Embracing Excellence

www.exeleonmagazine.com
I N - F O C US

Frisky
Whiskey:
Bringing
Flavor to
Whiskey
I N - F O C US

Ashley Tori
Epperson: Atwell
Committed E X H I B IT I N G A R I C H
L E G AC Y O F 3 5 Y E AR S

Towards
Quality

ADRI
MILLER-Heckman Transf o rmational
EMBRACING THE WOMEN LEADERS
FEMININE APPROACH
 Embracing Excellence
600 N Broad St 5 Middletown,
DE 19709, United States
+1 (302) – 569 – 9387

Editor-in-Chief – Daryl Yeung (Story-Tailor)

Art Director – Naomi Lam (Design Ninja)
Managing Editor - Matt Reis (Wordster)
Creative Director – Adam Waring (Grafista)
Contributing Editors – Ian O'Shea, Matt Hale, &

John Riggs

(Three Musketeers)
Content Curator – Cathy G. (Explorer)

Sales
Project Manager – Josh Wilder (Cultivator)

Marketing Manager – Mike Jackson (Marketeer)

Senior BDM – Katherine Price (Sustainer)

BDM – Richard Dann (Facilitator)

For any advertising related information,

please contact info@exeleonmagazine.com.
Submissions as well as contributions to the
magazine are welcome.

Take a moment and let us know about our

magazine; whether it be about the design
or a possible mistake, we would appreciate
any feedback from your end. You can reach
out to daryl@exeleonmagazine.com.

Copyright © Exeleon Media LLC. All rights reserved. The design, images, and content in this issue should not be reproduced in any
manner or by any means, i.e. mechanical, electronic, recording, photocopying, or otherwise, without any permission from Exeleon Media.
CONTENTS

12 ADRI MILLER-HECKMAN
CONTENTS

30 CARRIE COLBERT
CONTENTS

46 RIYA MEHTA
Exeleon Magazine Presents

#MyJo
urney
Coming Soon...
C O V E R S T O R Y

Emb e c g
F e
Approa
12 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 ADRI MILLER-HECKMAN
FOU N DE R , F E M X A DV I S OR

W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M 13
C O V E R S T O R Y
At
its core, successful leadership is one
that stems from the roots of failures
and forges through the lames of
adversity. It is about translating a
vision into reality and ideas into
action. It is about turning mistakes
into experience and experiences
into knowledge. It is about survival!
Adri Miller-Heckman is an example
of one such successful leader. As a
leading expert and coach for female
inancial advisors, Adri stands out
for her empowering mindset and
survival instincts.
Since leaving the inancial industry
in 2004, Adri has dedicated herself
to the growth and development of
female inancial advisors across the
globe. She mentions that her desire
to help women succeed on business
supersedes any social protocol or
business boundaries.
Through her femXadvisor platform,
Adri offers the requisite tools,
solutions, and proven business
framework to help women grow
and market their inancial practice.
14
Fittingly, Adri Miller-Heckman
features as the Cover of Exeleon's
Most Transformational Women
Leaders to Follow. In this Cover
Feature, we look into the journey of
this powerful entrepreneur and
how she is encouraging women to
embrace their feminine side to
attain success.
Inner Belief
A big part of Adri's growing up
years was her mother's in luence
and support. Her mother instilled
belief within her and encouraged
her to achieve her dreams.
Moreover, Adri recalls that her
mother's constant motivation gave
her the necessary courage to face
any setbacks.
Perhaps it's this upbringing that
made Adri a leader from a very
young age. At the age of 12, Adri
started a party-serving business. “I
distributed liers in our
neighborhood promoting my
business to help provide serving
and clean up services at parties.”
Her irst gig was a western party,
wherein she hired a group of girls
to help her. She remembers “We all
showed up at the requested time
wearing cowboy costumes only to
learn that they cancelled the party
and forgot to tell us. That was the
end of that business.”
The next year saw Adri being part
of the youngest team to participate
in the Volleyball Nationals. This
experience impacted her life and
shaped her ability to become a
leader. “I found greater satisfaction
inspiring my teammates to perform
their best which only enhanced my
career. I went to UNC on a full
volleyball scholarship, was MVP of
the ACC and eventually represented
the Navy and the Armed forces in
volleyball.”
Today, leveraging her mother's
teachings and her experiences, Adri
has molded herself into a leader
who is fearless and innovative. She
explains that in order for one to
become a transformational woman,
it is imperative to think out of the
box and leverage the unique
strengths as a woman.
Survival Instincts
Adri entered the inance space in a
rather unconventional manner. She
mentions, “I needed a job, and my
roommate was moving up. I hated
math but loved sales, so I became a
sales assistant to a top commodities
& stockbroker.”
Although the role was primarily
administrative, Adri soon gravitated
towards the client and sales side of
the business. Over the course of the
next 10 years, she worked with
various leading inancial advisors in
the industry.
With the industry becoming more
and more toxic, and people
inclining towards unethical
practices, Adri decided to move
forward from the industry. She soon
joined the Navy as an electrician
stationed on a ship in Holy Loch
Scotland.
3 years later, with renewed
perspective and ierce
determination, Adri Miller-
Heckman rejoined the inance
industry. This was the start of a
unique journey.
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
“ F E A R L E S S LY
E M B R AC E YO U R
AU T H E N T I C S E L F,
YO U D O N ’ T H AV E
TO BE ANYTHING “
B U T YO U R S E L F.

