SEPTEMBER 2019 99 SHAPE.COM
Abbate: Jermaine Alexander Clark. Rodriguez: Of Mercer
THE MEDIA
MOGULS
STEPHANIE KAPLAN
LEWIS, ANNIE WANG,
AND WINDSOR
HANGER WESTERN
Founders of Her Campus
Media, a leading college
marketing and media firmHOW THEY STRUCK THE RIGHT
CHORD: “ When we were undergrads
at Harvard, we transitioned the stu-
dent lifestyle and fashion magazine
from print to online. Soon we heard
from women at colleges across the
country that they were looking for
a similar outlet to read and to write for.
We recognized a market for content
that spoke directly to college women.
In 2009, as juniors, we won Harvard’s
business plan competition and
launched Her Campus, a platform that
gives college women the training and
resources to start their own online mag-
azines. We’ve expanded ever since, and
we are still 100 percent female owned.”
BIGGEST BUSINESS LESSON: “ We
quickly learned to always have a con-
tract when working with advertisers
and not to get excited until one is signed.
We got burned by this early on. It’s OK
to make a mistake, but it’s important to
make changes so you don’t repeat it.”
WORD TO FUTURE FOUNDERS: “Don’t
sit around trying to think of a business
idea. If you immerse yourself in indus-
tries that you’re passionate about, you’ll
be the best person to find the holes you
can fill. Get out in the world, and take
note of pain points that exist. You’ll
know what business you need to start.”Whether by baby steps or bounding leaps,these game changers put in motion bold projects to makethe world a little better and healthier for all.THE
WELLNESS
AMPLIFIER
EMILY ABBATE
Creator and host of the
podcast Hurdle, which
explores wellness as a means
for personal growthTURNING PASSION INTO PURPOSE:
“After the magazine I was working at
folded, I was thrust into a life of free-
lance work. I learned a lot during that
first year about being my own boss,
but I was looking for a broader sense
of purpose. In the middle of this career
shift, I told a friend that I just wanted to
get over this hurdle of uncertainty and
self-doubt. And it clicked: Everyone
has these difficult moments. But what
if I could talk to people who, like me,
turned to fitness and wellness to get
through them? The podcast became
about sharing those insights on using
wellness as a way forward.”
YES, YOU’RE READY: “There are
always going to be things that get in
the way. There’s always going to be an
excuse you can make about why some-
thing shouldn’t happen tomorrow or
why you’re not ready. But the thing is,
most entrepreneurs will tell you that
they were never ready and that you just
have to start. Take the opportunity to
begin, see what happens, and just pivot
as you go.”
BEST ADVICE: “Be willing to take the
leap. Stop asking, ‘ What if, what if, what
if ?’ and just ask, ‘Why not?’ and go for
it. When you’re passionate about some-
thing, it no longer feels like work—it
just feels like your mission.”THE
BOUNDARY
PUSHER
POLLY RODRIGUEZ
CEO and cofounder of
Unbound, a sexual
wellness companyTHE SPARK: “At 21, I was diagnosed
with colorectal cancer. I went through
menopause because of the radiation
treatment—with no warning from my
doctors. I was googling to find infor-
mation on what was happening to me,
and I couldn’t find a place with infor-
mation and products, like lubricants
for vaginal dryness. I knew there was
a real need for this, so I set out to create
it myself.”
ON BEING VIGILANT: “It took three
and a half years of working nights and
weekends with two part-time jobs to
get Unbound to where it is now. When
we tried to open a bank account, secure
funding, and advertise online, we were
rejected because our product is con-
sidered morally offensive. It’s hard not
to think that’s sexist. Viagra is seen as
a health product with a medical need.
Lubricants and vibrators are too!”
WHEN SHE REALIZED HER IMPACT:
“I’m a firm believer in getting on the
phone with the people who are using
our products. In the beginning, when
I would confide in them that I didn’t
know if I could keep the company
going, they’d get really upset and tweet
to promote us. One day a college student
emailed to tell me that my products
helped her reclaim her sexuality after
she’d been assaulted. I keep a printout
of that next to my desk.”