my daughter is 13 years old. And I mean, nothing is more important than being a role model for her so that she can see that anything is possible.

Lee Kantor: So now is your work primarily just looking for your next investment, or do you provide kind of a community or an incubator for these up and coming emerging companies that you’re even considering?

Staci LaToison: Yeah. So it’s a little bit of all of it. It’s really just grown. It started off as just investing, and then my contacts and my network is just so invaluable. It’s a treasure and it’s global. So it’s kind of also turned into how to support other women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. You know, women who’ve I’ve been in their shoes. And you know, the reason why I started my podcast? Her Money Moves, is because, you know, if you see her, you can be her. And I never saw. So I’m Puerto Rican and Cuban. I had never seen a Latina in the C-suite at Chevron and in most oil companies. And then like then I look abroad and it’s in most industries, you know, even in the beauty industry is male dominated. Isn’t that crazy? And so, um, yeah, my my podcast, Her Money Moves, I interview women CEOs and business leaders and corporate directors just so that like my daughter and this, you know, this new generation and, you know, all of the women can see these very accomplished, incredible powerhouse women who are trailblazers, but they also share strategies and they share the challenges that they went through. And so, um, I’m very, very proud and passionate about the podcast. And then that turned into also summits, because then people who are, you know, engaged in the podcast, they want to meet in person, they want to meet the women who I’ve interviewed on the podcast. And so we had our second annual summit this past September in Houston. And, you know, even had the CEO of crumble and, um, you know, the founder and CEO of Nopalera and many other women who I’ve, um, interviewed on the podcast. And, I mean, it was the energy was just incredible. And, and it’s really, really proud to have my parents there and have my children there. And, um, and to be able to share this, that kind of, um, environment, you know, with so many people and so many women.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, as you build your community, are you focusing on women who want to be entrepreneurs. Are you focusing on women who want to kind of, uh, climb the corporate ladder? Which, uh, who who is, you know, kind of the avatar for your ideal community member.

Staci LaToison: Oh, it’s it’s both of those things because, I mean, that’s that’s me, right? I mean, 22 years, I was a corporate leader climbing up the ladder and so many things that I didn’t know and didn’t realize until I left and became an entrepreneur. And even just learning about money and investing that I didn’t know. I mean, I would just go to the bank and, uh, do you know, deposit money and withdraw money and never understood how important it is to have a relationship with your banker like I do now that I’m an entrepreneur. So, um, and I didn’t I never knew that I could invest in venture capital and that I could multifamily unit homes, and I could invest in a winery and storage units and just all these things, you know, because I wasn’t exposed to it. So that’s what I’m doing is, you know, opening up the door and just bringing awareness to women who, you know, corporate leaders, women who are entrepreneurs, um, single women, single mothers, you know, anybody who wants to join.

Lee Kantor: And then when you’re having these conversations with the leaders of companies that are led by women, what are some of the things you’ve learned that you might be able to share today? What are some do’s and don’ts when you’re building a, you know, a firm from nothing?

Staci LaToison: Oh, how much time do you have, Lee?

Lee Kantor: All the time in the world for you?

Staci LaToison: Wow. You know, I have interviewed women who sold their businesses for $1 billion. You know, for me, the biggest lesson in that was that to learn their story, that, you know, they didn’t come from a well-to-do background. Um, they really put their their heart in their hustle every single day. And, uh, and that it takes time. I think that’s the biggest, the biggest lesson that I have learned as an entrepreneur, um, you know, always been very an overachiever. And I want things now and done right away and, um, you know, and, and big visionary. But it actually, you know, it’s a marathon. It’s not a race. And especially if you want a company that is going to be sustainable. Um, you know, it’s it’s like it’s baby steps every single day growing your team. Um, but, you know, continuing to stay focused on sales, how important that is without revenue and profit, you know, you really don’t have a business, um, you know, being a good leader and just continuing to believe in yourself because you’re going to get so many no’s. So you have to stay resilient and know that no means next opportunity.

Lee Kantor: Now let’s talk a little bit. You mentioned it briefly. Kind of the financial side, the money side, the revenue side. Um. Was that kind of the impetus, um, for you to write your new book, Money Moves? Did you want to really make sure that that message got out there and that that there’s a real understanding that you have to get this component right if you want to grow anything?

