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“So that is what I shifted my focus to, really partnering with the marketing team on, what are the channels that we want to invest in today for future growth? What are the channels that we want to really build loyalty and build loyalty with our customers, create excitement for them, so they display that repeat purchase behavior with us? And that's where I invested a lot of my time.”
In this episode of The Entreprenista Podcast, we sit down with Meenakshi Lala, CEO of Urban Stems, to go behind the scenes of one of the most complex and emotionally driven e-commerce businesses out there: flowers. Meenakshi shares her journey from two decades in fashion retail to leading a high-growth floral brand with one of the most demanding supply chains in the world. From forecasting blooms a year in advance to navigating Valentine’s Day weather chaos, she reveals how trend forecasting, brand obsession, and operational excellence come together to deliver happiness—one bouquet at a time.
What we talked about:
Business of Flowers [3:38]
Extreme Forecasting [9:52]
How Fashion Operates [15:58]
Partnering with the Marketing Team [22:31]
Trust Your Gut [30:30]
Follow Meenakshi:
Website
LinkedIn
Use code ENTREPRENISTA for a special offering from UrbanStems
Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and access to Office Hours with top founders who have been on our show! We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!
Curious about joining the Entreprenista League? Sign up here for a free info session.Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlayBe sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.
Guests
Meenakshi Lala
Hosts
Stephanie Cartin
Co-founder of Socialfly and Entreprenista.
Stephanie Cartin is the co-founder and CEO of Entreprenista, an all-in-one platform – which includes a private community & business membership called The Entreprenista League that's made up of over 2,000 women founders at all stages of business, a weekly newsletter received by 60,000 readers, two podcasts, in-person educational & networking events, and an award program – that women founders at all stages can turn to for everything they need to grow.
Stephanie is also the co-founder of Socialfly (acquired by Truform Media Group in 2024), Markid, and Pearl Influential Capital. She has won countless awards, including the SmartCEO Brava award, which recognizes the top women CEOs in New York, and a Stevie Award for Women-Run Workplace of the Year. She has also appeared in Bloomberg, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Refinery29, and more.
Courtney Spritzer
Co-founder of Entreprenista.
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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