Ep. 50 | The Secret to Success with 'Donna's Recipe' Co-founders Tabitha Brown & Gina Woods
tabitha & gina"PARTNERSHIP IS LIKE MARRIAGE, YOU HAVE TO PUT GOD AT THE CENTER AND WORK AT IT EVERY DAY"
Tabitha Brown and Gina Woods are the dynamic co-founders of 'Donna's Recipe,' a clean, vegan haircare brand designed specifically for textured hair. You'll hear us talk about the power of partnership, the realities of being a self-funded business, and how staying true to your values can shape both your business and your life.
description:
In this episode of It Takes A Village, Delina sits down with Tabitha Brown, Emmy-winning actress, NYT bestselling author, and “America’s Mom” and serial entrepreneur Gina Woods, the powerhouse co-founders behind Donna’s Recipe. Together, they share the heartfelt and often hilarious journey from the roots of their friendship, to Tabitha naming her hair “Donna,” and into building their flourishing clean, vegan haircare brand.
Tabitha and Gina pull back the curtain on building Donna’s Recipe: from identifying a gap in the market to capturing the magic of their dynamic partnership. They dive into what it takes to develop successful products, the realities of self-funding and making products affordable, navigating direct-to-consumer sales, and the critical role of content and community with “Donna’s Cousins.” From the sweet story of making Sweet Potato Pie to lessons in decision making and co-founder collaboration, their conversation is filled with actionable insights and plenty of inspiration.
If you’re ready to take on a new business, or just want a peek behind the scenes of a brand built on genuine love and expert business savvy, you’ll find this episode packed with wisdom and motivation.
Show Topics:
The beginnings of Tabitha and Gina’s friendship
Naming “Donna” and the story that led to Donna’s Recipe
Developing their business partnership
Spirituality in business and everyday life
Content creation and building community (“Donna’s Cousins”)
Deciding on and launching their first product
Making Sweet Potato Pie and connecting culture to business
Challenges and lessons of direct-to-consumer sales
Moving to LA and growing with change
Decision making on product affordability
Defining and sharing co-founder responsibilities
The reality of being a self-funded business
Leveraging Amazon and customer reviews for growth
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
ABOUT Tabitha Brown & Gina Woods
Tabitha Brown is a multi-talented Emmy award-winning actress, best-selling author, vegan food star, and social media sensation affectionately known as “America’s Mom.” Raised in North Carolina, Tabitha’s journey to stardom began with a passion for acting and storytelling, but it was her honest, heartwarming content, infused with humor, wisdom, and vegan recipes that won the hearts of millions worldwide. From humble beginnings, she found her calling as a comfort and motivator for others, often sharing her own transformative journey from struggling actress to celebrated host of shows like Food Network’s “It’s CompliPlated” and the Emmy-winning “Tab Time.” Her influence reaches beyond screens and pages, inspiring countless people to embrace goodness, self-love, and joy in their everyday lives.
Gina Woods is a visionary entrepreneur, mentor, and community advocate who has reshaped the beauty industry from the ground up. As the co-founder of Donna’s Recipe, Gina brought her expertise in launching and scaling beauty brands to a partnership that now sees their vegan hair care line on the shelves of Ulta and Target stores nationwide. Over her 15-year career, she’s not only built and advised multiple multi-million dollar companies, but also empowered a new generation through mentoring programs and the LA Kids Entrepreneur Camp. Renowned for her ability to bridge heart and strategy, Gina is dedicated to supporting other women entrepreneurs on their journeys, offering practical frameworks and unwavering encouragement to build brands with purpose and staying power.
Follow them on Instagram at @iamtabithabrown & @ginalosangeles
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