Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners

After more than two decades in business, Kim Oser realized that working harder was not the answer. The missing piece was structure.

In this episode of Dear FoundHer from the Forum, Kim, founder of Game Plan Organizing, shares the shift that changed everything. After years of strong results, she realized the real barrier was not the quality of her work but how clearly she could articulate it. Once she stopped winging her own growth and built a clear plan, her business momentum followed.

Kim opens up about moving from inconsistent marketing to confident storytelling, and how clarity in her message led to stronger referrals and a calendar that finally reflected the value of her work. She also talks about rebranding, not as a fix, but as an evolution. Game Plan Organizing gave her the language to lead more strategically and the confidence to say no to work that no longer aligned.

As demand grew, so did questions about capacity and sustainability. Those questions ultimately led to Clear Game Plan, an online program designed to help people get organized without shame or overwhelm. Throughout the episode, one theme remains constant. Growth became possible and sustainable because it was supported by community, accountability, and shared perspective.

This conversation is for anyone who knows their work is solid but feels stuck explaining it, scaling it, or sustaining it without burning out.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Women Founders and the Power of Community

01:55 What Game Plan Organizing Is and Why Planning Comes First

02:52 When Experience Is Not the Problem but Marketing Clarity Is

05:36 How Clear Storytelling Led to Referrals and a Full Calendar

07:32 Rebranding a Service Business for Strategic Growth

11:17 Using Events and Partnerships to Build Trust and Visibility

14:09 Scaling Beyond Personal Capacity with an Online Program

17:26 Why Community Accelerated Business Growth

Connect with Kim Oser:

Follow Kim on Instagram 

Follow the Game Plan Organizing on Facebook 

Connect with Game Plan Organizing on LinkedIn

Visit the Game Plan Organizing website

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files 

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram 

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building a breakout brand in the baby space usually looks slower and messier than people expect. It means facing real scaling challenges, making patient decisions, and staying committed to the product even when it would be easier to rush. In this episode of Dear FoundHer, host Lindsay Pinchuk talks with female founder, Andrea Faulkner Williams, of Tubby Todd, about what it really took to build a brand parents trust.

Andrea shares how Tubby Todd began with a personal family need and a hard reset most founders would avoid. After spending years developing their first product, they chose to start over when it did not work for their own child. That decision shaped everything that followed, including how they focused on quality, earned trust, and started growing an audience through real word of mouth instead of shortcuts or paid hype. Community, consistency, and listening closely to customers became the backbone of the business.

That foundation made the next stage possible. Andrea walks through how Tubby Todd expanded beyond direct-to-consumer, first onto Amazon and eventually into Target, without losing what made the brand work. Instead of relying on retail to create demand, they brought an already loyal audience with them. If you are a woman business owner, wrestling with scaling challenges or trying to grow an audience before taking a bigger leap, this episode gives a refreshingly honest look at what steady growth really takes.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 How Tubby Todd Grew Without Paid Ads

03:00 Two Years of Product Development and Starting Over

04:00 Word of Mouth Strategy for Growing an Audience

07:00 “Be a Good Friend” Marketing Philosophy

14:00 Community Building Offline Through Play Dates

19:30 Scaling Challenges: Amazon to Target Retail Expansion

25:00 Founder Challenges: Confidence, Relationships, and Boundaries

30:00 A Simple Founder Framework: Why, One Goal, Quarterly Focus

Connect with Andrea Faulkner Williams:

Follow Andrea of Instagram

Follow Tubby Todd on Instagram

FoundHer Faves:

Keep Mahjing On

Foundation PR

Maelove Dryness Treatment Kit

Womaness Let’s Neck Serum Roller

Kendra Scott 5 Link Match Band

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files 

Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What it really takes to leave corporate with confidence and build a people-first business that actually works.

Leaving a stable corporate role is rarely about courage alone. It’s about timing, clarity, and building the right support before you leap. On Dear FoundHer from the Forum, host Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Jillian Bernstein, founder of The Wellness Extension, to unpack what the corporate-to-founder transition really looks like when it’s done thoughtfully. Jillian shares how she assessed her readiness, invested in learning where she had gaps, and resisted the pressure many women founders feel to rush decisions just to make it work.

