Episode 4 / Stephanie Nadi Olson
Does Entrepreneurship Make You Anxious? You’re Not Alone. Stephanie Nadi Olson Teaches Us to Embrace Success-Driven Pressure
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
The significance of supportive partnerships and the ways in which they foster personal and professional growth.
The societal tendency to undervalue significant accomplishments like selling a business and the impact on entrepreneurs.
Insights into the struggles of leadership, including loneliness and the importance of mental health awareness.
Stephanie's journey of creating We Are Rosie as a result of negative leadership experiences
The importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and how personal upbringing can influence corporate ethos.
In this empowering episode, Lindsey sits down with Stephanie Nadi Olson, the visionary founder of We Are Rosie. Together, they delve into the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship, the personal cost of business success, and the critical role of support systems in professional and personal life. From the impact of inept leaders to the cultural nuances that underpin the corporate world, this dialogue is an insightful glimpse into the lives of two dynamic women thriving against the odds. As they candidly share their experiences and reflections, listeners are offered an intimate look at the interplay between personal identity and leadership roles.
About Stephanie Nadi Olson
Stephanie Nadi Olson is a Marketing & Advertising Executive, who founded We Are Rosie in 2018. As an innovator and disrupter, she is dedicated to changing the world's perspective of the future of work and what it means to be inclusive in the workplace. We Are Rosie was founded on the premise of inclusivity and workplace flexibility which has rapidly become a trailblazing model in the advertising industry. Recognized as the Atlanta Business Chronicle's most admired CEOs and Ad Age Visionary of the Year, Stephanie has carved out a reputation as a forward-thinking leader. With unparalleled insight drawn from her diverse background and professional acumen, she has demonstrably shown that good leadership and a supportive culture can create meteoric success.
“I also learned that diversity should just be table stakes. I feel so fortunate to have grown up in such a diverse family. Like, my mom's German midwestern family is so different from my dad's Palestinian family. But I got the best of both worlds. And so that upbringing also really made me realize the importance of inclusion and diversity and what a disservice it is to any team or organization to have a bunch of people that have the exact same perspective and the exact same upbringing and experience.”
Stephanie Nadi Olson
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Lindsey Epperly [00:00:12]:
Welcome to Who Made You The Boss? A podcast for recovering workaholics. I'm your host, Lindsey Epperly, and I invite you to embark on a transformative journey. Our mission on who made you the boss? Is clear. We're here to tackle the unique, unique challenges that today's professionals face. We're bringing you insightful conversations with a diverse range of entrepreneurs, executives, and creatives, all who have forged their own paths. And I'm sharing some of the stories of my decades long career as a leader of my company, Jetset World travel. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out on your journey, join us each week as we unravel the mysteries of leadership, self discovery, and the pursuit of fulfilled, it is time to redefine what it means to be the boss of your own life. Let's dive in, and together we'll discover who made you the boss.
Lindsey Epperly [00:01:07]:
Welcome to who made you the boss?
Lindsey Epperly [00:01:09]:
A podcast for recovering workaholics in today's episode, we have the honor of speaking with one of the most intriguing leaders that I know personally, Stephanie Natty Olsen, the founder of we are Rosie. She built this incredible company actually anticipating the importance of workplace flexibility, and that leadership has earned her accolades, everything from a spot on the Atlanta business Chronicle's most admired ceos list to the ad age visionary of the year.
Lindsey Epperly [00:01:37]:
And as she shares in today's episode.
Lindsey Epperly [00:01:38]:
She built this company not only at the intersection of her professional skills, but she formed the mission based off of her personal experience. Everything from bad leadership, which she talks more about, to her really, really powerful, multifaceted upbringing. And she has just such a tremendous story, and I cannot wait for you to hear it. So join us as we unravel the story behind Stephanie and Addie Olston's remarkable journey, her pioneering strategies, and the valuable insights she's gained along the way on today's episode of who made you the bond?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:02:15]:
Awesome.
Lindsey Epperly [00:02:16]:
Stephanie, we are excited to have you today. Thanks for being here.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:02:19]:
So happy to be here, Lindsay, thank you for having me on.
Lindsey Epperly [00:02:21]:
Yes, we have been so fortunate to be able to get to know each other both. I feel like, professionally and personally at this point, and I'm just so honored to actually get to interview you and hear more about your story in this setting. So I appreciate your time.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:02:33]:
Yeah, it's going to be fun.
Lindsey Epperly [00:02:34]:
It is. So I have shared a little bit more with the listeners already kind of about your why and your how and everything behind. We are Rosie, but I really want to start with your when, because on this podcast, we focus a lot of times on that moment where we have to take the reins personally and or professionally, and I feel like knowing you and your story, you might have two separate wins.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:02:56]:
Right?
