Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice

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Welcome to Fempire Rising, her Future, her voice, the podcast where women in business rise, lead and redefine success on their own terms. I'm Trudy Heins, and I'm the CEO of Fempire. I'm an entrepreneur and a business coach, and I believe when one woman rises, we all rise.   Each week we'll dive into real conversations about business, leadership, money and mindset, the highs, the lows, and everything In between, you'll hear stories of women who've turned their fire into focus, their fear into fuel  and their purpose into profit.If you're ready to build a business that gives you freedom, fulfillment, and financial confidence, then you are in the right place.  This is where passion meets purpose, and together we rise  because the future isn't just bright. The future is female.

  1. Episode 1

    Season 5 | Episode 1 | Your Story Is Part of Your Legacy

    Send us Fan Mail In the opening episode of Season 5 of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Dr Karen Weaver, author, publisher, speaker and strategist, to explore how our stories, knowledge and experience can become part of something much bigger than ourselves. Season 5, Beyond the Founder, is about what it takes to build a business, platform or body of work that continues creating value beyond the person who started it. Karen’s journey is a powerful example of exactly that. After moving from Northern Ireland to Australia, Karen experienced a period of significant personal change that eventually led her to writing. What began with one book became a career in publishing, helping other women share their stories, build intellectual property and create work that can continue making an impact for generations. Together, Trudy and Karen explore why so many women hesitate to tell their stories, how writing can elevate a personal brand, and why a book can become far more than a marketing tool. They also discuss what it means to build something beyond yourself. Karen shares how she has developed publishing businesses, teams, partnerships and platforms that allow other voices to be heard, while maintaining the values and standards at the heart of the work. The conversation moves into leadership, legacy and the importance of knowing what success means to you personally. Karen explains why she has built her businesses around her values as both a mother and an ambitious entrepreneur, and why growth does not have to come at the expense of the things that matter most. Trudy and Karen also explore inspired leadership, trusting your intuition, choosing opportunities that align with your bigger purpose and understanding when something is simply another distraction. At the heart of this conversation is a simple idea: Your story has value. Your knowledge has value. And what you create today can become part of the legacy you leave behind. If you have ever thought about writing a book, sharing your experience or turning what you know into something that can continue creating impact beyond you, this episode is for you. Connect with Dr Karen Weaver LinkedIn Facebook Episode Highlights 02:28 Karen’s journey from Northern Ireland to Australia 03:35 Navigating PTSD, loss and a major life transition 05:53 The moment that inspired Karen to start writing 07:22 Writing her first 50,000-word novel in 30 days 08:32 Why every woman has a story worth sharing 09:07 Writing from a healed perspective 10:11 Realising she was building something bigger than her personal brand 11:56 Setting the intention to build a million-dollar publishing company 13:59 Trusting your knowing when making business decisions 14:37 Building a business without compromising your values 16:01 Defining success on your own terms 17:10 What stops women from writing their stories 18:22 Turning knowledge and experience into intellectual property 19:37 Legacy, family and showing the next generation what is possible 21:29 Why today’s women’s stories matter for future generations 24:17 Building teams and platforms that extend beyond the founder 25:21 Protecting quality, values and purpose as the business grows 26:32 Creating communities and experiences that live beyond the founder 27:30 Why women rising together matters 29:13 Making decisions that support long-term impact 30:56 How to distinguish an aligned opportunity from the next shiny thing 33:18 Knowing from the beginning that the business would become bigger than her 33:55 How Karen’s definition of success has evolved 35:30 Why the future of leadership is inspired, not controlling 36:25 What Karen hopes people remember about the way she led 37:11 Advice for women entering the next chapter of their business 38:42 Turning your knowledge, story and experience into lasting impact Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation. Learn more: https://fempire.com.au/become-a-coach/ Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership? Find your coach: https://fempire.com.au/lp/work-with-a-coach/ Join the Fempire Academy Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses. Join the Academy: https://fempire.com.au/join-our-academy/ Connect with Fempire Website: https://fempire.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fempireinternational/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fempireinternational/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fempire/ Support the show

