The Female Founders Network

We've interviewed 100 female entrepreneurs for The Female Founders Network Podcast. In this episode, we talk about the five major lessons we learned from them all. From resilience to persistence and breaking free, here's the advice we've gained from our favorite episodes. We hope you enjoy this round-up, and thank you for listening to The Female Founders Network!

Sylvie's in the hot seat today talking about her original tech side hustle, Insyze, and new plus-size clothing brand, Dani Marie The Label. She shares what inspired her to start two plus-size fashion businesses and her key learnings on building a community, working with influencers, and making a clothing line a reality.

Today we're speaking with Lilian Chen, the co-founder and COO of Bar None Games, a virtual trivia and games company that has gone viral during the pandemic. Lilian shares her tips on finding product-market fit and creating 'the network effect' to achieve virality and her key learnings so far.

Join us today as we talk to Lisa Song Sutton, a lawyer, former Miss Nevada, and revenue master with four businesses and three passive income sources. She discusses going from a law student and model to a cupcake entrepreneur, then boutique bikini line owner, real estate maven, and shipping business owner – all by her mid-30s. This is a great episode for anyone who wants to build multiple businesses, diversify their income streams, and go-go-go!

Becky Morrison is an author, lawyer, and life coach who helps her clients find happiness. In this episode, she talks about how she realized that the traditional career path wasn't serving her, and figured out how to find happiness for herself before launching a business to help others do the same.

Today we're speaking with Kat Elizabeth, a seasoned branding coach and founder of Revenge Creative – a boutique marketing agency that helps small businesses create strong brands. Listen to get Kat's tips on creating a personal brand and what to expect when you launch a new product, service, or business.

Meet Andrea Smith, a stress management coach for business owners. After some devastating personal life events, she learned the hard way how damaging stress can be. She wanted to create a toolkit to help people use fewer antidepressants and deal with stress better. We discuss how to reframe negative thinking and share practical tips on handling stressful times.

In this episode, we're speaking with Terry Boyle McDougall, a seasoned marketer, executive career coach, and podcast host from Chicago. Terry discusses the challenges women often face in leadership and how to build a thriving career — whether you're a corporate executive or entrepreneur.

Today we're speaking with Orgasmic Leader and Vagipreneur Rachel Braun Scherl, who helps launch and market products related to vaginal health and women's sexual wellbeing. In this episode, Rachel discusses changing cultural attitudes towards women's sexual health and her experience bringing her first product to market. She also discusses how she built her consultancy and powers through in an industry some consider taboo.

Get to know Cady North, a certified financial planner and founder of North Financial Advisors, in today's episode. She shares how she left the corporate world to start her own advisory firm and how she found her niche in the world of financial planning. She shares excellent financial planning tips and how she wrote and published her book, The Resiliency Effect, during the pandemic.

Today we're speaking to Andrea Holland, who jumped off that corporate ladder to start remotePRjobs.com, a global platform helping PR professionals. She shares how corporate burnout inspired her to change her life.

Get to know serial entrepreneur Taly Matiteyahu in today's episode. She's the founder of Treat Teek, a pet treat carrier, and The Blink Date, an audio-only speed dating app for the blind. Taly shares her personal journey and why it's never too late to pivot your career. Learn how she launched The Blink Date with no experience in tech, and get excellent advice on how to bring both a consumer goods product and an app to market.

Today we're speaking with Shelley Tzeegankoff, a boutique jewelry brand owner who took a leap by opening a storefront shop in the middle of a pandemic. Shelley discusses how she sold everything (including the clothes off her back!) to invest in her business, Porter Jewellery. She also shares how she used her background in retail to springboard her journey to entrepreneurship.

Amy McCae is a mindfulness leadership coach from Omaha, Nebraska. In today's episode, learn how she overcame her chronic health problems and assisted others in developing the emotional intelligence and leadership skills they need to succeed.

We're speaking with Lara Khalaf in today's episode. Her inspiring story starts in Syria and leads her to a life as a female business coach, working in Madrid and London. Far from a typical business coach, Lara teaches femininity, consciousness, and leadership to empower women to be stronger and more successful leaders.

In this episode, we're speaking with Maria Luedeke, a psychotherapist, executive coach, and founder of Aspire Counselling. As an American in Singapore, Maria has some fantastic insights about life and work in Singaporean culture. She also shares her professional tips for self-care and reducing anxiety.