Lindsey Epperly [00:02:57]:
But what that looked like, let's start professionally, when it was that you decided, I want to become my own boss. I want to build my own company.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:03:05]:
Yeah. So it was a little over six years now, and I had followed, like, a very traditional career path. So I worked in marketing and marketing technology specifically. So within the technology arm of Microsoft, right, that helps get ads on the Internet and then other companies that were startups in the space that sold. And I just kept kind of plugging away, like, as you do, like, what's the next job? What's the next title? And had done that for my entire career, and I had had the most amazing leaders around me for my entire career. I've had the best bosses, like, people that genuinely cared about me, and then all of a sudden, I didn't. So I had the boss from hell, and he was so terrible to me that I quit my job, which I have never been unemployed ever, right? Like, I started working when I was 14 and have worked every season of my life since then, right? Paying my way through college with a bunch of jobs. And so it was really scary for me to quit my job and not have a plan.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:04:11]:
I had two babies at home. I was a breadwinner for my family, and I was just shattered from, frankly, the abuse that I had dealt with at work for the last 18 months. And I didn't know what I was going to do next, but I knew that I was too scared to go get another job. This is where my mental state was. I was like, what if it happens again? What if I get caught up with some other awful lunatic boss or whatever? And so that was the moment where I just decided, like, no, it's not the best time. On paper, this looks really stupid. Like, I've got two little kids and a lot of responsibilities, and I've been on this career trajectory. It'd be so easy for me to go get another job, making plenty of money, but I thought, I can't do it.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:05:00]:
I couldn't physically stomach it or emotionally stomach it. And so that was the moment where I said, let me go build something on my own.
Lindsey Epperly [00:05:09]:
Wow. I had no idea. I did not realize that. So it was very much the school of hard knocks, for sure, but I'm so thankful.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:05:18]:
There's this quote, lindsay, that's like, I had to make you uncomfortable, otherwise you wouldn't have moved. I never would have moved off that corporate, hierarchical hamster wheel if I didn't have this nightmare boss. I'm so thankful that that shook me out of it.
Lindsey Epperly [00:05:34]:
What did that do for you as a leader, as well?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:05:37]:
Oh, man. I mean, it was interesting because I actually was working for that guy while I was managing a team for the first time in my career. So I'd always been an individual contributor. And part of his gaslighting strategy was to tell me that I was a terrible manager and my team hated me. I mean, it was like, straight gaslighting. It was very hard to know what was real with this guy. And so it was difficult, right? Like, I came out of there and I was like, am I insane? Is he insane? So, it was hard, but I definitely learned what I didn't want to do from him, and I learned just how impactful leadership can be on people. Like, it impacted my physical health, my mental health, my relationship with my kids and my husband and all these things.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:06:21]:
And so it really helped me understand the value and the importance and the responsibility of being a leader, and I definitely carried that with me when I started we are Rosie, and got to support all of these amazing careers for my team and took that responsibility really seriously.
Lindsey Epperly [00:06:38]:
That's incredible. Well, and I think what's incredible, too, knowing you and your story behind we are Rosie. I mean, it's not just amazing that you built this company that you started from the ground up, sole owner. Built it in four years.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:06:52]:
Right?
Lindsey Epperly [00:06:52]:
You sold it in four years.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:06:54]:
Yeah, just under four years.
Lindsey Epperly [00:06:56]:
Amazing. You put so much heart into it. And so I think we just got a really significant piece of the story, understanding where that heart came from when it came to leadership and learning from the wrong people what not to do. But I feel like you've shared so much about your story and your upbringing, and your father was a refugee, and so you created this community of inclusivity. And can you tell us more about that aspect of the heart behind we are Rosie and what you created there?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:07:22]:
For sure, because, I mean, we are Rosie is the intersection of all of my professional experience in the marketing industry and also all of this personal experience. You know, I grew up in a mixed race household, different religions, different languages spoken. My parents were born on different continents. They have very different education levels. Right. My dad has, like, a third grade education, and my mom has a high school education. And so I just got this incredible advantage of growing up in a home where people came from such different walks of life. And I learned a few things from it.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:08:00]:
One, I learned that people are treated so drastically different based on the color of their skin, their accent, where they come from, what people are going to assume about them when they read their name, even because a lot of people in my family have very muslim names. And I also learned that diversity should just be table stakes. I feel so fortunate to have grown up in such a diverse family. Like, my mom's german midwestern family is so different from my dad's palestinian family. But I got the best of both worlds. And so that upbringing also really made me realize the importance of inclusion and diversity and what a disservice it is to any team or organization to have a bunch of people that have the exact same perspective and the exact same upbringing and experience. And so all of that really brought me to we are Rosie, like, how do I build a better way to work for people that might not fit this traditional nine to five year round, Monday through Friday mold? What about all of the people in corporate that are being made to feel other because of this mandate that we work in this very specific way? It's quite exclusionary.
Lindsey Epperly [00:09:16]:
Wow, that is really powerful. Gosh, you actually mentioned a few minutes ago, too, that you have been working since you were 14. Was that out of necessity?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:09:29]:
It was for me. I mean, we always had the basics, right? Like, my family, I don't come from a wealthy background at all. It was often month to month for us, but my parents made sure that we were taken care of. But I just always wanted more.
