Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

Lindsay Pinchuk | Female Founder & Small Business Marketing Expert
  • 4.6 (12)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED TWICE WEEKLY

Dear FoundHer… is a How I Built This–style podcast sharing real stories from female entrepreneurs, female founders, and women in business, especially women 40+, who are building companies on their own terms. Hosted by award-winning entrepreneur Lindsay Pinchuk, each episode features honest, thoughtful conversations with women CEOs and founders navigating leadership, decision making, career pivots, and business growth. These are the stories behind the success, the lessons, the marketing strategies that actually work, and the leadership moments that shape women building and leading businesses. From Bobbi Brown to Rebecca Minkoff, Peloton’s Jenn Sherman & Dr. Becky Kennedy to Gail Simmons, Dear FoundHer… brings you conversations with some of the most influential female founders and leaders of our time. Dear FoundHer… explores what it looks like to grow a business with clarity and confidence, from starting a company for the first time or after leaving corporate, to scaling responsibly, managing teams, building visibility, getting press, and creating sustainable growth. Topics include leadership development, confidence at work, business strategy, marketing strategies and tactics, company messaging, community building, and showing up confidently. There’s no fluff. No gatekeeping. Just real insight, shared perspective, and practical wisdom, because building businesses is better when women learn from each other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 5 HR AGO

    From the Forum with Kim Oser, Founder of Game Plan Organizing

    After more than two decades in business, Kim Oser realized that working harder was not the answer. The missing piece was structure. In this episode of Dear FoundHer from the Forum, Kim, founder of Game Plan Organizing, shares the shift that changed everything. After years of strong results, she realized the real barrier was not the quality of her work but how clearly she could articulate it. Once she stopped winging her own growth and built a clear plan, her business momentum followed. Kim opens up about moving from inconsistent marketing to confident storytelling, and how clarity in her message led to stronger referrals and a calendar that finally reflected the value of her work. She also talks about rebranding, not as a fix, but as an evolution. Game Plan Organizing gave her the language to lead more strategically and the confidence to say no to work that no longer aligned. As demand grew, so did questions about capacity and sustainability. Those questions ultimately led to Clear Game Plan, an online program designed to help people get organized without shame or overwhelm. Throughout the episode, one theme remains constant. Growth became possible and sustainable because it was supported by community, accountability, and shared perspective. This conversation is for anyone who knows their work is solid but feels stuck explaining it, scaling it, or sustaining it without burning out. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Women Founders and the Power of Community 01:55 What Game Plan Organizing Is and Why Planning Comes First 02:52 When Experience Is Not the Problem but Marketing Clarity Is 05:36 How Clear Storytelling Led to Referrals and a Full Calendar 07:32 Rebranding a Service Business for Strategic Growth 11:17 Using Events and Partnerships to Build Trust and Visibility 14:09 Scaling Beyond Personal Capacity with an Online Program 17:26 Why Community Accelerated Business Growth Connect with Kim Oser: Follow Kim on Instagram  Follow the Game Plan Organizing on Facebook  Connect with Game Plan Organizing on LinkedIn Visit the Game Plan Organizing website Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram  Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    How Growing an Audience Centered on Integrity and Community Built This Female Founded, Family-Owned Brand

