Carolyn Jahnke: Protect What You’re Building (Legal Strategy for Women Playing the Long Game)

Carolyn Jahnke: Protect What You’re Building (Legal Strategy for Women Playing the Long Game)

July 19, 2026 · 38 min · Season 4 · Episode 204

About this episode

Leslie Gaudet and Carolyn Jahnke discuss the importance of legal strategy for women entrepreneurs building sustainable businesses.

Join Leslie Gaudet and Carolyn Jahnke, Founding Attorney and CEO of Athena Legal Solutions, for a refreshingly honest and empowering conversation about what it truly means to build a woman-owned business on a foundation that is not just successful but genuinely protected, sustainable, and built to last. With more than 20 years of experience inside nonprofits, startups, and corporate organizations, Carolyn brings a perspective to legal strategy that most attorneys simply cannot offer — one that is grounded in the real-world realities of running and growing a business rather than the fear-based messaging that keeps so many women entrepreneurs avoiding legal conversations altogether. In this episode, Carolyn opens up about what led her to found Athena Legal Solutions and why she built it specifically for women entrepreneurs, what it truly means to have a long-term legal partner rather than a reactive one, and why she believes strong legal foundations are not about restriction or perfection but about creating freedom and real options for the future. If you have been building something meaningful but have been avoiding the legal side of your business because it feels overwhelming or…

People in this episode

Host: Leslie Gaudet

Guest: Carolyn Jahnke

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Athena Legal Solutions

More episodes of HER Extraordinary LIFE By Design

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the HER Extraordinary LIFE By Design podcast page.