W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M 15
 FEMXADVISOR
For Adri, building her own coaching
practice was exactly where she
imagined herself to be – no limits and
no boundaries. This newfound freedom
enabled her to teach women advisors a
more feminine approach to growing a
inancial practice.
She penned down her ideas and
knowledge in her book - “Keys to the
Ladies Room; A new business model
for inancial advisors.” Over the years,
this book has had a positive impact on
both female as well as male advisors
and continues to garner positive
reviews across the industry. Moreover,
this book established the foundation of
Adri's femXadvisor model.
Adri's high-yielding coaching program
has attracted women advisors through
16
the years to learn more about her
coaching practice. The program's
unique women-centered approach
made it extremely popular and allowed
Adri to empower them with her years
of industry knowledge.
She points out, “These women always
knew there was a better way to build a
thriving practice but trying to carve it
out on your own while going against
the tide of the industry was
challenging. The greatest impact I have
on my advisors is the con idence these
women gain as they are encouraged to
lead from their hearts.”
She continues, “As a femXadvisor they
are not only given permission to follow
their instincts and leverage their
strengths as a woman, but we have
created the path, the model, the
process, and the tools to make it easy.
They LOVE it.”
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 C O V E R S T O R Y

Building Blocks

Following a huge discrimination “ I WA N T E D T O P ROV I D E

case, Adri was asked by her then
employers to become a inancial
WO M E N A DV I S O R S
advisor. The lawsuit faced by the THE COMPLETE
company became a huge M O D E L , P RO C E S S
opportunity for Adri. “As a inancial TOOLS, AND
advisor and single mother with
three young kids I knew I couldn't S T R AT E G I E S T O
build a business the way they asked T R A N S FO R M T H E I R
me to, I didn't have that many hours P R AC T I C E T O O N E
and quite frankly cold calling would
have bored me to death.”
T H AT T O TA L LY
REFLECTS WHO THEY
Adri listened to her feminine genius A R E A N D W H AT T H E Y
and focused her practice on serving WA N T T O
women. She explains, “I wanted
women like my mother to feel more
AC C O M P L I S H W I T H “
con ident in making smart inancial THEIR BUSINESS.
decisions for their life.” She
simultaneously also made sure that
her business model and schedule
supported her need to be a good
mother. “My kids were always my
priority and I always led with my
heart.”

Owing to the added demands of her

dawned upon Adri, and she decided She shares, “As women we are these
time (and energy), Adri worked less
to leave the corporate environment. beautiful peacocks, we low into a
than all her male counterparts. Yet,
“I realized working within the room with a long, graceful neck
she was able to consistently
corporate structure I couldn't have followed by a stream of colorful
outperform them. “Due to my
the impact I wanted. In 2004 I left feathers, we are smart, con ident
unexpected success, I was asked to
the “mothership” and struck out on and capable.”
become a National Training Of icer
my own building a successful
for Smith Barney (a role I coveted)
coaching practice focused on “We are hired into the land of
so I packed up my three kids and
women.” penguins, attend penguin training,
moved from Newport Beach
and try and apply everything we are
California to Hartford CT.”
Flaunt your Feathers. taught by the penguins.” These
penguins remind us to tuck our
Adri spent the next 3 years training
When talking to a room full of feathers, to pull our necks down, to
thousands of inancial advisors on
female inancial advisors, Adri stop lowing into the room, to
how to build a successful practice.
always makes sure to share the become a part of the crowd – to
Following this, she was asked to
Peacock and the Penguin story. become just another penguin.
become the Director of National
According to her, this story
Sales for Women & Co. a division of
perfectly encapsulates everything “And we end up wearing 5 pairs of
Citigroup.
she and her team want to spanx to hold in our feathers,
accomplish at femXadvisor. squishing our neck down which
However, in 2004, a realization
makes our voices gravely, and work

W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M 17
C O V E R S T O R Y

18 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
“ I BELIEVE IN
MANAGING
ENERGY “
NOT TIME.

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 19
20 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 C O V E R S T O R Y

on waddling instead of our natural
low. We then wonder why women
ind it more challenging to succeed.
Penguins only know how to be a
penguin.”
At femXadvisor, Adri encourages
every woman to be the peacock that
they are; to luff their feathers,
articulate their thoughts, and
embrace their natural low.
She further mentions that her
program is not a band aid or a quick
ix to this male-dominated industry.
Rather, it's a paradigm shift from
the traditional model designed
around the strengths of only men.
“I wanted to provide women
advisors the complete model,
process tools, and strategies to
transform their practice to one that
totally re lects who they are and
what they want to accomplish with
their business.”
In her incredible journey, Adri Moving forward, Adri is determined
re lects that every step she has to expand her brand and empower
taken has been of utmost necessity. more women advisors. “We are
She irmly believes that these inally getting regional irms to
experiences, the good ones and the embrace our femXmodel allowing
bad, have given her a depth of us to train management, leadership
understanding as well as an as well as the advisors.”
appreciation for what women were
consistently experiencing. She believes as more and more
irms start to embrace a more
Energy not Time feminine approach to wealth
management, it will position the
Talking about how she ensures industry to accelerate growth while
work-life balance, Adri mentions creating new opportunities within
that she is a believer in managing the world of women.
energy, not time. She lives her life
focusing on her unique brilliance,
activities that inspires and
energizes her. “My unique brilliance
is speaking, coaching, training, that
is where I put 80% of my work
time. When I am not working, I am
always competing in golf, tennis,
pickle ball and inspiring other
women to be their best self.”

EXELEON SHORTS

One Book Entrepreneurs Must Read power of passion and desire.

– Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and
Mark C. Winters One Quote that Motivates you the
Most – “She believed she could, so she
One Productivity Tool / App that did.”
Everyone Should Use – Stephen Cover
Time Management Quadrants One Investment Advice that you
Follow – Know what and why you are
One Movie / Show that you would investing.
Recommend – Rudy - It shows the

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 21
 We Embrace Excellence!

Exeleon Magazine features some of the

leading players in business and shares
their journey of excellence to inspire
aspiring leaders across the globe.

SUBSCRIBE
www.exeleonmagazine.com
24 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 EXELEON EXCLUSIVE

bringing

interview with nicole young

What according to you makes one an parties. And the "shows" were pretty epic!
empowering woman? How do you
integrate the same thought into your I also remember my dance teacher Miss
leadership? Francine telling me that I had leadership
skills somewhere around that same age.
I believe an empowering woman is She would often place me in the front row
someone who not only shines naturally or have me face the class and use me as an
but inspires those around her to tap into example to the rest of the class. That
their inner spark and to use that spark to memory in particular is a constant
do big things. I make it my business to reminder to lead by example.
surround myself with individuals that I
can inspire but who also inspire me. I What prompted your interest in
think that combination is one the most whiskey? How did you go on to form
important keys to operating and growing a your own lavored whiskey brand?
business.
My interest in Whiskey was really sparked
Talk to us about your growing up years. by my love of creating lavor. As a recipe
What is your earliest memory as a developer in the food space, I'd always
leader / Entrepreneur? used lavor to transform and expand
people's views as well as their palates, so
By age 5 I was the cousin that would creating a whiskey with the intent to
convince all the other kids to put on a transform pre-conceived notions about
performance (that I of course wrote, whiskey and expand the whiskey audience
choreographed, styled, and designated the was something I jumped at the chance to
roles to) for the grownups at our family do.

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 25
EXELEON EXCLUSIVE

Talk to us about the research and start Frisky Whiskey has gotten off to.
crafting process that has gone into In under a year, we've opened
making Frisky Whiskey? distribution in 7 states and have
secured shelf space with major retail
After extensive market research, we chains like Walmart, Costco, and Total
determined that there was a void that wine.
could be illed in the whiskey space,
speci ically where lavored whiskey With plans underway to launch in
was concerned. In stark contrast to another 5 markets and a new
what lavored whiskey meant before distribution deal in the works (details
Frisky, we created a premium whiskey coming soon!) we are eyeing national
with natural lavor. No fruity taste, no expansion. The goal is a strong
arti icial lavoring and no dessert-like presence for Frisky Whiskey in large
after taste. chain retailers as well as smaller
liquor stores across the country.
As a black female entrepreneur,
what have been some of the biggest Finally, what would be your advice
challenges and learnings in your for women entrepreneurs when it
journey? comes to maintaining work-life
balance?
One of my key takeaways as a Black
female entrepreneur is that virtually Work-life balance advice is tricky
everyone will doubt you and your because every woman's situation is
ability to succeed (including many of unique but the one thing, I would
the people who smile, congratulate recommend women in business
you, and tell you how proud they are prioritize is their health. It's very
of what you're doing) but if your work important to take diet and exercise
and your product speak for seriously!
themselves, the only pat on the back
you need is from you own hand and Entrepreneurship can take its toll on
the only people you need to impress your mind, body, and soul and there is
are the people in your target a deep connection between feeling
audience. healthy and strong and performing
that way both at work and at home.
Having received multiple awards
and emerging as one of the fastest
growing brands in the spirits
industry, how do you plan on
scaling the Frisky Whiskey brand?

I am extremely thankful to my female-

lead team and truly humbled by their
hard work with ensuring the great

26 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 27
IN – FOCUS
A S T O R Y O F
COLORS &MORE
I n a world where creativity and
business often seem to be at
odds, Carrie Colbert stands out
as a shining example of how the
two can seamlessly intersect. A
digital in luencer, Carrie has made a
name for herself by empowering
women to succeed in business and
entrepreneurship.
As the founding and general
partner at Curate Capital, she is on
a mission to provide capital,
mentorship, and strategic planning
advice to female entrepreneurs and
female-driven companies.
Additionally, through her work as a
fashion and lifestyle in luencer,
Carrie has become known for her
bold and vibrant use of color, and
she has made it her mission to help
other women embrace color and
30
–CARRIE COLBERT
express themselves boldly.
With a proven track record of
driving results, it's no wonder that
Carrie is a sought after speaker,
Beyond that, I may be biased as an
investor, but I think being in charge
of and knowledgeable about one's
inances makes a woman powerful.
I grew up in a very small Texas
panelist, mentor, and advisor. In this
interview, we to learn more about town where it was impolite to talk
her journey, her passion for about money, which I think is a
empowering women, and how she similar story to many women's
is using the power of color to upbringings.
inspire and uplift others.
When I began working for a rapidly
What according to you makes one growing energy company, that
a powerful woman? How do you changed quickly. Hilcorp embraced
integrate the same thought into a very entrepreneurial culture. Two
your leadership? key components of that culture
were an open book management
style and an ownership mentality.
To me, power begins with a deeply
All employees knew how their
rooted sense of self-awareness.
actions could impact the bottom
Knowing who you are and playing
line - and thus our own inancial
to your strengths are two keys to
success, because we all had equity
embracing your power.
in the company. I quickly realized
the power of ownership.
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 Founding & General Partner
Curate Capital

