The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth

Hosted by Adrienne Garland | Business Growth & Wealth Advisor

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216

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Jul 2026

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About the show

The She Leads Podcast is where women entrepreneurs and business leaders get the real strategies behind scaling a business to one million dollars and beyond. Each week, host Adrienne Garland, CEO of She Leads Media, professor at NYU and Rice University, and business growth advisor, speaks with women who have actually built it: founders who broke past the revenue ceiling, executives leading thousands, and strategists rethinking how women build wealth, lead teams, and grow companies. Episodes cover business growth strategies for women, from pricing and hiring to leadership communication, AI and the future of work, networking and social capital, and the founder to CEO transition. If you're a woman entrepreneur building toward your first million or your next one, this is the show that meets you where you actually are: past the motivational fluff, deep in the work, and ready to scale.

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July 24, 2026Episode 21736 min

How The Most Actionable Customer Insight Happens Before You Sell a Single Unit with Debbie and Troy Sutton

A miserable mammogram turned into a patented product, and the customer validation process behind it is a masterclass for any founder building a physical product from scratch. Debbie and Troy Sutton, the mother and son co-founders behind The Healing Bras, bootstrapped warming and cooling therapy pads for women's breast pain at every stage of life, from first cycles to breastfeeding to menopause. It started with one cranky drive home from a painful mammogram, when Troy asked his mom how it went and then did something most people never do: he went looking for a better solution, found only clunky, outdated ice packs, and invented one himself. What followed is a product development story every entrepreneur should hear. A biomedical engineer and former college catcher ended up designing an intimate product for women he could never use himself, and the approach was simple: ask, listen, and stay humble. Debbie and Troy donated over 500 pads to partner organizations to get real feedback on shape, size, and fit before selling a single unit. They brought a two-time breast cancer survivor onto their board to guide the design, partnered with an FDA-regulated manufacturer in New Jersey, and built the entire company self-funded from their garage. We also talk about the harder side of co-founding with family: how a mother and son learn when to be business partners and when to be family, why the relationship sometimes matters more than being right, and how they pivoted their original product based entirely on what their customers told them. They are now scaling toward hospitals, universities, female college athletes, and insurance approval. If you are building a product from a problem no one else has bothered to fix, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🎙️ 00:00 Meet the mother-son founders behind The Healing Bras 💡 02:41 The painful mammogram that sparked a patented product ❤️ 04:42 How a male founder designed an intimate product for women by listening first 📋 07:52 Donating 500 products to validate the design before selling one 💰 11:31 Why the market only rewards value, not effort 👥 12:19 Co-founding with family: when to be business partners and when to be mother and son 🔄 25:22 Why pivoting from bras to insertable pads changed the whole business ⚙️ 27:20 Building systems that scale the business beyond two people 🏥 29:39 Hospitals, universities, and 200,000 female college athletes 🌸 32:57 Why the size of a room matters less than who is in it Links: Website: thehealingbras.com Instagram: @thehealingbras Visit thehealingbras.com to shop the healing pads and see testimonials from women across every stage, from first cycles to breastfeeding to menopause. She Leads listeners get a special discount: use code SHELEADS10 at thehealingbras.com/discount/Sheleads10 at checkout. We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (00:00) - 🎙️ Meet Debbie and Troy Sutton, the mother and son behind The Healing Bras (02:41) - 💡 The miserable mammogram and the aha moment that started a company (04:42) - ❤️ A son's empathy, and designing for women he could never speak for himself (07:52) - 📋 From a survivor-guided design to 500 donated pads and real feedback (11:31) - 💰 The market only cares about the value you create, not how hard you work (12:19) - 👥 Mother and son, business partners: when to switch which hat you wear (25:22) - 🔄 Why pivoting from full bras to insertable pads was the smart move (27:20) - ⚙️ Building the systems that build the business, not just the product (29:39) - 🏥 Where the business is headed: hospitals, universities, and student athletes (32:57) - 🌸 Why the size of a room matters less than who is in it

July 17, 2026Episode 21646 min

Why a Student's Zip Code Should Not Decide Their Future: Building a Global Online School in 70 Countries with Penelope Barton

