IAM642- Founder Opens Up More Conversations Through Sneakers

JeNay Silva Founder of HERCOLLECTIVE Sole is opening up more conversations in the wellness community in a different way through sneakers. Her mission is to cultivate a community for women in kicks by pushing impactful information to become knowledgeable about foot care. She has an acronym she lives by for herself but for the brand called AIM (Authentic, Impatful, Mindsetfree). There’s a new part of the sneaker industry which she calls “Sneaker Wellness”.

• CEO Hack: Book- Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
• CEO Nugget: (1) Get out of your way (2) Do some self-discovery
• CEO Defined: Being able to build yourself and your business (2) Running and understanding your business

Website: http://www.hercollectivesole.co/

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/hercollectivesole?_rdc=1&_rdr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hercollectivesole/

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Transcription

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have JeNay Silva of HERCOLLECTIVE Sole. JeNay, it's awesome to have you on the show.

JeNay Silva 0:38

Thank you. I'm excited to be here. Everything going on? This is fun.

Gresham Harkless 0:42

Yeah, absolutely, it gets our little reprieve and time away from all the hectic things that are going on. But before I jump in, I want to introduce you to JeNay. So you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And JeNay is the founder of HERCOLLECTIVE Sole. And that's S O L E, and is opening up more conversations in the wellness community in a different way through sneakers, her mission is to cultivate a community for women and kicks by pushing impactful newness. And for impactful information to become knowledgeable about foot care. She has an acronym she lives by herself, but for the brand called AIM, which stands for authentic, impactful, and mindset-free. There's a new part of the sneaker industry as she calls it sneaker wellness JeNay. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

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JeNay Silva 1:23

I am.

Gresham Harkless 1:25

Awesome. Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I wanted to hear how everything got started. Can you tell us your CEO story? And what led you to get started in business?

JeNay Silva 1:31

Yes, absolutely. I actually, I'm a sneakerhead by nature. And I was as most CEOs or business professionals, business-minded people, you know, I went through that transition from being in like corporate and really wanting to do something for myself, you know, finding like that purposeful, business or meeting. And it really came because I was always looking at sneakers, and I kept seeing an opportunity to go to sneaker school. And so when I took that opportunity on, went to sneaker school, I had a fit out of New York, was sneaker Essentials is with a complex with complex collaboration. And in that with going to all the sneaker conferences, and constantly icons and complex concepts throughout the events throughout the sneaker industry. It wasn't there wasn't really a conversation. That was for foot care. There wasn't really bridging that gap.

And, and I would hear women speak, you know, saying, We, you know, my feet hurt, you know, we wear sneakers, sneakers are meant to be fashionable. They're definitely I love them. But I wanted to really see that see that grow. And I learned actually through sneaker school, that's when I really developed more of, the layout. And so I think them too because it actually pushed me to do more research and develop some things throughout my schooling that really helped me to really know where what direction I wanted to go into my business. And that's really how I got started originally, was just wanting to see that passion grow in that purpose to really educate women. And the more I asked them, this was a lack of education. And I felt like I was here to do that, you know, to become a resource.

Gresham Harkless 3:12

Absolutely not. I love that. And I love how, you know, I think so many times it's what I love about doing the show is getting to hear people's passions and things that they're passionate about, and how sometimes those opportunities present themselves when you're in your passion and you're looking at you're seeing that things aren't being fulfilled, and you get the opportunity to fulfill it. I think it's one of the most exciting things for an entrepreneur business owner to happen. Because a lot of times, people feel like you have to you know, either not like what you do and be successful, or you can love what you do and not be successful. But when you can find that middle ground, that sweet spot, I think it's definitely phenomenal.

JeNay Silva 3:43

Yeah, yeah, thank you. It's a good feeling. When you hit that point, at that point, you know, you start getting into the business by that point. It's a good feeling to know you're like this this actually feels good. You know, you just know that.

Gresham Harkless 3:56

Absolutely. And I know you're you know, just talking about footwear and how important it is, is something that sometimes people don't realize how important it is especially, it's like, I think it's to some degree, the foundation of you, because you're walking around all the time, you have to take care of yourself. So I know that's, you know, what you know, help you know, people out in the community, can you tell us take us through a little bit more of HERCOLLECTIVE Sole and exactly what we can find there some of the things that you're doing?

