What does it really take to turn a kitchen side hustle into a thriving wholesale business?

In this episode of Build the Damn Thing, Kathryn Finney talks with entrepreneur and sales strategist Andee Hart, founder of Hart Design Co. and host of She Sells Differently. Andee shares how she went from a Fortune 500 sales executive to building a candle empire, the sales framework that works in any market, and her mission to help women entrepreneurs overcome sales anxiety.

You’ll learn:

• The lessons Andee took from corporate America into entrepreneurship

• Why having a simple, repeatable sales framework is a game changer

• How to create lead magnets that actually grow your business

• The importance of starting local and listening to feedback

• Sales confidence

• Pricing strategies for scaling into wholesale
  

If you’ve ever struggled with sales or wondered how to take your side hustle full time, this conversation is packed with strategies and inspiration.

Learn more:

• Connect with Andee
  

In this episode of Build the Damn Thing, host Kathryn Finney interviews financial advisor and money mindset expert Shari Rash, host of Everyone’s Talking Money, a show recognized by The New York Times. The conversation gives new and early stage entrepreneurs a clear money playbook for leaving a 9 to 5 and building a profitable business. Listeners learn how to pay themselves first using a Profit First style framework, budget variable income, and separate personal and business finances with simple systems that work in real life. The episode explains LLC basics, dedicated business bank accounts, and a lightweight Google Sheets dashboard. It also clarifies the roles of a bookkeeper, a CPA, and a financial planner, and teaches how to read a profit and loss statement and a balance sheet. Shari and Kathryn cover pricing a founder salary, creating a profit buffer for slow months, and the mindset shifts women entrepreneurs need to discuss money with confidence. This is a practical guide to small business finance, cash flow, and wealth building for first time founders.

What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted but feel completely empty inside? Bianca D'Alessio, author of "Mastering Intentions," HBO Max's Selling Tampa star, and top real estate broker, found herself at the pinnacle of success—and completely burned out, isolated from family, and questioning everything.

In this raw conversation, Bianca breaks down the difference between toxic goal-setting and intentional living, sharing how her approach to success nearly cost her the relationships that mattered most. From her father's incarceration for financial fraud to her siblings staging an intervention in Sicily, she reveals how family trauma became the catalyst for rebuilding her leadership philosophy and ultimately writing "Mastering Intentions."

You'll discover:

• Why "SMART goals" can become toxic traps that steal your joy
• The powerful shift from metrics-based success to intention-based growth from "Mastering Intentions"
• How appearing on HBO Max's Selling Tampa taught her to own her story—even the messy parts
• Why perfectionism kills creativity and innovation in your team
• The difference between managing people and creating "team-ship"
• How to recruit for loyalty and trust over skillset alone

Bianca doesn't sugarcoat the reality of entrepreneurship: "One day you're the CEO, the other day you're the janitor." But she's learned that vulnerability, not perfection, creates the strongest teams. Her approach to writing intentions on glass walls instead of traditional goal-setting offers a fresh framework for building sustainable success.

Whether you're burning out from hustle culture, struggling with family dynamics while building your business, or ready to lead with authenticity instead of perfectionism, this episode will shift how you define winning.

Bianca D'Alessio is the author of "Mastering Intentions," a top real estate broker, and star of HBO Max's Selling Tampa. Her journey from family scandal to intentional leadership offers a blueprint for sustainable success.

What happens when you turn a fashion blog into a business empire worth acquiring? Marie Denée, founder of The Curvy Fashionista, sits down with Kathryn Finney to break down the real economics of influence - from the wild west days of $12 CPMs and $50K satellite media tours to today's oversaturated market.This isn't your typical "follow your passion" conversation. Marie and Kathryn dig deep into the business fundamentals that separate profitable personal brands from hobby accounts that burn out. You'll learn:Why understanding marketing funnels can 10x your influencer income:- The critical difference between building "Marie Denée" vs "The Curvy Fashionista" (and why it matters for exits)- How a failed 10-month acquisition nearly bankrupted Marie - and the legal mistakes to avoid- The mindset shift from "creating content to create revenue" to "creating revenue to create content"Two pioneers who built their tables before anyone knew the rules existed share hard-won wisdom about turning personal brands into scalable businesses. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up beyond being the product yourself, this episode reveals the strategies that actually work in 2024.Marie Denée is the creator of The Curvy Fashionista, a groundbreaking digital platform that redefined plus-size fashion coverage. Kathryn Finney is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and author of "Build the Damn Thing."

Owning your power isn’t a personality trait—it’s a strategy.

In this special Build the Damn Thing compilation, Kathryn Finney brings together bold voices who know what it takes to lead, negotiate, and build with intention. From navigating bias to setting unapologetic boundaries, this episode is a crash course in standing tall and taking up space as an entrepreneur.

You’ll hear from founders and leaders who refused to play small—even when the systems around them demanded it. They chose themselves. They bet on their voice. And they built something better.

Listen in for real talk on:

• Saying no without guilt

• Navigating likeability and respect

• The emotional cost of shrinking in the room

• Why underestimated entrepreneurs are rewriting the rules of power

This isn’t just about building a business. It’s about building yourself in the process.

🎧 Hit play—and don’t forget to subscribe, review, and share with a fellow builder.

#BuildTheDamnThing #Entrepreneurship #OwnYourPower #Negotiation #UnderestimatedFounders

What does it really take to build the business—and life—you want?

