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Kate Wolff walked away from big agency life with no safety net and built four companies from the ground up. Lupine Creative. No Sheep Studios. Do the WeRQ. LumiTerra. Each one different. Each one intentional. And each one pushing against the industry norms she was told to follow.

In this episode, Kate tells the truth about launching a business weeks before the pandemic hit, losing everything, then rebuilding on her own terms. She shares what it really takes to close a Series A as a queer founder, how to scale without selling your soul, and why the best leaders are the ones willing to sit in the discomfort. This is not a highlight reel. It is an unfiltered look at ambition, failure, fundraising, and the fight to build something that actually matters.

If you're building anything at all, press play. Kate’s story will make you rethink what’s possible.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Kate left the traditional agency world to build her own path
• How launching right before the pandemic forced her to fail fast and rebuild smarter
• What actually goes into closing a Series A as a queer founder in a trade war
• The emotional cost of leadership and why being uncomfortable is part of the job
• Building brands that hold real cultural value and impact
• Creating space for queer visibility through Do the WeRQ
• The marketing mistakes that crush burn rate and how to avoid them
• What founders need to know before taking outside capital
• How Lupine and LumiTerra work together to bring sustainable products to life
• What joy and hard work really look like when you're doing both at full speed

Mic drop moments:

“If you’re not willing to sit in the bad, you don’t get to touch the good.”
 “You do not have a company if you don’t know where the money is coming from.”
 “The value is not just in the product, it’s in the thought behind it.”

Guest Contact Information

Kate Wolff
Founder and CEO, Lupine Creative
Co-Founder, No Sheep Studios, LumiTerra, and Do the WeRQ

Website:
Email: [email protected]
Lupine Creative: https://lupinecreative.com
The LumiCup: https://lumicup.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LupineCreative/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-wolff-she-her-hers/
Instagram: @lupinecreative @thelumicup

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• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

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What if the real ROI of being on a podcast isn't the interview itself, but the relationships that come afterward?

In this high-energy, straight-talking episode, we sit down with Christina Lenkowski, founder of Publicity by Christina, to hear how she transformed her PR background into a niche agency that helps women entrepreneurs get visible, get paid, and get taken seriously. Christina has landed her clients on more than 900 top-rated shows and has appeared on 100 podcasts herself. She knows what works, what doesn’t, and why visibility isn’t just about showing up.

She shares how she built her business by doing the opposite of what most agencies do, how she tracks real visibility metrics in her own company, and why she believes podcast guesting is the most powerful tool in a business owner’s playbook.

If you’ve ever wondered how to stand out, what to prioritize when you pitch, or how to turn one podcast into long-term opportunity, this episode will show you how to stop playing small and start showing up where it counts.

Episode Notes

In this episode, Christina shares:

• Why podcast guesting still works and how to approach it strategically
• The biggest misconceptions business owners have about publicity
• What she changed when leaving agency life to build her own business
• How she uses a “visibility KPI” to track ROI and growth
• Why strong host relationships often lead to consulting, speaking, and long-term leads
• Why podcasts are perfect for introverts
• What she learned from launching a course that flopped—and how she bounced back

Plus, Christina shares the one thing every guest should do before a show, and how being prepared sets you apart from 90% of people showing up to the mic.

Guest Contact Info

Christina Lenkowski
Founder, Publicity by Christina

•  Website: https://www.publicityxchristina.com
•  Instagram: @publicityxchristina
•  Facebook: Publicity by Christina
•  Email: [email protected]

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• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

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In this episode of Badass Women in Business, we sit down with Yuki Bi, global advertising executive and co-founder of Helios Worldwide. Yuki shares how her journey from a Canadian ad intern to leading a private equity-backed global consultancy has been shaped by risk, reinvention, and relentless self-awareness.

This conversation goes beyond the polished version of success. Yuki opens up about leading a 500-person team at the height of her career, losing half that team in one difficult moment, and how that experience transformed her approach to leadership. She talks about learning to lead across cultures, building long-term partnerships, and how she has grown by facing her own vulnerabilities rather than hiding them.

From navigating gender bias in conservative markets to rethinking business as a deeply personal endeavor, Yuki brings nuance, honesty, and strategic clarity. Whether you are scaling globally or just trying to figure out your next move, her story will leave you grounded and inspired.