    Building a breakout brand in the baby space usually looks slower and messier than people expect. It means facing real scaling challenges, making patient decisions, and staying committed to the product even when it would be easier to rush. In this episode of Dear FoundHer, host Lindsay Pinchuk talks with female founder, Andrea Faulkner Williams, of Tubby Todd, about what it really took to build a brand parents trust. Andrea shares how Tubby Todd began with a personal family need and a hard reset most founders would avoid. After spending years developing their first product, they chose to start over when it did not work for their own child. That decision shaped everything that followed, including how they focused on quality, earned trust, and started growing an audience through real word of mouth instead of shortcuts or paid hype. Community, consistency, and listening closely to customers became the backbone of the business. That foundation made the next stage possible. Andrea walks through how Tubby Todd expanded beyond direct-to-consumer, first onto Amazon and eventually into Target, without losing what made the brand work. Instead of relying on retail to create demand, they brought an already loyal audience with them. If you are a woman business owner, wrestling with scaling challenges or trying to grow an audience before taking a bigger leap, this episode gives a refreshingly honest look at what steady growth really takes. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 How Tubby Todd Grew Without Paid Ads 03:00 Two Years of Product Development and Starting Over 04:00 Word of Mouth Strategy for Growing an Audience 07:00 “Be a Good Friend” Marketing Philosophy 14:00 Community Building Offline Through Play Dates 19:30 Scaling Challenges: Amazon to Target Retail Expansion 25:00 Founder Challenges: Confidence, Relationships, and Boundaries 30:00 A Simple Founder Framework: Why, One Goal, Quarterly Focus Connect with Andrea Faulkner Williams: Follow Andrea of Instagram Follow Tubby Todd on Instagram FoundHer Faves: Keep Mahjing On Foundation PR Maelove Dryness Treatment Kit Womaness Let’s Neck Serum Roller Kendra Scott 5 Link Match Band Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min

  3. 5 FEB

    From the Forum with Jillian Bernstein, Founder of The Wellness Extension

    What it really takes to leave corporate with confidence and build a people-first business that actually works. Leaving a stable corporate role is rarely about courage alone. It’s about timing, clarity, and building the right support before you leap. On Dear FoundHer from the Forum, host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Jillian Bernstein, founder of The Wellness Extension, to unpack what the corporate-to-founder transition really looks like when it’s done thoughtfully. Jillian shares how she assessed her readiness, invested in learning where she had gaps, and resisted the pressure many women founders feel to rush decisions just to make it work. This episode challenges a common misconception about workplace well-being. Jillian explains why surface-level wellness initiatives often fall short for small business owners and how listening closely to clients led her to build a more comprehensive HR concierge model. Her pivots were shaped by real conversations, careful testing, and a willingness to evolve her services based on what businesses actually needed. At the center of it all is community. Jillian reflects on how her network supported her during the quiet early months of building her business and how she now creates paid opportunities for other women through her work. This conversation is for women founders who want to grow sustainably, think strategically, and stop trying to do everything alone. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Investing in Skills You Do Not Have as a Founder 02:52 Building an HR Concierge Business for Small Businesses 06:30 Knowing When You Are Ready to Leave Corporate 11:25 Revenue Goals, Business Pivots, and Sustainable Growth 16:27 The Key Decisions That Made This Business Work 19:49 Why Community and Network Matter for Women Founders Connect with Jillian Bernstein: Follow Wellness Extension on Instagram  Connect with Jillian on LinkedIn Visit the Wellness Extension Website Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min

  4. 3 FEB

    The Most Underrated Growth Strategy for Women Over 40

    If you're a woman business owner over 40, join the Dear FoundHer... Forum to find support, advice, resources and mentorship—JUST FOR YOU. It’s all inside, without the gatekeeping and without the overwhelm. If you’re a woman business owner over 40 who feels like growth should be louder or more complicated than it needs to be, this episode is for you. In this solo episode, Lindsay Pinchuk shares why real business growth rarely starts with a launch, funnel, or rebrand—and almost always starts with a conversation. Drawing from her experience building and exiting a seven-figure company, Lindsay explains how conversations have led to her biggest opportunities, partnerships, and long-term growth. You’ll learn why women over 40 are uniquely positioned to grow through relationships, how one aligned conversation can create more impact than ten pieces of content, and why community—not campaigns—is often the missing piece. If networking feels forced and marketing feels heavy, this episode will help you rethink what growth can look like. Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min

