Feminist Founders Becky Mollenkamp

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream LifeA guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk
NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and receive bonus content, sign up for a subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/ 

SUMMARY: Today we are joined by Rachel Formaro, a seasoned entrepreneur who navigated the tumultuous journey from overwhelmed solopreneur to thriving CEO. Rachel shares her profound insights on transitioning from the solopreneur mindset to embracing empowering business leadership. We delve into the fear of delegating and the essential mindset shift necessary for sustainable business success. Rachel illuminates the distinction between leadership and management, advocating for values-driven decision-making and building a supportive work culture. She emphasizes the importance of investing in a team for sustainable business expansion and shares strategies for navigating short-term challenges while prioritizing long-term gains. Moreover, Rachel candidly discusses prioritizing self-care, overcoming imposter syndrome, and setting boundaries to maintain work-life balance during periods of growth. Join us as we explore Rachel's empowering journey of resilience, growth, and redefining success as a values-driven CEO.

----- 

Rachel Formaro (she/her) is the founder, CEO and a senior consultant at Blu Pagoda. With more than 25 years of broad career experience, Rachel is a top-performing communications and business management professional. She is known for her creativity, compassion, and commitment to achieving results.

While Rachel’s specialty is financial services, she also has experience with technology and consumer goods. She has assisted Fortune 500 with their business and communications challenges—particularly in the area of complex programs. Rachel has experience in both the United States and Canada and has assisted companies with initiatives in both countries, including mergers and acquisitions. 

Outside of her work at Blu Pagoda, Rachel loves being a mom, wife, cook and avid reader. She stays engaged with her local community through volunteering and is a board member with the Chrysalis Foundation for Girls and Women. 

Website | LinkedIn

Discussed in this episode:
Rachel’s relationship with feminism and how it became more intersectionalHer journey from Corporate America to self-employment, back to Corporate America, and finally starting Blu PagodaHow Rachel balances her anti-capitalist beliefs with serving clients in Corporate AmericaThe ways Rachel is trying to buck capitalist norms inside her businessGetting comfortable with the CEO title by redefining what it meansThe importance of enlisting experts to help you grow as a CEOModeling the self-care behaviors she wants her employees to feel empowered to doSetting boundaries around time and not making assumptions about others’ needsThe weight of responsibility for other people’s livelihoodsNavigating an economic downturn without losing sight of people-first valuesCreating a legacy and owning the word “philanthropist”Navigating aging and ageism as a woman business owner
Resources mentioned in this episode:
“Hood Feminism” by Mikki KendallSister.isClifton StrengthsDrive to Survive on Netflix“Rest is a Resistance’ by Tricia HerseyMoms Demand ActionChrysalis Foundation for Women and Girls“This Chair Rocks” by Ashton ApplewhiteLearn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream LifeA guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk
NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and receive bonus content, sign up for a subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/ 
----- 

Meg Wheeler (she/her) is the Founder of The Equitable Money Project, which offers financial education through its free Biz Money Library, CFO support through The Equitable Money Club, and done-for-you tax preparation, bookkeeping and CFO services to primarily marginalized business owners. She is a licensed CPA and financial literacy educator with a focus on helping online educators, service providers and small business owners set up, manage and master the financial aspects of their businesses. 

The Equitable Money Project prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and is committed to supporting marginalized and underrepresented business owners through accessible financial education. Meg ties her social justice activism and political work into The Equitable Money Project as part of her commitment to achieving economic equity for all. She is the host of The Disrupt Your Money Podcast and a former Democratic Candidate for the Massachusetts State Senate. 

Website | Instagram | TikTok
Discussed in this episode:
Meg’s relationship with feminismWhy money is politicalPrivilege and generational wealth (vs. being rich)The role of ‘money mindset’ in financial conversationsWhy acknowledging privilege is so important for those working in the financial spaceSystemic barriers that contribute to financial inequityWhy Dave Ramsey and financial “gurus” like him are so problematicHow they do things differently at Equitable Money ProjectThe reason Meg’s gives away the bulk of educational materials for freeConditioning that tells women and others with marginalized identities that “they aren’t good with numbers”The power of money meetingsSeparating money from self-worthThe pros and cons of Profit First accountingWhy “be a radical giver” is part of Meg’s core valuesWhat Meg’s run for State Senate taught herThe power of talking to people in your communityHow Meg kissed Zac Efron
Resources mentioned:
Disrupt Your Money podcastRich White Guys Make Crappy Financial Advisors (episode)Biz Money LibraryGallup study: Bill paying vs. financial decision making“Profit First” by Michael MichalowiczPay Yourself First (episode)Equitable Money ClubElevated AccessGirls Who Code
Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