A student's zip code should not decide their future. Penelope Barton built a school in 70 countries to prove it. Penelope is the CEO of Crimson Global Academy and co-founder of Crimson Academies, a group of five schools serving students from age five through eighteen, online and in person. Last year her team ran 144,000 classes. Some of her students learn from boats, connected by satellite internet. She grew up in rural New Zealand before the internet, where one teacher covered English, math, and science, and you got whoever you got. That is the problem she has spent six years dismantling. We talk about how she scaled it: starting with two years of high school and one curriculum, then adding learning modes, ages, and countries as students asked for them. She places kids by ability, not age. Seven-year-olds are building apps. A venture capital firm is funding five of her seniors to launch real businesses before graduation. And she just opened a tuition-free school funded directly by the New Zealand government, which took three years of proving results first. She also says something most founders will recognize: the hardest thing she manages is not scale or regulation. It is her own impatience. Chapters: 🌏 03:11 Penelope Barton on growing up in rural New Zealand before the internet 🗺️ 05:22 A student's zip code should not dictate their outcome 🧩 10:45 Full-time, part-time, group class, or one to one 🪜 15:22 Scaling in very small steps toward something that looks huge 🧒 20:46 Seven-year-olds building apps and learning to pitch them 🔁 23:03 The hardest thing she manages is her own impatience 🏛️ 29:53 Three years of proven results before a government funded a free school 👂 42:09 You are never too big to run discovery calls Links: Website: https://www.crimsonglobalacademy.school/ Social: @crimsonglobalacademy Reach out to Penelope Barton if you have a teacher in the family looking for something different, or if you run a school or a government trying to widen access to great teaching. We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (03:11) - 🌏 Penelope Barton on growing up in rural New Zealand before the internet (05:22) - 🗺️ A student's zip code should not dictate their outcome (10:45) - 🧩 Full-time, part-time, group class, or one to one (15:22) - 🪜 Scaling in very small steps toward something that looks huge (20:46) - 🧒 Seven-year-olds building apps and learning to pitch them (23:03) - 🔁 The hardest thing she manages is her own impatience (29:53) - 🏛️ Three years of proven results before a government funded a free school (42:09) - 👂 You are never too big to run discovery calls

July 10, 2026Episode 21540 min

Why Being Your Industry's Best Kept Secret Is Killing Your Revenue with Diane Strand

You are great at what you do. Your clients love you. And almost nobody knows you exist. That gap between your skill and your visibility is where revenue disappears. Diane Strand of JDS Productions, has spent 23 years building businesses in one of the most competitive industries in the world: entertainment production. She has worked on sets for General Hospital, Friends, and Walt Disney. She built JDS Productions into a seven-figure media company, launched over 100 actors and producers through her studio, and wrote the book on turning creative passion into profit (literally, it is called Creative Preneur). In this episode, Diane breaks down why creativity is not a soft skill but a growth strategy, why action always comes before confidence, and how the same tools performers use on stage (improv, rehearsal, storytelling, stepping into the spotlight before you feel ready) are the exact tools that scale a business past the million dollar mark. She also challenges the money mindset that keeps women entrepreneurs stuck: stop building cash flow and start building wealth. Chapters: 🎬 00:53 Meet Diane Strand: from General Hospital and Disney to a seven-figure media company 🎨 04:15 Why your creative passion is a real business asset 💡 08:40 The mindset shift most creatives never make about money 📣 13:02 Marketing you can actually learn, even if you think you're not a "marketer" 🌱 16:22 The DREAM framework for getting unstuck and moving forward 💪 21:47 Building through fear, self-doubt, and dyslexia 🤝 27:30 Lifting other creatives as you rise ✨ 34:10 One thing you can do today to move your business forward Links: Website: dianestrand.com Social: @dianestrand Reach out to Diane Strand to learn more about turning your creative passion into a profitable business and using the tools of the arts to leverage, market, and scale. We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (00:53) - 🎬 Meet Diane Strand: from General Hospital and Disney to a seven-figure media company (04:15) - 🎨 Why your creative passion is a real business asset (08:40) - 💡 The mindset shift most creatives never make about money (13:02) - 📣 Marketing you can actually learn, even if you think you're not a "marketer" (16:22) - 🌱 The DREAM framework for getting unstuck and moving forward (21:47) - 💪 Building through fear, self-doubt, and dyslexia (27:30) - 🤝 Lifting other creatives as you rise (34:10) - ✨ One thing you can do today to move your business forward

July 3, 2026Episode 21449 min

Why You Don't Need VC or to Quit Your Day Job to Build a Real Business with Toni Toomey