Today we get to chat with Salena Kulkarni, a chartered accountant turned property investor who helps business owners and entrepreneurs grow their wealth. We discuss five types of property investment that you may not have heard of before — plus, we get Salena's insights on how to boost your wealth through a diverse portfolio.

ADHD is often underdiagnosed in women, and experts estimate that 60-70% of entrepreneurs have it. This puts high-achieving women at a disadvantage when it comes to recognizing and managing the condition. Diann Wingart, a psychotherapist turned life coach, is working to change this. In today's episode, she recalls how her childhood struggles inspired her business and lifetime study of mental health, and shares the signs of ADHD in high-achieving women.

In today's episode, meet Aimee Kandrac, co-founder and CEO of WhatFriendsDo. When her good friend Laura was diagnosed with brain cancer, Aimee learned firsthand that the best thing to do for a friend in need is rally passionately behind them. Find out how Aimee founded WhatFriendsDo, stayed motivated during tough times, and landed her first $500k in venture capital.

The CEO of Equilibria, Alicia Butler Pierre, joins us today. Alicia's also the author of the 2x Amazon bestseller, Behind the Façade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success. Alicia's business specializes in operations and increasing bandwidth for fast-growing organizations. Listen for quick and easy tips for improving your business efficiency.

Today we're talking to Venese Lau, a globetrotting freelancer and founder of a Tokyo-based events and marketing company. Venese shares how her experiences living in several countries helped her to create a unique offering. She also discusses pivoting to launch a second passion project business — an online platform for entrepreneurs — during the pandemic. Listen to get advice on starting passion projects, delegating effectively, and learn how experiencing different cultures can inspire innovation.

Claire Summers, the founder of Gratitude Glass Jars, is with us today. Claire's story is truly inspiring. After a near-death experience, Claire took a risk and decided to move to the US. She presented her glass jar creations at trade shows across the country and was discovered by Oprah in New York City. After being presented with the opportunity to be featured on “Oprah's Favorite Things,” she went all in and poured her entire savings into the launch of her first product.

Today we're speaking with Christine Jurzenski and Erica Schultz, two American expatriates who recently launched a women's health product in Sydney, Australia. Christine and Erica's company, Cranel, provides an all-natural, sugar-free solution for a common yet seldomly spoken about the problem: Urinary Tract Infections. Christine and Erica share their experiences solving a problem that many women face and give advice on maintaining a 9-to-5 while growing a passion business. (Photos: Peter Braig)

Join us as we chat with Moniquea Spiteri, a somatic psychotherapist and award-winning entrepreneur. She's the founder of Enveco Health, a social enterprise that helps people struggling with mental health conditions to regain wellness, retain employment, and get support. We discuss how she launched her private practice, nonprofit and podcast, Transcending Trauma.

Today we sit down with MaryEllen Reider, the founder of Yarlap — a vaginal health device that treats urinary incontinence and improves sexual performance. MaryEllen shares how she brought this product to market in partnership with her father, a medical engineer. She also explores the challenges of marketing a women's sexual health product in a patriarchal world.

Hi guys! Today we're speaking with a tech founder and one of Forbes Asia's 30 under 30, Madhavi Shankar. In this episode, Madhavi will speak about going abroad to discover who she was and what she wanted, finding a global business partner, and launching a student housing-focused software solution to assist educational institutions. We hope you enjoy this episode!

Today we're speaking with Annabelle Chauncy, the world-changing founder and CEO of the School of Life nonprofit in Uganda. In this episode, Annabelle will talk about how she transformed from a post-graduate backpacker in Africa to a nonprofit founder and global educator. She also discusses how she's built and run three primary, secondary and vocational schools in rural Uganda to date, and provided clean drinking water, electricity, community outreach and medical treatment to its surrounding communities. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Today we're speaking with Britney Chu, the founder of Estamos — an all-natural and healthy margarita mix that she founded as a passion project during the COVID pandemic, but has now become a legitimate business with huge growth potential. In this episode, Britney shares the inspiration and story behind Estamos and how she's building her brand from the ground up. We hope you like this episode.

Today we're speaking with Dr. Michelle Deaker, the founder of Aussie-based venture capital firm OneVentures as well as a trained scientist and a former e-commerce founder. In this episode, Dr. Deaker will discuss the importance of the pitch in any negotiation, how she built and exited her e-commerce business, and how she went on to build her venture capital firm. If you like this episode, please subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and tell your girlfriends, too! We hope you enjoy the episode!

