Episode 8: Science Meets Scalability: Building Atmo Home with Founder, Margaret Trainor

In this episode of Dreaming Big, Alexis sits down with Margaret Trainor, founder of Atmo Home, who spent years evaluating startups at TechCrunch and working in venture capital before deciding to become a founder herself. What started as a European fashion rental concept pivoted completely when Margaret realized dry cleaning costs were eating her margins leading her to discover a gap in the home care market. Partnering with research chemists in Berlin, she fell in love with green chemistry and set out to create the cleanest candle in the world. But unlike the VC-backed playbook she knows so well, Margaret chose to build slowly, sustainably, and with strong financial fundamentals. From launching in Credo, Goop, and Revolve, Margaret shares why resilience defines early-stage success, why focusing on one hero product matters more than launching multiple SKUs, and how running a business is ultimately a personal growth experience that reveals your limiting beliefs. This is what happens when someone who's seen every startup mistake decides to build a company the right way.