A full transcript of this interview is available at FeministFoundersPodcast.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream LifeA guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk
NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable us to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission and receive bonus content, sign up for a subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/ 

----- 

Natalie Bullen (she/her) is a Sales Coach, Messaging Strategist and owner of Unapologetic Wealth. As a powerhouse coach and consultant, she positions her clients for wealth by accelerating their revenue with high ticket sales.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Discussed in this episode:
Natalie’s relationship with feminism (and why she prefers “high achieving breadwinner”)How the “American Dream” failed Natalie, and how that fuels her work todayNatalie’s experience with bankruptcy and the stigma society attaches to itWhy wealth isn’t rigged, and the real reasons so many never achieve itGatekeeping and wealthOvercoming negative money storiesThe reasons Natalie will die on the “sell high-ticket offers” hillWhy a service-based business needs to be making money from Year 1A hobby vs. an abusive businessSales vs. abuseHow Natalie teaches sales differently than othersThe difference between being a producer and a visionaryWorking for free does everyone a disserviceThe money mindset blocks that keep people from making big salesWhy selling without first testing the marketing is dangerousWhat goes wrong in how most business owners attack growth and hiringDoing it all is a quick path to burnoutWhy Natalie is closing down her most profitable program (and what’s next)
Resources mentioned:
“To Sell Is Human” by Daniel PinkDowntown Rescue Mission
Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com

A full transcript of this interview is available at FeministFoundersPodcast.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream LifeA guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk
NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable me to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission, sign up for a paid Substack subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/ ---------
Vivienne Miles (she/her) doesn’t believe a traditional bio is authentic to who she came here to be. Instead, she shares experiences that don't define her, but that have given her a lens to see herself through and a foundation to define who she came here to be.
Childhood abuse.An unplanned pregnancy at 20.Sexual assault and physical abuse in her 20s.An abortion at 30.Another birth at 34.A divorce at 22.A bankruptcy, foreclosure, and car repossession.$50,000+ in healthcare debt from depression and 12 suicide attempts before age 27.A model who posed in Playboy ad used her sexuality as a currency for a decade.Vivienne has grit and resiliency like no fucking other, but none of those things define who she is or how she interacts and engages in her life. With her Saturn Return, a giant beacon of light began to illuminate a path forward; one where she was no longer willing to tolerate abuse from boyfriends and addictions that kept her in low frequencies and shitty situations.
Her vocation might seem shallow, but it’s full of her heart and a love language of healing, connection and unapologetic love, which transcends the four walls of her Co-Op Movement and Social Club.

Website |  Instagram

Discussed in this episode:
Vivienne’s relationship with feminismThe meaning of her company’s name, Co-Op Movement and Social ClubHow Vivienne bought into diet culture early in life and eventually rejected itThe ways Co-Op is challenging diet culture norms in the fitness spaceWhy community is as important at Vivienne’s gym as movementHow Vivienne finds employees who share her valuesThe challenges of marketing a gym without shame-based approachesThe ways privilege plays into gym membership and participationHow ground-breaking it is to have a gym that isn’t focused on weight lossThe sustainability of her business model beyond her initial 5-year investmentWhy her business isn’t a passion project or charitable endeavor, and the importance of making moneyWhat helped Vivienne confront her privilege and set out to begin using it to create meaningful changeVivienne’s abortion storyThe journey from struggle to privilege and how the former inspired how Vivienne uses the latterHer partner’s journey to feminism and supporting her vision
Resources mentioned:
Podcast Abundance with Virginia ElderJessamyn Stanley on Instagram“Loving What Is” by Byron Katie“Power of Now” by Eckhart TolleAimWell Kids in Kansas CityDebonie Lewis at Co-Op KCThe Loveland Foundation from Rachel CargleLearn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com
A full transcript of this interview is available at FeministFoundersPodcast.com