  5. 29 JAN

    From the Forum: Jill Beck, Founder of Go Long

    Many successful female founders and entrepreneurs are exhausted by planners, productivity advice, and the pressure to always do more, yet they still feel behind when it comes to time management. This episode of Dear FoundHer from the Forum slows that conversation down and asks why time feels so hard, even for capable, motivated women. Jill Beck, founder of Just Go Long and an accountability coach for women over 40, joins the discussion to talk about what she sees again and again in her work. The problem usually isn’t a lack of effort or the wrong system. It’s the absence of accountability in the middle of real life. Jill shares how she supports women through text-based accountability that fits into busy days rather than adding more to them. The conversation covers burnout, boundaries, confidence, and why it’s so hard to follow through when your plate is already full. Jill also shares how her business came together in a very unflashy way, built on trust, referrals, and showing up consistently rather than chasing attention or growth trends. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Productivity Systems Fail Without Accountability 02:27 Text-Based Accountability Coaching for Women Over 40 05:29 Burnout, Health, and Sustainable Time Management 06:48 The Time Pie Chart That Forces Real Tradeoffs 10:12 Visibility, Confidence, and Letting Go of Follower Obsession 16:04 Growing a Coaching Business Through Email and Referrals 23:24 What’s Next for Just Go Long and Corporate Time Overload Connect with Jill Beck: Follow Jill on Instagram Connect with Jill on LinkedIn Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  6. 27 JAN

    Growing Side Hustle to 45 Locations with Courtney Claghorn, President and Founder of Sugared + Bronzed

    Join us for the FREE Dear FoundHer… Forum Open House + Networking (virtual) Event on January 28th. RSVP HERE we won’t host another Open House until later this spring. This female founded business began as a side hustle in an apartment and grew into a 45-location, company-owned beauty brand by staying grounded in reality. Courtney Claghorn, president and founder of Sugared + Bronzed, a natural sugaring and spray tan company shares how the company took shape while she still worked full-time, learned the service herself, and paid attention to what customers were actually willing to buy. Early decisions focused on cash flow, reinvestment, and keeping costs manageable. Profitability set the pace from the start and made it possible to scale without franchising or giving up ownership. The conversation traces what changes when a side hustle demands more than spare time, how standards hold up as scale increases, and why systems replaced intuition as the business grew. Courtney also talks through choosing when to raise capital, adjusting during COVID, and building something that could keep growing without depending on her presence in every room. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 From Side Hustle To Growth At Scale: The Sugared + Bronzed Story   03:10 Identifying A Market Gap In The Spray Tan Industry   06:00 Early Customer Acquisition Without Social Media   07:00 Leaving A Corporate Job When Demand Takes Over   08:10 Bootstrapping The First Store And Prioritizing Profitability   14:50 Scaling Without Franchising Or Losing Control   16:10 Raising Capital After Proving The Business Model   17:30 Surviving COVID Through Creative Pivots   23:00 Maintaining Quality And Culture At Scale   34:00 Founder Advice On Moving Fast And Avoiding Overplanning  Connect with Courtney Claghorn: Follow Courtney on Instagram Visit the Sugared + Bronzed Website Follow Sugared + Bronzed on Instagram Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

  7. 22 JAN

    From the Forum with Nina Badzin, Founder of Dear Nina Conversations About Friendship

    Join us for the FREE Dear FoundHer… Forum Open House + Networking (virtual) Event on January 28th. RSVP HERE we won’t host another Open House until later this spring. Building a business around friendship sounds personal because it is, and Nina Badzin shares what it takes to do it with clarity and staying power. As the founder of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, she talks about turning years of writing and real reader questions into a podcast and newsletter that function as the business itself, not side projects. Nina also opens up about the relief and clarity she found when she stopped trying to sound like an expert and simply showed up as a writer. Nina also gets practical about sustainability, from how sponsorships support the podcast to how paid Substack subscriptions support the newsletter. She shares why waiting to monetize often slows momentum and how the right platform can create visibility without constant promotion. The conversation also touches on the role of community, including how the Dear FoundHer Forum helped her test ideas, host live events, and find support beyond her personal friendships. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introducing Dear FoundHer From the Forum and Nina Badzin 01:17 Turning Friendship Advice Into a Sustainable Business 07:55 Starting a Podcast During COVID 10:15 How Dear Nina Makes Money Through Sponsorships and Subscriptions 13:58 Why Substack Works for Newsletter Growth and Discovery 20:53 Why Community Matters More Than Friends in Business 23:55 Real Business Results From the Dear FoundHer Forum 27:11 Three Practical Lessons for New Business Owners Connect with Nina Badzin: Follow Nina on Instagram  Tune in to Nina’s Podcast: Dear Nina Conversations About Friendship Subscribe to The FoundHer Files  Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min