When we think of admirable women, we might think Eleanor Roosevelt, Frida Kahlo or Rosa Parks, but there were so many more incredible leaders throughout history that we haven't been taught about. Women have done so much for the world that has gone unnoticed, unappreciated and under-represented throughout history. Today we'd like to talk about a few of them — because they deserve recognition, and they deserve to have people say their names. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Today we're speaking with Virgie Tovar, an author, activist and one of the nation's leading experts and lecturers on weight-based discrimination and body image. In this episode, Virgie shares how relentless bullying became the catalyst for her to become an esteemed author, advocate and public speaker on fat phobia and ways we can combat weight discrimination in the workplace. We hope you enjoy this episode and if you do, please leave us a review wherever you listen to this podcast.

In today's episode we're speaking with Ruth Rau, an architect turned founder of Mouse Loves Pig. After having her own children, Ruth began to see toys as a design challenge and began to design toys for her kids that would have a positive impact on them, and the environment. Ruth tells us her process for designing the toys, finding a manufacturer and the one piece of advice she'd give herself or other founders starting their businesses. We hope you enjoy this episode! Make sure to join our Facebook group The Female Founders Network if you want to meet and learn from more like-minded female business owners from around the world.

In today's episode we're speaking with international marketer and start-up consultant Marielle Reussink - who moved from South Africa to Singapore and set up her marketing agency The EMMS. Focusing on start-up and small businesses, Marielle shares her advice on marketing for start-ups and what to include in your marketing plan as a small business. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Today we're speaking with Jenn LeBlanc - a scientist turned tech marketer and the founder of Think Results Marketing and Changing Tides Movement. Jenn shares her unique and inspiring story on how she founded her businesses as well as some unmissable advice on how to have a successful campaign or product launch. Please leave us a review on iTunes or Spotify if you're enjoying the podcast so far! We'd love to hear from you. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Today we're speaking with Sarah Cummings, the founder of Teach Ted - a digital health startup, which uses storytelling and “learning-through-play” techniques to take the fear out of new experiences for kids and families. Sarah tells us how she went from a full time job and chronic state of stress, to following her passion and why serendipity is her favourite word. We hope you enjoy this episode,

Today we're going to talk about diversity and inclusion with Manpreet Dhillon, a consultant who works with cities, companies and organisations to create more equitable environments and operations at every level. In this episode, we'll chat about the current state of inclusion, strategies to create more equitable workplaces, culture “adding” instead of culture “fitting,” and the evolution of workplace conditions for women. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Today we're speaking with Yen Japney, a serial entrepreneur and founder of two successful e-commerce businesses; billionairebeauties.com and Curve Sculpting. Yen share's the story of her family's financial and personal struggles and how the work ethic her mom instilled in her from a young age, led to her motivation and ambition to grow her online businesses. We also discuss how Yen was able to systemise her businesses so that she could hire and train staff in order to scale them successfully.

We hope you had a great International Women's Month! We get a lot of questions about glass ceilings – how they came to exist and why society puts up barriers for women in the first place. For those of you who weren't gender studies majors, we've put together this easy overview of the history of patriarchy in society, as well as what other options might look like, and things we can all do to create a more equal society for all genders.

Today we're speaking with Jessica Koncz, the founder and CEO of Eatsee - a QR code digital menu and guest register used by over 800 restaurants and counting. In this jam-packed episode, Jessica talks about overcoming imposter syndrome, redefining what it means to fail and why you should dream bigger for your business. We hope you enjoy this episode! Make sure to join our Facebook group The Female Founders Network if you want to meet and learn from more like-minded female business owners from around the world.

Hi guys! Today we're speaking with Mugdha Hedaoo, an engineer-turned cosmetics entrepreneur who launched her unique line after quitting her “day job” to spend time with her children. In this episode, Mugdha will talk about why it's important to sell yourself and validate your problem statements, as well as offer advice on how to overcome postpartum depression and build a new business all-in-one. If you want to connect with Mudgdha and other entrepreneurs like her, please open your Facebook app and search for “The Female Founders Network” to find our group — it's an incredible place with all kinds of resources and inspiration for women. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Hi guys! Happy early St. Patricks Day! And speaking about getting lucky... today we're going to talk about having a baby while you're in the height of your career — whether you have a full-time job, work for yourself, or both! I'll share the top DOZEN tips that got my mid-thirties pregnancy and we'll get you in a good headspace to procreate while maintaining your productivity and boss status.