Show Notes

Guest: Yuki Bi, CEO and Co-Founder of Helios Worldwide
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yukun-yuki-bi-08638153

Topics Covered:

• Building a truly global independent agency with a unified culture
• The turning point moment when burnout led to losing half her team
• How WPI supports global collaboration between independent agencies
• The difference between cultural nuance and cultural stereotypes in advertising
• The power of “slow dating” in business partnerships and what to watch for
• Reframing guilt and pressure as a woman in leadership
• Why knowing your weaknesses can be a leadership strength
• Lessons from working across Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East
• Moving beyond the service model to become a growth partner
• What she wishes more women would embrace when scaling a business

Three Takeaways

1. Leadership is about responsibility, not ego. You cannot walk away when it gets hard.
2. Weaknesses, when acknowledged and shared, can build deeper trust than strengths ever could.
3. Long-term growth requires clear roles, honest partnership, and the discipline to walk away when values do not align.

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who is ready to lead with courage and clarity. Stay badass.

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Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

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In this episode of the Badass Women in Business podcast, Laura Rike, Pinterest strategist and founder of SimplyPintastic®, shares her incredible journey from a burned-out VA to a thriving CEO leveraging Pinterest to create sustainable business growth. Laura’s story is a testament to the power of smart strategies, overcoming obstacles, and finding work-life balance as a mompreneur. Tune in to hear how Pinterest became her secret weapon for passive income, why it’s more than just a visual platform, and how it can serve as a long-term solution for building visibility, generating leads, and scaling sustainably.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How Pinterest differs from other platforms and why it’s an essential tool for business growth
• The surprising ways Pinterest has helped Laura overcome life’s challenges, including funding her wedding and sustaining her business during tough times
• Tips for business owners to use Pinterest to drive organic sales without the hustle
• How Laura balanced her business growth with motherhood and why she takes Tuesdays off
• The best practices for leveraging Pinterest for passive income and evergreen visibility

Key Takeaways:

• Pinterest is a search engine, not just a social platform, and it can work for all types of businesses, not just those with physical products.
• The power of sustainability and building business systems that work for you, even when you're not physically active in your business.
• How to leverage simple visuals and strategic keywords on Pinterest to rank on Google and generate organic leads.
• Why setting boundaries and creating a business that aligns with your values is the key to long-term success.

Guest Contact Information:

• Website: SimplyPintastic
• Pinterest: SimplyPintastic on Pinterest
• Instagram: @laurarike
• LinkedIn: Laura Rike on LinkedIn
• Podcast: Pinterest Marketing Podcast

Notes:

• Laura shares her personal story of overcoming a severe injury while maintaining her business through Pinterest.
• Pinterest’s power as an underutilized tool for generating organic leads and building a long-term business strategy.
• The importance of simplifying your business model, niching down, and finding ways to create recurring revenue streams.

This episode is a must-listen for any entrepreneur looking to use Pinterest as a powerful business tool or those wanting to find more sustainable ways to grow their business while living life on th

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If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

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What do Asian elephants, a messy divorce, a housecleaning hustle, and a tech company have in common? Libby DeLucien. In this episode, Libby shares her unapologetically bold journey from growing up in a family of elephant handlers to becoming a serial entrepreneur and systems expert. She opens up about the real reason she started her first company in the middle of a custody battle, the mindset shift that helped her reclaim her time as a mother, and how she scaled her businesses using simple, powerful frameworks.

From launching WootRecruit and Sell Convert Clean to writing her new book 1 Layer Deep, Libby explains how she built operational freedom and a legacy by trusting herself more than the odds.

SHOW NOTES

Guest: Libby DeLucien

What we cover in this episode:

• Why Libby doesn’t see betting on herself as a gamble
• How a cleaning gig turned into a national franchise
• The power of building businesses out of necessity
• Her pivot from organizing homes to building software
• What “1 Layer Deep” means and why complexity is killing your growth
• The role of micro-playbooks in scaling without burnout
• Rewriting the rules of motherhood and entrepreneurship
• How Libby built systems for her 7-year-old just like her companies
• What to know before franchising your business
• Why vision casting isn’t just for your team, it’s for your family too
• The FastPass lesson: how mentorship accelerates everything

Resources and Mentions:

• Libby’s website
• WootRecruit
• Organize It
• Sell Convert Clean
• 1 Layer Deep – Coming September 2025
• Leading Like an Elephant – Now available on Amazon

Connect with Libby:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Twitter/X
• Facebook

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

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Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us a text

Lisa Troyano-Ascolese is not your average real estate broker. She’s a serial entrepreneur, tech founder, podcast host, and unapologetic advocate for women building their own path to freedom. In this powerful conversation, Lisa shares her evolution from ad sales exec to real estate powerhouse, and the pivotal moment when her CEO told her, “You’re never safe if you work for someone else.”