    Season 5 | Episode 1 | Your Story Is Part of Your Legacy

  2. Episode 2

    Season 5 | Episode 2 | Build It So It Can Run Without You

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Marcia Griffin, entrepreneur, board director, author and experienced business leader, to explore what it really takes to build a business that can thrive beyond its founder. Marcia began her journey with Polar Cosmetics as the company’s only salesperson in Australia. From making nervous cold calls and running presentations in people’s homes, she went on to lead the business across Australia and New Zealand with a field force of 5,000 consultants. That growth forced Marcia to learn an important lesson early. You cannot build something significant if everything has to run through you. Together, Trudy and Marcia explore how she built leaders beneath her, transferred knowledge throughout the organisation and deliberately surrounded herself with people who were better than she was in key areas. They also discuss why culture matters more than simply adding headcount, how a small capable team can outperform a large disengaged one, and why founders need to listen to the people actually doing the work. Marcia shares some of the harder leadership lessons too, including what happens when you hire the wrong person, why leaving someone in the business who should not be there can damage the entire culture, and the importance of dealing with problems quickly. The conversation then turns to Marcia’s second business, skincare company Griffin + Row, which she later sold. Her experience on both sides of business ownership reinforces another important principle for founders: Build your business as though someone may want to buy it one day. That means clear systems, strong processes, accurate information and a business that does not depend entirely on the founder to keep operating. Drawing on her years in boardrooms and her work with CEOs, Marcia and Trudy also explore one of the biggest barriers to stepping back from a business: identity. When being the CEO becomes part of who you are, letting other people lead can feel uncomfortable. But building something beyond yourself requires developing others, trusting them and recognising that there is life beyond the title. The conversation also moves into financial independence, with Marcia sharing the personal experience that shaped one of the strongest messages in her book, Step Up and Wear the Damn Shoes. Her advice to women is clear: understand your money, know where it is going and never hand complete control of your financial future to someone else. If you are building a business that you want to grow, sell, step back from or eventually pass into someone else’s hands, this episode is a reminder that the work begins long before you leave. Connect with Marcia Griffin LinkedIn Website Marcia’s Book Step Up and Wear the Damn Shoes Episode Highlights 02:36 Marcia’s unconventional move from corporate economist to sales 04:05 Making 30 calls before getting her first yes 05:54 Why qualifications are not what make an entrepreneur 06:50 Learning more from successful people than from another degree 07:37 Why sales is not a dirty word 08:12 The lesson that changed Marcia’s view of selling: selling equals relating 09:12 Growing from one salesperson to a field force of 5,000 09:37 Building leaders and transferring knowledge throughout the organisation 11:41 Why purpose matters when building a team 12:57 What a business really needs versus what founders think it needs 14:49 Culture, respect and listening to the people doing the work 15:24 What happened when the wrong person joined the business 16:39 Why leaving the wrong person in a team damages culture 17:43 Building Griffin + Row and learning a completely different business model 19:19 What buyers look for when purchasing a business 22:27 Why every founder should keep their business sale-ready 23:24 What Marcia sees working with CEOs today 23:42 Why people are both the greatest opportunity and greatest challenge in business 25:17 Using outsourcing and AI to create greater capacity 27:11 Why founders need to adapt rather than fear change 27:36 Is failing to let go a systems problem or an ego problem? 28:03 When being CEO becomes part of your identity 29:34 Marcia’s advice for women considering board roles 31:44 How Marcia secured her first board position 32:39 Why board opportunities should align with your values 34:00 When Marcia first started thinking about legacy 34:38 The legacy created through developing other people 35:40 How Marcia’s definition of success has changed 36:55 The knowledge she now feels responsible for passing on to women 37:04 The financial experience behind Step Up and Wear the Damn Shoes 38:57 Why women must remain in control of their money 41:55 Knowing when it is time to let go or move on 43:11 How Marcia hopes people remember the way she led 43:54 What comes after business growth? 45:56 The four areas of life that matter beyond business 46:36 Why you should not wait until retirement to start living Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation. Learn more: https://fempire.com.au/become-a-coach/ Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership? Find your coach: https://fempire.com.au/lp/work-with-a-coach/ Join the Fempire Academy Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses. Join the Academy: https://fempire.com.au/join-our-academy/ Connect with Fempire Website: https://fempire.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fempireinternational/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fempireinternational/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fempire/ Support the show