You want to build the business. You also cannot afford to quit your job. For most women, that tension kills the idea before it starts. Toni Toomey refused to let it. She is a second-time founder who sold her first company in her twenties, a full-time AI professional, the primary breadwinner in her family, and the CEO of Hone - a premium postpartum apparel brand made from hormone-safe natural fibers. She bootstrapped her startup without a single dollar of venture capital because, as she puts it, the VC model funds just 2.5% of women founders, so she built her own path. In this episode, Toni shares how she identified a product gap that a male founder would likely miss, why she uses AI to compress days of operational work into hours without ever using it to write her content, and why community is replacing paid ads as the most effective growth strategy for early-stage founders. Toni also breaks down what to look for (and what to avoid) in the fabrics you wear every day and why the apparel industry's impact on women's health is a problem hiding in plain sight. Chapters: 🎙️ 00:00 Meet Toni Toomey, founder of Hone and creator of Mom Built -a community for mom founders building for other moms. 🌱 03:25 Building a company without quitting a full-time job 🧰 04:43 What a first exit and the right mentors actually taught Toni 🤖 12:45 Where AI helps a solo founder, and where human connection wins 💸 18:59 Why so few women founders sell, and the case for small-check investing 🧪 23:45 The problem nobody else would solve: plastic in what we wear 🧵 33:18 How to read a fabric label and what to actually look for 📍 42:14 Inside Mom Built and where to find Toni Links: Website: wearhone.com and tonitoomey.com Social: @toni.toomey and @wear.hone Reach out to Toni Toomey to learn more about Hone's hormone-safe postpartum apparel, to join Mom Built, or to connect about building a company around a problem you actually live. We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (00:00) - 🎙️ Meet Toni Toomey, founder of Hone and creator of Mom Built (03:25) - 🌱 Building a company without quitting the full-time job (04:43) - 🧰 What a first exit and the right mentors actually taught her (12:45) - 🤖 Where AI helps a solo founder, and where human connection wins (18:59) - 💸 Why so few women founders sell, and the case for small-check investing (23:45) - 🧪 The problem nobody else would solve: plastic in what we wear (33:18) - 🧵 How to read a fabric label and what to actually look for (42:14) - 📍 Inside Mom Built and where to find Toni

June 26, 2026Episode 21347 min

College Isn't the Only Path: Building Worker-First Careers and a Women's Camp in a French Château with Leah Lykins

Leah Lykins thinks college isn't the only path to a good career, and she's built worker-first tools that prove it. Leah is the co-founder of WhereWeGo , a public benefit corporation connecting people who are ready to work with the programs ready to train them, and the co-founder of Camp Chateau, an adult women's sleepaway camp in a French château. In this episode, Leah explains why the infrastructure that keeps a country running, from clean energy to advanced manufacturing to the electrical grid, needs people desperately, and how the right framing turns a career nobody has heard of into one worth getting out of bed for. She also shares how she and her mother bought a château for the price of a San Francisco apartment, funded the first location with 150 women, and filled the second in seven days. If you are rethinking your next move, or want to build a business that actually fits your life, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🎙️ 00:01 Welcome and why a five star review helps every guest 🌱 03:20 The frustration that started WhereWeGo , 🧭 04:38 No plan B navigation for the students who skip college ⚡ 11:35 The infrastructure jobs that need people desperately 🔍 15:58 How WhereWeGo , meets workers at their comfort zone 🚀 19:53 WhereWeGo Labs and shipping a new tool every 30 days 🏰 27:34 Buying a château for the price of a San Francisco apartment 🌷 33:05 Selling out the second location in seven days 💼 37:42 Building companies women don't have to shrink themselves for 📬 44:27 Where to find Leah, WhereWeGo , and Camp Chateau Links: LinkedIn: Leah Lykins Website: WhereWeGo Reach out to Leah Lykins to explore WhereWeGo success stories or to connect about the workforce problems you are trying to solve, from helping a young person find their path to navigating your own career pivot. We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (00:01) - 🎙️ Welcome and why a five star review helps every guest (03:20) - 🌱 The frustration that started Where We Go (04:38) - 🧭 No plan B navigation for the students who skip college (11:35) - ⚡ The infrastructure jobs that need people desperately (15:58) - 🔍 How Where We Go meets workers at their comfort zone (19:53) - 🚀 Where We Go Labs and shipping a new tool every 30 days (27:34) - 🏰 Buying a château for the price of a San Francisco apartment (33:05) - 🌷 Selling out the second location in seven days (37:42) - 💼 Building companies women don't have to shrink themselves for (44:27) - 📬 Where to find Leah, Where We Go, and Camp Chateau

June 19, 2026Episode 21240 min

Why Only 1% of Women Founders Ever Sell: Rethinking the Business Exit with Alisha Pennington