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 31
IN – FOCUS

Though I now work in a completely workplace norms to wear (in my me on social media with their
different industry, I've carried many mind) boring neutrals. But soon incredible investment
of those lessons forward in how I thereafter, I learned to embrace my opportunities, I realized I had to do
run Curate Capital, wherein I share individuality and express my more.
all inancial updates, both good and personality via my style selections.
(heaven forbid) not so good with On Instagram I coined the hashtag Little did I know that I would hear
our internal team and investors. #MoreColorPlease because I truly more “no's” in my irst fundraise
Transparency is so critical for believe surrounding yourself with with Curate than ever before in my
women to feel more invested, both vibrancy and positive energy is the life. There were tears of frustration
iguratively and literally, in the only way to live your life. It sounds and joy, moments of fear and
outcomes. corny, but something as simple as triumph, and in the end, we were
slipping on a bright pink dress or just ecstatic to surpass our initial
Talk to us about your growing up rainbow sweater can totally turn goal of $10 Million by 50%! Our
years. What is your earliest my day around. portfolio companies are each
memory as a leader? thriving as they grow at their own
From a business perspective, it was paces, and we believe so strongly in
One of my irst jobs growing up was super important to me when the women behind them.
at the small-town golf course where launching Curate Capital to use
of course it was predominately men color and bold branding as a way to While my professional experience
that played day in and day out. Very stand out from the crowd. At the may seem really disjointed, it's
quickly I learned to speak time, just a few short years ago, the actually not. Experience teaches us
con idently, upsell at the Pro Shop, sea of venture capital irms was lessons all the time if we are open
and hold my own even when pretty monochromatic. VC websites to learning. In hindsight, I can look
surrounded by those with much all had very conservative, back and connect all the dots. No
more life experience than myself. I traditional colors and branding. experience is lost or wasted. It has
think that was one of the irst Navy blue was everywhere! So, my all contributed to what I'm doing
opportunities for me to learn how branding was an opportunity to set now - which I consider to be my
to get comfortable with failure, ourselves apart from the very irst professional sweet spot, the
which is an absolutely vital skill as impression! culmination of many years of hard
an entrepreneur. work.
From spending almost two
Beyond that, I was always a high decades in the corporate sector Looking at this journey, if you
performer. I was my high school to starting a venture capital fund were to start again, what would
class valedictorian, the top of my that supports and empowers you do differently?
engineering class, an of icer in women entrepreneurs. What has
organizations many times over, and been the journey like for you?
Technically speaking there are a
so on and so forth. For me, few details of structuring a venture
performance was a way to rise It's been a rollercoaster, that's for capital fund that I would probably
above my meager beginnings. sure. Up until the point that I do differently, but those were
started Curate Capital, I had really lessons I had to learn the hard way.
Your branding uses a lot of been very blessed to see a steady Overall, I can honestly look back
vibrant and expressive colors. positive progression in my career. I and say that every moment in my
What is your association with rose in the ranks at an oil and gas life has led me to where I am today.
colors and what it represents? company, I “retired” and grew an My husband and I are raising two
Instagram following and in luencer phenomenal children while I grow
status, and then as more and more Curate Capital, and while it's wildly
Yes! I have always loved color! Early female founders were approaching
on in my career, I succumbed to the busy and chaotic at times, I

32 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 IN – FOCUS

Finally, talk to us about the

impact of Curate Capital, not only
in terms of supporting women-
owned businesses but also how it
is increasing awareness about
the untapped potential of this
market.

We're extremely unique in the

sense that 80% of our investors are
women, and the vast majority are
individual investors, not giant
private equity irms or inancial
institutions. We've also seen that
our investors are primarily from
Texas and the Midwest, whereas
most venture capital dollars are
coming from the East or West
Coast, as you might imagine. I think
all that data supports our gut
feeling that Curate Capital is
opening the eyes of a whole new
demographic and generation of
women who want to put their
money where their mission is, so to
speak.

If no one else is going to invest in

female founders, of course it's going
to be our fellow women! We know
for a fact that companies led by
women outperform their male
counterparts, so we're not only
creating a movement, but we're also
wouldn't change a thing. I'm things to all people. I'm very clear making excellent business decisions
grateful for the chance to craft a life on my priorities during this season as well. And the best part is, the
I love. of life. My priorities are (1) taking sky's the limit!
care of myself, (2) taking care of my
As an entrepreneur, speaker, children, and (3) building my
in luencer, and mother, what business. Any invitations or
does a day in the life of Carrie opportunities that come my way
Colbert look like? How do you have to bene it one of these three
ensure work-life balance? priorities - or it's a no for me. A
different season of life may look
differently. But for now, my focus on
Well, while there are certainly times these three things is of utmost
of chaos, I'd say age has taught me importance to me.
to iercely ilter through
opportunities. I don't try to be all

