On this episode of Behind Her Empire, I spoke to Loren Ridinger, the co-founder behind e-commerce giants shop.com and Market America.
Ridinger is recognized as an internet pioneer— an industry leader who has had a serious impact on the world of e-retailers. She got her start in Greensboro, NC with her husband JR. The two took a leap of faith starting up an online sales platform before personal computers were commonplace. She explained how they started their product search when most people didn't have computers and how their perseverance paid off in a big way.
Ridinger discusses how she managed to balance being a working mother and an entrepreneur—from bringing her daughter to work to making weeknight dinners a priority. She talks about the inspiration she got from her own mother and highlights why its so important for her to keep her values at the forefront of her life. She also talked about how her expectations for herself as a mother had to shift as her businesses grew.
Market America and shop.com now generate over $1 billion in annual sales, while serving over 10 million customers. Ridinger also is the founder of the cosmetics line Motives, and she has been recognized for her work in Forbes, Elle and Vogue.
Listen to to how she she brings faith into her work, tackles challenging projects, worked with early cosmetic influencers and maximizes productivity daily. She also speaks candidly about being a mother and the terrifying health struggles she endured.
Loren Ridinger is the co-founder of Market America and Shop.com, and the founder of the cosmetic line Motives.
"I think if you don't make a decision about what you want to be or do with your life and have a plan, you ultimately end up taking someone else's path. And I'm so glad that that happened, because it stands out in my mind as a defining moment of choosing to be authentically myself or choosing to be the person that somebody else wanted me to be." —Loren Ridinger
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dot.LA Engagement Intern Colleen Tufts contributed to this post.