The Growth Lab is a dynamic advisory series where entrepreneurs bring their real business challenges to a panel of experienced advisors and subject matter experts.

This is not a webinar. This is not a workshop. This is real talk, real challenges, and real solutions,  filmed and shared so that every entrepreneur watching walks away with something they can use.

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Episode 1 | Lost in Translation: Selling What People Don't Know They Need

Guest Founder | Pauline McKinney, Founder of Be The Data Hero

Pauline has spent over 20 years helping high-performance organizations turn data into decisions. Now she’s bringing that same power to small business owners, and she’s bringing her biggest business challenge to The Growth Lab. Watch as she works through how to communicate her value, connect with her ideal clients, and grow her reach in a market that doesn’t always speak her language.

Advisory Panel

Kinga Kosmala | Director, Entrepreneurial Business Program and Services, WBDC

Maura Downs | Chief Program Officer, WBDC

Regina Williams | Director, Entrepreneurial Program and Services, WBDC

Episode 2 | The Pivot: A Marketing Reset for the Established Entrepreneur

Guest Founder | Marianna Swallow | Executive Coach, Professional Speaker, and Founder of Speak Easy Strategies

Marianna Swallow has spent over 20 years helping more than 25,000 professionals become clearer, more confident communicators. As the founder of Speak Easy Strategies, she coaches executives, teams, and individuals on public speaking and presentation skills.

Now, Marianna is pivoting. She’s transitioning from one-on-one coaching to speaking and workshop facilitation, and like many entrepreneurs in the middle of a big shift, her marketing has hit a hurdle. The tactics that worked for years have suddenly gone quiet. And the question every established business owner dreads: Is any of this even working?

Advisory Panel

Maura Downs | Chief Program Officer, WBDC

Karen Goldner | Managing Director, Established Business Program and Services, WBDC

Aisha Ahrens | Managing Director, Entrepreneurial Program and Services, WBDC

Episode 3 | The Capital Question: Funding Fear, Revenue Strategy & the Road to Market Share

Guest Founder | Jennifer Nowicki | Founder of Cultivate Taste Tea

With more than 30 years in the tea industry and 35 years in gourmet and natural foods, Jennifer is a Certified Tea Specialist through the Specialty Tea Institute in New York City and has represented the U.S. tea industry at international tea conferences in China. Through Cultivate Taste Tea, she helps tea enthusiasts, hospitality businesses, retailers, and corporate gifting clients discover exceptional teas defined by craftsmanship, terroir, and authenticity.

Jennifer’s challenge for our advisors is in identifying the highest-leverage revenue channels for a premium specialty product. She would like to make more sales and is currently not meeting her potential and market share. Jennifer currently doesn’t have much of a budget, and believes capital is the solution she needs. However, she is nervous about small business loans and would like to learn more about her options to overcome her fear of financing.

Advisory Panel

Emma Westfall | Director, Access to Capital Program and Services, WBDC

Karen Goldner | Managing Director, Established Business Program and Services, WBDC

Aisha Ahrens | Managing Director, Entrepreneurial Program and Services, WBDC