Check it out: The Feminist Founders Guide to Building Your Dream LifeA guided workbook to clarify your equity-centered vision and craft a you-centered plan for making it happen ($15, available on Amazon): https://amzn.to/4aSzeBk
NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable me to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission, sign up for a paid Substack subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/ 
-----
Dacy Gillespie (she/her) is a weight inclusive, anti-diet personal stylist who helps her clients reject fashion rules and ideal standards of beauty imposed by the patriarchy, white supremacism, and capitalism so that they can uncover their authentic style. Through their work building a functional wardrobe, Dacy’s clients make a mindset shift from thinking they need to wear what’s flattering to unapologetically taking up space in the world. 
After a lifetime of jobs in high-stress careers that didn’t suit her highly-sensitive, introverted personality, Dacy started mindful closet in 2013 in an attempt to create a more emotionally sustainable lifestyle. Her work has been featured in Forbes and Real Simple and she is a frequent podcast guest. Dacy is married and has two boys, ages 5 and 9. 
Making Space program | Website | Instagram | TikTok
 
Discussed in this episode:
Dacy’s relationship with feminism, and its evolution into intersectionalityWhy fashion is a feminist issueHow mindful closet evolved from a singular focus on minimalism into an anti-capitalist and anti-diet culture approach to style.Dealing with changing body size and positionality on the body hierarchy as a feministNavigating the balance of unlearning patriarchal beauty standards with still caring about your appearanceWhy “professionalism” is rooted in white supremacyThe reason Dacy called her newsletter “Unflattering”Trying to give yourself a title when you are challenging industry normsBody neutrality vs. clothing as creative expressionDacy’s public journey of sharing her body in 3DThe ethics of ethical fashion and sustainability 
Resources mentioned:
 “The Negotiation of Beauty” from Unpublishable by Jessica DeFino“The Body is Not an Apology” by Sonya Renee TaylorBecca Murray on InstagramMinimalist Machinist on InstagramAja Barber on InstagramDacy’s anti-racist small business plan“Fearing the Black Body” by Sabrina StringsJamaa Birth VillageDacy’s Making Space program 
Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com
A full transcript of this interview is available at FeministFoundersPodcast.com

NOTE: Feminist Founders is a listener-funded podcast. Your contributions enable me to continue bringing you these important conversations. To support the mission, sign up for a paid Substack subscription at https://feministfounders.substack.com/  ----- Anna DeShawn (pronouns: anything respectful), is an Ambie award-winning podcast producer and host. She is a Chicago-born social entrepreneur who builds streaming platforms which center & celebrate BIPOC & QTPOC creatives. Media has always been her passion and in 2009 she turned that passion into a reality when she founded E3 Radio, an online radio station playing Queer music & reporting on Queer news with an intersectional lens. Most recently, she co-founded The Qube, a podcast production company and curated platform to discover the best music & podcasts by BIPOC & QTPOC creatives. Anna is an award-winning podcaster determined to ride media into its next era by utilizing digital media streams to tell the stories and play the music that deserves to be heard.   Website | TikTok | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook   Discussed in this episode: Anna’s relationship with feminism The journey of building E3 Radio from side hustle to full-time gig How Anna continues to honor Black women of history in her work Why Anna avoided calling out queerness in the beginning of E3 How all of Anna’s intersecting identities affect how she shows up in the world and in her work Navigating the early days of licensing music and being ahead of the technological curve Breaking barriers as a Black woman in the podcasting space What kept Anna going in the early days of speaking into the void Treating every episode or project like it’s “the” episode or project that gets a “yes” The virality of sitting-on-the-toilet videos The importance of relationships in funding, and generally in growing a business — and why every high school should teach networking Never giving up and continually putting yourself out there as the key to growth and success Learning to pitch for funding Making financial preparations for leaving corporate and starting her business Why Anna’s mantra is “have the confidence of a mediocre white man” Adjusting revenue models based on market demands to create sustainability Learning to be fluid with what a business can be, and thinking before acting on new ideas The problem of podcast search engines and how those marketing failures are excluding so many diverse voices from the space Anna’s mission to change podcast discoverability for marginalized audiences   Resources mentioned: Rustin on Netflix TechRise and YouTube channel Fifth Star Funds Chicago Independent Media Alliance Black HIV in the South podcast Second Sunday podcast “Profit First” by Michael Michalowicz “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks Urban One study on flagging of Black culture podcasts Affinity Community Services   Learn more about accountability coaching with host Becky Mollenkamp at https://beckymollenkamp.com A full transcript of this interview is available at FeministFoundersPodcast.com