Lindsey Epperly [00:09:42]:
Right?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:09:42]:
I always wanted nice things. I'm a Taurus through and through, so I would do whatever I needed to do to be able to buy the clothes I wanted and do the extracurricular activities I wanted and things like that. And I grew up in a school with really rich kids, and I was not a rich kid at all. And I remember my first job when I was 14 that I actually ended up keeping until I was, like, 22. Was one of my best friends who lived in this gorgeous neighborhood with this really cool house. And her next door neighbors were like, do you want to babysit? And she was like, oh, why would I do that? I don't want to do that. And I was like, I'll do it. I want some money.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:10:25]:
Give me that job. So I ended up nannying for that family through college. It was one of the jobs I had, and so I've always worked. I like the sense of control and independence that it gives me when I don't have to ask other people for money.
Lindsey Epperly [00:10:38]:
Yeah, totally understand that. Talk to me more about the sense of control. Is that something that you have a healthy relationship with, or have you had to have a bit of a journey around that? Like speaking from my own experience, asking for a friend?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:10:50]:
Yeah, asking for a friend. I mean, it's definitely a journey, right. For me, I think it's a sense of self preservation. Like, having gone through hard times growing up, particularly around finances, I think it's made me feel like I need to overcompensate in that area to make sure that I don't have those feelings I had again, or that my children don't feel that way or whatever. And so I think I've been kind of hung up on how do I make sure that I have plenty and that I'm going to be okay? And financial security is so important to me. And to be candid, Lindsay, I think part of it is epigenetics. My grandfather was a wealthy farmer in Palestine, and one day his farm was taken away from him and he was put in a refugee camp and really never recovered from that. Right.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:11:43]:
Like, all of his young children, his wife died in that camp. My grandmother, he was put in jail for trying to go back to get some of the gold that he had buried on his land. I mean, everything was gone, right? And so I was raised by his child. This wasn't like 20 generations ago. And so I think just part of how I was raised was like, we all want that sense of security. We all want to feel like everything's not going to be gone tomorrow. But there's always a part of me, like, even having found the greatest success I could ever imagine through building this business, there is still 10% of me that's like, we could be destitute tomorrow.
Lindsey Epperly [00:12:26]:
I've been kind of hyper focused on this idea lately. Can ambition exist without anxiety?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:12:33]:
No.
Lindsey Epperly [00:12:34]:
You don't think so?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:12:36]:
I don't know. I've been very fortunate to get to know some incredibly successful people. Everything that we would imagine, on paper is success in this country, and particularly, really successful women. And not one of them does not have an absolutely heart wrenching story behind them. Something that happened in their childhood, something they experienced as they were maturing and growing up as a young person. Every single one of them. Something that would bring you to your knees.
Lindsey Epperly [00:13:07]:
Yeah, absolutely. But on the other side of that success, have they found some sort of peace?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:13:16]:
Only if you're willing to do the work. I realized that it's interesting you did?
Lindsey Epperly [00:13:22]:
And I was actually going to bring that up. Something that you shared with me recently because you sold we are Rosie. But you stayed on for a year as the CEO, right? And you shared recently what stepping away from that role has done for you and your mental health. Do you mind kind of elaborating a bit more?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:13:38]:
Yeah. So I sold a majority of the company, and so I still am the largest shareholder. Right. And so I'm like our individual private shareholder. I'll say. But it has been a. Rosie is my third child. She was at the dinner table with us every night for five years.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:13:59]:
She was always in the room. She was there when I was putting my kids to bed. She was there when I was trying out a conversation with a neighbor. She permeated every aspect of me. And when I stepped away as CEO, it was really tough, right. Because so much of my identity was wrapped up in that business. But I have found this returning to myself piece of it. Like, who am I? Without we are Rosie as the know.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:14:28]:
Don't look at me. Look at we are Rosie. Like, who am I, Stephanie? And as a person. And that's something I'm grappling with, frankly. I've been able to hide behind work and success my entire life. And now, in many ways, it's me, right? It's not me, the CEO. It's not me, the whatever. It's just me.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:14:50]:
Somebody who's trying to figure out how to not mess my kids up and make up for some lost time and do everything I can to continue growing this business that I built but not allowing it to consume me.
Lindsey Epperly [00:15:02]:
Yeah. So what has that been looking like for you lately?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:15:06]:
My days are so different than they were a year ago, I think because we're coming up on, like a year since I hired my replacement as CEO. As a dear friend of mine, I have, like, a peace around me. I mean, people stop me in the street, and they're like, you look different. You feel different. Your energy is different. And all I can say is like, yeah, I know what you mean, because I feel it, too. I don't feel this manic rush. I don't wake up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding like I'm being chased by a bear.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:15:36]:
I've relearned how to sleep. Like, last night, I slept for 8 hours straight. I mean, lindsay, that's a big deal for you. Slept for more than, like, an hour and a half for five years straight. There's no way.
Lindsey Epperly [00:15:47]:
I just can't even imagine. Because you were giving everything to this.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:15:53]:
It was. There was no throttle. It was everything.
Lindsey Epperly [00:15:56]:
It's so interesting to hear you having to relearn who you are on the other side of success, because I felt that lesson when I was at a particularly low point of failure. Right. And a mentor said to me, it's when you strip away everything that you are known for. That's who you are. But how interesting that you have stripped away everything you've known for, not in the failing way, and what everyone else would perceive as, wow, you've made it, and now you are really discovering who you are. And you recently had. It's so funny. We met up with one of my friends and Mentors, shannon, and she actually repeated this phrase.
