Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

SUBSCRIBE to The FoundHer Files, our twice weekly Substack filled with actionable tips you can use starting today to build and grow your business. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works. Host, Lindsay Pinchuk provides a tactical walkthrough on crafting a compelling three-paragraph founder story that effectively communicates your business, builds trust, and attracts the right audience. This episode offers a step-by-step framework, common mistakes to avoid, and practical tips for using your story across various platforms.Grab this week's Deep Dive on The FoundHer Files to read more about The Anatomy of a Story that Converts. Join us for this month's Forum Expert Workshop: Claude for FoundHers with Dara Astmann REGISTER HERESubscribe to The FoundHer Files Substack: http://foundherfiles.substack.comJoin our online networking community for women business owners over forty, The Dear FoundHer... Forum.Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/dearfoundher Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In honor of Mother's Day, get $200 off a new Dear FoundHer... Forum membership through the month of May. Join the community built for women business owners over 40 who are building real businesses on their own terms. JOIN US INSIDE HERE, no code necessary to save.A group of executives walked into a room, and Leah knew exactly who mattered.Dear FoundHer host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Leah Solivan to talk partnership marketing, founder visibility, and one of the clearest business growth stories from Taskrabbit’s path to acquisition. Leah built Taskrabbit from a Boston apartment with no MBA, no startup network, and no idea how venture funding worked. What she had was an idea she refused to stop talking about and the discipline to do the unsexy groundwork for years before the right opportunity arrived. That is the entire lesson of this episode, and it applies to every woman building something right now.This conversation is for women founders who are tired of being told to run ads, chase virality, or wait for the perfect moment. Leah’s story proves that partnership marketing is not a tactic. It is a long game built on real relationships, real data, and showing up consistently in the right markets before you ever get the right meeting.Taskrabbit’s sale to IKEA started with one lucky opening, but the deal did not happen because of luck alone. It happened because Leah spent years trying to get on IKEA’s radar, knew her numbers cold, and was ready when one person in a room of eight finally mattered. Taskrabbit was already operating in London, one of IKEA’s largest markets, and a quarter of its jobs were IKEA furniture assembly. Founder visibility is not about being everywhere. It is about being undeniable when it counts.If you are a woman founder wondering whether the quiet, unglamorous work is moving anything forward, this episode will answer that. Building relationships in business the right way is slow. It compounds in a way quick wins often do not.Episode Breakdown:00:00 From IBM Engineer to Taskrabbit Founder: Leah Solivan's Origin Story03:33 Why Talking About Your Idea Is the First Step in Partnership Marketing08:57 Rebranding From Run My Errand to Taskrabbit11:09 How Leah Validated the Taskrabbit Concept Before Raising Money13:23 Raising a Startup's First Round of Funding With No Business Background19:40 Scaling a Business City by City and the Decision to Go International21:26 Building Trust in a Gig Economy Marketplace24:56 The IKEA Partnership That Led to an Acquisition28:49 Life After the Exit: Investing, Podcasting, and What Comes Next31:03 Three Actionable Tips for First-Time FoundersConnect with Leah Solivan:Follow Leah on InstagramConnect with Leah on LinkedInFollow Leah on XSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Substack: http://foundherfiles.substack.comFree Forum Open House + Networking Session Come see what's inside the Dear FoundHer Forum SAVE YOUR SEAT https://lindsaypinchuk.myflodesk.com/q2forumopenhouse Join THE networking community for women business owners over forty, The Dear FoundHer... Forum Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/dearfoundherPodcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In honor of Mother's Day, get $200 off a new Dear FoundHer... Forum membership through the month of May. Join the community built for women business owners over 40 who are building real businesses on their own terms. JOIN US INSIDE HERE, no code necessary to save. Neka Pasquale turned a side project into a $48 million business, and she'll be the first to tell you she had no idea what she was doing.She was an acupuncturist treating patients when she started making food and juices as part of their care. People loved it, word got around, and before long, Urban Remedy was growing faster than she could plan for. There was no roadmap. Just a lot of late nights, a lot of mistakes, and a refusal to quit.On this episode of Dear FoundHer, Neka sits down with host Lindsay Pinchuk to talk about starting a business for the first time with no roadmap, no business background, and no idea the thing would grow into what it became. She shares what it was like fulfilling 500 juice orders while pregnant, shipping food across the country before she was remotely ready, and