Lauren Kleban: Founder & CEO of LEKFIT

On today’s episode, we welcome Lauren Kleban, Founder and CEO of LEKFIT — the luxury fitness brand known for its signature rebounder-based workouts, devoted community, and intentional approach to movement and wellness.
Lauren started teaching her method out of her garage in 2014. Within a year, classes were selling out, celebrities like Busy Philipps were showing up, and LEKFIT was becoming more than a workout — it was becoming a movement built on consistency, trust, and results.
In this episode, Lauren shares how she grew LEKFIT into a global digital platform and flagship Los Angeles studio, what separates a lasting fitness method from a trend, and how she has scaled without losing the integrity, safety, and community that made the brand special.
So good! This is a must listen.

Erica Small: Co-Founder of Yes Way Rosé

On today’s episode, we welcome Erica Small, Co-Founder of Yes Way Rosé — a brand that proves some of the best consumer companies don’t start with a product. They start with a point of view.
What began as a social media movement between two lifelong friends became one of the leading rosé brands in the U.S., with more than 13 million bottles sold and nationwide distribution. Not bad for two founders who didn’t come from the wine industry and decided to challenge a category that often takes itself far too seriously.
In this episode, Erica shares how she and her co-founder built a community before they ever sold a bottle of wine, why being outsiders became their biggest advantage, and what it took to break through in a crowded category filled with legacy brands and celebrity labels. We also discuss the evolution of Yes Way Rosé from their “party era” to their “mom era,” the launch of their new non-alcoholic rosé, and why consumer behavior around drinking is changing faster than many people realize. This is a conversation about brand-building, storytelling, community, and knowing when to evolve without losing what made people fall in love with your brand in the first place.
This is a must listen. You can find the interview here or anywhere you listen to podcasts 🎧.

Laura Geller: Founder of Laura Geller Beauty

On today’s episode, we welcome Laura Geller, Founder of Laura Geller Beauty — a brand built around a customer the beauty industry spent years overlooking.
Long before inclusivity became a marketing buzzword, Laura was focused on a simple idea: makeup should work for real women living real lives. What started with her career as a makeup artist backstage on Broadway and working with celebrities evolved into a beauty brand that has helped redefine how women over 40 think about makeup, confidence, and aging.
In this episode, Laura shares how she built a category-defining beauty brand by listening to consumers instead of chasing trends, why the beauty industry ignored mature women for so long, and what it takes to stay relevant through decades of change. We also discuss the evolution of beauty marketing, the power of serving an underserved customer, and why some of the biggest opportunities in business come from seeing value where everyone else is looking past it. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, brand-building, and the importance of knowing exactly who you’re serving.
This is a must listen. You can find the interview here or anywhere you listen to podcasts 🎧.

Charles Coristine: CEO of LesserEvil

On today’s episode, we welcome Charles Coristine, CEO of LesserEvil — one of the fastest-growing better-for-you snack brands in the country.
Charles’ entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin in the food industry. In fact, he left a successful career on Wall Street and took a chance on a struggling popcorn company that was worth less than $1 million at the time. With no food industry experience but a strong belief that consumers deserved snacks made with better ingredients, he set out to transform LesserEvil into something much bigger.
In this episode, Charles shares the lessons he learned from betting on himself, building a challenger brand in a crowded category, and scaling LesserEvil from a small popcorn company into a national snack brand. We also discuss product innovation, the creation of fan favorites like Moonions and Cheezmos, what it takes to stay true to your mission as you grow, and how he approached the company’s acquisition by Hershey.
Charles’ story is a powerful reminder that some of the biggest opportunities come from seeing potential where others see problems.
Listen and learn!

Dr. Mireille Vega: Founder & CEO of VGAM

On today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Mireille Vega, also known as Dr. Mimi V, Founder and CEO of VGAM — a PhD biochemist, former biotech executive, and the pioneer behind Skin Science 3.0.
Mireille’s story starts in a Montreal drugstore, where she was a teenager standing in the skincare aisle trying to decode ingredient labels that made no sense. Years later, after building a career in immunology and biotech, personal health crises in her own family changed the way she looked at ingredients, trust, and what we put on our bodies every day. That journey led her to create VGAM, a skincare company focused on the skin microbiome and the idea that skin is not just a surface — it is a living system shaped by hormones, stress, inflammation, aging, environment, and real life.
In this episode, Dr. Mimi V shares why she believes skincare needs less marketing noise and more real science. We talk about Skin Science 3.0, what most brands miss about hormones, midlife, menopause, and sensitive skin, and why the microbiome matters. She also breaks down what consumers should question when they hear words like “clean,” how to spot skincare claims that don’t hold up, and what it means to build trust as a scientist-founder in one of the noisiest categories in beauty.
This is a must listen.

