Episode 52: Finding Intrinsic Motivation, Overcoming Misogyny, and BTS of Vanderpump Rules With the Founder of DEUX, Sabeena Ladha
Sabeena Ladha is the founder of DEUX, Instagram's favorite raw cookie dough brand that's vegan, gluten-free, and jam-packed with vitamins and adaptogens. On today's episode, Sabeena discusses her entrepreneurial journey, from working for Pepsi to becoming interested in wellness, to the personality traits that she attributes to her success and why DEUX has blown up. Sabeena is a marketing queen and so knowledgeable about the food industry. She also talks about her experience on Shark Tank and the misogyny that followed (hint: it has to do with what she wore *major eye roll*). Sabeena was also featured on this season of Vanderpump Rules to assist Katie and Ariana with their sandwich shop, and was at SUR to witness Katie and Raquel's massive fight in what was supposed to be the season finale, so Josie had to ask her to spill all the tea on the BTS of this iconic season.
SHOW NOTES:
In our sweetest episode of The Everygirl Podcast yet, Josie interviews DEUX founder Sabeena Ladha about her career journey, her inspiration for packing supplements into edible cookie dough, and her appearance on Shark Tank. The episode begins with Sabeena discussing her childhood as a young Indian-American girl in Texas, working at her father’s convenience store and designing her own clothes. She explains how her obsession with brands like Frito-Lay and Coca-Cola evolved into the beginning of her career post-grad, working in marketing for Lays. Then, Josie and Sabeena have a conversation about how marketing, especially for snacks and food, has changed since Sabeena first entered the industry. Sabeena notes the cognitive dissonance she felt while maintaining a healthy lifestyle while working in marketing for no-so-healthy snacks. The discussion then pivots to Sabeena’s natural tendency for entrepreneurship, and how she started DEUX. She gives advice to those who might be interested in changing their careers or striking out on their own. Sabeena also explains why she felt motivated to turn vitamins and supplements into a delicious cookie dough, and how the pandemic impacted her ability to market a health food that was also an indulgent dessert. She then discusses what it was like to pivot DEUX’s marketing from primarily a health food to primarily something that is totally scrumptious (and also healthy). Sabeena and Josie have a conversation about making friends on the internet, especially as a female entrepreneur. Then, the episode takes a turn towards Sabeena’s time on Shark Tank: what it was like to be on reality television, the misogynistic comments she received after her appearance on the show, and how she clapped back at the haters. Last but certainly not least, Josie’s fangirl comes out, and she asks Sabeena all about her brief appearance on Vanderpump Rules. The episode closes with some casual chit-chat about the show between Sabeena and Josie.
Must-Listen Moments:
[5:47] Sabeena’s childhood obsession with both snack brands and clothing design, and how that launched her career
[17:10] How Sabeena ended up gravitating towards entrepreneurship after working in marketing for Frito-Lay
[29:25] How was Sabeena inspired to start DEUX, and why did she decide to combine supplements with cookie dough?
[50:34] All about Sabeena’s time on Shark Tank, from being on reality television for the first time to her viral Tik Tok clapping back at the haters
[1:03:14] Sabeena spills the tea about what it was like to be on the Vanderpump Rules finale
More from The Everygirl:
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