learning operations, HR, and food safety by making every possible mistake first.The story of how Urban Remedy landed in Whole Foods is worth the listen alone. It didn't come from a pitch. It came from a bike ride. That's partnership marketing working exactly the way it's supposed to, and it's a reminder that the relationships you're already building matter more than any campaign you could run.Scaling a business that sells fresh organic food nationally comes with scaling challenges most brands never take on. Neka talks about managing rapid growth without losing the mission, the burnout that built up quietly over 12 years of nonstop doing, and why protecting what your brand stands for gets harder the bigger you get.For women entrepreneurs who are building something that actually means something, this conversation offers a candid look at what growth actually asks of you.Episode Breakdown:00:00 How Urban Remedy Started by Accident06:25 Managing 500 Orders While Pregnant08:39 The Operational Chaos of Scaling a Business11:15 How a Bike Ride Led to 400 Whole Foods Locations15:36 Staying True to Your Mission at Scale22:22 The Real Challenges of Scaling Fresh Food Nationally23:39 When and Why to Hire a CEO29:14 What Every Woman Founder Needs to Know Before Scaling a BusinessConnect with Neka Pasquale:Follow Neka on Instagram Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Free Forum Open House + Networking Session Come see what's inside the Dear FoundHer Forum SAVE YOUR SEATJoin THE networking community for women business owners over forty, The Dear FoundHer... ForumPodcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pausing a business you built from zero is one of the most honest tests of whether you actually believe in what you made.Host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Angie Tebbe, founder of Rae Wellness, for one of those real founder stories that doesn't gloss over the hard parts. Angie built Rae Wellness into a brand with 4.5 million customers in three years. Then came the scaling challenges that most founders never talk about publicly. A retail rollout that went sideways, misalignment with a key partner, and a foundation that wasn't ready for the speed of the growth. Instead of patching holes or chasing short-term recovery, Angie paused the entire company.What happened next is a testament to the authentic relationship Angie built with her customers. The community didn't move on. Customers kept checking the site. They kept spreading the word. They kept asking when Rae Wellness was coming back. That kind of loyalty is the direct result of years of community building for business and treating customers like partners from day one. Angie had been running focus groups with women before the brand even launched, getting feedback on values, messaging, and products before anything hit the market.This episode speaks directly to women founders who are building something that actually means something to people. Angie talks about the decision to return, the team she reassembled, and the mindset shift she brought into this second round. She's growing an audience again, but on different terms. No paid lists, no boosted ads, no manufactured momentum. Word of mouth is driving new customers in numbers she didn't expect.The bigger message is about scaling responsibly as a real strategy, not a fallback. Angie is staying close to inventory, operations, and aligned partners. She's moving at a pace the business can actually hold.If you're facing scaling challenges or questioning whether your business deserves another shot, this conversation gives you something real to work with.Episode Breakdown:00:01 Rae Wellness Comeback Story and Why Angie Tebbe Paused the Company02:35 Rapid Growth, Retail Setbacks, and Scaling Challenges07:55 Community Building Strategy That Shaped Rae Wellness10:41 What Angie Tebbe Learned During the Business Pause14:44 Retail Buyer Interest and the Rae Wellness Relaunch15:37 How Rae Wellness Rebuilt Customer Trust After the Pause18:33 Relaunch Sales, Subscriptions, and Returning Customer Loyalty20:26 Word of Mouth Marketing and Growing Without Paid Influencers24:10 How Angie Tebbe Is Scaling Responsibly the Second Time32:10 Three Founder Lessons on Values, Non-Negotiables, and Trusting Your GutConnect with Angie Tebbe:Visit the Rae Wellness websiteSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you looking to level up your business? Apply for Lindsay's year-long mastermind and mentorship, Marketing Made Simple for Small BusinessScaling a business means protecting your brand, your standards, and your sanity as growth picks up speed.On Dear FoundHer, host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Gara Post, co-founder and chief creative officer of The NOW, for an honest look at scaling a business through smart decisions, steady leadership, and a clear brand point of view. Gara shares what helped The NOW build brand awareness early, why partnership marketing and earned media played such a strong role, and how women founders can create momentum without chasing every trend.This conversation gets into the real work behind managing rapid growth, from franchise systems and team support to protecting the customer experience across every location. Gara also speaks to the emotional side of scaling a business, with pressure, risk, and the need for support as the company grows. For women founders who want a clearer path to scaling a business, this episode offers practical perspective, sharper thinking, and a useful reminder that growth works best when the brand stays consistent and the founder stays grounded.