Dear FoundHer...

For simple, actionable tips to grow your business, subscribe to The FoundHer Files Steph Weibring's Etsy shop made $8,000 in a year. Then she made $8,000 in a single November. The move behind the jump is one of the fastest lessons in growing an audience you will hear this year, and she pulled off the shift without a big following of her own.On this episode of Dear FoundHer, the show for women business owners over 40, host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Steph Weibring, founder and CEO of Joy Creative Shop. Steph turned a 20-cent Etsy listing into a multimillion-dollar stationery brand while raising three kids. She explains how partnership marketing sparked the jump and what it took to scale the business past seven figures.Steph also shares the chaotic weekend behind her signature bag of tags, and why the design makes her products harder to knock off. Copycat versions of her products show up on Etsy and TikTok. Her response will change how you think about competitors.You will also hear why a handwritten note is the fastest way to stand out when anyone is able to send an AI written thank you, and how Steph turned an old habit into a new subscription business.For founders over 40 who dread showing up on camera, Steph gets honest about her personal brand and the social media strategy she resisted for years. She now runs her company as a “lowercase ceo”, a title she made up to strip the intimidation out of leadership.Steph also offers three steps for any woman starting a business this year.Growing an audience starts with borrowing one. Press play and hear the story behind the November her whole business changed.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Meet Steph Weibring, Founder of Joy Creative Shop02:55 From College Uncertainty to a 20 Cent Etsy Listing05:45 From $8,000 a Year to $8,000 in One November08:14 Self-Belief and the Turning Point Toward Scaling a Business09:44 What Joy Creative Shop Sells Today12:45 Making Handwritten Notes Feel Modern Again15:38 Listening to Customers to Solve Real Problems19:18 Handling Copycats Without Losing Focus23:32 Building a Brand Rooted in Gratitude25:15 Growing an Audience Through Influencer and Partnership Marketing29:04 Personal Brand and Standing Out as a Real Person31:33 Teaching Kids Entrepreneurship Through Side Businesses33:26 Inside the Joy Creative Shop Team34:41 Launching "A Different Kind of CEO"36:55 Three Actionable Steps for New Women Business OwnersConnect with Steph Weibring:Follow Joy Creative Shop on InstagramFollow Steph on InstagramJoin the Dear FoundHer... Forum https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forumFollow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

For simple actionable tips to grow your business, subscribe to The FoundHer Files Liz Lange proves that the best marketing rarely needs a big budget, just the right people.On Dear FoundHer, host Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Liz Lange, founder of Liz Lange Maternity, about what it takes to build a business when the money and the confidence are not there yet. Partnership marketing sits at the center of it all, but not in the polished, strategic sense people mean today. For Liz, it looked like trust. It looked like showing up for people and letting the relationship do the work.Liz talks openly about starting as a bootstrap founder with almost nothing to lose and everything to prove. She is candid about the fear behind every major decision, and how often the loudest advice turned out to be wrong. Her instincts, not her budget, were what carried the business forward.The real thread running through this episode is trust. Trust in yourself, trust in slow relationships over quick wins, and trust that partnership marketing can outperform any ad spend when it comes from something real. For Liz, this wasn't a tactic. Networking with women came naturally to her.This is one of those real founder stories that reminds you that good PR for small businesses often starts with a single relationship, not a plan. It’s proof that female founders do not need permission to trust what they already know.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Welcome to Dear FoundHer and the Growing Founder Community02:47 Meet Liz Lange, Maternity Fashion Pioneer03:47 Starting Liz Lange Maternity With a Fax Machine and No Budget09:13 Dressing Celebrities and Building Word of Mouth Marketing15:36 Learning the Fashion Business From the Ground Up19:07 Opening the First Liz Lange Maternity Store in New York23:27 Landing the Nike Partnership Marketing Deal27:05 How the Target Deal Changed the Business Forever33:29 Ignoring the Naysayers and Trusting Her Instincts39:03 Bootstrapping the Business Without Raising Outside Money41:37 Balancing Motherhood With a Fast Growing Business44:06 Life After Liz Lange Maternity and Home Shopping Network45:15 Buying the Figue Brand and Building a New Chapter46:17 Finding Community and Connection on Social Media49:13 Three Actionable Steps for Women Starting a BusinessConnect with Liz Lange:Follow Liz on InstagramJoin the Dear FoundHer... Forum https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forumFollow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

