EmpowerHER Business Podcast

Hosted by Linette Cottrell/Coach/Accountant/Writer

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

124

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Welcome to the EmpowerHER Business Podcast—the unapologetic space where women of color go beyond the highlight reels, create our own tables, and build wealth without losing ourselves. This is not another hustle-harder business podcast. Here, we tell the truth about the human side of entrepreneurship: money trauma and money stories, financial avoidance, CEO identity, the messy middle, and the emotional weight of building something of our own. We explore how our histories, identities, and experiences shape the way we lead, grow, and relate to money. Hosted by Linette Cottrell—accountant, financial leadership advisor, speaker, and creator of Compassionate Accounting™ and Holistic Financial Leadership™—each episode blends candid conversations, practical financial wisdom, mindset shifts, and soul-aligned leadership. We don’t separate the numbers from the woman behind them. Here, revenue is not your worth. Wealth and well-being can coexist. Your business should support your life—not consume it. ✨ If you’re ready to replace financial overwhelm with clarity, lead with grounded confidence, and build a profitable, sustainable business with peace, purpose, and legacy—you belong here. 🔔 Subscribe and join a growing community of women of color changing the face of entrepreneurship. #BlackWomenInBusiness

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 17, 20269 min

Messy Middle of Business Evolution | When You’ve Outgrown Your Business

You’re not lost. You may simply be in the messy middle of business growth—where what used to work no longer fits, but what’s next hasn’t fully revealed itself. If your business feels different lately, this Soul Spa is a reminder that growth can feel uncertain before it becomes clear. In this episode of The Soul Spa Series, we’re talking about the messy middle of business evolution—the space between what was and what will be. Maybe your offers no longer excite you, your approach to serving clients no longer feels sustainable, or the way you’ve been managing your business doesn’t fit the woman you’re becoming. That doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. Sometimes, it means you’re growing, learning, and evolving into a new version of your business. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why outgrowing what once worked can be a natural part of business growth. How to recognize when your business is evolving, even when the next chapter isn’t clear. Why feeling uncertain doesn’t necessarily mean you’re falling behind or losing focus. How to give yourself permission to sit in the transition instead of forcing immediate answers. Why the messy middle can be a meaningful part of becoming the next version of your business. 👉 This episode is part of The Soul Spa—short solo pauses you can return to whenever you need a moment of grounding. #EmpowerHERBusinessPodcast #SoulSpaSeries #TheMessyMiddle #BusinessGrowth #BusinessEvolution #WomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenInBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessMindset #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOwner #BusinessJourney #BusinessStrategy #PurposeDrivenBusiness #WomenInBusiness #EntrepreneurLife #GrowthMindset #BusinessSuccess Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

August 3, 20267 min

Permission to Change the Plan | Why Every Entrepreneur Must Pivot

The goals you set in January were based on who you were and what you knew then. But growth changes perspective—and sometimes the best thing you can do is give yourself permission to change the plan. In this episode of The Soul Spa Series: Summer Permission Slips (Part 2) , we're talking about why pivoting isn't failure. As you grow through entrepreneurship, your business, experiences, and clients teach you new lessons. Whether you've discovered a new opportunity, refined your services, shifted your priorities, or realized your original goals no longer align, you're allowed to recalibrate without guilt. In this episode, you'll learn: Why changing your business goals is a sign of growth—not failure. How new opportunities can reshape your original vision. When it's time to pivot, refine, or let go of plans that no longer fit. How to trust yourself as you evolve as an entrepreneur. Why giving yourself permission to change creates space for sustainable success. 👉 This episode is part of The Soul Spa—short solo pauses you can return to whenever you need a moment of grounding. #EmpowerHERBusinessPodcast #SoulSpaSeries #PermissionToPivot #BusinessGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #WomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenInBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #BusinessStrategy #MidYearReset #GoalSetting #PurposeDrivenBusiness #MindsetShift #BusinessCoach #PersonalGrowth #WomenInBusiness #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessSuccess #Leadership #PivotWithPurpose Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

