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The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth

The She Leads® Podcast - Wealth Building & Business Growth

Hosted by Adrienne Garland | Business Growth & Wealth Advisor

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Episodes

210

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN

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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60 recent
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 daysLinks:Email: info@evolutionli.com Website: evolutionli.com Instagram: @evolutiongeneralcontracting Facebook: Evolution General Contracting LinkedIn: Evolution RenovationsReach 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 sponsorGo 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!!XOAdrienne  (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 amplificationLinks:Website: criteriacorp.com LinkedIn: Melissa McCann-Tilton Instagram: @melissamccanntiltonReach 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 sponsorGo 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!!XOAdrienne  (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 cultureLinks:Email: meghann.butcher@repspark.com Website: repspark.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meghannbutcherReach 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 sponsorGo 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!!XOAdrienne  (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 brainLinks:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellyhoey Website: jkellyhoey.co Book: The Social BillionaireReach 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 sponsorGo 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!!XOAdrienne  (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

May 15, 2026Episode 20756 min

Why the Founder to CEO Shift Is Really a Communication Shift with Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport

The hardest shift in business is learning to lead your team without doing their jobs for them. Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, runs a 6,000-person, 24/7/365 operation where a communication breakdown is both costly and dangerous. She took a struggling, de-hubbed Pittsburgh International and turned it into one of the most celebrated airports in the world, and she did it by mastering how to communicate the WHY behind every decision. If you're a founder who has built your business on doing everything yourself and you're hitting the ceiling, this episode articulates why your ability to communicate a vision your team can execute without you in the room is the number one way to scale with excellence.In this episode of The She Leads Podcast, Adrienne Garland speaks with Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates Pittsburgh International and Allegheny County Airport. Under Christina's leadership, Pittsburgh International became the first major airport in the world powered entirely by a microgrid, an Air Transport World Airport of the Year, and one of Fast Company's most innovative companies.Christina makes the case that communication is not a soft skill. Rather, it is a core leadership skill. Her assertion is backed by her actions during COVID: all-hands calls every Wednesday across three shifts for fourteen months. She also explains what she calls her legacy-first leadership approach and why she has no plans to put AI bots in front of passengers.If you have ever wondered whether your team actually understands what you are trying to build and why you're building it, Christina has spent eleven years answering that question one Wednesday at a time.Chapters:🛫 02:46 Christina Cassotis on flunking out of college on purpose, then running a major airport🌍 03:25 From a Pan Am pilot's daughter to seventeen years consulting airports worldwide📞 06:27 The headhunter call she almost turned down, and why she said yes to Pittsburgh🗣️ 16:13 Communication is a core skill, not a soft one, and the path to CEO people overlook📢 19:23 Leading 6,000 people through COVID with a call every shift, every Wednesday⚡ 27:52 Why an airport that handles 500 organs a year built the world's only microgrid💰 34:18 How an airport actually makes money, and the FAA rule that keeps it on site🤝 41:49 Never an AI bot for customer service, because people want assurance, not informationLinks:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christinacassotisReach out to Christina Cassotis to learn more about leading complex infrastructure and building a leadership practice around communicating the why.Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com 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!!XOAdrienne  (02:46) - 🛫 Christina Cassotis on flunking out of college on purpose, then running a major airport (03:25) - 🌍 From a Pan Am pilot's daughter to seventeen years consulting airports worldwide (06:27) - 📞 The headhunter call she almost turned down, and why she said yes to Pittsburgh (16:13) - 🗣️ Communication is a core skill, not a soft one, and the path to CEO people overlook (19:23) - 📢 Leading 6,000 people through COVID with a call every shift, every Wednesday (27:52) - ⚡ Why an airport that handles 500 organs a year built the world's only microgrid (34:18) - 💰 How an airport actually makes money, and the FAA rule that keeps it on site (41:49) - 🤝 Never an AI bot for customer service, because people want assurance, not information