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 33
IN – FOCUS
Ashley Epperson
Committed Towards Quality
S ometimes we forget to put a
value on things that are most
readily available to us. We
forget the natural bond we share.
We forget the urge to get the best
of it for us. Just a safety limit
becomes a parameter using which
we decide what to buy and what
not to.
This also applies for the water we
drink. We are often satis ied to get
our hands on a bottle and do not
bother about the brand or the
value they provide. In fact, most of
us do not even know the difference
in taste or properties that various
brands bring to the table. But for
Ashley Epperson and her partner,
this was an insight that triggered a
business idea of launching a brand
called Salacious Drinks.
Ashley's steps are an intense
fusion of a practice of delivering
the best and the best possible
medium of delivering it to end
36
users. The source they explore is
nature, hence no tap waters or
puri ied means are involved. They
have also set up an online presence
to sail along with the tide of time.
Exeleon Magazine proudly
interviews this Dynamic
Entrepreneur to learn more about
her journey, the challenges she
faced, and her vision for the
business.
Q. What according to you makes could taste the difference in
for a dynamic entrepreneur? brands. We started to get to know
How do you integrate the same each other and made a game out of
thought into your leadership?
For me, it's a human's ability to
pivot when the situation does not
go the way they are expected to.
But they remain steadfast that the
decision made was the right one. I
have always been told that I am an
extreme optimist; I will pour until
the cup is over lowing! I am
learning when to turn while
keeping that outlook of positivity.
Q. What prompted the inception
of Salacious Drinks? What was
the idea behind the name of the
company?
I met my partner at work (we were
both in the grocery industry), and
the moment we met he confronted
me about my beverage of choice
(store brand water). He was
drinking a name brand and swore
his was better. We tried both and I
trying all the brands we could get
our hands on. Eventually, we
started to travel and learned that
certain areas had brands which we
couldn't ind where we lived. An
idea was thus forming. One day on
his drive home, he expressed this
idea of opening a water store, and I
loved it! He told me it was 2016
and we should open it online. So
we jumped in.
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 IN – FOCUS

hard in the beginning to get brands

to even understand that we wanted
to create this thing online; most
would not even give us the time of
day! We saw so many avenues and
tried to chase them all at once.

Q. What has been the biggest

driving factor for you as a leader
and entrepreneur?

My greatest motivating factor is the

love for what I do. We turned what
my partner and I enjoyed as a
connection between friends into a
business. The curiosity of building
the reality of what was once a
common interest is what keeps me
going.

Q. What would be your advice for

aspiring and emerging
entrepreneurs?

My advice is a bit off kilter for

most. I believe you have to be
sel ish to start. You cannot have it
all in the beginning. It's not an easy
path to take, but if you are willing
to be uncomfortable for a few
years to have what most will never,
then go for it.

What's in a name? Well ours is My journey has been one of Q. What makes Salacious Drinks
simple, salacious is provocative, learning, trusting, and a premier bottled water
alluring. We wanted people to determination. The idea that we company?
associate water with that idea. could shake up the water industry
Patrons have forever been offered and create a subcategory for Salacious Drinks specializes in only
unique bottles of wine/spirits and premium brands has been long and naturally sourced waters - so no
then given just a glass of water. hard but de initely worth it. tap water or puri ied brands. We
That is terrible! There is so much want the best that nature has to
more to water and we wanted that Q. Looking back, what would you offer. There are so many sources
to be conveyed in our name irst. have done different when and stories that go along with each
starting out? brand and we want to showcase it
Q. What has the journey been like for our customers. We make sure
for Ashley Epperson over the I would have stuck to the premise we have a connection to the source
years? of my online store. We fought so so we can verify each brand we
sell/promote is authentic.

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 37
IN – FOCUS

Q. What has been the

biggest roadblock
during your journey?

The biggest roadblock for

me has been myself! If I
get sidetracked or start
to question the process
then it will show, the
sales will slow down, the
customer engagement
will dry up. When you
realize that the only
thing that matters is
succeeding, then
everything else really
does become trivial.

Q. What is the future

like for Salacious Drinks
and you personally?

The future is truly

becoming the number
one place to go for
imported and domestic
bottled waters. We want
to help grow brands and
bring new experiences to
people. Personally, I see
myself reshaping how
the beverage industry
views water. I want them
to come to us as the
experts on all things
water.

Q. Finally, what do you

think is the most
important trait for an
entrepreneur and why?

The most important trait that mirror and be honest with

for any entrepreneur is honesty.
Can you honestly put up with all
the perceived loneliness? The late
nights? The seemingly endless
failures? Take a long hard look in
yourself. Once you can do that -
then you have nothing in your way
but success.

