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“Being an entrepreneur means being confident and passionate and fearless and resourceful, going after what you want, and not accepting 'no' when you hear it all the time.”
Amanda Zuckerman is the co-founder and CEO of Dormify, a home decor brand and e-commerce store dedicated to fashion-minded girls and first-time renters. Amanda co-founded Dormify with her mother, Karen Zuckerman, while studying at Washington University in St. Louis.
Amanda shares about the unique experience of starting a business that caters to college students while being in college gave her the focus group she needed to set herself up for success. She describes how developing a blog for her business led her to a network of brand ambassadors eager to share Dormify. You'll also learn how a grassroots approach to marketing was key to Dormify’s success and shares her best advice for reaching college students.
What we talked about:
How Dormify Came to Be [3:30]
Navigating a Limited Pool of Vendors [9:30]
Amanda’s Marketing Strategy [20:20]
Amanda’s Learning Lessons for Raising Capital [33:45]
Amanda’s Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs [45:30]
Connect with Amanda:
Amanda Zuckerman on LinkedIn
@dormify on Instagram
@amandazuckerman on Instagram
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Guests
Amanda Zuckerman
CEO of Dormify
Hosts
Stephanie Cartin
Stephanie Cartin is a serial entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, community builder, and a champion for women founders. She created the Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, to provide resources and support necessary at all business stages. She’s also the Co-founder of Socialfly, one of the first social media marketing agencies, as well as Entreprenista Media and Pearl Influential Capital which was recently acquired by Cherub. Stephanie has shared her journey managing her health challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Infertility, and a complicated pregnancy and is an advocate for women going through similar challenges. Her story and businesses have been featured on the Today Show, Bloomberg and Forbes. Consider Stephanie your biggest business cheerleader.
Courtney Spritzer
Courtney Spritzer is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and community builder with a passion for creating brands and platforms that empower women to lead, grow, and thrive.
In 2012, she co-founded Socialfly, a leading social-first digital and influencer marketing agency. Over the course of a decade, she helped scale the business into an award-winning agency working with Fortune 500 brands and emerging startups, building a powerhouse team and culture along the way. In 2024, Socialfly was acquired.
In 2018, Courtney launched the Entreprenista Podcast to spotlight the stories of inspiring women founders. That passion evolved into Entreprenista Media in 2021, a media platform and community supporting women entrepreneurs at every stage of growth. She now co-leads the continued expansion of The Entreprenista League, a membership-driven community and ecosystem for founders.
As an angel investor, Courtney supports female-led and mission-driven startups aligned with her vision for a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.
She is the co-author of Like, Love, Follow: The Entreprenista’s Guide to Using Social Media to Grow Your Business (2015), a strategic guide for leveraging social platforms to drive business success.
Her work and ventures have been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The New York Times. She is committed to championing visionary founders and helping build the next generation of impactful, community-driven businesses.
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