May 8, 2026Episode 20644 min

Why Your Pricing Strategy Won't Scale and the Formula to Fix It with Linda Hunt

If your service business has hit a revenue ceiling, the problem probably isn't your offer, it's your pricing. In this episode, pricing strategist and author Linda Hunt introduces the concept of the "minimum aligned price," the pricing floor below which you're actually paying your clients to work for them. Linda covers the three points at which service businesses start to show weakness: the pricing conversation, scope creep inside the work, and a lack of repeatable processes. If you've been bootstrapping your way through growth, this is the formula for building the business that scales with you.In this episode of The She Leads Podcast, Adrienne Garland's guest is Linda Hunt, founder of Sum Solutions, author of The Money Conversation, and the financial architect known to the women she works with as the money clarity catalyst.Linda makes the case that "I cannot afford it" is almost never the real objection. Clients always find the money for what they value, but a discount in that moment teaches them they were right to hesitate. She also walks through the cost of scope creep on a high-touch client and why a defined service process is what lets the work actually scale.Linda introduces her free Perfect Pricing Formula and the principle that changes how women build service businesses: price your services from day one as if someone else were going to be doing the work, not you.Chapters:💼 02:38 Linda Hunt's corporate dropout origin story and the bookkeeper trap🧠 07:31 Why women run their businesses the way they ran corporate🔧 11:38 Where a service business breaks: pricing conversation, scope creep, no process💰 17:30 Why "I can't afford it" is almost never the real objection📐 20:30 Defining how you deliver, even when it costs you the wrong clients🧮 28:49 The Perfect Pricing Formula and finding your minimum aligned price👥 36:05 Pricing as if someone else will do the work🚀 39:28 Hiring before the work arrives, and what scales with youLinks:The Money Conversation and a free chapter: moneyconversation.netWebsite and a free tool: sumsolutions.comReach out to Linda Hunt to calculate your floor and rebuild your packages around how you actually deliver the work.Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com 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!!XOAdrienne  (02:38) - 💼 Linda Hunt's corporate dropout origin story and the bookkeeper trap (07:31) - 🧠 Why women run their businesses the way they ran corporate (11:38) - 🔧 Where a service business breaks: pricing conversation, scope creep, no process (17:30) - 💰 Why "I can't afford it" is almost never the real objection (20:30) - 📐 Defining how you deliver, even when it costs you the wrong clients (28:49) - 🧮 The Perfect Pricing Formula and finding your minimum aligned price (36:05) - 👥 Pricing as if someone else will do the work (39:28) - 🚀 Hiring before the work arrives, and what scales with you

May 1, 2026Episode 2051 hr 2 min

Why Women Founders Get 2.3% of VC Funding and the Tactical Playbook to Change It with Anna Mazarsky

Women founders get 2.3% of VC funding. Not because they lack vision, grit, or ideas, but because the playbook they've been handed was built for men. In this episode, I sit down with Anna Mazarsky, founder of PinkX PowerCore, the first tactical platform built to close the funding gap from the inside out. Anna spent nearly two decades inside the fundraising world. When she pulled the data, she didn't find a confidence problem. She found a systems problem, a bias problem, and a pattern-matching problem no amount of mindset coaching was ever going to fix. So she stopped coaching and started building. We get into why female-led VC funds aren't moving the needle, why women consistently ask for less than they've earned the right to raise, and why 80% of something will always beat 100% of nothing. The system wasn't built for us. Anna is building the one that is. Chapters:🌍 01:34 Meet Anna Mazarsky: two decades, 500+ startups, and the 2.3% gap that broke her🇰🇿 04:37 From Kazakhstan to Greece: from bartender to fundraising powerhouse📊 08:46 The article that changed everything and the data that made her stop coaching🚫 11:04 "Not another women's program": the pushback that pushed her further💸 24:22 Why women ask for one million when men ask for ten👀 33:28 The companies that get funded versus the ones that should🛠️ 52:54 Inside PinkX PowerCore: the platform built to make women investor-inevitable🌱 01:00:30 Plant the startup seed in all the girls: why Anna is reaching the next generationLinks:Website: pinkxpwr.com LinkedIn: Anna MazarskyIf you're a founder who's ever asked for less than you were worth, Anna is the person to follow next.Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com 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!!XOAdrienne

April 24, 2026Episode 20454 min

Your brain listens to everything: Mindset, neuroscience, and building a million dollar business as a woman — with Julie Anderson

