Powerful Women Rising - A Business Podcast for Female Entrepreneurs

From Home Kitchen to Global Impact: How One Woman is Changing Lives Around the World w/Talisa Caldwell

• Melissa Snow - Powerful Women Rising, LLC • Episode 100

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Your business can do more than generate revenue - it can change lives.

In this episode (the first in our series of interviews with the Powerful Women Rising Impact Award winners) you'll meet Talisa Caldwell, Founder of Freedom Creators Co. and winner of the 2024 Business for Good Award. 

What began as a personal solution to a skincare problem became a purpose-driven brand that not only creates clean, non-toxic products but also funds education for children around the world.

In this episode, we discuss what it really means to build a business with impact - one that aligns with your values, serves a greater mission, and creates lasting change.

You'll Learn:

✅ How building impact into your business model creates long-term success
✅ The power of giving back in a way that feels authentic and sustainable
✅ How to stay focused on your mission and avoid comparison traps
✅ The role of faith, patience and perseverance in building a business

Talisa's journey offers powerful insights on building a purose driven business, proving that success isn’t just about sales, but about creating meaningful change.

This episode is part of the 2024 PWR Impact Awards Winner Series, featuring women entrepreneurs who are redefining success and impacting the lives of others. 

Want more inspiration and real-world strategies to make an impact with your business? Subscribe and don’t miss the next episode in this powerful series!

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Melissa Snow is a Business Relationship Strategist dedicated to empowering women in entrepreneurship. She founded the Powerful Women Rising Community, which provides female business owners with essential support and resources for business growth.

Melissa's other mission is to revolutionize networking, promoting authenticity and genuine connections over sleazy sales tactics. She runs an incredible monthly Virtual Speed Networking Event which you can attend once at no cost using the code FIRSTTIME

She lives in Colorado Springs with two girl dogs, two boy cats and any number of foster kittens. She loves iced coffee, Taylor Swift, and Threads.

Melissa Snow:

Hello Talisa, welcome to the podcast. Hi Melissa, thank you for having me. I'm so excited to chat with you today. This is the first interview that I've done so far of the women who have won the 2024 Powerful Women Rising Impact Awards, and you are a great person to kick it off, because you really are. You're not even Powerful Woman Rising, you're like Powerful Woman Rizzing, rizzin' Rizzin' Rizz. Powerful woman, rizz. There we go. Yes, we have Rizz. So before we get into the interview, tell everybody a little bit about you and about what you do.

Talisa Caldwell:

So, yes, my name is Talitha and I'm the founder of Freedom Creators Co. And that is a non-toxic skincare company that is based out of Colorado Springs. All of our products are made with seven natural ingredients or less, but what really helps us to stand out is the fact that not only is the products great for your skin, but they are also really great for the world. So I donate 5% of our revenue towards an orphanage in Uganda, and that helps to provide further schooling and basic needs, things like that, and so with every purchase, we're able to help support those kids.

Melissa Snow:

I love that. So the award that you won in 2024 was the Business for Good Award, and that was an award that was created to honor a woman who is dedicated to social impact, community advocacy or charitable work and is using her business as a force for positive change in her community or on a broader scale. So you were nominated by your peers. You were chosen as the winner by a panel of judges. So congratulations on that, and tell us a little bit about how you got this idea. Like, were you already making the skincare and then you were like I should do this other thing, or did it happen the other way around?

Talisa Caldwell:

So I've been supporting this orphanage since about 2012. So about 12 years, but just kind of like on my own. And then I started my company in 2020. And at that time I still had kept them separate. I knew that I wanted to give back and do something good for the community, but I was still learning business and had no idea what I was doing. So I started Freedom Creators Code just out of my home, started making it for, like, my eczema, my sensitive skin, and it started working out really well for me. And then people were interested in it.

Talisa Caldwell:

So I really wanted to like I've always been an entrepreneur at heart. I don't really do well working for other people or like having to be at a certain time. You know, as an employee, I just Sitting still. It's a hard time for me, yeah, because I'm always like thinking of different things I could be doing. So I just went full in for my business in 2020.

Talisa Caldwell:

And then, in October of 2023, I decided to go out and visit the orphanage myself. I'd never gone in person before, I'd just done like phone calls with the owner, and we became like really really close over the years and I talked to the kids over the phone and video calls and things like that, but I'd never seen them. And so I was like, okay, it's time for me to go out, I'm just going to go and do it. And so I went out there by myself and then I just even more deeply fell in love with the kids there and I was able to like raise some funding when I was there, just from, like donations of friends and stuff like that, and we paid off their school fees. And then I was like I came back and I knew that I didn't want to just end there and I was like, okay, well, I have this business, I have this kind of charitable work, this nonprofit that I didn't want to just end there.

