If these stories stay with you, follow The TrailBLAZER Pod on Spotify. It’s the best way to never miss one and continue supporting Jewish women.

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Summary

Lizzy’s parents used to ask her: “did you try?” instead of “what’d you get?”, the kind of message that builds a kid who finishes a degree in two and a half years against everyone telling her not to risk it. At twelve, she saw an Israeli soldier and decided she was going to be one. She fought her way into combat command course as an American: Hebrew not great, shoes not the right size, mental block on the three-meter rope. She passed at the last possible second. Twice she’s been active duty in war. After October 7, she fought her way back in as a reservist.

In between, Morgan Stanley. Then six years building a life in Tel Aviv. Then back to New York to build Quietlux, a text-and-email luxury platform where real humans solve real problems, from MRIs that didn’t reach a doctor to private jets to ten-year-old birthday parties in Manhattan. Built deliberately as a luxury experience, not a tech company. Built on the conviction that the unsexy parts of life; payroll on time, vendors paid, governance done right, are what elevate the sexy parts.

This episode goes deep on the conversation every founder needs to have with their spouse before they start, the framework for knowing when to quit (and when not to), why Lizzy refuses to pitch tech-bro funds, the mental block at three meters that almost ended her commander’s course, what fierce independence actually looks like in practice, and that most people aren’t thinking about you as much as you think they are.

Takeaways

• The most important conversation a founder has isn’t a pitch. It’s the sit-down with yourself: runway, exit criteria, what life looks like in twelve months.

• Decide before you need to decide.

• Go where the cards are stacked in your favor. Strategic room selection isn’t quitting, it’s investing your energy where it can actually compound.

• The unsexy parts of building elevate the sexy parts. Payroll on time. Vendor payments. Baseline trust. Founders who treat governance as foundation will outlast founders who treat it as boring.

• Fire fast. Protecting your A-players is what makes them want to stay.

• Most people aren’t thinking about you as much as you think they are.

Soundbites

• “It’s just fine, I’ll just figure it out.”

• “I don’t wanna go where the cards are stacked against me. I wanna go where the cards are stacked in my favor.”

• “Most people aren’t thinking about you as much as you think they are.”

• “Do you blame the room or do you figure out how you’re gonna execute?”

• “When I get scared, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.”

Connect with Lizzy:

🌐 Quietlux: https://www.thequietlux.com/

📸 Instagram: @thequietlux

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lizzy-livne-93792b45?skipRedirect=true

Connect with Faye:

🌐 https://thetrailblazerpod.com/

📸 @thetrailblazerpod

The TrailBLAZER Pod | Bold Jewish Women

Every week, I sit down with Jewish women who have built businesses, broken barriers, and refused to shrink. This is their story, and maybe yours too.

By Faye Lax - Rosenberg

If these stories stay with you, follow The TrailBLAZER Pod on Spotify. It’s the best way to never miss one and continue supporting Jewish women.

FOLLOW

Summary

What does it look like to make a plan, follow it perfectly, and then have to write a new one in a new country, at 19, with twelve months of waiting before you’re allowed to work?

Hadas grew up in Israel where she was diagnosed in third grade with learning challenges. The doctors told her mother to lower her expectations and to expect a 60 average, not a 90. Her mother refused. Hadas spent her childhood and teenage years grinding harder than anyone around her, getting 90+ on every exam, joining a Tel Aviv University accelerated diploma program in tenth grade, and building a meticulous plan: study hard, government job, Israeli career.

Then at 19 she married an American, moved to New York, and found herself with a year of waiting for her work permit and a plan that no longer fit her life. So she did what she’d always done; she studied her way through it. A book on investing led her to learn the markets. The markets led her to follow tech. Tech led her, in 2022, to a Yahoo Finance article about generative AI. She called her family in Israel: you don’t understand, this is going to be huge. From there she built Next Gen AI, strategic consulting for businesses figuring out where AI actually belongs in their roadmap, plus AI education for non-technical teams who want to use it without it becoming another thing they have to manage.

This episode goes deep on what it really means to throw out the plan you spent a decade building, the practical difference between prompt engineering and prompt design,, why she sees her Orthodox Jewish identity as leverage at non-Jewish business conferences rather than a limit, and the advice she gives every woman whose original plan no longer fits her life.

Takeaways

• Don’t take entrepreneurship advice from people who’ve never built anything. Find the ones who’ve done what you want to do.

• AI prompt skill is less about engineering and more about translating what’s in your head onto a page.

• Standing out is leverage. Being the only Orthodox Jewish woman in a thousand-person conference room makes Hadas findable, memorable, and curious.

• Stay positive. You’ll find a thousand reasons to be negative if you go looking.

Soundbites

• “If I want to be a successful person, I will learn from a successful person.”

• “It’s easy to find me. I’m the only one with hair covering.”

• “I came for business not for dinner.”

• “Why not to be positive when you can?”

