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

See what happens when women founders build together. RSVP and join us for the Dear FoundHer Forum Virtual Open House + Networking Session on December 9th.

Brynn Putnam talks through what it really feels like to build a company, sell it to lululemon, and start again with a completely new idea. Joining Lindsay Pinchuk in this episode, she reflects on the investor dynamics that shaped her path, including a moment when she walked away from a term sheet because the relationship didn’t feel right, and she explains why the partners you choose influence every decision that follows. Brynn also shares how simple observations inside her gym sparked the idea for MIRROR and why true innovation comes from understanding your customer more than from technical expertise. Her shift toward building Board highlights a deeper desire for connection and family, and the conversation leaves you asking a few grounding questions: Who do you trust to build with? What signals are you ignoring? How can your own life stage point you toward the work you’re meant to do next?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Building a Community for Women Entrepreneurs

02:50 Brynn Putnam's Journey: From Ballerina to Tech Founder

05:47 The Sale of MIRROR: Insights from a Successful Acquisition

09:04 Raising Venture Capital: Challenges and Experiences

11:48 Lessons Learned: The Importance of Partnering with the Right Investors

14:57 The Launch of Bored: A New Era of Family Gaming

17:59 Marketing Strategies for a New Product

20:58 The Story Behind Bored: Reimagining Family Game Night

24:05 Building Relationships with Investors

27:06 Key Takeaways for Aspiring Female Founders

Connect with Board and Brynn:

Follow Board on Instagram

Links:

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Join us on Tour with Sunny + Jenn!

FoundHer Faves: 

Parallel Travel Bag

Merit Eye Shadow

Tree of Life Center

Dagne Dover Roma Packing Cubes

Samantha Fine Digital

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Subscribe to The FoundHer Files. Practical advice for your small business. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works...because we're better together. SUBSCRIBE HERE

Fear of being seen keeps many entrepreneurs from stepping into their potential, and imposter syndrome often has less to do with confidence than with how the nervous system reacts to visibility. In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk talks with therapist and visibility coach Anna Holtzman about what’s really happening beneath the surface when we hesitate to show up. Why does sharing your work online or talking about your business feel so uncomfortable? And how can you train your body to see visibility as safe instead of threatening?

Anna shares how the fear of being seen is often a protective response, not a personal flaw, and how learning to recognize that can shift the way you approach your work. She explains her method of “graded exposure” (taking small, consistent steps toward being visible) as a way to build trust in yourself and lessen the grip of imposter syndrome over time.

This conversation feels like a gentle permission slip for anyone who’s tired of pretending to be confident. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of what it means to show up authentically and a few ways to make visibility feel less like a performance and more like self-trust in action.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Fear of Visibility

12:03 Navigating Career Transitions

24:07 Overcoming Visibility Challenges

26:52 Building Comfort in Visibility

30:46 The Power of One-on-One Coaching

31:52 Authenticity in Consistency

35:01 Navigating Negative Feedback

39:05 Personalized Coaching Experiences

45:35 Actionable Steps to Increase Visibility

Links:

Follow Anna on Instagram

Register for Anna’s FREE Let Yourself Be Seen Workshop

Check Lindsay out on Anna’s Podcast!

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files

Get Tickets for Dear FoundHer.. on Tour

This Week’s FoundHer Faves:

Pistola Cassie Pants

Dudley Stephens

Parenting on Mars

Aviva App

The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson, LLC

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files. Practical advice for your small business. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works...because we're better together. SUBSCRIBE HERE

This week, Lindsay Pinchuk breaks down one of the most powerful (and overlooked) marketing tools for small businesses — the Gift Guide.

Whether you sell products, services, or both, a Gift Guide can help you grow your audience, collaborate with other brands, and create buzz that lasts long after the holidays.

Lindsay shares how she used Gift Guides to skyrocket her first company, Bump Club & Beyond, and how her very first Dear FoundHer… Gift Guide landed her a TV segment on WGN and helped launch the brand.

You’ll learn:

• Why every business should have a Gift Guide (even in November!)
• How to choose a theme that aligns with your brand
• Ways to SWEEP your guide across social, email, and partnerships
• How to turn one simple idea into a full marketing cycle

And if you want step-by-step help building your own, you can grab Lindsay’s Gift Guide Blueprint inside The FoundHer Files newsletter.