Lindsey Epperly [00:16:33]:
I saw her a couple of weeks ago, and she said, I love what Steph taught me. Which was, is it my plate is as full as I want it to be?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:16:40]:
As full as I'd like it to. Yeah.
Lindsey Epperly [00:16:42]:
Okay. Tell us more about the reason behind that phrase that, I mean, I think.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:16:49]:
For the longest, very. I was a very public CEO. I built the Business in public. I, like, tracked everything I was doing on twitter. I'd write articles and posts and all these things you could read about how I built the Business if you google me. And so what that led to was a lot of people that wanted my time, a lot of people that were starting to build a Business and would just say, steph, can you just give me 30 minutes to pitch you this idea or tell me what to do next or whatever? And it's endless. It just goes. Sometimes it was like five or six different people a day on different platforms, and my Instagram DMs and my Twitter Dms and my LinkedIn DMs and my email, and people got my phone number and were texting me.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:17:31]:
And I remember my good girl programming kicking in and being like, I can't let these people down. I can't be the successful woman that didn't want to give back or didn't want to reach behind her and carry other people or bring other people along. But the truth was, I was like a shell of myself for a really long time, and I did not have anything left to give. And so I found myself giving these long, extravagant explanations. I was like, well, so and so, I can't meet with you because I have to have a doctor's appointment, and my kid's been sick, and we're doing q one planning, and I'm going to this event for three days, whatever. And then I was like, what is all this? What is all this? And I think part of it is, like, I just needed to set better boundaries. But part of it also is like, people don't like being told no, and people really don't like being told no by a woman. And so that was part of the pressure I felt as I was building the business was like, I can't have anybody saying, steph is a know.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:18:34]:
And so it was all that pressure all the time, and I couldn't quite see the forest through the trees because I was so deep in it. But now that I have a little bit of distance, I've just started saying, hey, instead of saying, like, I'm drowning, I can't possibly take a 30 minutes meeting with you, I say, my plate is as full as I like it. That's it. I'm not drowning, and I'm not going to be drowning because I'm not taking this meeting with you because I have.
Lindsey Epperly [00:18:58]:
A boundary that's incredible, that speaks not just to the people pleasers, which I completely relate to, but also just the hustle culture that we live in that kind of glorifies busyness that would make you feel like you needed to sound busy and prove your busyness. You have to over explain to prove.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:19:18]:
What you are doing that I'm worthy of a break.
Lindsey Epperly [00:19:21]:
You're worthy of a break. I think that's got to be so interesting as you kind of discover yourself. I mean, you've got to be reaching a level of giving yourself permission and accepting self worth at this point, that feels like it should come naturally, but it sounds like it still has been an effort.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:19:37]:
Oh, for sure. It's definitely an effort. And it's something I've struggled with. Right? Like, I've always been a people pleaser, and that goes back to my childhood, right. And I used somebody else's address to go to school, right. And so I was in this rich school knowing that I didn't live in a rich neighborhood because that was a better education and I had to perform. Right. I knew eventually my friend's parents would realize that I don't live in the right neighborhood and that my fate in many ways was in their hands.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:20:09]:
They don't like me if they perceive that I'm problematic or I'm not a good friend or I'm doing the wrong thing, all they have to do is pick up the phone and call the county, and everybody's in trouble. Wow. And I'm losing all my friends and all my relationships and my sports and all that stuff. And so that was the beginning of people pleasing stuff, was like, I got to dance for everybody. I got to keep everybody happy. I got to give nobody a reason to start anything I just need to be a chameleon and make sure everybody likes me. And so unlearning, that has been a beast for me, for sure.
Lindsey Epperly [00:20:44]:
Totally. Do you feel like that goes hand in hand in some ways with impostor syndrome? And have you kind of had to deal with that as well?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:20:51]:
Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, I think about impostor syndrome a good bit just because it's such a topic, but I actually think because I was the very middle class kid living in or going to school in a very wealthy neighborhood, I had this front row seat to wealth and success my whole life and started studying it at a young age. I was always very interested in the haves and the have nots. Like, why do these people have a million dollar lake house and a beach house? And we're trying to figure out how to pay our mortgage this month. So that kind of peeled it back for me earlier in my life, because I realized none of these people work harder than my parents. None of these people are as smart as my parents. They just have different access and opportunity. Right.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:21:37]:
Which goes back to what I'm trying to do at we are. Rosie, there's so many people that just don't have access and opportunity to build wealth. And so I think that helped shape this whole idea of imposter syndrome for me, which is like, I just got to create the opportunity for myself. It's not going to be handed to me, but I'm just as capable. I've seen that mile. Their kids aren't smarter than me. I was, like, kicking their ass on the SAT, and they had tutors and all this other stuff, and I was, like, just rolling in there, trying to get by. And so I was like, I can do it.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:22:08]:
And so I think living in that weird world where I was there, but I didn't quite belong, helped me realize that, as they say, what is it like? Knowledge and skills are evenly distributed, but opportunity is not?