Brain lady Julie Anderson spent thirty years studying how neuroscience shapes women's success, and what keeps them from the million dollar mark is not capability. It is mindset, and specifically what their brains have been trained to listen to.In this episode, Adrienne sits down with Julie Anderson, certified brain health professional and international speaker, to talk about the mindset and neuroscience behind how women build and scale. Julie breaks down why women take on too much, why the word "challenge" activates fight response while "opportunity" opens the prefrontal cortex, and why that small shift changes what the brain looks for. They talk through the evening gratitude practice that has to include something about you, the visualization work elite athletes actually do, and something Adrienne noticed in an AI class that morning: a male instructor typing messy prompts and getting ten times the output of a brilliant woman correcting every comma.If you are building toward a million and wondering why the same patterns keep repeating, this one is worth your time.Chapters:01:38 🧠 Meet Julie Anderson, the brain lady with 30 years in brain science 03:58 🌱 From homeschooling to psychoneuroimmunology: how it all started 08:06 ⚖️ Why women spread themselves too thin and what it costs them 15:44 🔄 Challenge vs. opportunity: brain treats them differently 18:46 🌙 The evening gratitude practice that has to include you 30:29 🏆 What brain scans of elite athletes reveal about visualization 38:16 💻 The AI class moment: perfectionism vs. messy progress 47:16 🔬 One word can activate fight, flight or open the prefrontal cortex 50:34 💰 Normalize the million, and everything after it Links: Email: info@brainladyspeaker.com Website: BrainLadySpeaker.com Social: @brainladyjulie  Reach out to Julie Anderson to learn more about the neuroscience behind high performance and the mindset work that helps women leaders scale.  Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com 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!!XOAdrienne  (01:38) - 🧠 Meet Julie Anderson, the brain lady with 30 years in brain science (03:58) - 🌱 From homeschooling to psychoneuroimmunology: how it all started (08:06) - ⚖️ Why women spread themselves too thin and what it costs them (15:44) - 🔄 Challenge vs. opportunity: brain treats them differently (18:46) - 🌙 The evening gratitude practice that has to include you (30:29) - 🏆 What brain scans of elite athletes reveal about visualization (38:16) - 💻 The AI class moment: perfectionism vs. messy progress (47:16) - 🔬 One word can activate fight, flight or open the prefrontal cortex (50:34) - 💰 Normalize the million, and everything after it

April 17, 2026Episode 20351 min

What No One Tells You About What to Wear During Cancer Recovery — and the Entrepreneur Who Fixed It with Dr. Cindy Trice

Hospital gowns strip your dignity. That's what Dr. Cindy Trice learned firsthand during treatment for advanced cervical cancer. When a friend brought her a pair of pajamas, it changed everything: she felt like a person again, not just a patient. That moment became the origin story for Kickit Recovery Wear, a company designing stylish, functional post-surgery clothing and chemo-friendly apparel for women at every stage of recovery. In this episode, Cindy shares the 16-year journey from idea to launch — including a paralyzing car accident at 18, a career as a veterinarian, a sold software company, and the fourth-grade friend who helped her finally bring it all to life.During chemo, a friend brought her a pair of cute pajamas. She put them on and everything changed. She walked laps around the nurses' station. She let visitors in. But the nurses could not work around them, and she realized the hospital gown exists for a reason. The question was: why has nobody made something that works for patients and medical staff?That idea sat for sixteen years. In the meantime, Cindy became a veterinarian, built and sold a software company called Relief Rover, and eventually launched KickIt with three co-founders, including her best friend since the fourth grade. They split ownership equally and built the whole thing together.She is also a patient advocate for Cervivor and wants you to know: cervical cancer is preventable. Get screened.If you are building something from a problem you lived through, this conversation will feel familiar.Chapters:🎙️ 01:04 Rate, review, and share the show 🐾 03:11 Meet Dr. Cindy Trice: veterinarian, cancer survivor, and lover of long and low dogs 🏥 05:17 Breaking her back at 18 and learning what dignity in healthcare really means 🐋 12:47 Volunteering at the Marine Mammal Center and lying her way into a pet clinic job 🩺 21:13 Advanced cervical cancer diagnosis right out of vet school 👗 24:41 The hospital gown that stripped her identity and the pajamas that gave it back 🔧 27:30 Why hospital gowns are designed for function and why nobody fixed them 🚀 30:29 Sixteen years from idea to launch: some ideas need to bake 🤝 33:05 A fourth-grade best friend, two garment makers, and a company built by four women 🔄 36:49 Relief Rover, simultaneous entrepreneurship, and selling the first company 🌱 42:51 The roller coaster is real: confidence, hustle, and building your network 🎁 46:20 KickIt slipper socks giveaway: tag @sheleadsmedia and @kickitrecoverywear  Links:Website: kickitrecoverywear.com  Instagram: @kickitrecoverywear Email: cindy@kickitpajamas.com If this conversation made you think differently about what recovery can look and feel like, follow KickIt and see what they are building. GIVEAWAY 🎁 Slipper Socks Giveaway! At our most recent Pitch The Media event in NYC, KickIt donated the most beautiful, luxurious Slipper Socks. I have a few pairs left and I would love to give them away to 3 lucky listeners. Here is how to enter: give the show a 5-star rating and review, tag both @sheleadsmedia and @kickitrecoverywear on Instagram. I will choose 3 women to receive a pair of these incredibly cozy slipper socks. Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com 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!!XOAdrienne  (01:04) - 🎙️ Rate, review, and share the show (03:11) - 🐾 Meet Dr. Cindy Trice: veterinarian, cancer survivor, and lover of long and low dogs (05:17) - 🏥 Breaking her back at 18 and learning what dignity in healthcare really means (12:47) - 🐋 Volunteering at the Marine Mammal Center and lying her way into a pet clinic job (21:13) - 🩺 Advanced cervical cancer diagnosis right out of vet school (24:41) - 👗 The hospital gown that stripped her identity and the pajamas that gave it back (27:30) - 🔧 Why hospital gowns are designed for function and why nobody fixed them (30:29) - 🚀 Sixteen years from idea to launch: some ideas need to bake (33:05) - 🤝 A fourth-grade best friend, two garment makers, and a company built by four women (36:49) - 🔄 Relief Rover, simultaneous entrepreneurship, and selling the first company (42:51) - 🌱 The roller coaster is real: confidence, hustle, and building your network (46:20) - 🎁 KickIt slipper socks giveaway: tag @sheleadsmedia and @kickitrecoverywear

