By Lynette Barbieri and Jana Roos

Running a thriving business takes drive, determination, and a whole lot of hustle! We’re spotlighting eight savvy entrepreneurs whose immense success proves how a little belief and a big leap of faith can land you a leading role in your own life. Looking to recalibrate your career path? Let their accomplishments be your compass.

Dr. Judith Fiona Joseph MD MBA

New York, NYMANHATTAN BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE PLLC and DR. JUDITH FIONA JOSEPH MD MBA PC

ManhattanBehavioralMedicine.com, DrJudithMD.com, Instagram.com/DrJudithJoseph, TikTok.com/@drjudithjoseph

MY BUSINESS: I am a principal investigator of my own research and medical lab in Midtown Manhattan. I run a team of 10 women who are clinical research coordinators and physicians dedicated to helping pharmaceutical companies develop novel treatments for mental health conditions ranging from depression, anxiety, and ADHD to dementia and autism. I also have a private practice, Dr. Judith Fiona Joseph MD MBA PC, where I treat adults and children in a traditional psychiatry setting, focusing on medication management and therapy.

I am also a clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Medical Center, where I teach young physicians how to give press and media interviews. Through my work as a medical media consultant, I have worked with Apple TV as a medical writer to help directors and producers depict mental health issues accurately in film and television. I also worked as an on-air contributor to various national TV shows, such as “The Dr. Oz Show,” “The Wendy Williams Show,” and “Investigation Discovery.” 

I am chair of the Women in Medicine Initiative at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where I lead thousands of female physician alum of Columbia University in initiatives that support women in medicine.

MOST REWARDING: My work with young doctors at NYU is rewarding because I teach them how to speak about mental health issues to the press and social media. Through my media advocacy, I aim to decrease the stigma around mental health issues and increase awareness. In 2022, I teamed up with Johanna Ovsenek, president and CEO of Kyma Social, to widen my social media reach so that I could talk about issues in the mental health space that are considered “taboo.” On TikTok and Instagram, I now post daily educational skits, discussing complex mental health and psychotherapy topics in simple and entertaining segments so that my followers feel both informed and empowered.

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: The secret to my success is working with a team of women who are stronger and more skilled in certain areas of expertise than I am.

Rania V. Sedhom

New York, NYSEDHOM LAW GROUP, PLLCMANAGING MEMBER

BespokeLawFirm.com

MY BUSINESS: My firm acts as general counsel to small- and medium-sized businesses. We help companies monetize their business while complying with the law. We love working with female and other underrepresented founders and business professionals who want a trusted advisor with whom they can discuss business, strategy, and the law. Our greatest differentiator is our knowledge of business and our enjoyment of others’ successes. Although our clients are small in size, we help them, for example, obtain favorable contractual terms. Just because a company is small doesn’t mean it has to sacrifice its ability to succeed in order to contract with a larger company.

MOST REWARDING: Helping startups grow and flourish. I created a model where smaller companies can receive stellar legal advice without worrying about paying by the hour. Rather, we help clients’ profit and losses by helping create a legal budget and guiding companies within that budget. When we help businesses close deals, obtain financing, and support them in their endeavors, it is our greatest reward.

Our services are very high touch. To that end, we communicate with many of our clients multiple times per week. By removing the pay-per-hour from the relationship, businesses can focus on what they need rather than what they can afford.

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS:Genuinely caring about clients, and coming from a place of “know” rather than “no” are our secrets to success.

Jacqueline Vazquez

New York, NYLIFETIME EVENTS BY JACQUELINE - CLASSY AND INSPIRINGCEO, EVENT PLANNER, AUTHOR, SPEAKER, MENTOR, EDUCATOR

ClassyandInspiring.com

MY BUSINESS: In addition to being a master wedding and event planner, my personal brand has allowed my overall passion and purpose to come full circle on a global level.

As an event planner, I am a trusted brand executing clients’ visions for the most spectacular and memorable events. We serve busy professionals ranging from all spectrums including medical, law, finance, education, and creative professionals. We also specialize in cultural and multicultural events.

My personal brand, Classy and Inspiring, has allowed me to elevate my trusted brand platform while impacting the lives and journeys of event planners/entrepreneurs internationally, including China, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean Islands as a sought-after industry expert, educator, mentor, speaker, and author.

My goal is to create and build a global network, assisting planners/entrepreneurs in defining their direction and building confidence while developing a strong community of educated and powerful leaders globally throughout the event industry.

As a philanthropist, I am honored to be on the Wise Women Council of Girls Inc. of Westchester, giving back and empowering young girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

MOST REWARDING:I would first say that’s bringing a smile to everyone I meet. Plus, it’s a combination between impacting my clients’ lives by bringing their vision to life and creating a positive impact on the relationships built with event professionals and those I share my knowledge and expertise.

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: Living life and running a business purposefully while being genuine, perseverant, and resilient. Be inspired to believe and proceed.

