During this episode of the Boss School, I get the chance to talk with my friend and one of my biggest entrepreneurial crushes, Lifeway Foods CEO Julie Smolyansky. Julie took over Lifeway Foods after her father passed away when she was 27. After overhearing someone at her father’s funeral say the business was essentially done and that there was no way a 27 year-old woman could run it, Julie made a promise to herself to not only run the business, but also grow it. Lucky for us and millions of Lifeway Foods fans around the country, she did just that.
One of the classes I believe should be required coursework in business school is how to deal with haters, and given the way she started and the simple fact that she’s a woman CEO of a publicly-traded company, Julie has had to deal with a lot of hate during her 16 years at the helm of Lifeway.
Julie shared that though the haters have sadly not disappeared since she started running Lifeway, she has learned to use the hate she receives as energy to fuel her passions and go after her dreams. She added that using what others think of as negatives about yourself (being a woman, being young, etc.), can turn into your biggest assets if you know how to leverage those qualities.
I always say thank you to the haters. It inspires me. I can use it as energy that we can then use to fuel our passions and our dreams. Click To TweetWe closed out our conversation by talking about finding a community and support system in the business world. As a woman entrepreneur, Julie firmly believes that women should always be supporting women—noting that we need women in leadership roles in order to make a positive impact on the world, and the economy. When things get tough and the haters inevitably come out, Julie relies on that community she’s worked hard to set up around her, and she advises every businesswoman or entrepreneur to do the same.
I hope you enjoyed listening to this insightful conversation on dealing with haters from Julie Smolyansky and use her advice to not let the haters get you down in your own life.
If you don’t value yourself, no one else will either. Click To TweetTopics Covered:
- Using what others think are negatives as advantages.
- Sticking to your gut and what you know is true.
- Not letting criticism stop you from going for things you believe in.
- Using the haters to fuel your passion.
- How to be a woman who supports other women especially in the business world.
- Refusing to give haters your energy.
- Finding community and having support around you.
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Resources:
About Julie Smolyansky:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-smolyansky-05304612/
Instagram:
@juliesmolyansky
About Lifeway Foods:
https://lifewaykefir.com