This episode challenges a common misconception about workplace well-being. Jillian explains why surface-level wellness initiatives often fall short for small business owners and how listening closely to clients led her to build a more comprehensive HR concierge model. Her pivots were shaped by real conversations, careful testing, and a willingness to evolve her services based on what businesses actually needed.

At the center of it all is community. Jillian reflects on how her network supported her during the quiet early months of building her business and how she now creates paid opportunities for other women through her work. This conversation is for women founders who want to grow sustainably, think strategically, and stop trying to do everything alone.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Investing in Skills You Do Not Have as a Founder

02:52 Building an HR Concierge Business for Small Businesses

06:30 Knowing When You Are Ready to Leave Corporate

11:25 Revenue Goals, Business Pivots, and Sustainable Growth

16:27 The Key Decisions That Made This Business Work

19:49 Why Community and Network Matter for Women Founders

Connect with Jillian Bernstein:

Follow Wellness Extension on Instagram 

Connect with Jillian on LinkedIn

Visit the Wellness Extension Website

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files 

Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're a woman business owner over 40, join the Dear FoundHer... Forum to find support, advice, resources and mentorship—JUST FOR YOU. It’s all inside, without the gatekeeping and without the overwhelm.

If you’re a woman business owner over 40 who feels like growth should be louder or more complicated than it needs to be, this episode is for you.

In this solo episode, Lindsay Pinchuk shares why real business growth rarely starts with a launch, funnel, or rebrand—and almost always starts with a conversation. Drawing from her experience building and exiting a seven-figure company, Lindsay explains how conversations have led to her biggest opportunities, partnerships, and long-term growth.

You’ll learn why women over 40 are uniquely positioned to grow through relationships, how one aligned conversation can create more impact than ten pieces of content, and why community—not campaigns—is often the missing piece.

If networking feels forced and marketing feels heavy, this episode will help you rethink what growth can look like.

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files 

Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many successful female founders and entrepreneurs are exhausted by planners, productivity advice, and the pressure to always do more, yet they still feel behind when it comes to time management. This episode of Dear FoundHer from the Forum slows that conversation down and asks why time feels so hard, even for capable, motivated women.

Jill Beck, founder of Just Go Long and an accountability coach for women over 40, joins the discussion to talk about what she sees again and again in her work. The problem usually isn’t a lack of effort or the wrong system. It’s the absence of accountability in the middle of real life. Jill shares how she supports women through text-based accountability that fits into busy days rather than adding more to them.

The conversation covers burnout, boundaries, confidence, and why it’s so hard to follow through when your plate is already full. Jill also shares how her business came together in a very unflashy way, built on trust, referrals, and showing up consistently rather than chasing attention or growth trends.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Productivity Systems Fail Without Accountability

02:27 Text-Based Accountability Coaching for Women Over 40

05:29 Burnout, Health, and Sustainable Time Management

06:48 The Time Pie Chart That Forces Real Tradeoffs

10:12 Visibility, Confidence, and Letting Go of Follower Obsession

16:04 Growing a Coaching Business Through Email and Referrals

23:24 What’s Next for Just Go Long and Corporate Time Overload

Connect with Jill Beck:

Follow Jill on Instagram

Connect with Jill on LinkedIn

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files 

Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for the FREE Dear FoundHer… Forum Open House + Networking (virtual) Event on January 28th. RSVP HERE we won’t host another Open House until later this spring.

This female founded business began as a side hustle in an apartment and grew into a 45-location, company-owned beauty brand by staying grounded in reality.

Courtney Claghorn, president and founder of Sugared + Bronzed, a natural sugaring and spray tan company shares how the company took shape while she still worked full-time, learned the service herself, and paid attention to what customers were actually willing to buy. Early decisions focused on cash flow, reinvestment, and keeping costs manageable. Profitability set the pace from the start and made it possible to scale without franchising or giving up ownership.

