Meet Yulkendy Valdez (Forefront) and Samantha Pratt (ClickEngage), two powerhouse founders who built edtech companies rooted in impact, raised capital, got the accolades and still chose to shut it all down. Why? Because scaling the wrong thing isn’t success, it’s burnout. And in this radically honest episode, they break down how walking away became the biggest power move of their entrepreneurial journeys.

In this episode, Yulkendy and Samantha unpack the hidden truths behind what it really looks like to build a startup as women of color, the traps of raising capital too early, and how they’re now building aligned businesses on their own terms.

💡 Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to Know When to Shut It Down: Why staying misaligned is riskier than pivoting—and the gut checks that helped them decide.

• Why You Don’t Need to Raise: How they got caught in the funding hamster wheel, and why most businesses shouldn’t chase VC dollars.

• How to Reclaim Your Vision: The exercises they used to reconnect with purpose after losing themselves in other people’s playbooks.

• How to Redefine Success: What it looks like to build a business around your values, your energy, and the impact you actually want to have.

• How to Exit With Integrity: Real talk on navigating shutdowns, honoring your customers, and preserving your peace.

Whether you’re pivoting, scaling, or rethinking everything, this episode is your permission slip to define success on your terms—and get sh!t done your way.

📄 If you’re ready to activate AND get sh!t done, subscribe to our Growth Playbooks for weekly, actionable frameworks and strategies to help you scale smarter—no fluff, just results.
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