Lindsey Epperly [00:22:27]:
Absolutely. That's got to be such a leg up when it comes to self confidence, which I realize, as we're having this conversation is such a separate topic than self worth. Like, we're having to learn what the self worth is and the ability to take rest and find peace. But you kind of came programmed with self confidence, by the way that you studied everyone and you got that front row seat. Was that also instilled in your household growing up, or are you kind of the first person that's thought in this way? Tell me more about that.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:22:53]:
My dad came to this country not speaking the language and not knowing anybody, to me, that's like the ultimate entrepreneurial journey. We don't consider it that way. But man, yes, he had to work for other people his entire life, but he's an entrepreneur. That's a really brave. I wouldn't do that. I'm not going to another country where I don't speak a language and don't know, know, like, he's always had this kind of hustle, as many immigrants do. He will figure anything out. Like, this man knows how to talk to people.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:23:26]:
He knows how to get stuff done, he knows how to negotiate. And he's like calling at and t and Comcast every month, getting our bill down. I witnessed all this and saw this kind of mover and shaker. Like, where there's a will, there's a way. So that was the model that I had. And then my mom, she's one of 13 kids, didn't have the opportunity to go to college, but became a leader and manager at a large software or hardware company. And so she could figure it out, too. And on paper, she wasn't qualified for these jobs because she didn't have a college degree.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:24:04]:
But she did it, and she did it at a time where women were treated worse than they are now. And she had three young kids and she was the breadwinner for our household. And so I've seen some really cool people in my family, and I think my brother and sister and I have known everything that my parents have sacrificed for us to create opportunity for us and for us to go to college. And so we've always been kind of like self starters. Like, I'll apply myself for college. I don't need to wait for my parents to tell me to do that. I'll sign myself up for the sat. And so it's just kind of always been that way.
Lindsey Epperly [00:24:38]:
That's awesome. That's an amazing way to be raised. I was talking the other day, actually, to Amy Porterfield and have an interview with her. And we were talking more about the idea that there aren't a lot of rooms where men who support their women, who are powerful, who are high achieving, right. That there aren't enough rooms where they can have a little bit of a glimpse into what it takes to support a woman of this nature. And I feel like I kind of want to use this podcast in this way. That's what I talked to her about a little bit was on the show. I want to use a little bit of our time to talk about.
Lindsey Epperly [00:25:12]:
We've mentioned issues like people pleasing and imposter syndrome. And some of these things sometimes feel either uniquely female or at least females are more willing to talk about them right now. But I'm curious for the men that are listening and for partners to females who feel this, what did that look like for you and for your husband, Eric? How did he support you during that time? What did you guys learn? What information can you pass on from that?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:25:38]:
Yeah, I mean, it's been a journey for both of us. So we've now been married for twelve years. So about half of our marriage, we are Rosie has existed. And for more than half of our children's lives, we are Rosie has existed. And I think back to when we got married, this wasn't on the roadmap. If someone was like, steph, you're going to found a business, it's going to take 100 hours a week. And I'd be like, that's crazy. That's not in the plans.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:26:02]:
So it's one of those things that just happens in a marriage, or for us at least, that we didn't quite plan for. But when I decided to build we are Rosie, I sat down with Eric because he is my partner and said, this is what I want to do. It feels really scary because I don't half ass anything, and he knows this about me. I'm either like 120% or like zero. I either care a ton or don't care at all. And so I said, this isn't a lifestyle business. I want to build something meaningful. I want to touch thousands of lives.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:26:31]:
And he's like, steph, I got you. And I was, no, no, let's be real. Because what does that mean tactically? Tactically, I'm not taking the girls to doctor's appointments, I'm not going to teacher meetings, I am not picking them up early from school. This is going to consume me. And I know how I work when I'm in the zone. And he was like, I got it. And I don't know. I mean, one thing, he was able to do it right? Like, he had a job with enough flexibility that he could do that for me.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:26:59]:
And two, he was willing to do it. And he's just a special guy. He's never once made me feel guilty. He just believed in me, and he believed in me more than I did in the times where I needed it. And one of the best examples of this was like, I was like, okay, I'm doing this. I'm going to start this business, and then what the hell do you do the next right? Like, I've never built a business. So I was like, someone was like, you need to know articles of incorporation with the state of Georgia. And I was like, oh, this sounds like a nightmare.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:27:32]:
I'm not a details person. So I spent a day trying to incorporate VR Rosie with the state of Georgia. And I got home that evening, and Eric was like, what'd you do today? And I was like, well, nothing, really, because I can't even do this basic task. And I was like, I should just go get a job. I just remember crying on his shoulder, and I was like, I should just.
Lindsey Epperly [00:27:54]:
Go get a job.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:27:55]:
This is hard. I don't know what I'm doing. And he was like, absolutely not. We discussed that you had six months, that we could handle it for six months without you taking a paycheck. Get back out there. Get back out on the field. And I needed that in that moment. I think I would have given up if he hadn't said that.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:28:12]:
To.