Sasha Plavsic: Founder of ILIA Beauty

Building clean beauty before clean beauty was even a category — that’s the magic ✨

On The Kara Goldin Show, I sit down with Sasha Plavsic, Founder of ILIA Beauty — a brand that helped redefine what modern makeup could be.
We talk about how Sasha turned her own skin struggles into a category-shaping brand, why she set out to bridge the gap between natural and prestige beauty, and what it took to launch ILIA with just six lip tints in Vancouver. We also get into product discipline, the overuse of the term “clean beauty,” scaling without compromising standards, and staying creative after acquisition.
If you’re interested in learning what it takes to build before the market is ready, trust your instincts before the world catches up, or create a beauty brand that actually lasts — check out the interview on my podcast. You can find it here or anywhere you listen to podcasts 🎧

Dr. Heather Rogers: Founder of Doctor Rogers Skincare

On today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Heather Rogers, double board-certified dermatologist, Founder of Doctor Rogers Skincare, and Co-Founder of Modern Dermatology — a trusted voice of reason in a skincare world overloaded with trends, hype, and too many products.
After years of seeing hundreds of patients each week, Dr. Rogers noticed a pattern: people were overdoing it. Damaged skin barriers. Irritation. Reactive skin. Confusing routines. Products promising results but often creating more problems. That frustration led her to build Doctor Rogers Skincare, a streamlined, fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested line focused on fewer products, scientifically grounded ingredients, and formulas designed to support healing, calm inflammation, and strengthen the skin barrier.
In this episode, Dr. Rogers breaks down what actually matters in skincare — and what does not. We talk about barrier-first skincare, why sensitive skin is so often misunderstood, the biggest myths and overhyped trends in the industry, and how consumers should think about terms like “clean,” “clinical,” and “medical-grade.” She also shares what it’s like to build a consumer brand as a practicing dermatologist, what she refused to compromise on, and why simplifying your routine may be one of the best things you can do for your skin.
This is a must listen.

Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson: Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Seraphina Therapeutics (Fatty15)

On today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Seraphina Therapeutics, the company behind Fatty15. Stephanie is a veterinary epidemiologist, author of The Longevity Nutrient, and one of the world’s leading experts on C15:0 — the first essential fatty acid discovered in over 90 years.
Stephanie’s story starts in an unexpected place: studying aging Navy dolphins. While working to improve their long-term health, she and her team discovered C15:0, a fatty acid that may play a critical role in strengthening cells and supporting healthy aging. That discovery led to years of research, more than 100 peer-reviewed studies, dozens of patents, and ultimately Fatty15 — a science-backed supplement designed to support cellular health, longevity, and overall wellness.
In this episode, Stephanie shares how a breakthrough in dolphin health became a human health innovation, why she believes we have misunderstood certain saturated fats for decades, and what consumers should know about C15:0, cellular fragility, and healthy aging. We also talk about building trust in the crowded wellness space, turning serious science into a consumer brand, and why some of the biggest discoveries come from questioning what everyone assumes is true.
This episode is a must listen!

Evita Kunke: Co-Founder of Honeydew Sleep

What if waking up in pain wasn’t something you had to accept?
On today’s episode, we welcome Evita Kunke, Co-Founder of Honeydew Sleep — a company rethinking how we sleep, starting with the pillow. After struggling with a debilitating back condition and being told surgery might be her only option, Evita discovered that the right sleep setup could completely change her health — and her life.
What started as a personal solution turned into a business. With deep roots in the sleep industry and access to dozens of existing products, Evita and her husband realized the market wasn’t solving the problem — so they built their own. Today, Honeydew Sleep is known for its handcrafted, science-backed pillows designed for proper alignment, cooling, and real comfort.
In this episode, Evita shares her journey from personal struggle to founder, what’s broken in the sleep industry, and how small changes in your sleep setup can have a massive impact on your overall health and quality of life.
If you’re interested in building a mission-driven brand, solving a real problem, or simply sleeping better — this one’s for you. Tune in now on The Kara Goldin Show.

Krystal Gillis: Founder & CEO of Tighties

Turning activewear into technology that actually supports how you move — that’s the magic 🏃‍♀️✨
On The Kara Goldin Show, I sit down with Krystal Gillis, Founder and CEO of Tighties, a movement technology company redefining performance apparel through alignment, muscle activation, pain management, and movement support.
Krystal’s journey started long before Tighties. She founded and sold her first company at just 24, went on to work in the medical device world with companies including Abbott and Stryker, and later consulted on the launch of multiple companies, products, and a foundation. But it was while leading a product launch for an orthopedic company that she saw a gap she couldn’t ignore: active people needed something between traditional activewear and medical-grade support.
That insight became Tighties — wearable movement technology designed to help active people stay active. Created with clinical experts and manufactured in San Diego, Tighties is built to support better movement, improve alignment, activate muscles, and help people train, recover, and move with more confidence.
We talk about what Krystal saw in orthopedics that sparked the idea, how she brought biomechanical and clinical experts into product development, and why she doesn’t think of Tighties as just apparel. We also get into the realities of building a first-to-market category, responding to skepticism during R&D, and what it takes to communicate science-backed performance benefits in a way consumers can actually understand.
Krystal also shares what it’s like raising capital as a female founder, the lessons she’s carried from building and selling her first company, and where she believes the future of performance technology is headed.
If you are interested in what it takes to build a brand at the intersection of apparel, health, technology, and human movement — check out this interview on my podcast now. 🎧