The conversation traces what changes when a side hustle demands more than spare time, how standards hold up as scale increases, and why systems replaced intuition as the business grew. Courtney also talks through choosing when to raise capital, adjusting during COVID, and building something that could keep growing without depending on her presence in every room.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 From Side Hustle To Growth At Scale: The Sugared + Bronzed Story  

03:10 Identifying A Market Gap In The Spray Tan Industry  

06:00 Early Customer Acquisition Without Social Media  

07:00 Leaving A Corporate Job When Demand Takes Over  

08:10 Bootstrapping The First Store And Prioritizing Profitability  

14:50 Scaling Without Franchising Or Losing Control  

16:10 Raising Capital After Proving The Business Model  

17:30 Surviving COVID Through Creative Pivots  

23:00 Maintaining Quality And Culture At Scale  

34:00 Founder Advice On Moving Fast And Avoiding Overplanning 

Connect with Courtney Claghorn:

Follow Courtney on Instagram

Visit the Sugared + Bronzed Website

Follow Sugared + Bronzed on Instagram

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files 

Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most real founder stories are not tidy highlight reels. They unfold in real time, with experiments, pivots, and steady progress. In this episode, Nina Badzin shares one of those real founder stories, tracing her path from writing advice columns to building Dear Nina into a podcast and newsletter that operate as the business itself.

If you are growing an audience and wondering how women founders can monetize their creative outlets like podcasts, blogs, social media platforms and more, this conversation is for you. Nina breaks down how sponsorships support her podcast, how paid subscribers support her newsletter, and why she wishes she had started monetizing sooner. She talks candidly about learning to edit her own show, building revenue streams gradually, and treating content as a long term asset that compounds over time.

This is also one of those real founder stories that highlights the power of online community building. Nina explains how joining the Dear FoundHer Forum led to peer support for entrepreneurs that she could not get from friends alone. From partnership marketing opportunities like podcast swaps to brainstorming bigger strategy decisions, the right room changed her trajectory.

You will also hear practical event marketing ideas, including how she launched her first live event, secured sponsors for giveaway bags, and is planning future cities with intention. Along the way, she shares lessons about starting before you feel ready, embracing partnership marketing, and building systems that support sustainable growth.

This episode gives you real founder stories that show how entrepreneurs build their audience, try out new ways to make money, and get help from other female entrepreneurs.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introducing Dear FoundHer From the Forum and Nina Badzin

01:17 Turning Friendship Advice Into a Sustainable Business

07:55 Starting a Podcast During COVID

10:15 How Dear Nina Makes Money Through Sponsorships and Subscriptions

13:58 Why Substack Works for Newsletter Growth and Discovery

20:53 Why Community Matters More Than Friends in Business

23:55 Real Business Results From the Dear FoundHer Forum

27:11 Three Practical Lessons for New Business Owners

Connect with Nina Badzin:

Follow Nina on Instagram 

Tune in to Nina’s Podcast: Dear Nina Conversations About Friendship

Connect with Lindsay:

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When growing an audience feels impossible because your business did not start with a neat plan, this episode is proof you do not need one. Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Zibby Owens, founder of Zibby Media, for a conversation that is part strategy and part reality check for women building in midlife.

Zibby shares how a personal reset led to a podcast, then events, then a bookstore, then publishing, all by paying attention to what people responded to. These are real founder stories about testing ideas in public, keeping what works, and letting go of what drains the team. If you are leaving corporate or staring down career pivots, you will hear how both women built momentum without pretending it was effortless.

This is also a lesson in community building for business. Zibby explains why bringing people together in real life made it easier to book guests, strengthen partnerships, and keep growing an audience even when algorithms change. Lindsay connects the dots to her own journey bootstrapping a company from $500 to seven figures, selling it, and then building Dear FoundHer into a podcast, a forum, and live events.

They also talk about values and visibility. Zibby reflects on the backlash that can come with speaking publicly and why she chose to keep showing up anyway. If you want growing an audience without burning out, you will leave with practical steps for outreach, clarity on what to stop doing, and a reminder that growing an audience is built one relationship at a time, starting today.