JeNay Silva 4:18

Yeah, um, so one of the things that we like to, like we like to do is reach out to a lot of like self-care conferences, women's conferences, and we try to make sure you know, I get speaking engagement requests. One of the things I do is like, no, like, no feet left behind, done virtual workshops throughout that and really being able to, like I said, educate, you know, we love to socially, which we're building some collaborations in the DMV area, to socially them out in the community and socially, you kind of have the fun part of the brand going on, but the education really is part of the brand that we really like to put more emphasis on, and really being able to connect.

So we differently maybe connect with like Pilates instructors, we've connected, of course, with yoga instructors, and all these people like that, that connect to the wellness community, you know, and what we do is we kind of bring that, of course, like the sneaker aspect to it by allowing them to come in and sneakers or present them like pairs that are, whether it's for the running or it's for fashion, and really given them an idea of what they can look to buy and how we can look to put either insole in them to actually have a better way to wear them on their day to day. Right.

Gresham Harkless 5:38

Yeah, absolutely.

JeNay Silva 5:40

So we, like I said, our collaborations are crucial to our community, but also to really getting it out there. So that's really where we, we tried to do a lot of focus, and really bringing different experiences and hopefully hoping that that will actually people will have a takeaway, you know, the women will have a takeaway, and learn so much more. And we build actually, when we do I'm doing a workshop, we actually build foot care system to start them on their way. So that when they go home or away from the conference they don't forget about that part of the self-care that they need. Right?

Gresham Harkless 6:16

Yeah, absolutely. You can always hear that you need to do self-care. But sometimes when you go to conferences or workshops, by the time you sign out, are you gonna go back home or whatever it is, you lose that so they actually get those actionable things that you can do on a regular basis and put it in your world. So you can regularly make sure you're getting that self-care and taking care of your feet.

JeNay Silva 6:35

Absolutely, absolutely. We don't want you to leave without it. We're like let's in this workshop, you're going to build it so that you actually have the things that you need to go kit, or we actually give them you know, great recommendations. And then of course, after if someone has some stories that they want to share or some personal, then they'll come to me. And I'm always I try to make sure I keep it very, you know, authentic, so that you know, feel comfortable. I don't want you to leave here without, you knowing that you walked out the door. And this was something that was bothering you. And trust me, I've gotten them. So they're out there?

Gresham Harkless 7:06

Absolutely not. I definitely appreciate that. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. And it could be for yourself or your brand. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

JeNay Silva 7:17

Um, honestly, it has to really think just, I spent a lot of time when I think about self-care, self-discovery. One thing I think makes me unique about the organization is that I really, struggle with my acronym AIM. And I think it's just really being authentic. I try to make sure that in everything we do I feel that when you're authentic to people, and you're authentic to your brand, that it it changes the conversation, it changes the shift. And in that part of the business, you know, we when we're especially when we're talking about community and those kinds of things, I think it's been definitely crucial. That's been key, honestly, to a lot of the collaborations that I'm starting to build.

Because I get people who are like, they say, Oh, I either saw you or I saw you speak somewhere, or it's been coming off of just meeting people. And in the process of that, it's turned into larger opportunities. And being and I think being authentic to yourself. And like I said, being able to find that purpose for me has been very crucial. To do that to that piece for me. Yeah, and really developing. The other part of it is developing your sales funnel early, you know, figuring that out early, we're still getting some of the pieces together for that part. But the sales funnel early in my business has started to change the conversations as well.

Gresham Harkless 8:42

Nice. No, I definitely appreciate that. And, you know, that definitely is, I think a version of our form, I should say of self-care, because I think so many times, you can not be practicing self-love or self-care if you are trying to be somebody else because you don't really necessarily appreciate you and all those aspects about you. And I think that you know, that authentic aspect that you talked about in you know, you say it's part of your brand. And acronym as well, too, is something huge that, you know, we all can kind of take on and we all should be kind of mindful of. So I appreciate you for sharing that. And obviously for you know, exposing us to that through your brand and all the awesome things you're working on.

JeNay Silva 9:18

Thank you, I appreciate that.

Gresham Harkless 9:20

You're very, very welcome. And, I wanted to switch gears a little bit. And I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So that could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

JeNay Silva 9:32

So actually I'm rereading the book now. Because even through self-discovery, one of the things is that sometimes you have to take a different approach, right? You have to sometimes remind yourself that there's something that you love whether it's on my personal side or my business side. So I like this book, it's called Getting to the Yes, and it's called Negotiating an Agreement without giving in and that one was actually got to one of my friends who I went to Harvard Business School and in that, in that reading subject, what I've always wanted to make sure I put into myself and into my business is to ultimately be a great negotiator.