For simple actionable tips to grow your business, subscribe to The FoundHer Files Lindsay Pinchuk shares the most important asset you are not leveraging in your business. She shares how leveraging your existing network can be a game-changer for business growth, emphasizing relationships over followers and paid ads. She discusses practical strategies for reconnecting with your network, categorizing contacts, and using relationships to build and scale a business.Important Takeaways:The importance of existing relationships in business growthCategorizing your network: openers, collaborators, amplifiers, anchors, studentsStrategies for reconnecting and activating your networkCase studies of successful women entrepreneurs leveraging relationshipsThe misconception of starting from scratch and the value of past relationshipsLindsay talks about "that email" you can read all about that and grab her templates on her substack here. Join us for this month's Forum Workshop on July 9th: The 2-Part Email System Behind Consistent Scalable Revenue REGISTER HEREJoin us inside the Dear FoundHer... Forum, our online networking group supporting you as you build and grow your business so you don't have to do it alone. Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram 

For simple actionable tips to grow your business, subscribe to The FoundHer Files Lindsay Pinchuk shares the importance of proactive network outreach for business growth, emphasizing a specific email strategy to reconnect with contacts and generate new opportunities. Learn how to craft personal reintroduction emails that activate your network and boost your pipeline.This episode includes: The importance of proactive outreach to your existing networkHow to craft a personal reintroduction emailThe five-part structure of an effective outreach emailThe role of relationship-building in business growthStrategies for activating your network to generate opportunitiesTakeawaysSending personalized reintroduction emails can quickly generate new business opportunities.Your network is active and waiting to be engaged, not passive.A well-structured, personal email can re-engage contacts and open doors.Building and maintaining relationships over time is crucial for business success.The key to effective outreach is clarity, specificity, and genuine connection.Chapters00:00 The Importance of Communication in Business02:31 Reactivating Your Network05:09 Building Relationships for Success08:17 Crafting the Perfect Reintroduction Email10:52 Taking Action: Your Email AssignmentJoin us for this month's Forum Workshop on July 9th: The 2-Part Email System Behind Consistent Scalable Revenue REGISTER HERESubscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram 