We cover everything from launching her first business in a corporate cubicle to inheriting a brokerage out of grief, and the inspiration behind her first-to-market mobile staging app, REStaged, aimed at reducing furniture waste. Lisa doesn’t hold back about setbacks, including floods, firings, and nearly losing her life during childbirth, and how each one fueled her mission to show women that entrepreneurship isn’t just possible, it might be the key to happiness.

If you’ve ever wondered whether to leap, pivot, or press pause; this one’s for you.

Episode Notes

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Lisa left corporate America despite "being safe"
• The emotional origin story behind her kids' event planning business—and why she didn’t sell it
• Her rise in real estate and the truth behind luxury markets (beyond the reality TV glam)
• How personal loss led her to take over and rebuild a brokerage
• The origin of REStaged, a mobile app built to fight furniture waste and give agents a smarter way to stage homes
• Navigating leadership, grief, and growth simultaneously
• What freedom actually means for women entrepreneurs
• Why mentorship, cash buffers, and knowing your weaknesses are non-negotiables

Key Quote:
"If you do the research, if there’s a need, and you build a buffer—then you owe it to yourself to try. Freedom is the point of all of this."

Guest Contact & Links

Lisa Troyano-Ascolese
Owner, Engel & Völkers Hoboken + Jersey City
Founder, myHOMEboken Team
Creator of the REStaged App

• Website: LTAendeavors.com
• Real Estate Brands: @myhomeboken, @evhobokenjc
• YouTube: EV Hoboken Jersey City
• LinkedIn: Lisa Troyano-Ascolese
• App: REStaged (Live now; Version 2.0 launching soon)

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If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

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Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

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Dana Hargus has spent the last 25 years helping kids and families find real relief when nothing else seems to work. In this conversation, she shares how her personal journey as a foster parent led her to build one of Oklahoma’s most innovative counseling practices, where biofeedback is the foundation. Dana explains how overstimulation, trauma, and emotional dysregulation show up in both children and adults, and why traditional talk therapy often falls short.

She takes us inside Restore of Ada, her new intensive healing program that combines nervous system regulation, biofeedback, nutrition, and trauma-informed care to create fast, lasting change. This episode is packed with wisdom, grit, and practical insights for anyone raising, working with, or being someone who struggles with emotional overwhelm.

Show Notes:

In this episode, we cover:

• What biofeedback is and how it helps calm the brain and body
• Why some kids and adults are always “revved up” and how that affects daily life
• How Dana used biofeedback to help her own son transform in just 40 days
• Why talk therapy isn’t always enough for people with trauma or dysregulation
• What a typical session looks like and how clients can feel results in one visit
• The birth of Restore of Ada, a 9-week intensive healing experience
• How gut health, sleep, nutrition, and community play a role in mental health
• The power of building slow, hiring well, and staying rooted in service
• Dana’s message to school counselors, pediatricians, and anyone who works with kids
• How real healing happens one small change at a time

Quotes to remember:

“If talk could fix it, these kids would have been better a long time ago.”
 “Biofeedback lowers your nervous system’s idle point so life doesn’t knock you over so easily.”
 “Real change is possible, but only if you're willing to shift.”

Guest Contact Info:

Dana Hargus
Founder, Restore of Ada
Website: https://restoreofada.com
Facebook: facebook.com/restoreofada
LinkedIn: Dana Hargus

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If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders
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• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

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Kathy Eberwein is the founder and CEO of Global Edge Group, one of the first woman-owned recruitment agencies serving the global energy industry. From managing multimillion-dollar engineering projects to building a workforce of over 1,000 people across 18 countries, Kathy’s journey is rooted in resilience, values, and bold decisions. In this episode, she talks about leading through rapid growth, the importance of personal relationships in business, and why staying grounded in your core values is what fuels long-term success. Kathy also shares the story behind the Doyenne Initiative, her nonprofit that empowers women in engineering, IT, healthcare, and business through global education and leadership opportunities. This conversation is a masterclass in authenticity, grit, and what it really means to build legacy.