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Gara Post on Building The NOW04:44 The Gap in the Wellness Market That Sparked The NOW05:50 What Made The NOW Stand Out From Traditional Massage Brands10:17 Scaling a Brick and Mortar Business in the Early Growth Stage13:04 Organic Marketing, Press, and Growth Without Paid Influencers14:54 The Franchise Decision and the Risks of Scaling a Brand19:44 SOPs, Team Support, and What Helped The NOW Scale22:51 Brand Consistency, Social Media Control, and Customer Experience29:25 Product Strategy and Local Brand Awareness32:00 Gara Post’s Advice for Women Founders and Business GrowthConnect with Gara Post:Follow Gara on InstagramFollow Gara on TikTokFollow The NOW Massage on InstagramFollow The NOW Massage on TikTokSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before you dive in, grab your free spot at my SWEEP Workshop on April 9th, the marketing framework that makes everything you're about to hear actionable for your own business. REGISTER HERE.What does it actually take to grow an audience, get press, and scale a business, without a massive team or a marketing budget? In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk pulls back the curtain on the exact system she used to build her first company, Bump Club and Beyond, from a $500 idea into a 7-figure brand working with Target, Nordstrom, Huggies, and Unilever. The real founder story behind the framework? She didn't know she had a system until after she sold the company.That system is SWEEP, and in this solo episode, Lindsay breaks down how she's applied it, on purpose this time, to grow Dear FoundHer… from a passion project podcast into a full community, events platform, and mentorship program. This is a masterclass in founder visibility, growing an audience without paid ads, managing rapid growth as a solo operator, and building a publicity strategy from scratch.If you're a woman startup founder who feels like you're doing all the things but not getting the traction you deserve, this episode is the one you've been waiting for.In This Episode, You'll Learn:The real founder story behind SWEEP, how Lindsay built a 7-figure business while serving as her own marketing department, with little more than a couple of contractors by her sideWhy SWEEP was born out of necessity: what bootstrapping, scrappiness, and zero budget actually looks like in practiceHow Lindsay leveraged press relationships from her first company to land TV segments and build immediate credibility when launching Dear FoundHer…The intentional decision to launch with interview-only episodes for an entire year, and the audience growth strategy behind itHow listener demand for real-life connection led to live events, and how those events became the catalyst for expanding into workshops, an online community, and mentorshipThe five-part SWEEP framework: Social Media, Website, Email, Events, and Partnerships + Publicity, and how to apply it to every piece of content you createWhat managing rapid growth actually looks like when you're a founder who is also your own marketing teamHow to build a publicity strategy that doesn't require a PR agency or a big budgetWhy company messaging and consistency across every touchpoint is the real driver of scaling challenges, and how to solve itIf You Loved This Episode: Share it with a woman startup founder in your life who needs a real marketing system, not another hack. And if you haven't yet, scroll down and leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It's the single biggest thing you can do to help other women find this show.Everything you just heard in this episode? It's SWEEP in action. Join me on April 9th for a free live SWEEP Workshop where I'll teach you the exact framework that makes marketing simple, consistent, and effective for women business owners just like you. Register for free, and I'll see you there.Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram This episode originally ran on April 18, 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before you dive in, grab your free spot at my SWEEP Workshop on April 9th, the marketing framework that makes everything you're about to hear actionable for your own business. REGISTER HERE. If you've ever wondered what it really takes to go from a kitchen table idea to a brand with a cult following, this episode is your blueprint.Lauren Dudley-Stevens and Khaki Dudley-McGrath, co-founders of Dudley Stevens, are two of the most refreshingly honest women startup founders you'll ever hear from. They started with a simple observation, stylish fleece didn't exist, and turned it into a thriving, self-funded direct-to-consumer brand that women are obsessed with. No outside investors. No big marketing budget. Just real founder stories, scrappy decisions, and an unwavering commitment to their mission.In this conversation, Host, Lindsay Pinchuk, sits down with Lauren Stephens and Khaki McGrath to unpack exactly how they did it, and what they'd do differently.In this episode, you'll hear:How they tested their product with just 600 pieces before going all in, and why that decision