What does it take to launch a female-founded brand in 700 Target stores—with no prior CPG experience? In this raw and real conversation, Susan Sly sits down with Amiee LeMaire, founder of ZEYA, the first true innovation in home fragrance since Febreze. Discover how this former Hollywood producer transformed a deeply personal passion for non-toxic, functional fragrance into a fast-growing brand selling out online and thriving in mass retail.

From bootstrapping prototypes and pitching with just a deck, to overcoming investor rejection and navigating supply chain shocks, Amiee breaks down the real story behind ZEYA’s rise. Learn her strategies for pricing a brand-new product category, raising $2M in seed funding, landing a national retail partnership before launch—and how she balances it all while parenting two young kids.

Whether you’re scaling a product, raising capital, or defining your own entrepreneurial journey, this episode delivers tactical insight, unapologetic truth, and a deep reminder: you can build something that changes how people live—and breathe.

Aimee LeMaire is the founder of ZEYA, a clean home fragrance brand now in 700+ Target stores. After a decade in entertainment, she launched ZEYA to offer luxurious, baby-and pet-safe scents that elevate everyday spaces and promote well-being.

Connect with Aimee:

• Website: https://zeyashop.com/
• LinkedIn: @aimee-blank
• LinkedIn: @zeyafragrance
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeyafragrance/

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship®. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠

What if the path to business ownership didn’t require a million dollars—or even quitting your job?

In this episode, Susan Sly sits down with Alex Smereczniak, founder of Franzy—an AI-powered platform on a mission to create one million entrepreneurs by reimagining franchising. After scaling a laundry startup to a $100M valuation, Alex is now focused on using technology to democratize business ownership for anyone ready to bet on themselves.

However, this conversation extends far beyond a company's story.

Susan and Alex unpack what it really takes to become an entrepreneur in 2025: how to know if you're ready, how to navigate fear, and why curiosity and resilience matter more than polished credentials. Alex shares candid lessons from raising venture capital, managing self-doubt, and starting small with big ambition. They also explore the reality of AI-driven job displacement and why business ownership might be the most secure path forward.

Whether you’re actively searching for your next venture or quietly questioning your 9–5, this episode will challenge you to think differently about risk, readiness, and what’s truly possible.

Alex Smereczniak, founder and CEO of Franzy, turned a college laundry hustle into a $100M exit. Now he’s using AI to help 1M people become entrepreneurs through franchising—an industry with double the 5-year success rate of independent startups.

Connect with Alex:

• Franzy: https://franzy.com/
• LinkedIn: @Franzy

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠

In a time of AI, rapid change, and constant disruption, what does it really take to lead?

Susan Sly sits down with physicist, tech executive, and executive leadership coach Dr. Toni Collis for a candid conversation about the realities of leadership in uncertain times. From subtle bias and burnout to walking away from a successful tech career, Toni shares how she rebuilt her path with purpose and now helps others do the same.

They explore what healthy ambition looks like, how to lead when you don’t fit the mold, and why clarity, not hustle, is the true currency of modern leadership.

If you're leading a company, managing a team, or considering a major pivot, don’t miss this episode. Tune in now to gain valuable insights and take the next step to lead with confidence, even when the future feels unclear.

Dr. Toni Collis is a physicist, tech executive, and award-winning executive leadership coach. As CEO of Toni Collis Executive Coaching and founder of the Lit Up Leadership Academy, she helps women in tech step into strategic leadership and build impactful, fulfilling careers. Toni is also the host of Leading Women in Tech, a Forbes-recognized podcast for women in leadership.

Connect with Dr. Toni:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonicollis/
• Website: tonicollis.com

Susan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a venerated voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and been quoted in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.

Connect With Susan:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepause.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://susansly.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Trusted Partners:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.susansly.com/trustedpartners⁠⁠⁠
• LinkedIn⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠@susansly⁠⁠⁠