Talisa Caldwell:

And I was like, okay, well, I have this business, I have this kind of charitable work, this nonprofit that I want to start like, why not combine the two into one thing, thinking off of, like you know, tom's and like Pacha Soaps big companies who are like B Corps, who have done stuff like this. So I was like, okay, this is something that can be done. And then that's when in January of 2024, I was like let's just kick off this year and I decided to donate 5% of our revenue towards them instead of just kind of like giving from my own. I was like no, this is going to be a staple in the company and what we do. And so, yeah, last year, 2024, was the first year of me doing that and I got to test out and kind of rebrand and just figure things out. And I will say I'm still figuring it out, but the storytelling and the messaging is getting more clear and that's awesome.

Melissa Snow:

So tell us a little bit about what that money does.

Talisa Caldwell:

Yeah, so it actually this year we were able to raise 7,000, a little bit over 7,000. And so this paid off the school fees for over 70 kids.

Melissa Snow:

That's amazing 70. That's so cool 70.

Talisa Caldwell:

Yeah All, and they all range. The youngest one is about four years old and then the oldest ones are 20.

Melissa Snow:

That's really cool. So you mentioned that you've had some struggles, some challenges, some obstacles, some things that you thought were going to work out, that didn't, and you're like, okay, now we got to take a different direction, and also that you are still figuring things out, which I think is just the nature of entrepreneurship. I think we're always still figuring things out, even 20 years into it. What keeps you going when things are hard, like? I'm sure, just like the rest of us, you've had moments where you're like this is a disaster, this is not going to work. What am I doing? How do you keep going during those times? How do you?

Talisa Caldwell:

keep going during those times. I'll definitely say that for me, the biggest thing is my relationship with God and praying over situations and instead of me trying to do it all alone, handing it over to God and being like, ok, like this is your business, you want these kids to have these opportunities, you want this business to grow. You gave me the idea no-transcript oh, like I know, like it really does something to my heart and makes me feel fulfilled. So I would say that that's another thing. Like the dedication to the kids have has gotten me to continue the business, cause I feel like if I wasn't helping these kids like, I probably would have been like nah, like it's not worth it, you know, but because you know these kids in this organization is reliant on um, our donations in order to help them continue to grow. That's what really is like okay, there's like literally 70 kids out there who would not be in school were it not for these donations, and that brings like a weightiness to what I do. I think it'd be different if it was just me being like oh, I want to have a nice car and nice blah, blah, blah. Like those things don't really me personally, don't motivate me as much as like giving back and making the world a better place for the future generations does. And, yeah, also just a lot of race with myself and not comparing myself and my journey to others that you see on social media, because, like you really don't know their backgrounds and things like that.

Talisa Caldwell:

Like, I feel like 2020, there's this huge burst of business entrepreneurs, because I think everybody got shut down and then lost their jobs and whatnot and was like, okay, well, like I need to start my own thing, and so that was just kind of like a thing that happened, especially in America. And like, with that, you still don't know where people were starting from. You don't know if they had already tried a business or, you know, had multiple businesses before, or have parents who are investing, or have family members who have given them. Here's $100,000 for you to play with. Like you know, you don't like not everybody shows that aspect of it. For me, this is like a lifelong thing.

Talisa Caldwell:

I'm 29,.

Talisa Caldwell:

I'll be 30 this year, so I feel like that's like a good age to be investing in a business.

Talisa Caldwell:

You know, like the average, I think, millionaires in like their 40s or 50s you know if you're talking those big things, and so you know there's still just time, and being gentle and patient and not trying to like rush, rush, rush and go, go, go and look a certain way, because then some of these companies that you see on social media might be like, yeah, we look like we're doing great and then there are hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, like you know, absolutely no idea, and so that's been a big thing. For me of keeping me going is like being okay with where I'm at and knowing that, even if it might feel like a long process, I would still be grateful if it took me 15 years to have a company that has a firm foundation, is doing what it says it's doing, is profitable and is giving jobs to people as well, as, you know, helping those around the world. So for me, it's just like, however long it takes, you just have to be patient and persevere and, yeah, just keep going.

Talisa Caldwell:

So yeah those are the points that helped me.

Melissa Snow:

That's great, yeah, I think, staying focused on like the bigger picture. I think it's really easy for us to get caught up in these like little dumb things that don't actually matter, like how many followers do I have on Instagram? Or like, how many likes did that post on threads get? Like I do that all the time anyway, and then I'm like who actually cares? Like I, I grew my threads following from like 220 to like over a thousand in like five days, but only because I started posting pictures of this cat that I got that's like so ugly, he's cute and so like is that helping my business? No, like my, my entire threads following is just cat ladies, which is great. I love cat ladies, but that's one of those things that's like I could go all over and be like I grew my threads following five you know 500 times in five days and everybody would be like wow, she's doing so much better than me. Like I'm actually not. I just have a lot of cat ladies.

Talisa Caldwell:

So all these cat people yeah. Yeah, you really, really don't know.

Melissa Snow:

So yeah, they're called vanity metrics. For a reason they're not called success metrics.

Talisa Caldwell:

Exactly Like the community, it matters more than the amount you know the individual.