Key Takeaways

• Gift Guides work because they’re collaborative. Featuring other brands multiplies your reach through shares, tags, and partnerships.
• They’re timeless. You can reuse and adapt them for holidays, Mother’s Day, back-to-school, or any seasonal promotion.
• A clear theme matters. It helps your audience immediately understand what you stand for—and strengthens your brand story.
• Repurpose it everywhere. Turn your guide into Reels, emails, carousels, and live features all season long.
• Simple > Fancy. You don’t need a big design budget or complex tech to make it work—start with what you have.

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Gift Guide Blueprint — Available inside The FoundHer Files
• Dear FoundHer on Tour — Aventura, FL (Dec 4, 2025)

Connect with Lindsay

• Instagram: @dearfoundher | @lindsaypinchuk
• Website: dearfoundher.com
• Subscribe: FoundHer Files on Substack

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Subscribe to The FoundHer Files. Practical advice for your small business. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works...because we're better together. SUBSCRIBE HERE

What does it take to turn a small idea into a brand that ends up on the racks at Bergdorf Goodman? For Ramy Brook Sharp, it started with a few silk tops, a gap in her own wardrobe, and a belief that women deserved fashion that felt both beautiful and effortless. Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Ramy to unpack how those early living room trunk shows, personal fabric runs through New York’s Garment District, and countless lessons learned through trial and error shaped what would become the Ramy Brook brand.

Ramy talks about what listening to her customers taught her, like how a simple request for bra-friendly tops completely changed her design philosophy, and how one connection with a personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman turned into a career-defining moment. She reflects on what it means to start a business later in life and why experience and curiosity can be powerful advantages when building something new.

This episode invites you to think differently about growth, resilience, and what it really means to create something that lasts.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 How Ramy Brook Built a Fashion Brand from Scratch

01:39 The Closet Problem That Sparked an Idea

04:41 Launching Through Trunk Shows and Word-of-Mouth Marketing

06:52 Listening to Customers and Designing for Real Women

09:23 The Bergdorf Goodman Breakthrough

16:55 Starting a Business at 42 and Leveraging Life Experience

24:44 How AI and Innovation Shape the Future of Ramy Brook

32:59 Three Lessons Every Aspiring Founder Should Hear

Connect with Ramy Brook Sharp:

Follow Ramy Brook on Instagram

Follow Ramy on Instagram

Follow Lindsay @dearfoundher on Instagram

Interested in leveling up your marketing? Get on the waitlist for Marketing Made Simple for Small Business.

Join the Dear FoundHer... Forum Networking Community

FoundHer Faves:

Inspiro Tequila 

Juliet Wine:

Sav Blanc 

Pinot Noir 

Maelove 

Laura Geller Beauty 

Thirdlove 

Devotion Nutrition 

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

Peta Murgatroyd shares how the discipline she built on Dancing With the Stars became the foundation for her second act as a beauty founder. Joining Lindsay Pinchuk in this episode, she opens up about what it really takes to move from the stage to the boardroom and why she refused to stay in one lane. 

What happens when passion collides with persistence? For Peta, it meant turning years of frustration with self-tanning products into Peta Jane Beauty, a brand known for clean formulas and professional results. She talks about early missteps, rebuilding from scratch, and figuring out how to run a company while raising three kids. 

How do you keep going when self-doubt creeps in? What does it take to lead with both grit and grace? Peta’s journey is an honest look at the growing pains behind real success and a reminder that starting over can be one of the most powerful moves you make.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Peta Murgatroyd’s Founder Story

03:12 From Dancer to Entrepreneur

07:05 The Frustration That Sparked Peta Jane Beauty

09:46 Launching and Rebranding the Business

12:09 Research, Development, and Lessons Learned

17:43 Bringing Peta Jane Beauty to Market

22:12 Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

29:10 Preparing for Life After Dancing With the Stars

33:33 The Biggest Business Lesson: Inventory and Growth

36:52 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Finding Confidence

40:15 Peta Murgatroyd’s Advice for New Entrepreneurs

Connect with Peta Murgatroyd:

Follow Peta on Instagram 

Follow Peta on TikTok 

Follow Peta Jane Beauty on Instagram

Follow Peta Jane Beauty on TikTok 

Here are the links to this week's FoundHer Faves:

Snooze Fest by Jayne Havens

FabFitFun

Jill Lawlor Creative

ThirdLove Unlined Minimizer Bra

Emily Schneider, Visual Storyteller

Follow Lindsay @dearfoundher on Instagram

Interested in leveling up your marketing? Get on the waitlist for Marketing Made Simple for Small Business.