38 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
IN – FOCUS

Christina Flach
President & CEO | Pretty Girl Makeup

40 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

ac i ng
Embr
ty ...
Beau
C
hristina forayed into the
beauty and fashion industry
because she wanted to
witness all the fun, excitement and
glamour that comes with it, while
overcoming her own challenges and
struggles. Christina Flach is the
President and CEO of Pretty Girl
Makeup — her celebratory shout-
out to all the girls to make them feel
beautiful.
With more than 20 years of
experience in the business,
Christina uses her knowledge to
create stylish and trendy lip, eye,
and face products. She is passionate
to deliver one-of-a-kind high-end
beauty products that are mixed and
matched with natural ingredients,
and other essential oils.
Besides creating luxurious beauty
experiences, Christina dons'
multiple hats gracefully. She is a
Sepsis Awareness Advocate, grief
expert and shares her experience
across various platforms like
magazines, podcasts, blogs. She also
successfully runs her own blog —
Love, Life, Laugh and Lipgloss and
is thrilled to start a new skincare
and makeup line with her partner,
Jordan.
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
IN – FOCUS
I think that as the oldest child of a
terminally ill parent, it forced me to
take charge to support my dad and
my sister and my mother as best I
could, which I think helped me later
in my life. I have not let these
tragedies make my life tragic, rather
it made me stronger and resilient
In this Exclusive Interview,
when faced with bumps in life's
Christina Flach shares about her
road.
journey, her beliefs, and Pretty Girl
Makeup.
What prompted your interest and
subsequently your foray into the
What according to you makes one
beauty and fashion industry?
a transformational leader? How
do you integrate the same
I have always had a love of fashion
thought into your leadership?
and beauty products. Looking
forward to the latest magazines to
I think a transformational leader
see what the latest trend was.
selects a team of experts that can
Watching celebrities on television
come together and work as a highly
and looking at all the beautiful faces
functioning team. I try to integrate
at the award shows de initely
that thought process into my
trained my eye for beauty.
leadership, by having open dialogue
with my team, respect for what they
I'm a very visual person so I think I
do, and most importantly letting
wanted a life that was full of beauty,
them have the creative freedom to
not just with clothes and makeup,
excel in their speci ic area of
but also my home being decorated,
expertise.
clean, organized but at the same
time cozy and inviting for my family
Talk to us about your growing up
and friends.
years. What is your earliest
memory as a leader that you can
What led to the formation of
remember?
Pretty Girl Makeup? What was the
idea behind its name?
My childhood was interrupted by
my mother being diagnosed with
As a mother of 5 that was
brain cancer when I was eight years
constantly in a battle of drinking
old. As the oldest child, I had to step
water and putting lip gloss on while
up, to help around my home with
I drove my kids to school and all
cooking and cleaning. Not having a
their activities. I could not ind a lip
mom that was physically and
gloss that lasted long enough that
emotionally available because of
was not matte or drying out my lips.
her disease, was challenging as I
I decided to contact a beauty
was going through my teenage
chemist to formulate my own lip
years and wanted a mothers'
gloss that was long lasting,
guidance.
hydrating, and good for my skin.
41
IN – FOCUS
The name Pretty Girl came about
when I was in Hawaii with my
family and friends sitting by the
pool. My kids had inally gotten to
an age where I didn't need to be in
the pool with them, my friend
Claudia made the funniest
comment," Honey, we're just sitting
here looking at magazines, lying in
the sun acting like Pretty Girls!"
That made me laugh so hard, but I
also thought every mother that is
working and trying to get
everything done in her day, is a
Pretty Girl and deserves to be made
to feel like one. I thought that was
the perfect name for my company
and being inspired by the creators
of Bene it cosmetics. They had
fabulous packaging and very
whimsical names. I remember
making lists and lists of funny
names like Private Jet, Let's Go
Shopping, Soulmates, Love of my
Life, Day at the Spa, that I wanted to
name my products.
Being the CEO and Founder, what Christmas day when he was 4 1/2
role do you play in the day-to-day months old 15 years ago de initely
proceedings of the company?
The irst thing I do when I wake up
is check in with my amazing
assistant Mayah, who keeps my
calendar organized with meetings,
documents to look over, interviews
I may have. Next comes checking in
with my partner Jordan, followed
by checking in with the marketing
team and sales. I want everyone on
my team to feel like they have
access to me when they need it. But
I also want them to have the
freedom to do their job. I know
what's going on with everyone and
get inal approval, but I always
think it's best to let the experts on
my team do what they do best.
42
What is the approach followed by What would be your advice for
you and your team in order to emerging women leaders in the
ensure optimal client beauty space?
satisfaction?
The best advice that I could give
We are constantly watching anyone in the beauty industry or in
industry trends and listening to our any other space is that if you love
clients via email and social media. what you're doing so much, you
My agents still book me on photo won't mind working the long hours,
shoots, which helps to keep me in a seven days a week and not earning
creative mode and not just being a a ton of money at the beginning. But
CEO. I love having my artistic outlet, if you love what you're doing and
working on these shoots and being are passionate about your goals, I
able to work with my team at Pretty know that hard work pays off and
Girl to run at the highest level you will be successful. Loving what
possible, being pro itable and we you're doing is contagious and
are very proud of the products that people can feel your positive
we sent out into the world. energy.
What has the journey been like for What has been the biggest
Christina Flach over the years? roadblock during your journey?
Looking back, what would you What has been your biggest
have done differently if you were learning?
to start again?
I think the biggest roadblock I've
My journey over the years has had was not getting a business plan
de initely had its ups and downs. sooner and getting investors to
My son Beau passing away on expand. I have learned that being
uncomfortable is actually part of
the process, will only make you
affected my career professionally stronger and more con ident in the
but also personally. I went through end.
a divorce and learning to grieve my
child while still being a mother and Finally, what does the future look
trying to run my business was like for you, both personally and
really tough. Then my husband Ken professionally?
Flach passing away in 2018 from
Sepsis, and dealing with the My future is looking very exciting,
pandemic, have been more my partner Jordan and I are going
obstacles that I have learned to ride to be partnering with two other
the waves of. If I look back on what investors to create a new line
I would do differently, I would be a skincare and make up line. I am
lot gentler on myself. Looking back, open and excited about all new
I know I did the best I could with adventures in my business and
the situations I was dealt with. I personal life. Having balance in my
beat myself up emotionally, not life is key for me being successful in
feeling I did enough each day and my professional life. My heart is full,
feeling like a failure when in reality and I am very happy!
I was still just going through
emotional turmoil and grief.
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 43
IN – FOCUS
INTERVIEW WITH
Global Health Innovator
Riya Mehta
W hat according to you makes
one a dynamic leader? How do
you integrate the same
thought into your leadership?
Willing to be inclusive of other people's
differences and opinions are a lot to handle
as a leader, but it makes for a thoughtful,
empathetic, and strong igurehead. I
realized this over time, when I started to be
the team lead in consulting projects and
hire interns--I learned the value of
mentoring young people that have different
niches, and voices to add. For example,
when launching my startup project
Futureshot Factory, I chose to hire 2 interns
to assist in our collaborations, and I stayed
active in training them by opening up a
slack channel, private coaching sessions as
well as weekly meetings. I furthermore
offered my network to them and nominated
my interns for awards, jobs, and other
internships that would accelerate their
careers after they left the company.
Talk to us about your growing-up years. to continue school online for the remainder
What led you to be involved with the of my high school career, as I'm aware
46
idea of changing the world at such a
young age?
There's so much continuous pressure on
young high school students to rigorously
focus on academics and school
extracurriculars, that there is no time left
for them to branch out and apply
themselves to adventurous situations, or
practice real-life skills in companies
through internships. It's quite
disheartening, and I really felt that I was
lucky enough to escape that. I started
becoming a medical researcher at 16, which
snowballed into opportunities of me being
part of accelerator programs, and soon,
traveling around the world to represent
organizations at conferences, by keynoting
at them.
I noticed the growing need for young
women of color in the ields of stem and
social advocacy, to bridge the gender
disparity gap and make women speaking up
the new norm. I feel blessed that I was able
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 IN – FOCUS