    Season 5 | Episode 2 | Build It So It Can Run Without You

  3. Episode 3

    Season 5 | Episode 3 | Build a Business That Does Not Depend on You

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Monica Hester, founder of Hester Business Solutions, business coach, entrepreneur and founder of Working for a Purpose, to explore what it really takes to build a business that can thrive beyond the founder. Monica started Hester Business Solutions from a desk in her two-bedroom apartment in 2004. More than two decades later, the business serves thousands of clients across merchant services, point of sale and lending, and Monica now runs multiple businesses. The conversation begins with one of the most important questions a business owner can ask before launching something new: Is the first business actually stable enough to support the next one? Monica explains why age and revenue alone are not enough. Before starting a second business, the first needs systems, structure, financial stability and enough capacity so the founder is not simply multiplying chaos. From there, the conversation turns to the numbers. Drawing on Monica’s background in banking, she and Trudy discuss why understanding your financial position is one of the most important skills a business owner can develop. You do not need to become a bookkeeper or accountant, but you do need to understand what your numbers are telling you. Monica breaks down the financial reports every business owner should understand, including profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, accounts receivable and payable, and budget versus actuals. They also explore why leaving financial understanding entirely in the hands of a team member can lead to poor decisions, misplaced spending and a loss of control over the business. The conversation then shifts from commercial business to purpose-led work. Monica shares the story behind Working for a Purpose, her nonprofit supporting children and families in single-parent households. Rather than building an organisation that depended entirely on her, Monica deliberately created community relationships, partnerships and referral pathways so the organisation could continue operating beyond her direct involvement. Stepping back was not without challenges. Monica talks openly about losing good people who were not necessarily the right people for the role, revisiting company culture, strengthening systems and giving new team members clear boundaries and genuine decision-making authority. Her strongest lesson is simple: Money can buy equipment, technology and buildings. It cannot automatically buy good people, trust, leadership, accountability or culture. Those things have to be built. As a Fempire Certified Business Coach, Monica now helps other business owners make the same shift. She sees owners arrive feeling overwhelmed, out of control and lacking confidence, then begin to change when they realise the business does not have to depend entirely on them. The shift is from: “I have to make everything happen” to: “We can make this happen.” If you are building a business, thinking about adding another one, trying to step away from the day-to-day or simply wondering how to create something that can continue without you, this episode is for you. Connect with Monica Hester Hester Business Solutions HBS Coaching LinkedIn Working for a Purpose Working for a Purpose supports children and families in single-parent households with assistance designed to help keep families stable and supported. Learn more or support the organisation Episode Highlights 02:18 Starting Hester Business Solutions from a two-bedroom apartment 02:36 Building trust and transparency in merchant services 03:57 What must be true before starting a second business 05:32 Managing time and capacity across multiple businesses 06:40 Why financial literacy is critical for business owners 06:46 The financial reports every founder should understand 09:12 Why accounts receivable matters more than many owners realise 09:43 Budget versus actuals and what they reveal about the business 10:31 Knowing the difference between generating revenue and building wealth 11:42 What happens when the owner does not understand the numbers 12:26 Why every business expense needs a return 13:23 Building Working for a Purpose through community and partnerships 14:39 The mission behind Working for a Purpose 15:30 Why the organisation became deeply personal for Monica 16:58 What Monica learned when she stepped back 18:56 Why systems, culture and decision-making authority matter 20:41 What changes when the owner is no longer the only person who knows how things work 22:03 The first resistance business owners have to stepping back 22:21 Using the numbers to challenge that resistance 23:16 How quickly Monica has seen owners make the shift 23:54 What to do with the time you get back 24:23 Why exit strategy should be discussed much earlier 25:45 Monica’s early vision for her future 27:11 What she has built that will continue beyond her 28:06 How Monica’s definition of success has changed 29:44 Why she now feels responsible for helping other women achieve their dreams 31:39 How to know when it is time to let go 33:08 The leadership qualities Monica hopes people remember 34:59 Monica’s advice for women thinking about what comes after growth Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation. Learn more: https://fempire.com.au/become-a-coach/ Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership? Find your coach: https://fempire.com.au/lp/work-with-a-coach/ Join the Fempire Academy Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses. Join the Academy: https://fempire.com.au/join-our-academy/ Connect with Fempire Website: https://fempire.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fempireinternational/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fempireinternational/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fempire/ Support the show

