Stop Taking Yourself Off the Pedestal ft. Essence Iman of Slutty Founder

#339: All month long on The Business of You series, we’ve been talking about building, but what happens when you feel the pull to walk away? That’s what we’re covering in our final installment with Essence Iman, ex-founder, writer, and the voice behind Slutty Founder, one of the most honest and entertaining spaces on the internet for real talk about business.

Essence built an award-winning, cult-favorite body care brand from just $200. She gained industry recognition, built a real community around it, and then did something most people couldn't wrap their heads around: she walked away, happily and on purpose.

In this conversation, we get into what it really means to trust yourself enough to close a chapter — and why that decision doesn't have to come with a catastrophe attached to it. We talk about the founder mentality and what all of us, business owners or not, can learn from it.

Essence breaks down why you should never take yourself off the pedestal, what it means to tell your story like you know how you got there, and why "you know what you’re doing" might be the most underrated piece of advice. We also get into the beauty industry — why it's become so crowded, why it continues to be such a difficult place to build, and where Essence thinks the real opportunities are for women ready to build something different.

This episode is for you if: You're questioning whether it's time to walk away from something — a job, a business, a chapter. You struggle with imposter syndrome or have a hard time owning your wins out loud.

You've been thinking about starting a business but feel locked into the idea that it has to look a certain way. You want to understand what a portfolio career actually looks like in practice.

You need someone to remind you that your success is not an accident. You're building something and want the kind of real, unfiltered founder perspective you're not going to find in a business book.

Episode Links: Learn more about Essence & Slutty Founder, go to Follow Essence on Instagram: Follow Essence on TikTok: Subscribe to Slutty Founder on Substack: Sponsors: Free People Movement: Visit to shop their full line of activewear. Rula: Rula makes it easier to find licensed therapists and psychiatrists who are actually in-network with your insurance.

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Visit and use code DMLUCKY for 35% off your entire first order. Connect with Les: Ready to apply what you hear?

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