EPISODE · Sep 10, 2025 · 41 MIN
The Hairstylist turned Founder & CEO at Zinnia ft. Lauren Goodell
from She's So Suite Podcast · host Kristi Faltorusso
She's So Suite is brought to you by Client Success. The easiest to use, fastest to implement software to reduce churn & increase customer revenue. Request a demo at https://www.clientsuccess.com/On this episode of She's So Suite, host Kristi Faltorusso talks with Lauren Goodell, founder and CEO of Zinnia, about her journey from Nebraska to the world of tech and entrepreneurship.Lauren shares how she went from wanting to be a hairstylist to landing a job at Microsoft at 21, and eventually building Zinnia. She opens up about the challenges of starting a company, fundraising as a female founder, and leading with authenticity in male-dominated spaces.They also dive into big topics like financial independence for women, building joyful work cultures, and making tough decisions while scaling a business.Timestamps 0:00 - Preview0:50 - Meet Lauren & learn about Zinnia5:55 - Childhood dreams and realizations 7:05 - Lauren’s early career & self-discovery9:44 - Moving from Microsoft to Salesforce11:07 - Financial independence as a foundation14:05 - Experience at Salesforce17:22 - Being the only young, female team member at Microsoft18:45 - How Lauren embraced authenticity in the workplace21:07 - The challenge of fundraising as a female founder23:45 - Celebrating success & building positive culture27:05 - Overcoming imposter syndrome & CEO mindset28:10 - Staying focused as an entrepreneur31:12 - Work-life balance versus integration32:32 - Evolving friendships and social circles36:25 - Growth mindset and continuous learning38:55 - Create your own tableConnect with the guest:Lauren Goodell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-goodell/Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/Follow the Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjPApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/Connect with the Show Producer:Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/_____________________About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.
What this episode covers
She's So Suite is brought to you by Client Success. The easiest to use, fastest to implement software to reduce churn & increase customer revenue. Request a demo at https://www.clientsuccess.com/On this episode of She's So Suite, host Kristi Faltorusso talks with Lauren Goodell, founder and CEO of Zinnia, about her journey from Nebraska to the world of tech and entrepreneurship.Lauren shares how she went from wanting to be a hairstylist to landing a job at Microsoft at 21, and eventually building Zinnia. She opens up about the challenges of starting a company, fundraising as a female founder, and leading with authenticity in male-dominated spaces.They also dive into big topics like financial independence for women, building joyful work cultures, and making tough decisions while scaling a business.Timestamps 0:00 - Preview0:50 - Meet Lauren & learn about Zinnia5:55 - Childhood dreams and realizations 7:05 - Lauren’s early career & self-discovery9:44 - Moving from Microsoft to Salesforce11:07 - Financial independence as a foundation14:05 - Experience at Salesforce17:22 - Being the only young, female team member at Microsoft18:45 - How Lauren embraced authenticity in the workplace21:07 - The challenge of fundraising as a female founder23:45 - Celebrating success & building positive culture27:05 - Overcoming imposter syndrome & CEO mindset28:10 - Staying focused as an entrepreneur31:12 - Work-life balance versus integration32:32 - Evolving friendships and social circles36:25 - Growth mindset and continuous learning38:55 - Create your own tableConnect with the guest:Lauren Goodell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-goodell/Connect with Kristi Faltorusso: Website: https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/Follow the Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvmKTIOWzy8e3kbzHr4f9VMr1oGfK5Qc_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Pf1SZMvfwvSJTA6WnpNjPApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shes-so-suite-podcast/id1730535499To learn more about Wednesday Women check out theirWebsite: https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wednesday-women/Connect with the Show Producer:Manali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manalibhat/_____________________About She's So Suite Podcast: Embark on a journey with Kristi in each podcast episode as she engages in insightful conversations with accomplished women in the C-suite. Explore their unique stories, triumphs, challenges, dreams, and valuable advice that will inspire and empower you. Tune in for an enriching experience as Kristi delves into the depth of their professional journeys and brings you closer to the dynamic world of female leaders at the top.
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The Hairstylist turned Founder & CEO at Zinnia ft. Lauren Goodell
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