Connect with Hadas:

🌐 Website: https://nextgenaiadvisors.com/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadas-frank-ai1/

📸 @hadas_frank

Connect with Faye:

🌐 https://thetrailblazerpod.com/

💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/faye-r-b70408b8/?skipRedirect=true

📸 @thetrailblazerpod

The TrailBLAZER Pod | Bold Jewish Women

Every week, I sit down with Jewish women who have built businesses, broken barriers, and refused to shrink. This is their story, and maybe yours too.

By Faye Lax - Rosenberg

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Guest: Gili Fleekop, co-founder of Pink Chili

The TrailBLAZER Pod | Bold Jewish Women

Every week, I sit down with Jewish women who have built businesses, broken barriers, and refused to shrink. This is their story, and maybe yours too.

By Faye Lax - Rosenberg

Summary

What does it look like to build a business that won’t bend on its values, even when the money’s right there? Gili, co-founder of Pink Chili, joins Faye for one of the most spicy and grounded founder conversations on the show.

Gili grew up the daughter of an Israeli mom and an American dad, was nicknamed “spicy pepper” by her father, and spent her childhood and college years convinced she was going to be a lawyer because she didn’t know marketing was a career. She studied philosophy and ethics, took the LSATs, applied to law school, and then sent a “spicy email” to a Tel Aviv tech company after a hundred no’s, got hired into social media, and never looked back.

She and her co-founder Noam quit to launch Pink Chili; a Tel Aviv social media agency that turns down high-paying American clients when the work would require filming on Shabbat, says no to side services that aren’t their craft, and built its name in the market by refusing to be anyone’s cup of tea. Then on October 9, 2023, two days after October 7th, she mobilized 400 volunteers and close to half a million dollars in seventy-two hours to support IDF reservists through Unit 107, and later met her now-husband, an active reservist, through that same orbit.

This episode goes deep on founder loneliness, faking it without faking your values, the freedom of saying no to the wrong money, getting called bossy as a woman in business, leadership lessons from a volunteer war effort, and what it really means as a Jewish woman to refuse to shrink.

Takeaways

• Growing up as her dad’s “little spicy pepper” shaped both her confidence and the brand she would later build.

• Studying philosophy taught her how to think, ask questions, and write with precision , the foundation of how she now operates as a founder.

• “Faking it till you make it” was a discipline of relentless learning.

• The pattern of her career: get good, get confident, leap to the harder thing. Comfort is the cue to move.

• Saying no to the wrong money is what built Pink Chili’s reputation, not what cost it.

• Real leadership requires top-down clarity.

• Refusing to be everyone’s cup of tea is the most liberating decision a woman in business can make.

Soundbites

• “There’s going to be money on the table waiting for you. But if it’s not where you want to go, don’t take it.”

• “I didn’t even know marketing was a career. I never met a marketer.”

• “I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. There are going to be people that don’t like me and that’s okay.”

• “You are married to yourself the rest of your life. Speak to yourself how you would speak to your best friend.”

• “I called my dad and he was like, stop that right now. You can learn from everyone. You’re not president of the world.”

Connect with Gili:

🌶️ Pink Chili:

🌐https://pinkchili.co

📸 https://www.instagram.com/pinkchili.co/

Connect with Faye:

🌐 https://thetrailblazerpod.com/

📸 @thetrailblazerpod 📩

I created this space for Jewish women who are building something, a business, a brand, a life on their own terms, and want to do it smarter.

To get you started, I put together a free intro:

👉 AI Without the Overwhelm — View Your Free Guide Here

It’s not a technical manual. It’s the intro, the tools I actually use, how I use them, and how to take your first step this week.

Every week as a paid subscriber, you’ll get one practical AI tip or tool you can use in your business right away. No fluff. No overwhelm. Just what works.

Glad you’re here.

— Faye The TrailBLAZER Pod | thetrailblazerpod.com

Summary

What happens when a girl with no tech background, no resources, and no roadmap decides to teach herself to code, and ends up at Google, Y Combinator, and building her own AI compliance company? Esty Scheiner, founder and CEO of Shiboleth, joins me for one of the most honest and inspiring founder conversations on the show.

Esty opens up about teaching herself to code in high school with almost no resources, landing a spot at Google’s prestigious Security Summer Institute, doing coding exercises in a notebook during seminary with no internet access, dropping out of NYU at 19 to manage a 6-person R&D team.

This episode goes deep on imposter syndrome, what it really means to be a founder, the emotional toll of pivoting an idea you built from scratch, how to say “I don’t know yet” without losing credibility, and why your starting point has nothing to do with your ceiling.

Takeaways

• Growing up in a large, religious family influenced her perspective and work ethic.

• Esther’s curiosity led her to teach herself coding, paving the way for her tech career.

• She navigated an unconventional path into cybersecurity, overcoming various challenges.

• Esther faced self-doubt but used it as a growth opportunity.