Join the Dear FoundHer... Forum Networking Community

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files. Practical advice for your small business. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works...because we're better together. SUBSCRIBE HERE 

Katie Rosen Kitchens didn’t set out to build a subscription box, she set out to build a community. What began as an online magazine with product recommendations grew into FabFitFun, a membership that millions of women see as a quarterly act of self-care.

In this episode with Lindsay Pinchuk, Katie shares how a 24-hour sellout of the very first test box set the stage for everything that followed: full-size products, full customization, members-only sales, and a thriving community where feedback shapes each season. Storytelling still drives it all, making every product feel personal rather than transactional.

She also explains how FabFitFun became a launchpad for brands, using influencers and editorial reach to turn products, like OUAI’s leave-in conditioner, into bestsellers. Flexibility is key—members can swap items or even entire boxes—building trust with every shipment.

Katie doesn’t shy away from the hard parts either, from a million-unit product recall to the operational lessons that came out of it. Today, FabFitFun is expanding its impact with brand investments and 3PL services, proving that listening to your community and evolving with it is the foundation of lasting growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Katie Rosen Kitchens Co-Founder of FabFitFun

05:52 FabFitFun’s Origin Story

15:44 Building Community and Listening to Customers

26:55 From Media Company to Membership Model

28:20 Outlasting the Subscription Box Trend

43:11 Final Advice for Female Founders

Connect with Katie Rosen Kitchens:

http://www.instagram.com/katieakitchens

http://www.instagram.com/fabfitfun

Follow Lindsay @dearfoundher on Instagram

Interested in leveling up your marketing? Get on the waitlist for Marketing Made Simple for Small Business.

Join the Dear FoundHer... Forum Networking Community

FoundHers Mentioned today:

October 22 MFactor Screening https://bit.ly/3Id2NoR

Tween Girls Summit https://chicagonorthshoremoms.com/tween-girls-empowerment-summit/

The Small Business Owners HR Vault https://www.wellness-extension.com/sbo-vault

Dear FoundHer on Tour: http://www.dearfoundher.com/tour

Trailblazer Pod https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trailblazer-pod/id1773328946

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

Subscribe to The FoundHer Files. Practical advice for your small business.

No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works...because we're better together. SUBSCRIBE HERE

In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk shares actionable Q4 marketing strategies for small business owners. She emphasizes the importance of gratitude marketing, creating holiday gift guides, running flash sales, repurposing content, and leveraging email for conversions. Lindsay also discusses the significance of pitching for year-end press opportunities, sharing behind-the-scenes content, encouraging user-generated content, and planning for January momentum. The episode is packed with practical tips to help businesses finish the year strong and set the stage for the new year.

Follow Lindsay @dearfoundher on Instagram.

Interested in leveling up your marketing? Get on the waitlist for Marketing Made Simple for Small Business.

Join the Dear FoundHer... Forum Networking Community

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

Get actionable strategies for your business delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe to The FoundHer Files. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works...because we're better together. SUBSCRIBE HERE

In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk shares her journey of building Bump Club and Beyond from scratch without a marketing budget. She emphasizes the importance of creating a marketing system out of necessity, which eventually became the foundation for her success. Lindsay introduces her marketing framework, SWEEP, which stands for Social media, Website, Email, Events, and Publicity/Partnerships. She discusses the significance of each component and provides actionable steps for entrepreneurs to implement in their businesses. The episode highlights the power of consistency, community building, and the importance of nurturing relationships through effective marketing strategies.

