Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
In this episode of Work What She Said, Erika sits down with Kerri Rosenthal to talk about reinvention, creativity, and building a business from the basement up. Kerri shares how painting in her unfinished basement turned into a full-time art career, how commissions led her into interior design, and how both evolved into her namesake lifestyle brand. They talk about the power of baby steps, getting unstuck, the courage to start over, and why color, joy, and imperfection guide everything she makes. A candid look at a woman building a life and career completely on her own terms.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome to What She Said
00:22 – Kerri Rosenthal’s early career
02:26 – First sold-out gallery show
04:48 – From commissions to designing
06:20 – Building lifestyle brand and opening her store
07:33 – The emotional story behind the drippy heart
10:50 – Inspiration, color, imperfection, and finding your creative voice
14:41 – Advice for women starting over
17:06 – The realities of running a business
20:12 – Daily routines, exhaustion, and the rhythm of creative work
23:47 – What’s next for the brand
26:50 – Closing and final reflections
Follow WORK here:
Substack: erikaayersbadan.substack.com
Instagram: instagram.com/workwitherika
TikTok: tiktok.com/@workwitherika
Follow Erika here:
Instagram: instagram.com/erika
TikTok: tiktok.com/@erika_
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erikanardini
Twitter: twitter.com/erika_
Follow Work Like A Girl here:
Instagram: instagram.com/worklikeagirl
Slack Channel: join.slack.com/t/worklikeagirl/shared_invite/zt-3a7fiqzf8-NEf3DUArSMz76vTspihC5w
In this episode of Work What She Said, Erika sits down with Kerri Rosenthal to talk about reinvention, creativity, and building a business from the basement up. Kerri shares how painting in her unfinished basement turned into a full-time art career, how commissions led her into interior design, and how both evolved into her namesake lifestyle brand. They talk about the power of baby steps, getting unstuck, the courage to start over, and why color, joy, and imperfection guide everything she makes. A candid look at a woman building a life and career completely on her own terms.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome to What She Said
00:22 – Kerri Rosenthal’s early career
02:26 – First sold-out gallery show
04:48 – From commissions to designing
06:20 – Building lifestyle brand and opening her store
07:33 – The emotional story behind the drippy heart
10:50 – Inspiration, color, imperfection, and finding your creative voice
14:41 – Advice for women starting over
17:06 – The realities of running a business
20:12 – Daily routines, exhaustion, and the rhythm of creative work
23:47 – What’s next for the brand
26:50 – Closing and final reflections
Follow WORK here:
Substack: erikaayersbadan.substack.com
Instagram: instagram.com/workwitherika
TikTok: tiktok.com/@workwitherika
Follow Erika here:
Instagram: instagram.com/erika
TikTok: tiktok.com/@erika_
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erikanardini
Twitter: twitter.com/erika_
Follow Work Like A Girl here:
Instagram: instagram.com/worklikeagirl
Slack Channel: join.slack.com/t/worklikeagirl/shared_invite/zt-3a7fiqzf8-NEf3DUArSMz76vTspihC5w