July 22, 202645 min

Every Business Has Slow Seasons—Here's How to Survive Them

Every business goes through seasons of growth, momentum, uncertainty, and slowdowns. The key to long-term success isn't avoiding hard seasons—it's building a business that's prepared to survive and thrive through them. In this episode of the EmpowerHER Business Podcast, financial experts Rhonda Monique and Nikki return to discuss what they're seeing across the industries they serve and what every business owner needs to understand right now. Learn how to navigate business cycles, strengthen your cash flow, prepare for uncertainty, and build a profitable business that lasts. In this episode, you'll learn: Why slow seasons are a normal part of business—not a sign you're failing How to manage cash flow during uncertain times The importance of contingency planning and building cash reserves Practical strategies for staying profitable through every business season How to create a resilient business built for long-term success Follow the podcast and share it with a sister who needs this conversation. We’re on a mission to help Black women make it through the first five years in business — and thrive far beyond them. #BlackWomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #CashFlow #BusinessFinance #Entrepreneurship #BusinessStrategy #FinancialPlanning #BusinessSuccess #WomenInBusiness #StartupTips #BusinessPodcast #Profitability #BusinessOwner #SmallBusinessTips #CashReserve #Leadership #EmpowerHER #BusinessResilience Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

July 20, 20268 min

Summer Permission Slips | The Productivity Hack You're Ignoring

What if the most productive thing you do this week is rest? In this Soul Spa episode of the EmpowerHER Business Podcast , Linette Cottrell shares a gentle reminder that you don't have to earn rest—you simply need it because you're human. In this Soul Spa Series episode, Linette introduces "Summer Permission Slips" —the permission to rest, not because you've earned it or finished everything, but because rest is a necessity. She also explores why fun is productive, how joy restores us, how play awakens creativity, and how laughter helps reset the nervous system, along with five fun activity ideas for this week. In this Summer Permission Slips episode, you’ll learn: Why you don't have to earn rest before taking it How joy, play, and laughter support creativity and nervous system regulation Why fun is productive and essential for sustainable entrepreneurship Five simple, joyful activities to try this week A gentle reminder to give yourself permission to pause without guilt This episode is part of The Soul Spa—short solo pauses you can return to whenever you need a moment of grounding. Support the Podcast: Subscribe, Rate us 5 stars, Share with others #EmpowerHERBusinessPodcast #SoulSpaSeries #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness #RestIsProductive #SummerPermissionSlips #EntrepreneurMindset #NervousSystemRegulation #SelfCareForEntrepreneurs #BusinessWellness #JoyIsProductive #MindfulLeadership #RestWithoutGuilt #CreativeEntrepreneur #BurnoutRecovery #WomenWhoLead #PurposeDrivenBusiness #PersonalGrowth #SmallBusinessOwner #WomenEntrepreneurs Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

July 8, 20261 hr 41 min

How Princess Booker Built a Legacy Brand for the Next Generation

Identity is your greatest business asset. In this inspiring conversation, host Linette Cottrell sits down with Princess Booker to explore what it truly means to build a business that reflects who you are—and leaves a lasting legacy. As the niece of Bob Marley and granddaughter of Cedella Marley Booker, Princess shares how her brand, Nine Mile Babies , grew from cherished childhood memories in Jamaica into a movement celebrating Caribbean and African culture through children's books, toys, and educational experiences. If you're a Black woman entrepreneur building with purpose, this episode will remind you that your story is your superpower. In this episode, you'll discover: How embracing your identity creates an authentic and memorable brand. Why representation matters for the next generation of Black children. The journey behind Nine Mile Babies and turning heritage into a thriving business. How purpose-driven entrepreneurship can create both impact and legacy. Why being fully seen is one of the most powerful business decisions you'll ever make. 👉 Follow the podcast and share it with a sister who needs this conversation. We're on a mission to help Black women make it through the first five years in business—and thrive far beyond them. #EmpowerHERBusinessPodcast #BlackWomenInBusiness #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness #LegacyBuilding #PersonalBrand #AuthenticBranding #PurposeDrivenBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessGrowth #RepresentationMatters #CaribbeanCulture #AfricanHeritage #NineMileBabies #PrincessBooker #SmallBusinessOwner #Leadership #BlackOwnedBusiness #WomenWhoLead #BuildYourLegacy Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