Staci LaToison: Lee, I wrote this book because financial literacy is lacking in our communities. It’s not in our it’s not in the curriculum in our schools. It’s we don’t talk about it with our families at home. And yet every single day of our lives, we have to make a financial decision. So this book is a tool to equip the general population because there are some gatekeepers. There’s lots there’s people who work in finance who know how to navigate very well, but the majority of the population doesn’t. And that’s why so many people are living paycheck to paycheck and they are struggling and, you know, having to rent their entire lives, having to work their entire lives with no retirement, no savings. So this is my my mission and my gift to the world to give some tips and raise awareness. And I believe this book should be in everyone’s hands. Every student, you know, college students, they go on campus and they’re just, hey, fill out this credit card application. You can get free money without any training, without any education behind it to let them know, like what they’re getting into. And then they end up graduating with debt, you know, and feeling ashamed about it. So and this is to help fix that, to build confidence, financial confidence. Because, you know, we need to know it. We know so many other things. You know in school they teach us geometry and algebra and like when do we ever use that. But every single day of our lives we have to make a financial decision. So this is to help normalize money talks. We should be talking about it with our kids. We should be talking about it with your partners. You should be talking about it with your friends. Um, so that’s what that was the impetus for me writing Money Moves.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. I think it’s such a disservice that they don’t teach the power of compounding when it comes to finance, uh, at a very early age. So, so people understand that that is going to pay off the sooner you start getting that habit ingrained into your lifestyle? Yes, the bigger impact that’s going to have future you is going to never be mad at present. You. If you’re investing in the future because of the power of compounding.

Staci LaToison: Absolutely. Future you is going to be so grateful. Thank you for passing on those new shoes or that Starbucks coffee and that, you know, and thank you for instead investing it because, wow, it has multiplied beyond your imagination because you made smart money moves.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, you mentioned that some of the ways that you serve your community are through writing this book, obviously through your podcast, through the summit, um, and investing in emerging, uh, companies. How do people typically kind of plug into the community? Is it is it first through the podcast and then they kind of see all the other things? Or is there do you do things like in person, uh, Person where you’re based on a regular basis or have kind of virtual meetups, like how do you kind of get create the engagement amongst your community members?

Staci LaToison: Yeah. So the Her Money Move summit, we held it in Houston the last two years in person, and I’m going to be bringing it on the road, um, taking it to New York and LA. Um, and, um, you know, so we can reach where our audience is, um, and also going to universities. So I’ve been doing a lot of in-person book signings with different organizations. Um, you know, for like Latina Equal Pay Day, I, we did a golf outing with a lot of Latina, um, associates. And so that was amazing. Um, I’m also on the board of Angela’s investors, and we have quarterly investor summits. So, you know, I’m usually there to, um, either hosting and recording the podcast or hosting, you know, a book signing. Um. Oh, and then in August, um, the C.J. Stroud Foundation. So the Texans quarterback, C.J. Stroud, he has a foundation that because his mom, you know, was a single mom and oh my God, their family is so amazing. So, so amazing. Um, and I interviewed her on the podcast, but I spoke at the event and each of the single mothers who were there got a copy of the Money Moves book. So I’ve been working with various organizations to ensure that their, um, community gets a copy.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, if there’s a woman owned business, uh, that’s looking for funding, how do they even get on your radar?

Staci LaToison: Well, they can send me an email. They can go to my website and there’s an intake form. So my website is Staci. Com. Um, I also have the Dream Big Ventures LLC. Com. Um, you know, they can also subscribe to the podcast. Um, they can order the book online at Amazon. And now it’s also available on Kindle.

Lee Kantor: So there’s ways for them. So you’re open to having conversations with any, um, business owner.

Staci LaToison: Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: So like they can have an idea on a napkin at that stage. Or are you looking for ones that already have some traction or are already generating some revenue?

Staci LaToison: I mean, I’m always looking for traction. You know, that you’ve you’ve got. Yes, always. Traction comes first. However, I’m also a very, very generous, um, with my time and want to help others who do have just that idea on the napkin. And, and I’m often available for many, many, many women, um, who just want to run an idea by me, you know, to help them, help guide them, or connect them with someone else that can help them at this stage or with their particular thesis.

Lee Kantor: And the and the companies you work with, are they in a specific industry or niche or. I know your background’s in oil and gas. Is that kind of where you’re looking or are you kind of industry agnostic? What what types of companies are you most interested in?

Staci LaToison: Um, I have been so like I said, I’m in the five funds that I’ve invested in. It varies. One of them with Mendoza Ventures, they are cybersecurity, AI and uh, and fintech. Um, with angel investors, it’s all it’s agnostic. Um, well, it’s most of them are all seed stage. So that’s that’s what I’ve been investing in so far. Um, and as far as Dream Big Ventures been looking at energy, um, in health tech since that’s kind of a big for for Houston. And kind of my background is more in the energy.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Staci LaToison: Yeah, I mean, just getting the word out. The more, uh, getting organizations to reach out, um, to sponsor a bulk order of the books so that we can ensure that we equip students and universities, single mothers, domestic violence victims, you know, nonprofits with the book, um, young professionals, I mean, you name it. And everyone can benefit from from the book. Um, and also subscribing to the podcast, there’s, you know, it’s free. It’s on YouTube and Spotify and anyone can learn and grow just from tuning in.

Lee Kantor: And then they can learn more about everything at your website. Uh, Stacey? Stacey. I l a t I o n.com.

Staci LaToison: That’s correct.

Lee Kantor: Well, Stacey, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Staci LaToison: Thank you so much, Lee. It has been a pleasure and I appreciate your invitation and this opportunity. I hope to meet you in person one day.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, it might be sooner than you think. All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.