Disrupting the wedding industry, with Zola’s Shan-Lyn Ma | Masters of Scale

Shan-Lyn Ma, co-founder and co-CEO of Zola, joins host Jeff Berman to share how intrapreneurship prepared her to build a business that’s transformed the wedding industry with online tools. From weathering the Covid pandemic to scaling a better experience for millions of couples, including a focus on underserved markets, Shan’s resilience and leadership have fueled Zola’s remarkable growth to a $600 million valuation, with more plans ahead. Chapters: 00:00 The wedding that inspired Zola 02:06 What drove Shan-Lyn Ma to entrepreneurship 04:13 The entrepreneur who motivated Shan 07:13 Lessons from Gilt 08:49 The moment of frustration that led to Zola 11:11 What Zola got right — and wrong — early on 12:30 When to expand to other product lines 13:25 Inside Shan-Lyn Ma’s fundraising journey 17:18 Inclusivity around same sex marriages 21:19 How a near-death experience fueled Shan 23:32 How Zola survived the pandemic 28:37 Zola’s growth strategy 29:54 The wedding gift that every couple wants 30:56 How Zola is leveraging AI 32:34 Shan-Lyn Ma’s favorite part of her job 📫 THE MASTERS OF SCALE NEWSLETTER 35,000+ read our free weekly newsletter packed with insights from the world’s most iconic business leaders. Sign up: https://hubs.la/Q01RPQH-0 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://mastersofscale.com/ApplePodcasts Spotify: https://mastersofscale.com/Spotify 💻 LEARN MORE Our website: https://mastersofscale.com 🚀 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY LinkedIn:   / 11096326   Facebook:   / mastersofscale   Instagram:   / mastersofscale   X/Twitter:   / mastersofscale   TikTok:   / mastersofscale   💡ABOUT US On Masters of Scale, iconic business leaders share lessons and strategies that have helped them grow the world's most fascinating companies. Founders, CEOs, and dynamic innovators (from companies like Uber, Airbnb, Apple, and Disney) join candid conversations about their triumphs and challenges with a set of luminary hosts, including founding host Reid Hoffman — LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock partner. From navigating early prototypes to expanding brands globally, Masters of Scale provides priceless insights to help anyone grow their dream enterprise. #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #businesslessons #business #businessleadership #mastersofscale #summit #leadership #leadershiplessons #scalingup #scalingyourbusiness #founder #buildingabusiness #ai #artificialintelligence #artificialintelligencetechnology #artificialintelligenceforbusiness #entrepreneur #wedding #zola #weddingplanning #weddingregistry