April 10, 2026Episode 20237 min

Why Substack and Community Building Are Outperforming Traditional PR for Growing Brands with Ashley Orfus

Brands don't need more visibility, they need meaning. That's the thesis behind Ashley Orfus's work as founder of ALAB Group, where she helps innovative companies replace traditional PR tactics with performance-driven communication built on education, credibility, and community. In this episode, Ashley shares why platforms like Substack and Beehive are leveling the playing field for founders without big budgets, why handwritten notes and customer phone calls are now a competitive edge, and why women founders need to stop discounting their rates before the other person even finishes breathing.Ashley founded ALAB Group at 22 years old, after leaving luxury fashion and entertainment, before entrepreneurship was the default career path it is now. For over a decade, she has been helping founders across technology, food, hospitality, and culture who are not just launching products but inventing entire categories. From audio jewelry to vertical farming to space tourism, her work starts with one question: what is your unique point of view? Ashley challenged something I think a lot of us do. We rush to hire marketing before our product and positioning are actually ready, and then wonder why it does not get us to scale. The world does not need another business, she said. It needs yours to be clear about why it exists. We also got into the money conversation that women founders keep avoiding and why the shift from traditional media to platforms like Substack and Beehive is creating a fairer playing field for smaller brands. If you are building something and wondering where to put your energy, this one is worth your time. Chapters: 🎙️ 02:18 Ashley Orfus on leaving luxury fashion to build ALAB Group at 22 🧪 06:18 The world doesn't need another business: finding your unique point of view 💡 09:08 Frends Headphones, audio jewelry, and how you explain something that doesn't exist yet 💰 12:11 Operating model over scale: why a curated business can outperform a big one 🚫 16:15 The money conversation women founders keep avoiding 🤝 22:17 Substack, Beehive, and the new media landscape replacing traditional PR ✍️ 28:43 Handwritten notes and analog strategy as a competitive edge 🎯 30:05 Don't hire marketing to hire marketing: ask the scary questions first Links:Website: www.alabgroup.com Instagram: @alabgroup / @aorfus Email: ashley@alabgroup.com Your brand doesn't need more noise. Connect with Ashley and the team at ALAB Group to learn more. Thank you to our podcast sponsorGo From Expert to Thought Leader with the Genius Discovery Program.Book Directly with Kent: http://talktokent.com 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!!XOAdrienne  (02:18) - 🎙️ Ashley Orfus on leaving luxury fashion to build ALAB Group at 22 (06:18) - 🧪 The world doesn't need another business: finding your unique point of view (09:08) - 💡 Frends Headphones, audio jewelry, and how you explain something that doesn't exist yet (12:11) - 💰 Operating model over scale: why a curated business can outperform a big one (16:15) - 🚫 The money conversation women founders keep avoiding (22:17) - 🤝 Substack, Beehive, and the new media landscape replacing traditional PR (28:43) - ✍️ Handwritten notes and analog strategy as a competitive edge (30:05) - 🎯 Don't hire marketing to hire marketing: ask the scary questions first

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