“Is my life easy? Absolutely not. But did I know what I was signing up for? 100%.”
In this episode, I speak with Elaine Zelby, Co-Founder and CRO of Tofu, an entrepreneur who thrives on speed, efficiency, and deep curiosity. By day, Elaine is building a company, and by night, she’s balancing family life, maker projects, and her relentless pursuit of learning.
Elaine shares how she ruthlessly prioritizes time while co-founding a startup, raising two kids, and supporting her husband’s solo founder journey—all while still making space for creativity. She opens up about her dream of creating an adult maker camp, her obsession with food and backpacking, and how she lived life at 3X speed (literally, when consuming content). She also dives into her early career pivots, why technical thinking is essential in any role, and how giving away her time for free built her career.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:17) Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship
(03:16) Daily routine and time management
(06:14) Unplugging and hobbies
(08:16) Wood and metal crafting
(11:17) Newsletter and business ideas
(17:32) Foodie adventures and favorite spots
(20:44) Elaine gives career advice
Connect with my guest:
Elaine Zelby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainezelby
Explore Tofu: https://www.tofuhq.com
Elaine’s “3 Things” Newsletter: https://zelby.substack.com/
Connect with me:
Kyle Lacy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylelacy/
Explore Jellyfish: https://www.jellyfish.co
Produced by our partner, Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=rev-diaries