00:00 Building a Business from Scratch

02:53 The Importance of a Marketing System

06:06 Introducing the Sweep Framework

08:56 Social Media: Building Awareness

11:50 The Role of Your Website

14:59 Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing

18:07 Events as Community Builders

20:56 Publicity and Partnerships for Growth

23:51 The Power of Consistency in Marketing

27:11 Action Steps for Immediate Impact

Check out today’s female founded brands:

Jessica’s Natural Granola:  Use the code LINDSAYP15, first time customers save 15%. 

Seed Health Daily Synbiotic: Use the code FOUNDHER for 25% off your first month at seed.com. Can be used on DS-01®, PDS-08®, VS-01™. No expiration date

Zodiac Medallion Necklace by Melinda Maria

Tween Girls Summit in Chicago on October 18th: FOR MORE INFORMATION

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

Get actionable strategies for your business delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe to The FoundHer Files. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works...because we're better together. SUBSCRIBE HERE

From Starbucks tables to Taylor Swift’s spotlight to Nordstrom shelves, Melinda Maria Spigel has built a jewelry empire on vision, grit, and fearless self-advocacy. Joining Lindsay Pinchuk in this episode, Melinda shares how she turned handmade pieces into a multimillion-dollar brand by trusting her instincts, funding growth in unconventional ways, and pushing past rejection until doors opened. Melinda reflects on the viral moment Taylor Swift wore her “Julian Loves Diamonds” necklace during the Eras Tour, why persistence mattered more than luck when Nordstrom finally took a chance on her, and how a relentless belief in her product carried her through every stage of growth. Her story leaves entrepreneurs with three powerful reminders: keep betting on yourself even when no one else does, treat rejection as a doorway instead of a wall, and understand your numbers as deeply as you understand your craft.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Believing in Yourself and Your Business

05:07 Early Passion for Jewelry

08:07 Selling Jewelry at Starbucks

10:09 Winning Game Shows for Seed Money

16:37 Self-Advocating and Building Connections

27:08 Persistence Pays Off with Nordstrom

39:32 Melinda’s Actionable Advice for Entrepreneurs

Connect with Melinda Maria Spigel:

Follow Melinda Maria on Instagram

Register for our FREE Sweep Workshop: The No Fluff Marketing Framework for Small Business Owners. 

Get on the waitlist for Marketing Made Simple for Small Business. 

Check out today’s female founded brands

Jessica’s Natural Granola 

Pvolve

Taja Collection

EVEREVE Camp Jacket 

Parke Official 

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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

Get actionable strategies for your business delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe to The FoundHer Files. No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just what works...because we're better together. SUBSCRIBE HERE

Ara Katz never set out to build a probiotic company, yet a deeply personal turning point led her back to her passion for science and ultimately to the creation of Seed. In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk talks with Ara about how her path through film, tech, and entrepreneurship came full circle when she discovered the potential of the microbiome and its deep connection to gut health, immunity, skin, and overall wellness.

Ara shares how Seed developed its science-first approach to gut health, why customer experience is inseparable from scientific credibility, and how design and storytelling can make complex research feel human. She also reflects on the hardest part of scaling a values-driven company: holding fast to what must remain sacred while still making the compromises that growth demands.

Ara leaves behind advice that feels both wise and lived: resist the urge to follow someone else’s recipe, ground your work in love, and hire operational support early so you can stay focused on the work that matters most to you.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Ara Katz and the Story Behind Seed

06:39 A Miscarriage That Changed Everything

12:03 Understanding the Microbiome and Gut Health

20:03 The Science and Innovation Behind DS01

29:20 Why Customer Experience Builds Trust

34:18 Challenges of Scaling with Integrity

45:01 Actionable Advice for Female Founders

Use FOUNDHER for 25% off your first month at seed.com. Can be used on DS-01®, PDS-08®, VS-01™. No expiration date

Connect with Ara Katz:

Follow Ara Katz on Instagram

Follow Seed on Instagram

Register for our FREE Sweep Workshop: The No Fluff Marketing Framework for Small Business Owners

Get on the waitlist for Marketing Made Simple for Small Business

Check out today’s female founded brands:

Hope Firsel 

Nourish & Gather 

Suzanne Scheer, J.D., CLTC®, Register for her webinar 

Ripley Rader Black Ponte Knit Wide Leg Pant

Dara Astmann Coaching 

AI Her Way 

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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