How to Turn Rejection into Your Biggest Advantage (Laney Crowell)

Today on Aspire, Emma sits down with Laney Crowell, founder and CEO of Saie – a brand that consistently has seven products ranked in the top ten at Sephora. 

Emma and Laney talk about what it really took to build Saie from scratch: the mindset shifts, the operational discipline, the hiring decisions, and the resilience required to scale without a traditional founder background.

In this episode, Laney shares:

• Why rejection isn’t personal and how to use it as fuel

• What raising capital as a woman actually requires

• The importance of reference checks and hiring intentionally

• Why refining consistently beats rushing growth

• The importance of building a community alongside the brand 

• The rewards and challenges of building a business as a new mother

This episode is for anyone who feels “not qualified enough” or “not ready yet” and is building anyway.

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