Turning a childhood dream and resulting side hustle into a full-fledged career as a sought-after wedding dress designer with a large following and celebrities wearing her creations, and even a TV show, and how early adoption of Instagram gave her momentum…Hayley Paige, Head Designer for Hayley Paige at JLM Couture, Blush by Hayley Paige, and Jim Hjelm by Hayley Paige bridalcollections and for Hayley Paige Occasions bridesmaids collection,joins Socialfly founders Stephanie Cartin and Courtney Spritzer in the MouthMedia Network studios for a conversation about her journey to success, along with a surprise and a brainstorm.
In this episode:
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
- How Hayley made a shift from focusing on gymnastics to using skills she learned at home and at school to bridge her work and her lifelong passion
- The ways studying at Cornell’s Fiber Science department helped Hayley develop her skills and influenced her approach to design
- How a friendship in college led to an early entrepreneurial venture, and how that experience shaped Hayley’s own ventures
- How Hayley became an early adopter on Instagram and developed a strong following
- The moment Hayley realized she could turn her side hustle into a full-fledged career
- Hayley’s determination to work with JLM Couture and how she made it happen
- The moment Hayley knew she had her own collection
- How Hayley’s line have evolved over time and what’s in store for the future of the brand
- The TV show “Weddings to Watch”
- Plus, a One Minute Brainstorm for Hayley Paige’s next big product line