For Women Who Are Unapologetically Ambitious and Fiercely Informed

If you have a tween / teen like mine, you don't just know about matcha, you know every flavor and have spent the equivalent of a Celine bag on it. Well guess what - you have Hannah Habes, today's guest on Takin’ Care of Lady Business®, to thank for it and by the end of the episode, you will be thanking her for her innovation and inspiration. Before Starbucks jumped on the trend, before it became the Gen Z caffeine of choice, Hannah was the one who brought matcha to the U.S. She discovered it on her own wellness journey, fell in love with its clean energy, and hustled it into the mainstream by literally biking through New York City with packets of green powder in her backpack, convincing cafés one by one to put it on the menu. That grit became Matchaful, a clean matcha brand built on sourcing directly from regenerative farms in Japan and refusing to compromise on quality, bringing it to Matchaful stores near you! On this episode, Hannah shares how she turned a personal ritual into a movement, launched a category before anyone else saw it coming, and created the wellness wave teens (and the rest of us) can’t get enough of. And guess what, it has some pretty amazing health benefits too - even for your tween / teen.  

With Love & Lady Business,
JJ

In today’s edition:
— The Rise of Matchaful with Hannah Habes
— Your Legal Protection Checklist
— Equal Equity Splits: The Startup Mistake That Kills Companies

“When it comes to taking care of the body, a seven dollar matcha doesn’t sound as crazy anymore”

Key Takeaways:
 — The real story behind bootstrapping and scaling Matchaful in New York City
— Why sustainable growth matters more than rapid expansion
— The importance of owning your customer experience
— Why staying connected to your product’s source builds authenticity and trust
— Believing in your product sometimes matters more than convincing skeptics

Your Legal Protection Checklist

MSNBC just reported that 300,000 Black women have left the labor force in the past three months. That’s not coincidence, it’s a pattern. At The Justice Dept, we are watching this trend unfold in real time with one female client after another. Masks are off. Companies that no longer feel the need to acknowledge the benefits of DEI, are showing their true colors. And women, especially women of color, are the first ones to go. 

If you become one of these women, here are three things to do immediately:

1. Document everything like your paycheck depends on it
Save emails, Slack threads, performance reviews, conversations, anything that proves the story doesn’t match the outcome. 

2. Spot the red flags of discrimination or retaliation
It’s illegal to be fired for reasons tied to gender, pregnancy, age, disability, or for speaking up about harassment or discrimination. If that’s your situation, you may have a case.

3. See an employment attorney before you sign a single page
Severance agreements come loaded with waivers and gag clauses, unenforceable non-competes and clawbacks on unvested 401K matches. So much more at stake than you would think as there is no such thing as a "standard separation agreement". The only people who call these standard, are the ones that benefit from them. Don’t hand over your rights for a check that’s smaller than what you deserve.

Equal Equity Splits: The Startup Mistake That Kills Companies

The classic founder dilemma: split equity 50/50 because it "feels fair" and avoids awkward conversations. The smarter move? Have the hard conversation upfront about who's bringing what to the table- time, risk, expertise- and structure your equity to reflect reality, not wishful thinking. Need help starting the conversation, schedule time with us!

Because here's the truth: equal doesn't always mean smart, and "fair" today might mean watching your co-founder walk away with a third of your company tomorrow.

Lady Bits:

🎙️: Pod Save America - Jimmy Kimmel: the full story minus the clickbait

👀: Black Rabbit - props to anyone who sees the analogies to a former famous restaurant establishment outed in the Me Too era

👏:  Women Outnumber Men Picked For NASA Astronaut Class

😳: One Thing Women Should Consider Before Doing a Cold Plunge

💰: Westbourne, a portfolio company of TJD, is now in stores in Whole Foods all over California - go pick one up!

📖: Pre-Order Hype Women by Erin Gallagher 

Hi, I’m JJ.

Since starting the Justice Dept, we have increased women's wealth by over $100MM in just over 5 years. Want to know what inspires me to do this work, other than making women money? My clients' surprised reaction when we manage to get them much better terms for themselves and their companies, whether via talent agreements, employment, severance, partnerships, asset sales or investments. They often admit that they never thought they could get that result. Not even hoped. This blows my mind. As we know at The Justice Dept. you are all worth everything you ask for and more. Reach out and we’ll show you how!
x TJD

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