Beyond Founder-Led

The DeVain Collective

Running a business is complicated. Balancing it with the rest of your life? Even more so. I'm Sheena Hunt, and Beyond Founder-Led picks up where my previous podcast, Beautifully Complicated, left off — but with sharper focus. This show is for women founders ready to stop being the bottleneck and start building businesses that don't require their presence in every room. With 20+ years in Fortune 100 operations and close to 15 years as an entrepreneur, I've lived the chaos and found the path through it. Now I help mission-driven businesses scale sustainably — growing revenue without growing burnout. Weekly episodes with tactical frameworks, client stories, and honest conversations about what it really takes to lead and live well. Powered by The DeVain Collective | thedevaincollective.com 🎧Listen. 👍Like 📱Subscribe. 🗣Share. The DeVain Collective's Website The DeVain Collective's Instagram Strategic Discovery Audit Subscribe to Our Newsletter Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Difficult Conversations Your Growth Requires

    Running a business means having conversations most people avoid. The performance discussion that has been brewing for months. The client boundary you keep postponing. The role transition that everyone knows is coming but no one wants to say out loud. Every difficult conversation you delay creates a hidden tax on your business—in team morale, operational efficiency, and your own mental space. But most founders were not trained to have these conversations effectively. We wing it, overexplain, or wait so long that the conversation becomes even harder. In this episode, I am giving you a repeatable framework for difficult conversations, walking through the four types every founder faces, and sharing exact scripts for each scenario. Because great leadership is not about avoiding hard conversations—it is about having them well. IN THIS EPISODE: Why difficult conversations are non-negotiable for scalingThe real cost of avoidance (beyond what is obvious)What makes a conversation difficult vs just uncomfortable THE CLEAR FRAMEWORK C - Context: Set the StageL - Listen: Seek to understand firstE - Explore: Share your perspective with specificsA - Agree: Align on what happens nextR - Reinforce: Follow up and recognize THE 4 TYPES OF DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS Performance feedback conversationsAccountability conversations (when expectations are not met)Fit ConversationBoundary-setting conversations KEY TAKEAWAYS: Difficult conversations get harder the longer you waitUse the CLEAR framework: Context, Listen, Explore, Agree, and ReinforceFocus on specific behaviors and impact, not personalityDocument everything and follow up consistentlyThe conversation is an act of care for your team and business RESOURCES: Download our Difficult Conversations Script TemplateTake the free Leadership Assessment (3 min)Book a Strategic Discovery Audit ($997 engagement)Learn more at thedevaincollective.com CONNECT WITH THE DEVAIN COLLECTIVE: LinkedInInstagramWebsite: thedevaincollective.com CONNECT WITH SHEENA: LinkedInInstagram NEXT EPISODE: Why Delegation Fails (And the 3-Step System That Makes It Work)—the real reason your team is not taking ownership and how to fix it permanently. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min
  2. 16 FEB

    From $500K to $2M — What Actually Has To Change

    Last week we covered the 5 signs you've outgrown founder-led operations. That was the diagnosis. Today is the treatment plan. Knowing you need to change and knowing HOW to change are two very different things. The jump from $500K to $2M isn't about working harder, hiring more people, or finding more clients. It's about fundamentally rebuilding how your business operates and how YOU operate within it. In this episode, I'm breaking down the four transformations that take you from founder-powered to systems-powered: operational shifts, team shifts, financial shifts, and the one nobody talks about — founder identity shifts. THE 4 TRANSFORMATIONS: OPERATIONAL SHIFTS: • From intuitive to documented (the 20% that drives 80%) • From reactive to rhythmic (weekly, monthly, quarterly cycles) • From all-things-to-all-people to core focus TEAM SHIFTS: • From doers to leaders • From hub-and-spoke to distributed authority • From hiring skills to hiring values FINANCIAL SHIFTS: • From revenue focus to profitability focus • From checking the bank to financial forecasting • From founder scraps to sustainable compensation FOUNDER IDENTITY SHIFTS: • From doer to director • From indispensable to replaceable • From hero to host KEY TAKEAWAYS: • Don't multiply your current model — transform it • Document the 20% of processes that drive 80% of your results • Hire for values first, skills second • Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity • Your goal is to work yourself out of the day-to-day job • A business that can't run without you is a job, not an asset RESOURCES: • Take the free Leadership Assessment (3 min) • Book a Strategic Discovery Audit ($997 engagement) • Learn more at thedevaincollective.com CONNECT WITH THE DEVAIN COLLECTIVE: • LinkedIn • Instagram • Website: thedevaincollective.com CONNECT WITH SHEENA: • LinkedIn • Instagram Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    21 min
  3. 9 FEB