Odessa Jenkins built a professional women's tackle football league before anyone believed the market existed.On this episode of Dear FoundHer, host Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Odessa Jenkins, known as OJ, founder and CEO of the Women's National Football Conference. Her story carries a lesson female founders everywhere need to hear. You don't wait for permission to build something new. You describe your vision so clearly the right people see it before a single game is played. That's how OJ won over ten teams and two major sports brands while the league was still an idea on paper.This is the kind of conversation women in business rarely get to hear. OJ worked a full-time job while selling the league. She convinced her wife to leave a corporate career and build alongside her. Bootstrapping kept the lights on for five years and profit didn't arrive until year three. None of those details show up on a TV broadcast, yet every one of them shaped what the WNFC has become. Sixteen teams, 900 athletes, and a championship game airing live on ESPN2.Female founders will recognize themselves in OJ's honesty about startup funding, partnership marketing with brands like Adidas, and the unglamorous work behind a bold mission. Her message cuts through the noise. Ready isn't real. Ask for what you need. Stop choosing the hardest path when an easier one exists.If you're drawn to real founder stories with heart and grit, this episode will stay with you long after you press pause.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Female Founders Who Build Before the Blueprint Exists03:05 How Odessa Jenkins Started the WNFC08:26 Getting Adidas and Riddell to Back a League That Didn't Exist Yet11:13 Bootstrapping, Profit, and the Real Timeline14:43 How the Public Responded in Year One22:41 Fan Growth, Streaming Numbers, and National TV24:53 Flag Football, the Athlete Pipeline, and What's Coming27:55 Why the Timing Is Right for Women's Sports Right Now31:17 Championship Weekend at Ford Center34:28 Three Things Every Woman Starting a Business Needs to HearConnect with Odessa Jenkins:Follow OJ on InstagramFollow Women's National Football Conference on InstagramSubmit your most pressing business questions for our Q+A Substack on Thursday: https://form.jotform.com/260218655668062 Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Writing a book is one of the most overlooked thought leadership moves a female founder can make, and most people go into it completely unprepared.On this episode of Dear FoundHer, Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Ruthie Ackerman, author of The Mother Code and founder of Ignite Writers Collective, about what it actually takes to write and publish a book. Ruthie spent years as a journalist and deputy editor at Forbes Women before losing her job, starting a business, and landing a Random House book deal. Now she helps women in business find their voice on the page, and she's honest about how hard the process is.The publishing world has a glamour problem. Most people picture the finished book, not the 90-page proposal, the years of revision, or the media outreach that a publisher will not do for you. Ruthie lays out what female founders need to know before they commit, including how to choose the right publishing path, what a real publicity strategy looks like, and why treating your book like a business launch is the only approach that works.For anyone building a personal brand and wondering whether a book belongs in that plan, Ruthie also speaks directly to the PR for small business reality. Getting press, landing speaking opportunities, and reaching the right audiences all require the same intentionality you bring to every other part of your business. A book done right is a long-term thought leadership asset, not a project you finish and walk away from.If your story has been sitting in the back of your mind waiting for the right moment, this episode is worth your time.Episode Breakdown:00:00 Thought Leadership Starts With Your Story03:51 Ruthie Ackerman's Path From Forbes to Random House05:59 Getting Laid Off and Launching Ignite Writers Collective08:21 How Ignite Writers Collective Grew During the Pandemic10:35 Starting a Book Three Months After Having a Baby12:08 Five Questions to Ask Before You Write a Book13:57 Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing vs. Hybrid15:50 What a 90-Page Book Proposal Actually Looks Like18:35 Why Authors Have to Be Their Own Marketers20:07 Three Tips for Making Time to Write22:08 What Not to Do When Writing a Book24:10 How to Find a Literary Agent26:41 All the Hats You Have to Wear as an Author28:55 How Ignite Studios Supports Authors End-to-End32:11 Ruthie's Three Actionable Steps for Aspiring AuthorsConnect with Ruthie Ackerman:Follow Ruthie on Instagram Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

SUBSCRIBE to The FoundHer Files, our twice weekly Substack filled with actionable tips you can use starting today to build and grow your business. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works. Host, Lindsay Pinchuk provides a tactical walkthrough on crafting a compelling three-paragraph founder story that effectively communicates your business, builds trust, and attracts the right audience. This episode offers a step-by-step framework, common mistakes to avoid, and practical tips for using your story across various platforms.Grab this week's Deep Dive on The FoundHer Files to read more about The Anatomy of a Story that Converts. Join us for this month's Forum Expert Workshop: Claude for FoundHers with Dara Astmann REGISTER HERESubscribe to The FoundHer Files Substack: http://foundherfiles.substack.comJoin our online networking community for women business owners over forty, The Dear FoundHer... Forum.Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/dearfoundher

SUBSCRIBE to The FoundHer Files, our twice weekly Substack filled with actionable tips you can use starting today to build and grow your business. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works. Lindsay Pinchuk shares the importance of storytelling for small business success, outlining five essential stories every female founder should master. She emphasizes how authentic storytelling attracts the right audience, builds trust, and drives business growth.Episode Breakdown:00:00 The Power of Speaking Up01:43 Your Story is Your Strategy03:56 Crafting Your Origin Story07:49 The Importance of Pivot Stories10:21 Learning from Costs: The Hard Lessons12:38 Naming the Invisible Truths14:49 Finding the Right People Through AuthenticityJoin us for this month's Forum Expert Workshop: Claude for FoundHers with Dara Astmann REGISTER HERESubscribe to The FoundHer Files Substack: http://foundherfiles.substack.comJoin our online networking community for women business owners over forty, The Dear FoundHer... Forum.Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/dearfoundherListen to our episode with Founder of TaskRabbit, Leah Solivan from last month.