Most women founders never sell the business they built. Alisha Pennington wants to change that, and she says the block is not financial literacy. It is identity. In this episode, I sit down with Alisha Pennington, founder of Exette and a consultant who scaled and sold her own multi-seven-figure staffing agency. Only about 1% of female founders ever exit, and Alisha breaks down why: a lack of women we can point to who have done it, and the emotional attachment that keeps us holding on long after the business stops serving us. We get into the idea that your business is an asset, not your baby. We talk about building for optionality from day one, what "be ready so you don't have to get ready" actually looks like, and her vision for women buying and selling businesses to each other instead of letting them quietly disappear. If you are building toward a million and wondering what comes after, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🎙️ 00:52 Meet Alisha Pennington, the founder helping women exit the businesses they built 📊 02:16 Why only 1% of women founders exit, and the 68% who stay for emotional reasons 💭 04:45 How women tie their worth to output, and why that keeps them holding on 🍼 06:36 Your business is not your baby: making logical decisions about an asset 🔁 12:01 The marketplace women are missing: buying and selling businesses to each other ⏱️ 24:32 Be ready so you don't have to get ready: building for optionality from day one 🚪 28:00 Why Alisha sold a multi-seven-figure agency when it stopped being fun 💬 37:06 Inside Exette and the free community normalizing the exit conversation Links: Website: penningtonperspective.com LinkedIn: Alisha Pennington Instagram: @itsalishamp Facebook: @itsalishamp Connect with Alisha Pennington to learn more about preparing to exit, sell, or evolve beyond your business, and join her free Exette community at exette.co where women are normalizing the exit conversation every week. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program . Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (00:52) - 🎙️ Meet Alisha Pennington, the founder helping women exit the businesses they built (02:16) - 📊 Why only 1% of women founders exit, and the 68% who stay for emotional reasons (04:45) - 💭 How women tie their worth to output, and why that keeps them holding on (06:36) - 🍼 Your business is not your baby: making logical decisions about an asset (12:01) - 🔁 The marketplace women are missing: buying and selling businesses to each other (24:32) - ⏱️ Be ready so you don't have to get ready: building for optionality from day one (28:00) - 🚪 Why Alisha sold a multi-seven-figure agency when it stopped being fun (37:06) - 💬 Inside Exette and the free community normalizing the exit conversation

June 12, 2026Episode 21143 min

Building a Business in a Male-Dominated Industry: How One Woman Is Disrupting Construction and Real Estate with Jennifer DeVito

Most real estate agents know nothing about the homes they sell. Jennifer DeVito built a woman-owned construction and real estate company to fix exactly that. In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer DeVito, founder of Evolution, a design-build general contracting and real estate company on Long Island. Jennifer grew up running equipment on her parents' excavation sites, became the only woman managing 400 home builds for a national developer, and turned that into a business that combines buying, renovating, and selling under one roof. We get into why she charges sellers a flat fee instead of a percentage, how she gives buyers the true cost of a home before they make an offer, and why she trains alongside her 23 employees every single day. Jennifer is proof that you do not have to build your business the way men built theirs. If you are growing something in an industry that was not designed for you, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🏗️ 02:53 Jennifer DeVito learned the business on her parents' excavation sites 👷‍♀️ 04:27 Running 400 home builds as the only woman on site 🏠 07:05 Buying her first flip at 21 and stumbling into real estate 💡 11:55 Why your real estate agent should also be your contractor 💵 15:19 Replacing the percentage commission with a flat seller fee 🤸‍♀️ 21:00 Forget work-life balance, build work-life integration instead 📈 29:10 The real, unfiltered cost of growing a business self-funded 🛁 39:09 Bath in a Box: transparent pricing for a renovation in 14 days Links: Email: info@evolutionli.com Website: evolutionli.com Instagram: @evolutiongeneralcontracting Facebook: Evolution General Contracting LinkedIn: Evolution Renovations Reach out to Jennifer DeVito if you are buying, selling, or renovating a home on Long Island and want someone who understands the true cost before you commit. She also offers Bath in a Box, six pre-designed bathroom renovations with transparent, all-in pricing. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program . Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (00:00) - - 🤸‍♀️ Forget work-life balance, build work-life integration instead (00:05) - - 🏠 Buying her first flip at 21 and stumbling into real estate (00:09) - - 🛁 Bath in a Box: transparent pricing for a renovation in 14 days (00:10) - - 📈 The real, unfiltered cost of growing a business self-funded (00:19) - - 💵 Replacing the percentage commission with a flat seller fee (00:27) - - 👷‍♀️ Running 400 home builds as the only woman on site (00:53) - - 🏗️ Jennifer DeVito learned the business on her parents' excavation sites (00:55) - - 💡 Why your real estate agent should also be your contractor