changed everythingThe organic social media and influencer strategy that built their audience from the ground up, without throwing money at adsHow their company messaging and "North Star" has guided every decision they've made for nearly a decade, and how coming back to it has saved them more than onceThe real story of managing rapid growth, including the day they sold out of everything and had to hire high school girls to help pack boxesWhy managing teams with fractional employees and consultants has been one of their smartest scaling decisionsHow their publicity strategy evolved from gifting influencers to building a full affiliate program that drives real revenueThe honest truth about scaling challenges, what happens when you grow too fast and why bigger is not always betterWhat founder visibility actually looks like when you're a product-based brand, and how telling your story is the single most powerful marketing tool you haveWhy getting press and building partnerships has been central to their growth from day oneThis episode is for every woman founder who is building something real, something slow, and something she actually loves.Whether you're just starting out or navigating the growing pains of a business that's taken off faster than expected, Lauren and Khaki's story will remind you that the best brands aren't built overnight, they're built with intention, consistency, and an unshakeable sense of who you are.Connect with Dudley Stevens:Instagram: @dudleystephensWebsite: dudleystephens.comEverything you just heard in this episode? It's SWEEP in action. Join me on April 9th for a free live SWEEP Workshop where I'll teach you the exact framework that makes marketing simple, consistent, and effective for women business owners just like you. Register for free, and I'll see you there.Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Loved this episode? Share it in your stories and tag @lindsaypinchuk and @dearfoundher. And if you haven't already, subscribe and leave us a five star review, it's how other women startup founders find real stories like this one.This episode originally ran on November 7, 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before you dive in, grab your free spot at my SWEEP Workshop on April 9th, the marketing framework that makes everything you're about to hear actionable for your own business. REGISTER HEREWhat do you do when every bank says no, the SBA tells you baking is "just a hobby," and you still believe in your idea with every fiber of your being? If you're Susie Sarich, you print out your business plan, hand it to anyone who will listen, and you build one of California's most beloved bakery brands anyway.This is one of the most inspiring real founder stories we've ever shared on Dear FoundHer, and it is packed with lessons that every woman startup founder needs to hear.Susie Sarich is the founder and CEO of Susie Cakes, a now-iconic bakery brand with 26 locations across California and Texas and a thriving nationwide shipping business. But before the empire, there was a woman with a dream, her grandmother's recipe cards, and a fierce belief that the West Coast was missing something: simple, from-scratch, Midwest-style baking made with love.In this episode, Susie and Lindsay dig into the real story behind the brand, the scrappy early days, the grassroots publicity strategy that got the word out before social media even existed, and the hard lessons that come with managing rapid growth across dozens of locations.In this episode, you'll hear:How Susie identified a gap in the market and built her company messaging around a mission that has never wavered, connecting through celebrationThe rejection she faced from banks and the SBA, and how she funded her first location anyway through friends, family, and sheer persistenceHer early publicity strategy, including passing out cupcakes in traffic on San Vicente Boulevard and catering events for free to get her product into the right handsHow she grew an audience and built a loyal customer base long before Instagram existed, and what that teaches us about founder visibility todayThe real scaling challenges of going from one location to 26, including how she seeds every new location with experienced team members to protect the brandHer approach to managing teams across multiple states while staying true to the values and culture she built from day oneWhy getting press matters, and how celebrity word of mouth and old-school media became her most powerful growth toolsHow she finally embraced her own founder visibility and what her marketing team had to convince her to doThe nationwide shipping business she resisted for years, and why COVID changed everythingWhat it means to build a legacy brand rooted in the women who came before youThis episode is for every woman startup founder who has been told no, who is figuring out how to scale without losing her soul, and who believes that the best marketing isn't about budget, it's about showing up and serving your community.Susie's story proves that when your mission is real, your product is good, and your values are non-negotiable, the growth will come. It just takes grit, patience, and a really good cupcake.Connect with Susie Cakes:Instagram: @susiecakesWebsite: susiecakes.comEverything you just heard in this episode? It's SWEEP in action. Join me on April 9th for a free live SWEEP Workshop where I'll teach you the exact framework that makes marketing simple, consistent, and effective for women business owners just like you. Register for free, and I'll see you there.Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Loved this episode? Share it in your stories and tag @lindsaypinchuk and @dearfoundher. And if you haven't already, subscribe and leave us a five star review, it's how other women startup founders find real stories like this one.This episode originally ran on December 6, 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Niching down is often the move founders resist most, especially when they are already building an audience and seeing traction. In this Dear FoundHer conversation, Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Dr. Amy Robbins, host of the Life, Death & the Space Between podcast, about how niching down became the turning point in her business. What started as a passion project evolved into a focused, revenue-generating offer once she stopped trying to serve everyone and began speaking directly to one specific group.Dr. Amy Robbins spent years building an audience through her show and growing her visibility in the spiritual space. The credibility was there, but the next step was unclear. Through a series of intentional career pivots, she recognized that therapists were asking for structured training in spiritually informed therapy. Niching down allowed her to create a continuing education program that strengthened her professional credibility and made her offer practical and professionally valuable.This conversation also explores the internal shifts behind the strategy. After experiencing exhaustion in private practice, she stepped back to create space for clearer decision-making and a path toward growth without burnout. If you are a founder with momentum but no defined direction, this episode offers a great example of how niching down can sharpen your message, simplify your marketing, and create sustainable growth built on focus rather than volume.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Dear FoundHer From the Forum and Dr. Amy Robbins’ Founder Story01:24 From Private Practice to Spirituality and Building a Podcast Platform02:38 Turning a Podcast Into a Business Without Taking More Therapy Clients06:53 Taking a Sabbatical to Create Clarity and Build the Right Offer09:47 Pivoting From B2C to B2B With Spiritually Informed Therapy Training11:19 Using Continuing Education Credits to Drive Course Demand14:02 Building a Therapist Community and a B2B2C Referral Model22:10 Leveraging Podcast Guests for Partnerships and Business Growth27:21 Mindset, Comparison, and Staying Focused on Your Own Growth PathConnect with Dr. Amy Robbins:Follow Dr. Amy on InstagramListen to Life, Death & The Space Between with Dr. Amy RobbinsSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most Female Founders who are starting a business for the first time only think about legal support when something goes wrong. Leslee Cohen, founder of AllRise Legal Counsel, shares how the right legal guidance can make starting a business safer and less stressful. Drawing on decades of experience advising female founders through fundraising, growth, and exit, Leslee explains why so many first time business owners delay legal decisions and the risk that can create in their businesses.Many legal legal decisions shape a startup from the very beginning, including business structure, equity, co-founders, and long-term protection. Leslee shares how a small shift in how founders talk about their business can open doors and why legal strategy works best when it supports momentum instead of slowing it down.Leslee also reflects on what changed when she became a startup founder herself and rebuilt her firm around flexibility, trust, and accountability without sacrificing quality. If you’re starting a business for the first time and you want legal guidance that feels practical, human, and aligned with real life, this episode offers clarity and a smarter way to think about legal support.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Female Founders Building Businesses For The First Time in the Dear FoundHer Forum01:30 From Diplomacy to Corporate Law and Startup Legal Work  05:45 How One Sentence Changed Her Startup Legal Business  08:50 Building a Flexible Legal Firm for Female Founders  12:08 Networking Strategies That Drive Business Referrals  16:30 Legal Decisions Every New Business Owner Must Make Early  23:26 Redefining Growth and Success as a Legal Founder  29:44 Practical Advice for Women Starting A Business For The First TimeConnect with Leslee Cohen:Follow AllRise Legal on InstagramSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you care about where retail is headed and how a brick-and-mortar business is getting press that converts, this episode of Dear FoundHer is worth your time. Host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Ariana Carps, a woman business owner and second-generation retailer behind Rear Ends, a nearly 50-year-old brick-and-mortar boutique that continues to thrive without chasing scale or trends. Ariana shares what actually drives in-store sales and customer loyalty, and why building a strong community around her retail business has been just as important as the products she sells.You’ll hear why daily social media routines can outperform flashy campaigns, how quiet followers often become high-intent buyers, and why removing friction does not have to mean removing people. Ariana breaks down how personal service, honest feedback, and relationship-based selling create a retail experience that feels human and keeps customers coming back.This conversation reframes retail success as something sustainable, repeatable, and deeply human. If you are a woman business owner looking to get publicity, or build a community-driven retail business, this episode delivers practical ideas you can actually use.