• Esther values honesty and ongoing education as keys to success.

Soundbites

• “I didn't know enough to know that 12th graders don't get tech internships."

• “I don't need to make you feel good this moment…. It's about sometimes slowing down the process to make sure we're learning."

• "Imposter syndrome sucks because the feeling sucks…it's better than feeling green all the time and that you're in exactly the right place at the right time and that you're doing your job perfectly."

• “Are you solving problems for customers? Do they need your product right now? Are you improving every day?”

• "She would be surprised of how far I went, but grateful that I didn't change in the way she was afraid of me changing."

Connect with Esty:
💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/esty-scheiner-cissp-oscp-9ab3a9142/
🏢 https://shiboleth.ai/i

Connect with Faye:
🌐 https://thetrailblazerpod.com/
📸 @thetrailblazerpod
📩 https://trailblazerpod.substack.com/

Jewish women are building businesses, breaking barriers, and rewriting the rules, and no one is telling their stories loudly enough. The TrailBLAZER Pod changes that. Every week, host Faye Lax-Rosenberg sits down with bold Jewish women in entrepreneurship, leadership, and life; founders, creatives, public figures, and changemakers, sharing the real, unfiltered stories behind their success, resilience, and ambition. If you're a Jewish woman building something meaningful, this community is for you. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss one.

Summary

What happens when you work remotely across 12 countries in 12 months, and the world shuts down right after? Sarah Aviram, keynote speaker, change management expert, and author of Remotivation and The Scenic Route, joins me to talk about change, belonging, and what travel teaches you about yourself.

Sarah shares how a competitive gymnastics childhood shaped her resilience, how she found her calling in the psychology of change management, and why she convinced her CEO to let her work remotely from 12 countries before remote work was even a conversation. She also opens up about hosting a Passover Seder in Santiago, Chile for 30 travelers, and what that night taught her about belonging.

This episode is for every woman who has ever felt like different parts of her don’t belong together, and is starting to realize they do.

Takeaways

• Gymnastics taught Sarah resilience and discipline.

• Cultural identity shapes personal and professional life.

• Career transitions can lead to unexpected growth.

• Travel fosters self-discovery and adaptability.

• Storytelling enhances connection and belonging.

• Women face unique challenges in the workplace.

• Embracing all facets of oneself is empowering.

Soundbites

• “I realized, no matter where you go, there you are.”

• “Belonging is so critical.”

• “Travel is this incredible, concentrated period of change.”

• “Women have a leg up when it comes to human-centered skills that are so necessary right now.”

• “Start where you are. Understand more clearly what is driving you now.”

Connect with Sarah:

🌐www.sarahaviram.com

📸 / sarahaviram

📚 Remotivation: https://a.co/d/02CMWFU0

📚 The Scenic Route: www.thescenicroutebook.com

Connect with Faye:

🌐 https://thetrailblazerpod.com/

📸 @thetrailblazerpod

📩 https://trailblazerpod.substack.com/

🔔 Subscribe free to get every episode + weekly reflections delivered to your inbox

Summary

What does it really take to build a healthy relationship with money? In this episode, business and money coach Debbi Sassen , host of The Jewish Entrepreneur Podcast, shares how a go-get-'em mindset shaped her entire career, from childhood side hustles to a career in finance.

Debbie opens up about her earliest money memories, how family and upbringing influence the way we think about wealth, and why financial literacy is one of the most powerful tools a woman entrepreneur can have. If you're ready to stop shrinking around money and start owning your financial story, this episode is for you.

Topics covered: money mindset for women entrepreneurs, financial literacy, Jewish women in business, building wealth with intention, turning ambition into opportunity.

Takeaways

• Debbie transitioned from a successful career on Wall Street to coaching women entrepreneurs.

• She emphasizes the importance of aligning financial decisions with personal and spiritual values.

• Debbie’s coaching focuses on empowering women to overcome money blocks and recognize their worth.

• Women often face unique challenges in financial risk-taking.

• Understanding your value is key to setting appropriate prices.

Sound Bites

• "Money is an inanimate object, how can money change you? Your thoughts about money can change you?"

• “Wealth is a feeling. It’s not really an amount of money. Who is wealthy? The one who’s happy with his lot.”

• “Women will be more conservative though. They take less risk on average.”

• “You're allowed to make money. That is a conversation that I had to work through on myself."

  
  Connect with Debbie:
  🌐https://debbiesassen.com/about-me/
  📸 https://www.instagram.com/debbiesassen/
  🎙️ The Jewish Entrepreneur Podcast:https://debbiesassen.com/podcast/
  
  Connect with Faye:
  🌐 https://thetrailblazerpod.com/
  📸 https://www.instagram.com/thetrailblazerpod/
  📩 https://trailblazerpod.substack.com/

• 
  🔔 Subscribe free to get every episode + weekly reflections delivered to your inbox