June 5, 2026Episode 21049 min

Why Women Can't Scale on a System Built Against Them and How AI Changes That with Melissa McCann Tilton

Most business frameworks women are taught were designed for someone else. The playbook says pattern your company after proven models of success, but those models were built for a different kind of founder operating inside a different kind of system. Melissa McCann Tilton, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Criteria, has spent two decades scaling companies from $20M to $100M+ across automotive, logistics, and HR tech. She makes a case that stops you cold: AI does not create efficiency. AI creates amplification. If your decisions, your culture, and your hiring are strong, AI will multiply that strength. If they're broken, AI will multiply the damage. For women entrepreneurs stuck at the revenue ceiling, this is the episode that reframes everything: the old system is finally cracking, and the founders who understand what AI actually does, not automate but amplify, are the ones who will build what comes next. In this episode, Melissa McCann-Tilton, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Criteria and I talk about why she believes the next three to five years will be the most fascinating period in work history, and why women have a rare opening to rewrite the rules right now. Melissa is direct about AI in that it creates amplification vs. the efficiency most people tout. If judgment is bad, AI makes it worse. If your core is right, AI makes it stronger. Melissa and I get into why productivity is the wrong metric, why so many of us feel worthy only when we are producing, and how that harmful societal programming is one of the components that keeps so many women led businesses fighting so hard to break through the million-dollar revenue mark in our businesses. Listen to why breaking the rules might be the smartest business move women can make this year. 🚗 04:23 Melissa McCann-Tilton on surviving brutal, male-dominated industries and learning to scale 🧠 12:16 Why the next three to five years will be the most fascinating period in work history ⚖️ 13:34 Defining the human work and the AI work before you let either take over 💡 18:46 The human renaissance, and why productivity is about to become the wrong metric 🏢 22:12 What return-to-work mandates get wrong about why people show up 💔 34:02 The loss that knocked her out of the grind and changed how she saw other women 🔑 37:19 Hiring for adaptability over pedigree, and making yourself irrelevant ✨ 42:04 AI does not create efficiency, it creates amplification Links: Website: criteriacorp.com LinkedIn: Melissa McCann-Tilton Instagram: @melissamccanntilton Reach out to Melissa McCann-Tilton to learn more about hiring for adaptability and designing human-centered organizations where AI amplifies your people instead of replacing them. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program . Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (04:23) - 🚗 Melissa McCann-Tilton on surviving brutal, male-dominated industries and learning to scale (12:16) - 🧠 Why the next three to five years will be the most fascinating period in work history (13:34) - ⚖️ Defining the human work and the AI work before you let either take over (18:46) - 💡 The human renaissance, and why productivity is about to become the wrong metric (22:12) - 🏢 What return-to-work mandates get wrong about why people show up (34:02) - 💔 The loss that knocked her out of the grind and changed how she saw other women (37:19) - 🔑 Hiring for adaptability over pedigree, and making yourself irrelevant (42:04) - ✨ AI does not create efficiency, it creates amplification

May 29, 2026Episode 20940 min

How to Build a Tech Company Without a Tech Background with Meghann Butcher

Meghann Butcher built RepSpark, a B2B wholesale e-commerce platform now moving over a billion dollars a year, without a single line of tech on her resume. She grew up in her dad's apparel and footwear business, hanging around the warehouse at five years old. At 27, when her father's order-entry tool started catching on with independent sales reps, he asked if she wanted to run with it. She said yes, and bootstrapped it from there. In this conversation, Meghann and I get into how a psychology and communications major became the product visionary for a software company, why she still leans on empathy over technical skill to lead, and how staying close to customer pain points built a platform now used by nearly 100,000 retailers. We also talk about being a mom of three while running a growing company, building a drama-free culture, and what it actually takes to scale a bootstrapped business on your own terms. Tune in for a real look at building something durable without the usual playbook. 🎙️ 02:44 Meghann Butcher on why balance always looks a little wobbly 🛍️ 04:07 What RepSpark actually does for wholesale brands and buyers 👟 05:15 From her dad's warehouse to running with the platform at 27 🧠 10:18 Why a psychology degree beats a tech background for leading software 🌙 14:43 The scary part: testing the platform with real customers 🌱 16:46 Staying bootstrapped and hiring for what you are bad at ⛳ 19:24 Why niching into passion brands built an unbeatable moat 🤝 30:34 The loneliness at the top, and building a drama-free culture Links: Email: meghann.butcher@repspark.com Website: repspark.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meghannbutcher Reach out to Meghann Butcher to learn more about modernizing B2B wholesale and what it takes to build and scale a bootstrapped software company. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program . Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (02:44) - 🎙️ Meghann Butcher on why balance always looks a little wobbly (04:07) - 🛍️ What RepSpark actually does for wholesale brands and buyers (05:15) - 👟 From her dad's warehouse to running with the platform at 27 (10:18) - 🧠 Why a psychology degree beats a tech background for leading software (14:43) - 🌙 The scary part: testing the platform with real customers (16:46) - 🌱 Staying bootstrapped and hiring for what you are bad at (19:24) - ⛳ Why niching into passion brands built an unbeatable moat (30:34) - 🤝 The loneliness at the top, and building a drama-free culture

