MWM – Ep. 21 From Salon Chair to Software: Dasha Manina’s Startup Story

On this episode of Minutes with Mike, I sit down with Dasha Manina, founder of Licensify and Beauty A-List, to talk about building smarter solutions in beauty tech and what it really takes to lead with purpose.

We cover:

  • How a gap in nail tech licensing sparked a startup
  • The evolution from consumer tool to brand-facing SaaS
  • The role of vulnerability, resilience, and blunt feedback in entrepreneurship
  • Why strong teams—and even stronger values—drive long-term success

If you’re building a business or just trying to make meaningful change, this episode’s worth a listen.