That was something that I put in my self-discovery because negotiation men always like the dollar sign, but knowing you knowing my worth, and as I continue to grow that business, that's been very beneficial, but very important to me, is to continue to build that skill, and to continue to build that mindset. Because sometimes, you know, every person or every business that wants to connect may not be for you. You know, and sometimes it was like, hey, sometimes I have to negotiate with myself and say, just because this may be a great opportunity, is this the right time, this is the right place, you know, this is the right agreement, you know, and that's been one of the things that I've been on my business side, a resource for life.

I read a lot of business articles, and I love and I do that it's like a personal read. And I mean, everything from, from this tech to empowering stories to see different, you know, hence why I love your platform, you know, the hence why, you know, hearing CEOs and developments, even if it's in their beginning stages, or however, I think they're just a great way to just see what the world is taking on, you know, and I can sit in windows all day, I'm a huge LinkedIn reader. I'm the only one that's like, probably scrolling on there all day, trying to find the next best article, like this, this is so great, you know, kind of thing.

Gresham Harkless 11:41

Awesome. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be like a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. Or if you could happen to be a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

JeNay Silva 11:51

You know, this, like in the words of best dog, because it's really about getting out of your way, I literally felt like, when I was, I had other like small businesses that I had started, you know and I'll never forget this interview that I once saw. And I used to always be like, I know, I want to do something I know, I want to do something. And I remember Jay Z saying that, you know, he said he started some smaller businesses, and he just you know, and it was something he started and it was Sunday, he stopped. And then he said, but they're all key ways of rebuilding to, you know, your greater purpose. You know, sometimes, you know, people wonder why you multitask, or all those different things in it. So in that negative would be like, get out of your way, I think I was so worried about something that needed to be successful, and that really digesting it, that that's why I said self-discovery was a big part for me in that transition from, you know, went to undergrad, you know, all that good stuff. HBCU.

That, in that story, it was just about now is always I always tell myself, just get out the way just Let do it. You know, you have your your planning, I have my strategic I have my plan, you know, my roadmap, but then in some parts of it, it's like, Get out of my way, you know, don't stop what you're doing. Don't stop just because there's a day you may not feel like it, you know, just allow yourself to be okay, you know, and just move. And that's one of the things that I stress all the time, I'm like, I just had to get out of my way, I had to stop thinking that everything had to be so, so perfect. And so right, that you get so stuck on the planning part that there was no execution.

Gresham Harkless 13:29

Absolutely. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So JeNay, what does being CEO mean to you?

JeNay Silva 13:40

It's a word that I like to always use, like founder or CEO is sometimes hard for me to digest. Because I've always also digested investors into my life into my, into my vision. And so to me, it's really being able to build yourself, build a business, but not just to run it, but to understand it.

Gresham Harkless 14:02

I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do was the passion of mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know and then of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things and events and workshops, everything that you're doing.

JeNay Silva 14:16

Yes, so I have an Instagram of course Anna Facebook at HERCOLLECTIVE Sole H E R Collective Sole S O L E. We will, you know once we kind of get through everything that is going on right now in the world, which I do want to say too, I reach out and open everyone's being safe and give you my highest CEO hugs and that process to that's you know, in this time of need. But I really just wanted to say that I just want to encourage and also to just shed light that they can and that you can do whatever you choose to do. And that's why I love the way you said like possible, you know making everything possible. But we do have some events coming up in the DMV. We're doing some collaborations with some nonprofits as we speak. Some stores hopefully not to name just yet. But you can find that everything will be on the website, we have a blog as well that we do for women too.

If you have a footcare story or an event like in the wellness community, we look to build more we call it our collective combos, but we also that's where we also write our lifestyle and wellness that come out every week. And that aspect we just released an article yesterday which highlights different women who are designing sneakers and actually like really setting a tone and wanted to do that is Women's History Month, international month. So we really wanted to shed light on that this month in March. But outside of that, just they can go on there if they want to reach out I do have my personal Instagram I am JeNay Silva s i l v a and you can find me on Instagram. I get a lot of questions and one of the questions is do I sell sneakers? Yes, I do. Not online but if you reach out to me and there are some things you want to look at or talk about, we can definitely do that too.

Gresham Harkless 16:08

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much again JeNay and we will definitely have the links and information in the show notes and before I I forget you know shadow from one HBCU grad to another so definitely appreciate you and all the awesome things you're doing. I hope you have a great rest of the day.

Outro 16:22

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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