May 22, 2026Episode 20855 min

Why Most Networking Advice Fails Women and the Two-Network Formula That Actually Scales with J. Kelly Hoey

Most networking advice was built for men and tested on men. It tells you to work the room, collect contacts, and follow up fast. But research across four continents and fifteen years of longitudinal studies shows that women who network like men consistently underperform the women who don't. Networking strategist and two-time author J. Kelly Hoey shares the goods from the landmark study that launched her latest book, The Social Billionaire. Women who reach the top don't just stay plugged into information flows. They build a second, inner circle of like-minded women with diverse networks, and they use three high-impact strategies most women have never been taught: brokering, churn, and visibility. If you've been told to "just get out there and network" and it's never moved the needle for your business, this episode explains why, and gives you the research-backed formula that actually works. In this episode of the She Leads Podcast, Adrienne and Kelly unpack the central finding of her new book, The Social Billionaire : the women who get internships, land roles, and grow businesses past the million-dollar mark run two networks at once. One is the broader information flow everyone else is in. The other is a smaller, intentional inner circle of like-minded women with diverse networks who give real feedback, real introductions, and back-channel advice that moves careers and businesses forward. Adrienne and Kelly get into the three high-impact networking activities women consistently skip: brokering, churn, and visibility. They talk about why "I don't have time to network" usually means defaulting to transactional outreach, and why the kindest thing you can do for someone is to be specific about what you need. To build a strong, healthy business with longevity, you must build your network strategically. Kelly tells us why. Chapters : 🤝 02:42 J. Kelly Hoey on how networking became the spine of her career 🔬 09:19 The research finding behind The Social Billionaire 👯 15:21 Why your closest people are the wrong network for career advice 🔗 24:00 Brokering is the high-impact networking move most women skip 🔄 31:34 Churn and visibility: the two activities your network has outgrown 🚀 38:53 The networking formula for women entrepreneurs scaling past a million 🎯 45:50 Being specific is kindness, vague asks shut down the listener's brain Links: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellyhoey Website: jkellyhoey.co Book: The Social Billionaire Reach out to J. Kelly Hoey to learn more about the networking formula behind The Social Billionaire and the relationships that move women's careers and businesses forward. Thank you to our podcast sponsor Go From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program . Learn more at: geniusdiscovery.org We're always seeking aligned sponsors. ⭐️ If you're interested in supporting our podcast - one episode or a season, reach out to Adrienne at Adrienne@sheleadsmedia.com .⭐️ Reach out to Adrienne: hello@sheleadsmedia.com Visit our website: www.sheleadsmedia.com to learn about upcoming events or to work with me directly and get the clarity you’re seeking. As a gesture of support for this podcast and sharing women's voices everywhere - I would greatly appreciate if you would take a moment and give our podcast a 5 Star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. By you taking this simple action, you are making a difference in sharing women's voices, thoughts and opinions. One last thing - if you haven’t done so already, please hit the plus sign + to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. Thank you so much!! XO Adrienne (02:42) - 🤝 J. Kelly Hoey on how networking became the spine of her career (09:19) - 🔬 The research finding behind The Social Billionaire (15:21) - 👯 Why your closest people are the wrong network for career advice (24:00) - 🔗 Brokering is the high-impact networking move most women skip (31:34) - 🔄 Churn and visibility: the two activities your network has outgrown (38:53) - 🚀 The networking formula for women entrepreneurs scaling past a million (45:50) - 🎯 Being specific is kindness, vague asks shut down the listener's brain