Melissa Snow:

So yeah, absolutely. So you've touched on some of these things already that I was going to ask you in the last question, which is just what advice would you give to female entrepreneurs, in particular if they're just getting started or if they are, you know, kind of struggling to find success? You mentioned a lot of things that I think are really helpful not comparing yourself to other people, giving yourself grace, keeping that bigger picture and your why and the impact that you're having in mind. Is there anything else that you would add that you haven't mentioned yet?

Talisa Caldwell:

that you would add that you haven't mentioned yet. Yeah, I would also say knowledge and community. Those are huge, huge things that'll be able to keep you going. I think that one of my biggest struggles and I really didn't figure out exactly what I was doing until like midway through last year, when I was like, oh, I know exactly what I need to do on this day and this day and this day and this is what I need to be doing and this is how I need to be doing it it took me yeah was like so that's four years to figure out what the heck I'm even supposed to be doing.

Talisa Caldwell:

So if you can get like a coach or a mentor, I would say that's definitely valuable, something that I wish I would have done at the beginning. And I know some people are like I just want to get started right away and I know that's an investment and it's like okay, but like you can either teach yourself how to do it and it'll take all this time that was kind of like what I did or you can just get the mentor and they'll teach you how to do it, and then also like being involved in a community and networking, especially with small business and just any business in general. It's all about who you know, it's all about connections. It's really hard, like you're really not meant to do business alone like it's impossible for one person to do it all and like.

Talisa Caldwell:

People want to hear your story, people want to hear um about your business, people want to support you and a lot of times it's not necessarily the people in your immediate circle or friend like I like. Some people get like discouraged by that, but for me, I had to like make a switch and be like oh, wow strangers want to support me, and like people like I think that's amazing.

Talisa Caldwell:

And also, when you go to like networking events, don't just go there, you know, with like, oh, like, what am I going to get out of this? Who am I going to meet? That's gonna blow, you know, because people can sense that like, oh, you're just trying to get something out of me. Go there for like genuine connection. You never know. Like hearing somebody else's story might inspire you.

Talisa Caldwell:

You might meet a social media person that you want to join on your team, that has similar passions with you, or you might just enjoy yourself and be able to be around some like-minded individuals so that you don't feel so alone, because a lot of times, maybe, we're just sitting in front of our computers or sitting in our offices alone and we're like, oh, like, is there anybody like me who understands this?

Talisa Caldwell:

There are people like you who understand what you're going through, who might have even been doing it for like 12, 15 years. And you're like wow, like I've only been doing this for like 12, 15 years. And you're like, wow, like I've only been doing this for four years and you're doing this for 15 years. Like, I want to hang out with you Like what is keeping you going, you know and so, and it's easy to be like just on social media with all of these unrealistic expectations, but when you go to these events you meet like real business people, like the reality of being an entrepreneur, and so, yeah, that was something that I kind of put off, really until also the midway through last year, where I was like and this year my goal is to go to one networking event per month.

Talisa Caldwell:

Being in your actual community, local wise, is also very important, because if you're trying to reach all the way out there, the whole world, you got to reach what's around you first and so that's been a big big thing. For me is like oh wait, like Colorado Springs doesn't even know about me, like let me like become known here and then try you, you know, to branch out from there.

Melissa Snow:

So yeah, absolutely, and I didn't pay you to say any of that, but that is all stuff that I would pay someone to say. And that's one of the things that I talk about a lot with networking is that like if you have a hundred people in your audience, but now you and I are connected and I have a hundred people in my audience, that's now a hundred people in my audience, that's now a hundred people who are hearing about you who wouldn't have heard about you otherwise, just because you and I are connected and you don't have to go have a hundred coffee dates with them. And they're all coming to you now as like warm leads because they trust me and they know that I trust you, and it just keeps working like exponentially over time.

Talisa Caldwell:

So it's like magic, exactly, yep, yeah, definitely. The people who have become like the most consistent customers are ones who have like, either met me face to face personally or met somebody who was like, oh my gosh, you have to try this stuff. And then they're like, oh yeah, like this is awesome, you know, and so, just like what you said, yeah, it's building trust and things like that.

Melissa Snow:

So Absolutely yeah. And if you're listening to this podcast and not watching the video on the YouTube channel, you have to go watch it on the YouTube channel so you can see what beautiful skin Talisa has, because she's actually 98, but her skincare line is so amazing. She looks like this Wrinkle-free natural Botox Even at 98. It's amazing.

Talisa Caldwell:

Even at 98.

Melissa Snow:

Absolutely Well. Thank you so much for this interview. This has been really good, really inspiring for, I think, everybody listening and just thank you so much for all the good that you're doing in the world. That, I think, makes all of us want to be better people. So thank you.

Talisa Caldwell:

Awesome. Thank you so much for having me, melissa. This was an honor, and thank you for the judges who voted for me and whoever nominated me. It's really just an honor to be seen, and then also, that also motivates me to keep going as well. So thank you.

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