    Season 5 | Episode 3 | Build a Business That Does Not Depend on You

  4. Episode 4

    Season 5 | Episode 4 | Build the Brand So It Can Grow Without You

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Fempire Rising: Her Future, Her Voice, Trudy Heins sits down with Alicia Hagen, founder of Mint Peach Media, digital marketing strategist and multi-business owner, to explore what happens when a business has been built around the founder, and what needs to change if she wants it to grow beyond her. Alicia has spent 19 years in digital marketing, running paid advertising campaigns for businesses in Australia and internationally. But what makes her especially relevant to Season 5, Beyond the Founder, is the way she has deliberately built some of her own businesses so they are not dependent on her face, personality or personal following. Together, Trudy and Alicia unpack a problem many small business owners do not recognise until they are ready to step back. If all of the marketing revolves around you, your face, your voice and your personal relationship with customers, you may have built a successful business, but you may also have made it much harder to hand over, scale or sell. Alicia shares the story of Art Escape, a business she and her business partner built with an exit in mind from the beginning. Rather than making themselves the focus, they built the marketing around the customer experience, the outcomes and the business model. Once the numbers consistently showed that a future owner could work fewer days and still generate a strong income, the business was ready to sell. The conversation also explores Alicia’s NDIS business, Marching Forward, where she and her business partner have worked to preserve the heart and values of the original service while building a larger team around it. They discuss why founders have to become comfortable with other people doing things differently, why 70 per cent done well can sometimes be enough, and why micromanaging good people can prevent a business from ever growing beyond its owner. Marketing is also a major focus of the episode. Alicia explains why stepping away from being the face of a business does not have to mean losing revenue, provided there is a strong lead funnel bringing new customers into the business. She shares practical advice on building an email database, maintaining consistent lead generation and transitioning customers away from direct access to the founder. Trudy and Alicia also discuss authenticity in marketing, why simple real images often outperform polished or obviously AI-generated content, and why the strategy needs to change depending on whether you are using Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or other platforms. The conversation becomes particularly practical when they look at what must be in place before marketing can be handed over. Standard operating procedures, clear ownership of passwords and platforms, an understanding of the numbers, and a defined marketing strategy are all critical. Alicia also shares her view on when a small business should and should not hire a marketing agency, why founders still need a basic understanding of their own marketing, and the numbers that matter far more than followers, impressions or pretty reports. If you are still writing every post, creating every graphic, answering every lead and managing every piece of marketing yourself, this episode is a practical guide to starting the transition. Because building beyond the founder is not about disappearing. It is about creating a business that can still attract customers, deliver value and grow, even when you are no longer doing everything yourself. Connect with Alicia Hagen Mint Peach Media Marching Forward LinkedIn Instagram Episode Highlights 02:37 How much of Mint Peach Media still depends on Alicia 03:22 Building Art Escape with a future sale in mind 04:44 The financial milestone that told Alicia the business was ready to sell 05:45 Why having a clear exit strategy changes how you build 06:46 Choosing capacity and passion when multiple businesses compete for attention 07:26 The story behind Marching Forward 08:56 Balancing purpose with commercial sustainability 10:25 Deciding where the founders needed to step back 11:53 What happens when the founder is the face of the business 13:16 Why stepping back requires founders to accept that others will do things differently 14:48 Can revenue survive when the founder is no longer front and centre? 15:45 Why new customers can make a transition easier 17:06 Building a lead funnel that works without the founder 18:03 Why your email database is one of your most valuable business assets 19:18 Alicia’s approach to keeping herself out of the spotlight 20:05 Why authentic content often outperforms overly polished marketing 21:00 The psychology behind what stops the scroll 21:58 What works differently on LinkedIn 24:13 Why standard operating procedures matter if you want to step away 25:07 A simple way to document processes without spending weeks doing it 25:59 Why every founder should document tasks, even without an immediate exit plan 28:07 What business owners get wrong when they hand marketing over 29:45 Why founders still need to understand how their marketing works 31:25 The numbers that matter more than impressions and reach 32:25 Why AI and better systems are changing the role of marketing agencies 34:05 When Alicia first began thinking beyond financial success 35:01 The legacy she hopes to create through Marching Forward 35:58 How Alicia’s definition of success has changed 37:13 Why women do not need to turn themselves into influencers to build successful businesses 38:44 Knowing when it is time to let go or pivot 40:14 How Alicia hopes people remember the way she led 43:24 Building deliberately towards your own definition of growth 46:18 The first steps to stop being your own entire marketing department 47:22 Using AI, systems and support to remove yourself from day-to-day marketing Become a Fempire Certified Business Coach If you're an experienced businesswoman ready to turn your knowledge into a profitable coaching business, we'd love to have a conversation. Learn more: https://fempire.com.au/become-a-coach/ Find a Fempire Certified Business Coach Looking for practical business support from a coach who understands the realities of business ownership? Find your coach: https://fempire.com.au/lp/work-with-a-coach/ Join the Fempire Academy Access practical business resources, masterclasses, templates, playbooks and a supportive community of women building stronger, more profitable businesses. Join the Academy: https://fempire.com.au/join-our-academy/ Connect with Fempire Website: https://fempire.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fempireinternational/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fempireinternational/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fempire/ Support the show

    Season 5 | Episode 4 | Build the Brand So It Can Grow Without You
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About

Welcome to Fempire Rising, her Future, her voice, the podcast where women in business rise, lead and redefine success on their own terms. I'm Trudy Heins, and I'm the CEO of Fempire. I'm an entrepreneur and a business coach, and I believe when one woman rises, we all rise.   Each week we'll dive into real conversations about business, leadership, money and mindset, the highs, the lows, and everything In between, you'll hear stories of women who've turned their fire into focus, their fear into fuel  and their purpose into profit.If you're ready to build a business that gives you freedom, fulfillment, and financial confidence, then you are in the right place.  This is where passion meets purpose, and together we rise  because the future isn't just bright. The future is female.

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