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One of the biggest challenges of launching a company is transitioning from the security and support of a corporate job into the unknown, and how your former corporate allies may question every move you make. For Alexandra Zatarain, cofounder of EIGHT SLEEP (the world's first sleep fitness company), she had both the trust in and of her cofounders, and the knowledge that they were onto something important that’s universal to everyone on the planet: the need to fall, and stay, asleep.Alexandra and her team have now raised millions of dollars, were selected to participate in prolific accelerator programs like StartX and YCombinator, and have been shipping product non stop since they completed their fundraising seed round! Alexandra joins Socialfly co-founder Stephanie Cartin for a conversation about building her business and career, and describes her journey to success, including about the challenges Latino and female founders go through; why Indiegogo was such an important tell for cash flow and testing interest; how Eight Sleep uses science and leverages knowledge through the mattress itself; and, why it’s important to just keep swimming.
Guests
Alexandra Zatarain
Hosts
Stephanie Cartin
Stephanie Cartin is a serial entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, community builder, and a champion for women founders. She created the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, to provide resources and support necessary at all business stages. She’s also the Co-founder of Socialfly, one of the first social media marketing agencies, as well as Entreprenista Media and Pearl Influential Capital which was recently acquired by Cherub. Stephanie has shared her journey managing her health challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Infertility, and a complicated pregnancy and is an advocate for women going through similar challenges. Her story and businesses have been featured on the Today Show, Bloomberg and Forbes. Consider Stephanie your biggest business cheerleader.
Courtney Spritzer
Courtney Spritzer is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and community builder with a passion for creating brands and platforms that empower women to lead, grow, and thrive.
In 2012, she co-founded Socialfly, a leading social-first digital and influencer marketing agency. Over the course of a decade, she helped scale the business into an award-winning agency working with Fortune 500 brands and emerging startups, building a powerhouse team and culture along the way. In 2024, Socialfly was acquired.
In 2018, Courtney launched the Entreprenista Podcast to spotlight the stories of inspiring women founders. That passion evolved into Entreprenista Media in 2021, a media platform and community supporting women entrepreneurs at every stage of growth. She now co-leads the continued expansion of The Entreprenista League, a membership-driven community and ecosystem for founders.
As an angel investor, Courtney supports female-led and mission-driven startups aligned with her vision for a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.
She is the co-author of Like, Love, Follow: The Entreprenista’s Guide to Using Social Media to Grow Your Business (2015), a strategic guide for leveraging social platforms to drive business success.
Her work and ventures have been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The New York Times. She is committed to championing visionary founders and helping build the next generation of impactful, community-driven businesses.
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