Q&A with Camila Alves McConaughey, Emcee of #ThePitch: Live at #BlogHer18 Health
By Jen Denton
We are so excited to announce that we will be bringing back #ThePitch: Live at #BlogHer18 Health during our Passion to Purpose keynote on Wednesday, Jan. 31 in New York. #ThePitch is a platform, content series and live competition, launched by SheKnows Media in 2015 to elevate, connect and support female entrepreneurs. This year, our Pitch competition emcee is a dedicated mother, lifestyle expert, and entrepreneur, Camila Alves McConaughey.
Born and raised in Brazil to a family of farmers, Camila grew up with a strong connection to the taste and aroma of food made using only fresh-picked ingredients. She is the co-owner of Yummy Spoonfuls that has a mission to bring the values of simple manufacturing methods and fresh ingredients to change the way babies and young children are nourished.
This year, at #BlogHer18 Health, up-and-coming female health tech and innovation entrepreneurs will pitch their businesses to a panel of esteemed judges, who engage with the “pitchers” by asking them thought-provoking questions and providing their critiques in real time on stage. Ultimately, the competition winner is determined by a combination of judge’s scores and audience votes.
Camila will be leading the competition on stage with the incredible panel of judges who will be announced soon. Want to learn more about what inspires Camila to pursue her career ambitions, how she balances that with family life, and the advice she’d offer to women entrepreneurs? Check out her Q&A below!
But first, take note: We are now taking applications to compete on stage as a pitcher. If you or someone you know is an up and coming health technology and innovation entrepreneur and interested in participating in #ThePitch at #BlogHer18 Health, please complete the application here! https://form.jotform.com/73026224608148
BlogHer: What was the hardest lesson you learned during the process of growing Yummy Spoonfuls?
Camila: Yummy Spoonfuls is the first-of-its-kind on the market and we spearheaded working to redefine healthy eating for a new generation by bringing fresh, organic baby food to the market. There wasn’t a roadmap to any of this. In addition to bringing a new product to consumers, we also work tirelessly to help educate parents and families on the importance of nutrition and unprocessed foods. It’s a huge undertaking, that have brought so many lessons along the way.
BlogHer: What do you wish someone had told you when you were just starting your business?
Camila: That a lot of times you are in the hands of big corporations and there’s only so much you can control. Therefore, I think I would’ve set my expectations in a different way and understood better the risks and rewards upfront.
BlogHer: How does your family inspire you to pursue your career ambitions — and how do you balance both?
Camila: My 7-year-old daughter has witnessed parents approach me and overheard parents sharing kind words with me about the brand. She’s also heard me speak on a few panels. Before bed she’ll come to me and say how proud she is of me for choosing to help parents and kids. When I’ve gone into a sales meeting to pitch Yummy Spoonfuls to stores my kids say, “we are praying for you momma, that the product will get in!”
Those are the priceless moments in our family that continue to inspire me.
There’s not one method or way to balance it all perfectly. You’re going to feel guilty here and there and will have to choose, sometimes. However, if you’re priorities are straight, then no matter what happens in your day you will always find you way back to what’s important.
BlogHer: As a busy entrepreneur, what do you do to ensure you give yourself the self-care you need?
Camila: I confess I need to get better at that! What I learned is, I need to find time to exercise and pay attention to how I feel. Lately I’ve been pretty good about incorporating exercise into my daily routine. I’ve also learned that it is important to make time to have uninterrupted quite time to yourself. This has helped work wonders for me, I see and feel the benefits.
BlogHer: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Camila: A successful entrepreneur friend of mine told me, “just breath when everything goes wrong, which it will…just breath.”
BlogHer: What advice would you give future aspiring female entrepreneurs?
Camila: Don’t walk into a room seeing pants or skirts. Just go for it. Keep your goal in mind – with kindness, and always see one another as human beings. Those things will help you break through a lot of obstacles and “no’s.” Most importantly, the people that are around you, rooting for you, will be the ones that help make the difference on how you overcome obstacles. You owe it to yourself to surround yourself with good people.