June 29, 202621 min

Women & Money Pt.4: Breaking the Cycle That Keeps Women Stuck

What if the biggest barrier to financial confidence isn't knowledge—it's a cycle? Fear leads to avoidance. Avoidance creates intimidation. Intimidation reinforces fear. And the cycle continues. In this Soul Spa reflection, Linette explores the pattern that keeps many brilliant women financially stuck. For generations, women have been taught to see money as complicated, intimidating, or best left to someone else. As entrepreneurs, that conditioning can show up as avoiding financial conversations, delaying decisions, ignoring numbers, or feeling overwhelmed whenever money requires attention. The challenge is that avoidance doesn't reduce fear—it strengthens it. The less connected we are to our finances, the more intimidating they become. In this episode, Linette offers a compassionate invitation to interrupt the cycle. Financial confidence isn't built by knowing everything. It's built through small, consistent moments of engagement that gradually transform fear into familiarity and avoidance into ownership. In this episode: • The fear → avoidance → intimidation cycle that keeps women stuck • Why financial confidence is built through engagement, not expertise • How avoidance quietly increases financial stress and uncertainty • A gentle framework for interrupting unhealthy money patterns • Small steps that help build trust and confidence around finances This episode is part of The Soul Spa — short solo pauses you can return to whenever you need a moment of grounding. #WomenAndMoney #MoneyMindset #FinancialConfidence #WomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenInBusiness #MoneyFear #FinancialLiteracyForWomen #WomenAndWealth #BusinessFinances #MoneyManagement #EntrepreneurMindset #WomenInBusiness #FinancialLeadership #WealthBuilding #MoneyMindsetForWomen #FinancialWellness #EmpowerHERBusinessPodcast #SoulSpaSeries #BreakTheCycle Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

June 24, 20261 hr 0 min

Redefining Wealth: An Exhale Every Black Woman Needs

Success isn't just about what you're building—it's about whether you get to experience peace while building it. After the stress of tax season, it's time for an honest conversation about mental health, support, wealth, and the pivots that shape our entrepreneurial journeys. In this EmpowerHER Financial Table discussion, Linette Cottrell welcomes back Rhonda, Monique, and Nikki for a powerful exhale session designed to encourage, empower, and remind Black women entrepreneurs that thriving in business starts with taking care of themselves. In this episode, you'll learn: How to protect your peace while growing a business Why mental health is a critical part of entrepreneurial success What it means to redefine wealth beyond money and revenue The importance of community, support, and not doing it all alone How life's pivots shape us as women and business owners 👉 Follow the podcast and share it with a sister who needs this conversation. We’re on a mission to help Black women make it through the first five years in business — and thrive far beyond them. #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #WomenInBusiness #BlackWomenInBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset #MentalHealthMatters #BusinessSuccess #FinancialWellness #WealthBuilding #WomenAndMoney #EntrepreneurLife #SmallBusinessOwner #ProtectYourPeace #BusinessGrowth #WomenSupportingWomen #BlackExcellence #EmpowerHERPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #MindsetShift #PurposeDrivenBusiness #FinancialFreedom Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

June 22, 202613 min

Women & Money Pt.3: Build Financial Confidence as a CEO

Your business can only grow as far as you're willing to lead it. And that includes leading the financial side—not just the creative or operational side. In this Soul Spa reflection, we continue the conversation around women, money, and financial leadership. Building on our previous discussion about emotional avoidance and business growth, we go deeper into what it means to step into financial leadership as a woman entrepreneur. Many founders are comfortable serving clients, creating offers, and showing up visibly in their business, yet feel uncertain when it comes to financial decision-making. The truth is that financial leadership isn't about becoming a financial expert overnight. It's about developing a relationship with your numbers, understanding the story they tell, and becoming willing to engage with them consistently. As your business grows, your ability to lead financially becomes just as important as your ability to create, market, or serve. This episode offers a gentle invitation to expand your capacity—not through pressure, but through awareness and ownership. In this episode: • Why financial leadership is a critical part of business growth • The difference between managing money and leading financially • How avoidance can show up even after revenue starts increasing • Why confidence with money comes from engagement, not perfection • A grounded approach to developing your financial leadership capacity This episode is part of The Soul Spa — short solo pauses you can return to whenever you need a moment of grounding. #WomenAndMoney #FinancialLeadership #MoneyMindset #WomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenInBusiness #WomenInBusiness #BusinessGrowth #FinancialConfidence #BusinessFinances #MoneyManagement #WomenAndWealth #WealthBuilding #EntrepreneurMindset #FinancialLiteracyForWomen #BusinessLeadership #MoneyMindsetForWomen #EmpowerHERBusinessPodcast #SoulSpaSeries #SustainableBusinessGrowth Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