  8. 20 JAN

    How Zibby Owens Built a Values-Driven Media Company by Trusting Her Instincts | A Female Founder Story

    Join us for the FREE Dear FoundHer… Forum Open House + Networking (virtual) Event on January 28th. RSVP HERE we won’t host another Open House until later this spring. A personal turning point became a company, a community, and a test of what values-driven leadership actually costs. Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Zibby Owens to talk about how a deeply personal reset evolved into a media company built on instinct, trust, and conviction. Zibby shares how her work as a podcaster grew from meaningful conversations with authors into live events, publishing, and a broader community shaped by paying close attention to what resonated. How do you keep building when there is no clear roadmap and the business keeps changing? Zibby shares how she makes decisions inside a business that refuses to stay static. She explains how creating an umbrella brand helped her clarify who the company exists for and what truly belongs, even when that meant letting go of projects she loved. Structure arrived when it was necessary, not because she chased scale, but because the work demanded it. Zibby also talks about the cost of showing up publicly with conviction after October 7th. She reflects on backlash, strained relationships, and the emotional weight of choosing to speak openly. That choice led her to step more fully into her role as an advocate, using Zibby Media to create an anthology that gathered stories and offered connection during a moment of crisis. This episode shows listeners what it really takes to grow a business without a script, hold firm to your values, and keep showing up when the stakes are personal as well as professional. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Leadership, Visibility, And Responsibility After October 7th   02:22 Building Zibby Media Without A Traditional Business Plan   06:01 Becoming A Podcaster And Turning Conversations Into Community   08:16 Expanding From Podcast To Publishing Company And Bookstore   13:55 Rebranding To Zibby Media And Creating An Umbrella Brand   18:31 How To Know When A Business Idea Is Not Working   22:46 The Cost Of Speaking Publicly And Staying Authentic   26:45 National Book Awards Decision And Defining Values In Business   29:05 Creating An Anthology And Stepping Into Advocacy   34:39 The Hard Realities Of Growth: Hiring, Events, And Monetization   40:58 Advice For Women Building A Business Connect with Zibby Owens: Follow Zibby on Instagram  Follow Zibby Publishing on Instagram   Follow Zibby’s Bookshop on Instagram  Follow Totally Booked with Zibby on Instagram   Visit Zibby Media  Visit Zibby’s website Join us for the Dear FoundHer... Forum Virtual Open House + Networking Event on January 28th to meet other amazing women business owners just like you. RSVP HERE to save yourself a seat, it's free. Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
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4.6
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Dear FoundHer… is a How I Built This–style podcast sharing real stories from female entrepreneurs, female founders, and women in business, especially women 40+, who are building companies on their own terms. Hosted by award-winning entrepreneur Lindsay Pinchuk, each episode features honest, thoughtful conversations with women CEOs and founders navigating leadership, decision making, career pivots, and business growth. These are the stories behind the success, the lessons, the marketing strategies that actually work, and the leadership moments that shape women building and leading businesses. From Bobbi Brown to Rebecca Minkoff, Peloton’s Jenn Sherman & Dr. Becky Kennedy to Gail Simmons, Dear FoundHer… brings you conversations with some of the most influential female founders and leaders of our time. Dear FoundHer… explores what it looks like to grow a business with clarity and confidence, from starting a company for the first time or after leaving corporate, to scaling responsibly, managing teams, building visibility, getting press, and creating sustainable growth. Topics include leadership development, confidence at work, business strategy, marketing strategies and tactics, company messaging, community building, and showing up confidently. There’s no fluff. No gatekeeping. Just real insight, shared perspective, and practical wisdom, because building businesses is better when women learn from each other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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