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Getting Publicity: How Daily Instagram Videos Drive Retail Sales  02:31 The Story Behind a 48-Year Family Retail Business  05:16 Smarter Retail Buying Decisions That Reduce Stress  06:44 Why Human Connection Still Wins in Retail  12:14 Building Consistent Social Media That Converts  16:48 Selling Without E-Commerce Through Personal Shopping  19:27 Choosing Sustainable Growth Over Retail Expansion Connect with Ariana Carps:Follow Rear Ends on InstagramFollow Rear Ends on FacebookSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than two decades in business, Kim Oser realized that working harder was not the answer. The missing piece was structure.In this episode of Dear FoundHer from the Forum, Kim, founder of Game Plan Organizing, shares the shift that changed everything. After years of strong results, she realized the real barrier was not the quality of her work but how clearly she could articulate it. Once she stopped winging her own growth and built a clear plan, her business momentum followed.Kim opens up about moving from inconsistent marketing to confident storytelling, and how clarity in her message led to stronger referrals and a calendar that finally reflected the value of her work. She also talks about rebranding, not as a fix, but as an evolution. Game Plan Organizing gave her the language to lead more strategically and the confidence to say no to work that no longer aligned.As demand grew, so did questions about capacity and sustainability. Those questions ultimately led to Clear Game Plan, an online program designed to help people get organized without shame or overwhelm. Throughout the episode, one theme remains constant. Growth became possible and sustainable because it was supported by community, accountability, and shared perspective.This conversation is for anyone who knows their work is solid but feels stuck explaining it, scaling it, or sustaining it without burning out.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Women Founders and the Power of Community01:55 What Game Plan Organizing Is and Why Planning Comes First02:52 When Experience Is Not the Problem but Marketing Clarity Is05:36 How Clear Storytelling Led to Referrals and a Full Calendar07:32 Rebranding a Service Business for Strategic Growth11:17 Using Events and Partnerships to Build Trust and Visibility14:09 Scaling Beyond Personal Capacity with an Online Program17:26 Why Community Accelerated Business GrowthConnect with Kim Oser:Follow Kim on Instagram Follow the Game Plan Organizing on Facebook Connect with Game Plan Organizing on LinkedInVisit the Game Plan Organizing websiteSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What it really takes to leave corporate with confidence and build a people-first business that actually works.Leaving a stable corporate role is rarely about courage alone. It’s about timing, clarity, and building the right support before you leap. On Dear FoundHer from the Forum, host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Jillian Bernstein, founder of The Wellness Extension, to unpack what the corporate-to-founder transition really looks like when it’s done thoughtfully. Jillian shares how she assessed her readiness, invested in learning where she had gaps, and resisted the pressure many women founders feel to rush decisions just to make it work.This episode challenges a common misconception about workplace well-being. Jillian explains why surface-level wellness initiatives often fall short for small business owners and how listening closely to clients led her to build a more comprehensive HR concierge model. Her pivots were shaped by real conversations, careful testing, and a willingness to evolve her services based on what businesses actually needed.At the center of it all is community. Jillian reflects on how her network supported her during the quiet early months of building her business and how she now creates paid opportunities for other women through her work. This conversation is for women founders who want to grow sustainably, think strategically, and stop trying to do everything alone.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Investing in Skills You Do Not Have as a Founder02:52 Building an HR Concierge Business for Small Businesses06:30 Knowing When You Are Ready to Leave Corporate11:25 Revenue Goals, Business Pivots, and Sustainable Growth16:27 The Key Decisions That Made This Business Work19:49 Why Community and Network Matter for Women FoundersConnect with Jillian Bernstein:Follow Wellness Extension on Instagram Connect with Jillian on LinkedInVisit the Wellness Extension WebsiteSubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer... on InstagramPodcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.