Tricia + Leif Gustafson

Johnston, IATHE CORK 50131, LLCOWNERS

Facebook.com/TheCork50131

OUR BUSINESS: We own and operate The Cork 50131, a wine lounge in the new Johnston Town Center commercial development in Johnston, Iowa (a suburb of Des Moines). We offer more than 125 different wines for sale by the bottle and a rotating assortment of approximately 15 different wines by the glass, as well as spirits, beer, non-alcoholic drinks, charcuterie boards, flatbreads, and desserts.

We strive to provide a refined and relaxing atmosphere where customers can enjoy a drink and conversation with friends and experience and learn about different varieties of wine from all around the world.

Tricia primarily serves as the aesthetics director for the business. She played an integral role in the design of the space and will be involved in ongoing updates to it (art for the walls, area rugs for the lounge area, etc.). Leif is the beverage and food director and manages the day-to-day operations of the business, including developing the wine list and managing relationships with distributors, suppliers, and employees.

MOST REWARDING: Being part of a community and (hopefully) making it a more enjoyable place to live. It's extremely validating when customers tell us things like: "We've been waiting for a place like this in Johnston—we needed it!"... "Thank you for taking the leap of faith and doing this!"... "We'd love to hold our event in your space."

We've only been open for a short time (since New Year's Eve 2023), but we've already met and formed new relationships with a lot of great people in the community.

SECRET TO OUR SUCCESS: Staying true to our vision, while listening closely to customers and being open to making improvements.

Jean Shafiroff

New York, NYPHILANTHROPIST, AUTHOR, TV HOST, and FASHION INFLUENCER

JeanShafiroff.com

MY BUSINESS: I serve on eight charity boards, where my primary focus is women‘s rights, underserved populations, animal rights, and health care. Many of these charities are international charities. I am also the author of the book “Successful Philanthropy: How To Make a Life By What You Give." In addition, I host a TV show that airs in the Hamptons called “Successful Philanthropy," where I interview celebrities, politicians, and executive directors of charities.

My volunteer work keeps me extremely busy, but the work is very rewarding. Each year I usually chair about eight or nine charity galas and then host smaller events for various charities. I am often interviewed on TV and radio to discuss philanthropy and my life.

In addition, I love fashion and style. One of my boards is the Couture Council of the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology. I promote philanthropy, my love of fashion, and positive living on my Instagram account, which now has over 1 million followers.

MOST REWARDING: It is very rewarding to be engaged in philanthropic work. All of my work is volunteer work. It is a great privilege to be able to do it. I love hosting my TV show. I also love chairing many different charity galas each year. I am a people-person and love to meet and interact with people around the globe.

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: The secret to the success I have achieved is hard work, integrity, and the belief in the importance of my philanthropic work.

Danielle Sullivan

Marlboro, NJNOVEMBER ROSEBOUTIQUE OWNER

NovemberRoseBoutique.com

MY BUSINESS: November Rose is your go-to destination for the latest women’s fashion trends. We carry multiple brands that are quality multifunctional pieces carefully hand-picked by us. Our store is a one-stop-shop for everything you will need in your closet that will take you from day to night. We strive to make fashion and confidence co-existent, where looking good and feeling good go hand and hand.

MOST REWARDING: Having the ability to empower women to be the best version of themselves while feeling beautiful in the clothes they are in.

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: Providing women with a quality shopping experience and excellent customer service of dedication, honesty, and reliability, which keeps our customers returning.

Courtney Rogers

London, United KingdomCIJ GROUP and RETAIL PRFOUNDER and MANAGING DIRECTOR

CIJGroup.co, RetailPR.co

MY BUSINESS: CIJ Group is a PR solutions company that supports retailers to boost their product exposure for each key period in the retail and gifting calendar. We connect both in-house PRs and PR agencies with top-tier media through our variety of PR solutions. Our work most notably [occurs] in the lead-up to Christmas with our annual exhibition, "The Big Christmas Press Show,” where close to 80 brands and retailers meet 800+ media over the course of two days. Our popular virtual “Power Pitching” series features 18 events that span each retail vertical and key date in the retail calendar, targeting both UK and US media. It's coined as ‘speed dating meets “Shark Tank”!’

More recently we launched Retail PR to support our clients that needed support throughout the year. We're a specialist public relations agency, specifically designed to support high street and online retailers across all verticals. Specialisms have developed from understanding the challenges across the retail sector through working with over 150 retail clients.

MOST REWARDING: The most rewarding aspect for me would have to be supporting the retail industry with cost-effective solutions, helping them to get publicity and exposure, and ultimately drive sales. We support a variety of brands and retailers, and our client portfolio includes Seasalt, eBay, Paperchase, Moonpig, Hobbycraft, Remington, Baylis & Harding, JoJo Maman Bébé, Whittard of Chelsea, and more.

SECRET TO MY SUCCESS: I passionately believe that businesses have to be niche in their client offering. I’m proud to say that the solutions we offer are unique and add exceptional value to the companies we work with.

LIVE YOUR MOST BELLA LIFE!

BELLA Magazine is a national subscription- and newsstand-based lifestyle publication offering a curated guide to fashion, beauty, health, philanthropy, arts and culture, cuisine, celebrities, and entertainment.

At BELLA, we spotlight the ideal that Life Is BEAUTIFUL!