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 47
IN – FOCUS
others don't have the same luxury. My family, guidance
counselors and mentors got me to where I am.
How are you empowering developing countries to I would shadow my superiors, as I interacted with the
utilize AR and VR in genome research?
During my time at SickKids, I joined the AI & genomics
lab network to develop creative approaches to using AI
algorithms for human genome mapping; or detecting
faulty genes in the body before they developed into
other worse diseases. Before then, I never really took
the time to really process how arti icial intelligence can
intersect with genomic data and access parts of our
bodies or make future predictions in a way humans
cannot. In addition to that learning curve, I also got to
apply my skills speci ically with virtual/augmented
reality to make 3D heart models that better detail
what's going on in the human body with heart defects or
cardiac diseases. The Heart Research department I was
working in was studying the effects of a disease called
Pulmonary Vein Stenosis, a rare disease in young
children & newborns associated with high mortality
that results in the narrowing of pulmonary veins.
I thought about how 3D bioprinting would play a role in
this, as many labs have been printing live human heart
models that can replace damaged ones in the body. This
research is still in its theory phase, as there are many
complications such as not having personalized hearts to
it the human body, ethical questions, etc. However,
bioprinting offers a permanent, safer solution that can
re-establish blood low in the body long term, by
replacing the constrained heart with an arti icial, one
constructed by using a patient's own stem cells to limit
rejection.
What has the journey been like for Riya Mehta over and show your support, because there are more chances
the years? Looking back, what would you have done now than ever for girls to be involved in areas of
differently when starting out?
To give some back history on my journey in STEM and
social justice, I've been a research associate at The
Institute for Economics and Peace think tank for the
past 2 years, conducting research into the Taliban
takeover in Afghanistan and what it means for the
economy in the Middle East, with a focus on ethnic
con lict. As a Canadian representative for the UNITAR
council, I work with UN of icials to help rebuild
communities af licted by civil wars. I also serve as a
48
commitment maker for UN Women, to educate the
general public on con licts such as the Ukrainian war.
parents of patients to provide comfort and give them
hope as they continued their journey in the hospital.
The more time I spent there, the more I became grateful
for my privilege in life, and instead of looking at world
problems in a negative way, I started channeling my
energy toward co-creating solutions. If I could go back, I
would attempt to make my voice more heard in both
smaller and bigger environments, as I could've played a
more active role in providing recommendations to
better-known people in the industry. I believe being shy
at irst and not making my thoughts known cost me
certain connections and a stronger network, which is
why I urge everyone to be comfortable with getting
uncomfortable and take pride in uncertain situations.
What would be your advice for young and aspiring
women leaders or entrepreneurs?
Ensure you start building cultural capital for yourselves,
especially in our current climate with more young
people getting involved in huge companies such as
Google or Tesla, many career-advancing programs are
built upon the network and connections you make with
mentors, women leaders, and industry giants that are
willing to help you along on your journey. There is so
much opportunity for young girls to take advantage of
and make a real change, a tangible one which is all due
to adult donors, supporters, and those who constantly
stand up for women-led organizations, in an effort to be
a pillar of strength for the next generation of girls.
Continue to believe in strong-minded young women,
research, social activism, and change that can not only
bene it them but others as well. If we want to see real
impact, see others make an actual difference, we have to
actively support the next generation who can bring that
about, and that are the young women leaders, those
who constantly work to provide a better future for all.
What has been the biggest roadblock during your
journey? What has been your biggest learning?
One of the most signi icant problems I've faced is the
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 IN – FOCUS

best way to be heard in industry

meetings, projects and how to be
bold when presenting keynotes. As a
young woman of color, I appreciate
the challenges associated with
others much older than me, taking
my opinions seriously as over time I
became more articulate in
discussing my wants with others,
rather than sitting idly. I see myself
as a moonshot thinker, with many
people resisting my dreams at the
beginning of my journey, which
evidently did not stop me from
wanting to pursue them.

Moving forward, what does the

future look like for you? What is
your long-term vision?

I envision our planet utilizing

carbon capture systems to not only
rid mass amounts of CO2 from the
atmosphere but also convert carbon
dioxide into other resources such as
graphene, diesel fuel, or concrete. I
believe that direct air capture can be
a shift towards megatonne-sized
solutions. We require new,
innovative ways of thinking if we
hope to sustain our planet and
continue to witness its beauty.

