Kristen (left) with her mom, Linnea Smith, and sister, Kelly Kimple (right).

Kristen Smith Young
@kcs_tarheel | Chapel Hill native and troublemaker

“I thought what if once a day I featured a woman business owner or entrepreneur and so I started March 1st, I featured folks that are local, folks that are national, and just as a way to highlight different women business owners and entrepreneurs,” said Young. “Some folks have had Chapel Hill High School connections, UNC connections, some are local, but I just want an opportunity to highlight the woman, encourage people to purchase their goods or services and then inspire others because even folks who have seen my posts have responded with their advice for women business owners.”

You may remember Kristen from her weekly conversation with Aaron Keck to give the Short & Sweet Business Beat. She’s back but for a limited time only. Inspired by so many women entrepreneurs and business owners she’s met and known, she decided to feature one woman a day in March on social media (follow her on Instagram and Twitter) in honor of Women’s History Month. Follow along and let us know your favorite women entrepreneurs. A digest of Kristen’s posts will appear right here in the Town Square section of Chapelboro each Friday in March.

Aaron Keck talked to Kristen on-air about her social media series on March 8, 2018, also International Women’s Day. Click below to hear their conversation:

 

Focus on Women Entrepreneurs (4 of 5)

Home and worn out from a long day, I am hoping makeup can cover up my fatigue tomorrow—I’ve got lots of options to try thanks to @birchbox. I’ve been a subscriber and customer for years and even got @birchboxman for Dylan. But kudos to my boss @sonjamatanovic for pointing out that #Birchbox is a woman-founded and woman-run company, started by @katiawb & @hayleybay in their @harvardhbs dorm room, now revenue positive after raising $80M in funding and focusing on what was core to the business. The company’s success came not only from “self-funding accelerated growth,” but also from hiring talented, motivated new moms that just needed flexibility in their work schedule. If you haven’t already, check out this successful subscription service: http://birch.ly/2Gb98PF #womenshistorymonth #beautyempire #likeaboss #Repost @birchbox with @get_repost

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Spent this evening viewing art and flowers (thanks Mom!) and came home to flowers (thank you @cielmorris!) and I feel particularly attune to the art that is around us every day. Having @vietriinc dishes is like that—you have your breakfast or dinner on a piece of art. Did you know “Vietri” is Italian for three lives? Tonight I want focus on three women entrepreneurs Lee Gravely and her daughters Susan Gravely and Frances Gravely. A mother and two daughters founded the largest American importer of Italian tableware and home decor more than thirty years ago and the business calls #Hillsborough home. Make sure you’re following @vietriinc (you could win a $500 shopping spree!) and save the date for their upcoming warehouse sale, May 5-7. #womenshistorymonth #artiseverywhere #lavitabella #Repost @vietriinc with @get_repost ・・・ Strong. Fearless. Beautiful. How would you describe the women in your life? We are feeling so fortunate to have such courageous, inspiring women as our founders. Happy #internationalwomensday to every woman out there❤️ #womenempoweringwomen

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Busy day today, but so glad I got to get a color and cut at @sydshairshop. I’ve been a client of @bford71 at Syd’s since I was a junior at Carolina. But today I asked about the salon’s origin story and I want to give a shout-out to Syd’s co-owner Amy-Jae Crawford. Today was one of many days where Syd’s donates 100% of their revenue to a charitable organization. They’ve supported the Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP, Anti-Defamation League, NC Coastal Federation, A Lotta Love, Carolina Tiger Rescue, the Marian Cheek Jackson Center, and many other worthy organizations. (My cut & color today helped support SHAC which provides free health services to uninsured in our community.) Amy-Jae along with the other co-owners have been a fixture in downtown for more than 15 years and I saw Amy-Jae lend a thoughtful voice to a contentious conversation on a local issue. Thank you Amy-Jae, Brad, and Syd’s for keeping us looking good and doing good for nearly two decades. #womenshistorymonth #sydshairshop #midway #bestofthetriangle #Repost @sydshairshop with @get_repost

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Home from #banffworldtour at @carolinatheatredurham, I have to focus on the woman-owned business that helps people chase their adventure. A mother then a daughter—Audrey Townsend and Betsy Bertram—have exemplified @tbandc’s core values of passion, adventure, and community and have been a part of the #Carrboro business community for more than three decades. I am not an outdoors person and I do not personally know these women, but I am grateful for their contributions, through @the.monti and the @townofcarrboro tree lighting, and most of all, helping this city girl try to impress her camping and outdoorsy husband. I realized tonight what a pure calling it is to help people find their calling out in the wild and I know Townsend & Bertram is doing that every day. #womenshistorymonth #familybusiness #intothewild #Repost @tbandc with @get_repost

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Happy, happy birthday to my friend @goldmandesiree! I loved hearing her story after an NC Chamber event in Raleigh we attended one night. At 13, she would answer the phone and type contracts at her dad’s business. At 17, she would take the school bus after school to the family-owned art gallery and sell and frame artwork. By 18, she worked at the art gallery and managed seminars in the family’s consulting business specializing in communication, sales and productivity. By 21, she dedicated herself to the consulting business and met her late husband a couple years later at a conference in Santa Cruz, CA. She joined his firm in Oakland, CA and for 13 years consulted over 100 startups and turnaround situations of owner-operated companies. By the time she moved to Chapel Hill, she had two young children and no longer wanted to travel for work. She chose real estate as a way to contribute and design a business that worked for her, her family and her clients. I’m fortunate that I got to meet her and work alongside her on local issues. I so admire and appreciate her authenticity and her advocacy. Love and birthday wishes to this fellow March baby and #econdev advocate. desireegoldman.com #womenshistorymonth #refreshinglyauthentic #realtoroftheyear #Repost @goldmandesiree with @get_repost

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I run into high school people all the time. But it’s amazing when you open your @real_simple magazine and see your classmate featured in the pages. Or on @refinery29 or @marthastewart or @people or @popsugar. The organizing geniuses Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer are based in Music City but travel around the world, taming messes, but more so transforming spaces. They do this, do this well, do this for some impressive clients, and do all of it while being moms. Even if you can’t have them come re-do your pantry, you can check out their blog, their Instagram stories at @thehomeedit, and for a [very] limited time, pick up some [very] cool merch. Joanna: Chapel Hill is so impressed and wish you continued success. thehomeedit.com/shop #womenshistorymonth #thehomeedit #girlboss #chhsrepresent #Repost @thehomeedit with @get_repost

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I could do a whole series on fellow #ChapelHill Tigers I love running into, but I would be remiss if I didn’t feature @raemosher. Rae was a public school teacher for twelve years, but took over the family business, @carrburritos, which has been keeping #Carrboro cool and well-fed for more than 20 years. I love what she told the @dailytarheel in October of last year: “I was proud of what my parents built and it’s my home.” Rae, we’re fortunate to have had you in our classrooms and we’re fortunate to have you at the helm at Carrburritos and most of all, fortunate to have you in our community. #womenshistorymonth #allflourchips #familybusiness #thankyouforthemargarita #Repost @raemosher with @get_repost ・・・ I used to share pictures of me with a stack of grading and my ever-present coffee. Now, things have changed; I wear a sweatshirt instead of a cardigan, and I reconcile receipts instead of essay grades, but my former students will still recognize my ever-present coffee cup. #mcdouglemiddleschool #carrborohighschool #worklife #carrburritos #carrboro #nc #familybusiness

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