Written Word Media's Ricci Wolman on Immigrating to the US, Entrepreneurial Freedom, and the Paradox of Choice
From her upbringing in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a career spanning Wall Street, an Ivy League MBA, and the early days of e-commerce, Ricci Wolman’s journey is a all about problem solving, resilience, freedom, and...the paradox of choice?
As the CEO and co-founder of Written Word Media, she has built a bootstrapped and profitable business by solving a problem her own mom faced: book discovery in a crowded market.
As the CEO and co-founder of Written Word Media, she has built a bootstrapped and profitable business by solving a problem her own mom faced: book discovery in a crowded market.
Tune in to hear:
- Ricci's immigration story from South Africa to the US and the culture shocks she faced along the way.
- Why she left a lucrative Wall Street job after 9/11 to pursue a more impactful career in microfinance.
- How her experiences at The Body Shop and Lulu Publishing laid the groundwork for her own entrepreneurial venture.
- The origin story of Written Word Media, which was inspired by her mom's self-published book and a realization about the "paradox of choice" on Amazon.
- Why the generous Amazon affiliate program in its early days acted as an unintentional seed fund for the business.
- The unique two-sided marketplace model that matches authors with hyper-personalized email newsletters for readers.
- Ricci's philosophy on "private barometers of success" and why bootstrapping allowed her to build a business aligned with her core values.
- Her passion project, The Flop.ai, a newsletter dedicated to demystifying AI and helping people overcome their fear of new technology.
- Her advice for young founders, including why it's okay to take risks and the value of a strong local community.
Where to Find Ricci Wolman:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricciwolman/
Written Word Media: https://writtenwordmedia.com/
The Flop.ai: https://www.theflop.ai/
Written Word Media: https://writtenwordmedia.com/
The Flop.ai: https://www.theflop.ai/
Where to Find Scot Wingo:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/
- Tweener Times: https://www.tweenertimes.com/
- X: https://x.com/scotwingo
In this episode:
(00:04:00) Ricci’s immigration from Johannesburg, South Africa and the major culture shock of moving to the US.
(00:11:00) Her path to Wall Street, working as an investment banking analyst at Bear Stearns, and leaving after 9/11 for a more impactful role.
(00:17:00) Running an e-commerce side hustle on a Yahoo store and the decision to get her MBA at Harvard Business School.
(00:24:00) The move to North Carolina and her career in e-commerce marketing at The Body Shop and Lulu Publishing.
(00:30:00) How her mom's self-publishing journey inspired the idea for Written Word Media.
(00:48:00) The birth of Free Booksy as a sandbox to test marketing and the accidental funding from the Amazon affiliate program.
(00:58:00) The decision to formally start the business with her husband, Ferol, who left ReverbNation to become her co-founder.
(01:04:00) The unique challenges of balancing the two sides of a marketplace business and keeping authors and readers happy.
(01:07:00) Ricci's bootstrapping philosophy and why she optimizes for "private barometers of success."
(01:14:00) Her new passion project, The Flop.ai, a newsletter to help demystify AI.
(01:18:00) Advice for founders on taking risks, choosing the right path, and leveraging the Triangle's supportive community.
(00:04:00) Ricci’s immigration from Johannesburg, South Africa and the major culture shock of moving to the US.
(00:11:00) Her path to Wall Street, working as an investment banking analyst at Bear Stearns, and leaving after 9/11 for a more impactful role.
(00:17:00) Running an e-commerce side hustle on a Yahoo store and the decision to get her MBA at Harvard Business School.
(00:24:00) The move to North Carolina and her career in e-commerce marketing at The Body Shop and Lulu Publishing.
(00:30:00) How her mom's self-publishing journey inspired the idea for Written Word Media.
(00:48:00) The birth of Free Booksy as a sandbox to test marketing and the accidental funding from the Amazon affiliate program.
(00:58:00) The decision to formally start the business with her husband, Ferol, who left ReverbNation to become her co-founder.
(01:04:00) The unique challenges of balancing the two sides of a marketplace business and keeping authors and readers happy.
(01:07:00) Ricci's bootstrapping philosophy and why she optimizes for "private barometers of success."
(01:14:00) Her new passion project, The Flop.ai, a newsletter to help demystify AI.
(01:18:00) Advice for founders on taking risks, choosing the right path, and leveraging the Triangle's supportive community.
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Triangle Tweener Talks is hosted by Scot Wingo, presented by Triangle Tweener Fund, and produced by Walk West.
Triangle Tweener Talks is hosted by Scot Wingo, presented by Triangle Tweener Fund, and produced by Walk West.
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Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by:
Triangle Tweener Talks is sponsored by:
- Atomic Object: https://atomicobject.com/