Lindsey Epperly [00:28:14]:
That is. That brings tears to my eyes, because it reminds me a lot of my relationship with Jeremy. And feeling like you, as a fiercely independent woman, have found the person who understands that and understands exactly what you need in those types of moments. But I'm curious because I relate so much of this to marriage, but it's just because we've also been partners as long as we've been married in business. What that was like for you in accepting that partnership early on and not even before the business, like, way back to when you guys first met, obviously, you fall in love with each other, but you, as a very fiercely independent person, who, to your point, goes all in or nothing. Was it hard to accept a partner for your life?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:28:57]:
Does that make sense? Yeah, no, I get what you're saying. It wasn't for, like, I remember dating before Eric and I got together, and we were actually, like, had dated in college, and then we broke up for many years, and then we got back together and kissed a lot of frogs in the interim. And so I remember men saying to me, I couldn't be in a serious relationship with you because you're too successful. You don't need me. And I was like, are you serious? Is this what it is like if I'm not a damsel in distress, you're not interested? And I think it takes a really confident, sound person to be married to someone like. Like, they have to have a confidence. And in my case, Eric has this calmness that's really good for me because I'm, like, bouncing all over the place, and he's, like, cool as a cucumber, always. But once we got together, he's my best friend.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:29:55]:
He's my everything. I want to be with him all the time. It wasn't hard for me. It wasn't hard for me because I trust him so much.
Lindsey Epperly [00:30:06]:
Yeah, that's incredible. I feel so many of those things resonate and that Jeremy and I want to be together all the time and are together all the time. But it took me a while to learn to trust. I think that, for me, I just had such a belief of, I've always done it myself. It is my way or no way. And so, whether it was in business or in life, I had a harder time. Accepting partnership is almost like accepting help. Like, it felt equivalent to me in some ways, which.
Lindsey Epperly [00:30:35]:
It's always hard to ask for help, right?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:30:37]:
I mean, that's a really good caveat, because I'll say Eric and I have not worked together. I don't think we could. I've said that people have asked me that over the years, does Eric work in the business? And I would always say, no, I want to stay married to. Yeah, he does not work in the business.
Lindsey Epperly [00:30:55]:
But on the flip side, I feel like Jeremy coming into the business, for me has been the best thing that's ever happened to me and to the business. One, it allowed me a safe place to trust that the business can be taken over, that it could run well, and it's actually quadrupled since he's come in.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:31:10]:
So thank God we did it.
Lindsey Epperly [00:31:12]:
But two, he's given me that kind of landing pad, essentially, like, exactly what you're saying that Eric did for you when you had that dream, to say, all right, go forth. Pursue your dreams. I will be here. This will be here. It's all going to be okay. And kind of like that quiet stoicism that I've never existed in. In my entire. Do you.
Lindsey Epperly [00:31:32]:
My brain has never worked in that element.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:31:34]:
Yeah, it's so mean. But also, Lindsay, that's such an important part of business. I didn't have that from my husband working in the business, but I had it in my coo, who was, like, our second employee. Right. She gave me that. And I think that you need that rock. You need that person that allows you to dream and chase down the crazy things and can hold it down when you're inevitably kind of bouncing all over the place.
Lindsey Epperly [00:32:00]:
Yeah, I completely see that. It's so interesting because so much of your story is shaped by your dad and how he raised you, and you kind of got that. Like, it sounds like you're even passing that on to your daughters in the whole dinner time conversation that Rosie was present at the table. Right. And my dad had a partnership that did not go according to plan. And so I saw him leave that partnership and be a solopreneur. And so I think so much of that was evidence of, like, no, you got to just do it yourself.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:32:28]:
Partnerships are bad news.
Lindsey Epperly [00:32:29]:
It's not safe. You can't be trusted. That's incredible for you to have that in Eric. I remember, I think it was Ina Garden, who's the chef, that actually had written in her book, it's best to have a stable home life so that you can have a work life where you can dream, where you can do, where you can try things and fail. So, you know, what you've got to come back home to is safe and stable. That that gives you the permission. So it sounds like that's very much what you had.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:32:56]:
Gosh, I love that. Yeah, for sure.
Lindsey Epperly [00:32:59]:
That's beautiful. Okay, so when we met up with some of our friends, now mutual friends of ours, that had also had a very similar trajectory as you that recently sold their business, I remember you guys talking about the question what's next? As being kind of unnerving, that that's what everyone asks you, and you're like, I'm sick of that question, so I'm.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:33:17]:
Not going to ask you that question.
Lindsey Epperly [00:33:19]:
I am curious why it's unnerving, though. Will you just share a little bit more? So this is just something for people to keep in mind when someone sold their business. Please don't ask us what's next.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:33:26]:
Yeah, I think there's a neuroticism that accompanies any founder CEO. It's not a normal life we've chosen. There is something a little off with us to choose this life and to dream, and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. And so that's particularly for solopreneurs and founders. There's an enormous amount of pressure that these people carry around that other people can't see. And it's the stuff that keeps us up at night and gives us ulcers and herniates. The disc in our neck, in my case, and all these things.
Lindsey Epperly [00:33:58]:
Oh, my God.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:33:59]:
And so when you have this event or this level of success where you bring on a partner, you sell part of your business or you raise funding or whatever, and everyone's just like, now what? It's like, can I just take a moment to celebrate the blood, sweat, and tears that went into whatever it is I've just accomplished. So it can feel a little bit diminishing, even though, you know, that's not how anybody intends it. But also, just like, I just need to breathe. I just need to breathe. And I think it's interesting, always so interesting to me to think about what are the things that we celebrate in our culture. We celebrate weddings. We celebrate babies. We celebrate.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:34:40]:
We don't celebrate, like, you don't throw a party for your friend when they sell their business. We should.
