Retreat Notes From Libba: Day 1 at The Colony

LEAP & THE NET WILL APPEAR

My biggest takeaway from this year’s TSC Retreat x The Colony was simple.

You don’t need permission or perfection to build a business and life you love, just the courage to take the leap.

My dear friend, mentor and the founder of my former agency, Leapfrog PR, always preached “leap and the net will appear.” Reflecting on the flight home from Pink Paradise, it hit me that The Southern C is that very net, not just for me, but for so many of the incredible female founders in this community.

So take the leap, trust your vision, and know you’ll always find a safety net in the TSC community.

– Libba

CAPTIVATING A COMMUNITY:
Behind the Scenes of Irresistible Brands

Beth Buccini, Founder & Owner of Kirna Zabête and Ivey Leidy, Founder of Living with Ivey in conversation with Lydia Fenet, Founder & CEO of the Lydia Fenet Agency and Claim Your Confidence Podcast

• Know your customer, and trust your gut. “I am my own customer and I know exactly where my customer is.” Ivey Leidy
• Trust is the ultimate currency. Customers want honesty, efficacy, and brands they can understand. They don’t want to feel misled.
• Authenticity still wins. Platforms and marketing may change, but people still want to feel seen, heard, and given good advice.
• Relentlessly prioritize. “You always have to remember when juggling which balls are plastic and which balls are glass.” A quote Beth Buccini’s mom shared with her early in her career raising children that she reflects on often. You can’t sweat the small stuff when everything is competing for your attention.
• “Guilt is a useless emotion.” Beth Buccini Especially when balancing business, family, and everything in between. As Lydia added, it’s good for kids to see that life can be as big as you want it to be.
• Wear as many hats as you can, before you hire. Doing the jobs yourself teaches you what each role actually requires, making it easier to hire the right people later.
• Turn challenges into opportunities. From 9/11 and 2008 to COVID, Beth’s approach has been to keep pushing forward and “make lemonade out of lemons.” For Kirna Zabête, COVID ultimately helped inspire the launch of its own label.
• AI is becoming another tool in the toolbox. Beth uses ChatGPT for copy and Claude for deeper thinking, while Lydia recommended Emma Grede’s conversation on the Aspire podcast as an approachable starting point for anyone overwhelmed by AI.

MOTHER, DAUGHTER, MASTERCLASS:
Wisdom from The Women’s Power Series

Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos and Sophia Kanavos of Flag Luxury Group and Women’s Power Series in conversation with Lydia Fenet, Founder & CEO of the Lydia Fenet Agency and Claim Your Confidence Podcast

• You don’t have to feel ready to begin. “I wasn’t ready, but I did it anyways.” Sophia Kanavos. Again and again, the women who took the risk were the ones who moved forward.
• Don’t wait for confidence to find you. So many women look back and say, “I should have done it sooner.” Confidence is something you can actively build, not something you have to wait for.
• “Fake it until you become it.” Confidence takes practice. The more you put yourself in the room, speak up, and take the leap, the less scary it becomes.
• Ask for help, it’s a superpower. You don’t have to know everything before diving into the deep end. Surround yourself with people who know what you don’t and be willing to ask.
• Act like you belong in the room. Dayssi built her career by putting herself in rooms she didn’t necessarily think she belonged in, and learning once she got there. You deserve to go for the ball just as much as anyone else.
• “You have to tell people who you are and command the respect.” Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos People believe what you tell them about yourself. Know who you are, what you bring to the table, and communicate it.
• Work builds mastery, and mastery builds confidence. Dayssi made her children work even when they were busy with other pursuits. Learning that you can accomplish something on your own creates a powerful sense of self.
• Mentorship matters, from both women and men. Seek out people willing to teach, advocate, and open doors for you, and be willing to do the same for the women coming behind you.

DISHING IT OUT:
What’s Really on a Founder’s Plate

Daphne Oz, TV Personality, Author, & Chef in conversation with Lydia Fenet, Founder & CEO of the Lydia Fenet Agency and Claim Your Confidence Podcast

• Don’t wait until it feels less dangerous. Jump in. Selling, and being rejected, teaches you how to keep going until someone finally says yes.
• Learn how to take care of yourself. Daphne called this one of the most foundational skills, especially when you’re trying to build something while juggling everything else.
• Get really good at telling people who you are, fast. Be compelling, succinct, and clear about what you bring to the table. A strong point of view will always help you.
• “It doesn’t get easier, it gets faster.” Experience teaches you what deserves your energy, and how little some of the things you used to stress over actually matter.
• Get the business straight before the personal brand. It’s easy to get distracted building an identity online. Focus first on building the business that actually pays the checks.
• Trust is everything. People want recommendations from people they trust, like advice from a neighbor over the picket fence. You can never rebuild broken trust.
• Being human is your advantage in the age of AI. Show the flaws, the process, and the development. The raw, imperfect parts that make you human are increasingly what make you stand out.
• Let your kids see you work for something you love. There’s value in giving them an up-close look at a creative life, and showing them that the things you love can be worth working really hard for.
• What’s next for Daphne? Daphne’s new podcast, The Mothership, is the antidote to the doom scroll: interesting conversations, new perspectives, and actionable takeaways across a little bit of everything. Think of it as a “girl dinner” for your brain: a taste of everything, from politics to raising resilient kids to a great makeup rec.