In this special compilation episode of Build the Damn Thing, host Kathryn Finney brings together powerful insights from founders and leaders who are redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur. From negotiating your worth to building through bias, this episode unpacks the real inner work required to lead with power and purpose.

You’ll hear from voices who’ve been told to shrink—and chose to expand instead.

Discover why owning your power isn’t just about saying yes to opportunity, but also about knowing when to say no. Learn what it looks like to create spaces where underestimated founders can thrive. And walk away with the mindset tools every entrepreneur needs to navigate the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

If you’re building the damn thing—this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more episodes that speak to the heart of what it means to be a builder.

#BuildTheDamnThing #Entrepreneurship #PowerMoves #Negotiation #UnderestimatedFounders

What if leadership didn’t have to be lonely? What if building your business could feel like a joyful act of service—not just a climb to the top?

In this episode of Build the Damn Thing, Kathryn Finney sits down with her longtime collaborator and friend, Darlene Gillard Jones, to unpack the emotional reality of entrepreneurship. From surviving literal blizzards in North Carolina to producing a runway show that changed lives, Kathryn and Darlene reflect on the power of building with people who believe in you—and how joy, levity, and legacy show up in the startup trenches.

This is more than a behind-the-scenes conversation. It’s a blueprint for how to build with purpose, how to honor the people who helped you get there, and how to know when it’s time to move on.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the people you build with matter more than any pitch deck

• How levity and laughter can be leadership superpowers

• What it looks like to transition out of something with grace

• How to spot the difference between someone who’s with you and someone who wants to be you

• Why small acts of generosity can create big ripple effects (hello, Doonie Fund)

If you’re navigating your own leadership journey—or learning how to build the damn thing while staying rooted in who you are—this conversation is your reminder to lead with joy, love, and unapologetic clarity.

✨ Hit subscribe, leave a review, and send this episode to someone who rides with you in the storm and the spotlight. Because leadership is a team sport—and your joy is part of the strategy.

It's time to use AI to save you time and grow your business

In this episode of Build the Damn Thing, Kathryn Finney sits down with Cheryl Contee—tech futurist, serial entrepreneur, and author of AI for Nonprofits—to break down how underestimated founders can use AI right now to grow their businesses, save time, cut costs, and stay competitive.

Whether you’re running a small team, a solo hustle, or a community-based organization, this episode is packed with real-world examples, free tools, and no-BS advice on how to integrate AI into your workflow without selling your soul (or breaking the bank).

🎧 You’ll learn:

• The 3 types of AI you need to know (and which one matters most)

• How to use AI for content, customer service, bookkeeping, research, and more

• What “prompt engineering” actually means—and how to do it

• How to overcome fear, avoid burnout, and stay human in an AI-powered world

• The one mindset shift that separates businesses that grow from those that get left behind

💡 AI Tools Mentioned in This Episode:

• ChatGPT – content creation, research, and analysis

• Claude – AI chatbot by Anthropic for writing and productivity

• Gemini – Google’s AI assistant

• PopAI – instant slide deck generator

• Fathom – AI-powered meeting transcription and summaries

• Fireflies – automatic meeting notes and follow-ups

• Read.ai – meeting summaries and analytics

• There’s An AI For That – searchable AI tool directory

• Synesthesia (now Synthesia) – AI-generated human avatars for video

• Lovable.dev– AI voiceovers and media generation

• Perplexity – AI-powered search and research assistant

• ChangeAgent – AI for social impact content and storytelling

This isn’t about chasing the latest trend. It’s about building smarter, not harder—and making AI work for you.

🚀 Subscribe, share, and leave a review if you’re ready to grow your business and stay ahead of the curve. Let’s build the damn thing—together.

You’ve heard the buzz about venture capital, but do you really know how it works? Or if it’s even right for your business?

In this episode of Build the Damn Thing, Kathryn Finney sits down with Brian Laung Aoaeh, co-founder of Refashioned Ventures, to break down the truth about venture capital—without the jargon. From understanding how VCs actually make money to knowing what “high growth” really means, Kathryn and Brian reveal what most entrepreneurs get wrong about raising money and why VC funding is not for everybody.

They also get real about:

• Why most businesses will never be a fit for venture capital

• The financial realities of venture funds (aka how VCs get paid)

• The #1 question every founder must answer before pitching investors

• Why press and popularity don’t translate into profit

• The tough but necessary truth about legacy-building vs. scaling

If you’ve ever wondered when (or if) you should raise VC money, or you’re tired of the hype and want the real deal on funding, this episode is your roadmap.

💡 Learn more about Kathryn Finney: kathrynfinney.com

👥 Join the Build the Damn Thing community: buildthedamnthing.com

🔗 Connect with Brian Aoaeh: Refashioned Ventures

In this episode of "Build a Damn Thing," host Kathryn Finney delves into the intersection of art and entrepreneurship with Natalie Osborne, founder of Natalie O. Decor. Born in the historic Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Natalie carries the legacy of Black Wall Street into her vibrant art. Discover how she transitioned from teaching to full-time artistry, leveraging platforms like Etsy and Shopify to sell her work. Natalie shares insights on pricing, market strategies, and breaking free from traditional art world constraints. Whether you're an artist or an entrepreneur, this episode offers valuable lessons on betting on yourself and thriving in a rapidly changing world.