Lindsey Epperly [00:34:46]:
Yeah, you totally should.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:34:48]:
Right. Or when they get their phd or whatever it is. And that's something that I think comes into this conversation, because particularly for women, what are the things that we celebrate and what are the things that we want to encourage and we want to show as a society that we all get behind. Right. And it's guided by very traditional gender roles. And so sometimes it's just like, can I just celebrate this milestone and sit back and appreciate it before know into the next thing?
Lindsey Epperly [00:35:25]:
There has to also be a level of almost feeling like you've pulled this rubber band back for so long, and now finally, it's like it's snapped, and you can. Yeah, I remember Brian talking about it whenever they sold blet and talking about just like, as it was done, it was finally, like, this emotional, cathartic experience. And so, yeah, you shouldn't have to just jump right into something else to give someone an answer of what's next.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:35:52]:
Yeah, for sure.
Lindsey Epperly [00:35:55]:
Okay. You mentioned a herniated disc. That's what happened to you. Were there physical manifestations of this within you?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:36:02]:
Oh, my gosh. Yeah. The list is long. I've never had braces before. I was blessed with teeth that were 85% straight, but I was grinding my teeth so hard at night for five years that my teeth had shifted and moved, and I had to get braces this last year to straighten my teeth again. My entire head of hair is gray, like, I'm now getting. I'm 39 years old. I'm getting my hair dyed, like, every four weeks to cover up my grays, which is a decision I'm making.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:36:35]:
Right. And everyone should do what they want to do. But, man, it is undeniable, the shift in that. I had my first and second panic attacks while running. We are, Rosie. I have a herniated disc in my neck. I was actually referred for spine surgery while I was going through the process to bring on an investor at we are Rosie. My cholesterol was high.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:37:01]:
I was diagnosed with situational depression, which is what my doctor called. You've got too much pressure on you. You haven't taken a break. You haven't slept in five years, literally. If you get out of this situation, I do not think you will be depressed, but if you stay in this situation, you will be depressed. And so I'm going to medicate you because you're choosing to stay in this position. And so I was on depression medication that I'm no longer on. I mean, it's just so many things.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:37:29]:
And I've lost, like, 30 pounds since I stepped down as CEO. I was not okay.
Lindsey Epperly [00:37:37]:
Oh, my God. And it was situational depression. That was what I was trying to reference earlier when I mentioned stepping down as CEO. So that was pretty much cured, as your therapist said it would be.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:37:47]:
Right?
Lindsey Epperly [00:37:49]:
I read a statistic the other day. I think it was like 40% of entrepreneurs and business owners experience depression or anxiety, and I actually kind of thought that number was low. 40% sounds like just the ones who are willing to admit it, right? But, yeah, when you just brought up, there's something kind of different. And the way that our brains work and the way that we kind of think about the world and the pressure that we put on ourselves, at times just. It feels one, insurmountable, but two, so lonely. Like, everything you just described is happening to you in your body. Who do you talk to about.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:38:32]:
Can'T? You know, I have the best leadership team at. We are Rosie mostly all moms, right? And all parents. And I could share some things with them. But again, you're the face of the company. You're the, like, come on, guys, we can do, right? Like, because everybody's giving a herculean effort. It's not just, you know, there's a limit. There's a limit to what you can share. Even when you are a vulnerable know, you can't roll in and just be barely.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:39:04]:
I couldn't even turn my head from side to side. Right? I'd be, like, on a zoom, just totally stiff because I couldn't use my neck. And so there's some stuff that you just can't share. I'm really fortunate in that I didn't have investors for the longest time, but I've created my own advisory board, and there was somebody on that advisory board who had exited a really big marketing tech company, and he had bootstrapped it, and he was same life stage as me, and he's like my brother now. I didn't know him before I started the business. Someone was like, you guys should know each other. Absolutely. One of my best friends.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:39:44]:
Someone. I mean, I would call him, know he was the one who was like, I know I've been so, um. I don't know what I would have done without his support and Eric's support throughout all of it, because it's tough. It's lonely.
Lindsey Epperly [00:39:58]:
It's so lonely. I was writing about this the other night because I felt like I had a moment, even at our company's largest event, where it just felt so isolating and so lonely. And it's so interesting. You're the one up at the front of the room. You're the one speaking. But then when you walk through the crowd to find a place to sit at lunch, I noticed people weren't making eye contact with me. Yeah, because you're just in a different position. And so you're right.
Lindsey Epperly [00:40:24]:
There's a level of, oh, gosh, I can't actually share all of my reality because I'm leading this company. And I think there's a healthy balance between that. It's kind of like you don't necessarily want anyone to show up to work and share all of their reality.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:40:38]:
Right? Like, then we got any work done.
Lindsey Epperly [00:40:40]:
But at the same time, I think maybe where I landed with that and part of the reason I even started this podcast was I would love to normalize just talking about it a little bit more. Like, everything you just shared, we've now been talking for, like, 40 minutes, and you just kind of got to that point of, like, this actually physically has affected you in so many ways. And of course, we're not leading with that. Of course I'm not making the COVID of Entrepreneur magazine, but it's a reality that exists for, I think, not just entrepreneurs, but I think anyone that is a high achiever.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:41:14]:
Oh, I had ulcers from work before I started. We are, Rosie. Exactly. I'm just a nut.
