Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sophie Beren, Founder, and CEO of The Conversationalist, located in Wichita, KS, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I started my company and digital platform, The Conversationalist, to unify the world by encouraging Gen Zers to break out of their echo chambers and come together across differences.

Tell us about yourself

I'm from Wichita, Kansas, and growing up, I was the only Jewish student in my grade school, which led me to feel like I didn't have a voice. When I enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, I was able to immerse myself in Jewish life on campus, but I realized that I had traded one echo chamber for another. These echo chambers were not only preventing us from connecting with people who were different from us, but they were also preventing us from having real conversations about the issues that matter with people who think differently than us. That's what drove me to start The Conversationalist, a non-partisan educational platform I founded to empower Gen Z to unify the world through difficult conversations.

Every day, I am motivated to help Gen Z realize the power of their voices because I know that when every voice is truly heard, valued, and understood, we can unify the world.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is seeing the impact my platform is having on real young people in their day-to-day lives. Being the only Jew in my school growing up was isolating. I had nowhere to go to talk about my experiences with anti-Semitism. During the pandemic, I received a message from one of our community members who was struggling as one of the only Asian American students in her grade, with rising Anti-Asian Racism. She said she didn't know what she would do without our community, where she could be fully herself and have conversations about what she's going through, and that our community provided her immense comfort. Knowing I created a place for her never to have to experience what I felt growing up is my greatest achievement.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things as a business owner is making sure that as you grow, you never lose sight of your "why." Community is at the heart of everything we do at The Conversationalist, so something we think about every day is how to make sure every decision we make is aligned with our mission to unify the world.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Start by articulating your "why," including your goals and mission, and be sure they all connect back to who you are. People buy people, so be sure that you are humanizing your brand.
  2. Know your strengths and know your weaknesses, and hire for your weaknesses. It's key to build a team of people who not only share your passion for your mission but who also bring strengths that you do not possess to the table.
  3. Always stay flexible, adaptable, and open to both learning and trying something new. Be open to having an open mind.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.theconversationalist.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconversationalistofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversationalist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophieberen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-beren-5287b971/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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