Three Important Life Lessons from our Co-Founder

When Moxie Creed was just a concept, the founding partners faced many long hours and late nights developing a viable business model that stayed true to their ideals and values. If you’re a fan of Moxie Creed, you know that the result is focused on feeding the minds, bodies, and souls of our patrons with pure and empowering luxuries that enhance your day-to-day and help you celebrate life.

However, as many entrepreneurs and professionals know, the path to a successful business involves learning and adjusting.  

So during National Women’s History Month, we would like to share some of the most valuable insights from the journey of Moxie Creed’s co-founder and driving force - meet Julie Koester. Her unique background and achievements offer some valuable lessons about what it means to be a successful woman in business.

It’s Okay to Start Over and Over and Over

Julie believes that life experiences are unique and powerful. She has used her own experiences to shape so many of her positive results. Julie is an academic by heart and a researcher by training. She has a master's degree from Columbia in Psychology, focusing on pediatric neurodevelopment. She went on to achieve her Ph.D. in Public Health. "A few key realignments in the universe placed me in situations that created major shifts in my thinking about what I had to offer, what problems I could solve, and simultaneously, why solving those problems would matter."

During the resulting realignment, Julie met Blake Renda, President and Co-Founder of Moxie Creed.  Among the things they had in common was not having access to a marketing agency that understood the fundamentals of their businesses to promote them effectively. So out of necessity, one of Julie's other endeavors, Dragon Horse Agency, was born with her business partner Blake Renda. Soon followed was Veedor Holdings and three companies; Dragon Horse Agency, Dragon Horse Publishing, and the retail lifestyle company Moxie Creed, which you know and love.

Julie has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Admired Women Leaders of 2022 and a Great Companies Women Entrepreneur Winner of 2023. She is a firm believer that women should support women. Julie proactively seeks out women-owned businesses. She goes to women doctors and uses women-owned skincare products.

Be Loud – Celebrate Other Women

"When women ask me to take a chance on them, I do it. When women share accomplishments, we should be the loudest voices of support. When women feel crushed by defeat, we should be there, telling them to stand up straight, splash cold water on their face, get their shoulders back, head up, and get back out there – we've got work to do, and we're here to hold up one another!"

Julie believes that individuals who are listeners are bound to become leaders because they have a better understanding of what is happening with others. Therefore, she sets out to help others analyze dynamics and understand adversity. In turn, empowering others to address and overcome challenges or setbacks by better understanding themselves and breaking down the obstacles in front of them into manageable bits. Julie states, "Leading by example provides a culture of contagious leadership that not only elevates everyone else but also inspires them to be better and do better – as leaders do."

Define Success on Your Own Terms

When asked about success, Julie says that trying to "put success on a timetable is a recipe for failure and constant disappointment." Sometimes success can just be getting out of the house on time or convincing yourself not to eat another cookie. Julie says that her goal has never been to be successful. "It is to feel gratified by a job done well, done with excellence, and for having done something that mattered to someone else,” she says.

Julie is uniquely positioned to share what she has learned with other women on the same path. When asked what leadership lesson she has learned that is unique to being a female entrepreneur, Julie had this to say, "Because of the names of our companies, I've become known as the ‘Mother of Dragons.’ Our team members are ‘Dragons’ and ‘Baby Dragons,’” she said. “And the Mother of Dragons leads with pure female power. There is tremendous value in being female in a leadership position, but it can only be harnessed with confidence. I have power in my position and choose to use it rarely and only as needed. I have a lot to say and have learned to spend most of my time listening to understand. And I wear heels – they make me think faster and keep people paying attention."

During this month of celebrating women, we invite you to visit Moxie Creed. Give yourself some love and send some love to other women while you're there. Pamper yourself. As women, we can't take care of others if we don't care for ourselves.