Lindsey Epperly [00:41:21]:
No, but I don't think it's you. I think maybe that's what we've got to change is the wording around that it's all of us, but we just so often are not willing to share it, or we're not in rooms where we can share it. To your point, if we're at the front of that room, we can't share at all. So what's the solution here?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:41:43]:
Build your personal board of advisors? Everybody needs somebody. And I think, to your point, this is part of the reason that I still do podcasts, right. And that I still do keep up my LinkedIn presence because my journey is not over. I was out there talking about the amazing work at we are Rosie. All day, every day for five years. And I still spent a lot of time talking about that and talking about what it has meant for, like, how has my life evolved? Because I think it's a disservice for people to only hear part of the story. Right? For people to just be like, oh, Steph's had all this success and now know, drinking a margarita out of a coconut. Not, that's not what it is for me.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:42:29]:
And I just think it's important to talk about.
Lindsey Epperly [00:42:32]:
Yeah, I really appreciate your openness and your vulnerability. And honestly, that's one of my favorite things about you, is you are just so no nonsense. And it's wonderful. And I think that you are doing such a beautiful job now, too, of using your platform and using your power. This was the way you put it the other day, of raising awareness around the causes that are most important to you. You've completely opened my eyes and educated me to the plight of palestinian people. And I am super appreciative of knowing you and knowing your story and knowing how open you are. When you share what you share, it's on your heart because of who you are and where you've come from and that there's room for everyone's pain and kind of putting forth betterness into the world if we're open to one another's stories.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:43:17]:
Yeah, I mean, thank you for saying that. It's not always easy, but I think one of the things that I decided when I started we are, Rosie was I was just going to live a really authentic I. Everything else is hard enough. I can't pretend I'm somebody I'm not on top of it. Right. So I just am getting more and more comfortable with that. And it's not always easy. And it can feel scary sometimes, but life's too short.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:43:45]:
I don't want to wear a mask around people.
Lindsey Epperly [00:43:48]:
Yeah. I appreciate your authenticity on today's conversation, but also just in your friendship. It really means a lot. I want us to end on a note of, let's say, always. Every podcast guest I share a little bit more that every night at our dinner table, we ask one another, what made you smile today? Which Mila has now turned into, and her little three year old self? What was your happy? And so I'm curious, what made you smile today or past 24 hours? What is something you're grateful for at this moment?
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:44:18]:
So many things. I have three dogs. And when I think about today, one of my dogs is just really goofy, but has been not feeling well for the last three days. But she came in from the backyard with, like, a half deflated volleyball. I don't even know where she got it. I think maybe some kids kicked it into her yard or something. And she was so happy, Lindsay. She was like a puppy.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:44:41]:
She threw it up in the air, and I was like, oh, my God, please don't get that nasty thing on my furniture. But she was so joyous and just, like, running around and shaking her head with this volleyball. And I was like, oh, she's like, I just love seeing their joy. Like these three goofy dogs we have in our house. I was glad that I got to share that moment with her. I love that.
Lindsey Epperly [00:45:00]:
I love your passion for your dogs. And now your dog matchmaking. Maybe that's what's next.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:45:04]:
That's right, matchmaking. If anyone wants to make a dog, you know who to call. I do.
Lindsey Epperly [00:45:09]:
I sure do. Don't tempt me. We don't yet have one. Okay, so this has been an awesome conversation. I want to make sure that anyone listening can keep up with either you or at the very least, I think especially keep up with what we are, Rosie is doing now. I think that is such a fun way to follow along this heart that you've put into the world that is now kind of like beating outside of you and still continuing this amazing cause. So tell us more about where we can find all of that, where we can follow.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:45:38]:
Yeah, you can check out wearerosy at wearerosy Rosie.com. We're on all social channels. We're on TikTok now, Instagram and Twitter x, whatever it is. And I'm primarily on LinkedIn these days and you can find me there.
Lindsey Epperly [00:45:57]:
Awesome. Thank you so much, Steph. We so appreciate your time on who made you the boss today.
Stephanie Nadi Olson [00:46:02]:
Thank you, Lindsay.
Lindsey Epperly [00:46:09]:
And that lovely listeners brings us to the end of today's episode. We truly hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the world of leadership and professional development with who made you the boss? If you've gained some valuable insights today, we would love to hear from you. Please take a moment. Go to your favorite podcast platform, search for who made you the boss? And leave us a five star rating and review. That feedback helps us tremendously as we're creating content that resonates and empowers. Stay connected with us, too, by visiting lindsayepperly.com. And there you can subscribe to our newsletter and ensure you never miss an episode or an exciting update. You can connect with me personally as well on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Lindsey Epperly [00:46:46]:
And let's continue the conversation with ourselves and other like minded individuals who are redefining what it means to be the boss of our own lives. So thank you, listeners, for being a part of this journey. And until next time, remember, you have the power to shape your destiny. So keep leading, keep learning, and most importantly, keep being the boss of your own. Incredible story.