Episode Breakdown:

00:02 Bootstrapping From $500 to Seven Figures and Building Dear FoundHer With Lindsay Pinchuk

03:48 How Zibby Owens Started Zibby Media Without a Business Plan

07:20 Growing an Audience Through Podcasting, Sponsorships, and Consistent Content

09:36 Community Building for Business Through Live Events and Real-Life Connection

14:09 Leaving Corporate After Acquisition and Making a Career Pivot Into Entrepreneurship

19:07 Rebranding and Streamlining a Growing Business With a Clear Mission

25:12 Values-Driven Leadership, Public Visibility, and Backlash After October 7

31:34 Turning Purpose Into Action With a Bestselling Anthology and Ongoing Community Work

37:05 Hiring, Team Building, and the Reality of Monetizing a Media Business

44:41 Practical Advice for First-Time Founders on Feedback, Clarity, and Growing an Audience

Connect with Zibby Owens:

Follow Zibby on Instagram 

Follow Zibby Publishing on Instagram  

Follow Zibby’s Bookshop on Instagram 

Follow Totally Booked with Zibby on Instagram  

Visit Zibby Media 

Visit Zibby’s website

Connect with Lindsay:

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram

Join us for the Dear FoundHer... Forum Virtual Open House + Networking Event on January 28th to meet other amazing women business owners just like you. RSVP HERE to save yourself a seat, it's free.

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files

Follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two simple, proven ways to get new clients in 2026, without ads, funnels, or burnout. Lindsay Pinchuk shares the email every entrepreneur forgets to send and the LinkedIn strategy that activates your network and drives real revenue. Perfect for women business owners over 40 building their next chapter.

If you're a woman business owner over 40 and you’re wondering how to get more clients in 2026, without ads, complicated funnels, or burnout, this episode is for you.

In this special teaser episode ahead of Season 5 of Dear FoundHer…, host Lindsay Pinchuk shares the two simplest and most effective client acquisition strategies she’s used at every stage of her career, from launching her first company to building a seven-figure business and scaling Dear FoundHer.

You’ll learn:

✔️ The one email every entrepreneur forgets to send — and why it’s your most powerful lead generator

✔️ How to activate your existing network to get new clients faster

✔️ How to use LinkedIn for business development (without cold pitching or awkward sales messages)

✔️ Why “doing great work” isn’t enough — and what actually creates momentum

✔️ The exact strategy Lindsay used when she woke up one January with zero clients

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to write THAT email — the announcement email that activates your network and generates referrals, clients, and opportunities
• Why your existing network is your fastest path to revenue
• How to use LinkedIn intentionally for business growth
• The outbound strategy that landed multiple clients in weeks
• How to create momentum when your pipeline is empty
• Why visibility is the real growth lever for women entrepreneurs over 40

This episode is for:

• Women business owners over 40
• Female founders starting a business later in life
• Career pivoters building a second act
• Consultants, coaches, service providers, and founders
• Entrepreneurs who want more clients without relying on social media trends
• Women who want simple, proven marketing strategies that actually convert

If you're starting a business after 40, pivoting careers, or rebuilding momentum in a new season of life, this episode gives you a clear, simple roadmap to getting visible and getting paid. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just real strategies that work.

Grab THAT email.

Grab THOSE LinkedIn message templates.

Follow Dear FoundHer...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you missed our holiday Dear FoundHer... Forum promo, you didn’t miss your chance. We’re offering one final opportunity to join the Dear FoundHer… Forum at a special rate before they go up in January. Use the code LASTCHANCE for 20% off through December 31st. CLICK HERE TO JOIN US.

Momentum grows faster when you’re not building alone.

Community is the difference.

In the final episode of 2025, Host, Lindsay Pinchuk, reflects on a year defined by momentum—not hustle, but intentional business growth built through community.

This solo episode looks back on the wins, challenges, and lessons that shaped the Dear FoundHer… ecosystem in 2025 and shares what it really takes to build a business that’s sustainable, aligned, and built to last. Lindsay breaks down what this year reinforced about growth after 40, the power of boundaries, and why community compounds faster than content.

You’ll hear the lessons Lindsay is carrying into 2026—focused on sustainability, clarity, and future goals—along with a reminder that meaningful growth doesn’t come from doing more, but from doing what works.

If you’re closing out the year reflecting on what’s next and craving momentum that feels steady instead of exhausting, this episode is for you.

Make sure you follow Dear FoundHer... on Instagram and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The FoundHer Files. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.