Julie Smolyansky: Overcoming Loss, Adversity & Building a $215M Wellness Empire

Julie Smolyansky, CEO of LifeWay Foods — the largest kefir brand in the country — has one of the most extraordinary stories you'll ever hear. Born in Soviet Ukraine, her family defected behind the Iron Curtain when she was just one year old, arriving in America with $116 and no English. Her mother went on to open Chicago's first Slavic deli — and even brought the very first cases of Nutella to the United States. Her father, longing for the kefir he grew up with back home, eventually built LifeWay Foods from scratch.

When Julie was just 27, her father passed away suddenly, and she stepped in as CEO — becoming the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company in US history. What followed was a decade of immense challenge, personal rock bottoms, and an unshakeable refusal to fail.

Kelly and Julie talk about the immigrant work ethic that shaped them both, navigating grief while running a company, the gut-brain connection and why kefir is having its major cultural moment, and what it really means to turn pain into purpose. Plus they make a ridiculously good smoked fish farmer cheese dip live in the kitchen — and yes, it's as good as it sounds.

This episode was kindly sponsored by Lifeway Foods. Learn more about Lifeway here! https://lifewaykefir.com/

Follow Kelly on Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/kellyrizzo/?hl=en

Follow Julie on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/juliesmolyansky/?hl=en

Listen on Apple Podcasts-https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/comfort-food-with-kelly-rizzo/id1716987177

Listen on Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5PW46ZYYpLlUCRPWn0Vfm7?si=100c49d2f5f64975

Visit Kelly’s Kitchen- https://kelly-rizzo.com/

Join Comfort Club:

https://www.comfortclubonline.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(57)

Alison Victoria: Redesigning and Rebuilding Your Life After It All Falls Apart

Content warning: This episode contains a candid discussion of suicidal thoughts. Please listen with care.Kelly and Alison Victoria have been friends for years, both Chicago girls with more in common t...

8 Heinä 54min

John Stamos Revisited: A Comfort Food Classic

This one is so special, and Kelly is so glad to be bringing it back.When Kelly first dreamed up this show, John Stamos was one of the very first people she thought of. He's a beloved actor, musician, ...

1 Heinä 50min

Why I Chose Not To Freeze My Eggs

Egg freezing has become almost a cultural mandate for women in their 30s. And if you haven't done it, people want to know why. Today I'm talking about why I chose not to, and what that decision taught...

24 Kesä 18min

Catt Sadler: Plastic Surgery, Facelifts, and the Truth About Aging Gracefully

Okay, this one is a little different from our usual Comfort Food conversations, and honestly? I'm so glad we went there.My guest is the gorgeous and refreshingly honest Catt Sadler, and we get into tw...

17 Kesä 59min

John Mayer Revisited: A Comfort Food Classic

This week I'm over in Europe, so I'm taking a little time off from recording. But I could never leave you with nothing, so I'm bringing back the episode that means the most to me, and that also happen...

10 Kesä 1h 4min

Do You Believe in Signs From the People We've Lost?

Do you believe in signs from loved ones who've passed? Kelly never really did. It felt a little woo woo, not really her thing. But after losing Bob, she had a few experiences she genuinely cannot expl...

3 Kesä 15min

The Ultimate Guide to Long Distance Friendships

What actually keeps a long distance friendship alive for over two decades? Kelly is joined by her absolute ride-or-die, her best friend Aggie, who flew in from Chicago for this one, and they are getti...

27 Touko 43min

How To Show Up For A Grieving Friend. With Elisha Krause and Heather Cooney.

Four years ago, on the night Bob passed away, two women Kelly barely knew showed up at her front door and said, "Where's the kitchen?" They spent the rest of the night doing Kelly's dishes, taking out...

20 Touko 45min