    5 Signs You've Outgrown Founder-Led Operations

    If you're working harder than ever but your business isn't growing proportionally, you haven't hit your capacity as a leader. You've hit the ceiling of founder-led operations. And there's a difference. In this episode, I'm walking through the 5 signs that tell me a founder is ready to transition from doing everything to building systems and leaders who can run without them. For each sign, I explain why it happens, what it's really costing you, and exactly what to do about it. If you recognize yourself in 3 or more of these signs, you're not failing — you're succeeding past your current operating model. That's actually good news, because the fix isn't working harder. It's building different infrastructure. THE 5 SIGNS: 1. You're the bottleneck in every decision 2. Revenue grew but your hours didn't shrink 3. Your team executes but doesn't think 4. You can't unplug without everything falling apart 5. You're exhausted but the business isn't growing faster EPISODE TIMESTAMPS: [00:00] The 11 PM email trap — why you're not a control freak [01:20] Sign #1: You're the bottleneck + the decision authority matrix [05:00] Sign #2: Revenue grew but hours didn't + the founder-dependent business model [08:10] Sign #3: Team executes but doesn't think + the 'no naked problems' rule [11:50] Sign #4: Can't unplug without chaos + the 'practice vacation' challenge [15:45] Sign #5: Exhausted but not growing faster + CEO-level time blocking [19:40] Wrap-up: Why recognizing these signs is actually good news KEY TAKEAWAYS: • 70% of decisions your team asks about can likely be delegated immediately • Ask yourself: If I got sick for 2 weeks, what would break? That's your vulnerability list • Institute a 'no naked problems' rule: every problem must come with a proposed solution • Block CEO time weekly to answer: What should we stop? What accelerates growth? Who needs development? RESOURCES: • Take the free Leadership Assessment (3 min) • Book a Strategic Discovery Audit ($997 engagement) • Learn more at thedevaincollective.com CONNECT WITH THE DEVAIN COLLECTIVE: • LinkedIn • Instagram • Website: thedevaincollective.com CONNECT WITH SHEENA: • LinkedIn • Instagram NEXT EPISODE: From $500K to $2M: What Actually Has to Change — the treatment plan for everything we diagnosed today. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min
  4. 9 FEB

    Relaunch — Welcome to Beyond Founder-Led

    Welcome to Beyond Founder-Led — the podcast for women founders who are done being the bottleneck in every decision. I'm Sheena Hunt, founder of The DeVain Collective. After 20+ years in Fortune 100 operations and close to 15 years building my own businesses, I've watched the same pattern play out hundreds of times: brilliant, capable founders hitting a wall. Not because they lack vision or work ethic, but because they've outgrown founder-led chaos and don't have the systems or leadership capacity to scale sustainably. That's what this podcast is about — what comes after you can't be in every meeting, make every decision, and personally deliver to every client. Each week, I'll share frameworks, client stories, and interviews with founders who've successfully made the transition from doing everything to leading everything. Real talk for women-led businesses doing $500K to $5M who are ready to scale without sacrifice. IN THIS EPISODE: • Why I rebranded this podcast around the founder-led problem • My background in Fortune 100 ops + entrepreneurship • What to expect from Beyond Founder-Led • How to know if this podcast is for you RESOURCES: • Take the free Leadership Assessment (3 min) • Book a Strategic Discovery Audit ($997 investment) • Learn more at thedevaincollective.com CONNECT WITH SHEENA: • LinkedIn • Instagram • Website: thedevaincollective.com NEXT EPISODE: 5 Signs You've Outgrown Founder-Led Operations — the diagnosis you need before you can fix anything. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    4 min
  5. In the Moment - Know Your Money

    23/01/2022 · BONUS

    In the Moment - Know Your Money

    In the Moment - Know Your Moment In this bonus special episode, we're talking about your business finances and you getting intimate with them. We want you to KNOW YOUR MONEY. When you know your money, you make decisions on how best to leverage where you are to get where you want to be. LET'S TALK MONEY! ____________________________________ Make sure you subscribe to the show to join us for every new episode. "Like" it on your app and share it with friends & family! Help us spread the word 😊 How to connect with The DeVain Collective or Sheena:  Make sure you like the Beautifully Complicated Podcast page on Facebook!Work with us via our VIP Day!Learn more about our Optimize services.Sign up for my email list so you can get amazing goodies like Purpose. Profit. Impact. directly to your inbox!Follow The DeVain Collective Facebook and Instagram pages. & share your insights with the community.1st Mini-Course launched - Optimize the Process is a course focused on helping you with doing the sustainability work in your biz by writing and implementing standard operating procedures and training. Purchase it today! You can always reach out to the host, Sheena, at: Twitter: @SheenaD1 - https://twitter.com/SheenaD1 Instagram: @SheenaD1 - https://instagram.com/SheenaD1 Website: www.thedevaincollective.comEmail us: hello@thedevaincollective.com Always remember that the best life is Beautifully Complicated. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min

About

Running a business is complicated. Balancing it with the rest of your life? Even more so. I'm Sheena Hunt, and Beyond Founder-Led picks up where my previous podcast, Beautifully Complicated, left off — but with sharper focus. This show is for women founders ready to stop being the bottleneck and start building businesses that don't require their presence in every room. With 20+ years in Fortune 100 operations and close to 15 years as an entrepreneur, I've lived the chaos and found the path through it. Now I help mission-driven businesses scale sustainably — growing revenue without growing burnout. Weekly episodes with tactical frameworks, client stories, and honest conversations about what it really takes to lead and live well. Powered by The DeVain Collective | thedevaincollective.com 🎧Listen. 👍Like 📱Subscribe. 🗣Share. The DeVain Collective's Website The DeVain Collective's Instagram Strategic Discovery Audit Subscribe to Our Newsletter Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/beautifullycomplicated-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.