When Anouck Gotlib met her husband on a flight from Belgium, she had no idea she would be shifting her plans to start a business. But she believed in her husband’s idea so much, that that is exactly what she did. She left fashion for food and never looked back.
Today, we sit down with Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys, a company that provides European treats in the United States. Anouck shares the challenges she’s faced, why a mindfulness coach is important, unique ideas for raising capital, and so much more.
“He was bringing those waffles, cookies, and treats that he grew up with in Belgium, for himself to enjoy. And his American friends in the dorms were like, ‘Oh, my God, Greg, this is good. Where can we buy it?’ And, like, you couldn't buy it in the US at that time. They couldn't find it. And at that point, he was like, ‘maybe, maybe this is something I should look into and pursue.’” - Anouck Gotlib
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Hosts
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 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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Highlights
- Anouck discusses how the idea for Belgian Boys came to be 3:22
- Anouck talks about starting the branding and product development 6:47
- The challenges of starting a business in the food space 10:45
- How the pandemic affected Belgian Boys 18:58
- Why a mindfulness coach is important for business and personal life 21:57
- Anouck shares how Belgian Boys was financed in the beginning and how the first round of raising capital went 26:55
- Anouck talks about balancing Belgian Boys, fundraising, and being a mom 30:41
- How Anouck handles the challenges she faces now 33:22
- Anouck shares tips for raising capital and finding creative ways to gain capital 37:08
- Rapid fire questions 41:26
- Anouck shares what’s she is most grateful for 44:48
- What being an Entreprenista means to Anouck 46:24