June 17, 20261 hr 13 min

Money Mindset Every Black Woman Entrepreneur Needs

Your money mindset can either grow your business — or quietly hold it back. In this powerful roundtable conversation, host Linette Cottrell sits down with three accomplished Black women entrepreneurs to unpack how beliefs about money impact confidence, pricing, growth, and long-term business success. Featuring Kiah Akosua Asabea of Sirius Web Solutions, branding strategist Bernice Jackson of Rise of Dark Dawn, and Makisha, Founder of Sistahbiz Global Network, this conversation delivers honest insight, practical wisdom, and empowering strategies for Black women navigating the first five years of entrepreneurship. In this episode, we discuss: How money mindset affects pricing, sales, and business decisions Breaking generational beliefs around wealth and entrepreneurship Building scalable businesses as Black women entrepreneurs Branding, visibility, and creating long-term business growth Practical strategies to shift from survival mode to wealth building 👉 Follow the podcast and share it with a sister who needs this conversation. We’re on a mission to help Black women make it through the first five years in business — and thrive far beyond them. #MoneyMindset #BlackWomenInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #BusinessMindset #BlackFemaleEntrepreneur #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #WealthBuilding #WomenInLeadership #SmallBusinessTips #EmpowerHERPodcast #BlackBusinessOwners #MindsetShift #BrandStrategy #BusinessCoaching #FinancialEmpowerment #StartupJourney #WomenWhoLead #CEOmindset #Sistahbiz Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!

June 15, 202611 min

Women & Money Pt.2: You Can't Scale or Grow What You Emotionally Avoid

Your business may be growing—but are you growing with it? You can't sustainably scale what you continue to emotionally avoid. In this Soul Spa reflection, Linette explores what happens when a business begins expanding while the founder remains disconnected from the financial leadership required to support that growth. Many women entrepreneurs work hard to attract more clients, increase revenue, and create greater impact, yet still avoid the financial conversations, decisions, and responsibilities that growth demands. This isn't about intelligence or capability. Often, emotional avoidance around money stems from fear, uncertainty, inherited beliefs, or a lack of exposure to financial leadership. But when the business grows, the numbers grow too. Revenue, expenses, cash flow, pricing, profit, and planning all require attention. Sustainable growth happens when the entrepreneur grows alongside the business and develops the confidence to lead financially—not just creatively or operationally. In this episode: • Why emotional avoidance can become a hidden barrier to business growth • What happens when business revenue increases but financial leadership doesn't • How money avoidance creates stress, confusion, and decision fatigue • The connection between financial confidence and sustainable scaling • A gentle invitation to step into your role as a financial leader This episode is part of The Soul Spa — short solo pauses you can return to whenever you need a moment of grounding. #WomenAndMoney #MoneyMindset #FinancialLeadership #WomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #BlackWomenInBusiness#BusinessGrowth #ScalingYourBusiness #MoneyMindsetForWomen#WomenAndWealth #FinancialConfidence #BusinessFinances #EntrepreneurMindset #WomenInBusiness #WealthBuilding #FinancialLiteracy #BusinessStrategy #MoneyManagement #EmpowerHERBusinessPodcast #SoulSpaSeries Support the show ✨ Support the Podcast ✨ Become an EmpowerHER Insider for $10/month → HERE 🌐 Visit website: www.empowerherbusiness.us 📧 For speaking & sponsorships: linette@empowerherbusiness.us 📱 Connect on Instagram: HERE @empowerher_biz Together, we’re helping women entrepreneurs thrive beyond Year Five!