Luxury Without Gatekeeping With Bags For Breakfast | Emily Blumenthal & Shay Prasad

What happens when building a successful business no longer feels like enough? Emily Blumenthal sits down with Claudia Chan, entrepreneur, author of This Is How We Rise, and founder of She Summit and She Global, to revisit the dot-com boom, the heyday of Shecky’s Girls Night Out, and her shift toward inner leadership, mental health, and breaking the cycle of chronic busyness. Key Takeaways: Community is everything — Relationships and emotional intelligence matter as much as business skills. Your mission can evolve — Success can mean moving beyond events and business into lasting empowerment. Leadership starts within — Sustainable success begins with how you lead and care for yourself. 🎧 Listen now for a conversation about entrepreneurship, reinvention, and redefining success. Our Guest: Claudia Chan is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and founder of She Summit, She Global, and the Claudia Chan wholeness platform. Her work focuses on women’s leadership, inner growth, and whole-self wellness. About the Host: Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, founder of The Handbag Awards, and host of Handbag Designer 101. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily has spent years helping emerging designers understand the business, strategy, production, and marketing behind building successful handbag brands. Pre-order her next book! Small Luxuries: Handbags, coming 2027.

What does it take to build a multimillion-dollar handbag brand—and what happens when success no longer aligns with your values? Emily Blumenthal sits down with Lana Hopkins, founder and CEO of Seemira and the entrepreneur behind Mon Purse, to discuss her journey from Siberia to building a global handbag business. Lana shares how she cracked the code on personalization, mastered retail supply chains, and ultimately made the difficult decision to walk away and reconnect with herself. Key Takeaways: Adapt to survive — Resilience and resourcefulness can become your greatest business advantages. Own your supply chain — Strong manufacturer relationships are essential to quality and control. Know when to walk away — Success means little if it no longer aligns with your values.

What does it really take to get fashion coverage today? Emily Blumenthal sits down with culture journalist, fashion writer, and author Nadja Sayej for a candid conversation about the changing media landscape, PR-driven journalism, affiliate marketing, TikTok creators, and what actually gets a journalist’s attention. Nadja also shares what brands get wrong when pitching the press, why practical products and honest storytelling matter, and some of her wildest experiences covering red carpets and shooting for Backgrid. Key Takeaways: • Pitch the press properly — Direct links, strong assets, and knowing an editorial calendar can make all the difference. • Authenticity wins — With so much PR and paid content, journalists and consumers respond to transparency and a real point of view. • Practical is powerful — Functional, well-made products with a clear story can have more staying power than vanity-driven fashion. 🎧 Listen now for an inside look at fashion journalism, PR, pitching, and the reality behind the headlines. Our Guest: Nadja Sayej is a culture journalist, fashion writer, author, and photographer whose work spans fashion, art, celebrity culture, and nightlife. She is the author of Red Carpet Hoe and Paparazzi Bitch and also shoots for celebrity photo agency Backgrid. About the Host: Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, founder of The Handbag Awards, and host of Handbag Designer 101. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” she helps emerging designers understand the business, production, strategy, and marketing behind building a handbag brand. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What does it take to turn a childhood dream of glamour into a global luxury handbag brand? In this episode of Handbag Designer 101, Emily Blumenthal sits down with Taya Bonicos, founder and creative director of Serena-B, to trace her journey from Soviet Russia to Norway and into Europe’s elite handbag workshops. Taya shares the production challenges, cultural shifts, and fearless pivots that shaped her brand—from early manufacturing in Ukraine to working with master artisans in Spain to create sophisticated, timeless handbags. Key Takeaways: • Adaptability builds resilience — Navigating change and uncertainty can become a founder’s greatest strength. • Craftsmanship matters — The right production partners can elevate an emerging brand to luxury standards. • Take the leap — Organic opportunities, relationships, and unexpected milestones can move a brand forward. 🎧 Listen now for an inspiring story of resilience, global craftsmanship, and building a luxury handbag brand from the ground up. Our Guest: Taya Bonicos is the founder and creative director of Serena-B, an Oslo-founded luxury handbag brand known for sophisticated design and European craftsmanship. Named after her daughter, Serena-B has been showcased at Oslo Runway and worn by prominent figures, reflecting Taya’s vision of creating timeless luxury with an international point of view. About the Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, founder of The Handbag Awards, and host of Handbag Designer 101. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily has spent years helping emerging designers understand the business, strategy, production, and marketing behind building successful handbag brands.

How can artificial intelligence transform the way we shop for luxury secondhand handbags? In this episode of Handbag Designer 101, Emily Blumenthal sits down with Chris Lucas, CEO and founder of SecondSense, to explore his journey from Stanford computer science and Instagram to building an AI-powered platform for luxury resale. Chris shares how competitive dance shaped his resilience, how an unexpected viral moment with Alex Earl opened doors, and why transparency, data, and technology could change the way consumers navigate the secondhand handbag market. Key Takeaways: • Discipline drives innovation — The resilience learned through competitive dance can translate directly into building a startup. • AI meets luxury resale — Data and transparency can help consumers better understand pricing and the secondhand market. • Seize the moment — Being ready to pitch and capitalize on unexpected opportunities can accelerate growth. 🎧 Listen now for a conversation about AI, resilience, entrepreneurship, and the future of luxury handbag resale. Our Guest: Chris Lucas is the CEO and founder of SecondSense, an AI-powered platform focused on the luxury secondhand handbag market. A Stanford computer science graduate and former Instagram engineer with an MBA from Harvard, Chris brings a unique combination of technology, business, and luxury expertise to the resale space. About the Host Emily Blumenthal is a handbag industry expert, author of Handbag Designer 101, founder of The Handbag Awards, and host of Handbag Designer 101. Known as the “Handbag Fairy Godmother,” Emily has spent years helping emerging designers understand the business, strategy, production, and marketing behind building successful handbag brands