Personally, I see my pathway

heading in the direction of social
justice advocacy and creating more
impact with my initiatives in
political journalism, continuing with
submitting articles for magazines
and newspapers. I hope to become a
greater igurehead, so other young
girls can look up to me and
hopefully pick up some advice on
getting started in the STEM and
social justice space as a student in
high school.

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 49
IN – FOCUS

50 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

EXHIBITING A RICH LEGACY OF 35 YEARS
I t is widely believed that our parents
are our irst and our best teachers.
They are the ones who teach us to
talk, walk, behave, and nurture us before
we are ready to face the real world. And
most of the time, our parents show us the
very thing that will go on to de ine who
we are; becoming the very reason behind
our existence.
For Tori Atwell, it was her father's
persistent efforts of taking her to Real
Estate seminars as a teenager and young
adult that went on to de ine her entire life.
Today, Tori stands tall amongst the most
renowned real estate brokers to have
served in Silicon Valley since 1986. With
over three decades of industry-wide
experience, Tori Atwell has been
navigating the industry through her
arduous work and her mission of
delivering a human touch through her
services.
A HUMBLE BEGINNING
Tori was born in Redwood City and raised
in the Bay area, where she obtained her
E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
IN – FOCUS
Business Administration Degree in the
80s.
While initially she worked in the banking
industry, she turned to real estate after
starting her own family.
She remembered how his father used to
take her to real estate seminars and
always encouraged her to work hard.
“Real Estate is the one constant in
everyone's life: We all need a place to live.
For those lucky enough to be able to
invest, Real Estate is the way to go as part
of a healthy portfolio,” mentions Tori.
Listening to her father and perceiving real
estate as the foundation, Tori commenced
her professional journey in Palo Alto and
then later moved her business to the
Mountain View, Los Altos area.
A WIDE BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE
Working in the real estate sector for over
35 years, Tori has seen her fair share of
transformation and changes in the
industry. She still remembers the simpler
times when demands and work were less,
51
IN – FOCUS

and the entire process ran with

people patiently trusting each
other.

“No cell phones, a receptionist who

rarely took a message correctly,
short contracts and minimal
paperwork, no computers. Our
basic tools were minimal, but with
those minimal tools, folks were
less demanding.”

She further highlights how people

had more patience and did not
have a constant need for
immediate grati ication.

Tori notes that markets and the

economy may have come and gone,
but the evolution of innovative
technology has signi icantly
impacted the industry. “35 years
ago, we did not write brochures,
no one used a professional
photographer, stagers were not
even a thing. Today, you can do it
all without any hassles.”

However, amongst all the

developments, the one thing that
stands out for Tori is the human
touch which can never be removed
entirely from the industry.

Even after witnessing so much

change over the years, she believes
that hard work and being kind to
others is what makes you a
powerful leader.
While some may think that being
tough and stern are the right way
to lead, she takes the opposite
approach of exhibiting kindness
and respect. “Folks know I mean
business but working together for
mutual goals and admiration goes
much further. It is often harder to
be kind in a poor situation rather
than hurtful and aggressive.”
This is primarily the reason why
Tori prefers to still have one-on-
one communication directly with
all her clients in order to deliver a
satisfactory experience. According
to her, real estate agents are often
busy chasing one deal after
another and ignoring the clients
they already have.
Instead, she mentions, it is
imperative for them to understand
that when someone hires an agent,
the person trusts you with the
most crucial decision of their life.
Thereby, they deserve the best of
attention and be informed on all
levels of the transaction.
Ful illing individuals' needs for
these many years and sustaining
the human essence have brought
much success to Tori. She pays

52 E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E
 IN – FOCUS

t’s a Continuous Journey

It's been over three decades since Tori has been helping individuals and families
sell and move into new homes. Her attention to detail, providing one-on-one
consultation, and adding a personal touch to real estate have led her to attain the
unmatched success and a hard-earned reputation within the community.

For the future, Tori would like to continue to serve thousands of families selling or
moving into their dream homes.

“We have a saying in real estate; realtors don't really retire, we just slow down as
our age goes up,” she concludes.

EVOLVING WITH PARENTHOOD And when Tori is not with her

gratitude to the industry she has
served. “I have been blessed
enough to start in the business
when you had to do everything
yourself, including qualifying
buyers before they began looking
at property. My business roots and
experiences are constant sources
of inside knowledge and
understanding of the industry.”
Amidst the hustle and bustle in her
profession, Tori raised two
beautiful kids. She recalls how
after school time, they would often
go look at a house, meet an
inspection, and drive-by
properties. “My son, Kyle, at age 5,
could look at a house/property
and tell if it would sell or not,”
recalls Tori.
With her kids growing up, a lot has
changed in terms of her lifestyle
and approach to real estate. She
now practices a new lifestyle,
paying undivided one-on-one
attention to her clients and going
out with clients or co-workers on
her off time. “Real Estate is
different from most industries; it's
not just a job, it is an entire social
structure that facilitates getting to
know a wide array of people from
many different cultures and walks
of life.”
clients or working, she could be
found enjoying quality time with
her six dogs, four cats, and two
mini-pigs.
GET THE BEST TEACHER
Tori feels grateful to have the best
teacher in the form of her father
who paved the way for her interest
and subsequently her successful
career.
Taking a cue from her own life, she
advises new young and aspiring
entrepreneurs in the real estate
space to ind a good realtor. She
mentions, “Trust and respect and
shadow their every move. If you
spend some free time learning
from the best, you will get an
invaluable education and
foundation for a successful career.”

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E 53
w w w. e x e l e o n m a g a z i n e . c o m