Hi guys! Today we have a very special guest. Reyna Marrufo is a self-taught Facebook ads expert, thought leader, speaker for the Latina community and a recent recruit on our team right here at Invoice2go. Although just swooped Reyna up out of the freelance market, she was a successful entrepreneur and business owner for five years. She has a wealth of knowledge to share on customer acquisition through Facebook, building a business without the classic University education formula, and the balance she thinks companies should strike between brand and growth marketing in order to successfully attract customers. We really enjoyed speaking with Reyna, as her incredible spirit, entrepreneurial drive and can-do mindset shines through at every moment. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Happy International Women's Day! Every day, Sylvie and I are absolutely overwhelmed by the love, support, leadership and community we see growing in The Female Founders Network. As women's rights enthusiasts, business leaders and strong believers in the power of sisterhood, nothing has filled us with more gratitude. So, to celebrate all of you, we're going to dive into the history of International Women's Day today, as well as discuss the women leaders who have inspired us most on our journeys and our hopes for the future. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for joining, listening, sharing and spreading the word about The Female Founders Network. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Today we're speaking with Laurel Mintz, the vivacious and award winning founder of Elevate My Brand - a marketing agency based in LA. You'll hear how Laurel's journey to becoming a marketing boss had many twists and turns, but she also shares some excellent marketing tips and advice for business owners. We hope you enjoy this episode! Here's Laurel's agency: https://www.elevatemybrand.com/want-more

Today we're speaking with Sophia Yen, the founder of Pandia Health - a birth control subscription that automates the process for women to get their birth control delivered in the states. In this episode we find out how Sophia was inspired to start Pandia Health and the journey of the company so far; from testing the market to her expansion across the US. Sophia's passion and brilliance really shines through and we know you'll love this episode! Find Female Founded Female Led: https://fffl.co/ Get a birth control subscription: https://www.pandiahealth.com/

Today we're speaking with Lexi Lewtan, the founder of Centered, a start-up that provides mental health tools for subscribers. As a bonus, the Centered team has partnered with our Invoice2go Facebook group for Freelancers — the Freelance Forum — to provide mental health learning units especially made for freelancers and entrepreneurs. The first of these learning units is available in our group now — so search for the Freelance Forum on Facebook to enjoy it for free. In this episode, Lexi will discuss everything from leaving tech start-up Angelist to take a sabbatical, to discovering the coaching tools she needed to improve her own mental health, to launching a subscription-based start-up which provided these tools to others. We are incredibly excited to share Lexi's journey with you today. If you like this episode and want to hear more stories from badass entrepreneurial women who are changing the world, head on over and give us a 5-star review wherever you listen to this podcast. It really helps our reach! Thanks for your support ladies! We are so grateful for you.

Today we're speaking with Lee Kappon, the CEO and founder of Suridata AI. Lee is based in Tel Aviv, Israel and in this episode, we hear how growing up in Israel shaped Lee to become the fearless founder she is today. From channelling the Israeli “Chutzpah” to Lee's advice on the essential steps for getting VC funding and finding the right VC for your company, there are many great takeaways from our conversation that will be food for thought for your business. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do - please leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. https://www.suridata.ai/

Today we're speaking with Jess Walker, a serial entrepreneur from New Zealand who exited her first start-up, Idle - an Airbnb management company in 2018 and has since gone on to start her next venture while working for a Sydney based Venture Capital firm. This episode was also recorded and aired Live on our Facebook group — which you can find and watch by searching for The Female Founders Network on Facebook. This session is an absolute blast and we're so excited to share it with you. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Today we're speaking with Naama Barnea-Goraly, who left a 20-year career as a neuroimaging researcher at Stanford University to found Girltelligence, an app for girls to advise, support and inspire each other. Both Naama's story and the mission behind her female empowerment and connection app, Girltelligence is one we're really excited to share. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Happy Galentine's Day! Today we're speaking with best friends, Venus and Cynthia who founded healthy dessert gift box company, Treat'em. In this episode, Cynthia and Venus share the inspiration and journey behind founding Treat'em, with super useful advice on working with your best friend and creating beautiful content that resonates with your target market. As a bonus, Venus and Cynthia have included a discount code for our listeners — just use coupon code FFN15 to get 15% off at check out — and if you forget that code, hop on over to The Female Founders Network Instagram feed and check out our episode. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Reviews, reviews reviews... we all know that growing a successful business depends as much on what others say about you as it does on what you say about yourself. In this episode, we'll talk about why reviews matter so much and how to get them... as well as what to do when you get a bad review. We'll also discuss how you can amplify and make the most of good reviews to generate more business.