Show Notes:

 1:52 – Kathy’s journey from mechanical engineer to international recruiter
 4:40 – Building credibility as the only woman on a job site of 1,100 men
 9:18 – The pivot to recruiting and the early days of Global Edge
 11:47 – Starting her business the day after her divorce, as a single mom of four
 14:29 – Hitting growth milestones: 18 countries, 1,000+ staff
 16:50 – Why resilience and relationship-building are at the core of her leadership
 20:10 – Trust, transparency, and building an executive team that shares the mission
 22:56 – Keeping culture consistent across continents
 26:38 – The value of inclusivity without uniformity
 30:00 – Taking early risks: Going global within the first 9 months
 34:25 – Learning to scale without losing your values
 38:41 – How her leadership style has evolved (and what she’d tell her younger self)
 41:30 – The five core values that shape Global Edge
 46:14 – Doyenne Initiative: Empowering women globally through education
 52:32 – Building a nonprofit that aligns with your business values
 55:10 – What Kathy sees ahead in the global economy and workforce trends
 59:48 – Her perspective on AI in recruiting and why people still matter most
 1:03:06 – Advice for young women: Be who you are, and own it
 1:06:42 – If she started over with $10K and a laptop, here’s what she’d do
 1:10:17 – Final words of wisdom: Stay grounded, keep your eye on the horizon

Connect with Kathy:

• Website: https://www.globaledgegroup.com/
•  LinkedIn (Personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyeberwein
•  LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-edge-consultants/
•  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tgeconsu

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What does it mean to lead with authenticity in a system built to overlook you? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Elizabeth “Liz” Frederick, the Executive Director of Avenues for Justice: a nonprofit that's been disrupting the incarceration pipeline in New York City for nearly five decades. Liz shares her deeply personal journey from being a mentee at AFJ nearly 20 years ago to becoming its Executive Director in 2024. With honesty, heart, and fierce clarity, Liz reflects on the challenges of leadership as a Black woman in the criminal justice space, the life-changing impact of second chances, and why her mission is rooted in community, mental health, and real opportunity.

She doesn't just talk about justice reform, she lives it. Whether you're an entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, or advocate for change, this conversation will challenge the way you think about power, purpose, and what it means to fill your own shoes.

Show Notes

• How a two-hour conversation with AFJ’s founder changed her life
• Her journey from operations to COO to Executive Director
• The story behind the “big shoes” moment and choosing her own path
• Why AFJ never puts a time limit on a young person’s progress
• How the HIRE Up program provides access to education, employment, and mental health support
• Her experience navigating leadership as a Black woman in a white, male-dominated system
• Why consistent relationships are the foundation of AFJ’s impact
• How AFJ keeps recidivism under 6 percent across all five boroughs
• Her approach to caring for staff who carry the emotional weight of this work
• Why listening to young people is the most important leadership skill she’s learned

Quotable Moments

• I don’t have to fill anybody’s shoes but my own
• Young people need jobs, not jails
• These aren’t bad kids. They’re brilliant and navigating broken systems
• Second chances only work when you stick with people long enough to matter

Guest Contact Info

Name: Elizabeth “Liz” Frederick
Title: Executive Director, Avenues for Justice
Website: www.avenuesforjustice.org
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @avenuesforjustice
YouTube: Avenues for Justice

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If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

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• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders
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• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

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Thayer Lavielle is the Managing Director of The Collective at Wasserman, where she leads a global practice dedicated to driving investment in women in sports, entertainment, and music. In this episode, Thayer walks us through her nonlinear path—starting in journalism, moving into brand marketing and motorsports, and ultimately building a multimillion-dollar consultancy and research engine. We talk about how she discovered her creative gift, what it means to build within structure, and why women in business and sport deserve more than a seat at the table. From creating platforms for change to raising the next generation of leaders, Thayer is a builder at heart—and a force behind one of the most strategic, data-backed movements for women in business today.

Show Notes

• Thayer’s early career in journalism, PR, and brand marketing
• How Outback Steakhouse taught her more than life insurance ever could
• Leading with ideas and learning the business behind the creativity
• Her time working with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and launching new ventures
• The moment she realized her creative gift is building within structure
• Building The Collective and launching The Collective Think Tank
• What it looks like to scale advocacy into a global business
• Why women’s sports are watchable, sponsorable, and investable
• The next wave of investment and innovation in women’s sports
• Passing the torch—her daughter’s journey founding a flag football league
• Why collaboration wins over competition
• What it really means to give yourself permission

Quotable Moments

 "The faster you can learn what your particular gift is, the faster you can run to wherever you should be"
 "Permission granted—to say no, to change your mind, to want more or less"
 "Women's sports are not a cause. They are a business"
 "You don't need to wait for a seat at the table. You can build your own"

Guest Contact Info

Name: Thayer Lavielle
Title: Managing Director, The Collective at Wasserman
Website: www.wearethecollective.com/5years
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thayer-lavielle
Instagram: @thayerlavielle
The Collective Instagram: @wearethecollective
Email: [email protected]

Additional Media
Women Business Collaborative
Instagram: @womenbusinesscollaborative
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wb

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Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders
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• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com